1.Effect and Mechanisms of Ermiao Formula Analogs and Their Active Components in Treating Dampness-heat Type Gouty Arthritis: A Review
Xueping ZHAO ; Xinya ZHANG ; Le YANG ; Ye SUN ; Xin SUN ; Hui SUN ; Qimeng ZHANG ; Guangli YAN ; Xijun WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):276-285
Gouty arthritis (GA) is caused by monosodium urate(MSU) deposition due to purine metabolism disorders. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it falls under the category of "dampness-heat Bi syndrome", with core pathogenesis involving dampness-heat accumulation and dysfunction of the spleen and kidney. The dampness-heat syndrome is the most common and the primary syndrome type during acute attacks. In Western medicine, GA is associated with purine metabolism imbalance and inflammation triggered by MSU crystals, involving pathways such as NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and Toll-like receptor 2/4 (TLR2/4) signaling. Clinically, colchicine and similar drugs are commonly used to treat GA, although long-term use carries potential side effects. Ermiao Formula analogs originate from ancient prescriptions, including Ermiao, Sanmiao, and Simiao compound formulas. All contain Atractylodis Rhizoma and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex. Ermiaowan follow a 1∶1 formulation ratio. Sanmiaowan add Cyathulae Radix. Simiaowan further incorporate Coicis Semen. These formulas are rich in active ingredients, including alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and sterols, and treat GA through multi-component, multi-pathway, and multi-target mechanisms. Ermiaosan primarily exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting pathways such as TLR4/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) or regulating immune responses to reduce the release of inflammatory mediators, while also suppressing xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity to decrease uric acid production. Sanmiaowan enhance uric acid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects through the guiding herb Cyathulae Radix, while also protecting cartilage from damage. Simiaowan utilizes Coicis Semen to regulate intestinal flora, alleviate dampness-heat symptoms, and exert multi-pathway anti-inflammatory and uric acid-lowering effects. The active ingredients contribute differently to uric acid metabolism regulation, anti-inflammation, antioxidant activity, and bone repair, resulting in varying therapeutic effects due to differences in formula composition. In summary, formulas derived from Ermiaosan demonstrate significant efficacy in treating dampness-heat type GA. This review summarizes their research progress and mechanisms, providing a reference for clinical application, new drug development, and further studies.
2.Exploration on the Connotation and Application of the Three Aspects of "Dietary Inquiry" for "Appetite" "Eating Capacity" "Food Preference"
Chengxiang WANG ; Chen YANG ; Xueping ZHANG ; Xinxin HU ; Wei WEI ; Xiaolan SU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):1017-1022
"Dietary inquiry" is a core component of the diagnostic system in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which can be divided into three aspects including appetite, eating capacity, and food preference. Abnormalities in appetite are mainly attributed to dysfunction of the mind and impaired regulatory mechanisms. Clinical inquiry should focus on hunger sensation and the willingness to eat voluntarily. Treatment should aim to soothe the liver, regulate the spleen, nourish and calm the mind. Abnormalities in eating capacity are related to disorders of qi movement and structural dysfunction, for which inquiry should focus on whether food descends smoothly and on postprandial reactions, and the corresponding treatment is descending qi, relieving fullness, and promoting bowel movement and digestion. Abnormalities in food preference arise from damage caused by the five flavors and imbalance of visceral qi, for which inquiry should focus on dietary preferences and whether eating brings comfort. It is important to distinguish between "stomach preference" and "oral preference", and treatment should carefully differentiate flavor tendencies and correct imbalances through appropriate dietary flavors. By refining the content of dietary inquiry, this study explores how different dimensions of eating status reflect the holistic concept and syndrome differentiation-based treatment in TCM, providing a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of spleen and stomach diseases and related disorders.
