ObjectiveTo investigate the liver-protecting and anti-liver fibrosis effects of astragaloside Ⅳ （AS-Ⅳ） in vitro and in vivo， as well as its mechanism of action in intervention against liver fibrosis. MethodsIn the animal experiment， C57BL/6J mice were divided into control group， model group， low-dose AS-Ⅳ （20 mg/kg） group， and high-dose AS-Ⅳ （80 mg/kg） group. The mice were given intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride for 6 weeks to induce liver fibrosis， and since week 3 of injection， the mice in the low-dose AS-Ⅳ group and the high-dose AS-Ⅳ group were given AS-Ⅳ by gavage at a dose of 20 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg， respectively. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） were measured after 4 weeks of administration， as well as the serum levels of hyaluronic acid （HA）， laminin （LN）， procollagen Ⅲ N-terminal peptide （PⅢNP）， and collagen type Ⅳ （Col-Ⅳ）. HE staining， picrosirius red staining， and Masson staining were used to observe liver histopathology and collagen deposition； RT-qPCR was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of Acta2， Col1a1， and Col3a1 in liver tissue， and Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， collagen type Ⅲ （Col-Ⅲ）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， phosphorylated PI3K （pPI3K）， protein kinase B （Akt）， and phosphorylated AKT （p-Akt） in liver tissue； transcriptome sequencing was performed for liver tissue to identify differentially expressed genes and perform a bioinformatics analysis. In the cell experiment， transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β） was used to induce the activation of LX-2 cells， and the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and the PI3K activator 740 Y-P were used for intervention. The cells were divided into control group， model group， AS-Ⅳ group， LY294002 group， and AS-Ⅳ+740 Y-P group， and the cells were harvested after 36 hours of intervention. Changes in the protein expression levels of α-SMA， Col-Ⅲ， pPI3K/PI3K， and pAkt/Akt in LX-2 cells were measured， as well as changes in the relative mRNA expression levels of Acta2， Col1a1， and Col3a1. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsIn the animal experiment， compared with the model group， the AS-Ⅳ treatment group had significant reductions in the serum levels of ALT， AST， HA， LN， PⅢNP， and Col-Ⅳ （all P<0.01）， the mRNA expression levels of Acta2， Col1a1， and Col3a1 in liver tissue （all P<0.05）， and the protein expression levels of α-SMA， Col-Ⅲ， pPI3K， and pAkt （Ser473） in liver tissue （all P<0.05）. In the cell experiment， compared with the control group， the model group had significant increases in the protein expression levels of α-SMA， Col-Ⅲ， pPI3K， and pAkt （Ser473） after TGF-β induction （all P<0.05）； compared with the model group， the AS-Ⅳ group had significant reductions in the protein expression levels of α-SMA， Col-Ⅲ， pPI3K， and pAkt （Ser473） （all P<0.05）， and both the AS-Ⅳ group and the LY294002 group had significant reductions in the protein expression level of pPI3K and the relative mRNA expression levels of Acta2， Col1a1， and Col3a1 （all P<0.05）. Compared with the AS-Ⅳ group， there were significant increases in the protein expression level of pPI3K and the relative mRNA expression levels of Acta2， col1a1， and Col3a1 after 740 Y-P intervention （all P<0.05）. ConclusionAS-Ⅳ can inhibit hepatic stellate cell activation and improve liver fibrosis， possibly by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the feasibility and image quality of respiratory-gated total-body ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging with a 4-minute acquisition in patients with malignant tumors. Methods Sixty-two patients with pathologically confirmed malignant tumors (118 lesions measured) who underwent total-body ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT examination were consecutively enrolled at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from September 23, 2021 to November 23, 2021, and their clinical and imaging data were retrospectively collected. PET data was acquired over 12 minutes with simultaneous respiratory waveform recorded. The data were reconstructed into four image sets: gated-12 group and gated-4 group (using all counts and the first 4-minute counts, respectively) and ungated-12 group and ungated-6 group (using all counts and the first 6-minute counts, respectively) reconstructed with respiratory gating that retained counts corresponding to the half respiratory window near end-expiration. Image quality assessment and quantitative analysis of lesions were performed and compared among the four image sets, and subgroup analyses were performed according to lesion location, size, and metabolic activity. Results The effective counts of 4 sets of PET images were highest in ungated-12 group, followed by ungated-6 group and gated-12 group, and lowest in gated-4 group (P＜0.001). Regardless of the metabolic level and