ObjectiveTo study the mechanism of Huanglian Jiedutang （HLJDT） in treating mice with atherosclerosis （AS） by improving ferroptosis. MethodsA total of 10 SPF C57BL/6J mice were selected as a normal group， and 50 ApoE^-/- mice were randomly divided into five groups： model group， low-dose group of HLJDT， medium-dose group of HLJDT， high-dose group of HLJDT， and atorvastatin （ATV） group. ApoE^-/- mice were fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks to establish the AS model， and at the 9th week， they were given normal saline， low， medium， and high doses of HLJDT （3.9， 7.8， 15.6 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and atorvastatin calcium tablets （0.01 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， respectively， for a total of eight weeks. The formation of aortic plaque in mice was observed by gross oil red O staining and Masson staining. The levels of total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， triglyceride （TG）， and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） in blood fat were measured by the automatic biochemical analyzer， and the mitochondrial structure of the aorta was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The content of serum superoxide dismutase （SOD） in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The content of reduced glutathione （GSH） in serum was detected by the microplate method， and that of malondialdehyde （MDA） in serum was detected by the TBA method. The protein expression of nuclear factor E₂-associated factor 2 （Nrf2）/glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） signaling pathway was detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with those of the normal group， the contents of TC， LDL-C， TG， HDL-C， and MDA in the serum and the aortic vascular plaque deposition of the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while the expression levels of SOD and GSH in serum， as well as Nrf2， solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11）， and GPX4 in aorta were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Mice in the model group appeared mitochondrial fragmentation and vacuolation in the aorta， volume atrophy， mitochondrial crista reduction， or a loose and disorganized form. Compared with those in the model group， the aortic vascular plaque deposition was significantly decreased in the low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose groups of HLJDT and ATV group， and the contents of serum TC， LDL-C， TG， and MDA in serum were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The contents of serum SOD and GSH and the expression levels of Nrf2， SLC7A11， and GPX4 in the aorta were increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the symptoms of aortic mitochondrial vacuolation were alleviated. The number of cristae was increased， and they were ordered neatly. ConclusionHLJDT can reduce aortic vascular plaque deposition， decrease blood lipid and MDA expression， increase SOD and GSH expression， and ameliorate the pathological changes of ferroptosis， the mechanism of which is related to the Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo study the effect and mechanism of Shentong Zhuyutang in treating intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD） in rats. MethodsIn the cell experiment， male rats were administrated with normal saline or low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.38， 6.75，13.5 g·kg^-1， respectively） Shentong Zhuyutang by gavage， respectively， and serum samples were collected after 7 days of continuous administration. Another 10 male rats were selected for the isolation of nucleus pulposus cells. The cell model of IDD was established by treatment with interleukin （IL）-1β. The modeled cells were then treated with Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum and the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 （Fer-1）， respectively， to investigate the effects of Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum on the proliferation and ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells. To study the role of silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） in the regulation of ferroptosis in nucleus pulposus cells by Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum， this study treated the cells with the SIRT1 inhibitor Ex 527 and the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385， respectively， in addition to the treatment with IL-1β and high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay and EdU staining were employed to measure the cell viability and proliferation， respectively. The Fe²⁺， glutathione （GSH）， and malondiadehyde （MDA） levels were measured by colorimetric assay. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family 4 （ACSL4）， Collagen Ⅱ， Aggrecan， SIRT1， and Nrf2. Immunofluorescence was used detect SIRT1 expression. In the animal experiment， male rats were treated with anulus puncture for the modeling of IDD. Rats were randomly assigned into sham operation， model， Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum （13.5 g·kg^-1）， and positive control （nimesulide dispersible tablets， 0.18 mg·kg^-1） groups. Rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding agents at 1 mL·kg^-1， and those in the sham operation and model groups were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline， once daily for 28 consecutive days. At the end of the last administration， the histopathological changes in the intervertebral discs of rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and scored by the Masuda method. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ in the nucleus pulposus tissue. ResultsCompared with the control group， the IL-1β group of nucleus pulposus cells showed elevated levels of Fe²⁺， MDA， and ACSL4 （P<0.05）， decreased cell viability， lowered GSH level， and down-regulated protein levels of GPX4， Collagen Ⅱ， and Aggrecan （P<0.05）. Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum and Fer-1 reversed the effects of IL-1β on the viability and ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and up-regulated the protein levels of Collagen Ⅱ and Aggrecan in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the IL-1β group showcased down-regulated expression of Sirt1 and Nrf2 in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the IL-1β group， the high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum+IL-1β group showed up-regulated expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2 in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum+IL-1β group， the ML385 group showed down-regulated protein levels of Nrf2 and GPX4， lowered GSH level， and elevated Fe²⁺ and MDA levels （P<0.05）. In addition， the Ex 527 group showed down-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， and GPX4 （P<0.05）. The results of the animal experiment showed that compared with the sham operation group， the model group had severe degeneration of the intervertebral disc tissue with increased pathological score， up-regulated protein level of ACSL4 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the Shentong Zhuyutang group showed alleviated IDD with declined pathological score， down-regulated protein level of ACSL4 （P<0.05）， and up-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ （P<0.05）. ConclusionShentong Zhuyutang may activate the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit the ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells， thereby delaying the process of IDD in rats.

