ObjectiveTo decipher the mechanism by which Zuoguiwan （ZGW） treat hyperthyroidism in rats with kidney-Yin deficiency based on the dopamine receptor D4 （DRD4）/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） oxidase 4 （NOX4） signaling pathway. MethodsThe rat model of kidney-Yin deficiency was induced by unilateral intramuscular injection of dexamethasone （0.35 mg·kg^-1）. After successful modeling， the rats were randomized into model， methimazole （positive control， 5 mg·kg^-1）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.85， 3.70， 7.40 g·kg^-1， respectively） ZGW， and normal control groups. After 21 days of continuous gavage， the behavioral indexes and body weight changes of rats were evaluated. The pathological changes of the renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The serum levels of thyroid hormones ［triiodothyronine （T₃）， thyroxine （T₄）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）］， renal function indexes ［serum creatine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）］， energy metabolism markers ［cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） and cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）］， and oxidative stress-related factors ［superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and NADPH）］ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was employed to analyze the expression of DRD4， NOX4， mitochondrial respiratory chain complex proteins ［NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit S4 （NDUFS4） and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 4 （COX4）］， and inflammation-related protein ［tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）］ pathway in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed mental malaise， body weight decreases （P<0.01）， inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal tissue， a few residual parotid glands in the thyroid， elevations in serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA， and NADPH （P<0.01）， down-regulation in protein levels of TSH， SOD， and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulation in expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， ZGW increased the body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced the infiltration of renal interstitial inflammatory cells， restored the thyroid structure and follicle size， lowered the serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA and NADPH （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the expression of TSH， SOD and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， high-dose ZGW outperformed methimazole （P<0.05）. ConclusionBy activating DRD4， ZGW can inhibit the expression of NOX4 mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway， reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response， thereby ameliorating the pathological state of hyperthyroidism due to kidney-Yin deficiency. This study provides new molecular mechanism support for the clinical application of ZGW.

The theory of constitution in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has emerged as a new discipline in recent years. Constitution plays a vital role in the onset，progression，transformation，and prognosis of diseases. At present，some clinical scholars have adopted a novel diagnostic and treatment model of "constitution differentiation-disease identification-syndrome differentiation"，in which constitution is regarded as a core element throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic process. Constitution is closely associated with etiology，onset，pathogenesis，syndrome differentiation，and treatment. Against this background，the construction of animal models based on constitution holds far-reaching significance for advancing clinical research. This paper focuses on the construction and evaluation of rodent models with Qi-deficiency constitution，aiming to explore how to further induce Qi-deficiency syndromes and related disease states on the basis of Qi-deficiency constitution models，thereby developing an integrated animal model that embodies the trinity of "constitution-disease-syndrome". The establishment of this model not only provides a solid experimental foundation for the development of new therapies and drugs in TCM targeting specific constitutions，diseases，and syndromes，but also greatly promotes the modernization and scientific advancement of TCM theory. By comprehensively applying multidisciplinary technologies and methods，the study evaluates the model's validity，reliability，and practicality，with the aim of opening new avenues for future research in TCM and promoting the development of the field.

The theory of constitution in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has emerged as a new discipline in recent years. Constitution plays a vital role in the onset，progression，transformation，and prognosis of diseases. At present，some clinical scholars have adopted a novel diagnostic and treatment model of "constitution differentiation-disease identification-syndrome differentiation"，in which constitution is regarded as a core element throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic process. Constitution is closely associated with etiology，onset，pathogenesis，syndrome differentiation，and treatment. Against this background，the construction of animal models based on constitution holds far-reaching significance for advancing clinical research. This paper focuses on the construction and evaluation of rodent models with Qi-deficiency constitution，aiming to explore how to further induce Qi-deficiency syndromes and related disease states on the basis of Qi-deficiency constitution models，thereby developing an integrated animal model that embodies the trinity of "constitution-disease-syndrome". The establishment of this model not only provides a solid experimental foundation for the development of new therapies and drugs in TCM targeting specific constitutions，diseases，and syndromes，but also greatly promotes the modernization and scientific advancement of TCM theory. By comprehensively applying multidisciplinary technologies and methods，the study evaluates the model's validity，reliability，and practicality，with the aim of opening new avenues for future research in TCM and promoting the development of the field.

