The Huangdi Neijing proposes the " using bitter herbs to nourish or purge" theory to guide clinical prescription and formulation of herbal remedies based on the physiological characteristics and functions of the five zang viscera, along with the properties and flavors of medicinal herbs. This study explored diabetic kidney disease pathogenesis and treatment based on the " using bitter herbs to nourish or purge" theory. Kidney dryness is a key pathological factor in diabetic kidney disease, and the disharmony of kidney dryness is an essential aspect of its pathogenesis. Strengthening is the primary therapeutic principle, and kidney dryness is a persistent factor throughout the occurrence and progression of diabetic kidney disease. In the early stage, the pathogenesis involves heat-consuming qi and injuring yin, leading to kidney dryness. In the middle stage, the pathogenesis manifests as qi deficiency and blood stasis in the collaterals, resulting in turbidity owing to kidney dryness. In the late stage, the pathogenesis involves yin and yang deficiency, with kidney dryness and disharmony. This study proposes the staging-based treatment based on the " need for firmness" characteristic of the kidney. The aim is to provide new insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine by rationally using pungent, bitter, and salty medicinal herbs to nourish and moisturize the kidney. This approach seeks to promote precise syndrome differentiation and personalized treatment for different stages of diabetic kidney disease, thereby enhancing clinical efficacy.

ObjectiveTo study the effects of applying different microbial fertilizers on the growth and rhizosphere soil environment of Codonopsis pilosula and provide a theoretical basis for ecological cultivation of this medicinal plant. MethodsSeven groups were designed， including CK （no application of microbial fertilizer）， T1 （Trichoderma longibrachiatum fertilizer）， T2 （Bacillus subtilis fertilizer）， T3 （Trichoderma viride fertilizer）， T4 （compound microbial fertilizer）， T5 （C. pilosula stems and leaves fermented with compound microbial fertilizer）， and T6 （Scutellaria baicalensis stems and leaves fermented with T. viride fertilizer）. The physiological indicators， yield， and quality of C. pilosula and the physicochemical properties， enzyme activities， and microbial diversity in the rhizosphere soil of different fertilizer treatments were measured. ResultsGroup T1 showed slight decreases in soluble protein content （SPC） and superoxide dismutase （SOD）. Groups T2-T6 showed increases in physiological indicators such as proline （Pro）， soluble solids content （SSC）， SPC， catalase （CAT）， and peroxidase （POD） and a decrease in malondialdehyde （MDA） in C. pilosula leaves. All the fertilizer treatments increased the yield of C. pilosula and the total polysaccharide content in the roots. T1， T2， T3， T4， and T5 increased the total flavonoid content in the roots. Meanwhile， T4 increased the total saponin content in the roots. All the fertilizer treatments reduced the pH and increased the electric conductivity （EC）， soil organic matter （SOM）， and alkaline nitrogen （AN） in the soil. T2 and T5 increased the available phosphorus （AP）， and T3， T4， T5， and T6 increased the available potassium （AK） in the soil. All the fertilizer treatments increased the activities of urease， sucrase， and CAT in the soil. Except that T1 decreased the bacterial diversity in the soil， other fertilizer treatments significantly increased bacterial and fungal diversity in the soil. Different fertilizer treatments significantly affected the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the soil. At the phylum level， the dominant bacterial phyla included Proteobacteria， Acidobacteriota， and Bacteroideta， and the dominant fungal phyla were Ascomycota， Mortierellomycota， and unclassified_fungi in the rhizosphere soil of C. pilosula after bacterial fertilizer treatment. At the genus level， unclassified Gemmatimonadaceae， Sphingomonas， and unclassified Vicinamibacteraceae were the dominant bacterial genera， while unidentified， unclassified Fungi， and unclassified Sordariomycetes were the dominant fungal genera in the rhizosphere soil. The results of redundancy analysis indicated that the main physicochemical factors affecting changes of microbial communities in the rhizosphere soil of C. pilosula were pH， EC， AK， AN， AP， and soil organic matter （SOM） in the soil. The correlation heatmap showed that Bryobacter had significantly positive correlations with EC， AK， and AN. There was a significantly negative correlation between Fusarium and SOM. In summary， applying an appropriate amount of microbial fertilizer can promote the growth and improve the rhizosphere soil environment of C. pilosula. ConclusionThe compound microbial fertilizer and the C. pilosula stems and leaves fermented with compound microbial fertilizer can improve the soil nutrients， growth， development， yield， and quality of C. pilosula， and thus they can be applied to the artificial cultivation of C. pilosula.