Huopo Xialingtang is a famous classical formula for treating dampness and warmth， which is included in the Catalogue of Ancient Famous Classical Formulas（The First Batch）. In this paper， bibliometric methods was used to collect the literature related to Huopo Xialingtang， and 16 items of related literature were retrieved， involving five medical books， which were used to textual research on the origin， name， composition， drug dosage， preparation method， processing and main treatment symptoms of this formula. The results indicated that Huopo Xialingtang was originated from Yiyuan written by Shi Funan in the Qing dynasty， and and was later named and extended by He Lianchen. The composition of the proposed formula was consistent with the record of Yiyuan， and the origin of each Chinese materia medica was basically clear. Houpo was the dried bark and root bark of Magnolia officinalis， Zexie was the dried tubers of Alisma orientale， Kuxingren was the dried mature seeds of Prunus armeniaca， Doukou was the dried mature fruits of Amomum kravanh， the origin of Tuhuoxiang was consistent with the 2018 edition of Shanghai Standards of Processing Chinese Crud Drugs， and the origins of the remaining Chinese medicines were consistent with the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The converted dose of each Chinese medicine was 7.46 g for Agastache rugosa， 3.73 g for Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex， 8.39 g for Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum cum Zingibere et Alumine， 11.19 g for Poria， 11.19 g for Armeniacae Semen Amarum， 14.92 g for Coicis Semen， 2.61 g for Amomi Fructus Rotundus， 5.60 g for Polyporus， 5.60 g for Alismatis Rhizoma， 14.92 g for Tetrapanacis Medulla. Huopo Xialingtang was initially used for the treatment of dampness and warmth at the beginning of the disease， and was later expanded to treat dampness obstruction， dampness-warming dysentery and so on， but always with the dampness-heat in the lungs and spleen as the pathogenesis. In modern times， the clinical application is more extensive， used in digestive， respiratory， endocrine， nervous system and other types of diseases， especially for chronic gastritis， stomach pain and fever. By combing the ancient literature of Huopo Xialingtang， we verified the origin of the formula and determined the key information of the prescription， which can provide literature reference for the clinical application and drug development of this formula.

Liumotang comes from the Yuan dynasty's Effective Prescription Handed Down for Generations of Physicians. It is composed of six medicinal materials： Arecae Semen， Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum， Aucklandiae Radix， Linderae Radix， Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， and Aurantii Fructus. It is a classical formula for treating abdominal pain due to Qi stagnation and constipation accompanied by heat. This study systematically collated the records of Liumotang in ancient medical books and modern clinical literature and conducted in-depth analysis and textual research on its formula source， main diseases， composition， dosage， medical books， container capacity， processing， preparation method， usage， drug basis， formula meaning， and other key information， so as to provide a powerful reference for the development and clinical application of compound preparations of the classical formula Liumotang. The results show that Liumotang was first seen in Effective Prescription Handed Down for Generations of Physicians， and many medical books of the past dynasties have imitated this. In terms of drug basis， the dried and mature seeds of the palm plant Areca catechu， resin-containing wood of the Daphneaceae plant Aquilaria sinensis， the dried roots of the Asteraceae plant woody Aucklandia lappa， the dried tuber root of the Lauraceae plant Lindera aggregata， the dried roots and rhizomes of the knotweed plant， R. palmatum， R.tangutikum， and R. officinale， and the dried and unripe fruits of the citrus genus C. aurantium and its cultivated varieties from the family Rutaceae were selected. In terms of dosage， through the textual research on bowls in the Ming and Qing dynasties， combined with the conversion of medicines and bowl capacity in the Qing dynasty， it was estimated that the dosage of each drug in the Yuan dynasty was 10.86 g. In the Ming and Qing dynasties， the dosage of drugs was mostly equal， but the dosage of drugs was somewhat different. In terms of processing， preparation method， and usage， in the medical books of the past dynasties， the processing of drugs has slightly changed， but raw drugs are used in all preparations. The preparation method and usage did not change much during the Yuan， Ming， and Qing dynasties， except for certain differences in dosage. In terms of syndrome， Liumotang was first used to treat abdominal pain due to Qi stagnation and constipation accompanied by heat. Medical books of the past dynasties often omit the symptoms of heat. In modern clinical practice， Liumotang is mainly used in the digestive system and urinary system diseases and is mostly used to treat constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome， biliary reflux gastritis， functional constipation， slow transit constipation， and other diseases， with no adverse reactions found yet. The above results provide a reliable scientific basis for the development and clinical treatment of Liumotang compound preparations.

