ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of polysaccharide in water extract of Cyclocarya paliurus （CPWP） in inhibiting benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH）. MethodsCPWP was obtained by heating reflux， aqueous extraction， alcohol precipitation， and freeze drying. The chemical composition and structural properties of CPWP were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with 1-pheny-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone pre-column derivatization and infrared spectroscopy. Male SD rats were randomly assigned into control， model， finasteride （ig 5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （ig 50， 75， 100 mg·kg^-1） CPWP groups， with 8 rats in each group. The BPH model was established by subcutaneously injecting propionate testosterone in castrated rats. The rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs， and those in the control group were administrated with an equal volume of normal saline each day. After 30 consecutive days， the rats were sacrificed， and the prostate tissue was separated and weighed. The effects of drug interventions on the body weight， prostate wet weight， and prostate index of rats were examined. The prostate tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） for observation of pathological changes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the level of dihydrotestosterone （DHT）， and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of steroid 5 alpha-reductase 2 （SRD5A2） and Ki67 in the prostate tissue. ResultsCPWP was identified as a saccharide， with characteristic absorption peaks of saccharides. CPWP showed the total sugar content of 44.15% and molecular weight within the range of 5.5-78.8 kDa， being composed of mannose， rhamnose， galacturonic acid， glucose， galactose， xylose， and arabinose. Compared with the control group， the model group had significantly increased prostate wet weight and prostate index （P<0.01）， thick and tall prostate epithelial cells， increased internal wrinkles， papillary expansion into the cavity， an elevation in DHT level in the serum， and up-regulated expression of SRD5A2 and Ki67 in the prostate tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， both the finasteride and CPWP groups showed decreases in prostate wet weight and prostate index （P<0.05， P<0.01）， thinned prostate epithelial cells， with only a small portion of internal wrinkles and papillary expansion into the cavity， shortened papillary protrusions， lowered DHT level in the serum， and down-regulated expression of SRD5A2 and Ki67 in the prostate tissue （P<0.01）. Moreover， CPWP exerted effects in a dose-dependent manner. ConclusionCPWP inhibits BPH by regulating the expression of SRD5A2.

As a new type of model organism， zebrafish is gradually gaining prominence in the field of scientific research. The unique biological characteristics and advantages of zebrafish make them play an increasingly important role in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine. Compared with other common experimental animals， zebrafish have a fast reproductive and growth speed and high embryo transparency， making them an ideal model for evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. This provides a new perspective and method for research on traditional Chinese medicine. With the growing global interest in traditional Chinese medicine， it has become crucial to find scientific and accurate methods to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine. The introduction of the zebrafish model has brought new breakthroughs in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine. To further promote the application of zebrafish in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine， this article systematically searched and sorted out the previous studies related to the application of zebrafish for this purpose since 2023. The commonly used disease models and indicators of zebrafish in evaluating the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine， as well as the mechanism of zebrafish in exploring the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine， were primarily reviewed. The application of zebrafish in evaluating the safety of traditional Chinese medicine and the typical examples in ensuring the quality of traditional Chinese medicine were demonstrated. The limitations encountered by zebrafish models in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine were highlighted. The resolution of these problems will help further improve the accuracy and reliability of zebrafish in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. The article discussed the evaluation of effectiveness， safety， and quality control of zebrafish applied in traditional Chinese medicine， so as to provide a reference for establishing standards for traditional Chinese medicine and promoting its modernization in the future.

