To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Renshentang treats atherosclerosis （AS） in mice， focusing on the regulation of endothelial inflammatory responses mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 （TRPV1）. MethodsAn AS model was established in apolipoprotein E knockout （ApoE^-/-） mice fed a high-fat diet. The mice were randomly divided into a simvastatin group （0.02 g·kg^-1·d^-1） and low-， medium-， and high-dose Renshentang groups （1.77， 3.54， 7.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 12 mice in each group. ApoE^-/- mice were fed a high-fat diet and treated simultaneously. C57BL/6J mice fed a normal diet served as the normal group （n=9）. After continuous administration for 12 weeks， mice were anesthetized and the aortas were collected. Oil Red O staining was used to observe lipid plaque formation in the aorta. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to examine pathological changes in the aortic root. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the levels of pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， as well as the expression of TRPV1， phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase （p-PI3K）， and phosphorylated protein kinase B （p-Akt） in the aortic root. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS） mRNA expression in the aorta， and Western blot was used to detect TRPV1 protein expression. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in aortic plaque formation （P<0.01） and significantly elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the aortic root （P<0.01）. The expression levels of TRPV1， p-PI3K， and p-Akt were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and eNOS mRNA expression was reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all Renshentang groups significantly reduced aortic plaque formation （P<0.01）， significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-1β levels （P<0.01）， and markedly increased the expression levels of TRPV1， p-PI3K， p-Akt， and eNOS mRNA （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionRenshentang may inhibit endothelial inflammation and suppress the formation of AS by increasing TRPV1 protein expression and up-regulating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway， which may be one of the molecular mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effect against AS.

Objective: To establish a method for determining the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of Poly(Lactide-co-Glycolide Acid) (PLGA) using Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index-Multiangle Laser Light Scattering (SEC-RI-MALLS) and Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index (SEC-RID), and to compare the results obtained from these two methods.
Methods: For SEC-RI-MALLS, tetrahydrofuran was used as the mobile phase, Shodex GPC KF-803L was employed as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, and an injection volume of 100 μL. For SEC-RID, tetrahydrofuran was also used as the mobile phase, Agilent PLgel 5 μm MIXD-D was used as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, differential detector temperature at 35 ℃, and an injection volume of 20 μL. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution were calculated using Agilent’s GPC software. The newly established methods were validated methodologically, and the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of 13 batches of samples were determined.
Results: The precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests for SEC-RI-MALLS showed RSD values of 1.35%, 1.58%, 1.53%, and 1.26%, respectively. The SEC-RID method exhibited good linearity (r=0.999 9), with RSD values for precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests (n=6) of 2.05%, 1.62%, 1.30%, and 2.97%, respectively. The results obtained from SEC-RI-MALLS were lower than those from SEC-RID, and the molecular weight distribution coefficient was smaller, but the results from the paired T-test performed with the value measured by SEC-RID method and the value measured by SEC-RI-MALLS method multiplied a conversion coefficient of 1.5 showed no significant difference between the two methods.
Conclusion: Both methods are stable and reliable, and can be used for the determination of PLGA molecular weight and molecular weight distribution based on the specific situations.

Objective To understand the situation of corn mycotoxins contamination in Heilongjiang Province , and to analyze the causes of pollution and propose prevention and control measures. Methods Among the 473 corn samples were collected from various regions in Heilongjiang Province , and 16 mycotoxins , including aflatoxins , fumonisins, deoxynivalenol and their metabolites , zearalenone , ochratoxin A , alternariol , alternariol monomethyl ether , tentoxin , and tenuazonic acid , were detected in the corn samples. The detection and quantification were carried out using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry isotope internal standard method. Results All samples were detected with mycotoxins, the detection rate was 100%, and each sample was contaminated by one or more mycotoxins. The detection rate of 16 mycotoxins ranged from 0.21% to 98.31%. The average contamination level ranged from 0.67 μ g/kg-259.19 μ g/kg. Three types of toxins exceeded the standard, with exceeding rates of deoxynivalenol (2.54%, 12/473), zearalenone (4.02% ,19/473), and fumonisins (2.54%,12/473), respectively. The samples exceeding the standard were distributed in Mudanjiang, Shuangyashan, Jixi, Harbin, and Qiqihar. Conclusion Corn in Heilongjiang Province is contaminated by a combination of mycotoxins. It is necessary to strengthen monitoring from multiple links and adopt a variety of ways and control measures to reduce corn contamination.

