1.Clinical Observation of Modified Zhigancao Tang in Treating Patients with Liver and Kidney Deficiency of Parkinson's Disease and Its Effect on Neuronal Signal-related Proteins
Yifo WEI ; Furong LYU ; Jia YAO ; Guonian LI ; Xianyi LUO ; Meng LUO ; Zhengzheng WEN ; Qiuqi LI ; Yihan LIU ; Linlin YANG ; Rui ZUO ; Wenxin DANG ; Fang MI ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Zhigang CHEN ; Fan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):166-173
ObjectiveMicrotube associated protein-2 (MAP-2), alpha-tubulin (α-tubulin), and synaptophysin (SYP) are important proteins in neuronal signal communication. This paper observed the effects of modified Zhigancao Tang on the expression of serum α-Synuclein (α-Syn) and its oligomers, MAP-2, α-tubulin, and SYP of patients with liver and kidney deficiency of Parkinson's disease (PD), analyzed their correlation, and evaluated the therapeutic effect of modified Zhigancao Tang in patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD based on α-Syn transmission pathway mediated by neuronal communication in vivo. MethodsA total of 60 patients with PD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a treatment group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). Both groups were treated on the basis of PD medicine, and the treatment group was treated with modified Zhigancao Tang. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The changes in UPDRS score, TCM syndrome score, and expression of serum α-Syn and its oligomers, MAP-2, α-tubulin, and SYP were observed before and after 12 weeks of treatment in each group. The correlation between the above-mentioned serum biological indexes and the levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers was analyzed. ResultsAfter treatment, the TCM syndrome score, UPDRS score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, and UPDRS-Ⅲ score of the treatment group were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The UPDRS score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, and UPDRS-Ⅲ scores in the treatment group were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate of the control group was 63.3% (19/30), and that of the treatment group was 86.7% (26/30). The clinical effect of the observation group was better than the control group (Z=-2.03, P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was better than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=5.136, P<0.05). After treatment, the oligomer level of serum α-Syn and MAP-2 level in the treatment group were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers, as well as α-tubulin in the treatment group, were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). Serum α-Syn was correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-Syn oligomer in patients with PD (P<0.05, P<0.01) but not correlated with serum SYP . Serum α-Syn oligomers of patients with PD were correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-tubulin (P<0.05, P<0.01) but not correlated with serum SYP level. Serum SYP of patients with PD was correlated with serum MAP-2 (P<0.05). ConclusionModified Zhigancao Tang has a therapeutic effect on patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD by inhibiting the production of α-Syn oligomers and intervening α-Syn microtubule transport pathway in vivo.
2.Analysis of Differences in Secondary Metabolites Between Dendrobium nobile Bionic Wild Cultivated on Epiphytic Stones and Trees Based on Widely Targeted Metabolomics
Yifan SHI ; Changqing ZHOU ; Jiaojiao WANG ; Lin CHEN ; Hongping CHEN ; Fu WANG ; Yuan HU ; Youping LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(10):218-224
ObjectiveTo explore the differences in the accumulation of secondary metabolites of Dendrobium nobile cultivated on epiphytic stones and trees, so as to elucidate the scientific connotation of "only those that grow on stones has superior quality", and provide a direction for the cultivation and quality evaluation of D. nobile. MethodsUltra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometry(UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS)-based widely targeted metabolomics was used to detect the metabolites of D. nobile cultivated on epiphytic stones and trees. And the combination of principal component analysis(PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) was performed for multivariate statistical analysis of metabolites. Differential metabolites were screened by variable importance in the projection(VIP) value≥1 and log2fold change(FC)≥1 or ≤-1, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analysis was conducted. ResultsA total of 1 267 metabolites were identified in the stems of D. nobile from the two cultivation modes, dominated by flavonoids(292), phenolic acids(284), and alkaloids(189). Through OPLS-DA screening, 473 differential metabolites were obtained. Compared to epiphytic tree-cultivated D. nobile, epiphytic stone-cultivated D. nobile exhibited upregulation of flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, lignans and coumarins, while quinones and terpenoids were down-regulated. The differential metabolites mainly included flavonoid glycosides and alkaloids, and these differential metabolites significantly contributed to characterizing the two cultivation patterns. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment in pathways of flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, tyrosine metabolism, and phenylalanine metabolism in epiphytic stone-cultivated D. nobile. ConclusionEpiphytic stone cultivation is beneficial for the accumulation of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and alkaloids in D. nobile, indicating that the "only those that grow on stones has superior quality" documented in the materia medica has certain scientific basis, and the findings also provide a reference for quality evaluation and discrimination research between epiphytic stone and tree cultivated D. nobile.