BACKGROUND:In the initial stage of growth plate injury inflammation,platelet-derived growth factor BB promotes the repair of growth plate injury by promoting mesenchymal progenitor cell infiltration,chondrogenesis,osteogenic response,and regulating bone remodeling. OBJECTIVE:To elucidate the action mechanism of platelet-derived growth factor BB after growth plate injury. METHODS:PubMed,VIP,WanFang,and CNKI databases were used as the literature sources.The search terms were"growth plate injury,bone bridge,platelet-derived growth factor BB,repair"in English and Chinese.Finally,66 articles were screened for this review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Growth plate injury experienced early inflammation,vascular reconstruction,fibroossification,structural remodeling and other pathological processes,accompanied by the crosstalk of chondrocytes,vascular endothelial cells,stem cells,osteoblasts,osteoclasts and other cells.Platelet-derived growth factor BB,as an important factor in the early inflammatory response of injury,regulates the injury repair process by mediating a variety of cellular inflammatory responses.Targeting the inflammatory stimulation mediated by platelet-derived growth factor BB may delay the bone bridge formation process by improving the functional activities of osteoclasts,osteoblasts,and chondrocytes,so as to achieve the injury repair of growth plate.Platelet-derived growth factor BB plays an important role in angiogenesis and bone repair tissue formation at the injured site of growth plate and intrachondral bone lengthening function of uninjured growth plate.Inhibition of the coupling effect between angiogenesis initiated by platelet-derived growth factor BB and intrachondral bone formation may achieve the repair of growth plate injury.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of total saponins of Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma （TSDN） in treating gouty arthritis （GA） by regulating cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2）-mediated M1 macrophage reprogramming by in vivo and in vitro experiments. MethodsIn vivo experiment： 24 male SD rats were randomly allocated into blank， model （GA）， TSDN， and celecoxib groups， with 6 rats in each group. After 7 days of administration， pathological changes in the ankle synovial tissue were observed via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to quantify the mRNA levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein （ASC）， Caspase-1， COX-2， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the synovial tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the serum levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， IL-1β， CD86， CD80， CD206， and arginase-1 （Arg-1）. In vitro experiment： The GA model was established by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） + MSU induction， and the inhibitor concentration was screened by the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. RAW264.7 cells were allocated into blank， model， TSDN， dexamethasone， COX-2 inhibitor （celecoxib）， and TSDN + COX-2 inhibitor groups. The levels of iNOS， IL-1β， CD86， CD80， CD206， and Arg-1 in the cell supernatant of each group were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3 inflammasome， COX-2， IL-1β， and TNF-α in each group were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blot， respectively. ResultsIn vivo experiment： compared with the model group， TSDN reduced the mRNA levels of NLRP3 inflammasome， COX-2， IL-1β， and TNF-α in the synovial tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ELISA results showed that TSDN lowered the serum levels of iNOS， IL-1β， CD86， and CD80 （P<0.01） while increasing the serum levels of CD206 and Arg-1 （P<0.01）. In vitro experiment： compared with the model group， TSDN and inhibitor down-regulated the mRNA levels of NLRP3 inflammasome， COX-2， IL-1β， and TNF-α and the protein levels of NLRP3 inflammasome， COX-2， cleaved IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. Compared with TSDN alone， TSDN + COX-2 inhibitor further reduced the mRNA and protein levels of the markers above （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， TSDN and COX-2 inhibitor decreased the levels of IL-1β， iNOS， CD80， and CD86 （P<0.01） and increased the levels of CD206 and Arg-1 （P<0.01） in cells. Compared with TSDN alone， TSDN + COX-2 inhibitor reduced IL-1β， iNOS， CD80， and CD86 levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） and elevated CD206 and Arg-1 levels （P<0.01） in cells. ConclusionTSDN can alleviate GA by downregulating COX-2-mediated M1 macrophage reprogramming and suppressing the inflammatory factors.