ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and mechanism of Bupi Qingfei prescription （BPQF） in treating stable bronchiectasis in the patients with syndromes of lung-spleen Qi deficiency and phlegm-heat accumulation in the lungs. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Patients were randomized into BPQF and placebo control （PC） groups. On the basis of conventional Western medicine treatment， the BPQF granules and placebo were respectively administered at 10 g each time， twice a day， for a course of 24 weeks. The TCM symptom scores， Quality of Life Questionnaire for Bronchiectasis （QOL-B） scores， lung function indicators， T lymphocyte subsets， level of inflammatory factors in the sputum， level of neutrophil elastase （NE） in the sputum， and occurrence of adverse reactions were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. ResultsA total of 64 patients completed the study， encompassing 32 in the BPQF group and 32 in the PC group. After treatment， the BPQF group showed decreased TCM symptom scores （P<0.01）， increased QOL-B scores （P<0.01）， and declined levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α and NE （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The PC group showed decreased TCM symptom （except spleen deficiency） scores （P<0.01）， increased the QOL-B health cognition and respiratory symptom domain scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and a declined TNF-α level （P<0.01）. Moreover， the BPQF group had lower TCM symptom （except chest tightness） scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， higher QOL-B （except treatment burden） scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lower levels of interleukin-6 and TNF-α （P<0.05） than the PC group. Neither group showed serious adverse reactions during the treatment process. ConclusionBPQF can ameliorate the clinical symptoms of stable bronchiectasis patients who have lung-spleen Qi deficiency or phlegm-heat accumulation in the lungs by regulating the immune balance and inhibiting airway inflammatory responses.

Dry eye disease is a chronic ocular surface disorder of multifactorial origin, characterized by a loss of tear film homeostasis and associated with a range of ocular discomfort symptoms. Growing evidence underscores a significant bidirectional relationship between dry eye and depression: individuals with dry eye disease exhibit a higher prevalence of depressive disorders, and conversely, those diagnosed with depression demonstrate an increased susceptibility to developing dry eye. This interplay is mediated through several pathophysiological pathways, such as chronic inflammation, cerebral functional alterations, gut microbiome dysregulation, and sleep disturbances, which may collectively sustain a vicious cycle. The use of antidepressant therapy introduces further complexity, exerting heterogeneous effects on dry eye—some agents may offer symptomatic relief, whereas others can aggravate ocular surface impairment. The mechanisms responsible for these differential outcomes remain incompletely elucidated and merit further investigation. This review systematically consolidates epidemiological data on the dry eye-depression link, examines potential shared pathological mechanisms, and evaluates current therapeutic options. We propose an integrated management approach that combines conventional dry eye treatments, such as traditional Chinese medicine, electroacupuncture, physical activity and antidepressants—a multimodal strategy that may yield synergistic benefits in alleviating both ocular and affective symptoms, thereby improving overall quality of life. Moving forward, research should focus on deciphering the underlying mechanistic pathways and facilitating the translation of these insights into clinical practice to inform targeted, combined treatment regimens for patients with dry eye and depression.

The functional realization of proteins and other biological macromolecules depends on conformational dynamics and allosteric regulation, and elucidating their molecular mechanisms is an important foundation for understanding life processes. Molecular dynamics simulations are a powerful tool for investigating conformational evolution at the atomic level. However, traditional methods are limited by simulation timescales and high free-energy barriers, making it difficult to effectively capture rare conformations and their transition pathways. As a result, the development of enhanced sampling techniques has become key to overcoming this bottleneck. As a classical enhanced sampling technique, metadynamics suffers from several shortcomings, including strong dependence on collective variables and significant errors caused by bias potential accumulation. This article reviews three major improvement strategies. The first combines stochastic resetting with metadynamics, using trajectory-resetting mechanisms to improve sampling efficiency while avoiding the difficulty of optimizing collective variables. The second, SinkMeta, employs a “sinking” bias effect to enable efficient exploration of specific regions and paths. The third, OPES-based hybrid methods, improve the stability of free-energy estimation by optimizing the target distribution or the way the bias is constructed. These methods provide new ideas for characterizing free-energy landscapes and studying conformational transitions in complex biological systems, while also promoting the continued development of enhanced sampling methodologies.

