1.Construction and practice of the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis” and related prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy in traditional Chinese medicine/Zhuang medicine
Zhipeng WU ; Yuqin ZHANG ; Chun YAO ; Minggang WANG ; Na WANG ; Mengru PENG ; Ningfang MO ; Yaqing ZHENG ; Rongzhen ZHANG ; Dewen MAO
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):370-374
Hepatic encephalopathy is a difficult and critical disease with rapid progression and limited treatment methods in the field of liver disease, and it is urgently needed to make breakthroughs in its pathogenesis. Selection of appropriate prevention and treatment strategies is of great importance in delaying disease progression and reducing the incidence and mortality rates. This article reviews the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis” and related prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy in traditional Chinese medicine/Zhuang medicine, proposes a new theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis”, analyzes the scientific connotations of “turbid”, “toxin”, and the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis”, and constructs the “four-step” prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy, thereby establishing the new clinical prevention and treatment regimen for hepatic encephalopathy represented by “four prescriptions and two techniques” and clarifying the effect mechanism and biological basis of core prescriptions and techniques in the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy, in order to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.
2.Research progress in small molecule inhibitors of complement factor B
Shuai WEN ; Yao ZHAO ; Yan WANG ; Xing LI ; Yi MOU ; Zheng-yu JIANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(1):37-47
The alternative pathway (AP) of the complement system is a key contributor to the pathogenesis of several diseases including paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), C3 glomerular disease (C3G) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Complement factor B (CFB) is a trypsin-like serine protein that circulates in the human bloodstream in a latent form. As a key node of the alternative pathway, it is an important target for the treatment of diseases mediated by the complement system. With the successful launch of iptacopan, the CFB small molecule inhibitors has become a current research hotspot, a number of domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies are actively developing CFB small molecule inhibitors. In this paper, the research progress of CFB small molecule inhibitors in recent years is systematically summarized, the representative compounds and their activities are introduced according to structural types and design ideas, so as to provide reference and ideas for the subsequent research on CFB small molecule inhibitors.
3.Application of Thermal Tomography in Breast Cancer Screening
Kankan ZHAO ; Bo CHEN ; Wenliang LU ; Yao CHENG ; Hongmei ZHENG ; Xinhong WU ; Shengrong SUN ; Ziming HUANG
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment 2025;52(5):388-392
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of thermal tomography in breast cancer (BC) screening. Methods We conducted a general population-based BC screening in three regions of Hubei Province (Xiantao, Hongan, and Yangxin Districts). Participants underwent a questionnaire-based interview for baseline data collection. They then received a physical examination, thermal tomography, and ultrasound from doctors and technicians. We compared the efficacies, including sensitivity, specificity, and false-positive rates, of ultrasound and thermal tomography in BC screening. Results A total of 59 712 eligible women were included in this screening program. The BI-RADS 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 accordance rates between the two screening methods were
4.Current status of indoor light at night exposure during sleep among children and adolescents in Shanghai
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(9):1262-1265
Objective:
To understand the indoor light at night (LAN) exposure intensity during sleep among children and adolescents in Shanghai, so as to provide a basis for exploring potential health risks and formulating effective interventions.
Methods:
From April to December in 2024, a total of 628 students in grades 4-7 were recruited from three schools in Shanghai. A portable illuminance meter was used to measure LAN for one week, and participants recorded their sleep time. The Kruskal-Wallis H- test was used for comparison between groups, and the error bar chart was used to show the trend and variation range of average LAN exposure intensity in different sleep periods.
Results:
The indoor LAN exposure intensity of children and adolescents in Shanghai was [2.4(0.8, 5.9)lx] during sleep, and 28.8% of children and adolescents were exposed to indoor LAN≥5 lx. There was no significant differences in indoor LAN exposure intensity between boys [2.4(1.0, 5.9)lx] and girls [2.3(0.7, 5.9)lx] ( Z=-0.86, P > 0.05 ). The indoor LAN exposure intensity of primary school students [2.9(1.1, 6.6)lx] was higher than that of junior high school students [1.0(0.3, 3.1)lx] ( Z =-5.87), and indoor LAN exposure intensity of students in the main urban area [3.2(1.1, 7.8)lx] was higher than that of rural students [1.6(0.5, 4.3)lx] ( Z =-5.23)(both P <0.05). The indoor LAN exposure intensity showed an overall decreasing trend during sleep of children and adolescents ( tau=-0.81, P =0.02), with a slight increase before waking up.
