1.Textual Research on Historical Evolution and Key Information of Classical Famous Formula of Da Qinjiaotang
Na LI ; Jianying BAI ; Fuping LI ; Xiufen ZHANG ; Di LU ; Yishuo BAI ; Cuixiang WANG ; Kun SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):201-211
Da Qinjiaotang is the 54th formula of the 100 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Formulas (the first batch) ,and it originated from the Collection of Writings on the Mechanism of Disease, Suitability of Qi, and Safeguarding of Life Discussed in Plain Questions. Da Qinjiaotang is composed of Gentiana macrophylla, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Angelica sinensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Asari Radix et Rhizoma, Notopterygium incisum, Saposhnikoviae Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Gypsum, Angelica dahurica, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Rehmanniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, Poria, and Angelicae Pubescentis Radix. It is a classical formula for treating strokes. Da Qinjiaotang is widely used in modern clinical practices for treating ischemic stroke, peripheral facial paralysis, cervical spondylosis, rheumatic arthritis, neurodermatitis, and other multisystem diseases. Therefore, following the Principles of Textual Research on the Key Information of Ancient Classical Famous Formulas, the authors collected the ancient Chinese medical literature of Da Qinjiaotang by the method of bibliometrics and screened out 177 valid data, involving 100 ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine. Based on the historical evolution, composition, dosage, method of preparation, and preparation of the original medicinal materials of Da Qinjiaotang, a systematic study was carried out. It was found that among the 175 records of the main diseases and syndromes, stroke (144) was the most, accounting for 82.29% of the total diseases and syndromes. Later generations mostly followed the practice of LIU Wansu in using Da Qinjiaotang to treat stroke caused by "weak blood and inability to nourish tendon", featuring "hands and feet cannot move, stiff tongue hinders speaking", as well as other symptoms, such as slant of the mouth, hemiplegia, numbness of the limbs, paroxysmal pain, and acerbic syncope. The treatment scope was expanded, covering tendon dryness, clonic convulsion, spasm syndrome, and arthralgia syndrome. At the same time, it was found that there was a controversy between "internal wind" and "external wind" in the treatment of stroke by Da Qinjiaotang. LIU Wansu thought that stroke was caused by internal factors, created the theory of "hot stroke", and used Da Qinjiaotang to treat "internal wind". Many doctors in later generations focused on treating the "external wind" of "internal deficiency and evil". There were 76 valid data on the composition of drugs, 59 of which had doses for each drug. It was suggested to use the modern conversion dosage of the original formula, with 41.30 g per dose. The drug should be boiled in 600 mL water until 300 mL, decocted once, and taken in a warm state after removing the dregs anytime. Through the analysis and study of the ancient books about Da Qinjiaotang, the paper clarified its historical evolution and confirmed its key information, so as to provide the ancient literature evidence for the research and development of the classical famous formula Daqinjiaotan and its better clinical application.
2.Textual Research on Historical Evolution and Key Information of Classical Famous Formula of Da Qinjiaotang
Na LI ; Jianying BAI ; Fuping LI ; Xiufen ZHANG ; Di LU ; Yishuo BAI ; Cuixiang WANG ; Kun SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):201-211
Da Qinjiaotang is the 54th formula of the 100 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Formulas (the first batch) ,and it originated from the Collection of Writings on the Mechanism of Disease, Suitability of Qi, and Safeguarding of Life Discussed in Plain Questions. Da Qinjiaotang is composed of Gentiana macrophylla, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Angelica sinensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Asari Radix et Rhizoma, Notopterygium incisum, Saposhnikoviae Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Gypsum, Angelica dahurica, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Rehmanniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, Poria, and Angelicae Pubescentis Radix. It is a classical formula for treating strokes. Da Qinjiaotang is widely used in modern clinical practices for treating ischemic stroke, peripheral facial paralysis, cervical spondylosis, rheumatic arthritis, neurodermatitis, and other multisystem diseases. Therefore, following the Principles of Textual Research on the Key Information of Ancient Classical Famous Formulas, the authors collected the ancient Chinese medical literature of Da Qinjiaotang by the method of bibliometrics and screened out 177 valid data, involving 100 ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine. Based on the historical evolution, composition, dosage, method of preparation, and preparation of the original medicinal materials of Da Qinjiaotang, a systematic study was carried out. It was found that among the 175 records of the main diseases and syndromes, stroke (144) was the most, accounting for 82.29% of the total diseases and syndromes. Later generations mostly followed the practice of LIU Wansu in using Da Qinjiaotang to treat stroke caused by "weak blood and inability to nourish tendon", featuring "hands and feet cannot move, stiff tongue hinders speaking", as well as other symptoms, such as slant of the mouth, hemiplegia, numbness of the limbs, paroxysmal pain, and acerbic syncope. The treatment scope was expanded, covering tendon dryness, clonic convulsion, spasm syndrome, and arthralgia syndrome. At the same time, it was found that there was a controversy between "internal wind" and "external wind" in the treatment of stroke by Da Qinjiaotang. LIU Wansu thought that stroke was caused by internal factors, created the theory of "hot stroke", and used Da Qinjiaotang to treat "internal wind". Many doctors in later generations focused on treating the "external wind" of "internal deficiency and evil". There were 76 valid data on the composition of drugs, 59 of which had doses for each drug. It was suggested to use the modern conversion dosage of the original formula, with 41.30 g per dose. The drug should be boiled in 600 mL water until 300 mL, decocted once, and taken in a warm state after removing the dregs anytime. Through the analysis and study of the ancient books about Da Qinjiaotang, the paper clarified its historical evolution and confirmed its key information, so as to provide the ancient literature evidence for the research and development of the classical famous formula Daqinjiaotan and its better clinical application.
