1.Comparison of Efficacy and Mechanism in Warming Yang and Dispersing Cold of Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata Processed by ZHANG Zhongjing's Method and Pharmacopoeia Method
Mingjie JIAO ; Qian CHEN ; Shuyu YAN ; Yiyan SONG ; Jia ZHANG ; Fei LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):207-217
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of decoctions from four kinds of processed products of Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata(ARLP) in deficiency-cold syndrome. MethodsA total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into the control group, model group, Shengfupian(SFP) group, Paofuzi(PFZ) group, Heishunpian(HSP) group and Paofupian(PFP) group with 6 rats in each group. Except for the control group, rats in other groups were administered hydrocortisone sodium succinate via intramuscular injection to induce a cold deficiency syndrome model. After 14 consecutive days, each ARLP decoction pieces was administered via continuous gastric lavage at a dose of 12 g·kg-1·d-1 for 7 d, while the control and model groups received an equivalent volume of physiological saline. After the end of administration, body weight, spleen weight and thymus weight were measured for calculating the spleen and thymus indexes. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of adrenal tissue. The fully automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to measure the total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) and lactate(LAC) levels in serum. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the contents of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid(17-OHCS), cortisol(CORT), triiodothyronine(T3), thyroxine(T4), thyrotropin(TSH), immunoglobulin(Ig) M, IgG, cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP). Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of protein kinase A(PKA), cAMP response element-binding protein(CREB), silent information regulator 1(Sirt1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α(PGC-1α). And high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to determine the content of major alkaloids, followed by Pearson correlation analysis with pharmacodynamic indicators. ResultsAfter modeling, compare with the control group, the model rats exhibited symptoms such as lethargy and loose stools, mild abnormalities were observed in adrenal tissue structure, and both spleen and thymus indices were significantly reduced(P<0.01). Thyroid, adrenal and immune system functions were suppressed, with decreased serum cAMP level and significantly elevated cGMP level(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the adrenal injury by hydrocortisone sodium succinate were repaired and the spleen index were increased significantly in all four ARLP groups(P<0.05, P<0.01). The thymus index in SFP and PFZ groups were increased significantly(P<0.05). The contents of T3, TSH, 17-OHCS and CORT were increased significantly in SFP and PFZ groups(P<0.05). In addition, the content of IgG in SFP, PFZ and PFP groups were increased significantly(P<0.01), while the content of IgM in PFZ and HSP groups were also increased significantly(P<0.05). Regarding the cyclic nucleotide system, PFZ significantly elevated cAMP level while reducing cGMP level(P<0.05), exhibiting the most pronounced effect among the four decoction pieces. For energy metabolism indicators, PFZ significantly improved abnormal markers including TC, TG, LDH, and LAC(P<0.05). HSP showed marked improvement effects on TG, LDH, and LAC(P<0.05). Both PFZ and SFP significantly elevated the expression levels of PKA, CREB, Sirt1, and PGC-1α proteins(P<0.01). Additionally, the diester alkaloids in ARLP showed a strong positive correlation with TG, IgG, and CORT, a strong negative correlation with LAC, a moderate positive correlation with T4, and moderate negative correlations with cAMP and spleen index. Monomeric alkaloids showed strong positive correlations with TG and IgG, strong negative correlations with LAC, moderate positive correlations with CORT and T4, and moderate negative correlations with cAMP and spleen index. However, the content of water-soluble alkaloids showed strong positive correlations with TC, LDH, 17-OHCS, T3, TSH, and thymus index, moderate positive correlations with cAMP, CORT, T4, and spleen index, and moderate negative correlation with cGMP. ConclusionAmong different processed ARLP decoction pieces, PFZ processed according to ZHANG Zhongjing's method exhibits the most potent warming and cold-dispelling effects. Its pharmacological actions are mediated through regulating the thyroid, adrenal, immune, cyclic nucleotide systems, and material-energy metabolism pathways. Among these, water-soluble alkaloids show strong or moderate correlations with more indicators of deficiency-cold syndrome and exhibit the highest content in PFZ. Therefore, PFZ processed according to ZHANG Zhongjing's method may exert its warming and cold-dispelling effects through water-soluble alkaloids.
