1.Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang in Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Review
Yalong KANG ; Bo NING ; Juanjuan TAN ; Hongfei QI ; Yan SHI ; Fang GUAN ; Haifang WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):256-267
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD),a group of common diseases in clinical practice,are witnessing a steady rise in both incidence and mortality rates,posing a challenge to public health. Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang,originating from Synopsis of the Golden Chamber (《金匮要略》),was initially used to treat severe cases of chest impediment. The formula consists of Trichosanthis Fructus,Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus,Pinelliae Rhizoma,and Baijiu. It has a wide range of clinical applications,with therapeutic effects including moving Qi to relieve depression,activating Yang to dissipate mass,and expelling phlegm to alleviate chest congestion. In recent years,clinical research has confirmed that Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang,with or without modification,used alone or in combination with Western medicine,has definite effects in the treatment of CVD such as hyperlipidemia,coronary atherosclerotic heart disease,hypertension,heart failure,and arrhythmia. It can alleviate disease symptoms and reduce the risk of re-hospitalization. Basic research indicates that the mechanisms of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang include improving endothelial functions,exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties,countering oxidative stress,preventing apoptosis,inhibiting ventricular remodeling,regulating mitochondrial functions,improving hemorheology,and modulating autophagy and neurotransmitters. This article reviews relevant articles in recent years with focuses on the compatibility,clinical application,and mechanism of Gualou Xiebai Banxiatang. This review is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism research and clinical application of this formula in treating CVD and to offer ideas and reference for in-depth research.
2.A Case Report of Hypothyrotropin Hypothyroidism Caused by Roxadustat
Xuelian YAN ; Bingying TANG ; Xuan QU ; Ning ZHANG ; Lin KANG
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(2):519-522
Roxadustat is the world's first small molecule hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor. Its adverse effect of causing hypothyroidism with low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is relatively rare and manifests subtly in elderly patients with multiple coexisting diseases. This article reports a case of an elderly patient with renal anemia who developed reversible low-TSH hypothyroidism after taking roxadustat for 12 days, with a significant decrease in thyroid hormone levels. After discontinuing roxadustat for 15 days, the thyroid hormone levels gradually returned to normal. Due to the worsening of renal anemia, the patient took roxadustat again, and 9 days later, the thyroid function-related indicators decreased upon re-examination, leading to the initiation of levothyroxine replacement therapy. In conjunction with relevant literature, this article analyzes the adverse reactions that occur during the oral administration of roxadustat in elderly patients with chronic kidney disease, aiming to provide reference for drug treatment of such patients.
3.Hypoglycemic Effect and Mechanism of ICK Pattern Peptides
Lin-Fang CHEN ; Jia-Fan ZHANG ; Ye-Ning GUO ; Hui-Zhong HUANG ; Kang-Hong HU ; Chen-Guang YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):50-60
Diabetes is a very complex endocrine disease whose common feature is the increase in blood glucose concentration. Persistent hyperglycemia can lead to blindness, kidney and heart disease, neurodegeneration, and many other serious complications that have a significant impact on human health and quality of life. The number of people with diabetes is increasing yearly. The global diabetes prevalence in 20-79 year olds in 2021 was estimated to be 10.5% (536.6 million), and it will rise to 12.2% (783.2 million) in 2045. The main modes of intervention for diabetes include medication, dietary management, and exercise conditioning. Medication is the mainstay of treatment. Marketed diabetes drugs such as metformin and insulin, as well as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are effective in controlling blood sugar levels to some extent, but the preventive and therapeutic effects are still unsatisfactory. Peptide drugs have many advantages such as low toxicity, high target specificity, and good biocompatibility, which opens up new avenues for the treatment of diabetes and other diseases. Currently, insulin and its analogs are by far the main life-saving drugs in clinical diabetes treatment, enabling effective control of blood glucose levels, but the risk of hypoglycemia is relatively high and treatment is limited by the route of delivery. New and oral anti-diabetic drugs have always been a market demand and research hotspot. Inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) peptides are a class of multifunctional cyclic peptides. In structure, they contain three conserved disulfide bonds (C3-C20, C7-C22, and C15-C32) form a compact “knot” structure, which can resist degradation of digestive protease. Recent studies have shown that ICK peptides derived from legume, such as PA1b, Aglycin, Vglycin, Iglycin, Dglycin, and aM1, exhibit excellent regulatory activities on glucose and lipid metabolism at the cellular and animal levels. Mechanistically, ICK peptides promote glucose utilization by muscle and liver through activation of IR/AKT signaling pathway, which also improves insulin resistance. They can repair the damaged pancrease through activation of PI3K/AKT/Erk signaling pathway, thus lowering blood glucose. The biostability and hypoglycemic efficacy of the ICK peptides meet the requirements for commercialization of oral drugs, and in theory, they can be developed into natural oral anti-diabetes peptide drugs. In this review, the structural properties, activity and mechanism of ICK pattern peptides in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism were summaried, which provided a reference for the development of new oral peptides for diabetes.