3.Network toxicology and its application in studying exogenous chemical toxicity
Yanli LIN ; Zehua TAO ; Zhao XIAO ; Chenxu HU ; Bobo YANG ; Ya WANG ; Rongzhu LU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(2):238-244
With the continuous development of society, a large number of new chemicals are continuously emerging, which presents a challenge to current risk assessment and safety management of chemicals. Traditional toxicology research methods have certain limitations in quickly, efficiently, and accurately assessing the toxicity of many chemicals, and cannot meet the actual needs. In response to this challenge, computational toxicology that use mathematical and computer models to achieve the prediction of chemical toxicity has emerged. In the meantime, as researchers increasingly pay attention to understanding the interaction mechanisms between exogenous chemical substances and the body from the system level, and multiomics technologies develop rapidly such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, huge amounts of data have been generated, providing rich information resources for studying the interactions between chemical substances and biological molecules. System toxicology and network toxicology have also developed accordingly. Of these, network toxicology can integrate these multiomics data to construct biomolecular networks, and then quickly predict the key toxicological targets and pathways of chemicals at the molecular level. This paper outlined the concept and development of network toxicology, summarized the main methods and supporting tools of network toxicology research, expounded the application status of network toxicology in studying potential toxicity of exogenous chemicals such as agricultural chemicals, environmental pollutants, industrial chemicals, and foodborne chemicals, and analyzed the development prospects and limitations of network toxicology research. This paper aimed to provide a reference for the application of network toxicology in other fields.
4.Comparison of myopia progression before and after discontinuation of low-concentration atropine in children wearing orthokeratology lenses
Yaozeng WANG ; Pan LI ; Jin WANG ; Zikang LU
International Eye Science 2025;25(1):134-139
AIM: To compare the progression of myopia in children wearing orthokeratology lenses combined with low-concentration atropine before and after drug withdrawal, to determine the rebound effect of drug withdrawal in orthokeratology lens wearers, and to analyze its causes based on changes in pupil diameter.METHODS:A prospective case-control study was conducted to collect 80 children with myopia who were treated with orthokeratology lenses combined with 0.01% atropine ophthalmic gel at the Xi'an No.1 Hospital from January to June 2022. One year later, they were divided into a drug withdrawal group(Group A, 40 cases)and a continuous medication group(Group B, 40 cases)based on whether they stopped taking the medication. The progression of myopia before and after drug withdrawal was observed by analyzing changes in axial length(AL)and spherical equivalent(SE)in the group A within 1 a before and after drug withdrawal. The changes in AL, pupil diameter(PD), and SE were compared between the group A and group B within 2 a, and the correlation between PD and AL growth was analyzed.RESULTS:In the group A, the AL increased by 0.17±0.23 and 0.29±0.18 mm at 0.5 and 1 a after drug withdrawal, respectively, which were both greater than before drug withdrawal(t=5.318, 2.983, both P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in SE growth between the two time points(P>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in AL and PD between the group A and group B at baseline, 0.5 and 1 a during combined medication(all P>0.05). At 1.5 a, the AL growth of the group A was greater than that of the group B(0.32±0.27 mm vs 0.26±0.20 mm, t=7.363, P<0.001), and the PD was smaller than that of the group B(3.60±1.25 mm vs 4.12±1.92 mm, t=-7.541, P<0.001). At 2 a, the AL growth of the group A was greater than that of the group B(0.44±0.18 mm vs 0.32±0.14 mm, t=5.709, P<0.001), and the PD was smaller than that of the group B(3.67±1.31 mm vs 4.02±1.67 mm, t=-4.281, P<0.001). Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between PD and AL growth at 0.5 and 1 a follow-ups over 2 a(R2=-0.156, -0.190, both P<0.001).CONCLUSION: After stopping low-concentration atropine in children wearing orthokeratology lenses, AL increased more rapidly than before drug withdrawal, PD decreased, and SE changed little. Compared with continuous medication, discontinuation of medication led to faster progression of AL with little change in diopter, and the larger the PD during orthokeratology lens wear, the slower the progression of AL.
