1.Exploring Effect of Buchong Tiaojing Prescription on Ferroptosis in Ovarian Tissue of Rat Model of Diminished Ovarian Reserve and Its Mechanism from Perspective of NLRP3 Inflammasome
Yixuan WANG ; Zuang LI ; Yunling ZHENG ; Yucheng LI ; Songping LUO ; Ling ZHU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):40-48
ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic mechanism of Buchong Tiaojing prescription for rats with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) from the perspectives of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and ferroptosis. MethodsA total of 48 female SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, low, medium, and high dose groups of Buchong Tiaojing prescription, and an MCC950 group, with eight rats in each group. Except the normal group, all the other groups were injected subcutaneously on the back of the neck with D-galactose to prepare the DOR rat model. From the 15th day of modeling, the rats in the low, medium, and high dose groups of Buchong Tiaojing prescription were subjected to gavage daily at doses of 14.4, 28.8, 57.6 g·kg-1, respectively. Rats in the MCC950 group were injected intraperitoneally with MCC950 at a dose of 10 mg·kg-1, once every other day. The interventions of all the groups lasted for 4 weeks. The estrous cycle of the rats was observed with vaginal exfoliated cell smear. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe the development of follicles and corpus luteum in the ovary. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the levels of serum sex hormones and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot assay were performed to detect the mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3 inflammasome, acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and oxidative stress kits were used to detect ovarian superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. ResultsDuring the experiment, one rat died in the high dose group of Buchong Tiaojing prescription, and a total of 47 rats were finally included in the index tests and statistics. Compared with those in the normal group, rats in the model group had significantly disturbed estrous cycles, increased number of atretic follicles, and significant disorder of serum sex hormones. The mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3 inflammasome, ACSL4, and TFR1 in ovarian tissue was up-regulated (P<0.01), while that of GPX4 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.01). The SOD content in the ovary was decreased significantly, while the MDA level was increased (P<0.01). After drug intervention, the estrous cycle of rats was basically resumed, and the follicles at all levels were more structurally intact and significantly increased in number. Additionally, the levels of serum sex hormones and IL-1β were significantly improved. The mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3 inflammasome, ACSL4, and TFR1 were down-regulated, while that of GPX4 was significantly up-regulated, and the ovarian oxidative stress was alleviated (P<0.05, P<0.01), especially in the high dose group of Buchong Tiaojing prescription and the MCC950 group. ConclusionInflammatory injury and ferroptosis occur in the ovaries of DOR rats, and the Buchong Tiaojing prescription is able to inhibit ovarian NLRP3 inflammasome, alleviate the degree of ovarian ferroptosis, and improve ovarian reserve.
2.Mechanism of in Vitro and in vivo Models of Osteoporosis Regulation by Active Ingredients of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Ming YANG ; Jinji WANG ; Xuefeng ZHUANG ; Xiaolei FANG ; Zhijie ZHU ; Huiwei BAO ; Lijing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):281-289
Osteoporosis is a common bone disease, whose incidence is still on the rise, posing great challenges to patients and society. This review mainly studies the pathogenesis of osteoporosis from the aspects of oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and glucolipotoxicity-induced injury and clarifies the efficacy and mechanism of some active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine against osteoporosis through the integration of in vitro and in vivo experiments. The experimental results suggest that some active ingredients can improve bone resorption markers and maintain bone homeostasis by modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, etc. These active ingredients regulate osteoporosis through the receptor activator of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL) pathway, osteoprotegerin (OPG) pathway, Wnt/β-catenin pathway, NF-κB pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and oxidative stress pathway. This review provides ideas for the progress of the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis with the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, aiming to provide new potential lead compounds and reference for the development of innovative drugs and clinical therapy for the treatment of osteoporosis.
