1.Effect of Shenge Bushen Capsules and Its Polysaccharides and Flavonoids on Precocious Puberty in Young Mice
Hong SUN ; Fan LEI ; Chenggong LI ; Shixian HU ; Weihua WANG ; Bin REN ; Juan HAO ; Rui LUO ; Lijun DU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):95-103
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Shenge Bushen Capsules (SBC) on sexual development in normal 3-week-old mice. MethodsThe experiment consisted of two parts. In the first part, mice were divided into four groups: The control group and the low, medium, and high-dose SBC groups (234.7, 469.4, 938.7 mg·kg-1, respectively). In the second part, mice were divided into four groups: Control group, Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide (PRP) group, total flavonoids group, and SBC group, all receiving a dose of 469.4 mg·kg-1. After 7 days of administration, the vaginal opening of female mice and the descent of testes and scrotum in male mice, as well as the ovarian and testicular organ indices, were observed. After 4 weeks of administration, female and male mice were housed together for 2 days, and the pregnancy rate of females was monitored. After delivery, the pregnant female mice continued receiving the treatment for 4 weeks, and the sexual development of their offspring, including vaginal opening, testicular descent, and organ indices of ovaries and testes, was observed. Serum sex hormones were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and growth hormone (GH) proteins in the hypothalamus was assessed by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group, there was no significant effect on the vaginal opening of female mice or the descent of testes in male mice after 7 days of SBC administration. After 4 weeks of administration, the pregnancy rate in the low-dose group was significantly reduced (P<0.05), but no significant effects were observed in the other groups. The three doses of SBC did not significantly affect the ovarian or testicular organ indices, and there was no significant upregulation in the expression of GnRH or GH in the hypothalamus. The primary component of SBC, Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide, significantly reduced the vaginal opening in female mice after 7 days of administration (P<0.05). After 4 weeks, the serum estradiol levels of non-pregnant female mice were decreased (P<0.05), but there was no significant effect on the expression of GnRH or GH proteins in the hypothalamus of either male or female mice. Additionally, there were no significant effects on precocious puberty indicators, such as vaginal opening and testicular descent, in the offspring mice. ConclusionSBC does not significantly promote precocious puberty in young mice, and it does not have any noticeable effects on the pregnancy rate of adult mice or the sexual development of their offspring.
2.Anti-tumor Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine with Effect of Softening Hardness and Dissipating Mass: A Review
Yue HU ; Linfeng WANG ; Yue LI ; Rui LIU ; Baojin HUA
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):276-286
The global burden of malignant tumors keeps increasing, and the increased morbidity and mortality make malignant tumors one of the major challenges to global health. Currently, malignant tumors are mainly managed by surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, which, however, usually cause serious adverse reactions, such as tissue damage, immune function inhibition, and multidrug resistance, affecting the prognosis and quality of life of the patients. Traditional Chinese medicine with low toxic and side effects and multi-target, multi-system, and multi-pathway therapeutic effects has shown positive therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. In particular, the traditional Chinese medicine with the effects of softening hardness and dissipating mass, which contains a variety of active ingredients, have shown strong inhibitory effects on tumor cells. Such medicine can not only directly attack tumor cells and inhibit their proliferation and invasion but also exert therapeutic effects by inducing apoptosis, blocking tumor-related signaling pathways, and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. In addition, traditional Chinese medicine can improve the overall efficacy of cancer treatment by regulating the immune status of the body and reversing the drug resistance of tumor cells. Traditional Chinese medicine can exert the anti-tumor effect by regulating intracellular signaling pathways, which is one of the research hotspots in this field. Signaling pathways such as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) play a key role in the formation and development of tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine can regulate the growth, apoptosis, and metabolic process of tumor cells by affecting the activity of these signaling pathways, thus exerting the therapeutic effects on tumors. Based on these mechanisms, a large number of experimental studies and clinical trials have proved that traditional Chinese medicine has broad prospects in anti-tumor treatment. To further verify these research results and provide a basis for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine and the development of new drugs, a systematic review and integrated analysis of the research reports on the anti-tumor effect of traditional Chinese medicine was carried out to summarize the anti-tumor mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine. This review is expected to promote the wide application of traditional Chinese medicine in anti-tumor treatment worldwide and bring more hope and possibility to cancer patients.