5.Effect of Wulao Qisun Prescription on Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of AS Fibroblasts by Regulating Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway
Juanjuan YANG ; Ping CHEN ; Haidong WANG ; Zhendong WANG ; Haolin LI ; Zhimin ZHANG ; Yuping YANG ; Weigang CHENG ; Jin SU ; Jingjing SONG ; Dongsheng LU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):67-73
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of the Wulao Qisun prescription on pathological new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). MethodsSynovial fibroblasts were isolated from the hip joints of AS patients and observed under a microscope to assess cell morphology. The cells were identified using immunofluorescence staining. The isolated AS fibroblasts were divided into blank group, low drug-containing serum group, medium drug-containing serum group, high drug-containing serum group, and positive drug group. After drug intervention, cell proliferation was measured using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay to observe fibroblast growth and determine the optimal intervention time. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured using the alkaline phosphatase assay. Protein expression of osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) was detected by Western blot. The mRNA expression levels of Wnt5a, β-catenin, and Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). ResultsCompared with the blank group, each drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription and the positive drug group inhibited the proliferation of AS fibroblasts and reduced ALP expression (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription downregulated β-catenin mRNA expression (P<0.05). The medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group significantly downregulated Wnt5a and β-catenin mRNA expression (P<0.05, P<0.01), with the positive drug group showing the most pronounced effect (P<0.01). The high drug-containing serum group and the positive drug group significantly upregulated DKK-1 mRNA expression (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription inhibited the expression of OPN and Runx2 proteins (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group inhibited the expression of OCN, OPN, and Runx2 proteins (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionThe Wulao Qisun prescription can inhibit the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of AS fibroblasts, thereby delaying the formation of pathological new bone in AS. The possible mechanism involves the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin-related gene expression, further inhibiting the transcription of downstream target genes.
6.Active Components of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Its Compound in Treatment of Nervous System Diseases: A Review
Weining SONG ; Shuxiang ZHANG ; Fang LU ; Zhize WANG ; Ruyang CHENG ; Shumin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):303-313
Nervous system diseases, also known as neuropathies, encompass a wide range of conditions, primarily including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders, as well as depression, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, vascular dementia, and other neurological diseases. These diseases pose serious threats to the health and lives of patients, bringing heavy burdens to society and families. The pathogenesis of nervous system diseases is highly complex, involving mechanisms such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, brain-derived neurotrophic factor deficiency, reduced cholinergic activity, axonal injury, and demyelination. In recent years, the incidence and mortality of nervous system diseases have been rising annually. Currently, western medicine primarily focuses on symptomatic treatment, often accompanied by many adverse reactions, including lethargy, excessive sedation, dizziness, headaches, tachycardia, liver function damage, metabolic disorders, and incomplete recovery after surgery. As a traditional Chinese medicine, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma has effects such as promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, cooling the blood, clearing the heart, nourishing the blood, and calming the nerves. It can play a role in the treatment and protection against nervous system diseases through multiple targets, pathways, and mechanisms. Studies have found that the water-soluble phenolic acids and fat-soluble diterpenoid quinones in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma are the main active ingredients for the treatment of nervous system diseases. This paper summarized the effects of the active components and compounds of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma on nervous system diseases over the past ten years, aiming to provide a theoretical basis and research ideas for the development and application of active components and compounds of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in nervous system diseases.