3.Anti-atherosclerosis Effect and Mechanism of Siegesbeckiae Herba Water Decoction via Regulation of NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Tengyue WANG ; Mingyue ZHAO ; Xiaonan YUE ; Yuan CHEN ; Changqing LU ; Huan WANG ; Kaifang FAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(15):106-114
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Siegesbeckiae Herba water decoction (SWD) at different doses on atherosclerosis (AS) in a mouse model induced by a high-fat diet and analyze its potential mechanism of action. MethodsThirty-six male ApoE-/- mice were randomly divided into six groups: blank control group, model group, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose SWD groups, and positive control group. Firstly, the AS mouse model was created by feeding mice a high-fat diet. After successful modeling, the low-, medium-, and high-dose SWD groups were intragastrically administered with SWD at 0.65, 1.3, 2.6 g·kg-1, respectively. The positive control group was intragastrically administered with 30 mg·kg-1 of atorvastatin calcium aqueous solution, while the blank and model groups received an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution via oral gavage, all administered for 12 weeks. During the administration period, the general condition of the mice was observed and recorded daily. Before sampling, color Doppler ultrasound was performed to observe the pathological changes in atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic wall of mice. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in aortic tissue in mice, and oil red O staining was used to detect the atherosclerotic plaque area in the aorta. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum lipid indices and the levels of interleukins (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in mice. Protein expression levels of IKKα, IKKβ, and NF-κB p65 in mouse aortic tissue were detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the blank control group, the model group showed a significant increase in body weight. The results of color Doppler ultrasound showed enhanced vascular wall echo, suggesting the presence of atherosclerotic plaques. HE staining showed foam cell aggregation, fibrous connective tissue proliferation, and vascular intima injury in the aortic tissue. Oil red O staining showed a significant increase in the plaque area in the aortic tissue (P<0.01). ELISA results indicated significantly elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in mouse serum (P<0.01), as well as significantly decreased levels of IL-4, IL-10, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P<0.01). Western blot results showed that the expression of IKKα, IKKβ, and NF-κB p65 in mouse aortic tissue increased significantly (P<0.01). Compared with those in the model group, mice in the middle- and high-dose SWD groups showed significant weight loss. In the high-dose group, the aortic vascular wall echoes were weakened, and the atherosclerotic plaques were reduced. The aortic lesions of mice in the medium- and high-dose SWD groups were significantly alleviated. The plaque area percentage showed an inverse correlation with the administered dose in all groups treated with SWD (P<0.05). In the medium-dose SWD group, serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, TC, TG, and LDL were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), while those of IL-4 and IL-10 were significantly increased (P<0.01). In the high-dose SWD group, levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, TC, TG, and LDL were significantly decreased (P<0.01), while IL-4, IL-10, and HDL were significantly increased (P<0.01). The IKKα and IKKβ expression was significantly decreased in the low-dose SWD group (P<0.05), and IKKα, IKKβ, and NF-κB p65 were significantly decreased in the medium- and high-dose SWD groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionSWD may exert therapeutic effects on AS by regulating the expression of related inflammatory factors through the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reducing inflammation, plaque area, and lipid content in the body.
4.Acupotomy ameliorates knee osteoarthritis-related collagen deposition and fibrosis in rabbit skeletal muscle through the TGF-β/Smad pathway
Tingyao Hu ; Einar Khavaza ; Chuxi Liang ; Longfei Xing ; Xilin Chen ; Yue Xu ; Weiwei Ma ; Farid Mokhtari ; Juan Lu ; Changqing Guo
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences 2024;11(3):376-385
Objective:
To investigate the effects of acupotomy on skeletal muscle fibrosis and collagen deposition in a rabbit knee osteoarthritis (KOA) model.