3.Correlation between driver gene mutation and environmental exposure factors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer in Xi'an City
Yang HU ; Qianrong WANG ; Mengxue WANG ; Na CHENG ; Meijuan WU ; Xianna WU ; Juanhua SUN
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(1):114-117
Objective To understand the driver gene mutation status in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Xi'an City, and to analyze the association with environmental exposure factors. Methods A total of 305 NSCLC patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Medical University from January 2019 to December 2023 were included. The driver gene mutation status was observed, and the relationship with environmental exposure factors was analyzed. Results The driver gene mutation rate of 305 patients was 46.89%, with EGFR gene mutation accounting for the highest proportion, and 4 cases of gene co-mutations were detected. There was a difference in gender among patients with different single drive gene mutations (P<0.05), and the proportion of EGFR in women was significantly higher (P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that there were statistical differences in family history, smoking history, long-term cooking history, and fried smoked food intake between patients with driver gene mutation and patients without driver gene mutation (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis suggested that long-term cooking history (OR=2.392), and fried smoked food intake (OR=2.849) were the environmental exposure factors affecting EGFR gene mutation (P<0.05), and smoking history (OR=1.377) was an environmental exposure factor of KRAS gene mutation (P<0.05). Conclusion EGFR gene mutation accounts for the highest proportion of NSCLC patients in Xi'an City, and is mainly female. Long-term cooking history, and fried smoked food intake are related to EGFR gene mutation. There is a certain association between smoking history and KRAS gene mutation.
4.Ethical issues and reflections on clinical research of radiopharmaceuticals
Yonglan HU ; Li WANG ; Feng JIANG ; Jiyin ZHOU ; Zhengjun CHEN ; Jie ZHANG ; Zengrui ZHANG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(2):254-260
Radiopharmaceuticals play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, malignant tumors, central nervous system diseases, and other diseases. Under the urgent need for clinical diagnosis and treatment as well as medical development, the clinical research of radiopharmaceuticals has become a hotspot in international research. By analyzing the current situation of clinical research on radiopharmaceuticals in Europe, America, and China, the ethical issues of clinical research on radiopharmaceuticals were elaborated from four aspects, including lack of relevant laws and regulations, a higher risk of radiopharmaceuticals, dilemmas in ethical review, and insufficient radiation protection. Response principles and measures were proposed from four aspects, including improving regulations and policies, enhancing radiological protection for all parties involved in the research, strengthening ethical review, and reinforcing the training of relevant personnel, to enhance the quality and level of clinical research on radiopharmaceuticals.
