This study employed the "disease-medicine-dose" pattern to mine the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions containing Astragali Radix in ancient Chinese medical books, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines. The TCM prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were retrieved from databases such as Chinese Medical Dictionary and imported into Excel 2020 to construct the prescription library. Statical analysis were performed for the prescriptions regarding the indications, syndromes, medicine use frequency, herb effects, nature and taste, meridian tropism, dosage forms, and dose. SPSS statistics 26.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 were used for association rules analysis and cluster analysis. A total of 2 297 prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were collected, involving 233 indications, among which sore and ulcer, consumptive disease, sweating disorder, and apoplexy had high frequency(>25), and their syndromes were mainly Qi and blood deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, Yin and Yang deficiency, and Qi deficiency and collateral obstruction, respectively. In the prescriptions, 98 medicines were used with the frequency >25 and they mainly included Qi-tonifying medicines and blood-tonifying medicines. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium were frequently used. The medicines with high frequency mainly have warm or cold nature, and sweet, pungent, or bitter taste, with tropism to spleen, lung, heart, liver, and kidney meridians. In the treatment of sore and ulcer, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to promote granulation and heal up sores. In the treatment of consumptive disease, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 37.30 g and combined with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma to tonify deficiency and replenish Qi. In the treatment of sweating disorder, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to consolidate exterior and stop sweating. In the treatment of apoplexy, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 7.46 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to dispell wind and stop convulsions. Astragali Radix can be used in the treatment of multiple system diseases, with the effects of tonifying Qi and ascending Yang, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and expressing toxin and promoting granulation. According to the manifestations of different diseases, when combined with other medicines, Astragali Radix was endowed with the effects of promoting granulation and healing up sores, tonifying deficiency and Qi, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and dispelling wind and replenishing Qi. The findings provide a theoretical reference and a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, Ancient ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; China ; Astragalus propinquus

Osteoporotic fractures(OPF) refer to the fractures caused by minor violence in the state of osteoporosis, seriously threatening the life and health of elderly patients. Drug and surgical therapies have limitations such as single targets, diverse adverse reactions, and poor prognosis. Kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has good potential in the treatment of OPF. TCM can promote the healing of OPF by promoting angiogenesis in the early stage of bone healing, promoting osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the stage of bone repair, maintaining the balance of osteogenic and osteoclastic system in the stage of bone remodeling, and regulating the oxidative stress responses throughout the process of OPF healing. TCM can alleviate the pathological state of osteoporosis and promote fracture healing in OPF patients via multiple pathways and targets, demonstrating the advantages and potential of biphasic regulation.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/metabolism* ; Animals ; Fracture Healing/drug effects* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Kidney/metabolism* ; Osteogenesis/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) levels on the proliferation and apoptosis of Burkitt lymphoma cells, and the changes in related signaling molecules in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, so as to explore the pathogenesis of Burkitt lymphoma. METHODS: HDAC levels in Burkitt lymphoma were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. CA46 and RAJI cells were treated with the HDAC selective inhibitor VPA. CCK8 assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of cells. Western Blot was used to measure the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway proteins and their phosphorylation levels. RESULTS: The expression levels of classⅠ HDAC in Burkitt lymphoma were higher than those in normal cells, and the HDAC1 inhibitor VPA could inhibit the proliferation of CA46 and RAJI cells. VPA decreased HDAC expression in CA46 and RAJI cells, inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway molecules AKT and p70S6K, increased the expression of apoptotic proteins Cleaved Caspase-3, Cleaved Caspase-8, Cleaved Caspase-9 and Bax, and decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and PARP. CONCLUSION Inhibition of HDAC activity can Attenuate the proliferation of Burkitt lymphoma cells and induce apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway activity.
Humans ; Burkitt Lymphoma/pathology* ; Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Signal Transduction ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Histone Deacetylases/metabolism* ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/pharmacology* ; Phosphorylation