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics of gouty arthritis in Northwest China from 2023 to 2025, and to formulate preventive intervention measures. Methods By retrospectively analyzing the case data of medical institutions in Northwest China from January 2023 to June 2025 (a total of 8 139 cases), the incidence trend and population distribution characteristics of gouty arthritis in this area were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors. Results From 2023 to 2025, the prevalence rate of gouty arthritis in adult residents in Northwest China was 3.74% (304/8 139). Among the sites affected by gouty arthritis, the metatarsophalangeal joint accounted for the highest proportion (P<0.05). From the perspective of age distribution, the prevalence rate was the highest in 40-59 years old group (5.90%), followed by 66-80 years old group (4.21%) and >80 years old group (2.75%). The incidence rate in 40-65 years old group was higher than that in the other age groups (P<0.05). High blood uric acid and creatinine, alcohol drinking, obesity, high purine diet, concurrent chronic kidney disease and metabolic syndrome were risk factors affecting gouty arthritis in Northwest China (P<0.05). Conclusion High blood uric acid level, high creatinine level, alcohol drinking, obesity, high purine diet, concurrent chronic kidney disease and metabolic syndrome are risk factors influencing gouty arthritis in Northwest China. Based on the above factors, this study proposes comprehensive prevention strategies from the individual, community and public health levels to provide a scientific basis for reducing the incidence rate of gouty arthritis.

Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus is a Chinese medicinal material used for clearing heat， detoxicifying， resolving phlegm， and dissipating nodules. It is derived from Cremastra appendiculata， Pleione bulbocodioides， or Pleione yunnanensis， as recorded in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People′s Republic of China， with the former known as Maocigu and the latter two known as Bingqiuzi. Current antitumor studies mainly focus on polysaccharides， water-extracted alcohol-precipitated fractions， and purified extracts of C. appendiculata. Structurally characterized glucomannans suppress breast and liver tumor xenografts and exhibit immunomodulatory effects. The water-extracted alcohol-precipitated fractions inhibit tumor angiogenesis in hepatoma-bearing mice. A purified C. appendiculata extract standardized to five phenanthrene and bibenzyl constituents induces mitochondrial apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Reported pharmacological effects involve cell-cycle regulation， apoptosis， epithelial-mesenchymal transition， angiogenesis， autophagy， and the tumor immune microenvironment， with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR）， Wnt/β-catenin， and Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK2/STAT3） signaling pathways being the major mechanism links. Quality evaluation of Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus has progressed from single-marker assays to an integrated approach involving botanical authentication， chromatographic fingerprinting， multicomponent analysis， and evaluation of associations between blood-absorbed constituents and antitumor effects. Militarine and dactylorhin A can be used for botanical identification and batch evaluation， and in vivo exposure data from related orchids are concentrated on militarine. Quantitative associations between these constituents and antitumor effects remain to be established. Clinical evidence mainly focuses on formula-based applications and expert experience. Comparative antitumor data in hepatoma models are available for the commercial specifications of Maocigu and Bingqiuzi， whereas parallel evaluations of pharmacological effects， safety windows， and drug interactions among the three official botanical origins remain insufficient. The major limitations are the incomplete standardization of botanical origins and preparations and the lack of quantitative links among quality markers， systemic exposure， antitumor effects， and toxicity endpoints， which constrain reproducible pharmacological evaluation and clinical translation of Cremastrae Pseudobulbus/Pleiones Pseudobulbus.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Shaoyaotang on T helper cell 17/regulatory T lymphocyte（Th17/Treg） cell balance in ulcerative colitis and decipher the intervention mechanism based on glucose metabolism reprogramming. MethodsThe mouse model of ulcerative colitis was established by the dextran sulfate sodium （DSS） method. Forty-eight C57BL/6 mice were randomly allocated into normal， model， Western drug control （mesalazine， 0.39 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， Shaoyaotang （15.54 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， inhibitor （2-deoxy-D-glucose， 2-DG， 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and inhibitor （2-DG， 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） + Shaoyaotang （15.54 g·kg^-1·d^-1） groups. Mice were administrated with the corresponding drugs by gavage for 7 days. The general conditions and the colon injury degree were observed 24 h after the last administration. The expression of interleukin （IL）-10 and IL-17 in the colon tissue was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were performed to determine the protein and mRNA levels， respectively， of hypoxia-inducing factor-1α （HIF-1α）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDHA）， and hexokinase 2 （HK2） in the colon tissue. Th17/Treg cell differentiation was detected by flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of lactic acid and glucose in the colon tissue and IL-10， IL-17， and IL-6 in the serum. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed decreases in body weight and disease activity index （DAI） （P<0.05）， elevations in levels of HIF-1α， LDHA， HK2， IL-17， IL-6， Th17 cells， lactic acid， and glucose in the colon tissue （P<0.05）， and declines in the levels of of IL-10 and Treg cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the drug administration groups showed increases in body weight and DAI （P<0.05）， declines in levels of HIF-1α， LDHA， HK2， IL-17， IL-6， Th17 cells， lactic acid， and glucose in the colon tissue （P<0.05）， and rises in levels of IL-10 and Treg cells （P<0.05）. Shaoyaotang+2-DG group had the most obvious effect. ConclusionShaoyaotang can relieve diarrhea and bloody stool in mice with ulcerative colitis by restoring the Th17/Treg cell balance via regulation of glucose metabolism reprogramming， thus playing a role in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