5.Application of Recombinant Collagen in Biomedicine
Huan HU ; Hong ZHANG ; Jian WANG ; Li-Wen WANG ; Qian LIU ; Ning-Wen CHENG ; Xin-Yue ZHANG ; Yun-Lan LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):395-416
Collagen is a major structural protein in the matrix of animal cells and the most widely distributed and abundant functional protein in mammals. Collagen’s good biocompatibility, biodegradability and biological activity make it a very valuable biomaterial. According to the source of collagen, it can be broadly categorized into two types: one is animal collagen; the other is recombinant collagen. Animal collagen is mainly extracted and purified from animal connective tissues by chemical methods, such as acid, alkali and enzyme methods, etc. Recombinant collagen refers to collagen produced by gene splicing technology, where the amino acid sequence is first designed and improved according to one’s own needs, and the gene sequence of improved recombinant collagen is highly consistent with that of human beings, and then the designed gene sequence is cloned into the appropriate vector, and then transferred to the appropriate expression vector. The designed gene sequence is cloned into a suitable vector, and then transferred to a suitable expression system for full expression, and finally the target protein is obtained by extraction and purification technology. Recombinant collagen has excellent histocompatibility and water solubility, can be directly absorbed by the human body and participate in the construction of collagen, remodeling of the extracellular matrix, cell growth, wound healing and site filling, etc., which has demonstrated significant effects, and has become the focus of the development of modern biomedical materials. This paper firstly elaborates the structure, type, and tissue distribution of human collagen, as well as the associated genetic diseases of different types of collagen, then introduces the specific process of producing animal source collagen and recombinant collagen, explains the advantages of recombinant collagen production method, and then introduces the various systems of expressing recombinant collagen, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, and finally briefly introduces the application of animal collagen, focusing on the use of animal collagen in the development of biopharmaceutical materials. In terms of application, it focuses on the use of animal disease models exploring the application effects of recombinant collagen in wound hemostasis, wound repair, corneal therapy, female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD), vaginal atrophy (VA) and vaginal dryness, thin endometritis (TE), chronic endometritis (CE), bone tissue regeneration in vivo, cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer (BC) and anti-aging. The mechanism of action of recombinant collagen in the treatment of FPFD and CE was introduced, and the clinical application and curative effect of recombinant collagen in skin burn, skin wound, dermatitis, acne and menopausal urogenital syndrome (GSM) were summarized. From the exploratory studies and clinical applications, it is evident that recombinant collagen has demonstrated surprising effects in the treatment of all types of diseases, such as reducing inflammation, promoting cell proliferation, migration and adhesion, increasing collagen deposition, and remodeling the extracellular matrix. At the end of the review, the challenges faced by recombinant collagen are summarized: to develop new recombinant collagen types and dosage forms, to explore the mechanism of action of recombinant collagen, and to provide an outlook for the future development and application of recombinant collagen.
6.The Use of Speech in Screening for Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
Si-Wen WANG ; Xiao-Xiao YIN ; Lin-Lin GAO ; Wen-Jun GUI ; Qiao-Xia HU ; Qiong LOU ; Qin-Wen WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):456-463
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that severely affects the health of the elderly, marked by its incurability, high prevalence, and extended latency period. The current approach to AD prevention and treatment emphasizes early detection and intervention, particularly during the pre-AD stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which provides an optimal “window of opportunity” for intervention. Clinical detection methods for MCI, such as cerebrospinal fluid monitoring, genetic testing, and imaging diagnostics, are invasive and costly, limiting their broad clinical application. Speech, as a vital cognitive output, offers a new perspective and tool for computer-assisted analysis and screening of cognitive decline. This is because elderly individuals with cognitive decline exhibit distinct characteristics in semantic and audio information, such as reduced lexical richness, decreased speech coherence and conciseness, and declines in speech rate, voice rhythm, and hesitation rates. The objective presence of these semantic and audio characteristics lays the groundwork for computer-based screening of cognitive decline. Speech information is primarily sourced from databases or collected through tasks involving spontaneous speech, semantic fluency, and reading, followed by analysis using computer models. Spontaneous language tasks include dialogues/interviews, event descriptions, narrative recall, and picture descriptions. Semantic fluency tasks assess controlled retrieval of vocabulary items, requiring participants to extract information at the word level during lexical search. Reading tasks involve participants reading a passage aloud. Summarizing past research, the speech characteristics of the elderly can be divided into two major categories: semantic information and audio information. Semantic information focuses on the meaning of speech across different tasks, highlighting differences in vocabulary and text content in cognitive impairment. Overall, discourse pragmatic disorders in AD can be studied along three dimensions: cohesion, coherence, and conciseness. Cohesion mainly examines the use of vocabulary by participants, with a reduction in the use of nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives in AD patients. Coherence assesses the ability of participants to maintain topics, with a decrease in the number of subordinate clauses in AD patients. Conciseness evaluates the information density of participants, with AD patients producing shorter texts with less information compared to normal elderly individuals. Audio information focuses on acoustic features that are difficult for the human ear to detect. There is a significant degradation in temporal parameters in the later stages of cognitive impairment; AD patients require more time to read the same paragraph, have longer vocalization times, and produce more pauses or silent parts in their spontaneous speech signals compared to normal individuals. Researchers have extracted audio and speech features, developing independent systems for each set of features, achieving an accuracy rate of 82% for both, which increases to 86% when both types of features are combined, demonstrating the advantage of integrating audio and speech information. Currently, deep learning and machine learning are the main methods used for information analysis. The overall diagnostic accuracy rate for AD exceeds 80%, and the diagnostic accuracy rate for MCI also exceeds 80%, indicating significant potential. Deep learning techniques require substantial data support, necessitating future expansion of database scale and continuous algorithm upgrades to transition from laboratory research to practical product implementation.