3.Optimization of simmering technology of Rheum palmatum from Menghe Medical School and the changes of chemical components after processing
Jianglin XUE ; Yuxin LIU ; Pei ZHONG ; Chanming LIU ; Tulin LU ; Lin LI ; Xiaojing YAN ; Yueqin ZHU ; Feng HUA ; Wei HUANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(1):44-50
OBJECTIVE To optimize the simmering technology of Rheum palmatum from Menghe Medical School and compare the difference of chemical components before and after processing. METHODS Using appearance score, the contents of gallic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), sennoside A+sennoside B, combined anthraquinone and free anthraquinone as indexes, analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-entropy weight method was used to calculate the comprehensive score of evaluation indicators; the orthogonal experiment was designed to optimize the processing technology of simmering R. palmatum with fire temperature, simmering time, paper layer number and paper wrapping time as factors; validation test was conducted. The changes in the contents of five anthraquinones (aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, physcion), five anthraquinone glycosides (barbaloin, rheinoside, rhubarb glycoside, emodin glycoside, and emodin methyl ether glycoside), two sennosides (sennoside A, sennoside B), gallic acid and 5-HMF were compared between simmered R. palmatum prepared by optimized technology and R. palmatum. RESULTS The optimal processing conditions of R. palmatum was as follows: each 80 g R. palmatum was wrapped with a layer of wet paper for 0.5 h, simmered on high heat for 20 min and then simmered at 140 ℃, the total simmering time was 2.5 h. The average comprehensive score of 3 validation tests was 94.10 (RSD<1.0%). After simmering, the contents of five anthraquinones and two sennosides were decreased significantly, while those of 5 free anthraquinones and gallic acid were increased to different extents; a new component 5-HMF was formed. CONCLUSIONS This study successfully optimizes the simmering technology of R. palmatum. There is a significant difference in the chemical components before and after processing, which can explain that simmering technology slows down the relase of R. palmatum and beneficiate it.
4.Prevalence and influencing factors of school bullying experienced by primary and middle school students
ZHU Yunjiao ; GU Fang ; MENG Jia ; LI Juanjuan ; SHEN Yu ; GAO Lei
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(1):1-6
Objective:
To investigate the situation and influencing factors of school bullying experienced by primary and middle school students, so as to provide the basis for formulating school bullying intervention measures and promoting students' physical and mental health development.
Methods:
All the counties (cities, districts) in Zhejiang Province were stratified to urban and suburban areas, primary, junior high and senior high school students were selected using a stratified cluster sampling method. Basic information, lifestyle and school bullying were collected through questionnaire surveys. Factors affecting school bullying experienced by primary and middle school students were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model.
Results:
Totally 137 846 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 97.17%. There were 72 526 males (52.61%) and 65 320 females (47.39%). There were 47 561 primary school students (34.50%), 47 701 junior high school students (34.61%) and 42 584 senior high school students (30.89%). A total of 3 987 students suffered from school bullying, accounting for 2.89%. The proportions of being maliciously teased, being intentionally excluded from group activities/isolated, being teased about physical defects or appearance, being hit/kicked/pushed/shoved/locked in a room, being threatened, and being extorted for money were 2.04%, 1.18%, 1.11%, 0.86%, 0.84% and 0.83%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the students who were males (OR=1.122, 95%CI: 1.048-1.202), lived in suburban areas (OR=1.322, 95%CI: 1.233-1.418), lived in areas with medium (OR=1.086, 95%CI: 1.006-1.173) or underdeveloped (OR=1.298, 95%CI: 1.191-1.415) economic level, had higher academic levels (junior high school, OR=1.380, 95%CI: 1.270-1.499; senior high school, OR=1.210, 95%CI: 1.083-1.351), lived on campus (OR=1.489, 95%CI: 1.372-1.616), engaged in fights (OR=6.029, 95%CI: 5.585-6.509), attempted to smoke (OR=1.320, 95%CI: 1.128-1.545), drank (OR=1.735, 95%CI: 1.575-1.912), were scolded and beaten by parents (OR=1.972, 95%CI: 1.822-2.135) and were obese (OR=1.240, 95%CI: 1.132-1.360) were more likely to experience school bullying.
Conclusion
The harm of school bullying to the physical and mental health of primary and middle school students should be taken seriously, and active policy measures should be adopted to strengthen intervention.
5.Screening key genes of PANoptosis in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury based on bioinformatics
Lirong ZHU ; Qian GUO ; Jie YANG ; Qiuwen ZHANG ; Guining HE ; Yanqing YU ; Ning WEN ; Jianhui DONG ; Haibin LI ; Xuyong SUN
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(1):106-113
Objective To explore the relationship between PANoptosis and hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI), and to screen the key genes of PANoptosis in HIRI. Methods PANoptosis-related differentially expressed genes (PDG) were obtained through the Gene Expression Omnibus database and GeneCards database. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the biological pathways related to PDG. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Key genes were selected, and their diagnostic value was assessed and validated in the HIRI mice. Immune cell infiltration analysis was performed based on the cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts. Results A total of 16 PDG were identified. GO analysis showed that PDG were closely related to cellular metabolism. KEGG analysis indicated that PDG were mainly enriched in cellular death pathways such as apoptosis and immune-related signaling pathways such as the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway. GSEA results showed that key genes were mainly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Two key genes, DFFB and TNFSF10, were identified with high accuracy in diagnosing HIRI, with areas under the curve of 0.964 and 1.000, respectively. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the control group had more infiltration of resting natural killer cells, M2 macrophages, etc., while the HIRI group had more infiltration of M0 macrophages, neutrophils, and naive B cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that compared with the Sham group, the relative expression of DFFB messenger RNA in liver tissue of HIRI group mice increased, and the relative expression of TNFSF10 messenger RNA decreased. Cibersort analysis showed that the infiltration abundance of naive B cells was positively correlated with DFFB expression (r=0.70, P=0.035), and the infiltration abundance of M2 macrophages was positively correlated with TNFSF10 expression (r=0.68, P=0.045). Conclusions PANoptosis-related genes DFFB and TNFSF10 may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HIRI.