4.Palpitations, Shortness of Breath, Weakness in Limbs, Edema, and Dyspnea: A Rare Inflammatory Myopathy with Positive Aniti-mitochondrial Antibodies and Cardiac Involvement
Chunsu LIANG ; Xuchang ZHANG ; Ning ZHANG ; Lin KANG ; Xiaohong LIU ; Jiaqi YU ; Yingxian LIU ; Lin QIAO ; Yanli YANG ; Xiaoyi ZHAO ; Ruijie ZHAO ; Na NIU ; Xuelian YAN
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(1):248-255
This article presents a case study of a patient who visited the Geriatric Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital due to "palpitations, shortness of breath for more than 2 years, limb weakness for 6 months, edema, and nocturnal dyspnea for 2 months". The patient exhibited decreased muscle strength in the limbs and involvement of swallowing and respiratory muscles, alongside complications of heart failure and various arrhythmias which were predominantly atrial. Laboratory tests revealed the presence of multiple autoantibodies and notably anti-mitochondrial antibodies. Following a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation, the patient was diagnosed with anti-mitochondrial antibody-associated inflammatory myopathy. Treatment involved a combination of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, along with resistance exercises for muscle strength and rehabilitation training for lung function, resulting in significant improvement of clinical symptoms. The case underscores the importance of collaborative multidisciplinary approaches in diagnosing and treating rare diseases in elderly patients, where careful consideration of clinical manifestations and subtle abnormal clinical data can lead to effective interventions.
5.Obstructive sleep apnea and fundus vascular injury
Yichun WANG ; Kang ZHANG ; Ya LIANG ; Ning DING
International Eye Science 2025;25(8):1247-1252
The ocular fundus vasculature, serving as a critical window for monitoring disease progression, represents one of the primary targets of hypoxic injury. A growing body of evidence suggests associations between specific ocular vascular pathologies and sleep-disordered breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)has been implicated in fundus lesions through its detrimental effects on the central retinal artery, retinal veins, retinal microvasculature, and choroidal vessels. Mechanistically, these effects are linked to OSA-induced intermittent hypoxia, which drives hemodynamic disturbances, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, altered blood composition, endothelial dysfunction, and neuroendocrine/metabolic dysregulation. This review synthesizes current evidence on OSA-related retinal vascular injury and elucidates its mechanistic pathways. The goal is to identify sensitive and specific retinal vascular biomarkers to facilitate the early detection of OSA and its associated complications.