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of total saponins of Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma （TSDN） in treating gouty arthritis （GA） by regulating cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2）-mediated M1 macrophage reprogramming by in vivo and in vitro experiments. MethodsIn vivo experiment： 24 male SD rats were randomly allocated into blank， model （GA）， TSDN， and celecoxib groups， with 6 rats in each group. After 7 days of administration， pathological changes in the ankle synovial tissue were observed via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to quantify the mRNA levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein （ASC）， Caspase-1， COX-2， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the synovial tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the serum levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， IL-1β， CD86， CD80， CD206， and arginase-1 （Arg-1）. In vitro experiment： The GA model was established by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） + MSU induction， and the inhibitor concentration was screened by the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. RAW264.7 cells were allocated into blank， model， TSDN， dexamethasone， COX-2 inhibitor （celecoxib）， and TSDN + COX-2 inhibitor groups. The levels of iNOS， IL-1β， CD86， CD80， CD206， and Arg-1 in the cell supernatant of each group were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3 inflammasome， COX-2， IL-1β， and TNF-α in each group were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blot， respectively. ResultsIn vivo experiment： compared with the model group， TSDN reduced the mRNA levels of NLRP3 inflammasome， COX-2， IL-1β， and TNF-α in the synovial tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ELISA results showed that TSDN lowered the serum levels of iNOS， IL-1β， CD86， and CD80 （P<0.01） while increasing the serum levels of CD206 and Arg-1 （P<0.01）. In vitro experiment： compared with the model group， TSDN and inhibitor down-regulated the mRNA levels of NLRP3 inflammasome， COX-2， IL-1β， and TNF-α and the protein levels of NLRP3 inflammasome， COX-2， cleaved IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. Compared with TSDN alone， TSDN + COX-2 inhibitor further reduced the mRNA and protein levels of the markers above （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， TSDN and COX-2 inhibitor decreased the levels of IL-1β， iNOS， CD80， and CD86 （P<0.01） and increased the levels of CD206 and Arg-1 （P<0.01） in cells. Compared with TSDN alone， TSDN + COX-2 inhibitor reduced IL-1β， iNOS， CD80， and CD86 levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） and elevated CD206 and Arg-1 levels （P<0.01） in cells. ConclusionTSDN can alleviate GA by downregulating COX-2-mediated M1 macrophage reprogramming and suppressing the inflammatory factors.

To systematically review randomized controlled trials （RCTs） of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） intervention in ulcerative colitis （UC）， and analyze the characteristics of these studies and their outcome indicators， thereby providing references for the design of future RCTs of TCM intervention in UC and offering evidence supporting the clinical application of TCM in UC. A computerized search was conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data， VIP， SinoMed， PubMed， Cochrane Library， EMbase， and Web of Science databases for RCTs of TCM intervention in UC published from January 2021 to August 2024. The risk of bias was assessed， and outcome indicators were qualitatively analyzed. A total of 555 RCTs were included， with a sample size of 44 853 participants. The largest sample size was 218 cases， and the smallest was 28 cases， with most studies focusing on 60-100 participants. Of the 386 RCTs that explicitly reported TCM syndrome types， the top three were large intestine dampness-heat syndrome （31.05%）， spleen and kidney yang deficiency syndrome （12.47%）， and spleen deficiency with dampness syndrome （9.17%）. The interventions， ranked by frequency of use， included internal Chinese medicine compounds/preparations （64.5%）， Chinese medicine compounds/preparations with retained enema （18.2%）， internal Chinese medicine compounds/preparations + external TCM treatment （5.95%）， and external TCM treatment alone （4.86%）. The treatment duration was mainly 4-8 weeks （64.86%）， with 61 studies （10.99%） reporting follow-up time. A total of 157 outcome indicators were used， with a frequency of 3 460 occurrences， classified into six domains： TCM syndromes and symptoms （346 occurrences， 10%）， symptoms/signs （541 occurrences， 15.64%）， physical and chemical examinations （2 119 occurrences， 61.24%）， quality of life （107 occurrences， 3.09%）， long-term prognosis （61 occurrences， 1.76%）， and safety events （284 occurrences， 8.21%）. The analysis reveals several limitations in the outcome indicators of TCM intervention in UC， including the lack of a basis for sample size calculation， non-standardized TCM syndrome classification， absence of trial design and registration， inadequate blinding and allocation concealment， adherence issues with interventions， imbalanced selection of surrogate and endpoint indicators， inconsistency in the timing of outcome measurements， design issues that require standardization， and ethical and safety concerns. It is recommended that future studies actively construct a set of core indicators for UC that include standardized TCM syndrome classification， clear efficacy evaluation indicators， key endpoint indicators， and reasonable measurement time points. Long-term prognostic impacts， comprehensive assessments of patients' quality of life， and consideration of economic benefits should be emphasized， providing a basis for the clinical practice of TCM in the treatment of UC.