3.Exploration on the Connotation and Application of the Three Aspects of "Dietary Inquiry" for "Appetite" "Eating Capacity" "Food Preference"
Chengxiang WANG ; Chen YANG ; Xueping ZHANG ; Xinxin HU ; Wei WEI ; Xiaolan SU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):1017-1022
"Dietary inquiry" is a core component of the diagnostic system in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which can be divided into three aspects including appetite, eating capacity, and food preference. Abnormalities in appetite are mainly attributed to dysfunction of the mind and impaired regulatory mechanisms. Clinical inquiry should focus on hunger sensation and the willingness to eat voluntarily. Treatment should aim to soothe the liver, regulate the spleen, nourish and calm the mind. Abnormalities in eating capacity are related to disorders of qi movement and structural dysfunction, for which inquiry should focus on whether food descends smoothly and on postprandial reactions, and the corresponding treatment is descending qi, relieving fullness, and promoting bowel movement and digestion. Abnormalities in food preference arise from damage caused by the five flavors and imbalance of visceral qi, for which inquiry should focus on dietary preferences and whether eating brings comfort. It is important to distinguish between "stomach preference" and "oral preference", and treatment should carefully differentiate flavor tendencies and correct imbalances through appropriate dietary flavors. By refining the content of dietary inquiry, this study explores how different dimensions of eating status reflect the holistic concept and syndrome differentiation-based treatment in TCM, providing a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of spleen and stomach diseases and related disorders.
4.Guizhi Fulingwan Alleviate Hepatic Fibrosis by Modulating mtDNA/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD Signaling Pathway
Yu TANG ; Xuli YANG ; Qiang YANG ; Xiaojie WANG ; Yongxiang GAO ; Xueping LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(14):91-99
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Guizhi Fulingwan (GFW) against hepatic fibrosis, focusing on elucidating the regulatory effect of GFW on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)/NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1)/gasdermin D (GSDMD) signaling pathway. MethodsForty-two male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly allocated into six groups (n=7): control, model, low/medium/high-dose (0.14, 0.28, 0.56 g·kg-1·d-1) GFW (GFW-L, GFW-M, GFW-H), and Dahuang Zhechong pills (DZW, 1.8 g·kg-1·d-1). The rat model of hepatic fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride. General conditions of the rats were observed. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured. Liver histopathology and collagen deposition were observed through hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to observe structural alterations and damage of cellular ultrastructures including mitochondria. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) was detected by flow cytometry. Serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA levels of mtDNA and NLRP3 in the liver tissue were quantified by Real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). The protein levels of key molecules in the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway in the liver tissue were determined by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group exhibited a decrease in body weight (P<0.01), an increase in liver index (P<0.01), elevations in serum ALT and AST levels (P<0.01), and typical fibrotic features such as disorganized hepatocytes, inflammatory infiltration, and increased collagen deposition in the liver tissue. TEM revealed significant karyotheca degeneration, mitochondrial swelling, endoplasmic reticulum expansion, and organelle efflux in the model group. In addition, the model group showed decreased ΔΨm (P<0.01), up-regulated mRNA levels of mtDNA and NLRP3 (P<0.01) and protein levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, and GSDMD (P<0.01) in the liver tissue, and increased serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 (P<0.01). Compared with that in the model group, the body weight increased in GFW-L, GFW-M, and DZW groups (P<0.05) and markedly increased in the GFW-H group (P<0.01). The liver index decreased in the GFW groups and DZW group (P<0.01). The serum ALT level declined in the GFW-L group (P<0.05), and the serum ALT and AST levels decreased in the GFW-M, GFW-H, and DZW groups (P<0.01). Histopathological damage and fibrosis were alleviated to varying degrees, and TEM revealed mitigated ultrastructural injuries including mitophagy, mitochondrial swelling, and endoplasmic reticulum expansion in the drug intervention groups. The ΔΨm increased in GFW groups without statistical significance. The mRNA level of mtDNA in the liver tissue was down-regulated in the GFW-M (P<0.05), GFW-H (P<0.01), and DZW (P<0.01) groups. The mRNA level of NLRP3 was down-regulated in GFW-M, GFW-H, and DZW groups (P<0.01). Western blot analysis showed significantly down-regulated protein level of NLRP3 in all the GFW groups and the DZW group (P<0.01). The protein level of GSDMD-N was down-regulated in GFW-H and DZW groups (P<0.01). The protein level of cleaved Caspase-1 was down-regulated in GFW-M (P<0.05), GFW-H (P<0.01), and DZW (P<0.01) groups. In addition, the serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 declined in GFW-H and DZW groups (P<0.01). ConclusionGFW can suppress pyroptosis to ameliorate CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis, potentially through mitigating mitochondrial damage, inhibiting inflammasome assembly and activation, and blocking pro-inflammatory cytokine release.
