To summarize the clinical experience of Professor LIU Shangyi in treating pruritus vulvae. It is believed that women have the physiological characteristics of liver and kidney as the root， and their pubic area is easily attacked by wind-dampness pathogenic qi， so the core mechanism of pruritus vulvae is proposed as wind-dampness accumulation and deficiency of liver and kidney. The core treatment method is to dispel wind-dampness and nourish the liver and kidneys， and modify the Danggui Decoction （当归饮子） to form a self-prescribed Yinyang Formula （阴痒方） as the basic prescription to treat pruritus vulvaen.

This study aimed to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of Colquhounia Root Tablets(CRT) in treating diabetic kidney disease(DKD) by integrating biomolecular network mining with animal model verification. By analyzing clinical transcriptomics data, an interaction network was constructed between candidate targets of CRT and DKD-related genes. Based on the topological eigenvalues of network nodes, 101 core network targets of CRT against DKD were identified. These targets were found to be closely related to multiple pathways associated with type 2 diabetes, immune response, and metabolic reprogramming. Given that immune-inflammatory imbalance driven by metabolic reprogramming is one of the key pathogenic mechanisms of DKD, and that many core network targets of CRT are involved in this pathological process, receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE)-reactive oxygen species(ROS)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT)-nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3) signaling axis was selected as a candidate target for in-depth research. Further, a rat model of DKD induced by a high-sugar, high-fat diet and streptozotocin was established to evaluate the pharmacological effects of CRT and verify the expression of related targets. The experimental results showed that CRT could effectively correct metabolic disturbances in DKD, restore immune-inflammatory balance, and improve renal function and its pathological changes by inhibiting the activation of the RAGE-ROS-PI3K-AKT-NF-κB-NLRP3 signaling axis. In conclusion, this study reveals that CRT alleviates the progression of DKD through dual regulation of metabolic reprogramming and immune-inflammatory responses, providing strong experimental evidence for its clinical application in DKD.
Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies/metabolism* ; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products/genetics* ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Rats ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Humans ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tablets/administration & dosage*

Progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) is a progressive and lethal condition with few effective treatment options. Improvements in quality of life for patients with PPF remain limited even while receiving treatment with approved antifibrotic drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the potential to improve cough, dyspnea and fatigue symptoms of patients with PPF. TCM treatments are typically diverse and individualized, requiring urgent development of efficient and precise design strategies to identify effective treatment options. We designed an innovative Bayesian adaptive two-stage trial, hoping to provide new ideas for the rapid evaluation of the effectiveness of TCM in PPF. An open-label, two-stage, adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial will be conducted in China. Based on Bayesian methods, the trial will employ response-adaptive randomization to allocate patients to study groups based on data collected over the course of the trial. The adaptive Bayesian trial design will employ a Bayesian hierarchical model with "stopping" and "continuation" criteria once a predetermined posterior probability of superiority or futility and a decision threshold are reached. The trial can be implemented more efficiently by sharing the master protocol and organizational management mechanisms of the sub-trial we have implemented. The primary patient-reported outcome is a change in the Leicester Cough Questionnaire score, reflecting an improvement in cough-specific quality of life. The adaptive Bayesian trial design may be a promising method to facilitate the rapid clinical evaluation of TCM effectiveness for PPF, and will provide an example for how to evaluate TCM effectiveness in rare and refractory diseases. However, due to the complexity of the trial implementation, sufficient simulation analysis by professional statistical analysts is required to construct a Bayesian response-adaptive randomization procedure for timely response. Moreover, detailed standard operating procedures need to be developed to ensure the feasibility of the trial implementation. Please cite this article as: Zhang C, Nie YS, Zhang CT, Yang HJ, Zhang HR, Xiao W, Cui GF, Li J, Li SJ, Huang QS, Yan SY. An adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine in progressive pulmonary fibrosis: Rationale and study design. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 138-145.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Bayes Theorem ; Disease Progression ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis/therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Research Design ; Adaptive Clinical Trials as Topic

