1.Exploration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Characteristics in A Heart Failure Model Induced by Coronary Artery Ligation Based on Method of Syndrome Identification by Prescription Efficacy
Xiaoqian LIAO ; Peiyao LI ; Xingyu FAN ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Junyu ZHANG ; Yuehang XU ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):169-177
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major global public health problem, and myocardial infarction is one of its main causes. The mouse model of heart failure induced by coronary artery ligation is widely used in the study of CHF, while the TCM syndrome attributes of this model have not yet been clarified. According to the theory of correspondence between prescriptions and syndromes, the method of syndrome identification by prescription efficacy is an important means of current syndrome research of animal models. This method deduces the syndrome characteristics of animal models through prescription efficacy. Taking the four basic syndrome elements of Qi, blood, Yin and Yang as the classification reference, this study used coronary artery ligation to construct a mouse model of CHF and treated the model with four representative TCM injections with the effects of replenishing Qi, warming Yang, nourishing Yin, and activating blood and enalapril. Echocardiography, tongue color parameters, histopathology, serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnⅠ) levels, and systematically explored the TCM syndrome attributes of this model. The results showed that the coronary ligation model presented an obvious cardiac function decline, myocardial fibrosis, infarct size expansion, and purple dark tongue, which were consistent with the basic syndrome characteristics of blood stasis in CHF. Danhong injection had significant effects of improving the cardiac function, alleviating myocardial fibrosis, and reducing serum NT-proBNP and cTnⅠ levels. Huangqi Injection and Shenfu injection can improve the cardiac function and tongue color parameters, with limited effects. The effect of Shenmai injection group was not obvious. This study verifies that the established model conforms to blood stasis syndrome through the method of syndrome identification by prescription efficacy, which provides an experimental basis for the study of TCM syndrome mechanism of CHF.
2.Myocardial Metabolomics Reveals Mechanism of Shenfu Injection in Ameliorating Energy Metabolism Remodeling in Rat Model of Chronic Heart Failure
Xinyue NING ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Mengna ZHANG ; Yang GUO ; Zhijia XIANG ; Kun LIAN ; Zhixi HU ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):178-186
ObjectiveTo examine the influences of Shenfu injection on the endogenous metabolic byproducts in the myocardium of the rat model exhibiting chronic heart failure, thus deciphering the therapeutic mechanism of the Qi-reinforcing and Yang-warming method. MethodsSD rats were randomly allocated into a control group and a modeling group. Chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome in rats was modeled by multi-point subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol, and the rats were fed for 14 days after modeling. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model, Shenfu injection (6.0 mL·kg-1), and trimetazidine (10 mg·kg-1) groups and treated with corresponding agents for 15 days. The control group and the model group were injected with equal doses of normal saline, and the samples were collected after the intervention was completed. Cardiac color ultrasound was performed. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe histopathological morphology, and the serum level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mitochondrial morphological and structural changes of cardiomyocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the metabolic profiling was carried out by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quantitative exactive-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). Differential metabolites were screened and identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and other methods, and then the MetaboAnalyst database was used for further screening. The relevant biological pathways were obtained through pathway enrichment analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to evaluate the diagnostic value of each potential biomarker for myocardial injury and the evaluation value for drug efficacy. ResultsThe results of color ultrasound showed that Shenfu Injection improved the cardiac function indexes of model rats (P<0.05). The results of HE staining showed that Shenfu injection effectively alleviated the pathological phenomena such as myocardial tissue structure disorder and inflammatory cell infiltration in model rats. The results of ELISA showed that Shenfu injection effectively regulated the serum NT-proBNP level in the model rats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that Shenfu injection effectively restored the mitochondrial morphological structure. The results of metabolomics showed that the metabolic phenotypes of myocardial samples presented markedly differences between groups. Nine differential metabolites could be significantly reversed in the Shenfu injection group, involving three metabolic pathways: pyruvate metabolism, histidine metabolism, and citric acid cycle (TCA cycle). The results of ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of all metabolites were between 0.75 and 1.0, indicating that the differential metabolites had high diagnostic accuracy for myocardial injury, and the changes in their expression levels could be used as potential markers for efficacy evaluation. ConclusionShenfu injection significantly alleviated the damage of cardiac function, myocardium, and mitochondrial structure in the rat model of chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome by ameliorating energy metabolism remodeling. Reinforcing Qi and warming Yang is a key method for treating chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome.