size of the lesions, compared with the ungated-12 group and the ungated-6 group, the lesions in the gated-12 group showed higher maximum, average, and peak standardized uptake values (SUV_max, SUV_mean, and SUV_peak), tumor liver uptake ratio, tumor blood pool uptake ratio, and smaller metabolic volume (P＜0.05); There was no statistically significant difference in the above indicators between the gate-12 group and the gate-4 group. The background noise of gate-4 group images is slightly higher than that of gate-12 group images (Liver SUV_SD: [0.17＋0.05] vs [0.14＋0.04]); Blood pool SUV_SD: (0.08 ± 0.03) vs (0.06 ± 0.03). There was a statistically significant difference in subjective scores of PET image quality among the four groups (P＜0.001). The subjective scores of image quality in the gated-12 group (4.79 ± 0.41) were not significantly different from those in the non gated-12 group (4.97 ± 0.17) and non gated-6 group (4.79 ± 0.45), but were higher than those in the gated-4 group ([4.17 ± 0.45], P＜0.001)， And the scores have good consistency (Kappa＞0.75). Conclusion In total-body PET/CT imaging for malignant tumors, 4-minute respiratory-gated acquisition can achieve comparable quantitative performance to longer respiratory gating imaging while significantly shortening acquisition time. This approach demonstrates promising potential for clinical application.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy of Juanbitang hot compress pack combined with intensive rehabilitation training in stroke patients with hemiplegia. MethodsA total of 80 stroke patients with hemiplegia were selected and assigned into a control group （40 cases） and an observation group （40 cases） according to the random number table method. The control group received conventional rehabilitation training and nursing intervention，while the observation group was additionally treated with Juanbitang hot compress pack. The two groups were compared in terms of the neurological function （national institute of health stroke scale score，NIHSS score），muscle strength，motor function （fugl-meyer assessment scale score，FMA score），daily living activity （modified barthel index，MBI），balance ability （berg balance scale score，BBS score），trunk control ability （Sheikh Trunk Control Test score，Sheikh TCT score），and homocysteine （Hcy） level before and after treatment. ResultsAfter treatment，the observation group had lower NIHSS score and Hcy level than the control group （P<0.05）. The total response rate of the observation group （97.50%） was higher than that of the control group （77.50%）. The scores of upper limb and lower limb FMA，MBI，BBS，and Sheikh TCT in the observation group were all higher than those in the control group （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe application of Juanbitang hot compress pack combined with rehabilitation training can effectively improve the neurological function，muscle strength，motor function，daily living ability，balance ability，and trunk control ability and reduce the Hcy level in stroke patients with hemiplegia，demonstrating enhanced clinical efficacy.

Digestive system malignant tumors （DT） are one of the leading causes of death globally and carry a heavy economic burden. Gut microbiota plays a critical role in maintaining host health， including providing nutrition， defending against pathogens， and promoting immune development. In recent years， more and more studies have shown that dysbiosis of gut microbiota is closely associated with DT such as gastric cancer， liver cancer， and colon cancer. Therefore， targeted regulation of gut microbiota plays a potential role in inhibiting the growth and metastasis of DT， while its specific regulatory mechanism remains unclear. As the studies about the anti-tumor effects of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， especially the basic and clinical studies on the regulation of gut microbiota by TCM in tumor treatment， have been growing， the therapeutic effects of TCM on DT have attracted much attention. This paper provides a systematic review of the relationship between gut microbiota and DT， as well as the related studies on the modulation of gut microbiota by TCM against DT， with the aim of providing a foundation and direction for future basic and clinical studies on DT. The literature review shows that gut microbiota influence the occurrence and development of DT through multiple pathways. These pathways include triggering chronic inflammation， producing oncogenic metabolites， inducing genomic instability， regulating the immune system， and altering the tumor microenvironment. TCM can exert anti-DT effects by regulating the composition of gut microbiota， modulating gut microbiota metabolites， repairing intestinal barrier function， and influencing immune functions. Therefore， understanding the relationship between gut microbiota and DT and the regulatory mechanisms of TCM may provide new strategies for future prevention and treatment of DT.