7.Study on the effect of berberine combined with fluconazole on fluconazole-tolerant Candida albcians strains
Zecheng SONG ; Shanshan MA ; Qiaoling HU ; Hua ZHONG ; Yan WANG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2025;43(2):87-91
Objective To investigate the combined effect of berberine (BBR) and fluconazole (FLC) on FLC-tolerant Candida albicans in vitro. Methods The sensitivity of 8 strains of Candida albicans to FLC was assessed by determining their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) using broth microdilution method. FLC-tolerant strains were screened from FLC-sensitive strains by disk diffusion assay. The effect of BBR combined with FLC on FLC-tolerant Candida albicans was investigated by disk diffusion assay. Results All eight strains of Candida albicans exhibited sensitivity to FLC, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC50) values below 0.5 μg/ml. Strains Y0109, 9821, 7879, 7654, and 9296 displayed colony growth in the inhibition zone after 48 h of constant temperature incubation, indicating FLC tolerance. When strains Y0109 and 9821 were subjected to a combination of BBR and FLC, the number of colonies within the inhibition zone decreased progressively with the increase of BBR concentration following a 48 h constant temperature culture. The inhibition zone became clear with the increasing of BBR concentration and increased with the increase of FLC loading, which showed a dose-dependent relationship. Conclusion The BBR combined with FLC demonstrated efficacy against FLC-tolerant strains.
8.Experience of Professor ZHAI Shuangqing in Using Metal and Mineral Medicines to Treat Mental Disorders Based on Xiang Thinking
Dongsen HU ; Liyuan WANG ; Hongyan WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(5):453-457
This paper summarizes Professor ZHAI Shuangqing's clinical experience in using metal and mineral medicines to treat mental disorders. Based on xiang thinking, the symptoms of mental disorders are classified into five categories, depression-xiang, wind-xiang, fire-xiang, phlegm-xiang, and deficiency-xiang, and the mechanisms of disease development are discussed accordingly. Metal and mineral medicines are key treatments for mental disorders, not only having the function of calming the mind but also promoting qi, stabilizing wind, expelling evil, and tonifying. In clinical practice, the emphasis is placed on harmonizing the disease and its symptoms. Based on self-developed prescription formulas, the appropriate metal and mineral medicines are selected according to the properties, flavors, meridian tropism, and actions of the medicines, as well as the xiang patterns of the mental disorder. For example, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is treated by Modified Xiehuang Powder (泻黄散) with Sijunzi Decoction (四君子汤) and adding Fulonggan (Testudinis Carapax) and Longgu (Os Draconis). Persistent insomnia is treated by combining a self-developed insomnia formula with Longgu (Os Draconis), Hupo (Succinum), and Cishi (Magnetitum). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is treated by combining a self-developed OCD formula with Longchi (Dens Draconis), Qingmengshi (Fluoritum), and Zheshi (Haematitum). Epilepsy is treated by combining an anti-epilepsy decoction with Qingmengshi (Fluoritum), Longchi (Dens Draconis), and Shengtieluo (Ferrum Rudis).