3.Treatment Principles and Paradigm of Diabetic Microvascular Complications Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine
Anzhu WANG ; Xing HANG ; Lili ZHANG ; Xiaorong ZHU ; Dantao PENG ; Ying FAN ; Min ZHANG ; Wenliang LYU ; Guoliang ZHANG ; Xiai WU ; Jia MI ; Jiaxing TIAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Han WANG ; Yuan XU ; .LI PINGPING ; Zhenyu WANG ; Ying ZHANG ; Dongmei SUN ; Yi HE ; Mei MO ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Linhua ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):272-279
To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications (DMC), refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles, and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine, hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine, was held in Beijing, 2024. Experts in TCM, Western medicine, and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis, diagnostic and treatment challenges, and mechanism research related to DMC, ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development, research prioritization, and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM, strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.
4.Research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine regulating metabolic reprogramming to improve breast cancer
Zhenyu ZHANG ; Weixia CHEN ; Bo FENG ; Jilei LI ; Sizhe WANG ; Meng ZHU ; Chunzheng MA
China Pharmacy 2026;37(2):250-256
Metabolic reprogramming, as one of the core hallmarks of malignant tumors, plays a key role in the occurrence, development and treatment of breast cancer (BC). Abnormal changes in glucose metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, as well as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathways significantly influence the pathogenesis and progression of BC. Studies have shown that various active components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (such as berberine, matrine, quercetin, curcumin, etc.) and their compound formulations (e.g. Xihuang pill, Danzhi xiaoyao powder, Yanghe decoction, etc.) can inhibit the proliferation and migration of BC cells and induce apoptosis by regulating key metabolic pathways such as glycolysis, lipid synthesis, and amino acid metabolism. TCM demonstrates multi-target and holistic regulatory advantages in intervening in BC metabolic reprogramming, showing significant potential in modulating key molecules like hypoxia inducible factor-1α, hexokinase-2, pyruvate kinase M2, lactate dehydrogenase A, glucose transporter-1, fatty acid synthase, and signaling pathways such as AKT/mTOR. However, current researches still focus predominantly on glucose metabolism, with insufficient mechanistic studies on lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, the TCA cycle, and OXPHOS. The precise targets, molecular mechanisms, and clinical translation value of these interventions require further validation and clarification through more high-quality experimental studies and clinical trials.
5.Research progress on mechanism of active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine in ameliorating skeletal muscle atrophy
Qin JIANG ; Wenya GUO ; Ying ZHOU ; Jian ZHOU ; Zhenyu ZHANG ; Yanchun GONG ; Lihua YAO ; Yuhua LI
China Pharmacy 2026;37(15):2057-2062
Skeletal muscle atrophy refers to a pathological condition characterized by muscle fiber atrophy as well as decreased muscle mass and muscle strength induced by various predisposing factors. It falls under the category of “flaccidity syndrome” in traditional Chinese medicine, and its pathogenesis is mainly associated with disturbed protein homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress injury. Active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine exerts synergistic regulatory effects via multiple pathways, thus possessing unique advantages in the clinical prevention and treatment of skeletal muscle atrophy. This paper reviews the mechanisms by which active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine alleviate skeletal muscle atrophy. Existing studies have demonstrated that such active ingredients can ameliorate skeletal muscle atrophy through multiple approaches: regulating protein metabolic balance (geniposide, matrine, schisandrin A, etc.) and oxidative stress (astragaloside Ⅳ, Gastrodia elata polysaccharide, Angelica sinensis polysaccharide, etc.), improving mitochondrial function (parthenolide, berberine, curcumin, etc.), facilitating myogenesis and myogenic differentiation (cucurbitacin Ⅱb, saikosaponin A, saikosaponin D, etc.), suppressing inflammatory response (ursolic acid, triptolide, emodin, etc.), ameliorating insulin resistance (akebiasaponin D, etc.). In the future, active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine are expected to achieve breakthroughs in clinical treatment for skeletal muscle atrophy, providing novel ideas and strategies for the prevention and treatment of degenerative disorders.