6.Evaluation of Anti-osteoporosis Activity and Hepatotoxicity of Xianling Gubao Based on Zebrafish Model
Qiuman LI ; Yue QIAN ; Zixuan ZHU ; Yuan SONG ; Qian DENG ; Shengyun DAI ; Chongjun ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):87-94
ObjectiveTo investigate the association and translational mechanism between the hepatotoxicity of Xianling Gubao (XLGB) and its treatment of osteoporosis based on a zebrafish model. MethodsZebrafish were randomly selected four days after fertilization (4 dpf) and exposed to different concentrations of XLGB (0.7,0.35 mg·L-1) for 96 h. At the endpoint of the exposure, the mortality rates of zebrafish in the treatment groups of different concentrations were counted, and the "dose-toxicity" curves were plotted. The 10% sublethal concentration (LC10) was calculated. The liver area, acridine orange staining, and pathological tissue sections of transgenic zebrafish [CZ16 (gz15Tg.Tg (fabp 10a: ds Red; ela31: EGFP)] were used as indicators to confirm the hepatic damage caused by the sublethal concentration of XLGB. By using the prednisolone (PNSL)-induced osteoporosis model of zebrafish, the anti-osteoporosis activity of XLGB was evaluated by using the area of skull stained by alizarin red and the cumulative optical density value as indicators. Then, the toxicity difference of XLGB on the liver of zebrafish in healthy and osteoporotic states was compared, and the mechanism of the translational action of the toxicity of XLGB was predicted based on network pharmacology and real-time polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR). ResultsThe LC10 of XLGB on zebrafish (8 dpf) was 0.7 mg·L-1. Compared with the blank group, the sublethal concentration (LC10=0.7 mg·L-1, 1/2 LC10=0.35 mg·L-1) of XLGB induced an increase in the number of apoptosis of hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner, and the tissue arrangement of the liver was disordered and loose. The vacuoles were obvious, and the fluorescence area of the liver was significantly reduced (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, the mineralized area and cumulative optical density value of zebrafish skull in the PNSL model group were significantly reduced (P<0.01), and those in the 0.7,0.35 mg·L-1 XLGB treatment group were significantly increased compared with the model group (P<0.01). Most importantly, 0.7 mg·L-1 XLGB had no significant effect on the liver of zebrafish in the osteoporosis disease model compared with the blank group. The results of network pharmacology and real-time PCR experiments showed that the toxic transformation of XLGB might be related to the differences in the expression levels of key targets, such as tumor protein 53 (TP53), cysteine aspartic acid specific protease-3(Caspase-3), interleukin(IL)-6, and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) in different organismal states. ConclusionUnder certain conditions, XLGB has hepatotoxicity in normal zebrafish, but under osteoporotic conditions, XLGB not only exerts significant anti-osteoporosis activity but also alleviates hepatotoxicity significantly, which provides a reference for the safe clinical use of XLGB and real evidence for the theories of traditional Chinese medicine of attacking poison with poison and of treating disease with corresponding drugs without damage to the body.
