1.Exploration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of DKD Based on Mitochondrial Autophagy Mediated by PINK1/Parkin Signaling Pathway: A Review
Runsheng LIU ; Xiaodong ZHANG ; Zhaoqing LI ; Jing WANG ; Jinglu ZHANG ; Lixia JIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):302-313
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the more common chronic kidney diseases,and its causes are complex. DKD is very easy to progress to end-stage renal disease,and the current therapeutic effect still needs to be improved. As an important excretive organ of the human body, the kidney has physiological functions such as discharging metabolic waste, regulating fluid balance, and maintaining the stability of the body's internal environment. These highly complex biochemical processes all depend on the energy support provided by mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key factor causing kidney injury, and the imbalance of mitochondrial homeostasis is an important link leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. The occurrence and development of DKD are often accompanied by the imbalance of mitochondrial homeostasis in renal cells. Mitochondrial autophagy, as a means of regulating mitochondrial homeostasis, is very important for the prevention and treatment of DKD. The PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin pathway is one of the most classical pathways to regulate mitochondrial autophagy. Recent studies have found that some drugs can regulate the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway to target mitochondrial homeostasis and exert renoprotective effects. In particular, traditional Chinese medicine has a significant effect on early and middle stage DKD by regulating PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mitochondrial autophagy. This article discussed the mechanism of PINK1/Parkin pathway in mitochondrial autophagy and DKD and reviewed the effect of PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mitochondrial autophagy on DKD. At the same time, it explored the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese and western medicine on DKD mediated by PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitochondrial autophagy, aiming to broaden the ideas of traditional Chinese and western medicine for the prevention and treatment of DKD from the perspective of PINK1/Parkin regulating mitochondrial autophagy.
2.Decision-making behavior in patients with depressive disorder and its relationship with depressive and anxiety symptoms
Yuxiang WANG ; Luoya ZHANG ; Maomao ZHANG ; Juan DENG ; Yanjie PENG ; Xiaotong CHENG ; Kezhi LIU ; Wei LEI ; Jing CHEN
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(1):22-27
BackgroundPatients with depressive disorder often exhibit impaired decision-making functions. However, the relationship between decision-making abilities and depressive and anxiety symptoms in these patients remains unclear. ObjectiveTo explore the characteristics of decision-making behavior in patients with depressive disorder, and to analyze its relationship with clinical symptoms. MethodsA total of 48 patients diagnosed with depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) were recruited from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from October 2020 to May 2023. Concurrently, 52 healthy individuals matched for age and gender were recruited from Luzhou as the control group. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used for assessment, and decision-making behavior was evaluated using Probabilistic Reversal Learning (PRL) task. Indicators assessed included the number of trials to criterion, perseverative errors, win-stay rate and lose-shift rate. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between BDI and BAI scores and PRL task indicators. ResultsThe depression group showed a significantly higher lose-shift rate compared with the control group (t=3.684, P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in trials to criterion, perseverative errors and win-stay rate (t=0.329, 0.132, 0.609, P>0.05). In depression group, BDI and BAI scores were positively correlated with the win-stay rate(r=0.450, 0.398, P<0.01). ConclusionPatients with depressive disorder are more likely to change their decision-making strategies following negative outcomes. Furthermore, the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms is associated with a greater propensity to maintain existing decisions after receiving positive feedback. [Funded by 2019 Joint Project of Luzhou Science and Technology Bureau-Southwest Medical University (number, 2019LZXNYDJ39]
3.Exploration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of DKD Based on Mitochondrial Autophagy Mediated by PINK1/Parkin Signaling Pathway: A Review
Runsheng LIU ; Xiaodong ZHANG ; Zhaoqing LI ; Jing WANG ; Jinglu ZHANG ; Lixia JIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):302-313
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the more common chronic kidney diseases,and its causes are complex. DKD is very easy to progress to end-stage renal disease,and the current therapeutic effect still needs to be improved. As an important excretive organ of the human body, the kidney has physiological functions such as discharging metabolic waste, regulating fluid balance, and maintaining the stability of the body's internal environment. These highly complex biochemical processes all depend on the energy support provided by mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key factor causing kidney injury, and the imbalance of mitochondrial homeostasis is an important link leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. The occurrence and development of DKD are often accompanied by the imbalance of mitochondrial homeostasis in renal cells. Mitochondrial autophagy, as a means of regulating mitochondrial homeostasis, is very important for the prevention and treatment of DKD. The PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin pathway is one of the most classical pathways to regulate mitochondrial autophagy. Recent studies have found that some drugs can regulate the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway to target mitochondrial homeostasis and exert renoprotective effects. In particular, traditional Chinese medicine has a significant effect on early and middle stage DKD by regulating PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mitochondrial autophagy. This article discussed the mechanism of PINK1/Parkin pathway in mitochondrial autophagy and DKD and reviewed the effect of PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mitochondrial autophagy on DKD. At the same time, it explored the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese and western medicine on DKD mediated by PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitochondrial autophagy, aiming to broaden the ideas of traditional Chinese and western medicine for the prevention and treatment of DKD from the perspective of PINK1/Parkin regulating mitochondrial autophagy.
