1.Programmed Cell Death in Endometriosis and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Review
Zuoliang ZHANG ; Wanrun WANG ; Wen LI ; Xue HAN ; Xiaohong CHEN ; Nan SU ; Huiling LIU ; Quansheng WU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):48-57
Endometriosis (EMT) is a common disease with frequent occurrence and difficult to be cured in modern clinical practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. It is characterized by progressively worsening dysmenorrhoea, pelvic mass, and infertility. The incidence of EMT is growing and increasingly younger patients are diagnosed with this disease, which poses a serious threat to the reproductive and psychological health of women of childbearing age and adolescent females. However, the pathogenesis of EMT is still not completely clear, and the disease has a long course. Therefore, developing new therapies is an urgent clinical problem to be solved. Great progress has been achieved in the treatment of EMT with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), while the underlying mechanism remains in exploration. Programmed cell death (PCD) is a cell death mode mediated by a variety of bio-molecules with specific signaling cascades. The known PCD processes include apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis, which all play a pivotal role in the development of EMT. Researchers have made achievements in the treatment of EMT with TCM, which regulates PCD via multiple pathways, routes, targets, and mechanisms. However, the progress in the regulation of PCD in the treatment of EMT with TCM remains to be reviewed. This paper reviews the research progress in the treatment of EMT with TCM from five PCD processes (apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis), with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of EMT.
2.Association of Genetically Predicted Obesity and Stool Frequency: Evidence From an Observational and Mendelian Randomization Study
Ke HAN ; Xiangyao WANG ; Shimin CHEN ; Xiaotong NIU ; Yan WANG ; Jingyuan XIANG ; Nan RU ; Miao LIU ; Ningli CHAI ; Enqiang LINGHU
Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2025;31(2):267-275
Background/Aims:
Obesity is associated with several gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and has been identified as a potential risk factor for various GI symptoms. Bowel frequency is an important indicator of bowel function. However, the causal link between obesity and gastrointestinal motility remains uncertain. This study aims to determine the causal effect of overall and central obesity on stool frequency.
Methods:
Four obesity-related anthropometric indicators–body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference (WC), and waist-tohip ratio (WHR)–were investigated. Individual-level baseline information from the UK Biobank was used to explore observational associations between obesity and stool frequency. Additionally, summary-level data from published genome-wide association studies were subjected to two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to examine causal associations.
Results:
For all 4 indicators of obesity, higher levels of obesity were associated with more frequent bowel movements after adjusting for demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and dietary factors. After rigorous screening, 482 body mass index single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 7 body fat percentage SNPs, 48 WC SNPs, and 287 WHR SNPs were identified as instrument variables for MR analysis. The MR results were generally consistent with observational findings, proving that the associations observed in the overall obesity indicators were causal. For central obesity, the association between WHR and stool frequency remained consistent in both analysis phases, whereas WC showed a multidirectional association.
Conclusions
Obesity-related anthropometric indicators were causally associated with increased stool frequency in the overall and central obesity groups. Weight loss could be a potential approach to improve gastrointestinal regularity in individuals with obesity.
3.Association of Genetically Predicted Obesity and Stool Frequency: Evidence From an Observational and Mendelian Randomization Study
Ke HAN ; Xiangyao WANG ; Shimin CHEN ; Xiaotong NIU ; Yan WANG ; Jingyuan XIANG ; Nan RU ; Miao LIU ; Ningli CHAI ; Enqiang LINGHU
Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2025;31(2):267-275
Background/Aims:
Obesity is associated with several gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and has been identified as a potential risk factor for various GI symptoms. Bowel frequency is an important indicator of bowel function. However, the causal link between obesity and gastrointestinal motility remains uncertain. This study aims to determine the causal effect of overall and central obesity on stool frequency.
Methods:
Four obesity-related anthropometric indicators–body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference (WC), and waist-tohip ratio (WHR)–were investigated. Individual-level baseline information from the UK Biobank was used to explore observational associations between obesity and stool frequency. Additionally, summary-level data from published genome-wide association studies were subjected to two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to examine causal associations.