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of Erzhu Jiedu Decoction (EZJDD) Granules in treating mid-advanced hepatitis B virus-associated primary liver cancer (HBV-PLC) patients with Pi (Spleen)-deficiency and dampness-heat syndrome. METHODS: From January 2021 to June 2023, a cohort of 132 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to a control group or a EZJDD group according to the random numbers, with 66 patients in each group. The patients in the control group received conventional treatment for 3 months, followed by a 3-month follow-up. In addition to the conventional treatment, patients in the EZJDD group were administered EZJDD Granules (10.9 g/pack, 2 packs twice per day) orally for same duration. Progression-free survival (PFS) as primary outcome was evaluated by Kaplan Meier method. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores were used to assess the quality of life in two groups before and after treatment, and survival rates were determined as well. The efficacy of Chinese medicine syndrome was calculated with Nimodipine method. Liver function, tumor indicators and T lymphocyte subsets were measured, respectively. Safety indicators were recorded and assessed. RESULTS: Of the 116 patients who completed the study, 57 were in the control group and 59 in the EZJDD group. The median PFS was 3.53 months (106 days) in the EZJDD group compared to 2.33 months (70 days) in the control group (P=0.005). Six-month survival rate was 52.63% (30/57) in the control group and 69.49% (41/59) in the EZJDD group (P=0.039). The median KPS score in the EZJDD group [70(63, 90)] was higher than that in the control group [70(60, 80)] (P=0.013). The total effective rate of CM syndrome was 52.63% (30/57) in the control group and 77.97% (46/59) in the EZJDD group (P=0.005). The levels of alpha fetoprotein, alpha fetoprotein-L3, alpha-L-fucosidase and protein induced by Vitamin K absence or antagonist- II in the EZJDD group increased less than the control group (P>0.05). CD8⁺ levels were decreased, while CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ levels, as well as CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio were significantly increased in the EZZJD group (P<0.05). No treatment-related adverse reactions were observed during the study. CONCLUSION EZJDD Granules significantly prolonged the median PFS and improved 6-month survival rate in patients with mid-advanced HBV-PLC (Registration No. ChiCTR2200056922).
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Liver Neoplasms/complications* ; Hepatitis B virus/physiology* ; Hepatitis B/complications* ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Spleen/drug effects* ; Quality of Life ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Aged ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in atherosclerotic plaques for regulating inflammatory responses during atherosclerosis (AS) progression. METHODS: Human coronary artery specimens from autopsy cases were examined for ATF3 protein expression and localization using immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^-/-) mouse models of AS induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding for 12 weeks were subjected to tail vein injection of adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) to knock down ATF3 expression. After an additional 5 weeks of HFD feeding, the mice were euthanized for analyzing structural changes of the aortic plaques, and the expression levels of ATF3, inflammatory factors (CD45, CD68, IL-1β, and TNF-α), and NF-κB pathway proteins (P-IKKα/β and P-NF-κB p65) were detected. In the cell experiment, THP-1-derived foam cells were transfected with an ATF3-overexpressing plasmid or an ATF3-specific siRNA to validate the relationship between ATF3 and NF‑κB signaling. RESULTS: In human atherosclerotic plaques, ATF3 expression was significantly elevated and partially co-localized with CD68. ATF3 knockout in ApoE^-/- mice significantly increased aortic plaque volume, upregulated the inflammatory factors, enhanced phosphorylation of the NF‑κB pathway proteins, and increased the expressions of VCAM1, MMP9, and MMP2 in the plaques. In THP-1-derived foam cells, ATF3 silencing caused activation of the NF‑κB pathway, while ATF3 overexpression suppressed the activity of the NF-κB pathway. CONCLUSIONS AS promotes ATF3 expression, and ATF3 deficiency exacerbates AS progression by enhancing plaque inflammation via activating the NF-κB pathway, suggesting the potential of ATF3 as a therapeutic target for AS.
Animals ; Activating Transcription Factor 3/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Humans ; Mice ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/metabolism* ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Apolipoproteins E ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Diet, High-Fat

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common respiratory emergency, but current clinical treatment remains at the level of symptomatic support and there is a lack of effective targeted treatment measures. Our previous study confirmed that inhalation of hydrogen gas can reduce the acute lung injury of ARDS, but the application of hydrogen has flammable and explosive safety concerns. Drinking hydrogen-rich liquid or inhaling hydrogen gas has been shown to play an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining mitochondrial quality control balance, thus improving ARDS in patients and animal models. Coral calcium hydrogenation (CCH) is a new solid molecular hydrogen carrier prepared from coral calcium (CC). Whether and how CCH affects acute lung injury in ARDS remains unstudied. In this study, we observed the therapeutic effect of CCH on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury in ARDS mice. The survival rate of mice treated with CCH and hydrogen inhalation was found to be comparable, demonstrating a significant improvement compared to the untreated ARDS model group. CCH treatment significantly reduced pulmonary hemorrhage and edema, and improved pulmonary function and local microcirculation in ARDS mice. CCH promoted mitochondrial peripheral division in the early course of ARDS by activating mitochondrial thioredoxin 2 (Trx2), improved lung mitochondrial dysfunction induced by LPS, and reduced oxidative stress damage. The results indicate that CCH is a highly efficient hydrogen-rich agent that can attenuate acute lung injury of ARDS by improving the mitochondrial function through Trx2 activation.