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.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of Shenfuhuang Formula （参附黄配方） in prevention and treatment of epsis-associated encephalopathy from the perspective of brain genomics. MethodsC57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham surgery group， sepsis group， and Shenfuhuang group， with 20 mice in each group. The sepsis group and Shenfuhuang group were induced to develop sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture （CLP） procedure. At 4 hours after modelling， Shenfuhuang group were gavaged with 2.5 g/（kg·d） of Shenfuhuang Formula， 0.5 ml each time， at 12 hours intervals， for a total of 4 times after modelling. Sepsis group and sham surgery group were given 0.5 ml of purified water orally. At 48 hours after modeling， the transcriptome sequencing was used to explore the differential gene expression in the effects of Shenfuhuang Formula on the brain regions of septic mice， and real-time PCR and ELISA were later used to further validate the differential gene and proteins expression. ResultsA total of 4605 genes were differentially expressed in Shenfuhuang group compared with sepsis group， of which 2353 genes were up-regulated and 2252 genes were down-regulated. According to the results of previous publications， six key genes were screened， including serine/threonine-protein kinase （Nek1）， myelin-associated glycoprotein （Mag）， endothelial cell-specific tyrosine kinase receptor （Tek）， a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 20 （Adamts20）， lymphocyte antigen 86 （Ly86）， and E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase （Traip）. Further genetic and protein validation revealed that， compared to the sham surgery group， the mRNA levels and corresponding protein levels of Nek1， Mag， Tek， Adamts20， Ly86， and Traip in the brain tissue of septic mice significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. In comparison to the sepsis group， Shenfuhuang group showed significantly increased mRNA levels and corresponding protein levels of Nek1， Mag， Tek， Adamts20， Ly86， and Traip （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe potential therapeutic targets of Shenfuhuang Formula for treating sepsis-associated encephalopathy may be related to the Nek1， Mag， Tek， Adamts20， Ly86， and Traip genes and their encoded proteins.

Objective: To investigate the implementation and evaluate the effectiveness of health management services for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Urumqi City from 2017 to 2021, so as to provide the reference for enhancing T2DM patients management. Methods: Data on the rates of record establishment, health management and standardized management for T2DM patients, and blood glucose control rate in managed patients in Urumqi City from 2017 to 2021 were collected through the quarterly reports on basic public health service management from the Weining Health Platform System. The trends in the four management indicators, and the differences between urban and rural areas were analyzed. Results: The rates of record establishment, health management and blood glucose control rate in managed patients in Urumqi City were 46.94%, 38.37% and 59.92%, respectively, showing upward trends from 2017 to 2021 (all P<0.05). The rate of standardized management was 75.89%, showing a downward trend (P<0.05). The rate of record establishment was higher in urban areas than in rural areas (47.76% vs. 40.56%, P<0.05). The rates of standardized management and blood glucose control in managed patients were lower in urban areas than in rural areas (75.18% vs. 81.46%, 58.93% vs. 67.64%, both P<0.05). The rate of health management was 38.39% in urban areas and 38.24% in rural areas, with no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). The trends in the rates of record establishment, health management and standardized management in both urban and rural areas were consistent with those in the overall population. Conclusions From 2017 to 2021, the rates of record establishment, health management and blood glucose control in managed patients in Urumqi City showed upward trends, while the rate of standardized management exhibited a downward trend. There were urban-rural differences in the rates of record establishment, standardized management and blood glucose control in managed patients.

Tumor drug resistance is an important problem in the failure of chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy, which is a complex process involving chromatin remodeling. SWI/SNF is one of the most studied ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in tumorigenesis, which plays an important role in the coordination of chromatin structural stability, gene expression, and post-translation modification. However, its mechanism in tumor drug resistance has not been systematically combed. SWI/SNF can be divided into 3 types according to its subunit composition: BAF, PBAF, and ncBAF. These 3 subtypes all contain two mutually exclusive ATPase catalytic subunits (SMARCA2 or SMARCA4), core subunits (SMARCC1 and SMARCD1), and regulatory subunits (ARID1A, PBRM1, and ACTB, etc.), which can control gene expression by regulating chromatin structure. The change of SWI/SNF complex subunits is one of the important factors of tumor drug resistance and progress. SMARCA4 and ARID1A are the most widely studied subunits in tumor drug resistance. Low expression of SMARCA4 can lead to the deletion of the transcription inhibitor of the BCL2L1 gene in mantle cell lymphoma, which will result in transcription up-regulation and significant resistance to the combination therapy of ibrutinib and venetoclax. Low expression of SMARCA4 and high expression of SMARCA2 can activate the FGFR1-pERK1/2 signaling pathway in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma cells, which induces the overexpression of anti-apoptosis gene BCL2 and results in carboplatin resistance. SMARCA4 deletion can up-regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by activating YAP1 gene expression in triple-negative breast cancer. It can also reduce the expression of Ca²⁺ channel IP3R3 in ovarian and lung cancer, resulting in the transfer of Ca²⁺ needed to induce apoptosis from endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria damage. Thus, these two tumors are resistant to cisplatin. It has been found that verteporfin can overcome the drug resistance induced by SMARCA4 deletion. However, this inhibitor has not been applied in clinical practice. Therefore, it is a promising research direction to develop SWI/SNF ATPase targeted drugs with high oral bioavailability to treat patients with tumor resistance induced by low expression or deletion of SMARCA4. ARID1A deletion can activate the expression of ANXA1 protein in HER2+ breast cancer cells or down-regulate the expression of progesterone receptor B protein in endometrial cancer cells. The drug resistance of these two tumor cells to trastuzumab or progesterone is induced by activating AKT pathway. ARID1A deletion in ovarian cancer can increase the expression of MRP2 protein and make it resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxel. ARID1A deletion also can up-regulate the phosphorylation levels of EGFR, ErbB2, and RAF1 oncogene proteins.The ErbB and VEGF pathway are activated and EMT is increased. As a result, lung adenocarcinoma is resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Although great progress has been made in the research on the mechanism of SWI/SNF complex inducing tumor drug resistance, most of the research is still at the protein level. It is necessary to comprehensively and deeply explore the detailed mechanism of drug resistance from gene, transcription, protein, and metabolite levels by using multi-omics techniques, which can provide sufficient theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of poor tumor prognosis caused by mutation or abnormal expression of SWI/SNF subunits in clinical practice.

