ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction （加味葛根芩连汤， MGQD） in the treatment of ulcerative colitis （UC） based on intestinal mucus barrier. MethodsThirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group， a model group and a MGQD group with 10 mice in each. Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt （DSS） was used to construct the UC model in all groups except for the control group. Meanwhile， mice in the MGQD group were given 20 g/kg of MGQD decoction by gavage according to their body weight， while those in the control group and model group were given 0.2 ml/20 g of pure water by gavage， once a day for 7 consecutive days. On the day following the last gavage， the body weight， disease activity index （DAI） score， spleen weight， and colon length were compared. The pathological changes of the intestinal mucosal tissues were observed by HE staining； the protein expression levels of mucin 2 （MUC2） and leucine-rich repeat G protein-coupled receptor 5 （Lgr5） in the intestinal mucosal tissues were detected by immunofluorescence； the cuprocytes in the intestinal mucosal tissues were detected by AB/PAS staining； and the expression level of Ki67 in the intestinal mucosal tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. ResultsHE staining showed that the colon mucosal tissue of the mice in the control group was intact. In the model group， the colon mucosal epithelial structure was severely damaged， with a large amount of inflammatory cell infiltration in the mucosal propria. In the MGQD group， the mucosal tissue structure was partially lost， with a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration.The body weight and colon length of mice in the model group decreased significantly compared to those in the control group， while DAI scores and spleen weight increased， and the levels of MUC2， Ki67， Lgr5 proteins， and the number of goblet cells were significantly reduced （P＜0.01）. Compared to the model group， the MGQD group had increased body weight of mice， colon length， and decreased DAI scores and spleen weight； the levels of MUC2， Ki67， Lgr5 proteins， and the number of goblet cells were increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionMGQD has a favorable ameliorative effect on UC-related symptoms and pathological tissue damage， and its mechanism of action may be related to the restoration of the prolife-ration and differentiation of intestinal stem cells into goblet cells， thereby promoting the repair of the intestinal mucus barrier.