DNA methylation is the first epigenetic modification found in humans.Abnormal changes in DNA methylation are closely associated with the development and progression of diseases.Acupuncture,an important component of traditional Chinese medicine,has been shown to have significant therapeutic efficacy.The mechanisms underlying acupuncture are complex,involving physiological and pathological processes of integrated interactions across multiple targets.However,current research mostly focuses on a single target,highlighting the need for a more upstream approach to the investigation of the mechanisms.Herein,we reviewed studies on the direct or indirect regulation of DNA methylation via acupuncture.We also discussed its mechanisms of action in pain,obesity,depression,and Alzheimer disease,in order to provide a new perspective on the therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture and the role of DNA methylation in the field of acupuncture research.Future research should concentrate on the effect of acupuncture on the DNA methylation of specific genes,the quantification of changes in DNA methylation at different acupoints,the development of individualized acupuncture prescriptions,further investigation of the specificity of the effects at different acupoint,and the expansion of the research to integrate epigenetics and genomics.This will provide a theoretical basis for the internationalization and the promotion of clinical application of acupuncture.

Objective Based on a complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA)-induced chronic inflammatory pain model,we compared and analyzed the differences in anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of moxibustion intervention initiated at different timepoints,aiming to identify the optimal timing for moxibustion intervention.The goal is to establish standardized intervention protocols for basic research on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of moxibustion.Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups based on the moxibustion initiation timepoints of 4,7,and 10 d after modeling.Then,the mice in each group were randomly assigned to 3 subgroups,including a control group,a model group,and a moxibustion group,with 8 mice in each subgroup.Chronic inflammatory pain was induced by injecting 20 μL of CFA into the sole of the right hind paw.Moxibustion applied at the"Zusanli"acupoint for 30 minutes started on the 4th,7th,and 10th days after modeling,and the intervention continued for 7 days.The latency of paw withdrawal to thermal radiation was measured to evaluate the pain threshold before modeling,after modeling,and on the 1st,4th,and 7th days of treatment.Foot volume was measured to assess toe swelling before modeling,after modeling,and on the 1st and 7th days of treatment.Results Compared with the control group,the model group exhibited a reduced pain threshold(P＜0.0001)and increased paw volume(P＜0.0001).Compared with the model group,the subgroups receiving moxibustion intervention initiated on the 4th,7th,and 10th days post-modeling exhibited an increased pain threshold(P＜0.05,P＜0.0001).However,the paw volume of the subgroups receiving moxibustion intervention initiated on the 4th day post-modeling increased(P＜0.0001),while those of the subgroups receiving moxibustion intervention initiated on the 7th and 10th days post-modeling decreased(P＜0.0001).Among the intervention subgroups receiving moxibustion initiated on days 4,7,and 10,the day 7 intervention-initiating subgroup showed significant increase in pain threshold(P＜0.05,P＜0.0001),and the day 7 and day 10 intervention-initiating subgroups showed significantly reduced paw volume(P＜0.0001).Conclusion Considering both the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of moxibustion,day 7 post-modeling may be the optimal time for moxibustion to achieve effective anti-inflammatory and analgesic outcomes.

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.