To systematically review randomized controlled trials （RCTs） of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） intervention in ulcerative colitis （UC）， and analyze the characteristics of these studies and their outcome indicators， thereby providing references for the design of future RCTs of TCM intervention in UC and offering evidence supporting the clinical application of TCM in UC. A computerized search was conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data， VIP， SinoMed， PubMed， Cochrane Library， EMbase， and Web of Science databases for RCTs of TCM intervention in UC published from January 2021 to August 2024. The risk of bias was assessed， and outcome indicators were qualitatively analyzed. A total of 555 RCTs were included， with a sample size of 44 853 participants. The largest sample size was 218 cases， and the smallest was 28 cases， with most studies focusing on 60-100 participants. Of the 386 RCTs that explicitly reported TCM syndrome types， the top three were large intestine dampness-heat syndrome （31.05%）， spleen and kidney yang deficiency syndrome （12.47%）， and spleen deficiency with dampness syndrome （9.17%）. The interventions， ranked by frequency of use， included internal Chinese medicine compounds/preparations （64.5%）， Chinese medicine compounds/preparations with retained enema （18.2%）， internal Chinese medicine compounds/preparations + external TCM treatment （5.95%）， and external TCM treatment alone （4.86%）. The treatment duration was mainly 4-8 weeks （64.86%）， with 61 studies （10.99%） reporting follow-up time. A total of 157 outcome indicators were used， with a frequency of 3 460 occurrences， classified into six domains： TCM syndromes and symptoms （346 occurrences， 10%）， symptoms/signs （541 occurrences， 15.64%）， physical and chemical examinations （2 119 occurrences， 61.24%）， quality of life （107 occurrences， 3.09%）， long-term prognosis （61 occurrences， 1.76%）， and safety events （284 occurrences， 8.21%）. The analysis reveals several limitations in the outcome indicators of TCM intervention in UC， including the lack of a basis for sample size calculation， non-standardized TCM syndrome classification， absence of trial design and registration， inadequate blinding and allocation concealment， adherence issues with interventions， imbalanced selection of surrogate and endpoint indicators， inconsistency in the timing of outcome measurements， design issues that require standardization， and ethical and safety concerns. It is recommended that future studies actively construct a set of core indicators for UC that include standardized TCM syndrome classification， clear efficacy evaluation indicators， key endpoint indicators， and reasonable measurement time points. Long-term prognostic impacts， comprehensive assessments of patients' quality of life， and consideration of economic benefits should be emphasized， providing a basis for the clinical practice of TCM in the treatment of UC.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder with profound impact on patients’ quality of life and long-term health, and early detection and intervention are particularly critical. In recent years, the search for precise and reliable biomarkers has become one of the key strategies to effectively address the clinical challenges of PD. In this paper, we systematically evaluated potential biomarkers, including proteins, metabolites, epigenetic markers, and exosomes, in the peripheral blood of PD patients. Protein markers are one of the main directions of biomarker research in PD. In particular, α‑synuclein and its phosphorylated form play a key role in the pathological process of PD. It has been shown that aggregation of α-synuclein may be associated with pathologic protein deposition in PD and may be a potential marker for early diagnosis of PD. In terms of metabolites, uric acid, as a metabolite, plays an important role in oxidative stress and neuroprotection in PD. It has been found that changes in uric acid levels may be associated with the onset and progression of PD, showing its potential as an early diagnostic marker. Epigenetic markers, such as DNA methylation modifications and miRNAs, have also attracted much attention in Parkinson’s disease research. Changes in these markers may affect the expression of PD-related genes and have an important impact on the onset and progression of the disease, providing new research perspectives for the early diagnosis of PD. In addition, exosomes, as a potential biomarker carrier for PD, are able to carry a variety of biomolecules involved in intercellular communication and pathological regulation. Studies have shown that exosomes may play an important role in the pathogenesis of PD, and their detection in blood may provide a new breakthrough for early diagnosis. It has been shown that exosomes may play an important role in the pathogenesis of PD, and their detection in blood may provide new breakthroughs in early diagnosis. In summary, through in-depth evaluation of biomarkers in the peripheral blood of PD patients, this paper demonstrates the important potential of these markers in the early diagnosis of PD and in the study of pathological mechanisms. Future studies will continue to explore the clinical application value of these biomarkers to promote the early detection of PD and individualized treatment strategies.