According to the work goals and tasks determined by edition outline of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 Edition, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 has been completed. Among them, 52 new pharmaceutical excipients monographs have been added, and the total number has reached 387. 245 pharmaceutical excipients monographs have been revised, of which 109 monographs have only textual revisions and 136 monographs have substantive revisions. This article focuses on the general framework and the main characteristics of the standards of pharmaceutical excipients in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025, which can contribute to accurately understand and utilize the standards in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent low mood or mental disorders. Current treatments primarily focus on regulating neurotransmitter levels， but their effectiveness is limited. The mechanisms underlying its onset are complex， and there is no unified consensus. Abnormal signaling pathway transmission plays a crucial role in the development of depression， involving multiple pathways， including Toll-like receptor 4/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （TLR4/NLRP3）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription （JAK/STAT）， mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （MAPK/ERK）， brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase receptor B （BDNF/TrkB）， cyclic AMP/protein kinase A/cAMP response element-binding protein （cAMP/PKA/CREB）， and others. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） is based on a holistic approach and the principle of treatment based on the differentiation of syndromes， regulating the balance of multiple systems and organ functions from a macroscopic perspective. This approach has shown unique advantages in the treatment of depression. TCM attributes the onset of depression to dysfunction of the organ systems， involving liver Qi stagnation， heart spirit deficiency， kidney essence depletion， and spleen dysfunction. TCM compound treatments focus on soothing the liver， strengthening the spleen， calming the heart， and replenishing essence， with formulas such as Xiaoyaosan， Zishui Qinggan Yin， and Chahu Jia Guizhi Longgu Muli Tang. The active components of Chinese herbs mainly aim to tonify and regulate Qi， such as salidroside， ginsenoside Rb₁， astragaloside， and muscone. External TCM treatments， primarily acupuncture， aim to open the orifices and invigorate the spirit. Acupoints such as Baihui， Shenting， and Yintang are commonly used. Additionally， massage and moxibustion therapy can intervene in depression by regulating signaling pathways. This article reviews the core role of signaling pathways in the development of depression and the mechanism of TCM regulation of signaling pathways to intervene in depression， aiming to discover new therapeutic approaches that can improve the symptoms of depressed patients.

ObjectiveBased on the theory of "gut-prostate" axis， this study explored the effects and mechanisms of Zishen Tongguan formula and Cinnamomi Cortex in the formula in treating rats with chronic non-bacterial prostatitis（CNP） by detecting the levels of inflammatory factors， and the composition and structure of intestinal flora in CNP rats. MethodsEight out of 42 SD rats were randomly selected as the normal group， and the remaining rats were injected with carrageenan to prepare the CNP model. After successful modeling， 32 rats were randomly divided into the model group， Ningmitai capsule group（0.50 g·kg^-1）， Zishen Tongguan formula group（2.00 g·kg^-1）， and the Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex-Anemarrhenae Rhizoma pair group（PCC-AR group， 2.00 g·kg^-1）， with 8 rats in each group. The administered groups were given the corresponding medicinal solution by gavage， and the normal and model groups were intragastrically administered with an equal volume of normal saline， once a day for 14 consecutive days. The prostate tissues of rats were collected and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining and Masson staining to observe the pathological changes of the tissues in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the levels of related inflammatory factors in rat serum， and 16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze the abundance and diversity changes of gut microbiota before and after administration， and species difference analysis was performed. ResultsAll the administered groups could alleviate the inflammatory symptoms of CNP rats， increase the expression levels of anti-inflammatory factors and decrease the expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors， with the most sIgnificant effect observed in the Zishen Tongguan formula group. Compared with the normal group， the expression levels of interleukin（IL）-8， hypersensitive C-reactive protein（hs-CRP）， immunoglobulin（Ig）M， secretory IgA （sIgA）， and inducible nitric oxide synthase（iNOS） were sIgnificantly increased in the model group（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression levels of the above inflammatory factors in all administered groups were significantly reduced（P<0.01）. When compared with the PCC-AR group， the Zishen Tongguan formula group showed a significant decrease in transforming growth factor（TGF）-β₁ expression level（P<0.05） and a significant increase in IgM expression level（P<0.01）. The results of gut microbiota analysis showed that， compared with the PCC-AR group， at the order level， the Zishen Tongguan formula group significantly reduced the relative abundance of conditional pathogens such as Bacteroidales， Acidaminococcales， Rhodospirillales， Clostridiales， and Elusimicrobiales（P<0.01）. And at the genus level， the Zishen Tongguan formula group significantly decreased the relative abundance of pathogenic microbiota such as Lachnospira and Bacteroides（P<0.01） and significantly increased the relative abundances of beneficial microbiota such as Ruminococcus and Lactobacillus（P<0.01）. ConclusionZishen Tongguan formula can reduce the level of harmful intestinal bacteria， increase the level of beneficial intestinal bacteria， down-regulate the expression of serum inflammatory factors， and the small amount of Cinnamomi Cortex in the formula may play a key role in the treatment of CNP with this formula.