6.Disease burden and annual change trends of gastric cancer in China in 1990 - 2021
Siming NING ; Ruixia YANG ; Yanan JIN ; Yue YANG ; Xiaoning KANG
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(4):17-21
Objective To analyze the burden and epidemic trends of gastric cancer in China from 1990 to 2021, and to provide a scientific basis for the formulation of effective prevention and control strategies. Methods Data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database were used to extract the number of the incidence, prevalence, and death cases, as well as the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) for gastric cancer in China from 1990 to 2021. The corresponding crude rates and age-standardized rates were calculated. The Joinpoint regression model was employed to analyze the trends in the burden of gastric cancer, and a comprehensive examination was conducted from multiple dimensions including age, gender, and time. Results From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of gastric cancer in China decreased from 48.03 per 100,000 to 29.05 per 100,000, the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) decreased from 67.17 per 100,000 to 57.23 per 100,000, the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) decreased from 46.05 per 100,000 to 21.51 per 100,000, and the age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) decreased from 1181.61 per 100,000 to 501.26 per 100,000. The AAPCs of ASIR, ASPR, ASMR, and ASDR were -1.61%, -0.50%, -2.44%, and -2.75%, respectively. The incidence, prevalence, mortality and DALY rates showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing with age. Although females had higher incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY numbers in the older age groups, males exhibited higher crude rates across all age groups. Conclusion The overall disease burden of gastric cancer in China showed a downward trend from 1990 to 2021, and men and middle-aged and elderly people are the key populations for prevention and control efforts.
7.Mechanism of Mingshi Prescription in Regulating Opn4-dopamine Axis to Inhibit Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Delay Myopia Progression
Baohua LI ; Zefeng KANG ; Lulu WANG ; Xin YAN ; Jianquan WANG ; Xinyue HOU ; Bobiao NING ; Shanshan YE ; Mengyu LIU ; Yipeng SHI ; Danyu LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(18):58-67
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Mingshi prescription regulates the retinal melanopsin-dopamine (Opn4-DA) axis in myopic mice to inhibit endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the retina and sclera, thereby delaying axial elongation associated with myopia. MethodsSixty 4-week-old male SPF-grade C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a form-deprived myopia group (FDM group), an intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells ablation group (ipRGCs group), a Mingshi Prescription group (MSF group, 5.2 g·kg-1), and an ipRGCs + MSF group (5.2 g·kg-1). Except for the normal group, all other groups underwent FDM modeling. Additionally, the ipRGCs and ipRGCs + MSF groups received retinal ipRGC ablation. Three weeks after modeling, the MSF and ipRGCs + MSF groups were administered Mingshi prescription via continuous gavage for six weeks. After refraction and axial length were measured in all mice, eyeballs were collected along with retinal and scleral tissues. Pathological and morphological changes in the retina, choroid, and sclera were observed using periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Western blot was employed to detect the relative protein expression levels of dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) in the retina, and CHOP and GRP78 in the sclera. Real-time PCR was used to detect the relative mRNA expression of Opn4, CHOP, and GRP78 in the retina, and CHOP and GRP78 in the sclera. Immunofluorescence staining (IF) was performed to detect the expression of Opn4 and DRD1 in retinal tissues. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the FDM group showed a significant myopic shift in refraction (P<0.05) and a significant increase in axial length (P<0.05). The retinal layers were thinner, the number of ganglion cells was reduced, and collagen fibers in the sclera were loosely arranged with evident gaps. Opn4 and DRD1 protein and mRNA expression in the retina were significantly decreased (P<0.05), while CHOP and GRP78 protein and mRNA expression in both retinal and scleral tissues were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the FDM group, the ipRGCs group exhibited further increases in myopic refraction and axial length (P<0.05), more pronounced thinning and looseness in the retinal, choroidal, and scleral layers, lower expression of Opn4 and DRD1 protein and mRNA in the retina (P<0.05), and higher expression of CHOP and GRP78 protein and mRNA in the retina and sclera (P<0.05). Compared with the FDM group, the MSF group showed significantly reduced refractive error and axial length (P<0.05), with improved cellular number, arrangement, and thickness in ocular tissues, increased Opn4 and DRD1 protein and mRNA expression in the retina (P<0.05), and reduced CHOP and GRP78 protein and mRNA expression in both retina and sclera (P<0.05). Similarly, the ipRGCs + MSF group showed significant improvements in terms of the above items compared with the ipRGCs group (P<0.05). ConclusionMingshi Prescription delays myopic axial elongation and refractive progression by regulating the Opn4-DA axis in the retina of myopic mice, thereby inhibiting ER stress in the retina and sclera. This intervention promotes Qi and blood nourishment of the eyes, softens the fascia, and restores ocular rhythm.