5.Effect of exercise on cancer patients with anxiety and depression during chemotherapy: a meta-analysis
Yicheng YANG ; Dandan WANG ; Qunce SHEN ; Lei ZHANG ; Xueping WU
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2025;31(2):184-193
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of exercise on anxiety and depression in cancer patients during chemotherapy, as well as the optimal exercise dosage. MethodsA PICO framework was constructed, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of exercise on anxiety and depression in cancer patients during chemotherapy were retrieved from databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang data, from the establishment to November, 2023. The quality of the literature was evaluated with Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Data were synthesized and analyzed using RevMan 5.3, and the risk of bias was evaluated using Stata 18.0. ResultsA total of 13 RCTs involving 1 340 subjects were included. The scores of PEDro scale were five to eight. Exercise interventions significantly improved anxiety (SMD = -0.70, 95%CI -1.18 to -0.22, P = 0.004) and depression (SMD = -0.89, 95%CI -1.43 to -0.34, P = 0.002) compared to the control group. Subgroup analyses showed that, the exercise effect on anxiety was less than 45 minutes a time (SMD = -0.26, 95%CI -0.46 to -0.05, P = 0.01), more than three times a week (SMD = -0.26, 95%CI -0.46 to -0.05, P = 0.01), and less than twelve weeks (SMD = -0.21, 95%CI -0.36 to -0.07, P = 0.005). For depression, it was less than 45 minutes a time (SMD = -0.69, 95%CI -1.29 to -0.08, P = 0.03), more than three times a week (SMD = -0.69, 95%CI -1.29 to -0.08, P = 0.03), and less than twelve weeks (SMD = -0.52, 95%CI -0.92 to -0.13, P = 0.01). Moderate to high-intensity exercise interventions significantly outperformed the control group in improving anxiety (SMD = -0.21, 95%CI -0.37 to -0.06, P = 0.007) and depression (SMD = -0.21, 95%CI -0.41 to -0.01, P = 0.04). ConclusionExercise interventions can effectively improve anxiety and depression in cancer patients during chemotherapy, and it suggests for high-intensity exercise, less than 45 minutes a time, more than three times a week, and less than twelve weeks.
6.Clinical manifestations and drug resistance analysis of 36 neonates with enterobacter sepsis
Yan YANG ; Haifeng GENG ; Shenglin YU ; Xueping ZHU
Journal of Chinese Physician 2025;27(10):1468-1472
Objective:To summarize and analyze the clinical characteristics, drug resistance and treatment of 36 neonates with Enterobacter sepsis in the Children′s Hospital of Soochow University in the past 3 years, so as to provide reference for clinical treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on neonates hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology of the Children′s Hospital of Soochow University from January 2021 to March 2024 who were diagnosed with Enterobacter sepsis. The birth status, clinical manifestations, blood culture drug sensitivity, treatment status and disease outcome of the neonates were analyzed.Results:A total of 36 neonates with Enterobacter sepsis were collected. Premature infants accounted for 38.9%(14/36), and late-onset cases accounted for 66.7%(24/36). The incidence of complications was high. The main complications were central nervous system infection (15/36, 41.7%), urinary system infection (13/36, 36.1%) and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (7/36, 19.4%). The main pathogenic bacteria were Escherichia coli (19 cases) and Klebsiella (11 cases). Among the 19 escherichia coli strains, 7 were extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains and 1 was carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) strain. Among the 11 Klebsiella strains, 9 were ESBL-producing strains and 6 were CRE strains. The 6 neonates with CRE sepsis were treated with sensitive antibiotics such as meropenem, amikacin and ceftazidime-avibactam, and achieved good therapeutic effects.Conclusions:Escherichia coli and Klebsiella are the main pathogens of Enterobacter sepsis in neonates, especially premature infants, with high incidence of complications and high drug resistance rate.