Methods:
Rabbits (n = 18) were randomly divided into control, KOA, and KOA + acupotomy (Apo) groups (n = 6). The rabbits in the KOA and Apo groups were modeled using the modified Videman's method for 6 weeks. After modeling, the Apo group was subjected to acupotomy once a week for 3 weeks on the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and anserine bursa tendons around the knee. The behavior of all animals was recorded, rectus femoris tissue was obtained, and histomorphological changes were observed using Masson staining and transmission electron microscopy. The expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), Smad 3, Smad 7, fibrillar collagen types I (Col-I) and III (Col-III) was detected using Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results:
Histological analysis revealed that acupotomy improved the microstructure and reduced the collagen volume fraction of rectus femoris, compared with the KOA group (P = .034). Acupotomy inhibited abnormal collagen deposition by modulating the expression of fibrosis-related proteins and mRNA, thus preventing skeletal muscle fibrosis. Western blot and RT-PCR analysis revealed that in the Apo group, Col-I, and Col-III protein levels were significantly lower than those in the KOA group (both P < .01), same as Col-I and Col-III mRNA levels (P = .0031; P = .0046). Compared with the KOA group, the protein levels of TGF-β1 and Smad 3 were significantly reduced (both P < .01), as were the mRNA levels of TGF-β1 and Smad 3 (P = .0007; P = .0011). Conversely, the levels of protein and mRNA of Smad 7 were significantly higher than that in the KOA group (P < .01; P = .0271).
Conclusion
Acupotomy could alleviate skeletal muscle fibrosis and delay KOA progress by inhibiting collagen deposition through the TGF-β/Smad pathway in the skeletal muscle of KOA rabbits.
5.Medication Patterns of Chinese Medicines for Neurodermatitis Based on Contemporary Medical Cases
Shuguang CHEN ; Xuemin WANG ; Fanghong DUAN ; Lele CHEN ; Jialin TENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(19):206-213
ObjectiveTo mine the medication patterns of Chinese medicines for neurodermatitis based on contemporary medical cases in published articles. MethodThe medical cases of treating neurodermatitis with Chinese medicines were retrieved from the medical case articles published by contemporary famous and old Chinese medicine doctors in the library of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Data. A case library was established, and SPSS Statistics 26.0 and SPSS Modeler 18.0 were employed to analyze the symptoms and syndromes of neurodermatitis and mine the medication patterns. ResultAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 130 medical case articles were included in this study. Neurodermatitis was prevalent in young adults between 20 and 39 years old (female patients of 30-49 years old and male patients of 20-39 years old), and male patients were more than female patients. The patients mainly presented the clinical manifestations of itchy rashes, thickened skin, and lichenification. Symptoms included skin injury, emotional abnormalities, and Yin damage caused by prolonged illness. Red tongue, thin white or yellow tongue coating, and wiry pulse were common in the patients. The patients with the syndrome of blood deficiency and wind dryness were often treated with Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Rehmanniae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Tribuli Fructus, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma. The commonly used herb pairs included Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix Alba, Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Saposhnikoviae Radix, and the commonly used prescriptions were Siwutang and Dangguiyinzi. The patients with the syndrome of muscle and skin dystrophy were mainly treated with Rehmanniae Radix, Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Tribuli Fructus, and Dictamni Cortex. The commonly used herb pairs included Polygoni Multiflori Caulis-Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, Polygoni Multiflori Caulis-Dictamni Cortex, and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix Alba, and the commonly used prescriptions were Jingjie Siwutang and Baixianpiyin. The patients with the syndrome of liver depression transforming into fire were often treated with Rehmanniae Radix, Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma, Gardeniae Fructus, Bupleuri Radix, and Scutellariae Radix. The commonly used herb pairs included Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma-Polygoni Multiflori Caulis, Polygoni Multiflori Caulis-Gardeniae Fructus, and Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma-Saposhnikoviae Radix, and the commonly used prescriptions were Longdan Xiegantang and Danzhi Xiaoyaosan. ConclusionThis study enriches the knowledge about neurodermatitis, clarifies the treatment principles and methods as well as the medication patterns, and provides a theoretical basis for clinical treatment and medication based on syndrome differentiation.