ObjectiveTo collate and compare the characteristics and differences in the methods for constructing animal models of different subtypes of gastroesophageal reflux disease （GERD） based on literature， providing a reference for researchers in this field regarding animal model construction. MethodsExperimental studies related to GERD including reflux esophagitis （RE）， nonerosive reflux disease （NERD） and Barrett's esophagus （BE） model construction from January 1， 2014 to January 27， 2024， were retrieved from databases such as CNKI， Wanfang， VIP， Web of Science， and Pubmed. Information on animal strains， genders， modeling methods including disease-syndrome combination models， modeling cycles were extracted； for studies with model evaluation， the methods of model evaluation were also extracted； then analyzing all those information. ResultsA total of 182 articles were included. SD rats were most frequently selected when inducing animal models of RE （88/148， 59.46%） and NERD （9/14， 64.29%）. For BE， C57BL/6 mice were most commonly used （11/20， 55.00%）. Male animals （RE： 111/135， 82.22%； NERD： 11/14， 78.57%； BE： 10/12， 83.33%） were the most common gender among the three subtypes. The key to constructing RE animal models lies in structural damage to the esophageal mucosal layer， gastric content reflux， or mixed reflux， among which forestomach ligation + incomplete pylorus ligation （42/158， 26.58%） was the most common modeling method； the key to constructing NERD animal models lies in micro-inflammation of the esophageal mucosa， visceral hypersensitivity， and emotional problems， and intraperitoneal injection of a mixed suspension of ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide combined with acid perfusion in the lower esophagus （8/14， 57.14%） was the most common modeling method； the key to constructing BE animal models lies in long-term inflammatory stimulation of the esophageal mucosa and bile acid reflux， and constructing interleukin 2-interleukin 1β transgenic mice （7/25， 28.00%） was the most common modeling method. Adverse psychological stress was the most common method for inducing liver depression. ConclusionsThe construction key principles and methodologies for RE， NERD， and BE animal models exhibit significant differences. Researchers should select appropriate models based on subtype characteristics （e.g.， RE focusing on structural damage， NERD emphasizing visceral hypersensitivity）. Current studies show insufficient exploration of traditional Chinese medicine disease-syndrome combination models. Future research needs to optimize syndrome modeling approaches （e.g.， composite etiology simulation） and establish integrated Chinese-Western medicine evaluation systems to better support mechanistic investigations of traditional Chinese medicine.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of Bushen Zhuyun prescription （BSZY） on abortion rats with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome. MethodsAn abortion rat model with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome was constructed. Pregnant mice aged 8-10 weeks were randomly divided into a control group （Control）， a model group （Model）， low-dose BSZY （BSZY-L）， medium-dose BSZY （BSZY-M）， and high-dose BSZY （BSZY-H） groups （2.57， 5.14， 10.28 g·kg^-¹）， and a Zishen Yutai Pill （ZSYT） group （1.575 g·kg^-¹）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate histopathological changes in ovarian and decidual tissue of rats in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure levels of estrogen （E₂）， progesterone （P）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， prolactin （PRL）， and follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH） in serum. The candidate targets of BSZY were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Platform （TCMSP） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） v2.0 databases， while disease targets for recurrent spontaneous abortion （RSA） were retrieved from GeneCards， DrugBank， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）， and Therapeutic Target Database （TTD）. The intersection targets were identified by the Venny 2.1.0 platform. Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted based on the Metascape database to predict the potential mechanisms of BSZY. Additionally. Western blot was used to verify the effects of BSZY on the expression of estrogen receptor （ERα）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， and protein kinase B （Akt） and explore its protective mechanism on RSA rats. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited significantly decreased uterine， ovarian， and embryonic wet weights （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with an abortion rate of 57.18%. The ovarian tissue showed varying degrees of reduction in primordial follicles， primary follicles， mature follicles， and corpora lutea， along with a large number of atretic follicles. The endometrium was thinner， and decidual tissue exhibited cellular edema and disorganized arrangement. In contrast， compared with the model group， the BSZY groups at all doses and the ZSYT group demonstrated increased uterine， ovarian， and embryonic wet weights， along with a reduced abortion rate. The number of primordial follicles， primary follicles， mature follicles， and corpora lutea increased， while atretic follicles decreased. The endometrium thickened， and decidual tissue displayed normal cellular structure with tight arrangement. Additionally， the model group showed significantly decreased levels of E₂， P， PRL， and FSH in serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）， along with a decreasing trend in LH level. In contrast， the BSZY groups at all doses exhibited significantly elevated levels of E₂， P， LH， PRL， and FSH in serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Network pharmacology predictions suggested that BSZY may exert protective effects against abortion in rats by activating the ERα/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Western blot results confirmed that BSZY significantly upregulated the expression of ERα， PI3K， and p-Akt proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBSZY has a protective effect on the abortion rats with kidney deficiency-corpus luteum inhibition syndrome， possibly by activating the ERα/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to reduce ovarian apoptosis and regulate endocrine function， thereby lowering the abortion rate.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Qingda Granule (QDG) in ameliorating hypertension-induced cardiac damage and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: Twenty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used to develope a hypertension-induced cardiac damage model. Another 10 Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as normotension group. Rats were administrated intragastrically QDG [0.9 g/(kg•d)] or an equivalent volume of pure water for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, histopathological changes, cardiac function, levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers were measured. Furthermore, to gain insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of QDG against hypertension-induced cardiac injury, a network pharmacology study was conducted. Predicted results were validated by Western blot, radioimmunoassay immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: The administration of QDG resulted in a significant decrease in blood pressure levels in SHRs (P<0.01). Histological examinations, including hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson trichrome staining revealed that QDG effectively attenuated hypertension-induced cardiac damage. Furthermore, echocardiography demonstrated that QDG improved hypertension-associated cardiac dysfunction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric method indicated that QDG significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response levels in both myocardial tissue and serum (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Both network pharmacology and experimental investigations confirmed that QDG exerted its beneficial effects in decreasing hypertension-induced cardiac damage by regulating the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)/angiotensin II (Ang II)/Ang II receptor type 1 axis and ACE/Ang II/Ang II receptor type 2 axis.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Hypertension/pathology* ; Renin-Angiotensin System/drug effects* ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Rats ; Inflammation/pathology*

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction （葛根芩连汤） in treatment of ulcerative colitis （UC） from the view of intestinal mucosal epithelial barrier damage and epithelial mesenchymal transition. MethodsSixty male C57BL/6J mice were divided into blank group， model group， western medicine control group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction groups， with 10 mice in each group. Except for the blank group， 3% dextran sodium sulfate （DSS） was used to induce colitis model by free drinking for 7 days， and on the first day of modelling， 6， 12， and 24 g/（kg·d） of modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction were given to the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups respectively， 5-aminosalicylic acid （5-ASA） 100 mg/（kg·d） given by gavage to western medicine control group， and 10 ml/kg distilled water were given to blank and model group by gavage， once a day for 7 days. Body mass of mice was recorded and disease activity index （DAI） scores were performed daily. The mice were anesthetized after 24h of the last administration and the colon was taken to observe the length of colon， HE staining was applied to observe the damage of colonic mucosa and score pathological states， Masson staining to detect the deposition of colonic collagen fibers， immunofluorescence to observe the distribution of F-actin in colonic mucosal epithelium， and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of tight junction protein ZO-1， Occludin， E-cadherin and Vimentin. ResultsCompared with the blank group at the same time， the percentage of body mass of mice in the model group on day 7 of modelling significantly reduced and the DAI score was significantly increased （P＜0.01）； compared with the model group at the same time， the body mass of mice in the western medicine control group and all of modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction groups decreased， and the DAI scores of mice in the western medicine control group and the high-dose modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction group decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； compared with the same time of mice in the low-dos Gegen Qinlian Decoction group， the body mass of mice in the high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group and the western medicine control group significantly elevated （P＜0.05）. Compared with the blank group， the length of the colon of mice in the model group was significantly shortened， the pathological score and the percentage of collagen area were significantly increased， the average fluorescence intensity of F-actin was reduced， the protein levels of ZO-1， Occludin and E-cadherin in the colon tissue decreased， and the protein level of Vimentin elevated （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the length of colon significantly increased， patholo-gical score， collagen area percentage decreased， ZO-1， Occludin， E-cadherin protein levels increased and Vimentin levels decreased in all medicated groups； the average fluorescence intensity of F-actin increased in the western medicine control group and the middle- and high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the low-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group， the proportion of collagen fibre area in the middle-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group and the western medicine control group reduced； the mean fluorescence intensity of F-actin increased in the middle-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group； the protein levels of ZO-1 and E-cadherin increased in the western medicine control group， and the protein levels of ZO-1 increased in the high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group （P＜0.05）. Compared with the medium-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group， the protein levels of ZO-1 elevated in the high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group （P＜0.05）. Comapred with the high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group， level of E-cadherin and Vimentin protein of the western medicine control group increased （P＜0.05）. ConclusionModified Gegen Qinlian Decoction was able to reduce colonic inflammation and mucosal barrier damage and inhibit the process of epithelial mesenchymal transition in mice models of ulcerative colitis， which may be one of its action mechanisms .