8.Clinical Study on Treatment of Bone Metastasis from Breast Cancer with Method of "Jian Pi Yi Qi Yang Xue Zhi Tong"
Ying SUN ; Zhiming LI ; Ning KANG ; Wenwen WANG ; Aili WANG ; Tong LI
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment 2024;51(4):259-264
Objective To explore the therapeutic effect of "jian pi yi qi yang xue zhi tong" for treating bone metastasis of breast cancer and the clinical effect of improving pain symptoms. Methods A total of 80 patients with bone metastases from breast cancer were admitted. They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group according to the random-number-table method. The control group was treated with zoledronic acid, whereas the observation group was treated with jian pi yi qi yang xue zhi tong prescriptions based on the control group. We compared the differences in the effects of different treatment plans on patients' pain symptoms, physical condition, and quality of life, as well as TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP levels. Results No significant difference was found in pain scores, physical condition scores, sleep quality scores, and quality of life scores, as well as CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α levels between the two groups of patients before treatment (all
9.Research status of non-coding RNA in viral myocarditis
Xiao-Long HE ; Xin-Xin HU ; Fan-Ning WANG ; Wen-Xin WANG ; Guo-Lei ZHOU ; Kang YI ; Tao YOU
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(14):2143-2147
Viral myocarditis(VMC)is the leading cause of dilated cardiomyopathy,which can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac death.With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology,non-coding RNA(ncRNA)plays an important role in the occurrence and development of VMC.ncRNA promotes the occurrence and development of VMC by regulating viral replication,immune cell function,myocardial cell death,myocardial interstitial fibrosis,and other pathological processes.This article reviews the research progress of ncRNA in VMC and provides new ideas for the pathogenesis,diagnosis,and treatment of VMC.
10.A Bibliometric Analysis of the Development of Global Research on Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team From 2000 to 2023
Ning ZHANG ; Mu HE ; Xiangyu ZHANG ; Lin KANG ; Xiaohong SUN ; Xiaohong LIU ; Xuan QU ; Minglei ZHU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2024;15(5):1107-1116
To examine the global research trends and emerging focal points in the field ofgeriatric interdisciplinary team (GIT) from 2000 to 2023, so as to offer insights and reference for related research in China. English literature related to GIT published from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2023 were searched in the Web of Science database. The literature information was extracted using VOSviewer 1.6.18 software to create a cooperation network diagram highlighting high-producing countries/regions and research institutions, as well as a high-frequency keyword table. CiteSpace 6.1.R6 software was used to analyze the co-occurrence and clustering of authors, research institutions, countries/regions, etc., and the "bibliometrix" package of R was used to analyze the characteristics of high-frequency keywords in the literature. A total of 965 GIT-related documents including 921 original articles and 44 reviews were gathered. There was a noticeable rise in annual publications over time. The United States led in publication quantity (357 articles, 37.0%) and total citations (8656). The University of Michigan was highlighted as the top research institution with 27 articles (2.8%). Author Johan Flamaing from the University of Leuven in Belgium had the highest output with 12 articles (1.2%) and the highest co-citation frequency(163 times). The In the last two decades, research on GIT has garnered significant attention within the discipline. Developed countries, particularly the United States, have taken a leading role in this field. Presently, GIT research is centered on conducting comprehensive geriatric assessments and implementing corresponding interventions for elderly patients with frailty and hip fractures. Additionally, research is focused on GIT interventions for addressing potentially inappropriate medication use and preventing falls in the elderly, as well as managing elderly patients with tumors, dementia, and delirium. The exploration of interventions remains a key area of interest in current research. In the future, there is potential for conducting more high-quality qualitative research related to GIT interventions for elderly patients receiving long-term care or home care, as well as for enhancing geriatric medicine teaching in GIT.


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