4.Research advances in the disease burden of viral hepatitis in China
Jian LI ; Fuzhen WANG ; Zhongdan CHEN ; Jinlei QI ; Ailing WANG ; Fanghui ZHAO ; Yuanyuan KONG ; Jing SUN ; Jiaqi KANG ; Zundong YIN ; Zhongfu LIU ; Jidong JIA ; Yu WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):221-227
Over the past three decades, China has made significant progress in the prevention and control of viral hepatitis, and the incidence rates of new-onset pediatric hepatitis B virus infections and acute viral hepatitis in the population have reduced to a relatively low level; however, there is still a heavy disease burden of chronic viral hepatitis in China, which severely affects the health status of the population. This study systematically summarizes the achievements of viral hepatitis prevention and control in China, analyzes existing problems and challenges, and proposes comprehensive prevention and control strategies and measures to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat based on the national conditions of China, in order to provide a reference for related departments in China on how to achieve the action targets for eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
5.Rapid Identification of Different Parts of Nardostachys jatamansi Based on HS-SPME-GC-MS and Ultra-fast Gas Phase Electronic Nose
Tao WANG ; Xiaoqin ZHAO ; Yang WEN ; Momeimei QU ; Min LI ; Jing WEI ; Xiaoming BAO ; Ying LI ; Yuan LIU ; Xiao LUO ; Wenbing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):182-191
ObjectiveTo establish a model that can quickly identify the aroma components in different parts of Nardostachys jatamansi, so as to provide a quality control basis for the market circulation and clinical use of N. jatamansi. MethodsHeadspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-SPME-GC-MS) combined with Smart aroma database and National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) database were used to characterize the aroma components in different parts of N. jatamansi, and the aroma components were quantified according to relative response factor(RRF) and three internal standards, and the markers of aroma differences in different parts of N. jatamansi were identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) and cluster thermal analysis based on variable importance in the projection(VIP) value >1 and P<0.01. The odor data of different parts of N. jatamansi were collected by Heracles Ⅱ Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose, and the correlation between compound types of aroma components collected by the ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose and the detection results of HS-SPME-GC-MS was investigated by drawing odor fingerprints and odor response radargrams. Chromatographic peak information with distinguishing ability≥0.700 and peak area≥200 was selected as sensor data, and the rapid identification model of different parts of N. jatamansi was established by principal component analysis(PCA), discriminant factor alysis(DFA), soft independent modeling of class analogies(SIMCA) and statistical quality control analysis(SQCA). ResultsThe HS-SPME-GC-MS results showed that there were 28 common components in the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi, of which 22 could be quantified and 12 significantly different components were screened out. Among these 12 components, the contents of five components(ethyl isovalerate, 2-pentylfuran, benzyl alcohol, nonanal and glacial acetic acid,) in the aboveground part of N. jatamansi were significantly higher than those in the underground part(P<0.01), the contents of β-ionone, patchouli alcohol, α-caryophyllene, linalyl butyrate, valencene, 1,8-cineole and p-cymene in the underground part of N. jatamansi were significantly higher than those in the aboveground part(P<0.01). Heracles Ⅱ Neo electronic nose results showed that the PCA discrimination index of the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi was 82, and the contribution rates of the principal component factors were 99.94% and 99.89% when 2 and 3 principal components were extracted, respectively. The contribution rate of the discriminant factor 1 of the DFA model constructed on the basis of PCA was 100%, the validation score of the SIMCA model for discrimination of the two parts was 99, and SQCA could clearly distinguish different parts of N. jatamansi. ConclusionHS-SPME-GC-MS can clarify the differential markers of underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi. The four analytical models provided by Heracles Ⅱ Neo electronic nose(PCA, DFA, SIMCA and SQCA) can realize the rapid identification of different parts of N. jatamansi. Combining the two results, it is speculated that terpenes and carboxylic acids may be the main factors contributing to the difference in aroma between the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi.