2.Current Status and Strategies of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in the Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection
Xuezhi ZHANG ; Xia DING ; Zhen LIU ; Hui YE ; Xiaofen JIA ; Hong CHENG ; Zhenyu WU ; Xudong TANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(1):111-116
This paper systematically reviews the current status of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, as well as recent progress in clinical and basic research both in China and internationally. It summarizes the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Hp infection management, including improving Hp eradication rates, enhancing antibiotic sensitivity, reducing antimicrobial resistance, decreasing drug-related adverse effects, and ameliorating gastric mucosal lesions. These advantages are particularly evident in patients who are intolerant to bismuth-containing regimens, those with refractory Hp infection, and individuals with precancerous gastric lesions. An integrated, whole-process management approach and individualized, staged comprehensive treatment strategies combining TCM and western medicine are proposed for Hp infection. Future prevention and control of Hp infection should adopt an integrative Chinese-western medical strategy, emphasizing prevention, strengthening primary care, implementing proactive long-term monitoring, optimizing screening strategies, and advancing the development of novel technologies and mechanistic studies of Chinese herbal interventions. These efforts aim to provide a theoretical basis and practical pathways for the establishment and improvement of Hp infection prevention and control systems.
3.Multicenter machine learning-based construction of a model for predicting potential organ donors and validation with decision curve analysis
Xu WANG ; Wenxiu LI ; Fenghua WANG ; Shuli WU ; Dong JIA ; Xin GE ; Zhihua SHAN ; Tongzuo LI
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):106-115
Objective To evaluate the predictive value of different machine learning models constructed in a multicenter environment for potential organ donors and verify their clinical application feasibility. Methods The study included 2 000 inpatients admitted to five domestic tertiary hospitals from January 2020 to December 2023, who met the criteria for potential organ donation assessment. They were randomly divided into a training set and an internal validation set (7∶3). Another 300 similar patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2024 to April 2025 were included as an external validation set. The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and F1-score of three models were compared, and the consistency of the potential organ donor determination process was tested. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictive factors of potential organ donors. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was employed to verify the resource efficiency of each model, and the threshold interval and intervention balance point were assessed. Results Apart from age, there were no significant differences in other basic characteristics among the centers (all P>0.05). The consistency of the potential organ donor determination process among researchers in each center was good [all 95% confidence interval (CI) lower limits >0]. In the internal validation set, the XGBoost model had the best predictive performance (AUC=0.92, 95% CI 0.89-0.94) and the best calibration (P=0.441, Brier score 0.099). In the external validation set, the XGBoost model also had the best predictive performance (AUC=0.91, 95% CI 0.88-0.94), outperforming logistic regression and random forest models. Multivariate logistic regression showed that mechanical ventilation had the greatest impact (odds ratio=2.06, 95% CI 1.54-2.76, P<0.001). DCA indicated that the XGBoost model had the highest net benefit in the threshold interval of 0.2-0.6. The “treat all” strategy only had a slight advantage at extremely low thresholds. The recommended threshold interval, which balances intervention costs and clinical benefits, considers ≥50% positive predictive value (PPV) and ≤50 referrals per 100 high-risk patients. Conclusions The XGBoost model established in a multicenter environment is accurate and well-calibrated in predicting potential organ donors. Combined with DCA, it may effectively guide the timing of clinical interventions and resource allocation, providing new ideas for the assessment and management of organ donation after brain death.
4.Cost-utility analysis of rezivertinib versus gefitinib as first-line treatment for EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Xiaowei ZHU ; Tongming ZHU ; Jia YI ; Wenqiang LI ; Piaopiao LU ; Aizong SHEN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(1):55-60
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rezivertinib versus gefitinib as first-line treatment for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. METHODS A Markov model was constructed based on the REZOR trial data, with a cycle length of 3 weeks and a study duration of 5 years. Both costs and health outcomes were discounted at an annual rate of 5%. A cost-utility analysis was conducted using 3 times China’s 2024 per capita gross domestic product as the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold. The economic differences between the rezivertinib regimen versus the gefitinib regimen were evaluated using the incremental cost- effectiveness ratio (ICER) and incremental net monetary benefit (INMB). Sensitivity and scenario analyses were performed to verify the robustness of the model. RESULTS Compared to the gefitinib regimen, the rezivertinib regimen saved 225 310.47 yuan and gained an additional 0.57 quality- adjusted life years (QALYs), resulting in an ICER of -395 562.80 yuan/QALY, which was much lower than the WTP threshold of this study, indicating that rezivertinib had an absolute economic advantage. The INMB analysis (389 041.26 yuan) further validated this conclusion. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the model. Scenario analysis, incorporating a 15% reduction in drug prices and adjustments to the utility values for progression free survival and progression disease, yielded consistent results with the base case analysis. CONCLUSIONS Compared to gefitinib, rezivertinib as a first-line treatment for EGFR mutation-positive advanced NSCLC has an absolute economic advantage.
