In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Inulae Flos has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. After textual research， it could be verified that the medicinal use of Inulae Flos was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty. In successive dynasties， Xuanfuhua has been taken as the official name， and it also has other alternative names such as Jinfeicao， Daogeng and Jinqianhua. The period before the Song and Yuan dynasties， the main origin of Inulae Flos was the Asteraceae plant Inula japonica， and from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present， I. japonica and I. britannica are the primary source. In addition to the dominant basal species， there are also regional species such as I. linariifolia， I. helianthus-aquatili， and I. hupehensis. The earliest recorded production areas in ancient times were Henan， Hubei and other places， and the literature records that it has been distributed throughout the country since modern times. The medicinal part is its flower， the harvesting and processing method recorded in the past dynasties is mainly harvested in the fifth and ninth lunar months， and dried in the sun， and the modern harvesting is mostly harvested in summer and autumn when the flowers bloom， in order to remove impurities， dry in the shade or dry in the sun. In addition， the roots， whole herbs and aerial parts are used as medicinal materials. In ancient times， there were no records about the quality of Inulae Flos， and in modern times， it is generally believed that the quality of complete flower structure， small receptacles， large blooms， yellow petals， long filaments， many fluffs， no fragments， and no branches is better. Ancient processing methods primarily involved cleaning， steaming， and sun-drying， supplemented by techniques such as boiling， roasting， burning， simmering， stir-frying， and honey-processing. Modern processing focuses mainly on cleaning the stems and leaves before use. Regarding the medicinal properties， ancient texts describe it as salty and sweet in taste， slightly warm in nature， and mildly toxic. Modern studies characterize it as bitter， pungent， and salty in taste， with a slightly warm nature. Its therapeutic effects remain consistent across eras， including descending Qi， resolving phlegm， promoting diuresis， and stopping vomiting. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Inulae Flos， either I. japonica or I. britannica should be used as the medicinal source. Processing methods should follow formula requirements， where no processing instructions are specified， the raw products may be used after cleaning.

In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Inulae Flos has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. After textual research， it could be verified that the medicinal use of Inulae Flos was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty. In successive dynasties， Xuanfuhua has been taken as the official name， and it also has other alternative names such as Jinfeicao， Daogeng and Jinqianhua. The period before the Song and Yuan dynasties， the main origin of Inulae Flos was the Asteraceae plant Inula japonica， and from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present， I. japonica and I. britannica are the primary source. In addition to the dominant basal species， there are also regional species such as I. linariifolia， I. helianthus-aquatili， and I. hupehensis. The earliest recorded production areas in ancient times were Henan， Hubei and other places， and the literature records that it has been distributed throughout the country since modern times. The medicinal part is its flower， the harvesting and processing method recorded in the past dynasties is mainly harvested in the fifth and ninth lunar months， and dried in the sun， and the modern harvesting is mostly harvested in summer and autumn when the flowers bloom， in order to remove impurities， dry in the shade or dry in the sun. In addition， the roots， whole herbs and aerial parts are used as medicinal materials. In ancient times， there were no records about the quality of Inulae Flos， and in modern times， it is generally believed that the quality of complete flower structure， small receptacles， large blooms， yellow petals， long filaments， many fluffs， no fragments， and no branches is better. Ancient processing methods primarily involved cleaning， steaming， and sun-drying， supplemented by techniques such as boiling， roasting， burning， simmering， stir-frying， and honey-processing. Modern processing focuses mainly on cleaning the stems and leaves before use. Regarding the medicinal properties， ancient texts describe it as salty and sweet in taste， slightly warm in nature， and mildly toxic. Modern studies characterize it as bitter， pungent， and salty in taste， with a slightly warm nature. Its therapeutic effects remain consistent across eras， including descending Qi， resolving phlegm， promoting diuresis， and stopping vomiting. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Inulae Flos， either I. japonica or I. britannica should be used as the medicinal source. Processing methods should follow formula requirements， where no processing instructions are specified， the raw products may be used after cleaning.