6.To explore the rule of diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure from "disease - syndrome - symptom - stage - molecular phenotype"
Kun LIAN ; Lichong MENG ; Ying DENG ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Lin LI ; Zhixi HU
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(2):150-156
It is of great significance to study the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of chronic heart failure. This study took the name of Western medicine disease as the main line, took TCM syndromes as the aim, combined the symptoms, signs, stages and molecular phenotype, and explored the diagnosis and treatment law of the disease. It is believed that chronic heart failure includes the syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis, yang deficiency and blood stasis, qi-yin deficiency, heart-kidney yang deficiency and yang deficiency water syndrome. There were many clinical manifestations such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, fatigue, limb edema and pulse knot. It involved many pathological mechanisms and molecular phenotype such as myocardial fibrosis, inflammatory response and myocardial cell injury. Treatment should be divided into early, middle and late stages according to the characteristics of "disease - syndrome - symptom- stage- molecular phenotype".
7.Establishment of HPLC fingerprint of Gentiana rigescens and determination of four iridoid glycosides
Zhenyu LI ; Yueyi LIANG ; Jie YANG ; Tianrui XIA ; Fangping ZHANG ; Roushan CHEN ; Zhipeng CHEN ; Lin ZHOU ; Xiangdong CHEN ; Dongmei SUN
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(4):522-528
Objective:To establish HPLC fingerprint and methods for determining the contents of four iridoid glycosides of Gentiana rigescens; To evaluate the quality of Gentiana rigescens from different origins; To improve the quality control level of Gentiana rigescens medicinal materials.Methods:Using 15 batches of Gentiana rigescens from the main production areas and authentic production areas as raw materials, the common mode of HPLC fingerprints of Gentiana rigescens was established, and the chemical components of the common peaks were identified. Referring to the common mode of fingerprints, similarity analysis was conducted on the fingerprints of Gentiana rigescens from different origins. Using chemometric methods, cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (HCA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed on 15 batches of Gentiana rigescens, with the common peak area of fingerprint as the variable. The contents of four types of iridoid glycosides in Gentiana rigescens were determined. Combined with the fingerprints and the content results of four types of iridoid glycosides, the quality of Gentiana rigescens from different origins was evaluated.Results:The fingerprints of Gentiana rigescens contained 9 common peaks, with 4 identified iridoid glycosides. The similarity of the fingerprints of 15 batches of Gentiana rigescens ranged from 0.962 to 0.999. HCA and PCA divided the 15 batches of Gentiana rigescens into two categories. OPLS-DA analyzed 3 significantly different components, namely gentiopicroside, peak 7, and loganic acid. The content determination results showed that the average contents of loganic acid, swertiamarin, and gentiopicroside in Gentiana rigescens from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Yunnan Province were the highest, and the total amount of four iridoid glycosides was also significantly higher than that from other regions, indicating that the overall quality of Gentiana rigescens from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Yunnan Province was relatively good.Conclusion:This method is simple, fast, accurate, and can provide reference for improving the quality standards of Gentiana rigescens.
8.Study on the quality evaluation of Faeces Bombycis based on HPLC fingerprint and content determination
Miaoli WU ; Yunjing QIU ; Han LIN ; Xiaolin LIU ; Zhenyu LI ; Lin ZHOU ; Xiangdong CHEN ; Dongmei SUN
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(7):970-977
Objective:To establish fingerprints of Faeces Bombycis and simultaneously determine the content of four amino acids; To evaluate the quality of Faeces Bombycis from different regions. The fingerprint of Faeces Bombycis was established and the contents of 4 amino acids were determined.Methods:Kromasil 100-5 C18 (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) column was used for phenyl isothiocyanate (PITC) pre-column derivation-high performance liquid chromatography with acetonitrile-0.1 mol/L sodium acetate solution (pH adjusted to 6.5 with acetic acid) (7:93) mixed solution, and acetonitrile-water (4:1) mixed solution were mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min; the column temperature was 35 ℃; the detection wavelength was 254 nm; the injection amount was 5 μl. The fingerprints of 17 batches of Faeces Bombycis were established, the common peaks were identified by comparison of reference materials, and the similarity evaluation and principal component analysis (PCA) were carried out. The contents of glycine, alanine, proline and phenylalanine were determined simultaneously.Results:A total of 12 common peaks were identified from the fingerprints of Faeces Bombycis, and 12 amino acids were identified. The similarity of 17 batches of samples was greater than 0.95. PCA analysis showed that the regional difference of the quality of Faeces Bombycis was not significant. Faeces Bombycis produced in Qujing city in Yunnan Province had the highest total contents of 4 amino acids.Conclusion:The method has good repeatability and can provide reference for the quality evaluation and standard improvement of Faeces Bombycis.