ObjectiveTo study the effects of applying different microbial fertilizers on the growth and rhizosphere soil environment of Codonopsis pilosula and provide a theoretical basis for ecological cultivation of this medicinal plant. MethodsSeven groups were designed， including CK （no application of microbial fertilizer）， T1 （Trichoderma longibrachiatum fertilizer）， T2 （Bacillus subtilis fertilizer）， T3 （Trichoderma viride fertilizer）， T4 （compound microbial fertilizer）， T5 （C. pilosula stems and leaves fermented with compound microbial fertilizer）， and T6 （Scutellaria baicalensis stems and leaves fermented with T. viride fertilizer）. The physiological indicators， yield， and quality of C. pilosula and the physicochemical properties， enzyme activities， and microbial diversity in the rhizosphere soil of different fertilizer treatments were measured. ResultsGroup T1 showed slight decreases in soluble protein content （SPC） and superoxide dismutase （SOD）. Groups T2-T6 showed increases in physiological indicators such as proline （Pro）， soluble solids content （SSC）， SPC， catalase （CAT）， and peroxidase （POD） and a decrease in malondialdehyde （MDA） in C. pilosula leaves. All the fertilizer treatments increased the yield of C. pilosula and the total polysaccharide content in the roots. T1， T2， T3， T4， and T5 increased the total flavonoid content in the roots. Meanwhile， T4 increased the total saponin content in the roots. All the fertilizer treatments reduced the pH and increased the electric conductivity （EC）， soil organic matter （SOM）， and alkaline nitrogen （AN） in the soil. T2 and T5 increased the available phosphorus （AP）， and T3， T4， T5， and T6 increased the available potassium （AK） in the soil. All the fertilizer treatments increased the activities of urease， sucrase， and CAT in the soil. Except that T1 decreased the bacterial diversity in the soil， other fertilizer treatments significantly increased bacterial and fungal diversity in the soil. Different fertilizer treatments significantly affected the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the soil. At the phylum level， the dominant bacterial phyla included Proteobacteria， Acidobacteriota， and Bacteroideta， and the dominant fungal phyla were Ascomycota， Mortierellomycota， and unclassified_fungi in the rhizosphere soil of C. pilosula after bacterial fertilizer treatment. At the genus level， unclassified Gemmatimonadaceae， Sphingomonas， and unclassified Vicinamibacteraceae were the dominant bacterial genera， while unidentified， unclassified Fungi， and unclassified Sordariomycetes were the dominant fungal genera in the rhizosphere soil. The results of redundancy analysis indicated that the main physicochemical factors affecting changes of microbial communities in the rhizosphere soil of C. pilosula were pH， EC， AK， AN， AP， and soil organic matter （SOM） in the soil. The correlation heatmap showed that Bryobacter had significantly positive correlations with EC， AK， and AN. There was a significantly negative correlation between Fusarium and SOM. In summary， applying an appropriate amount of microbial fertilizer can promote the growth and improve the rhizosphere soil environment of C. pilosula. ConclusionThe compound microbial fertilizer and the C. pilosula stems and leaves fermented with compound microbial fertilizer can improve the soil nutrients， growth， development， yield， and quality of C. pilosula， and thus they can be applied to the artificial cultivation of C. pilosula.