Objective To investigate the species of sandflies and the prevalence of Leishmania infections in sandflies from selected areas of northern and northwestern China, so as to provide insights into identification of leishmaniasis vectors and assessment of epidemiological trends of leishmaniasis in China. Methods Sandfly samples were collected from Mentougou District of Beijing Municipality, Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province, Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County of Karamay District of Karamay City, Gaochang District of Turpan City in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from July 2023 to July 2024. Approximately 100 intact female sandfly samples were randomly selected from each site and the species of sandflies was identified according to morphological characteristics and molecular assays. Female sandflies originating from the same habitat were grouped into pools of 10 individuals. Leishmania infection was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) gene, and the prevalence of Leishmania infection was calculated in sandflies from different sampling sites using the minimum infection rate (MIR) method. In addition, positive amplicons were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Results A total of 6 155 sandflies were collected from different environments at sampling sites across the six aforementioned regions from July 2023 to July 2024. Phlebotomus chinensis (96.00%) was the dominant sandfly species in Mentougou District, Beijing Municipality, with a small proportion of Ph. sergenti (4.00%), and only Ph. chinensis was found in Xiangning County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province. Ph. wui was the only sandfly species detected in Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County, Kashgar City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Ph. caucasicus (97.70%) was the dominant sandfly species in Karamay District, Karamay City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a small proportion of Ph. wui (2.30%), while Ph. alexandri was the only species in Gaochang District, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. A total of 40, 60, 34, 18, 18, and 22 pools of sandfly samples were tested from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality, Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province, Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Payzawat County in Kashgar City, Karamay District in Karamay City, and Gaochang District in Turpan City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, respectively. L. infantum was detected in Ph. chinensis samples from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality, and Xiangning County of Linfen City in Shanxi Province, with MIR of 0.25% to 1.00%, and L. donovani was detected in Ph. wui from Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County in Kashgar City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with MIR of 0.56% to 0.88%; however, no Leishmania infection was detected in Ph. caucasicus from Karamay District in Karamay City or Ph. alexandri from Gaochang District in Turpan City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Leishmania ITS-1 gene sequences obtained from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality and Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province were clustered into the same clade with the reference sequences of L. infantum ITS-1 gene, while the Leishmania ITS-1 gene sequences obtained from Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Payzawat County in Kashgar City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were clustered into the same clade with the reference sequences of L. donovani ITS-1 gene. Conclusions There are variations in sandfly species in selected areas of northern and northwestern China, and variations in the species of Leishmania infecting sandflies. Improved surveillance of sandfly vectors and targeted control strategies with adaptations to geographical features and leishmaniasis vectors are recommended.

Radiotherapy is a crucial treatment modality for head and neck tumors. However, while effectively killing tumor cells, it significantly disrupts the homeostasis of the oral microecology, which is closely associated with various complications such as radiation-induced oral mucositis. Literature review indicates that as radiotherapy doses accumulate and treatment durations extend, the richness and diversity of the oral microbiota show a declining trend, with the genus Streptococcus decreasing most markedly. In contrast, radiotherapy selectively promotes the proliferation of bacterial phyla such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, which are rich in opportunistic pathogens. Mechanistically, radiotherapy activates the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway, triggering chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, damaging the epithelial barrier, suppressing local immunity, and causing damage to organs such as the salivary glands. It can also induce systemic diseases via the oral-gut axis, forming a multi-level, interconnected pathogenic network. In terms of interventions, treatment strategies including probiotics and prebiotics have shown promising efficacy against side effects such as radiation-induced oral mucositis. Saliva-based oral microbiota transplantation is an emerging strategy that is expected to become widely utilized for restoring oral microecological balance. Existing interventions provide preliminary pathways for clinical practice, but this field still faces several key scientific questions. The association between oral microecology and systemic diseases remains largely correlative, lacking causal evidence. Furthermore, critical parameters for oral microbiota transplantation, such as donor screening criteria, transplantation protocols, and long-term safety, are not yet well-defined. Therefore, future research should focus on conducting large-scale clinical trials to establish standardized protocols and safety evaluation systems for oral microecological interventions, and explore combined treatment therapies such as probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiota transplantation to advance the development of personalized precision modulation. These will enable more effective management of radiotherapy-induced oral microecological dysbiosis and improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients with head and neck tumors.