Conclusions
Indoor LAN exposure intensity among children and adolescents in Shanghai is generally high, especially among primary school students and students living in the main urban area. Health policy and education should be strengthened to reduce the impact of LAN on children and adolescent health.
5.Effects of sophoranone on the biological behavior of nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-1 cells and MAPK signaling pathway
Chen YAO ; Dongjie YUAN ; Zheng LI ; Fangfang LI ; Zhenmin LU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(18):2279-2284
OBJECTIVE To study the effects of sophoranone (SOP) on the biological behavior of nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-1 cells and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. METHODS CNE-1 cells were divided into blank group and SOP low-, medium- and high-concentration groups (SOP-L group, SOP-M group, SOP-H group, 25, 50 and 100 μmol/L). The number of invasive cells, the number of migratory cells, and the apoptosis rate of cells were detected. The expression levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), ERK2, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mRNA, as well as phosphorylation levels of ERK, JNK, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (abbreviated as “p38”) proteins in cells were all detected. Additionally, cells were divided into blank group, SOP high-concentration group (SOP- H group, 100 μmol/L), SOP high-concentration combined with p38 inhibitor group (SOP-H+SB group, 100 μmol/L SOP+10 μmol/L SB), and SOP high-concentration combined with JNK inhibitor group (SOP-H+SP group, 100 μmol/L SOP+10 μmol/L SP). The number of invasive cells, cell migration rate, and the protein phosphorylation levels of JNK and p38 in cells, as well as the protein expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9), proliferating cell nuclear antigen Ki67, and cleaved-caspase-3 were measured. RESULTS Compared with the blank group, SOP for each concentration could significantly decrease the number of invasive cells, the number of migratory cells, and mRNA expressions of MEK, ERK1, ERK2 (except for the SOP-L group) and JNK, but increase the apoptosis rate of cells and phosphorylation levels of ERK, JNK, and p38 proteins (P<0.05). Compared with the SOP-H group, the protein phosphorylation levels of p38 and JNK, and the protein expression of cleaved-caspase-3 were decreased significantly in SOP-H+SB group and SOP-H+SP group, while the number of invasive cells, cell migration rate, and the protein expression levels of MMP-9 and Ki67 were all increased significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS SOP can inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of CNE-1 cells, and induce the apoptosis, the mechanisms of which may be associated with promoting the phosphorylation of proteins related to the MAPK signaling pathway.
6.Investigation on an outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis at a boarding middle school in Guangdong Province
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(6):878-882
Objective:
To investigate the characteristics and risk factors of an outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) in a boarding middle school in Guangdong Province, in order to provide a scientific evidence for effective prevention and control of campus AHC outbreaks.
Methods:
From September 1st to 28th 2023, case identification was conducted among 559 students and 60 faculty members using standardized definition. Descriptive analysis was conducted on the three distrubution patterns of the outbreak. Questionnaires were designed, and a case-control study was adopted to analyze the possible risk factors of the disease transmission. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to control the difference of baseline data.
Results:
A total of 269 cases of AHC were identified, with an attack rate of 43.46%. The pathogen was confirmed as Coxsackie virus A24 variant (CA24v). Among these, 264 cases were students (attack rate of 47.23%) and 5 were staff (attack rate of 8.33%). A total of 153 pairs of PSM were successfully matched. After PSM matching, there were no statistically significant differences in gender, grade and class between the case group and the control group ( χ 2=0.12, 5.41, 11.24, P >0.05). The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that middle school students whose towels contacted with others ( OR =1.81), and direct contact with other AHC cases recently ( OR =4.89) were more likely to have AHC; while wearing glasses ( OR =0.43) and frequent use of hand sanitizer ( OR = 0.37 ) were less likely to have AHC ( P <0.05).
Conclusion
The outbreak of AHC is caused by CA24v, demonstrating rapid spread and extensive impact within the school setting.
