Depression is a common mental disorder that falls under the category of "stagnation syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Its complex pathogenesis poses challenges for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Currently， clinically used antidepressants are often accompanied by significant side effects， and statistics show that about one-third of patients do not respond to these medications. TCM demonstrates advantages in the treatment of depression through multi-target， multi-pathway and multi-mechanistic approaches. Pinelliae Rhizoma， a phlegm-resolving herb， exhibits effects such as drying dampness and resolving phlegm， as well as eliminating stuffiness and reducing masses. The characteristics of harmonizing Yin and Yang and resolving stagnation in the middle energizer align precisely with the pathogenesis of depression syndrome， demonstrating therapeutic efficacy in affected patients. Literature studies have found that the active ingredients of Pinelliae Rhizoma， such as cavidine， baicalein， β-sitosterol， as well as Pinelliae Rhizoma herb pairs， such as Pinelliae Rhizoma-Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex， Pinelliae Rhizoma-husked sorghum， Pinelliae Rhizoma-Prunellae Spica， exhibit significant antidepressant effects. Furthermore， TCM formulas containing Pinelliae Rhizoma as the principal therapeutic agent， such as Banxia Xiexin Tang， Banxia Houpo Tang， and Wendan Tang， as well as formulas incorporating Pinelliae Rhizoma like compound Xiaochaihu Tang， Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang， and Erchen Tang， have also demonstrated favorable antidepressant efficacy. The antidepressant mechanism of these agents may involve modulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） and dopamine （DA） levels， up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） expression， regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis， reduction of oxidative stress， modulation of nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway， and inhibition of microglia-mediated inflammatory responses. This review summarized the antidepressant mechanisms and clinical applications of the active components， herb pairs， and TCM formulas containing Pinelliae Rhizoma， aiming to provide a reference for modern research on the use of Pinelliae Rhizoma in antidepressant therapy.

Rheumatoid arthritis （RA） is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by symmetrical polyarthritis， which may lead to joint deformity and loss of joint function in the long term， severely impairing patients' quality of life. Danggui Niantongtang， originated from Medical Revelations by Zhang Yuansu in the Jin Dynasty， has the effects of clearing heat and draining dampness， dispelling wind and alleviating pain， and serves as a classic formula for treating RA damp-heat stagnation syndrome. By searching CNKI， Wanfang， PubMed and other databases， the author systematically reviewed the clinical efficacy and experimental research of Danggui Niantongtang in the treatment of RA， and elucidated its mechanisms of action， so as to provide a valuable reference for future clinical and basic research of Danggui Niantongtang in the field of RA. Clinical studies demonstrated that Danggui Niantongtang can improve core symptoms in RA patients with the damp-heat stagnation syndrome， including joint swelling and pain， morning stiffness and limited joint mobility， decrease inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein （CRP） and erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， and facilitate postoperative rehabilitation in RA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty （TKA）. When combined with Western medicines such as methotrexate， it can enhance the anti-inflammatory efficacy and mitigate adverse reactions， including gastrointestinal discomfort and hepatic injury. Experimental studies revealed that this formula can modulate the inflammatory cytokine network， promote synoviocyte apoptosis， inhibit abnormal synoviocyte autophagy， suppress synovial angiogenesis， and maintain intestinal flora homeostasis. However， several limitations exist in current research， such as insufficient clinical quality， unclear interaction between mechanisms and networks， and insufficient research on dosage form optimization. In the future， high-quality clinical research， multi-omics mechanistic studies， and dosage form improvement are needed to provide scientific basis for its clinical promotion and in-depth research.

This paper summarized professor ZHANG Lei's experience in the treatment of sjögren syndrome （SS） from the perspective of "same form and disease of dryness and dampness". It is believed that both dryness and dampness are involved as the pathological factors of SS. The important pathogenesis is that dryness and dampness are of the same form and coexist in the disease， that is， dryness and dampness can transform into each other with the same form or be concurrent in the disease. The same form of dryness and dampness includes the dryness syndrome caused by dampness and the dampness syndrome caused by dryness， which can be treated with modified Wuling Powder （五苓散） and modified Ejiao Jizihuang Decoction （阿胶鸡子黄汤）， respectively. The disease of both dryness and dampness includes lung dryness with spleen dampness， stomach dryness with spleen dampness， liver dryness with spleen dampness， and kidney dryness with spleen dampness syndrome， which can be treated with modified Ganlu Beverage and Weijing Decoction（甘露饮合苇茎汤）， self-made Jianpi Yangyin Formula （健脾养阴方） with modifications， self-made Guqing Decoction and Jupi Zhishu Pill （谷青汤合橘皮枳术丸） with modifications， and Shenqi Pill and Linggui Zhugan Decoction （肾气丸合苓桂术甘汤） with modifications， respectively.