6.Bone density and bone metabolism in plasmapheresis donors
Wan LI ; Changqing LI ; Yongjun CHEN ; Xi YANG ; Zhiwei LI ; Ya WANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2024;37(1):51-57
【Objective】 To investigate the level of serum bone metabolism and biochemical markers and bone density of plasmapheresis donors, and to provide scientific basis for ensuring the health and safety of plasmapheresis donors in China. 【Methods】 A total of 437 plasmapheresis donors from Linwu plasmapheresis station in Hunan Province from July 1 to September 30, 2022 were recruited to determine the levels of total serum calcium, albumin, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), serum type I procollagen N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), and collagen type 1 crosslinked carboxyl-terminal peptide (β-CTX). Dual-energy X-ray method was used to measure the bone density of the anteroposterior lumbar spine (L1-L4) and bilateral femoral neck bone density of plasmapheresis donors. Plasmapheresis donors were grouped according to the type of plasma donation (first-time and repeat plasmapheresis donors) and the total number of plasma donations to assess the differences in bone density and serum bone metabolism biochemical markers between groups. The dose-response relationship between the total number of plasmapheresis donations and biochemical indexes was analyzed by limiting cubic spline, and the influencing factors of different indexes were explored by multiple linear regression. 【Results】 A total of 437 plasmapheresis donors were included in this study, including 187 first-time plasmapheresis donors and 250 repeat plasmapheresis donors. There were no significant differences in bone density and prevalence of osteoporosis between first-time donors and repeat donors (P>0.05). There was also no significant difference in bone density levels between groups of total number of plasmapheresis donations. The levels of albumin and 25OHD decreased with the increase of the total number of plasma donations, while the serum P1NP level was positively correlated with the total number of plasma donations. The results of the restriction cubic spline showed that the total number of plasmapheresis donations had a nonlinear dose-response relationship with 25OH and P1NP (P<0.05). The results of multiple linear regression showed that the frequency of plasmapheresis donation was the influencing factor of 25OHD, and the total number of plasmapheresis donation was the influencing factor of P1NP. 【Conclusion】 Plasmapheresis donation does not affect the bone health of donors and increase the risk of osteoporosis due to the use of long-term anticoagulants, but it will increase the osteogenic activity of plasmapheresis donors. It is recommended that middle-aged and elderly plasmapheresis donors supplement vitamin D appropriately.
7.Discussion the syndrome and treatment of consumptive thirst based on the core concept of Huangdi Neijing
Dong TIAN ; Shuqin LIAO ; Changqing TONG ; Xiaoyi ZHANG ; Na CAO ; Weiguang WANG ; Zijie CHEN ; Shuangqing ZHAI
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;47(6):797-801
Consumptive thirst is widely discussed in Huangdi Neijing and it is classified as a"strange disease"in Suwen·Strange Diseases Treatise,which reflects the intractable nature of consumptive thirst.This paper explores and analyzes consumptive thirst based on the core concept in Huangdi Neijing.First,this paper approaches the subject through the use of image thinking method from Huangdi Neijing,recognizing that consumptive thirst can lead to changes in the internal climate of the human body.Then,guided by the theories of essence and qi,yin and yang,and the five elements in Huangdi Neijing,it deconstructs and analyzes the causes of these changes and the laws of qi transformation.It points out that the changing climate of consumptive thirst is characterized by"heat symptoms".The main cause of"heat symptoms"is spleen deficiency and excessive dampness,and its qi transformation law is the heat transformation of Shaoyin.The intractable nature of consumptive thirst is mainly reflected in the uncontrolled"heat symptoms"caused by the imbalance of the five elements.Based on the understanding of the heat symptoms of consumptive thirst,this paper proposes a treatment strategy for preventing the disease by resolving dampness and regulating the spleen,harmonizing kidney qi to prevent progression,and balancing yin and yang to treat chronic and recalcitrant conditions.The aim is to provide a reference for optimizing the treatment of consumptive thirst.