5.Rapid health technology assessment of deucravacitinib in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis
Xing GAO ; Shujing KONG ; Tianya LIU ; Xinran QIU ; Jia HAN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(1):111-116
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of deucravacitinib in the treatment of moderate- to-severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS Rapid health technology assessment (HTA) reports, systematic reviews (SR)/meta- analyses, and pharmacoeconomic studies on deucravacitinib for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang data and official HTA websites. The search time frame spanned from database inception to July 2025. After literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment, the study results were subjected to descriptive analysis and synthesis. RESULTS A total of 14 articles were finally included, consisting of 1 HTA report, 10 SR/meta-analyses, and 3 pharmacoeconomic studies. Regarding efficacy, deucravacitinib demonstrated superior efficacy to both placebo and apremilast, with significantly higher response rates for Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 50/75/90/100, Static Physician’ s Global Assessment 0/1, and Dermatology Life Quality Index 0/1, as well as greater reduction in Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary Score (P<0.05). Regarding safety, deucravacitinib was well-tolerated. Although the overall incidence of adverse events (AEs) was higher than placebo, it was not significantly different from apremilast. Moreover, the incidence of serious AEs and the rate of discontinuation due to AEs did not differ significantly from placebo (P>0.05). Regarding cost-effectiveness, deucravacitinib proved to be more cost-effective than apremilast across multiple healthcare system perspectives, including those of the United States, Japan, and China. CONCLUSIONS Deucravacitinib exhibits favorable efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Additional real-world studies are warranted to further refine its evaluation.
6.Research progress on the association between food environment and obesity
JIA Menghan ; CHEN Pei ; LI Xin ; SUN Ling
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(1):43-47
Obesity is a multi-factorial disease involving genetics, individual behavior, socio-economic status, and environmental factors, and has become a global public health issue. The food environment, as an external factor amenable to direct intervention, affects the development of obesity by shaping individual food acquisition and consumption behaviors. The food environment refers to the physical and social environment where food is accessible, and can be assessed from dimensions such as availability, accessibility, and affordability through geographic information system spatial analysis, field surveys, commercial databases, and questionnaires. Studies indicate that the food environment can influence obesity through the spatial shaping effects of dietary structure and sociobehavioral pathways. A healthy food environment is negatively correlated with the risk of obesity, whereas an unhealthy food environment is positively correlated with the risk of obesity. This paper reviews studies related to the correlation between the food environment and obesity, covering the prevalence of obesity, the definition and assessment methods of the food environment, and the mechanisms by which the food environment affects obesity. It summarizes food environment intervention strategies centered on urban planning, policies and regulations, and community education to provide a reference for obesity prevention and control.
7.Treatment Principles and Paradigm of Diabetic Microvascular Complications Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine
Anzhu WANG ; Xing HANG ; Lili ZHANG ; Xiaorong ZHU ; Dantao PENG ; Ying FAN ; Min ZHANG ; Wenliang LYU ; Guoliang ZHANG ; Xiai WU ; Jia MI ; Jiaxing TIAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Han WANG ; Yuan XU ; .LI PINGPING ; Zhenyu WANG ; Ying ZHANG ; Dongmei SUN ; Yi HE ; Mei MO ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Linhua ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):272-279
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.
8.Characterization of Animal Models of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Hypertension Based on Clinical Symptoms in Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Ziyi WANG ; Xingyu FAN ; Yuzhi JIA ; Qingyong HE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):230-236
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension are common and frequent chronic non-communicable diseases, which often coexist in clinical practice, resulting in a large number of cardiovascular events and deaths, and their case fatality rate far exceeds that of other factors such as dyslipidemia and obesity. Based on the diagnostic standards, guidelines, and animal model evaluation methods of T2DM with hypertension at home and abroad, this study summarized, evaluated, and analyzed the characteristics of the existing animal models of T2DM with hypertension based on the clinical symptoms in traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The animal models showing high fitting degrees with the clinical symptoms in Western medicine are mainly established by injection of streptozocin (STZ) in SHR rats in the surgical induction and chemical induction methods and feeding a high-fat and high-salt diet combined with STZ injection in SD rats in the dietary induction methods. The models showcasing high fitting degrees with the clinical symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are mainly established by the surgical induction method. Considering the fitting degrees and the advantages and disadvantages, the ideal modeling method for T2DM with hypertension is the two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) method (a surgical induction method) combined with feeding a high-fat and high-sugar diet and STZ injection. However, the available models lack the characteristics of TCM and the evaluation indicators have poor specificity. This study found that there are few animal models of T2DM with hypertension considering the characteristics of both disease and syndrome, which may be related to the identification and attribution of TCM syndromes in animal macroscopic information. In view of this problem, it is suggested that the evaluation criteria should be established and improved for the animal models combining disease and syndrome, which can help to evaluate the fitting degree of the pathological characteristics of different syndromes in the animal models of T2DM with hypertension. In this way, ideal animal models of T2DM with hypertension can be established to simulate the disease occurrence and development in the human body. The animal models are expected to provide an ideal approach for the further research on the pathogenesis of T2DM and its prevention and treatment with TCM, which is of great significance for the treatment and prevention of T2DM with hypertension and the prognosis of its complications. At the same time, breakthroughs in the basic syndrome models of comorbidities are expected to lay a foundation for the leapfrog development of TCM research.