Depression is a common mental disorder in clinical practice， and it falls under the category of depression syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. In TCM， Qi depression is considered as the root cause of all depression syndromes. Qi depression can lead to blood stasis， which is a key cause of diseases due to depression syndrome. Therefore， treating stasis is an important therapeutic approach for depression syndrome. Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， a representative herbal medicine for activating blood and removing stasis， is effective in activating blood， removing stasis， dredging meridians， and alleviating pain. Currently， it is primarily used in clinical practice to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases， such as neurasthenia， coronary heart disease， insomnia， and palpitations. The active components of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma are complex and exhibit a variety of pharmacological effects. These components include water-soluble salvianolic acids and lipid-soluble tanshinones. Modern pharmacological studies have proven that Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its active components possess antioxidant， anti-inflammatory， anti-tumor， anti-fibrosis， and neuroprotective properties. In recent years， increasing attention has been paid to the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its active components in treating depression. This paper systematically reviews the antidepressant mechanisms of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its main active components from the regulation of monoamine neurotransmitters， the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis， neurotrophic factors， and neuroinflammation. In addition， this paper summarizes the clinical applications of the prescriptions containing Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in the treatment of depression， providing new insights for further research on the pharmacological mechanisms of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in treating depression.

Abstract Ferroptosis , a novel , non-apoptotic form of cell death discovered in 2012 , has garnered significant at- tention. It is implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of various intestinal diseases , including colorectal canc- er, intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury , functional gastrointestinal disorders , and inflammatory bowel disease. These processes involve multiple pathological mechanisms such as inflammation , immune dysregulation , and intesti- nal epithelial dysfunction. By reviewing and summarizing recent literature on ferroptosis-related mechanisms in in- testinal diseases , this article explores the roles and effects of ferroptosis in different intestinal pathologies.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix on renal tissue injury and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway in rats with diabetic nephropathy （DN） and explore its possible mechanism of delaying DN. MethodThirty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group （6 rats） and a model group （30 rats）. The model group was fed with a high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with streptozotocin （STZ） to establish a rat model of type 2 diabetes. After the successful preparation of the model， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， low， medium， and high dose groups of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix （100， 200， 400 mg·kg^-1）， and metformin group （200 mg·kg^-1）. After administration， the levels of fasting blood glucose （FBG）， 24 h urine protein （24 h-UTP）， creatinine （SCr）， urea nitrogen （BUN）， and uric acid （UA） were detected. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes of renal tissue in rats. Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to detect the related protein expression of EGFR， PI3K， and Akt and their mRNA expression levels in the renal tissue of rats in each group. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the levels of FBG， SCr， BUN， UA， 24 h-UTP， and kidney index in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， most renal tubular epithelial cells were necrotic， and the content of collagen in glomeruli was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the above indexes of rats in each administration group were improved to varying degrees. The FBG， SCr， BUN， UA， 24 h-UTP， and kidney index of rats in each dose group and metformin group were significantly decreased （P<0.01， P<0.05）. The necrosis degree of renal tubular epithelial cells was reduced， and the fibrosis area was decreased （P<0.01）. There related protein and mRNA expressions of EGFR， PI3K， and Akt were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionCoptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix can alleviate renal tissue injury in rats with DN， and their mechanism may be related to the regulation of the EGFR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo decipher the mechanism of Wenxiao powder in alleviating corticosterone-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. MethodMale ICR mice were randomized into normal， model， paroxetine （20 mg·kg^-1）， and low- and high-dose （3.27， 6.54 g·kg^-1， respectively） Wenxiao powder groups. The mice in normal and model groups received equal volume of saline. Other groups except the normal group were injected with corticosterone subcutaneously 0.5 h after gavage to induce depression. Mice were tested for depression-like behaviors after drug administration. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was performed to measure the corticosterone content in the serum. Nissl staining was performed to observe the damage of hippocampal neurons. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to observe the expression of double cortin （DCX） in the dentate gyrus （DG） of the hippocampus. Western blot was employed to determine the expression of proteins in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）/tyrosine kinase receptor B （TrkB）/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）/cAMP-response element-binding protein （CREB） pathway in the hippocampus. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased sucrose preference rate， increased immobility time in the tail suspension test （P<0.01）， and reduced residence time in the central area of the open field and the total movement distance （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， the modeling elevated the corticosterone level in the serum （P<0.01）， decreased the volume and intensified the nuclear staining of hippocampal neurons in the DG area， reduced the expression of DCX in the DG area， and down-regulated the protein levels of BDNF， phosphorylated （p）-TrkB， p-ERK， and p-CREB in the hippocampus （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， low-dose Wenxiao powder improved the mouse behavivors in the sucrose preference， open field， and tail suspension tests （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and high-dose Wenxiao powder improved the behaviors in the sucrose preference and open field tests （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， Wenxiao powder lowered the serum corticosterone level （P<0.01） and recovered the structure and morphology of neurons with obvious nuclei and presence of Nissl bodies in the DG area of the hippocampus. Moreover， Wenxiao powder at both doses promoted the expression of DCX in the DG area， and high-dose Wenxiao powder up-regulated the protein levels of BDNF， p-TrkB， p-ERK， and p-CREB in the hippocampus （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionWenxiao powder can alleviate corticosterone-induced depression-like behaviors and promote neurogenesis in mice possibly by activating the BDNF/TrkB/ERK/CREB signaling pathway.