The paper summarizes Professor YANG Jun's thoughts on clinical treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion. Professor YANG Jun puts forward the "refined mode for diagnosis and treatment of diseases with acupuncture and moxibustion", aiming to improve the capacity of diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice. He advocates that the diagnosis and treatment should be guided by the identification of etiologies, syndromes and meridians; in accordance with regulating the shape/form, balancing yin and yang, and harmonizing the mind; and by means of skillful techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion, simplified selection of acupoints and delicate manipulations. Besides, he stresses on the combination of multiple techniques of acupuncture (such as penetrating technique with long needle, stuck needling by lifting and pulling, and micro-acupuncture systems) with moxibustion techniques (moxibustion for resolving stasis and unblocking collaterals, pressing moxibustion, borneol moxibustion, moxibustion with medicinal plaster) in clinical practice, so as to enhance the therapeutic effects.
Moxibustion/methods* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; China ; Acupuncture Points

eIF3a is a N ⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) reader that regulates mRNA translation by recognizing m⁶A modifications of these mRNAs. It has been suggested that eIF3a may play an important role in regulating translation initiation via m⁶A during infection when canonical cap-dependent initiation is inhibited. However, the death of animal model studies impedes our understanding of the functional significance of eIF3a in immunity and regulation in vivo. In this study, we investigated the in vivo function of eIF3a using eIF3a knockout and knockdown mouse models and found that eIF3a deficiency resulted in splenic tissue structural disruption and multi-organ damage, which contributed to severe sepsis induced by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Ectopic eIF3a overexpression in the eIF3a knockdown mice rescued mice from LPS-induced severe sepsis. We further showed that eIF3a maintains a functional and healthy immune system by regulating B cell function and quantity through m⁶A modification of mRNAs. These findings unveil a novel mechanism underlying sepsis, implicating the pivotal role of B cells in this complex disease process regulated by eIF3a. Furthermore, eIF3a may be used to develop a potential strategy for treating sepsis.

OBJECTIVE To compare the anti-thymic atrophy effects of petroleum ether(PEE), ethyl acetate(EAE), n-butanol(BE) and water extract(WE) fractions from root tubers of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et. Gilg based on mice thymic atrophy model established by intraperitoneal injection of PolyI:C to preliminarily investigate the mechanisms of its effects. METHODS One hunderd ICR mice were randomly divided into 10 groups: control group, model group, low- and high-dose groups of the four extract fractions, with 10 mice in each group. The control group and model group were given equal volume of purified water and gavaged for 10 d. Starting on the 9th day, PolyI:C solution of 16 mg·kg−1 was injected intraperitoneally for 2 consecutive days, except for the control group, which was injected intraperitoneally with physiological saline. Samples of thymics were weighed and and visceral index was calculated, blood samples were taken for analysis of IL-2, TNF-α and WBC, thymic histopathology was analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin staining, Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of TNF-α, p-NF-κB and NF-κB. RESULTS Compared with the model group, all groups of extracts could enhance the thymus weight and thymus index, as well as the cortex and medulla area ratio and the number of thymic corpuscles in 1 mm2 of medulla to different degrees, and at the same time, significantly reduce the level of TNF-α in plasma, evidently inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB, and reduced the protein expression of TNF-α, and each of them having distinct advantages and disadvantages. Peripheral blood white blood cell, lymphocyte absolute count and lymphocyte percentage were elevated in the low-dose WE group, low-dose EAE group and high dose PEE group, IL-2 levels were significantly elevated in the low-dose WE group and high dose BE group, and these effects were particularly well demonstrated. CONCLUSION Four extracts from root tubers of Tetrastigma Hemsleyanum Diels et. Gilg can improve morphological changes and atrophy of the thymus tissue in different degrees, regulate of peripheral blood leukocyte imbalance in post-modeling mice, it may be related to the inhibition of PolyI:C-induced phosphorylation of the NF-κB and reduction of protein expression of pro-inflammatory factors.