6.Traditional Chinese Medicine Treats Sepsis by Regulating PI3K/Akt Pathway: A Review
Zhu LIU ; Jiawei WANG ; Jing YAN ; Jinchan PENG ; Mingyao XU ; Liqun LI ; Sheng XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):314-322
Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria. In addition to the manifestations of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and primary infection lesions, critical cases often have manifestations of organ hypoperfusion. The morbidity and mortality of sepsis have remained high in recent years, which seriously affect the quality of life of the patients. The pathogenesis of sepsis is complicated, in which uncontrollable inflammation is a key mechanism. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway plays a key role in mediating inflammation in sepsis. The available therapies of sepsis mainly include resuscitation, anti-infection, vasoactive drugs, intensive insulin therapy, and organ support, which show limited effects of reducing the mortality. Therefore, finding new therapeutic drugs is a key problem to be solved in the clinical treatment of sepsis. In recent years, studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can regulate the PI3K/Akt pathway via multiple pathways, multiple effects, and multiple targets to inhibit inflammation and curb the occurrence and development of sepsis, which has gradually become a hot spot in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. Moreover, studies have suggested that TCM has unique advantages in the treatment of sepsis. TCM can regulate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to inhibit inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, and control apoptosis in the prevention and treatment of sepsis. Despite the research progress, a systematic review remains to be performed regarding the TCM treatment of sepsis by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. After reviewing relevant papers published in recent years, this study systematically summarizes the relationship between PI3K/Akt pathway and sepsis and the role of TCM in the treatment of sepsis, aiming to provide new ideas for the potential treatment of sepsis and the development of new drugs.
7.Jianpi Yiqi Prescription Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion of Hepatic Carcinoma Cells by Targeting PTPN1
Shanshan SUN ; Jing HONG ; Shufan SONG ; Zongxi SUN ; Chao WANG ; Shaoyuan ZHUO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):80-88
ObjectiveTo investigate the key targets of Jianpi Yiqi prescription (JYP) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on network pharmacology and explore the effect of JYP on the invasion and proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 1 (PTPN1) by bioinformatics analysis and CRISPR/Cas9. MethodsThe potential targets of JYP in the treatment of HCC were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), SwissTargetPrediction, GeneCards, NCBI, and CTD. Additionally, the active components of JYP that could interact with PTPN1 were screened out, and then molecular docking between the targets and active components was performed in Autodock 4.0. UALCAN, HPA, and LinkedOmics were used to analyze the expression of PTPN1 in the HCC tissue, and the relationship of PTPN1 expression with the overall survival (OS) of HCC patients was discussed. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to knock down the expression of PTPN1 in HepG2 and SK-hep-1 cells, and the knockdown effect was examined by sequencing, Real-time PCR, and Western blot. HepG2 cells were classified into blank control, low-, medium-, and high-dose JYP (5.25, 10.5, 21 g·kg-1), and PTPN1 knockout groups. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, of PTPN1 in HepG2 cells of each group. The effects of JYP and PTPN1 knockdown on the proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of HepG2 cells were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell, and Annexin V-FITC/PI methods, respectively. ResultsJYP had the most active components targeting PTPN1, and 31 of the active components had the binding energy less than -5.0 kcal·mol-1 in molecular docking. The mRNA and protein levels of PTPN1 in the HCC tissue were higher than those in the normal tissue (P<0.01). Compared with that in the normal tissue, the mRNA level of PTPN1 in the HCC tissue was up-regulated at the pathological stages Ⅰ-Ⅲ and grades G1-G3 (P<0.01), and it was not significantly up-regulated at the stage Ⅳ or grade G4. The mRNA level of PTPN1 in the TP53-mutated HCC tissue was higher than that in the TP53-unmutated HCC tissue (P<0.01). The high mRNA level of PTPN1 was associated with the OS reduction (P<0.01). After treatment with the JYP-containing serum or knockdown of PTPN1, HepG2 cells demonstrated decreased proliferation and invasion and increased apoptosis (P<0.01). ConclusionPTPN1 may be one of the core targets of JYP in the treatment of HCC. It is highly expressed in the HCC tissue and cells, which is associated with the poor prognosis of patients. The expression level of PTPN1 is significantly up-regulated in the HCC tissue of the patients with TP53 mutation. However, TP53 mutation or deletion does not affect the expression of PTPN1 in HCC cells. JYP can significantly down-regulate the expression of PTPN1 to inhibit the proliferation and invasion and promote the apoptosis of HCC cells.
8.Key points for ethical review of investigator-initiated clinical trials on traditional Chinese medicine
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(1):52-57
The academic development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originates from numerous clinical practices. The efficacy of TCM, its mechanism of action, and the unique value of TCM have been verified through clinical research, contributing to TCM’s inheritance and development. At present, there is an increasing number of investigator-initiated clinical trials (IIT). The IIT projects involving TCM intervention have different designs in terms of basic theory, syndrome differentiation, prescription composition, dosage form, dosage, and other aspects, as well as even posing challenges to the project review of the ethics committee. The basic ethical principles followed by clinical research institutions of modern medicine and TCM are consistent. The ethical review of the IIT projects involving TCM intervention needs to reflect the development laws of TCM itself, as well as conform to the characteristics of TCM and the laws of new drug research and development. TCM medical institutions need to combine their professional characteristics, sort out clinical experience, guide researchers to conduct clinical research on TCM in an orderly manner with a patient-centered and clinical value-oriented, verify the clinical value of TCM’s new drugs, and improve the success rate of translating the results of TCM’s new drugs.