Bile acids not only play an important physiological role in regulating lipid metabolism,but also par-ticipate in the regulation of central nervous system.Numerous studies indicated that abnormal bile acid metabolism is closely related to depression,but the exact mechanism remains unclear.This study summarized the relationship between bile acid metabolism and depression and aimed to provide a new perspective for the study and treatment of depression.

OBJECTIVE To identify and classify the chemical components and components absorbed into blood of Sishen Pills u-sing ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry.METHODS SD rats were divided into blank group and drug administration group.The rats in drug administration group were given water extract of Sishen Pills formula intragastrically,and blank and drug-containing plasma were collected respectively.A Hypersil GOLD VANQUISH column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.9 μm)was used,with 0.1%formic acid water acetonitrile as the mobile phase,gradient elution,volume flow rate of 0.3 mL·min-1,and column temperature of 35℃.Electrospray ion source(ESI)with positive and negative ion scanning mode was used for chromatographic separation and mass spectrometry data acquisition.The chemical components of Sishen Pills were identi-fied by comparing the exact molecular mass,fragment ion information and relative retention time with the map of reference substance,matching with the self-established database and combining with literature reports.On this basis,the components absorbed into blood of Sishen Pills were analyzed by comparing the blank plasma and drug-containing plasma.RESULTS A total of 181 chemical compo-nents were identified from Sishen Pills,mainly including flavonoids,alkaloids,lignans and other components.A total of 49 prototype blood components were identified from the plasma samples,mainly including flavonoids,alkaloids and other components.CONCLU-SION A variety of chemical components in Sishen Pills and drug-containing plasma are comprehensively,accurately and quickly i-dentified,and all of them are assigned to the various medicinal materials in the prescription.This study provides reference for the qual-ity control,basic research on medicinal effect materials and clinical application of Sishen Pills.

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by persistent low mood and belongs to the category of "stagnation syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with the characteristics of high prevalence， high disability rate， high suicide rate， and high recurrence rate. The pathogenesis of depression is extremely complex and involves factors such as genetics， psychology， and social environment. Currently， clinical antidepressant drugs such as tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants， and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors， have slow onset of action and significant adverse effects with long-term application. Furthermore， clinical statistics show that about one-third of patients do not respond to these types of medications. Enhancing the effectiveness of depression treatment has become a major challenge in the medical field. TCM， based on the holistic view and treatment based on syndrome differentiation， has unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of depression， including stable therapeutic effects， low recurrence rate， minimal side effects， and good patient compliance. As one of the heat-clearing drugs， Gardeniae Fructus has the effects of clearing heat， purging fire， cooling blood， and relieving restlessness， which makes it effective in treating patients with "stagnation syndrome". Literature studies have found that active components of Gardeniae Fructus， such as geniposide， genipin， and crocin， as well as drug pairs such as Gardeniae Fructus-Chuanxiong Rhizoma， Gardeniae Fructus-Acanthopanacis Senticosi Radix et Rhizoma Seu Caulis， and Gardeniae Fructus-Lycii Fructus， and prescriptions such as Zhizichi Tang， Yuejuwan， Zhizi Houpotang， Danzhi Xiaoyaosan， and Jieyu Anshen Granules， have shown significant antidepressant effects. The mechanism of action may be related to regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis， modulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin （5-HT） and dopamine （DA）， increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in the hippocampus， enhancing neurogenesis in the hippocampus， and regulating the nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） signaling pathway to inhibit neuroinflammation. This article summarized the research progress on the active components of Gardeniae Fructus， drug pairs， and Chinse medicinal prescriptions containing Gardeniae Fructus， providing references for further promoting the clinical application of Gardeniae Fructus and its prescriptions in the treatment of depression.