7.Construction of Clinical Questions and Outcome Indicators of Clinical Practice Guidelines of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Based on the Modified Delphi Method
Lixin MA ; Xueping ZHANG ; Xinxin HU ; Qianying WANG ; Zhuotai ZHONG ; Suowei WU ; Lei CHEN ; Weiqi SUN ; Wei CHEN ; Chen YANG ; Wei WEI ; Xiaolan SU
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(9):128-134
Objective To explore and construct the clinical questions and outcome indicators of the Clinical Practice Guideline of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome;To provide a basis for the subsequent preparation of this guide to form recommendations.Methods First,by searching the databases of seven major Chinese and English journals,including CNKI,the preliminary list of clinical problems and outcome indicators in the Clinical Practice Guideline of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome were sorted out,and then the clinical questions and outcome indicators that formed the recommendations of the guide were finally determined based on the modified Delphi method in the form of three rounds of online.The first two rounds were conducted in the form of online questionnaires filled out by experts,and the importance ratings of clinical issues and outcome indicators were imported into the SPSS 27.0 software for statistical analysis.The first and second rounds of clinical questions and outcome indicators were rated as the average score≥4,full score frequency≥30%,and the coefficient of variation≤25%,respectively;the inclusion criteria for entering the second round of evaluation were an average score of≥7 and an average score of≤25%.The third round would be further discussed and voted on by experts in an online consensus meeting,with a voting rate of≥80%as the standard to determine the final items to be included in the guidelines.Results A total of 109 questionnaires were distributed nationwide in the first round of inquiry,and 107 were collected;a total of 20 questionnaires were distributed for the second round of expert research,and 20 were collected.The positive coefficients of the first and second rounds of experts were 98.17%and 100%;the Cronbach coefficients of clinical questions were 0.937 and 0.943,respectively;the Cronbach coefficients of the outcome indicators were 0.970 and 0.940,respectively.In the third round,a total of 22 experts participated in the meeting and all voted,resulting in a positive coefficient of 100%and an authority coefficient of 0.88.13 clinical questions and 17 outcome indicators were finally included in Clinical Practice Guideline of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Conclusion According to the results of the above three rounds of modified Delphi method,it indicates that the questionnaire survey in the process of formulating the guidelines is highly reliable,which can provide a reliable basis for the writing of this guide,and to provide a reference for the development of acupuncture guidelines in related fields.
8.Tailoring a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for complex diseases:A novel multi-targets-directed gradient weighting strategy
Zhe YU ; Teng LI ; Zhi ZHENG ; Xiya YANG ; Xin GUO ; Xindi ZHANG ; Haoying JIANG ; Lin ZHU ; Bo YANG ; Yang WANG ; Jiekun LUO ; Xueping YANG ; Tao TANG ; En HU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(4):804-816
Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)exerts integrative effects on complex diseases owing to the char-acteristics of multiple components with multiple targets.However,the syndrome-based system of diagnosis and treatment in TCM can easily lead to bias because of varying medication preferences among physicians,which has been a major challenge in the global acceptance and application of TCM.Therefore,a standardized TCM prescription system needs to be explored to promote its clinical application.In this study,we first developed a gradient weighted disease-target-herbal ingredient-herb network to aid TCM formulation.We tested its efficacy against intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH).First,the top 100 ICH targets in the GeneCards database were screened according to their relevance scores.Then,SymMap and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP)databases were applied to find out the target-related ingredients and ingredient-containing herbs,respectively.The relevance of the resulting ingredients and herbs to ICH was determined by adding the relevance scores of the corresponding targets.The top five ICH therapeutic herbs were combined to form a tailored TCM prescriptions.The absorbed components in the serum were detected.In a mouse model of ICH,the new prescription exerted multifaceted effects,including improved neurological function,as well as attenuated neuronal damage,cell apoptosis,vascular leakage,and neuroinflammation.These effects matched well with the core pathological changes in ICH.The multi-targets-directed gradient-weighting strategy presents a promising avenue for tailoring precise,multipronged,unbiased,and standardized TCM prescriptions for complex diseases.This study provides a paradigm for advanced achievements-driven modern innovation in TCM concepts.
9.Tailoring a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for complex diseases: A novel multi-targets-directed gradient weighting strategy.