9.A prediction model for high-risk cardiovascular disease among residents aged 35 to 75 years
ZHOU Guoying ; XING Lili ; SU Ying ; LIU Hongjie ; LIU He ; WANG Di ; XUE Jinfeng ; DAI Wei ; WANG Jing ; YANG Xinghua
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(1):12-16
Objective:
To establish a prediction model for high-risk cardiovascular disease (CVD) among residents aged 35 to 75 years, so as to provide the basis for improving CVD prevention and control measures.
Methods:
Permanent residents aged 35 to 75 years were selected from Dongcheng District, Beijing Municipality using the stratified random sampling method from 2018 to 2023. Demographic information, lifestyle, waist circumference and blood biochemical indicators were collected through questionnaire surveys, physical examinations and laboratory tests. Influencing factors for high-risk CVD among residents aged 35 to 75 years were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model, and a prediction model for high-risk CVD was established. The predictive effect was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
Results:
A total of 6 968 individuals were surveyed, including 2 821 males (40.49%) and 4 147 females (59.51%), and had a mean age of (59.92±9.33) years. There were 1 155 high-risk CVD population, with a detection rate of 16.58%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, smoking, central obesity, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were influencing factors for high-risk CVD among residents aged 35 to 75 years (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of the established prediction model was 0.849 (95%CI: 0.834-0.863), with a sensitivity of 0.693 and a specificity of 0.863, indicating good discrimination.
Conclusion
The model constructed by eight factors including demographic characteristics, lifestyle and blood biochemical indicators has good predictive value for high-risk CVD among residents aged 35 to 75 years.
10.Role of Innate Trained Immunity in Diseases
Chuang CHENG ; Yue-Qing WANG ; Xiao-Qin MU ; Xi ZHENG ; Jing HE ; Jun WANG ; Chao TAN ; Xiao-Wen LIU ; Li-Li ZOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):119-132
The innate immune system can be boosted in response to subsequent triggers by pre-exposure to microbes or microbial products, known as “trained immunity”. Compared to classical immune memory, innate trained immunity has several different features. Firstly, the molecules involved in trained immunity differ from those involved in classical immune memory. Innate trained immunity mainly involves innate immune cells (e.g., myeloid immune cells, natural killer cells, innate lymphoid cells) and their effector molecules (e.g., pattern recognition receptor (PRR), various cytokines), as well as some kinds of non-immune cells (e.g., microglial cells). Secondly, the increased responsiveness to secondary stimuli during innate trained immunity is not specific to a particular pathogen, but influences epigenetic reprogramming in the cell through signaling pathways, leading to the sustained changes in genes transcriptional process, which ultimately affects cellular physiology without permanent genetic changes (e.g., mutations or recombination). Finally, innate trained immunity relies on an altered functional state of innate immune cells that could persist for weeks to months after initial stimulus removal. An appropriate inducer could induce trained immunity in innate lymphocytes, such as exogenous stimulants (including vaccines) and endogenous stimulants, which was firstly discovered in bone marrow derived immune cells. However, mature bone marrow derived immune cells are short-lived cells, that may not be able to transmit memory phenotypes to their offspring and provide long-term protection. Therefore, trained immunity is more likely to be relied on long-lived cells, such as epithelial stem cells, mesenchymal stromal cells and non-immune cells such as fibroblasts. Epigenetic reprogramming is one of the key molecular mechanisms that induces trained immunity, including DNA modifications, non-coding RNAs, histone modifications and chromatin remodeling. In addition to epigenetic reprogramming, different cellular metabolic pathways are involved in the regulation of innate trained immunity, including aerobic glycolysis, glutamine catabolism, cholesterol metabolism and fatty acid synthesis, through a series of intracellular cascade responses triggered by the recognition of PRR specific ligands. In the view of evolutionary, trained immunity is beneficial in enhancing protection against secondary infections with an induction in the evolutionary protective process against infections. Therefore, innate trained immunity plays an important role in therapy against diseases such as tumors and infections, which has signature therapeutic effects in these diseases. In organ transplantation, trained immunity has been associated with acute rejection, which prolongs the survival of allografts. However, trained immunity is not always protective but pathological in some cases, and dysregulated trained immunity contributes to the development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Trained immunity provides a novel form of immune memory, but when inappropriately activated, may lead to an attack on tissues, causing autoinflammation. In autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis, trained immunity may lead to enhance inflammation and tissue lesion in diseased regions. In Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, trained immunity may lead to over-activation of microglial cells, triggering neuroinflammation even nerve injury. This paper summarizes the basis and mechanisms of innate trained immunity, including the different cell types involved, the impacts on diseases and the effects as a therapeutic strategy to provide novel ideas for different diseases.


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