ObjectiveTo compare the hepatic bile acid profile between a mouse model of metabolic-associated steatohepatitis （MASH） induced by a high-fat， high-sugar， and high-cholesterol diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of 10% carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄） and MASH cases in clinical practice， and to investigate the feasibility of this model in studying drug interventions on bile acid profile in MASH. MethodsA total of 30 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group and model group， with 15 mice in each group. The mice in the control group were given normal diet and drinking water and weekly injections of olive oil， and those in the model group were given a high-fat， high-sugar， and high-cholesterol diet， high-sugar drinking water， and weekly injections of CCl₄+olive oil. At the end of weeks 8， 12， and 16， 5 mice were selected from each group to collect samples. Behavioral assessments were performed， and body weight and liver wet weight were measured； liver pathology and lipid deposition were evaluated by HE staining， SAF scoring， oil Red O staining， the semi-quantitative analysis of stained area， the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， and liver triglyceride （TG） content； Sirius Red staining was performed for liver tissue to assess liver fibrosis； ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and targeted metabolomics were used to measure the hepatic bile acid profile， including cholic acid （CA）， glycocholic acid （GCA）， chenodeoxycholic acid （CDCA）， glycochenodeoxycholic acid （GCDCA）， ursodeoxycholic acid （UDCA）， tauroursodeoxycholic acid （TUDCA）， hyodeoxycholic acid （HDCA）， and glycodeoxycholic acid （GDCA）. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. ResultsCompared with the control group at the same time point， the model group had disheveled and dull fur， reduced activity， and relatively slow reactions at weeks 8， 12， and 16， as well as significant increases in liver wet weight （P<0.05）， the serum level of ALT （P<0.05）， the content of TG in the liver （P<0.05）， and SAF score （P<0.05）. As for the differentially expressed bile acids in liver tissue， compared with the control group at week 8， the model group had significantly higher levels of CA and CDCA and significantly lower levels of UDCA， TUDCA， HDCA， and GDCA （all P<0.05）； compared with the control group at week 12， the model group had significantly higher levels of CA， GCA， CDCA， and GCDCA and significantly lower levels of UDCA and HDCA （all P<0.05）； compared with the control group at week 16， the model group had significantly higher levels of CA， GCA， CDCA， GCDCA， and TUDCA and significantly lower levels of UDCA， HDCA， and GDCA （all P<0.05）. As for the differentially expressed bile acids in the bile acid pool of liver tissue， compared with the control group at week 8， the model group had significantly higher levels of CA and CDCA and significantly lower levels of UDCA， TUDCA， GDCA， and HDCA （all P<0.05）； compared with the control group at weeks 12 and 16， the model group had significantly higher levels of GCA and GCDCA and significantly lower levels of UDCA， GDCA， and HDCA （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThere are significant changes in the hepatic bile acid profile in a mouse model of MASH induced by a high-fat， high-sugar， and high-cholesterol diet combined with CCl₄， which are similar to the changes in bile acids in MASH cases in clinical practice， suggesting that this model can be used to explore the interventional effect of drugs on the bile acid profile in MASH.

Notum, a negative feedback regulator of the Wnt signaling, has emerged as a promising target for treating glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP). This study showcases an efficient strategy for discovering the anti-Notum constituents from herbal medicines (HMs) as novel anti-GIOP agents. Firstly, a rapid-responding near-infrared fluorogenic substrate for Notum was rationally engineered for high-throughput identifying the anti-Notum HMs. The results showed that Bu-Gu-Zhi (BGZ), a known anti-osteoporosis herb, potently inhibited Notum in a competitive-inhibition manner. To uncover the key anti-Notum constituents in BGZ, an efficient strategy was adapted via integrating biochemical, phytochemical, computational, and pharmacological assays. Among all identified BGZ constituents, three furanocoumarins were validated as strong Notum inhibitors, while 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MP) showed the most potent anti-Notum activity and favorable safety profiles. Mechanistically, 5-MP acted as a competitive inhibitor of Notum via creating strong hydrophobic interactions with Trp128 and Phe268 in the catalytic cavity of Notum. Cellular assays showed that 5-MP remarkably promoted osteoblast differentiation and activated Wnt signaling in dexamethasone (DXMS)-challenged MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. In dexamethasone-induced osteoporotic mice, 5-MP strongly elevated bone mineral density (BMD) and improved cancellous and cortical bone thickness. Collectively, this study constructs a high-efficient platform for discovering key anti-Notum constituents from HMs, while 5-MP emerges as a promising anti-GIOP agent.