ObjectiveIn recent years， with the deepening trend of population aging in China， the incidence of age-related macular degeneration （AMD） has been rising. Wet age-related macular degeneration （wAMD） is a type of advanced AMD that can cause severe vision loss. Based on the clinical disease-syndrome characteristics of wAMD， this study reviewed and analyzed existing wAMD animal models， including the animals used， modeling methods， and the advantages and disadvantages of each model， aiming to provide references for the establishment and study of wAMD models integrating disease and syndrome. MethodsLiterature on wAMD-related animal models was retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data， VIP， and PubMed. Relevant indicators were collected and analyzed， and model characteristics were quantified and evaluated according to the diagnostic criteria of diseases and syndromes in both traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and Western medicine. ResultsCurrently， the alignment of wAMD models with Western medicine clinical syndromes mainly reflects the characteristics of macular neovascularization （MNV） and fundus changes， with limited observation of visual function. For TCM， scoring mainly focuses on ocular syndromes， while systemic syndromes are insufficiently observed， which is inadequate to fully reflect the complexity of wAMD pathogenesis and manifestations. Among the main models， alignment with Western medicine clinical syndromes is relatively high. Laser photocoagulation-induced models are the most commonly used and show the highest alignment， and their correspondence with the TCM syndrome of “spleen deficiency and dampness retention” is relatively high. ConclusionCurrent models generally show moderate alignment with clinical disease-syndrome characteristics in both TCM and Western medicine， especially with TCM syndromes， where alignment is low. This limits the development and study of models integrating disease and syndrome. Future research should further explore other TCM syndrome types and compound syndromes to establish wAMD animal models with higher alignment with TCM.

ObjectiveAge-related macular degeneration （AMD） is one of the leading causes of low vision and blindness in people over 50 years old， and dry AMD （dAMD） is one type for which there is currently no clear treatment. On the basis of the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of dAMD in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， this paper evaluated the fitting degrees of existing animal models of dAMD with clinical characteristics according to the evaluation methods of animal models， and put forward suggestions and prospects. MethodsLiterature on animal models of dAMD was searched against database， and the characteristics of the models were assigned according to the diagnosis criteria of diseases and syndromes of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， and the fitting degrees of the models with clinical characteristics were analyzed and evaluated. ResultsAt present， the animal models of dAMD are mainly established targeting complement factors， chemokines， oxidative damage， lipid/glucose metabolism， and natural strains. Most of the models can simulate the major pathological changes of dAMD， showing the fitting degree of 25%-50% with clinical characteristics in Western medicine. However， the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， especially the evaluation of secondary syndromes， is missing， and the models present low fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics in TCM. ConclusionExisting animal models of dAMD are mostly established under the guidance of Western diagnostic standards， which reproduce the main disease characteristics of Western medicine and lack observation of TCM syndromes. Future studies can pay attention to the intervention factors and evaluation systems of spleen deficiency Qi deficiency and liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and build the animal model of dAMD with integration of disease and syndrome based on clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Retinitis pigmentosa （RP） is the most common hereditary blinding eye disease in clinical practice， with the pathogenesis remaining unclear. Patients experience progressive apoptosis of retinal photoreceptor cells， accompanied by degeneration of retinal pigment epithelium （RPE） cells. Current Western medical treatments mainly focus on gene therapy and stem cell transplantation， showing limited efficacy. In contrast， clinical observations have confirmed the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatments. Establishing an RP animal model that aligns with the diagnostic features of both TCM and Western medicine could help combine the strengths of both approaches， thereby broadening the treatment options for RP. This study categorizes and summarizes the existing RP animal models in terms of classification， types， inheritance patterns， and alignment with clinical manifestations. It is found that current RP models are primarily derived from natural animal models such as RD mice and RCS rats， transgenic animal models like RPE-65 knockout mice and rhodopsin gene knockout mice， and chemically induced models such as those created by monochromatic light exposure or N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea （ENU） administration. These three categories of models focus more on detecting RP-related histopathological， molecular biological， and cellular immunological indicators， but offer limited observation of the overall characteristics of the disease and lack insight into syndrome differentiation. Although RP is a congenital genetic disease， its progression is influenced by acquired factors such as environment， constitution， emotions， and care. Current models do not fully capture the characteristics of this disease. Therefore， establishing an RP animal model based on the diagnostic features of both TCM and Western medicine will have significant implications for future experimental and clinical research.