Zhe YU ; Teng LI ; Zhi ZHENG ; Xiya YANG ; Xin GUO ; Xindi ZHANG ; Haoying JIANG ; Lin ZHU ; Bo YANG ; Yang WANG ; Jiekun LUO ; Xueping YANG ; Tao TANG ; En HU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(4):101199-101199
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exerts integrative effects on complex diseases owing to the characteristics of multiple components with multiple targets. However, the syndrome-based system of diagnosis and treatment in TCM can easily lead to bias because of varying medication preferences among physicians, which has been a major challenge in the global acceptance and application of TCM. Therefore, a standardized TCM prescription system needs to be explored to promote its clinical application. In this study, we first developed a gradient weighted disease-target-herbal ingredient-herb network to aid TCM formulation. We tested its efficacy against intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). First, the top 100 ICH targets in the GeneCards database were screened according to their relevance scores. Then, SymMap and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) databases were applied to find out the target-related ingredients and ingredient-containing herbs, respectively. The relevance of the resulting ingredients and herbs to ICH was determined by adding the relevance scores of the corresponding targets. The top five ICH therapeutic herbs were combined to form a tailored TCM prescriptions. The absorbed components in the serum were detected. In a mouse model of ICH, the new prescription exerted multifaceted effects, including improved neurological function, as well as attenuated neuronal damage, cell apoptosis, vascular leakage, and neuroinflammation. These effects matched well with the core pathological changes in ICH. The multi-targets-directed gradient-weighting strategy presents a promising avenue for tailoring precise, multipronged, unbiased, and standardized TCM prescriptions for complex diseases. This study provides a paradigm for advanced achievements-driven modern innovation in TCM concepts.
10.Diagnosis of an Outbreak of Canine Distemper in Cynomolgus Monkeys in an Experimental Monkey Farm in 2019
Chenjuan WANG ; Lingyan YANG ; Lipeng WANG ; Xueping SUN ; Jingwen LI ; Lianxiang GUO ; Rong RONG ; Changjun SHI
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2025;45(3):360-367
Objective To report the diagnosis of a canine distemper virus outbreak among a colony of cynomolgus monkeys at an experimental monkey farm in 2019. MethodsA total of 46 samples were collected from 21 diseased cynomolgus monkeys (exhibiting symptoms such as facial rash, skin scurf, runny nose, and diarrhea) and from one deceased monkey at an experimental monkey breeding farm in South China in late 2019, including serum, skin rash swabs, and anticoagulated whole blood, liver, lung, and skin tissues were submitted for testing. All submitted samples were tested for canine distemper virus gene fragments using real-time quantitative PCR, while immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect canine distemper virus nucleoprotein in lung tissues. The skin tissue of the deceased monkey was ground and sieved. The filtrate was inoculated into a monolayer MDCK cell line for virus isolation. Then, whole-genome sequencing was performed to identify the isolated virus. The Clustal Omega tool was used to align and analyze the homology of different Asian canine distemper virus isolates. A phylogenetic tree was constructed, followed by genetic evolutionary analysis. ResultsClinical retrospective analysis revealed that the diseased cynomolgus monkeys exhibited symptoms similar to those observed in cynomolgus monkeys infected with measles virus. Necropsy findings showed red lesions in the lungs and significant hemorrhage in the colonic mucosa. Real-time quantitative PCR detected canine distemper virus nucleic acid in the serum, skin rash swabs of the infected monkeys, and various tissue samples of the deceased monkey, all of which tested positive. Calculation based on the standard curve formula indicated the viral load was highest in the skin tissue. Immunohistochemical staining of the deceased monkey's lung tissue demonstrated aggregation of CDV nucleoprotein in alveolar epithelial cells, bronchi, and bronchioles. A CDV strain was isolated from the skin tissue of the deceased monkey. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that this strain shares the closest relationship (98.86%) with the Asian-1 type canine distemper virus strain CDV/dog/HCM/33/140816, previously identified in dogs in Vietnam. ConclusionBased on comprehensive analysis of clinical symptoms, nucleic acid detection, viral protein immunohistochemistry, and whole-genome sequencing results, the diagnosis confirms that the cynomolgus monkeys in this facility are infected with canine distemper virus. It is recommended to include canine distemper virus as a routine surveillance target in captive monkey populations. Additionally, this study provides a foundation for further research on the molecular biological characteristics of canine distemper virus.

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