Objective: We aimed to explore the mechanism of Pizhan Powder in regulating the Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway to promote wound healing in mice with chronic skin ulcer. Methods: Male BALB/c mice were divided into blank, model, Pizhan Powder, Pizhan powder removed bark medications, bark medications, inhibitor, and Pizhan Powder + inhibitor groups using the random number table method, with six mice per group. Except for the blank group, chronic skin ulcer wound models were prepared in the other groups by implanting foreign bodies. The blank control group received no treatment, whereas the wounds of the model group were cleaned with furacilin solution. The Pizhan Powder, Pizhan Powder removed bark medications, and bark medications groups were each administered 0.1 g of the corresponding medication on the skin wounds. The inhibitor group received an intraperitoneal injection of 3-(4-methylphenylsulfonamido) benzoic acid methyl ester (MSAB) at a dosage of 10 mg/kg. The Pizhan Powder + inhibitor group was administered 0.1 g of Pizhan Powder on the skin wound, and an intraperitoneal injection of MSAB was also administered (10 mg/kg). These treatments were administered once a day for 14 consecutive days. Wound healing was observed on the first, third, seventh, and 14th day of treatment; hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of ulcerated skin; keratin 10 (CK10), keratin 14 (CK14), cell proliferation nuclear antigen (Ki-67), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and β-catenin expression in wounds was observed through immunofluorescence; Western blotting was used to detect the expression of signaling pathway-related proteins (Wnt4 and β-catenin). Results: Compared to the model group, the Pizhan Powder group showed a reduced wound area and an increased wound healing rate (P<0.05) and elevated CK10, CK14, Ki-67, α-SMA, β-catenin, and Wnt4 protein expressions (P<0.05). Compared to the Pizhan Powder group, the wound healing rate of the bark medications and Pizhan Powder removed bark medications groups was reduced (P<0.05). The wound healing rate and the fluorescence expression of CK10, CK14, Ki-67, and α-SMA in the Pizhan Powder removed bark medications group were lower than that in the bark medications group (P<0.05). Compared to the Pizhan Powder group, the wound healing rate of the Pizhan Powder + inhibitor group was reduced, and CK10, CK14, Ki-67, α-SMA, β-catenin and Wnt4 protein expression were lower (P<0.05). Conclusion Pizhan Powder promotes wound healing in chronic skin ulcers of mice by regulating the Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway. The bark medications (buffalo hide, white mulberry root-bark, and Chinese wolfberry root-bark) play a crucial role, representing a concrete application of the traditional Chinese medicine theory of " treating skin with skin.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） in the improvement of the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice with Alzheimer's disease （AD） via regulating the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway （UPP）. MethodFifteen SAMR1 mice were used as a normal group， and 60 SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into a model group and DSS high， medium， and low-dose groups （57.6， 28.8， and 14.4 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 15 mice in each group. Intragastric administration was conducted for eight continuous weeks. Place navigation and spatial capacity were evaluated by Morris water maze. Pathological structure changes in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area was detected by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The protein expression levels of hippocampal β-amyloid protein（Aβ） and phosphorylation（p）-Tau were determined by immunohistochemical staining （IHC） and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of hippocampal ubiquitin （Ub）， ubiquitin ligase E3 （E3）， 26S proteasome， ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase-1 （UCHL1）， and UCHL3 were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultAs compared with the normal group， the escape latency was prolonged in the model group （P<0.05） with the reduced number of crossing platform quadrants and time ratio in the platform quadrant （P<0.05）. The model group decreased neurons and condensed cell bodies in the CA1 area， and increased β-amyloid precursor protein （β-APP） and p-Tau positive cells （P<0.05）. In the model group， the protein expression levels of Aβ and p-Tau were increased （P<0.05）， the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub were increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of E3， 26S proteasome， UCHL1， and UCHL3 were decreased （P<0.05）. As compared with the model group， the escape latency was shortened in the DSS high and medium-dose groups （P<0.05） with an increased number of crossing platform quadrants and residence time ratio （P<0.05）. The pathological changes in CA1 of each DSS group were significantly improved， and the number of β-APP positive staining cells decreased （P<0.05）. The number of p-Tau positive staining cells decreased in the DDS medium and low-dose groups （P<0.05）. The protein expression levels of Aβ and p-Tau in each DDS group decreased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression level of Ub in each group decreased （P <0.05）. The mRNA expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression level of UCHL1 in the DDS medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）. The protein expression level of Ub in each DDS group decreased， and the protein expression levels of 26S， E3， UCHL1+3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）. ConclusionDSS can improve the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice， and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of the abnormal deposition of Aβ and p-Tau via decreasing the expression of Ub and increasing that of E3， 26S， UCHL1， and UCHL3 in the UPP.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS）-contained serum on β-amyloid （Aβ）_1-40-injured rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and its mechanism in regulating ubiquitin-proteasome pathway （UPP）. MethodAβ_1-40 was used to intervene PC12 cells to prepare the cell models of Alzheimer's disease （AD）， and the experiment was divided into the blank， model， and DSS-contained serum high， medium， and low-dose groups （10%， 5%， and 2.5%）. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected using cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） method and flow cytometry， respectively. The content of Aβ and p-Tau protein was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The ubiquitin （Ub）， ubiquitin ligase E3 （E3）， 26S proteasome， ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase1 （UCHL1）， and UCHL3 protein expressions of UPP were displayed using immunofluorescence cytochemistry （ICC）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub， E3-parkin， 26S， UCHL1， and UCHL3 were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultThe data of the CCK8 experiment verified that 5 μmol·L^-1 and 48 hours were the optimal conditions for modeling Aβ_1-40-injured PC12 cells. As compared with the blank group， the cell viability rate in the model group decreased （P<0.05） with an increased apoptosis rate （P<0.05）， the content of Aβ and p-Tau contents was elevated （P<0.05）， the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub increased， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL1+3 decreased （P<0.05）. As compared with the model group， the cell viability rate in the DSS-contained medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）， whereas the apoptosis rate in each DSS-contained group decreased （P<0.05）. The content of Aβ in each DDS-contained group decreased （P<0.05）， and the content of p-Tau in the DDS-contained high and medium-dose groups decreased （P<0.05）. The mRNA expression level of Ub decreased， and that of 26S increased in each DDS-contained group （P<0.05）. The mRNA expression level of UCHL1 in the DDS-contained medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression levels of E3 and UCHL 3 in the DDS-contained high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）. The protein expression level of Ub in each DDS-contained group decreased， and the protein expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL1+3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased. The DSS-contained serum medium-dose group exerted the optimal effect. ConclusionDSS-contained serum can increase cell viability rate， reduce cell apoptosis rate， eliminate Aβ and p-Tau protein deposits， and exert protective effects on Aβ_1-40-injured PC12 cells. Its mechanism may involve UPP via decreasing the expression of Ub and increasing that of 26S， E3， UCHL1， and UCHL3.