7.T5MHCII: deep learning-based model for MHC-II peptide binding affinity prediction
Zheng GAO ; Xiangdong GAO ; Wenbing YAO ; Hong TIAN
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2025;56(3):368-375
To address the current issue of low performance in predicting the binding affinity between antigenic peptides and specific MHC class II molecules, which fails to meet clinical requirements, we proposed T5MHCII, a deep learning-based prediction model for the affinity of MHC II class molecules to peptides. The model employed the knowledge previously acquired from the protein language model ProtT5 to extract the amino acid sequences via a transfer learning approach, thereby generating high-quality characterizations. This knowledge was then integrated with the robust learning abilities of deep learning to develop a novel model with enhanced predictive capabilities. The results of the five-fold cross-validation demonstrated that the model exhibited superior performance compared to NetMHCIIpan-3.2, PUFFIN, DeepMHCII, and RPEMH, with an AUC of 0.893±0.003 and a PCC of 0.780±0.006. The leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) further demonstrated that the model exhibited enhanced generalization capabilities. This study proposes a novel approach to enhance the precision of peptide-MHCII prediction in the context of limited data affinity through the application of deep learning techniques.
8.Effect of Maxing Loushi Decoction on Inflammatory Factors, Immune Function, and PD-1/PD-L1 Signaling Pathway in Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Phlegm Turbidity Obstructing Lung Syndrome
Yuexin SHI ; Zhi YAO ; Jun YAN ; Caijun WU ; Li LI ; Yuanzhen JIAN ; Guangming ZHENG ; Yanchen CAO ; Haifeng GUO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(17):143-150
ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome, and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors, immune function, and the programmed death-1(PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted, enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table, with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment, while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), serum inflammatory factors, T lymphocyte subsets, and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% (33/42) in the control group and 95.35% (41/43) in the observation group, with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 5.136, P<0.05). After treatment, both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores (P<0.05, P<0.01) and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline (P<0.01). The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1), and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) were significantly reduced in both groups (P<0.05, P<0.01), with greater reductions in the observation group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CD8+ levels were significantly reduced (P<0.01), while CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), with more significant improvements observed in the observation group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Serum PD-1 levels were reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), with more pronounced changes in the observation group (P<0.05). ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors, improving immune function, and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.
9.Effect of Maxing Loushi Decoction on Inflammatory Factors, Immune Function, and PD-1/PD-L1 Signaling Pathway in Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Phlegm Turbidity Obstructing Lung Syndrome
Yuexin SHI ; Zhi YAO ; Jun YAN ; Caijun WU ; Li LI ; Yuanzhen JIAN ; Guangming ZHENG ; Yanchen CAO ; Haifeng GUO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(17):143-150
ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome, and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors, immune function, and the programmed death-1(PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted, enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table, with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment, while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), serum inflammatory factors, T lymphocyte subsets, and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% (33/42) in the control group and 95.35% (41/43) in the observation group, with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 5.136, P<0.05). After treatment, both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores (P<0.05, P<0.01) and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline (P<0.01). The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1), and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) were significantly reduced in both groups (P<0.05, P<0.01), with greater reductions in the observation group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CD8+ levels were significantly reduced (P<0.01), while CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), with more significant improvements observed in the observation group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Serum PD-1 levels were reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), with more pronounced changes in the observation group (P<0.05). ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors, improving immune function, and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.
10.Construction and application of the "Huaxi Hongyi" large medical model
Rui SHI ; Bing ZHENG ; Xun YAO ; Hao YANG ; Xuchen YANG ; Siyuan ZHANG ; Zhenwu WANG ; Dongfeng LIU ; Jing DONG ; Jiaxi XIE ; Hu MA ; Zhiyang HE ; Cheng JIANG ; Feng QIAO ; Fengming LUO ; Jin HUANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(05):587-593
Objective To construct large medical model named by "Huaxi HongYi"and explore its application effectiveness in assisting medical record generation. Methods By the way of a full-chain medical large model construction paradigm of "data annotation - model training - scenario incubation", through strategies such as multimodal data fusion, domain adaptation training, and localization of hardware adaptation, "Huaxi HongYi" with 72 billion parameters was constructed. Combined with technologies such as speech recognition, knowledge graphs, and reinforcement learning, an application system for assisting in the generation of medical records was developed. Results Taking the assisted generation of discharge records as an example, in the pilot department, after using the application system, the average completion times of writing a medical records shortened (21 min vs. 5 min) with efficiency increased by 3.2 time, the accuracy rate of the model output reached 92.4%. Conclusion It is feasible for medical institutions to build independently controllable medical large models and incubate various applications based on these models, providing a reference pathway for artificial intelligence development in similar institutions.


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