ObjectiveAs a second messenger in intracellular signal transduction, Ca²⁺ plays an important role in cell migration. Previous studies have demonstrated that extracellular Ca²⁺ influx can promote electric field-guided cell migration, known as electrotaxis. However, the effect of intracellular Ca²⁺ flow on electrotaxis is unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the effect of Ca²⁺ flux on the electrotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum. MethodsThe electrotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum was investigated by applying a direct current (DC) electric field. Cell migration was recorded using a real-time imaging system. Calcium channel inhibitors, the extracellular Ca²⁺ chelator EGTA, Ca²⁺-free DB buffer, and caffeine were applied to investigate the impact of intra- and extracellular Ca²⁺ flow on electrotaxis. The involvement of G proteins and ERK2 in directed cell migration mediated by endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ release was explored using mutants. ResultsDictyostelium discoideum migrated toward the cathode in the electric field in a voltage-dependent manner. The intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration of the cells was significantly increased in the electric field. Inhibition of both extracellular Ca²⁺ influx and intracellular Ca²⁺ release suppressed cell electrotaxis migration. Inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ release induced by caffeine significantly impaired the electrotaxis of Dictyostelium discoideum. Deletion of Gα2, Gβ, Gγ, and Erk2 notably reduced the electrotaxis of the cells. Enhancing Ca²⁺ release mediated by caffeine restored the electrotaxis of the Gα2^-, Gβ ^-, and Erk2^- mutant cells partially or completely, but did not restore electrotaxis in the Gγ^- mutant cells. ConclusionCa²⁺ release from the endoplasmic reticulum regulates electrotaxis migration in Dictyostelium discoideum and is involved in the regulation of cell electrotaxis by G proteins and ERK2.

Edema， as a common pathological phenomenon， is essentially the abnormal accumulation of body fluids in the interstitial spaces of human tissues and is often a direct manifestation of various underlying diseases， such as heart failure， impaired renal filtration function， or liver metabolic disorders. In the Western medical system， strategies for treating edema primarily focus on the use of diuretics to promote the excretion of excess fluid in the body， while simultaneously addressing the underlying causes through targeted treatment. However， long-term reliance on the use of diuretics may lead to a decrease in drug sensitivity and induce side effects， including electrolyte disorders such as hypokalemia and hypercalcemia， posing a potential threat to patients' overall health. Compared with Western medicine， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has demonstrated well-recognized and sustained efficacy in treating edema with its unique theoretical system. Zhulingtang， as a classic and commonly used TCM formula， is widely applied as it can effectively relieve edema and related symptoms. In recent years， ongoing in-depth studies on the treatment of edema with Zhulingtang have revealed multiple mechanisms of action of Zhulingtang， including the regulation of water metabolism and the reduction of inflammatory responses， thereby providing a solid theoretical basis for clinical practice. This review summarized the research progress on the treatment of edema with Zhulingtang in recent years and analyzed the active ingredients and action pathways of Zhulingtang. Additionally， the primary mechanisms of action and efficacy were systematically analyzed， so as to provide references for the clinical application of Zhulingtang in treating various types of edema， such as cardiogenic edema， renal edema， and hepatogenic edema. This review aims to offer theoretical support and practical guidance for clinicians in deciding treatment approaches， as well as references for subsequent in-depth studies， thereby promoting further development of TCM in the treatment of edema.