9.Textual Research on Classical Formula Mulisan
Dongsen HU ; Xiangyang ZHANG ; Canran XIE ; Jiawei SHI ; Ziyi WANG ; Zhuoyan ZHOU ; Lin ZHANG ; Yexin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):191-200
The classic formula Mulisan is the 45th of the 93 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Formulas (second batch) of Han medicine published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of Ostreae Concha, Astragali Radix, Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma, and wheat, with the effect of replenishing qi and stopping sweating. It is a common formula in the clinical treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. This study analyzes the historical evolution, composition, dosage, original plants and their processing methods, decocting method, efficacy, indications, and modern clinical application of Mulisan by tracing, comparative analysis, and bibliometric methods. The results showed that Mulisan firstly appeared in the Pulse Classic written by WANG Shuhe in the Western Jin Dynasty. The formulation idea can be traced back to the Important Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergency in the Tang Dynasty. The herb composition, dosage, efficacy, and indications of Mulisan were first recorded in the Treatise on Diseases, Patterns, and formulas Related to Unification of the Three Etiologies in the Southern Song dynasty. In terms of original plants and their processing methods, Ostreae Concha is the shell of Ostrea rivularis, which should be calcined before use. Astragali Radix and Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma are the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Ephedra sinica, respectively, the raw material of which should be used. Wheat is the dried mature fruit of T. aestivum, which can be used without processing, while the stir-fried fruit, being thin and deflated, demonstrates better effect. The composition of Mulisan is Ostreae Concha 8.26 g, Astragali Radix 8.26 g, Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma 8.26 g, and wheat 7.92 g. The medicinal materials should be ground into coarse powder and decocted with 450 mL water to reach a volume of 240 mL, and the decoction should be taken warm. In modern clinical practice, Mulisan has a wide range of indications, including spontaneous sweating and night sweating caused by Yang deficiency or Qi deficiency. The clinical disease spectrum treated by Mulisan involves endocrine system diseases, neurological diseases, respiratory system diseases, and cancer. This formula plays a significant role in the treatment of internal medicine diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the subsequent research, development, and clinical application of Mulisan.
10.Textual Research on Classical Formula Mulisan
Dongsen HU ; Xiangyang ZHANG ; Canran XIE ; Jiawei SHI ; Ziyi WANG ; Zhuoyan ZHOU ; Lin ZHANG ; Yexin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):191-200
The classic formula Mulisan is the 45th of the 93 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Formulas (second batch) of Han medicine published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of Ostreae Concha, Astragali Radix, Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma, and wheat, with the effect of replenishing qi and stopping sweating. It is a common formula in the clinical treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. This study analyzes the historical evolution, composition, dosage, original plants and their processing methods, decocting method, efficacy, indications, and modern clinical application of Mulisan by tracing, comparative analysis, and bibliometric methods. The results showed that Mulisan firstly appeared in the Pulse Classic written by WANG Shuhe in the Western Jin Dynasty. The formulation idea can be traced back to the Important Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergency in the Tang Dynasty. The herb composition, dosage, efficacy, and indications of Mulisan were first recorded in the Treatise on Diseases, Patterns, and formulas Related to Unification of the Three Etiologies in the Southern Song dynasty. In terms of original plants and their processing methods, Ostreae Concha is the shell of Ostrea rivularis, which should be calcined before use. Astragali Radix and Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma are the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Ephedra sinica, respectively, the raw material of which should be used. Wheat is the dried mature fruit of T. aestivum, which can be used without processing, while the stir-fried fruit, being thin and deflated, demonstrates better effect. The composition of Mulisan is Ostreae Concha 8.26 g, Astragali Radix 8.26 g, Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma 8.26 g, and wheat 7.92 g. The medicinal materials should be ground into coarse powder and decocted with 450 mL water to reach a volume of 240 mL, and the decoction should be taken warm. In modern clinical practice, Mulisan has a wide range of indications, including spontaneous sweating and night sweating caused by Yang deficiency or Qi deficiency. The clinical disease spectrum treated by Mulisan involves endocrine system diseases, neurological diseases, respiratory system diseases, and cancer. This formula plays a significant role in the treatment of internal medicine diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the subsequent research, development, and clinical application of Mulisan.


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