ObjectiveThe research focuses on developing modeling and evaluation methodologies for an animal model exhibiting spleen deficiency and dampness excess syndrome， with the aim of standardizing such animal models for future reference. MethodsBy conducting a literature search on animal models of spleen deficiency and dampness excess syndrome， relevant publications meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria will be identified based on publication date， data source， types of diseases involved， animal characteristics， modeling methods， modeling duration， macroscopic syndrome assessment indicators， macroscopic quantification indicators， laboratory testing parameters， intervention approaches， positive controls and application context. A database will be established to facilitate the extraction of this information for quantitative analysis， statistical evaluation， and visual representation. ResultsA total of 137 literature articles meeting the standards have been included in the research. The primary animal species used in animal models of spleen deficiency and dampness excess are SD rats. Modeling methods include single-factor， dual-factor composite， and triple-factor composite methods， with various models widely applied in validation of pharmacological effects and mechanistic explorations. Evaluation indices of animal models for spleen deficiency and dampness excess primarily consist of macroscopic syndrome evaluation indicators and macroscopic quantitative indicators. Laboratory testing indicators are mostly related to research areas such as fluid metabolism and gastrointestinal function. The most commonly studied herbal formulas currently include Shenling Baizhu San and Pingwei San， with natural recovery and the use of the western medicine metronidazole as the most frequently used positive controls. ConclusionThe application of animal models for spleen deficiency and dampness excess is gradually increasing， with various modeling methods already simulating the typical characteristics of this syndrome pattern. However， there are still many areas that are worth contemplating and improving. This study aims to provide reference and ideas for the standardization of symptom names in animal models of spleen deficiency and dampness excess， as well as for the improvement of model construction and evaluation systems.

Polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） is one of the most prevalent gynecological diseases， and its incidence is increasing year by year， seriously affecting the physical and mental health of female patients. The pathogenesis of this disease is complex and has not been fully clarified. At present， PCOS is mainly treated by Western medicine， which， however， has poor efficacy and induces various adverse reactions. Therefore， developing safe and effective therapies has become a difficult problem that needs to be solved. Studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt）， mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （MAPK/ERK）， Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB （TLR4/NF-κB）， transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）/Smads， secreted glycoprotein/β-catenin （Wnt/β-catenin）， adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， and advanced glycation endproduct/receptor for advanced glycation endproducts （AGE/RAGE） signaling pathways to ameliorate insulin resistance， inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress， regulate endocrine hormone disorders， and intervene in apoptosis and autophagy， thus alleviating the symptoms， slowing down the disease progression， and improving the ovarian function. The treatment of PCOS with TCM has demonstrated definite effects and high safety. Therefore， exploring this disease from cellular and molecular perspectives can provide a theoretical basis for its clinical treatment and new drug development. However， there is a lack of systematic reviews on the modulation of relevant signaling pathways by TCM in the treatment of PCOS. This article reviews the research progress in the treatment of PCOS with the active ingredients and compound prescriptions of TCM by regulating relevant signaling pathways in recent years， with the aim of providing evidence to support the promotion of TCM for treating PCOS in the future.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of borneol on pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic effects of Corydalis saxicola total alkaloids in depression model rats. METHODS Thirty male SD rats were divided into blank control group， negative control group， positive control group （fluoxetine 10 mg/kg， i.g.）