Results:
For all 4 indicators of obesity, higher levels of obesity were associated with more frequent bowel movements after adjusting for demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and dietary factors. After rigorous screening, 482 body mass index single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 7 body fat percentage SNPs, 48 WC SNPs, and 287 WHR SNPs were identified as instrument variables for MR analysis. The MR results were generally consistent with observational findings, proving that the associations observed in the overall obesity indicators were causal. For central obesity, the association between WHR and stool frequency remained consistent in both analysis phases, whereas WC showed a multidirectional association.
Conclusions
Obesity-related anthropometric indicators were causally associated with increased stool frequency in the overall and central obesity groups. Weight loss could be a potential approach to improve gastrointestinal regularity in individuals with obesity.
4.Clinical observation of 25G+minimally invasive vitrectomy in the treatment of retinal arterial macroaneurysm
Nan ZHAO ; Tongtong LIU ; Yige XIA ; Haohao LU ; Yanhui HAN
International Eye Science 2025;25(7):1191-1194
AIM:To observe the therapeutic efficacy of 25G+minimally invasive vitrectomy for retinal arterial macroaneurysm.METHODS:Totally 40 patients(40 eyes)who admitted to Jinan Mingshui Eye Hospital from January 2021 to May 2024 and with vitreous hemorrhage or dense premacular hemorrhage in the macular area caused by retinal arterial macroaneurysm, underwent 25G+minimally invasive vitrectomy. Preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), complications, and special cases were analyzed.RESULTS: The general patient data aligned with previous literature reports. The postoperative BCVA was significantly improved(t=9.72, P<0.01), and no significant serious surgical complications were observed. Notably, intraoperative findings revealed secondary macular holes in 3 eyes, resulting in poor visual prognosis.CONCLUSION: For vitreous hemorrhage or dense premacular hemorrhage caused by retinal arterial macroaneurysm, 25G+ minimally invasive vitrectomy is a safe and effective treatment. Visual prognosis was excluded for secondary macular holes.
5.Association of Genetically Predicted Obesity and Stool Frequency: Evidence From an Observational and Mendelian Randomization Study
Ke HAN ; Xiangyao WANG ; Shimin CHEN ; Xiaotong NIU ; Yan WANG ; Jingyuan XIANG ; Nan RU ; Miao LIU ; Ningli CHAI ; Enqiang LINGHU
Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2025;31(2):267-275
Background/Aims:
Obesity is associated with several gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and has been identified as a potential risk factor for various GI symptoms. Bowel frequency is an important indicator of bowel function. However, the causal link between obesity and gastrointestinal motility remains uncertain. This study aims to determine the causal effect of overall and central obesity on stool frequency.
Methods:
Four obesity-related anthropometric indicators–body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference (WC), and waist-tohip ratio (WHR)–were investigated. Individual-level baseline information from the UK Biobank was used to explore observational associations between obesity and stool frequency. Additionally, summary-level data from published genome-wide association studies were subjected to two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to examine causal associations.
Results:
For all 4 indicators of obesity, higher levels of obesity were associated with more frequent bowel movements after adjusting for demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and dietary factors. After rigorous screening, 482 body mass index single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 7 body fat percentage SNPs, 48 WC SNPs, and 287 WHR SNPs were identified as instrument variables for MR analysis. The MR results were generally consistent with observational findings, proving that the associations observed in the overall obesity indicators were causal. For central obesity, the association between WHR and stool frequency remained consistent in both analysis phases, whereas WC showed a multidirectional association.
Conclusions
Obesity-related anthropometric indicators were causally associated with increased stool frequency in the overall and central obesity groups. Weight loss could be a potential approach to improve gastrointestinal regularity in individuals with obesity.