7.Effect of Serum Containing Zhenwutang on Apoptosis of Myocardial Mast Cells and Mitochondrial Autophagy
Wei TANG ; Meiqun ZHENG ; Xiaolin WANG ; Zhiyong CHEN ; Chi CHE ; Zongqiong LU ; Jiashuai GUO ; Xiaomei ZOU ; Lili XU ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):11-21
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of serum containing Zhenwutang on myocardial mast cell apoptosis induced by angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ) and the mechanism of the correlation between apoptosis and mitochondrial autophagy. MethodsIn this experiment, AngⅡ and serum containing Zhenwutang with different concentrations were used to interfere with H9C2 cardiomyocytes for 24 h, and the survival rate of H9C2 cardiomyocytes was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) to screen the optimal concentration for the experiment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the content of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in cell culture supernatant, and immunofluorescence was used to detect the cell surface area to verify the construction of the myocardial mast cell model. Subsequently, the experiment was divided into a blank group (20% blank serum), a model group (20% blank serum + 5×10-5 mol·L-1 AngⅡ), low-, medium-, and high-dose (5%, 10% and 20%) serum containing Zhenwutang groups, an autophagy inhibitor group (1×10-4 mol·L-1 3-MA), and autophagy inducer group (1×10-7 mol·L-1 rapamycin). The apoptosis level of H9C2 cells and the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by flow cytometry. The lysosomal probe (Lyso Tracker) and mitochondrial probe (Mito Tracker) co-localization was employed to detect autophagy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect Caspase-3, Caspase-9, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-related X protein (Bax), and cytochrome C (Cyt C) in apoptosis-related pathways and the relative mRNA expression of ubiquitin ligase (Parkin), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced kinase 1 (PINK1), and p62 protein in mitochondrial autophagy-related pathways. Western blot was used to detect cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9, Bax, Bcl-2, and Cyt C in apoptosis-related pathways, phosphorylated ubiquitin ligase (p-Parkin), phosphorylated PTEN-induced kinase 1 (p-PINK1), p62, and Bcl-2 homology domain protein Beclin1 in mitochondrial autophagy-related pathways, and the change of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio. ResultsCCK-8 showed that when the concentration of AngⅡ was 5×10-5 mol·L-1, the cell activity was the lowest, and there was no cytotoxicity. At this concentration, the surface area of cardiomyocytes was significantly increased (P<0.01), and the content of BNP in the supernatant of culture medium was significantly increased (P<0.05). Therefore, AngⅡ with a concentration of 5×10-5 mol·L-1 was selected for the subsequent modeling of myocardial mast cells. Compared with the blank group, the model group and the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA group had a significantly increased apoptosis rate (P<0.01) and significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (P<0.01). The results of immunofluorescence co-localization showed that compared with the blank group, the model group had a significantly decreased number of red and green fluorescence spots. The results of Real-time PCR showed that compared with that in the blank group, the relative mRNA expression of Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Cyt C, and p62 in the model group was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01), while the relative mRNA expression of Bcl-2, Parkin, and PINK1 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.01). In addition, the relative protein expression of Bax, cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9, Cyt C, and p62 was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01). The LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was significantly decreased, and the relative protein expression of Bcl-2, p-Parkin, p-PINK1, and Beclin1 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the serum containing Zhenwutang groups and the autophagy inducer group had significantly decreased apoptosis rate (P<0.01), and the decrease ratio of mitochondrial membrane potential is significantly lowered (P<0.01) in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, both red and green fluorescence spots became more in these groups. In the 3-MA group, the number of red and green fluorescence spots decreased significantly. The relative mRNA expression of Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Cyt C, and p62 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.05, P<0.01), while that of Bcl-2, Parkin, and PINK1 was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01). In the serum containing Zhenwutang groups, the relative protein expression levels of Bax, cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9, Cyt C, and p62 were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05,P<0.01). The LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was significantly increased, and the relative protein expression levels of Bcl-2, p-Parkin, p-PINK1, and Beclin1 were significantly up-regulated (P<0.01). ConclusionThe serum containing Zhenwutang can reduce the apoptosis of myocardial mast cells and increase mitochondrial autophagy. This is related to the inhibition of intracellular Bax/Bcl-2/Caspase-3 apoptosis pathway and regulation of Parkin/PINK1 mitochondrial autophagy pathway.