ObjectiveRetinal vein occlusion （RVO） is the second most common vascular disease leading to vision loss. Since its pathogenesis remains unclear， current Western medical treatments primarily target complications such as macular edema and neovascularization. The main therapeutic approaches include intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） agents or corticosteroids， laser photocoagulation， and pars plana vitrectomy. However， these treatments cannot fully reverse disease progression or structural damage. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has unique advantages in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of RVO， and integrated Chinese and Western medicine approaches may offer better clinical outcomes. This study， based on the clinical manifestations of RVO， systematically reviews the existing literature and evaluates the alignment of current RVO animal models with clinical manifestations. The aim is to identify the characteristics and limitations of existing models and provide recommendations and prospects for developing RVO animal models featuring the combination of disease and syndrome. MethodsDatabases including CNKI， Wanfang Data， PubMed， and Web of Science were searched with the keywords of "retinal vein occlusion" and "animal model". Model characteristics were assessed based on the diagnostic criteria for diseases and syndromes in both TCM and Western medicine. The alignment of each model with clinical manifestations was analyzed and evaluated. ResultsThe available RVO models were primarily established via methods such as laser photocoagulation， photodynamic therapy， diathermy， intravitreal drug injection， and mechanical modeling. These models demonstrated moderate overall alignment with clinical manifestations， mainly reflecting disease characteristics. However， they generally lack representation of TCM syndrome features. ConclusionExisting RVO models are predominantly based on Western medicine and lack TCM syndrome features. Western medical treatments for RVO have certain limitations， while syndrome differentiation and treatment in TCM offer potential advantages. Future research should focus on developing disease-syndrome integrated animal models that incorporate both pathological features and TCM syndrome characteristics. This approach will enhance the design of RVO models and facilitate both basic and clinical research， which make it a scientifically valuable and necessary endeavor.

ObjectiveIn recent years， with the deepening trend of population aging in China， the incidence of age-related macular degeneration （AMD） has been rising. Wet age-related macular degeneration （wAMD） is a type of advanced AMD that can cause severe vision loss. Based on the clinical disease-syndrome characteristics of wAMD， this study reviewed and analyzed existing wAMD animal models， including the animals used， modeling methods， and the advantages and disadvantages of each model， aiming to provide references for the establishment and study of wAMD models integrating disease and syndrome. MethodsLiterature on wAMD-related animal models was retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data， VIP， and PubMed. Relevant indicators were collected and analyzed， and model characteristics were quantified and evaluated according to the diagnostic criteria of diseases and syndromes in both traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and Western medicine. ResultsCurrently， the alignment of wAMD models with Western medicine clinical syndromes mainly reflects the characteristics of macular neovascularization （MNV） and fundus changes， with limited observation of visual function. For TCM， scoring mainly focuses on ocular syndromes， while systemic syndromes are insufficiently observed， which is inadequate to fully reflect the complexity of wAMD pathogenesis and manifestations. Among the main models， alignment with Western medicine clinical syndromes is relatively high. Laser photocoagulation-induced models are the most commonly used and show the highest alignment， and their correspondence with the TCM syndrome of “spleen deficiency and dampness retention” is relatively high. ConclusionCurrent models generally show moderate alignment with clinical disease-syndrome characteristics in both TCM and Western medicine， especially with TCM syndromes， where alignment is low. This limits the development and study of models integrating disease and syndrome. Future research should further explore other TCM syndrome types and compound syndromes to establish wAMD animal models with higher alignment with TCM.