6.External validation of the model for predicting high-grade patterns of stage ⅠA invasive lung adenocarcinoma based on clinical and imaging features
Yu RONG ; Nianqiao HAN ; Yanbing HAO ; Jianli HU ; Yajin NIU ; Lan ZHANG ; Yuehua DONG ; Nan ZHANG ; Junfeng LIU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(08):1096-1104
Objective To externally validate a prediction model based on clinical and CT imaging features for the preoperative identification of high-grade patterns (HGP), such as micropapillary and solid subtypes, in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, in order to guide clinical treatment decisions. Methods This study conducted an external validation of a previously developed prediction model using a cohort of patients with clinical stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma from the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University. The model, which incorporated factors including tumor size, density, and lobulation, was assessed for its discrimination, calibration performance, and clinical impact. Results A total of 650 patients (293 males, 357 females; age range: 30-82 years) were included. The validation showed that the model demonstrated good performance in discriminating HGP (area under the curve>0.7). After recalibration, the model's calibration performance was improved. Decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that at a threshold probability>0.6, the number of HGP patients predicted by the model closely approximated the actual number of cases. Conclusion This study confirms the effectiveness of a clinical and imaging feature-based prediction model for identifying HGP in stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma in a clinical setting. Successful application of this model may be significant for determining surgical strategies and improving patients' prognosis. Despite certain limitations, these findings provide new directions for future research.
7.Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention in Acute Pancreatitis Based on TLR4 Signaling Pathway: A Review
Zuomei LUO ; Yuqing WANG ; Nan CHEN ; Bingjie HAN ; Liqun LI ; Lijian LIU ; Guangwen CHEN ; Chengning YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(9):263-271
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the most clinically common acute digestive disorders characterized by quick onset,rapid progression,severe condition,and high mortality. If the disease is not timely intervened in the early stage,it can develop into severe AP in the later stage,which damages the long-term quality of life and brings serious economic burden to patients and their families. However, the pathogenesis of this disease is complex and has not been fully explained. The generation and development of AP is closely related to many signaling pathways. Among them,Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),as a transmembrane signal transduction receptor,can mediate immune response and inflammatory response,and play a key role in the occurrence and development of AP. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)can regulate the TLR4 signaling pathway with multiple targets,multiple effects,and multiple administration methods to inhibit inflammatory response,and effectively intervene in the progression of AP, which has gradually become a new craze for preventing and treating AP. Many studies have shown that TCM has obvious advantages in the prevention and treatment of AP. It can effectively treat AP by regulating TLR4 signaling pathway,strengthening immune resistance and defense,and inhibiting inflammatory response. Despite of the research progress,there is still a lack of comprehensive review on TCM regulation of TLR4 signaling pathway in the treatment of AP. Therefore,the literature on TCM regulation of TLR4 signaling pathway published in recent years was systematically reviewed and elaborated,aiming to provide new ideas for the treatment of AP and further drug development.
8.Direct Determination of 23 Kinds of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Crude Plant Extracts by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Online Solid Phase Extraction
Nan SHEN ; Tong-Zhu HAN ; Can-Can SHENG ; Xiu-Ping HE ; Jun-Hui CHEN ; Chen-Guang LIU ; Xian-Guo LI
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2024;52(2):286-295,后插1-后插5
A new method for simultaneous determination of 23 kinds of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs)(13 kinds of perfluoro carboxylic acids,4 kinds of perfluoro sulfonic acids,and 6 kinds of new substitutes)in plant leaf tissue by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS)using automatic online solid phase extraction(SPE)to remove the matrix interference components in plant crude extracts was developed.The plant leaf samples were extracted twice with 1%formic acid-methanol solution,then evaporated to dry,redissolved with 70%methanol solution,and directly injected for analysis.After 23 kinds of target PFASs were purified automatically by online SPE with a WAX column,the six-way valve was switched to rinse PFASs onto an alkaline mobile phase system-compatible C18 analytical column.Then,the 23 kinds of target PFASs were separated within 16 min by gradient elution using a binary mobile phase system of methanol/water(Containing 0.4%ammonium hydroxide).Tandem mass spectrometry was performed in multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)mode for online detection of various PFASs,and quantification was carried out by internal standard method.The results of the method validation showed that satisfactory average recoveries of 23 kinds of PFASs in plant leaf samples(64.2%-125.5%),precision(relative standard deviations(RSDs)of 0.7%-12.8%),linearity(R2>0.990),and sensitivity(the detection limits(S/N=3)were in the range of 0.02-0.50 μg/kg)were achieved.Finally,this method was used to detect PFASs in the marine green tide algae(Enteromorpha prolifera)and several tree leaves,and a total of 6 kinds of PFASs were detected,in which PFBA was the main contaminant.Compared with the reported offline SPE methods,the proposed online SPE technique significantly simplified the sample pretreatment process and provided an automatic,simple,and environment-friendly method for the routine monitoring of legacy and emerging PFASs in plant tissues.