ObjectiveTo explore the regulation of Shaoyaotang on glucose metabolism reprogramming of macrophages and the mechanism of this decoction in inhibiting macrophage polarization toward the M1 phenotype. MethodsHuman monocytic leukemia-1 （THP-1） cells were treated with 100 ng·L^-1 phorbol myristate acetate for induction of macrophages as the normal control group. The cells treated with 100 ng·L^-1 lipopolysaccharide combined with 20 ng·L^-1 interferon （IFN）-γ for induction of M1-type macrophages were taken as the M1 model group. M1-type macrophages were treated with the blank serum， Shaoyaotang-containing serum， 0.5 mol·L^-1 2-deoxy-D-glucose （2-DG）， and Shaoyaotang-containing serum + 2-DG， respectively. After intervention， the expression of CD86 and CD206 was examined by flow cytometry. The levels of interleukin （IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， IL-10， and transforming growth factor （TGF）-β were assessed by ELISA. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels， respectively， of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha （HIF-1α）， glucose transporter 1 （GLUT1）， hexokinase 2 （HK2）， glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase （GAPDH）， and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2，6-bisphosphatase 3 （PFKFB3）. ResultsCompared with that in the normal control group， the expression of CD86， the marker of M1-type macrophages， increased in the M1 model group and blank serum group （P<0.01）， which indicated that the M1 inflammatory model was established successfully. In addition， the M1 model group was observed with up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α and glycolysis-related factors HIF-1α， GLUT1， HK2， GAPDH， and PFKFB3 （P<0.01）. Compared with the M1 model group， the Shaoyaotang-containing serum， 2-DG， and combined intervention groups showed decreased expression of CD86 （P<0.01）， down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α and glycolysis-related factors HIF-1α， GLUT1， HK2， GAPDH， and PFKFB3 produced by M1-type macrophages （P<0.01）， increased expression of CD206 （marker of M2-type macrophages） （P<0.01）， and elevated levels of IL-10 and TGF-β produced by M2-type macrophages （P<0.01）. ConclusionShaoyaotang inhibits macrophage differentiation toward pro-inflammatory M1-type macrophages and promotes the differentiation toward anti-inflammatory M2-type macrophages by regulating glucose metabolism reprogramming. The evidence gives insights into new molecular mechanisms and targets for the treatment of ulcerative colitis with Shaoyaotang.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Shaoyaotang on T helper cell 17/regulatory T lymphocyte（Th17/Treg） cell balance in ulcerative colitis and decipher the intervention mechanism based on glucose metabolism reprogramming. MethodsThe mouse model of ulcerative colitis was established by the dextran sulfate sodium （DSS） method. Forty-eight C57BL/6 mice were randomly allocated into normal， model， Western drug control （mesalazine， 0.39 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， Shaoyaotang （15.54 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， inhibitor （2-deoxy-D-glucose， 2-DG， 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and inhibitor （2-DG， 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） + Shaoyaotang （15.54 g·kg^-1·d^-1） groups. Mice were administrated with the corresponding drugs by gavage for 7 days. The general conditions and the colon injury degree were observed 24 h after the last administration. The expression of interleukin （IL）-10 and IL-17 in the colon tissue was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were performed to determine the protein and mRNA levels， respectively， of hypoxia-inducing factor-1α （HIF-1α）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDHA）， and hexokinase 2 （HK2） in the colon tissue. Th17/Treg cell differentiation was detected by flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of lactic acid and glucose in the colon tissue and IL-10， IL-17， and IL-6 in the serum. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed decreases in body weight and disease activity index （DAI） （P<0.05）， elevations in levels of HIF-1α， LDHA， HK2， IL-17， IL-6， Th17 cells， lactic acid， and glucose in the colon tissue （P<0.05）， and declines in the levels of of IL-10 and Treg cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the drug administration groups showed increases in body weight and DAI （P<0.05）， declines in levels of HIF-1α， LDHA， HK2， IL-17， IL-6， Th17 cells， lactic acid， and glucose in the colon tissue （P<0.05）， and rises in levels of IL-10 and Treg cells （P<0.05）. Shaoyaotang+2-DG group had the most obvious effect. ConclusionShaoyaotang can relieve diarrhea and bloody stool in mice with ulcerative colitis by restoring the Th17/Treg cell balance via regulation of glucose metabolism reprogramming， thus playing a role in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