ObjectiveAge-related macular degeneration （AMD） is one of the leading causes of low vision and blindness in people over 50 years old， and dry AMD （dAMD） is one type for which there is currently no clear treatment. On the basis of the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of dAMD in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， this paper evaluated the fitting degrees of existing animal models of dAMD with clinical characteristics according to the evaluation methods of animal models， and put forward suggestions and prospects. MethodsLiterature on animal models of dAMD was searched against database， and the characteristics of the models were assigned according to the diagnosis criteria of diseases and syndromes of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， and the fitting degrees of the models with clinical characteristics were analyzed and evaluated. ResultsAt present， the animal models of dAMD are mainly established targeting complement factors， chemokines， oxidative damage， lipid/glucose metabolism， and natural strains. Most of the models can simulate the major pathological changes of dAMD， showing the fitting degree of 25%-50% with clinical characteristics in Western medicine. However， the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， especially the evaluation of secondary syndromes， is missing， and the models present low fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics in TCM. ConclusionExisting animal models of dAMD are mostly established under the guidance of Western diagnostic standards， which reproduce the main disease characteristics of Western medicine and lack observation of TCM syndromes. Future studies can pay attention to the intervention factors and evaluation systems of spleen deficiency Qi deficiency and liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and build the animal model of dAMD with integration of disease and syndrome based on clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Retinitis pigmentosa （RP） is the most common hereditary blinding eye disease in clinical practice， with the pathogenesis remaining unclear. Patients experience progressive apoptosis of retinal photoreceptor cells， accompanied by degeneration of retinal pigment epithelium （RPE） cells. Current Western medical treatments mainly focus on gene therapy and stem cell transplantation， showing limited efficacy. In contrast， clinical observations have confirmed the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatments. Establishing an RP animal model that aligns with the diagnostic features of both TCM and Western medicine could help combine the strengths of both approaches， thereby broadening the treatment options for RP. This study categorizes and summarizes the existing RP animal models in terms of classification， types， inheritance patterns， and alignment with clinical manifestations. It is found that current RP models are primarily derived from natural animal models such as RD mice and RCS rats， transgenic animal models like RPE-65 knockout mice and rhodopsin gene knockout mice， and chemically induced models such as those created by monochromatic light exposure or N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea （ENU） administration. These three categories of models focus more on detecting RP-related histopathological， molecular biological， and cellular immunological indicators， but offer limited observation of the overall characteristics of the disease and lack insight into syndrome differentiation. Although RP is a congenital genetic disease， its progression is influenced by acquired factors such as environment， constitution， emotions， and care. Current models do not fully capture the characteristics of this disease. Therefore， establishing an RP animal model based on the diagnostic features of both TCM and Western medicine will have significant implications for future experimental and clinical research.

ObjectiveRetinal vein occlusion （RVO） is the second most common vascular disease leading to vision loss. Since its pathogenesis remains unclear， current Western medical treatments primarily target complications such as macular edema and neovascularization. The main therapeutic approaches include intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） agents or corticosteroids， laser photocoagulation， and pars plana vitrectomy. However， these treatments cannot fully reverse disease progression or structural damage. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has unique advantages in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of RVO， and integrated Chinese and Western medicine approaches may offer better clinical outcomes. This study， based on the clinical manifestations of RVO， systematically reviews the existing literature and evaluates the alignment of current RVO animal models with clinical manifestations. The aim is to identify the characteristics and limitations of existing models and provide recommendations and prospects for developing RVO animal models featuring the combination of disease and syndrome. MethodsDatabases including CNKI， Wanfang Data， PubMed， and Web of Science were searched with the keywords of "retinal vein occlusion" and "animal model". Model characteristics were assessed based on the diagnostic criteria for diseases and syndromes in both TCM and Western medicine. The alignment of each model with clinical manifestations was analyzed and evaluated. ResultsThe available RVO models were primarily established