AIM To explore the mechanism of Yiqi Wenyang Huwei Decoction on airway inflammation improvement of rats with bronchial asthma based on IL-25/NF-κB signaling pathway.METHODS 60 rats were randomly divided into the control group,the model group,the dexamethasone group(0.2 mg/mL),the low-dose,medium-dose and high-dose Yiqi Wenyang Huwei Decoction groups(1,2,4 g/mL),with 10 rats in each group.Intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin(OVA)and aluminum hydroxide suspension was applied to establish the rat asthma model,followed by 2-week corresponding dosing of the drugs.The rats of each group had their daily diet,mental status,hair growth and respiration observed;their differential count of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)detected by automatic hematology analyzer;their pathological changes of lung tissue observed by HE staining;their pulmonary IL-25 protein expression detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC);their levels of IL-4,IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF measured by ELISA;their pulmonary expression of IL-25 and TRAF6 mRNA detected by RT-qPCR;and their pulmonary protein expressions of IL-25,TRAF6,IκBα,p-IκBα,NF-κB p65 and p-NF-κB p65 detected by Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the model group displayed severe damage of the lung tissue and infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells;increased number of inflammatory cells and levels of IL-4,IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF(P<0.01);increased mRNA expressions of IL-25 and TRAF6,and pulmonary protein expressions of IL-25,TRAF6,p-IκBα/IκBα and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,all of the Yiqi Wenyang Huwei Decoction groups shared improved pulmonary infiltration of inflammatory cells;decreased number of inflammatory cells and levels of IL-4,IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF(P<0.05,P<0.01);and decreased mRNA expressions of IL-25 and TRAF6,and pulmonary protein expressions of IL-25,TRAF6,p-IκBα/IκBα and p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65(P<0.01).CONCLUSION Yiqi Wenyang Huwei Decoction can inhibit the airway inflammation in the rat model of bronchial asthma,which may be related to the inhibited activation of IL-25/NF-κB signaling pathway and the reduced expression of inflammatory factors.

Objective To evaluate the bioequivalence and safety of two voriconazole for injection in healthy Chinese subjects,and to explore the safety of the excipient sulfobutyl-β-cyclodextrin.Methods A single-center,single-dose,randomized,open-label,two-preparation,two-period,double-crossover trial design.A total of 18 healthy subjects were enrolled and administrated with a single intravenous infusion of voriconazole test drug and reference drug at 4 mg·kg-1 under fasting conditions,with a sequence determined by randomization.The concentrations of voriconazole in plasma and sulfobutyl-β-cyclodextrin in urine were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS).Phoenix WinNonlin 8.2 software was used to calculate pharmacokinetic parameters of voriconazole in plasma,and SAS(version 9.4)software was used to calculate pharmacokinetic parameters of sulfobutyl-β-cyclodextrin in urine and bioequivalence analysis.Results Major pharmacokinetic parameters of voriconazole in plasma after a single intravenous infusion of voriconazole test drug and reference drug in 18 healthy subjects in a fasted state were as follows:Cmax were(2 177.00±399.10)and(2 265.00±378.70)ng·mL-1;AUC0-t were(14 612.07±8 182.95)and(15 144.69±7 814.02)ng·h·mL-1;AUC0-∞ were(16 217.48±10 862.78)and(16 863.18±10695.75)ng·h·mL-1;tmax were 2.00 and 1.98 h,respectively.The 90％confidence intervals of the geometric mean ratios of Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ for the two drugs were within the equivalence range of 80.00％to 125.00％.Conclusion The two voriconazole for injection preparations were bioequivalent and safe when administered by intravenous infusion under fasting conditions in healthy Chinese subjects.