The Expert Consensus on Clinical Application of Qinbaohong Zhike Oral Liquid in Treatment of Acute Bronchitis and Acute Attack of Chronic Bronchitis （GS/CACM 337-2023） was released by the China Association of Chinese Medicine on December 13^th， 2023. This expert consensus was developed by experts in methodology， pharmacy， and Chinese medicine in strict accordance with the development requirements of the China Association of Chinese Medicine （CACM） and based on the latest medical evidence and the clinical medication experience of well-known experts in the fields of respiratory medicine （pulmonary diseases） and pediatrics. This expert consensus defines the application of Qinbaohong Zhike oral liquid in the treatment of cough and excessive sputum caused by phlegm-heat obstructing lung， acute bronchitis， and acute attack of chronic bronchitis from the aspects of applicable populations， efficacy evaluation， usage， dosage， drug combination， and safety. It is expected to guide the rational drug use in medical and health institutions， give full play to the unique value of Qinbaohong Zhike oral liquid， and vigorously promote the inheritance and innovation of Chinese patent medicines.

Arachidonic acid can be transformed into a variety of metabolites that trigger an inflammatory response through cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, cytochrome P450 enzymes, and other metabolic pathways. Moreover, it plays a key role in the occurrence and development of inflammatory diseases. In recent years, multi-target drugs based on the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway have become an important direction of anti-inflammatory drug research. This article summarizes the opportunities and challenges of arachidonic acid metabolic pathways as well as their interference in the development of anti-inflammatory drugs, reviews the research progress of multi-target drug design, synthesis, and anti-inflammatory activity based on the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway, and discusses the difficulties and prospects of multi-target drugs based on metabolic pathways in anti-inflammatory drug development, aiming to provide some reference and inspiration for the study of multi-target anti-inflammatory drugs based on the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a pathological state in which the cardiac ejection fraction is insufficient to meet an individual's metabolic needs owing to changes in the cardiac structure or function. Various etiologies such as myocardial infarction and inflammation are implicated, and the main symptoms are dyspnea, lower limb edema, fatigue, and discomfort during rest or exercise. CHF is the primary outcome of cardiovascular disease, and the increasing morbidity and mortality rates highlight the significant risks of this condition. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the pathogenesis of CHF is deficiency of heart qi and heart yang, which predominantly affects the heart, but may also impede the function of other zang-organs such as the spleen and kidney, and aggravate the symptoms of heart failure. With technological advancements and enhanced awareness of health conditions and disease prevention, China has promoted traditional medicine practices such as medicine and food homology (MFH), which has received increasing attention in recent years. This concept stipulates that certain medicines and foods have the same origin; ergo, these foods have medicinal properties, with many being used in the prevention and treatment of CHF. However, the efficacy and safety of MHF substances have yet to be determined, and there is no consensus regarding the development of disease prevention and treatment strategies. This article therefore reviews the current evidence for MFH in the prevention and treatment of CHF by summarizing the therapeutic potential of this practice and discussing treatment strategies and aims to improve the understanding of Chinese medicine and food homologous substances in the treatment of this condition, as well as highlight the current literature and avenues for future research.

Objective To investigate the effect of Saikosaponin A(SSA)on the differentiation,apoptosis and function of mouse bone marrow derived macrophages(BMDM)-derived M1/M2 macrophages,and to explore its molecular mechanism.Methods BMDM was induced to differentiate into M1/M2 macrophages in vitro,and SSA was added at the same time:CCK-8 assay was used to detect the viability of BMDM and M1/M2 macrophages.The morphology of M1/M2 macrophages was observed by inverted fluorescence microscopy.Flow cytometry(FCM)and ELISA were used to detect the levels of surface markers and cytokines in M1/M2 macrophages.Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(qPCR)was used to detect the mRNA levels of IL-6,TNF-α and arginase-1(Arg-1).FCM was used to detect the phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages to fluorescent microsphere particles.Immunofluorescence(IF)assay and Western blotting were used to detect the molecular mechanism of SSA regulating M1/M2 macrophages.Results No significant effect on viability of M1/M2 macrophages was observed at SSA concentration of 10.0 mg/L,and obvious inhibition was seen at a concentration of 15.0 mg/L(P<0.01).Treatment of 10.0 mg/L SSA induced obvious morphologic changes in M1/M2 macrophages,with M1 macrophages in irregular shape,a few having pseudopods,and some showing unclear boundaries;while some M2 macrophages presenting round or irregular(P<0.001)with unclear boundaries.SSA treatment also resulted in significantly decreased proportion of M1/M2 macrophages after BMDM differentiation(P<0.05),with reduced contents of IL-6 and TNF-α secreted by M1 macrophages and their mRNA levels(P<0.05),but increased secretion of Arg-1 and mRNA levels by M2 macrophages(P<0.05).SSA treatment also inhibited the phagocytosis ability of peritoneal macrophages to fluorescent microsphere particles(P<0.01)in a concentration-dependent manner.SSA decreased the phosphorylation of NF-kappaB(p-NF-κB)(P<0.01)and enhanced the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6(p-STAT6)in M2 macrophages(P<0.05).Conclusion SSA may affect the differentiation and function of M1/M2 macrophages by regulating NF-κB and STAT6 signaling pathways.