via methods such as laser photocoagulation， photodynamic therapy， diathermy， intravitreal drug injection， and mechanical modeling. These models demonstrated moderate overall alignment with clinical manifestations， mainly reflecting disease characteristics. However， they generally lack representation of TCM syndrome features. ConclusionExisting RVO models are predominantly based on Western medicine and lack TCM syndrome features. Western medical treatments for RVO have certain limitations， while syndrome differentiation and treatment in TCM offer potential advantages. Future research should focus on developing disease-syndrome integrated animal models that incorporate both pathological features and TCM syndrome characteristics. This approach will enhance the design of RVO models and facilitate both basic and clinical research， which make it a scientifically valuable and necessary endeavor.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Huoxue Shufeng Granules (HXSFG) for alleviating central sensitization in a mouse model of chronic migraine (CM). METHODS: We analyzed the main chemical components of HXSFG through literature review and explored their pharmacological mechanisms by bioinformatics analyses. In a male C57BL/6J mouse model of CM established by intraperitoneal injections of nitroglycerin (10 mg/kg) every other day (5 injections), the effects of gavage with low, and high doses of HXSFG or intraperitoneal injections of topiramate for ameliorating central sensitization were evaluated using Von Frey test and a hot plate apparatus; the changes in expressions of inflammatory factors, the proteins in the TLR4/NF‑κB signaling pathway, and activation of c-Fos and CGRP were detected using RT-qPCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Network pharmacology analysis suggested that the main active components in HXSFG for alleviating CM included formononetin, paeoniflorin, quercetin, and tanshinone. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis identified 492 GO entries, comprising 366 biological processes, 46 cellular components, and 80 molecular functions. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the Toll-like receptor and NF‑κB signaling pathways were crucial in mediating the therapeutic effects of HXSFG on CM. In the mouse models of CM, both topiramate and HXSFG treatments alleviated the symptoms of central sensitization, evidenced by improved mechanical and thermal pain thresholds in the mice. HXSFG significantly reduced the expression of c-Fos and CGRP, improved inflammatory markers, and downregulated the expressions of TLR4, p-NF‑κB, IL-1β, and TNF‑α proteins in the mouse models. CONCLUSIONS HXSFG effectively alleviates central sensitization in CM mice by modulating the inflammatory pathways and inhibiting the TLR4/ NF-κB signaling pathway, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic option for CM.
Animals ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Migraine Disorders/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Inflammation

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the mechanisms of Modified Chaihu Guizhi Decoction (MCGD) for ameliorating anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). METHODS: The main chemical constituents of MCGD were identified through literature review, and network pharmacology analysis was performed to predict the potential pharmacological mechanisms of MCGD. For in vivo validation, male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into control group, CUMS model group, fluoxetine (FLX) treatment group, and low- and high-dose MCGD treatment groups (n=15), and in all but the control group, CUMS models were established by daily exposure to two randomized stressors for 28 consecutive days. Starting from 3 days prior to modeling, MCGD and fluoxetine treatments were administered daily via gavage and intraperitoneal injection, respectively. Depression- and anxiety-like behaviors of the mice were assessed using sucrose preference test, forced swim test, open field test and elevated plus maze test. The changes in mRNA expressions of the clock genes and inflammatory markers and expressions of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling proteins were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining was used to detect microglia activation in the mice. RESULTS: The key active compounds in MCGD identified by network pharmacology analysis included quercetin, acacetin, formononetin, nobiletin, and baicalein. GO analysis identified 607 enriched pathways, and KEGG pathway enrichment revealed significant involvement of the JAK2/STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways. In the mouse models of CUMS, treatment with both fluoxetine and MCGD significantly alleviated anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. MCGD treatment significantly reduced Iba1 expression, improved the inflammatory markers, reversed the decrease in clock gene circadian rhythm amplitude, and obviously downregulated the expressions of JAK2, p-STAT3, p-NF-κB, IL-1β, and IL-6 proteins. CONCLUSIONS MCGD effectively alleviates anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in CUMS mice by modulating the inflammatory pathways and inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Janus Kinase 2/metabolism* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Depression/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Anxiety/drug therapy* ; Stress, Psychological ; Disease Models, Animal