9.Study on quality evaluation of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen based on HPLC specific chromatogram and chemometricsy
Xiangyuan ZHOU ; Jiao PENG ; Siqiong CAO ; Peiqi LUO ; Xiangdong CHEN ; Dongmei SUN ; Zhenyu LI
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(9):1272-1276
Objective:To determine the contents of four flavonoids by establishing HPLC specific chromatogram for Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen; To evaluate the differences of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen from different producing areas.Methods:The specific chromatogram was developed on a column of Thermo Acclaim C18 with acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid solution as the mobile phase by gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The detective wavelength was 260 nm, and the column temperature was 30 ℃. Similarity evaluation, PCA analysis, and OPLS-DA analysis were conducted. The contents of Alpinetin, Pinocembrin, Cardamonin, Alnustone in 16 batches of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen.Results:There were 9 characteristic peaks in the specific chromatogram of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen. Except the sample of S2 (Hainan producing area), the similarity of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen in different producing areas was greater than 0.90; PCA analysis divided 16 batches of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen into 2 categories, and OPLS-DA analysis identified 4 differential biomarkers, with the order of impact being peak 3>peak 5>Alpinetin>Cardamonin. Among them, the quality of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen from Guangdong producing area was generally stable. Moreover, there were significant differences in the contents of Alpinetin and Cardamonin among the indicator components of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen from different producing areas.Conclusion:This method can effectively analyze the differences in the quality of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen from different producing areas, providing reference for the quality evaluation of Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen.
10.Study on establishment of UPLC fingerprint and determination of 12 components in Aiye standard decoction
Yifei MA ; Xiangyuan ZHOU ; Yuanyuan XIE ; Zhenyu LI ; Minyou HE ; Yong LIU ; Wenhui LUO ; Xian QIU ; Qiong LUO ; Roushan CHEN ; Xiangdong CHEN ; Dongmei SUN
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(10):1425-1431
Objective:To establish a quality control method for Aiye standard decoction.Methods:The ultra performance liquid chromatogrphy (UPLC) column Waters ACQUITY HSS T3 C18 (2.1 mm×150 mm,1.8 μm) was used to gradient elution by acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water. 16 batches of Aiye standard decoction fingerprints were established by UPLC and the common peaks were determined in the fingerprints. The contents of 12 components were determined. The 16 batches of Aiye standard decoction were analyzed by similarity calculation, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) for analysis of differential components of Artemisiae Argyi Folium from different origins.Results:A total of 13 common peaks were marked in the fingerprints of 16 batches of Aiye standard decoction, 12 of which were identified by comparison with reference substance, including chlorogenic acid, sochlorogenic acid A, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid,1,3-O-Dicaffeoylquinic acid, schaftoside, isochlorogenic acid B,1,5-O-Dicaffeoylquinic acid, isochlorogenic acid C, jaceosidin and eupatilin. Similarity evaluation, PCA and HCA all classified the 16 batches of Aiye standard decoction into 2 categories. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis screened 5 differential biomarkers from 13 common peaks. The content determination results showed that the phenolic compounds and flavonoids in samples from Hubei were significantly higher than that in samples from other areas.Conclusion:This method can effectively analyze the differences in the quality of Aiye standard decoction from different origins, and provide reference for the formulation of quality standards for Aiye standard decoction and related preparations.

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