ObjectiveBased on the theory of "gut-prostate" axis， this study explored the effects and mechanisms of Zishen Tongguan formula and Cinnamomi Cortex in the formula in treating rats with chronic non-bacterial prostatitis（CNP） by detecting the levels of inflammatory factors， and the composition and structure of intestinal flora in CNP rats. MethodsEight out of 42 SD rats were randomly selected as the normal group， and the remaining rats were injected with carrageenan to prepare the CNP model. After successful modeling， 32 rats were randomly divided into the model group， Ningmitai capsule group（0.50 g·kg^-1）， Zishen Tongguan formula group（2.00 g·kg^-1）， and the Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex-Anemarrhenae Rhizoma pair group（PCC-AR group， 2.00 g·kg^-1）， with 8 rats in each group. The administered groups were given the corresponding medicinal solution by gavage， and the normal and model groups were intragastrically administered with an equal volume of normal saline， once a day for 14 consecutive days. The prostate tissues of rats were collected and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining and Masson staining to observe the pathological changes of the tissues in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the levels of related inflammatory factors in rat serum， and 16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze the abundance and diversity changes of gut microbiota before and after administration， and species difference analysis was performed. ResultsAll the administered groups could alleviate the inflammatory symptoms of CNP rats， increase the expression levels of anti-inflammatory factors and decrease the expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors， with the most sIgnificant effect observed in the Zishen Tongguan formula group. Compared with the normal group， the expression levels of interleukin（IL）-8， hypersensitive C-reactive protein（hs-CRP）， immunoglobulin（Ig）M， secretory IgA （sIgA）， and inducible nitric oxide synthase（iNOS） were sIgnificantly increased in the model group（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression levels of the above inflammatory factors in all administered groups were significantly reduced（P<0.01）. When compared with the PCC-AR group， the Zishen Tongguan formula group showed a significant decrease in transforming growth factor（TGF）-β₁ expression level（P<0.05） and a significant increase in IgM expression level（P<0.01）. The results of gut microbiota analysis showed that， compared with the PCC-AR group， at the order level， the Zishen Tongguan formula group significantly reduced the relative abundance of conditional pathogens such as Bacteroidales， Acidaminococcales， Rhodospirillales， Clostridiales， and Elusimicrobiales（P<0.01）. And at the genus level， the Zishen Tongguan formula group significantly decreased the relative abundance of pathogenic microbiota such as Lachnospira and Bacteroides（P<0.01） and significantly increased the relative abundances of beneficial microbiota such as Ruminococcus and Lactobacillus（P<0.01）. ConclusionZishen Tongguan formula can reduce the level of harmful intestinal bacteria， increase the level of beneficial intestinal bacteria， down-regulate the expression of serum inflammatory factors， and the small amount of Cinnamomi Cortex in the formula may play a key role in the treatment of CNP with this formula.

BACKGROUND:Currently,different methods of model establishment have been derived from different injury modes of spinal cord injury.Traditional physical injury modeling methods have their own advantages and disadvantages,and there is a lack of more effective and stable animal models of spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVE:To establish a reproducible,controllable,trauma-free,low-mortality,more stable,widely applicable,and short-term postoperative care rat model of spinal cord injury. METHODS:Forty Sprague-Dawley rats with similar body mass and ages were randomly divided into a control group and an improved group,with 20 rats in each group.Animal models of spinal cord injury in the control group were constructed using a clip model method,while the improved group used a modified ligation method based on the compression method to make the spinal cord injury models using suture ligation based on fenestration.Postoperative comparisons were made between the two groups,assessing urination behavior,hematuria,pyuria(infection rate),mortality,scoliosis rate and Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores at 1,3,5,and 7 days after modeling. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the conventional modeling method,the modified ligation method based on the compression method resulted in faster recovery of urination behavior,lower hematuria rate,lower infection rate,lower mortality rate,lower scoliosis rate,and more concentrated and stable Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores(all below 2 points within 1 week).This proves that the modified ligation method based on compression is more suitable for the establishment of spinal cord injury models in rats.