， single drug group （C. saxicola total alkaloids 210 mg/kg， i.g.） and combined drug group （C. saxicola total alkaloids 210 mg/kg+borneol 50 mg/kg， i.g.） according to the random number table method， with 6 rats in each group. By lipopolysaccharide （LPS） induction modeling， except blank control group （no model and no administration） received intraperitoneal injection of the same amount of normal saline， the rats in the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with LPS once a day to establish a rat model of depression. After 1 week of modeling， each administration group was given relevant drug intragastrically according to the corresponding dose， and blank control group and negative control group （without drug treatment） were administered intragastrically with an equal volume of solvent to dissolve the drug； continued modeling while administering the drug. After two weeks of continuous administration， the effects of C. saxicola total alkaloids versus the combination of C. saxicola total alkaloids and borneol on the behavior of depressed rats were tested by behavioral experiments； the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α， interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 in rats were determined； the histopathological changes of the hippocampus of rats were observed. Blood sample was collected from the orbit at different time points after administration on the 15th day， and the upper plasma was obtained. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry was established for the simultaneous determination of dehydrocarvedine， tetrahydropalmatine， coptisine， palmatine， jatrorrhizine， berberine， berberrubine and epiberberine in rat plasma. The average plasma concentration-time curve was depicted， the area under the curve （AUC） was calculated， and the pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed by DAS 3.2.2 software. RESULTS Compared with blank control group， the negative control group had a decrease in body mass and sugar water preference rate， a decrease in the total distance of open field， a prolonged swimming immobility time， and a increased in the expression of inflammatory factors in serum （P＜0.05）； compared with negative control group, the single drug group and the combined drug group increased the preference rate of sugar water， increased the total distance of open field， shortened the time of swimming immobility， and decreased the expression of inflammatory factors in serum （P＜0.05）. There was no significant difference in the above indicators between the single drug group and the combined drug group in rats （P＞0.05）. Pharmacokinetic results showed that compared with single drug group， AUC0-t of coptisine， AUC0-t， AUC0-∞， tmax and cmax of jatrorrhizine， AUC0-t， AUC0-∞， t1/2 and cmax of berberrubine， and AUC0-t of epiberberine， cmax of dehydrocarvedine， cmax of palmatine were significantly increased in combined drug group， but there was no significant difference， indicating that borneol didn’t have a significant effect on the efficacy of Corydalis saxicola nigra at this dose. CONCLUSIONS Both C. saxicola total alkaloids alone and in combination with borneol can improve depression-like behavior in depression model rats， reduce serum inflammatory cytokine levels， and protect hippocampal neurons. Compared with the use of Corydalis saxicola base alone， the combination with borneol do not show significant pharmacodynamic differences， bu can improve the absorption of coptisine， jatrorrhizine in model rats.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of Pangshi antai zhixue decoction in the improvement of spontaneous abortion with heat syndrome by regulating the NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome. METHODS The binding activities of 13 main components in Pangshi antai zhixue decoction with NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein ， containing a CARD （ASC）， and caspase-1 precursor （pro- No.20-21ZY1053） caspase-1） were predicted by molecular docking. Sixty 1-day-old pregnant rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， dexamethasone group （0.002 g/kg）， and Pangshi antai zhixue decoction low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （11.025， 22.05， 44.10 g/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was given distilled water/corresponding medicinal solution intragastrically， once a day， for 12 consecutive days. Except for normal group， other groups were given traditional Chinese medicine for warming yang and mifepristone to establish a model of spontaneous abortion with heat syndrome. 24 h after the last medication， serum levels of triiodothyronine （T3）， thyroxine （T4）， interleukin-2 （IL-2）， IL-4， IL-6， IL-10， and interferon-γ （IFN-γ） were all detected； the abortion rate and uterine coefficient were calculated； the pathological morphology of the pregnant uterus was observed； protein expressions of NLRP3， ASC and caspase-1 were detected. RESULTS The molecular docking results showed that the binding energies of 13 main components of Pangshi antai zhixue decoction with NLRP3， ASC， and pro-caspase-1 were all less than －5 kJ/moL. The animal experiment results showed that compared with normal group， the uterine coefficient and serum levels of IL-4， IL-6 and IL-10 were decreased significantly in model group （P＜0.05）； the abortion rate and serum levels of T3， T4， IL-2 and IFN-γ as well as protein expressions of NLRP3， ASC and caspase-1 were increased significantly （P＜0.05）； there were abortion lesions in the pregnant endometrium. Compared with the model