ObjectiveTo study the changing law of appearance color and physicochemical properties of Angelicae Sinensis Radix Carbonisata（ASRC） during the processing by color space method combined with statistical analysis， so as to provide reference for determining the processing endpoint and evaluating the quality of the decoction pieces. MethodsTaking processing time（4， 8， 12， 16 min） and temperature（180， 200， 220， 240 ℃） as factors， ASRC decoction pieces with different processing degrees were prepared in a completely randomized design. Then， the brightness value（L^*）， red-green value（a^*）， yellow-blue value（b^*）， and total chromaticity value （E^*ab） of the decoction pieces were determined by spectrophotometer， the color difference value（ΔE） was calculated， and the data of colorimetric values were analyzed by discriminant analysis. At the same time， the pH， charcoal adsorption， and contents of tannins， 5-hydroxymethylfurfural（5-HMF）， tryptophan， chlorogenic acid， ferulic acid， senkyunolide I， senkyunolide H and ligustilide of ASRC with different processing degrees were determined by pH meter， ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography（UPLC）. Principal component analysis（PCA） was used to analyze the data of physicochemical indexes， after determining the processing technology of ASRC， the canonical discriminant function was established to distinguish the decoction pieces with different processing degrees， and leave-one-out cross validation was conducted. Finally， Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between various physicochemical indexes and chromaticity values. ResultsWith the prolongation of the processing time， L^*， a^*， b^* and E^*ab all showed a decreasing trend， and the established discriminant model based on color parameters was able to distinguish ASRC with different processing degrees. The pH showed an increasing trend with the prolongation of processing time， and the charcoal adsorption， and the contents of tannins， 5-HMF， and tryptophan all showed an increasing and then decreasing trend. Among them， the charcoal adsorption， contents of tannin and 5-HMF reached their maximum values successively after processing for 8-12 min. While the contents of chlorogenic acid， ferulic acid， senkyunolide I， senkyunolide H and ligustilide decreased with the increase of processing time， with a decrease of 60%-80% at 8 min of processing. Therefore， the optimal processing time should be determined to be 8-12 min. PCA could clearly distinguish ASRC with different processing degrees， while temperature had no significant effect on the processing degree. The 12 batches of process validation results（10 min， 180-240 ℃） showed that except for 3 batches identified as class Ⅱ light charcoal， all other batches were identified as class Ⅲ standard charcoal， and the chromaticity values of each batch of ASRC were within the reference range of class Ⅱ-Ⅲ sample chromaticity values. The correlation analysis showed that the chromaticity values were negatively correlated with pH and charcoal adsorption， and positively correlated with contents of tryptophan， chlorogenic acid， ferulic acid， senkyunolide I， senkyunolide H， and ligustilide. And both pH and charcoal adsorption were negatively correlated with the contents of the above components， but the charcoal adsorption was positively correlated with the content of 5-HMF. ConclusionThe chromaticity values and the contents of various physicochemical indicators of ASRC undergo significant changes with the prolongation of processing time， and there is a general correlation between chromaticity values and various physicochemical indicators. Based on the changes in color and physicochemical indicators， the optimal processing time for ASRC is determined to be 8-12 min. This study reveals the dynamic changes of the relevant indexes in the processing of ASRC， which can provide a reference for the discrimination of the processing degree and the quantitative study of the processing endpoint.