Background: Intradermal microdroplet injections of botulinum toxin type-A (BoNT/A) effectively ameliorate rosacea-related angiogenesis, but the mechanism remains unclear. Objective: To explore the anti-angiogenesis of BoNT/A in the rosacea-like mouse model and to measure the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by mast cells. Methods: A rosacea-like mouse model was induced by LL37 in both Mas-related G-proteincoupled receptor B2 conditional knockout (MrgprB2 −/− ) mice and wild-type (WT) mice, then treated with BoNT/A and/or Apatinib. The abundance of endothelial cells and mast cells in mouse skin was determined using dual immunofluorescence staining. The VEGF levels in supernatants and cell lysates of laboratory of allergic disease 2 (LAD2) mast cells were assessed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blots, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of conditioned medium (CM) collected from LAD2 on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was determined using tube formation assays. The number of proliferative cells was confirmed using the 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine incorporation assays.The effect of BoNT/A on the internalization of Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2) was detected using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining. Results: LL37-induced rosacea-like skin manifestations were significantly alleviated in MrgprB2 −/− mice compared to WT controls. BoNT/A mitigated the LL37-induced secretion of VEGF by LAD2. The CM from BoNT/A-treated LAD2 inhibited HUVEC proliferation and tube formation. The LAD2 cells co-treated with LL37 and BoNT/A exhibited dramatically enhanced MRGPRX2 internalization. Conclusion BoNT/A enhances LL37-mediated MRGPRX2 internalization in mast cells, thereby reducing VEGF secretion and neovascularization and improving facial flushing symptom in rosacea.

Objective To analyze the correlation between the comorbidity of chronic diseases and concurrent traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitutions in the elderly in Guangzhou.Methods From the physical examination data of 3 communities in Guangzhou,3 078 elderly people were selected as the survey objects,and association analysis was performed for mining the association rules between the chronic disease comorbidity and concurrent TCM constitution types of the elderly with different demographic characteristics.Results The comorbidity rate of chronic diseases in the elderly of Guangzhou area was 76.54％(2 356/3 078).In the elderly population of Guangzhou area,the correlation of chronic disease comorbidity with the concurrent constitution of tendentious blood stasis constitution and phlegm-damp constitution had the highest confidence,which was 95.87％.The correlation of chronic disease comorbidity with the gender showed that the concurrent constitution was similar in the elderly with different genders.The correlation of chronic disease comorbidity with the concurrent constitution of phlegm-damp constitution and tendentious yin deficiency constitution in the male elderly had the confidence of 94.38％,and the correlation of chronic disease comorbidity with the concurrent constitution of phlegm-damp constitution and tendentious blood stasis constitution in the female elderly had the confidence of 97.46％.With the increase of the age,the biased constitution of the elderly with chronic diseases gradually developed into the concurrent constitution of phlegm blended with blood stasis,and the concurrent constitution of qi deficiency constitution and yang deficiency constitution became the predominated.Conclusion The comorbidity rate of chronic diseases in the elderly is high.The association patterns of the comorbidity of chronic diseases with concurrent constitution types vary in different age groups.Medical institutions can condition the concurrent constitution with Chinese medicine therapy according to the characteristics of the concurrent constitutions of the elderly,and then can improve the comorbidity of chronic diseases in the elderly.

The inflammatory effect of dietary is strongly related to the development of cancer,therefore,the diet-related inflammatory index was developed as a methodological tool to investigate the relationship between dietary,inflammation and tumors.In this paper,we summarized the results on diet-related inflammatory indices and common cancers of the digestive system based on relevant cancer epidemiological studies.The available epidemiological evidence suggests that pro-inflammatory diet is associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal malignancies,with the strongest association with colorectal cancer,followed by esophageal and gastric cancers,and then pancreatic cancer,and the least evidence of studies with liver cancer.Among these studies,the level of evidence for esophageal cancer is lower than colorectal cancer,the study of gastric cancer has gender differences and problems in adjusting for confounders,and the study of pancreatic cancer has heterogeneous results.In view of the current research progress and deficiencies,prospective studies or population-based cohort studies,as well as strengthening nutritional epidemiological studies related to common tumors such as liver cancer could be considered in the future.This review is expecting to provide basic information and scientific basis for strengthening the related healthy eating behavior promotion in the prevention and control of digestive system tumors.

AIM:This study examined the inhibitory effect of peiminine on the human colonic adenocarcino-ma cell line SW480 and explored the underlying mechanisms.METHODS:SW480 and human normal colonic epithelial CCD-841CoN cells were treated with different concentrations of peiminine and subjected to the CCK-8 assay to select the optimal treatment time and concentration of the compound.SW480 cell migration and invasion were evaluated by the wound-healing and Transwell assays.Cell cycle progression was analyzed by flow cytometry.The expression levels of cell cycle-related proteins were examined by Western blot.SW480 xenograft tumor model was established in nude mice to ex-amine the effect of peiminine on tumor growth and the expression of cell cycle-related proteins in vivo.RESULTS:Peimi-nine(110 mg/L)significantly inhibited the proliferation of SW480 cells compared with the control group(P<0.01),caused cell cycle arrest at G1 phase,and significantly downregulated the expression of cyclin dependent kinase 2(CDK2),CDK4,CDK6,cyclin D1,p-Rb/Rb,E2F1,E2F3,and E2F4(P<0.05).Peiminine inhibited SW480 xenograft tumor growth,prolonged the survival of model mice,and affected the expression of CDK2,CDK4,CDK6,and cyclin D1 in tu-mor tissues.CONCLUSION:Peiminine promotes G1 phase arrest by down-regulating the expression of CDK2,CDK4,CDK6,and cyclin D1,thereby inhibiting the proliferation of SW480 cells.