group， most of the quantitative indicators mentioned above were significantly reversed in Pangshi antai zhixue decoction groups （P＜0.05）， and the endometrial miscarriage lesions in pregnancy were improved to varying degrees. CONCLUSIONS Pangshi antai zhixue decoction influences the immune balance between mother and fetus by regulating the formation of NLRP3 inflammasome， down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-2， and up-regulating anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4， IL-6 and IL-10， thereby improving spontaneous abortion with heat syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To establish the fingerprint of Pinghuo tea standard decoction and a method for determination of multi-component to clarify the transfer relationship of quantities and quality from pieces and standard decoction. METHODS Fifteen batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction were prepared and the extract rate was determined； the fingerprint of the preparation was established by using high-performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）； the similarity evaluation and the determination of common peaks were performed， and chemometric analysis was performed； the same method was used to determine the content of indicator components and the transfer rate was calculated. The chromatographic column was Venusil C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid solution （gradient elution）； the column temperature was 30 ℃， and the detection wavelengths were 238 nm （0-37 min， 85-102 min） and 330 nm （37-85 min） at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with an injection volume of 10 μL. RESULTS The similarity of HPLC fingerprints for 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction was not lower than 0.968. A total of 24 common peaks were calibrated and 9 peaks were recognized， which were as follows neochlorogenic acid （peak 3）， chlorogenic acid （peak 6）， geniposide （peak 9）， glycyrrhizin （peak 10）， galuteolin （peak 11）， isochlorogenic acid A （peak 14）， luteolin （peak 21）， kaempferol （peak 23） and glycyrrhizic acid （peak 24）. Cluster analysis， principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis showed consistent results， all of which could classify the 15 batches of samples into three categories. The linear range of indicator components in 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction， such as geniposide， luteolin， isochlorogenic acid A， glycyrrhizin， and glycyrrhizic acid， were 0.020 580-0.411 600， 0.001 617-0.080 850， 0.006 076-0.607 600， 0.005 125-0.071 740， and 0.017 288-0.432 200 mg/mL， respectively； RSDs of precision， repeatability， stability and recovery rate tests were all not higher than 4% （n＝6）. The mass fractions ranged 3.227 9-10.002 2， 0.297 4-0.554 6， 3.350 1-6.159 6， 0.720 6-1.073 3， 2.003 1-3.030 1 mg/g； transfer rates from the pieces and standard decoction were 19.762 8%-35.840 5%， 12.123 3%-21.254 0%， 46.097 2%-82.869 4%， 58.708 8%-91.629 6%， 39.114 3%-63.710 6%. The transfer rates of the extract from 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction ranged from 61.15%-84.68%. CONCLUSIONS Established HPLC fingerprint and content determination methods in this study are simple and accurate， which can provide reference for the quantitative value transfer study， quality control， clinical application and the development of subsequent formulations of Pinghuo tea standard decoction.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the factors influencing patient satisfaction in the outpatient pharmacy of tertiary maternity and child specialist hospitals in Chongqing， and provide a reference for improving the pharmaceutical management capability of tertiary maternity and child specialist hospitals and enhancing patients’ medical experience. METHODS Utilizing KANO model， a questionnaire was developed and data were analyzed. Key influencing factors were identified through the categorization of requirement attributes， Better values， Worse values， and two-dimensional matrix analysis. The impact of these categorized demand factors on overall satisfaction was further validated through Structural Equation Modeling （SEM）. RESULTS Cronbach’s α coefficient for the survey questionnaire was 0.855， exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.7； Bartlett test for sphericality yielded a value of 5 538.56 with P＜0.01， indicating good reliability and validity of the survey results. Through the KANO model’s factor selection process， the top four key factors influencing patient satisfaction in outpatient pharmacies were determined to be： medication pick-up time （r＝0.45）， pharmacist service attitude （r＝0.45）， rational medication consultation （r＝0.41）， self-service calling system （r＝0.40）， all of which were subsequently validated through SEM. CONCLUSIONS The four factors of medication pick-up time， self-service calling system， pharmacist service attitude， and rational medication consultation significantly influence patient satisfaction in the outpatient pharmacies of tertiary maternity and child hospitals in Chongqing.