Objective To establish the distribution zoning of Ziziphus jujuba var.spinosa in Shanxi Province;To help the development of Z.jujuba var.spinosa industry in Shanxi Province.Methods Combined with the information of longitude and latitude of sample points from the forth national survey resources and environment factors data in Grid Database of Spatial Information of TCM Resources,the MaxEnt model and ArcGIS were applied to analyze the main environmental factors affecting the suitability distribution of Z.jujuba var.spinosa.Results Dominant ecological factors for the suitability distribution of Z.Jujuba var.spinosa were vegetation type,lowest temperature of coldest month,monthly precipitation in November,monthly precipitation in October,altitude,and slope.The reclassified suitability grid data of ArcGIS software showed that Z.jujuba var.spinosa suitability distribution area including 0.73×104 km2 of high suitability area,1.41×104 km2 of medium suitability area and 4.33×104 km2 of low suitability area.The potential suitable distribution areas of Z.jujuba var.spinosa were mainly concentrated in the central and southern Shanxi Province.Conclusion This study shows that the most suitable growth area of Z.jujuba var.spinosa is mainly located in central and southern Shanxi Province,which can provide reference for the development,utilization and standardized planting of wild resources of Z.jujuba var.spinosa.

Objective To grasp the main environmental factors affecting the growth of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao;To predict the distribution of suitable areas of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province;To provide references for the rational distribution of the resources in Shanxi Province.Methods This study utilized the sample point longitude and latitude information collected in the"Fourth Survey of Chinese Materia Medica Resources"database in Shanxi Province.The data were supplemented by searching the China Digital Herbarium and retrieving related literature records.347 sample points distribution data and environmental factors were added to the MaxEnt model.The main environmental factors and contribution rates affecting the geographical distribution of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao were screened out.The ArcGIS software was used to divide the ecological suitable area of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province.Results The area under the ROC curve of the established MaxEnt model was 0.909,indicating that the model prediction results were accurate.The model screened 19 environmental factors.Among them,climate factor was the most important environmental factor,followed by biological factor and topographic factor,and soil factor had the least influence.The potential suitable areas of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province were mainly distributed in the northern mountainous areas,presenting a trend of gradually decreasing suitability levels from north to south.Under the current climate conditions,the most suitable area for Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province was 15 424 km2,the suitable area was 19 856 km2,the sub suitable area was 59 436 km2,and the unsuitable area was 61 894 km2.Conclusion Based on MaxEnt model and ArcGIS software,this study predicts the distribution of suitable areas of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao in Shanxi Province,which has certain reference value for the protection and rational distribution of Astragalus membranaceus(Fisch.)Bge.var.mongholicus(Bge.)Hsiao resources in Shanxi Province.

Objective To establish ecological suitability zone of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl in Shanxi Province;To study the quality regionalization of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl from different producing areas in Shanxi Province;To provide reference for reasonable planting and wild tending of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl.Methods Maximum entropy(MaxEnt)model and ArcGIS software were used to study the ecological suitability of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl in Shanxi Province;By screening the main environmental factors and combining them with the content of forsythoside and forsythoside A in Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl of different regions,a quality zoning of Forsythia suspensa Thunb.Vahl medicinal materials in Shanxi Province based on forsythoside,forsythoside A and environmental factors was constructed.Results The ecological suitable areas of Forsythia suspensa Thunb.Vahl in Shanxi Province were mainly distributed in the southern part of Shanxi Province,mainly in Linfen,Yuncheng,Changzhi,and Jincheng.The general contents of forsythoside and forsythoside A in the Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl medicinal material were gradually reduced from southern part to northern part of Shanxi Province.The comprehensive quality was high in southern part of Shanxi Province,mainly in Linfen,Changzhi,Yuncheng and Jincheng.Conclusion The results of this study are consistent with the actual survey.The southern part of Shanxi province is a suitable planting area for high quality Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl,which provides a reference for the standardized planting and wild tending of Forsythia suspensa(Thunb.)Vahl.