8.Textual Research on Key Information and Modern Clinical Application of Classical Famous Formula Liumotang
Xinyu ZHANG ; Chong LI ; Yixuan HU ; Luming LIANG ; Ye ZHAO ; Xiaoting LU ; Yu WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):201-212
Liumotang comes from the Yuan dynasty's Effective Prescription Handed Down for Generations of Physicians. It is composed of six medicinal materials: Arecae Semen, Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum, Aucklandiae Radix, Linderae Radix, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, and Aurantii Fructus. It is a classical formula for treating abdominal pain due to Qi stagnation and constipation accompanied by heat. This study systematically collated the records of Liumotang in ancient medical books and modern clinical literature and conducted in-depth analysis and textual research on its formula source, main diseases, composition, dosage, medical books, container capacity, processing, preparation method, usage, drug basis, formula meaning, and other key information, so as to provide a powerful reference for the development and clinical application of compound preparations of the classical formula Liumotang. The results show that Liumotang was first seen in Effective Prescription Handed Down for Generations of Physicians, and many medical books of the past dynasties have imitated this. In terms of drug basis, the dried and mature seeds of the palm plant Areca catechu, resin-containing wood of the Daphneaceae plant Aquilaria sinensis, the dried roots of the Asteraceae plant woody Aucklandia lappa, the dried tuber root of the Lauraceae plant Lindera aggregata, the dried roots and rhizomes of the knotweed plant, R. palmatum, R.tangutikum, and R. officinale, and the dried and unripe fruits of the citrus genus C. aurantium and its cultivated varieties from the family Rutaceae were selected. In terms of dosage, through the textual research on bowls in the Ming and Qing dynasties, combined with the conversion of medicines and bowl capacity in the Qing dynasty, it was estimated that the dosage of each drug in the Yuan dynasty was 10.86 g. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the dosage of drugs was mostly equal, but the dosage of drugs was somewhat different. In terms of processing, preparation method, and usage, in the medical books of the past dynasties, the processing of drugs has slightly changed, but raw drugs are used in all preparations. The preparation method and usage did not change much during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, except for certain differences in dosage. In terms of syndrome, Liumotang was first used to treat abdominal pain due to Qi stagnation and constipation accompanied by heat. Medical books of the past dynasties often omit the symptoms of heat. In modern clinical practice, Liumotang is mainly used in the digestive system and urinary system diseases and is mostly used to treat constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, biliary reflux gastritis, functional constipation, slow transit constipation, and other diseases, with no adverse reactions found yet. The above results provide a reliable scientific basis for the development and clinical treatment of Liumotang compound preparations.
9.Analysis of the Guidelines for Ethical Review of Clinical Research Involving Mental Disorders
Xueqin WANG ; Hongqiang SUN ; Yiting LI ; Lin LU
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(1):23-30
The ethical review of clinical research involving mental disorders in the ethical governance of scientific and technological has obvious particularities, especially in the field of artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces which are reflected in the impact on mental autonomy, the impaired informed consent ability of participants with severe mental disorders in research, and other aspects. In addition, the stigma of illness, the use of placebo, and psychological assessment methods in clinical research have also drawn attention to the ethical review of psychiatry. In 2020, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission issued the Guidelines for Ethical Review of Clinical Research Involving Mental Disorders (Guidelines). Shen Yucun’s Psychiatry, compiled in 2023, revised the application of the Guidelines in the context of ethical governance. An analysis was conducted on the purpose and significance of its issuance and revision, its scope of application, the principal responsibility of ethical review in medical and health institutions, and the key content of ethical review in psychiatry, to improve the quality of ethical review in clinical research involving mental disorders and promote the standardized development of clinical research in psychiatry.
10.Therapeutic effect and mechanism of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in rats with primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation
Hailin LIAO ; Xiaohua WANG ; Yi LU ; Chunrong JU
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(1):91-98
Objective To explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC) in rats with primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation. Methods Twenty-four male Lewis rats were randomly divided into donor and recipient groups, with 12 rats in each group. The recipients were further divided into 3 groups: blank control group, negative control group, and treatment group, with 4 rats in each group. The color, size and texture of the transplanted lungs were observed 72 h after lung transplantation. The ventilation status and progression of consolidation in the transplant lungs of rats in each group were evaluated by micro-CT. Plasma, transplant lung tissue and alveolar lavage fluid samples of recipient rats were collected. The wet/dry ratio of lung tissue was measured to evaluate the degree of pulmonary edema. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate the degree of lung tissue damage. Terminal deoxyribonucleic acid transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to evaluate cell apoptosis. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung tissue was detected, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels in plasma and alveolar lavage fluid. Results The appearance of the transplant lungs in the negative control group was significantly different from that of the autologous lungs, while the transplant lungs in the treatment group were almost identical in color to the autologous lungs compared to the blank control group. Compared with the negative control group, the treatment group showed reduced alveolar exudate and more intact airway epithelial cell structure. No alveolar exudate was observed in the blank control group, and the structure of the airways and alveoli remained normal. The treatment group had lower apoptosis rate of airway epithelial cells, lung tissue wet/dry ratio, and MPO activity compared to the negative control group (all P < 0.05). The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the treatment group were lower than those in the negative control group, while the level of IL-10 was higher than that in the negative control group and the blank control group (all P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of cytokines in plasma among each group (all P > 0.05). Conclusions UC-MSC may effectively alleviate the severity of primary graft dysfunction in rats by reducing the apoptosis rate of cells in lung tissue and inhibiting inflammatory responses.

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