8.Prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in workers of an automobile enterprise: the role of low-dose heavy metal exposure and related factors of the disease
Ting TANG ; Changqing ZHU ; Congxi QIU ; Yanru LI ; Shuzhen BAI ; Hanqing CHEN ; Huidong SONG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(10):1124-1129
Background Some studies have found that exposure to heavy metals significantly increases the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and welding operators in automobile manufacturing enterprises are exposed to heavy metals in the working environment. Objective To analyze the prevalence and related factors of NAFLD in workers of an automobile company in Guangzhou. Methods From January 1 of 2023 to December 31 of 2023,
9.Role of Iron-lipid Disorder in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Review
Yanxu CHEN ; Lei ZHANG ; Zhisheng JIN ; Qinyuan ZHANG ; Xiaoxue JIANG ; Changqing XU ; Pengcheng DOU ; Cong SUN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(18):281-290
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Cell death caused by iron-lipid disorder is a new mode of regulating programmed cell death, which is characterized by lipid peroxidation induced by the accumulation of lipid reactive oxygen species and excessive accumulation of iron ions induced by iron metabolism disorders. Among them, iron homeostasis disorder and metabolic pathway disorder are the main causes of iron-lipid disorder, which play an important role in a variety of pathological processes related to cell death. Because the liver is an important organ for iron storage and lipid metabolism, iron-lipid disorder is an ideal target for liver disease, and inhibition of iron-lipid disorder may become a new strategy for the treatment of NAFLD. However, the pathogenic relationship and mechanism between NAFLD and iron-lipid disorder have not been fully elucidated. Based on the complex molecular regulation mechanism of iron-lipid disorder, by expounding the role of iron-lipid disorder in NAFLD and its related mechanism, this paper summarizes the research status of traditional Chinese medicine on the target treatment of NAFLD in recent years, so as to provide a new perspective and point out a new direction for the treatment of NAFLD in the future.
10.Comparison of the efficacy of arthroscopically-assisted reduction and internal fixation combined with enhanced recovery after surgery and open reduction and internal fixation in the treatment of posterior lateral tibial plateau fractures
Ruilong HONG ; Junwen DING ; Bo CHEN ; Changqing SHAO ; Lei LIU ; Shiming FENG ; Tao WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2024;31(5):783-789
Objective To compare the clinical effects of arthroscopically-assisted reduction and internal fixation(ARIF)combined with enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)and open reduction and internal fixation surgery(ORIF)in the treatment of posterior lateral tibial plateau fractures.Methods Seventy patients with posterior lateral tibial plateau fractures in the Department of Orthopaedics,Xuzhou Central Hospital,from January 2020 to November 2022 were retrospectively selected and divided into ARIF group(with ERAS,n=32)and ORIF group(without ERAS,n=38)according to the treatment methods.All patients were evaluated for fracture type by imaging examination after admission.The operation time,length of hospital stay,early postoperative pain score(evaluated by visual analogue scale[VAS]),knee joint function(evaluated by hospital for special surgery[HSS]scale)at 3 months and thigh circumference difference at 6 months postoperatively were compared between the two groups.Results The operation time in the ARIF group was significantly shorter than that in the ORIF group([67.84±9.89]min vs[85.16±9.18]min,P<0.001),and the length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the ARIF group([7.13±1.41]d vs[8.74±1.84]d,P<0.001).On the third day after operation,the VAS score in the ARIF group was significantly lower than that in the ORIF group([4.00±1.44]vs[5.39±1.24],P<0.001).ARIF group had better joint function than ORIF group 3 months after operation,and the difference of 10 cm thigh circumference on patella in ARIF group was smaller than that in ORIF group 6 months after operation.Conclusions Compared to ORIF,patients with posterior lateral tibial plateau fractures treated with ARIF combined with ERAS showed faster postoperative recovery,shorter hospital stay,and more precise clinical efficacy.


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