Objective To explore the prescription law of Chinese materia medica for the treatment of epilepsy based on National Patent Database;To provide references for clinical treatment.Methods Patent data on TCM compounds for treating epilepsy that met the inclusion criteria were collected from the establishment of the Chinese Patent Publication Announcement Network until August 21,2023.Excel 2021 was used to establish the database of prescription medication.Python,SPSS Modeler 18.0,Cytoscape 3.10.1,and R language software were used to model prescription data,analyze medication frequency,conduct complex network analysis,association rule analysis,clustering analysis,to explore the prescription law.Results A total of 376 patents meeting the criteria for epilepsy were included,involving 827 kinds of Chinese materia medica,with a total frequency of 4 911 times.Gastrodiae Rhizoma,Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma,Bombyx Batryticatus,Scorpio,Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis were among the top five frequently used Chinese materia medica.The high-frequency drug efficacy categories were primarily liver soothing and wind alleviating drugs,tranquilizers,and phlegm resolving,cough suppressing,and asthma alleviating drugs.The predominant medicinal properties were mild,warm and cold,while the predominant tastes were sweet,pungent and bitter.The herbs were classified under the liver,heart,lung and spleen meridians.The core complex network of Chinese materia medica was identified,and the core combination was Gastrodiae Rhizoma-Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma-Bombyx Batryticatus.The association rule analysis identified 28 commonly used medicinal combinations,with the highest support being observed for Scorpio-Bombyx Batryticatus.Clustering analysis yields four sets of data.Similarity analysis revealed the unique properties of the patented compound in the treatment of epilepsy.Conclusion The high-frequency drugs and commonly used drug combinations of TCM compounds for treating epilepsy,as disclosed on the Chinese Patent Publication Announcement Network,are primarily aimed at calming wind and stopping convulsions,as well as resolving phlegm and opening the orifices,which can provide reference for clinical practice.

Objective To establish an animal model of dampness-syndrome in mice (single model) and evaluate its characteristics of dampness-syndrome. The above-mentioned mice with dampness syndrome were used to construct mice model of ischemic stroke (double model) and observe the effect of dampness-pathogenic on the outcome of stroke. Methods Healthy C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into dampness-syndrome (including sham-surgery group and ischemic stroke group,with 10 mice in each group) and non dampness-syndrome groups (including sham-surgery group and ischemic stroke group,with 10 mice in each group). The dampness-syndrome group was fed with high-fat diet and the non dampness-syndrome group was fed with normal diet for 12 weeks. After the mice model of dampness-syndrome was successfully established,transient middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (tMCAO/R) surgery was used to replicate an ischemic stroke mice model. Evaluation indicators for dampness-syndrome mice model:the general status including body weight,morphology,posture,activity status,and physical characteristics,the histopathological observation of the aorta (oil red O staining,Masson-trichrome staining) and liver (HE staining,oil red O staining),electron microscopic observation of the tongue tissue (scanning electron microscopy,electron microscopy),blood lipid levels[total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG)]and liver coefficient. Evaluation indicators for ischemic stroke mice model:neurological function score and the cerebral infarction volume ratio. Results Compared with the non dampness-syndrome group,the mice in the dampness-syndrome group showed an increased in body weight,poor hair color,sparse hair,fatigue and laziness,mental atrophy,anorexia and lethargy. It was observed that the aortic lumen was narrowed,the intima was significantly thickened,lipid plaque deposition was increased,and foam cells were visible. A large amount of red lipid droplets appeared in liver cells. There were obvious lipid infiltration and diffuse steatosis. Increased keratosis of the mucosal layer of tongue tissue,the thicker stratum corneum,lipofuscin,and bacteria on the tongue surface were found. Serum TG and TC levels significantly increased(P<0.01),and the liver coefficient significantly decreased (P<0.001). Compared with non dampness-syndrome group (sham-surgery group),neurological function score and the cerebral infarction volume ratio in dampness-syndrome ischemic stroke group obviously increased (P<0.001). Conclusion High-fat feeding for 12 weeks combined with tMCAO/R modeling can successfully establish a mice model with dampness-syndrome ischemic stroke,and the neurological function score and cerebral infarction volume in the dampness-syndrome ischemic stroke group was more severe than that in the non dampness-syndrome ischemic stroke group.

The 6-min walk test(6MWT)is an effective tool to assess the cardiopulmonary function and exercise tolerance,and is widely used in clinical practice to assess the exercise capacity in the patients with car-diopulmonary disease.Pulmonary hypertension(PH)is a serious cardiovascular disease manifested by a con-tinuous increase in pulmonary circulatory pressure,which limits the right heart function and eventually devel-ops into the right heart failure,moreover its clinical manifestations lack specificity,making diagnosis difficult.With the development of PH diagnosis and treatment technology,the medical staffs have paid more and more attention to the application of 6MWT in the diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of the patients with PH.This article reviews the characteristics of 6MWT,its application in PH,and its limitations and future prospects in order to help clinic to better understand the role of 6MWT in the whole disease course of the patients with PH,and encourage the medical care staffs to broadly apply and improve 6MWT to make it to be more reliable clinical evidence.