7.Invasion and Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer Mediated by Traditional Chinese Medicine via Cell Signaling Pathway: A Review
Min GUO ; Wenyan YU ; Naicheng ZHU ; Yuwei YAN ; Chen ZHONG ; Xiudan CHEN ; Nanxin LI ; Guojuan WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):323-330
Colorectal cancer is a common and malignant tumor in the digestive tract. Invasion and metastasis of cancer cells are key factors leading to the high mortality rate and postoperative recurrence of colorectal cancer. Chemotherapy is the main treatment method for preventing recurrence of this disease. However, there are many toxic side effects in clinical application, which seriously hinder the treatment process. Therefore, it is imperative to search for efficient and low-toxicity drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of treating colorectal cancer and offers advantages such as safety, effectiveness, multiple targets, multiple pathways and minimal toxic side effects, which have made it increasingly popular worldwide. According to TCM, the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer is rooted in both deficiency and excess. TCM formulas mainly focus on tonifying the body to address the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer, such as Jianpi compound, Jianpi Xiaoai decoction, and Bushen Jiedu Sanjie decoction. TCM monomers, such as emodin, berberine, and tanshinone, mainly focus on clearing heat and removing toxin, circulating blood and transforming stasis, and resolving swelling and dispersing nodules. Signaling pathways play a crucial role for analyzing invasion and metastasis, and research has shown that pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/protein kinase (PI3K/Akt), Janus kinase 2/signal transduction and transcription activating factor 3 (JAK2/STAT3), nuclear factors-κB (NF-κB), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play important roles in the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer. The invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer can be inhibited via regulating the key proteins and related factors in these pathways. In this review, we searched various literature databases, such as PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and VIP, using keywords such as "colorectal cancer", "signaling pathway", "invasion and metastasis", and "traditional Chinese medicine", to summarize and analyze the relevant pathways of TCM compounds and monomers against invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer published in the past five years. The review aims to provide new insights and references for in-depth research on the therapy for invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer and new drug development.
8.The Impairment Attention Capture by Topological Change in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Hui-Lin XU ; Huan-Jun XI ; Tao DUAN ; Jing LI ; Dan-Dan LI ; Kai WANG ; Chun-Yan ZHU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):223-232
ObjectiveAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties with communication and social interaction, restricted and repetitive behaviors. Previous studies have indicated that individuals with ASD exhibit early and lifelong attention deficits, which are closely related to the core symptoms of ASD. Basic visual attention processes may provide a critical foundation for their social communication and interaction abilities. Therefore, this study explores the behavior of children with ASD in capturing attention to changes in topological properties. MethodsOur study recruited twenty-seven ASD children diagnosed by professional clinicians according to DSM-5 and twenty-eight typically developing (TD) age-matched controls. In an attention capture task, we recorded the saccadic behaviors of children with ASD and TD in response to topological change (TC) and non-topological change (nTC) stimuli. Saccadic reaction time (SRT), visual search time (VS), and first fixation dwell time (FFDT) were used as indicators of attentional bias. Pearson correlation tests between the clinical assessment scales and attentional bias were conducted. ResultsThis study found that TD children had significantly faster SRT (P<0.05) and VS (P<0.05) for the TC stimuli compared to the nTC stimuli, while the children with ASD did not exhibit significant differences in either measure (P>0.05). Additionally, ASD children demonstrated significantly less attention towards the TC targets (measured by FFDT), in comparison to TD children (P<0.05). Furthermore, ASD children exhibited a significant negative linear correlation between their attentional bias (measured by VS) and their scores on the compulsive subscale (P<0.05). ConclusionThe results suggest that children with ASD have difficulty shifting their attention to objects with topological changes during change detection. This atypical attention may affect the child’s cognitive and behavioral development, thereby impacting their social communication and interaction. In sum, our findings indicate that difficulties in attentional capture by TC may be a key feature of ASD.
9.Exploring Multi-target Effect of Erzhiwan on Improving Myocardial Injury in Ovariectomized Mice Based on Non-targeted Metabolomics
Ying YANG ; Jing HU ; Pei LI ; Ruyuan ZHU ; Zhiguo ZHANG ; Haixia LIU ; Yanjing CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):74-84
ObjectiveTo explore the target of Erzhiwan in reducing myocardial injury in ovariectomized mice through non-targeted myocardial metabolomics combined with experimental verification. MethodsOvariectomized mouse model was selected, 40 female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, estrogen group(estradiol valerate, 1.3×10-4 g·kg-1), Erzhiwan low and high dose groups(3.12, 9.36 g·kg-1), with 8 mice in each group. Each administration group was given the corresponding dose of Erzhiwan by gavage, and the sham operation group and model group were given equal volume of distilled water by gavage for 12 weeks. Echocardiography was used to detect cardiac function, hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe myocardial morphological changes, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the levels of estrogen, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP), hypersensitive troponin T(hs-TnT), total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). The non-targeted metabolomics of mouse myocardium were analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbital trap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS), and the differential metabolites and corresponding metabolic pathways were obtained. The mRNA expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K) and protein kinase B(Akt) in mouse myocardial tissues were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR), and the protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated(p)-Akt were detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group, the model group showed abnormal cardiac function, increased myocardial fiber space, cardiomyocyte atrophy, sarcoplasmic aggregation, and occasional dissolution or rupture of muscle fiber, the level of estrogen in the serum was decreased, the levels of NT-proBNP, hs-TnT, IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α, TG, TC and LDL-C were increased, and the level of HDL-C was decreased(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, Erzhiwan could increase the level of estrogen, improve the abnormal cardiac function, reduce the pathological injury of myocardial tissue, decrease the levels of myocardial injury markers(NT-proBNP, hs-TnT) and inflammatory factors(IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α), decrease the levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, and increased the level of HDL-C(P<0.01). The results of non-targeted myocardial metabolomics showed that 31 of the 162 differential metabolites between the model group and sham operation group were significantly adjusted after administration of Erzhiwan, which were mainly glycerol phospholipid metabolites. Pathway enrichment results showed that Erzhiwan mainly affected glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway, PI3K-Akt pathway, cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP)-protein kinase G(PKG) pathway and other metabolic pathways. Compared with the sham operation group, the levels of phosphatidylcholine(PC, 11 types) and phosphatidylethanolamine(PE, 5 types) in mouse myocardial tissue of the model group were increased(P<0.05, P<0.01), and the mRNA and protein expressions of PI3K and p-Akt were decreased(P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the levels of PC(11 types) and PE(5 types) were decreased(P<0.05, P<0.01) in myocardial tissue of Erzhiwan group, the mRNA and protein expressions of PI3K and p-Akt were elevated(P<0.01). ConclusionErzhiwan can alleviate the pathological injury of myocardium in ovariectomized mice, improve the abnormal cardiac function, improve lipid metabolism disorder, and reduce the levels of myocardial injury markers and inflammatory factors, which involves a number of signaling and metabolic pathways in the heart, among which glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway and PI3K/Akt pathway may have key roles.
10.Effect of Yifei Jianpi Prescription on Lipopolysaccharide-induced Lung Immune Inflammatory Response in Rats Based on STAT1/IRF3 Pathway
Hongjuan YANG ; Yaru YANG ; Yujie YANG ; Zhongbo ZHU ; Quan MA ; Yanlin WU ; Hongmei LI ; Xuhui ZHANG ; Xiping LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):146-155
ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Yifei Jianpi prescription on the of signal transducer and activator of transcription protein 1 (STAT1)/interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) signaling pathway in a pneumonia model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and to explore the mechanism of Yifei Jianpi prescription in improving lung immune and inflammatory responses. MethodsSixty male SPF SD rats were used in this study. Ten rats were randomly assigned to the normal control group, and the remaining 50 were instilled with LPS in the trachea to establish a pneumonia model. After successful modeling, the rats were randomly divided into the model group, dexamethasone group (0.5 mg·kg-1), and Yifei Jianpi prescription high-dose (12 mg·kg-1), medium-dose (6 mg·kg-1), and low-dose (3 mg·kg-1) groups, with 10 rats in each group. Treatment was administered once daily, and the normal control and model groups received the same volume of normal saline. After 14 days, flow cytometry was used to detect the classification of whole blood lymphocytes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and the content of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in alveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe lung tissue pathology and score the damage. Thymus weight, spleen weight, and wet-to-dry weight ratio (W/D) were recorded. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of STAT1, IRF3, IL-6, and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) in lung tissues, while Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of STAT1, IRF3, IL-6, and IFN-α. ResultsCompared with the normal control group, the model group showed significantly increased proportion of B lymphocytes in peripheral blood, decreased proportions of NK cells and CD4+/CD8+ (P<0.05, P<0.01), decreased serum levels of IgG and IgA, significantly increased IgM levels (P<0.01), significantly elevated content of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in BALF, and significantly decreased IL-10 levels (P<0.01). Lung tissue damage was evident, with significant increases in thymus and spleen weights and a higher W/D ratio (P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expression of STAT1, IRF3, IFN-α, and IL-6 in lung tissues was significantly upregulated (P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the Yifei Jianpi prescription groups showed significantly reduced proportions of B lymphocytes in peripheral blood, increased proportions of NK cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratios (P<0.05, P<0.01), significantly increased serum levels of IgG and IgA, significantly decreased IgM levels (P<0.05, P<0.01), significantly reduced levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in BALF, and significantly increased IL-10 levels (P<0.01). Lung tissue damage was alleviated, thymus and spleen weights were significantly reduced, and the W/D ratio was markedly decreased (P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expression of STAT1, IRF3, IFN-α, and IL-6 in lung tissues was significantly downregulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionYifei Jianpi prescription can alleviate lung tissue damage and improve immune and inflammatory responses in LPS-induced pneumonia rats. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of STAT1/IRF3 signaling pathway activation.


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