Objective To investigate the five-circuit and six-qi features at conception and at birth in the patients with endometrial cancer.Methods From June 2020 to August 2024,the information about the conception time and birth time of 1 099 patients with endometrial cancer admitted to Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences was collected from the electronic medical record system.The circuit-qi information at conception and at birth of the patients was statistically analyzed,and then the congenital endowment characteristics of the patients were explored.Results The results showed that most of the patients suffering endometrial cancer were born in winter,and the dominant qi at birth of the patients was predominated by taiyang cold-water,and the differences of the distribution of dominant qi at birth were statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the distribution of yearly circuit,guest qi,and sitian-zaiquan at birth,and in the distribution of seasons,yearly circuit,dominant qi,guest qi,and sitian-zaiquan at conception(P＞0.05),and only an obvious trend of differences was presented.Conclusion There is a certain correlation between the prevalence of endometrial cancer and the five-circuit and six-qi features at conception and at birth.The congenital endowment of patients with endometrial cancer is characterized by yang deficiency with predominant coldness,and the prevalence is related to jueyin wind wood.

Objective To investigate traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome characteristics associated with immunotherapy efficacy in cervical cancer using propensity score matching(PSM),aiming to identify the population benefiting from immunotherapy.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 253 cervical cancer patients,who received the treatment with programmed death receptor 1(PD-1)inhibitors at Guang'anmen Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from January 2020 to October 2024.Clinical data and TCM four-examination data were collected.After balancing the confounders via PSM(1∶1 matching)and with therapeutic efficacy as the dependent variable,multivariate logistic regression was performed to analyze the characteristics of TCM syndrome in the immunotherapy-response group and then a predictive model was constructed.Results(1)After matching with PSM,198 cases were included,99 cases in response group and 99 cases in non-response group.(2)Analysis of the distribution of TCM syndrome elements showed that the differences in the pathogenic syndrome elements of qi deficiency,qi stagnation,blood stasis,heat and phlegm between the two groups were statistically significant(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),while there were no statistically significant differences in the disease-location syndrome elements of uterus,kidneys,lungs,spleen,liver,and heart,as well as in the pathogenic syndrome elements of blood deficiency,yin deficiency,yang deficiency,cold,and dampness(P＞0.05).The main pathogenic syndrome elements in the response group were qi deficiency,blood deficiency and heat,while those in the non-response group were qi stagnation,heat and phlegm.(3)The results of univariate regression analysis showed that targeted therapy(P=0.040),programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1)expression level(P＜0.001),qi deficiency(P=0.009),blood deficiency(P＜0.001),yang deficiency(P＜0.001),yin deficiency(P＜0.001),qi stagnation(P=0.003),blood stasis(P＜0.001),cold(P＜0.001),cold(P＜0.001),heat(P＜0.001),phlegm(P＜0.001),and dampness(P＜0.001)were the factors associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors.(4)The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that previous targeted therapy(OR=0.36,95%CI:0.16-0.83)and pathogenic syndrome elements of qi stagnation(OR=0.23,95%CI:0.10-0.49),phlegm(OR=0.28,95%CI:0.13-0.61)were the risk factors of associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors,while PD-L1 expression level(OR=15.27,95%CI:2.60-89.63),and pathogenic syndrome element qi deficiency(OR=2.90,95%CI:1.42-5.89)were the protective factors associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in cervical cancer.(5)Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the ROC curve(AUC)of the predictive model for evaluating PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in cervical cancer was 0.78(95%CI:0.71-0.84),indicating certain predictive value.Conclusion PD-L1 expression level and TCM pathogenic syndrome elements such as qi deficiency,qi stagnation,and phlegm are the independent factors influencing PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in cervical cancer,providing insights for optimizing integrated TCM-western medicine treatment strategies.