9.Application of Huangkui Capsules in Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Review
Jia LUO ; Beile JIANG ; Qiuxiang HE ; Shilong LU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):314-324
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a kidney disease caused by hyperglycemia,which is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes. Due to the high incidence of diabetes,the incidence of DKD has also increased year by year,and DKD has become a global public health problem. The pathogenesis of DKD is related to mechanisms such as oxidative stress,inflammation,renal fibrosis,and decreased mitophagy activity,which are developed under a variety of complex mechanisms. In traditional Chinese medicine,it is believed that the incidence of DKD is closely related to damp heat. Therefore,it is necessary to grasp the treatment method of clearing heat and removing dampness in clinical medication. Huangkui Capsules (HKC) have the effect of clearing damp heat,detoxifying, and detumescence. Because of its unique curative effect on DKD,HKC is often used in the treatment of DKD. HKC plays a role in the treatment of DKD with a variety of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes. In many laboratory studies,it has been found that the specific mechanisms of HKC in the treatment of DKD include increasing mitophagy,reducing mitochondrial damage,reducing renal fibrosis,controlling inflammatory response,and inhibiting oxidative stress,which can achieve the purpose of reducing renal damage and promoting renal function. Some clinical studies have also verified that the application of HKC alone can exert renal protective function through anti-inflammatory,anti-oxidative stress,anti-renal fibrosis effects,as well as reduction of urinary protein. Since DKD is not a single injury of renal function,it is often accompanied by problems in blood pressure,blood lipids,blood circulation,body immunity, and other aspects. Therefore,the combination of HKC with other drugs can often achieve more comprehensive results,improve the advantages of various drugs,and improve the therapeutic effect. The combination of drugs such as antihypertensive,lipid-lowering, vascular circulation improvement,immunity inhibition,and anti-oxidative stress with HKC has achieved good results. In addition,HKC is often used in combination with other Chinese patent medicines in clinics. The application of HKC in the treatment of DKD has made some progress,but there are still many places worthy of further study,and the research on the mechanism of HKC is not comprehensive enough. The research on its long-term effect and safety in clinical application is relatively lacking,and the drug variety is relatively single when combined with certain drugs. These problems deserve further attention. Finally,it is necessary to pay attention to the promotion and application of HKC in clinical practice so that HKC can be better applied in clinical practice and better solve practical problems for patients.
10.Characterization of Animal Models of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Hypertension Based on Clinical Symptoms in Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Ziyi WANG ; Xingyu FAN ; Yuzhi JIA ; Qingyong HE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):230-236
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension are common and frequent chronic non-communicable diseases, which often coexist in clinical practice, resulting in a large number of cardiovascular events and deaths, and their case fatality rate far exceeds that of other factors such as dyslipidemia and obesity. Based on the diagnostic standards, guidelines, and animal model evaluation methods of T2DM with hypertension at home and abroad, this study summarized, evaluated, and analyzed the characteristics of the existing animal models of T2DM with hypertension based on the clinical symptoms in traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The animal models showing high fitting degrees with the clinical symptoms in Western medicine are mainly established by injection of streptozocin (STZ) in SHR rats in the surgical induction and chemical induction methods and feeding a high-fat and high-salt diet combined with STZ injection in SD rats in the dietary induction methods. The models showcasing high fitting degrees with the clinical symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are mainly established by the surgical induction method. Considering the fitting degrees and the advantages and disadvantages, the ideal modeling method for T2DM with hypertension is the two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) method (a surgical induction method) combined with feeding a high-fat and high-sugar diet and STZ injection. However, the available models lack the characteristics of TCM and the evaluation indicators have poor specificity. This study found that there are few animal models of T2DM with hypertension considering the characteristics of both disease and syndrome, which may be related to the identification and attribution of TCM syndromes in animal macroscopic information. In view of this problem, it is suggested that the evaluation criteria should be established and improved for the animal models combining disease and syndrome, which can help to evaluate the fitting degree of the pathological characteristics of different syndromes in the animal models of T2DM with hypertension. In this way, ideal animal models of T2DM with hypertension can be established to simulate the disease occurrence and development in the human body. The animal models are expected to provide an ideal approach for the further research on the pathogenesis of T2DM and its prevention and treatment with TCM, which is of great significance for the treatment and prevention of T2DM with hypertension and the prognosis of its complications. At the same time, breakthroughs in the basic syndrome models of comorbidities are expected to lay a foundation for the leapfrog development of TCM research.


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