9.Clinical Observation on the Thumb-tack Needling for Subcutaeous Embedding Combined with Joint Mobilization in the Treatment of Post-stroke Shoulder-Hand Syndrome
Jing-Xia CHEN ; Xiao-Han YUAN ; Hong-Xing LIU ; Bo-Wen LI ; Mei-Yu JIANG ; Ya-Nan ZHAO ; Wen-Feng SONG
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(3):689-695
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of thumb-tack needling for subcutaeous embedding combined with joint mobilization in the treatment of post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome.Methods A total of 80 patients with post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group,with 40 patients in each group.Both groups were given arthrocentesis,the control group was given ordinary acupuncture on the basis of arthrocentesis,and the treatment group was combined with thumb-tack needling for subcutaeous embedding.One course of treatment was 4 weeks and a total of 4 weeks of treatment was given.After 1 month of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.The changes of Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)of pain scores and simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment(FMA)scores,as well as the pain-free passive forward flexion and abduction of the shoulder joint of the affected limb were observed before and after treatment.The Simple Quality of Life Scale(SF-36)scores of the patients in the two groups were compared after treatment.The safety and the occurrence of adverse reactions in the two groups were also evaluated.Results(1)The total effective rate was 95.00%(38/40)in the treatment group and 80.00%(32/40)in the control group.The efficacy of the treatment group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the VAS scores and upper extremity FMA scores of the patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the treatment group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the VAS scores and upper extremity FMA scores,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)After treatment,the joint mobility of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the improvement of shoulder joint movement in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)After treatment,the SF-36 Quality of Life Scale scores of the treatment group were significantly superior to those of the control group in terms of physical function,psychological function,emotional health,and social function levels,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(5)There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the treatment group and the control group(P>0.05).Conclusion Thumb-tack needling for subcutaeous embedding combined with joint mobilization exert certain effect in the treatment of post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome.It can significantly improve the pain symptoms of patients,thus improving their quality of life,and the clinical effect is remarkable.
10.In vitro oral simulation evaluation of palatability and chewability of chewable tablets
Aonan ZHONG ; Conghui LI ; Zengming WANG ; Xiaolu HAN ; Hui ZHANG ; Nan LIU ; He ZHANG ; Jintao LIN ; Chunyan LIU ; Aiping ZHENG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(14):1708-1714
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the palatability and chewability of chewable tablets, and provide reference for the quality evaluation of various types of chewable tablets. METHODS Using self-made Glucosamine hydrochloride chewable tablets as the model drug, the quality test was conducted. The in vitro simulation system for chewable tablets was established by using a texture analyzer and rheometer, and an oral simulation experiment was conducted on chewable tablets. The texture analyzer was used to measure the force required for chewing and simulate the static disintegration process of chewable tablets; the rheometer was adopted to measure the viscoelasticity, thixotropy, and deformability of chewable tablets during the chewing process. RESULTS The disintegration time limit, principal component content, and dissolution of self-made Glucosamine hydrochloride chewable tablets all met the limit requirements. The in vitro simulation results of the texture analyzer showed that self-made chewable tablets were easy to chew in both axial and radial directions, and the force required for chewing was within the range of the chewing force of the teeth; chewable tablets could disintegrate at an appropriate time without being chewed and only taken in the oral cavity. The in vitro simulation results of the rheometer showed that the chewable tablets in the oral cavity exhibited a behavior of elasticity as the main factor and viscosity as the secondary factor through the continuous stirring of the tongue, and the viscosity of the chewable tablets gradually decreased with tongue stirring or tooth chewing; when chewing with teeth, the internal force of the chewing tablets decreased, causing plastic deformation and crushing. After being crushed, the shape couldn’t be restored, making it easy to chew and swallow. CONCLUSIONS The combination of texture analyzer and rheometer can be used to simulate the oral chewing process and evaluate the palatability and chewability of self-made Glucosamine hydrochloride chewable tablets. This model can provide reference for the evaluation of various chewable tablets.

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