To systematically construct a guideline to provide a methodological guide for researchers to develop patient decision aids.

To systematically construct a guideline to provide a methodological guide for researchers to develop patient decision aids.

Talents are the main force for the development of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， and the construction of TCM talents and the reformation of talent evaluation system are essential to promote the inheritance and innovation of TCM. At present， we are still exploring and developing in the fields of the formulation， implementation and evaluation indicators of TCM talent evaluation system. However， there are shortcomings and difficulties. For instance， insufficient stratification in the evaluation， excessive emphasis on the quantity of achievements， neglecting the quality of the achievements and the actual contribution， imperfect assessment indicators， and the weak characteristics of TCM. Therefore， national ministries and commissions have jointly issued a document requesting to break the four only and set a new standard， in order to promote the construction of a scientific and technological talent evaluation system oriented by innovation value， ability and contribution. For the evaluation of TCM clinical talents， China Association for Science and Technology commissioned China Association of Chinese Medicine to build the China Clinical Cases Library of TCM（CCCL-TCM）， which aims at collecting the most authoritative and representative TCM clinical cases and exploring the advantages of applying clinical cases as masterpiece of achievement in TCM clinical talents evaluation. CCCL-TCM can promote the construction of a talent evaluation system that is more in line with the development characteristics of TCM industry， and to carry out relevant pilot in TCM colleges and institutions across the country in order to promote the reformation of TCM talent evaluation system.

ObjectiveBased on the quality evaluation experience of "it is better to have a fragrant and strong aroma" summarized by materia medica of past dynasties， the chemical components of Sojae Semen Nigrum（SSN） and Sojae Semen Praeparatum（SSP） were systematically compared and analyzed， and the main fermentation products in different fermentation time were quantitatively analyzed， so as to clarify the transformation law of internal components in the processing process and provide scientific basis for the modern quality control of SSP. MethodUltra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was used for the structural identification of the chemical constituents of SSN and SSP， and with the aid of Progenesis QI v2.3 software， the negative ion mode was employed for principal component analysis（PCA） pattern recognition， and the data were analyzed with the aid of orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） for two-dimensional data to obtain S-plot， and components with |P|>0.1 were selected as the differential constituents. The contents of isoflavonoids in SSP during fermentation was determined by UPLC， and the samples were taken every 8 h in the pre-fermentation period and every 2 d in the post-fermentation period， and the dynamic changes of isoflavonoid contents in different fermentation stages were analyzed. The contents of amino acids and nucleosides in SSP and SSN from different fermentation stages were quantitatively analyzed by phenyl isothiocyanate（PITC） pre-column derivatization and high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） gradient elution， and the contribution of flavor substances to the "delicious" taste of SSP was discussed by taste intensity value（TAV）. ResultA total of 19 kinds of differential components were screened out， mainly soybean saponins and isoflavones， and their contents decreased significantly or even disappeared after fermentation. In the pre-fermentation process of SSP， glycoside bond hydrolysis mainly occurred， and isoflavone glycosides in SSN were degraded and converted into the corresponding aglycones， the content of flavor substances such as amino acids increased gradually. In the post-fermentation process， protein degradation mainly occurred， after 8 d of post-fermentation， the content of isoflavones was basically stable， while the total content of amino acids increased by 8-40 times on average. Different amino acids form the special flavor of SSP， such as the TAV of glutamate is always ahead of other flavor substances， and sweet substances such as alanine and valine have made relatively great contributions to SSP. ConclusionBased on the law of constituent transformation， combined with the traditional evaluation index of "fragrant and strong"， it is difficult to control the fermentation degree of SSP by the existing standards in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. It is suggested that description of the characteristics of SSP be refined and changed to "fragrant， delicious and slightly sweet"， and at the same time， the post-fermentation index compounds such as glutamic acid， alanine and valine should be added as the quality control indicators of SSP， so as to standardize the production process and improve the quality of SSP.