ObjectiveTo explore the regulation of Shaoyaotang on glucose metabolism reprogramming of macrophages and the mechanism of this decoction in inhibiting macrophage polarization toward the M1 phenotype. MethodsHuman monocytic leukemia-1 （THP-1） cells were treated with 100 ng·L^-1 phorbol myristate acetate for induction of macrophages as the normal control group. The cells treated with 100 ng·L^-1 lipopolysaccharide combined with 20 ng·L^-1 interferon （IFN）-γ for induction of M1-type macrophages were taken as the M1 model group. M1-type macrophages were treated with the blank serum， Shaoyaotang-containing serum， 0.5 mol·L^-1 2-deoxy-D-glucose （2-DG）， and Shaoyaotang-containing serum + 2-DG， respectively. After intervention， the expression of CD86 and CD206 was examined by flow cytometry. The levels of interleukin （IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， IL-10， and transforming growth factor （TGF）-β were assessed by ELISA. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels， respectively， of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha （HIF-1α）， glucose transporter 1 （GLUT1）， hexokinase 2 （HK2）， glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase （GAPDH）， and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2，6-bisphosphatase 3 （PFKFB3）. ResultsCompared with that in the normal control group， the expression of CD86， the marker of M1-type macrophages， increased in the M1 model group and blank serum group （P<0.01）， which indicated that the M1 inflammatory model was established successfully. In addition， the M1 model group was observed with up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α and glycolysis-related factors HIF-1α， GLUT1， HK2， GAPDH， and PFKFB3 （P<0.01）. Compared with the M1 model group， the Shaoyaotang-containing serum， 2-DG， and combined intervention groups showed decreased expression of CD86 （P<0.01）， down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α and glycolysis-related factors HIF-1α， GLUT1， HK2， GAPDH， and PFKFB3 produced by M1-type macrophages （P<0.01）， increased expression of CD206 （marker of M2-type macrophages） （P<0.01）， and elevated levels of IL-10 and TGF-β produced by M2-type macrophages （P<0.01）. ConclusionShaoyaotang inhibits macrophage differentiation toward pro-inflammatory M1-type macrophages and promotes the differentiation toward anti-inflammatory M2-type macrophages by regulating glucose metabolism reprogramming. The evidence gives insights into new molecular mechanisms and targets for the treatment of ulcerative colitis with Shaoyaotang.

Nitrogen narcosis is a neurological syndrome that manifests when humans or animals encounter hyperbaric nitrogen, resulting in a range of motor, emotional, and cognitive abnormalities. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is known for its significant involvement in regulating motivation, cognition, and action. However, its specific contribution to nitrogen narcosis-induced hyperlocomotion and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we report that exposure to hyperbaric nitrogen notably increased the locomotor activity of mice in a pressure-dependent manner. Concurrently, this exposure induced heightened activation among neurons in both the ACC and dorsal medial striatum (DMS). Notably, chemogenetic inhibition of ACC neurons effectively suppressed hyperlocomotion. Conversely, chemogenetic excitation lowered the hyperbaric pressure threshold required to induce hyperlocomotion. Moreover, both chemogenetic inhibition and genetic ablation of activity-dependent neurons within the ACC reduced the hyperlocomotion. Further investigation revealed that ACC neurons project to the DMS, and chemogenetic inhibition of ACC-DMS projections resulted in a reduction in hyperlocomotion. Finally, nitrogen narcosis led to an increase in local field potentials in the theta frequency band and a decrease in the alpha frequency band in both the ACC and DMS. These results collectively suggest that excitatory neurons within the ACC, along with their projections to the DMS, play a pivotal role in regulating the hyperlocomotion induced by exposure to hyperbaric nitrogen.
Animals ; Gyrus Cinguli/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Locomotion/drug effects* ; Neurons/drug effects* ; Mice ; Nitrogen/toxicity* ; Inert Gas Narcosis/physiopathology* ; Corpus Striatum/physiopathology*