BACKGROUND:Studies have reported that alendronate intake significantly increases bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To analyze and compare the changes in metabolites before and after alendronate intervention in ovariectomized rats by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and to further explore the specific mechanism and target of alendronate in the treatment of osteoporosis. METHODS:A total of 36 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group,alendronate sodium group and sham operation group.The osteoporosis model was established by ovariectomy in the first two groups.Four weeks after modeling,the rats in the alendronate group were intragastrically given alendronate sodium,while those in the sham operation group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline.After 12 weeks of continuous gavage,the metabolites of the lumbar spine were analyzed by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and the common differential metabolites were obtained,which were analyzed by bioinformatics such as Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Totally 17 different metabolites were obtained in the three groups.The enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes showed that alendronate sodium could regulate unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis,linoleic acid metabolism and other pathways to protect ovariectomized rats.These results indicate that alendronate sodium may exert its anti-osteoporosis effect by interfering with unsaturated fatty acid bioanabolism and linoleic acid metabolism,so as to achieve the purpose of preventing osteoporosis

BACKGROUND:Traditional methods of urinary tract reconstruction are limited by donor scarcity,high complication rates,and suboptimal functional recovery.Tissue engineering strategies offer new directions in this field.Since the urinary tract is mainly composed of muscle tissue,the key is to find suitable seed cells and efficiently induce them to differentiate into smooth muscle cells.Comparative studies on the efficacy of different smooth muscle cell induction regimens are still lacking. OBJECTIVE:To isolate,culture,and identify human urine-derived stem cells,and to compare the effects of two different induction protocols. METHODS:Human urine-derived stem cells were isolated from urine samples of 11 healthy adult volunteers by multiple centrifugations.Surface markers were identified by flow cytometry.The multi-directional differentiation potential of human urine-derived stem cells was verified through osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation.Differentiation was induced by transforming growth factor-β1 or transforming growth factor-β1 combined with platelet derived growth factor for 14 days.Immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay were employed to compare the expression differences of smooth muscle-specific proteins(α-SMA and SM22). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Urine-derived stem cells were successfully isolated from the eight urine samples of healthy people.These cells exhibit a"rice grain"-like morphology and possess a robust proliferative capacity.(2)Urine-derived stem cells exhibited high expression of mesenchymal stem cell surface markers(CD73,CD90,and CD44)and extremely low expression of hematopoietic stem cell surface markers(CD34 and CD45).These cells did not express CD19,CD105,and HLA-DR.(3)After osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation,the formation of calcium nodules and lipid droplets was observed,with positive staining results from Alizarin Red S and Oil Red O staining.(4)After 14 days of smooth muscle induction culture,immunofluorescence staining revealed that the smooth muscle differentiation rate of urine-derived stem cells treated with a combination of transforming growth factor-β1 and platelet derived growth factor was significantly higher compared to those treated with transforming growth factor-β1 alone(P<0.005).(5)After 14 days of smooth muscle induction culture,western blot assay further demonstrated that the expression levels of α-SMA and SM22 in the transforming growth factor-β1/platelet derived growth factor group were significantly elevated compared to those in the transforming growth factor-β1 only group(P<0.005).These findings confirm that urine-derived stem cells can be non-invasively isolated using multiple rounds of centrifugation.Compared with transforming growth factor-β1 alone,the combination of transforming growth factor-β1 and platelet derived growth factor can improve the efficiency of inducing urine-derived stem cells to differentiate into smooth muscle cells.

Sarcopenia is a clinical syndrome characterized by a decrease in skeletal muscle strength and quality， often accompanied by adverse outcomes such as falls， loss of function and weakness. The pathogenesis of sarcopenia is complex， and studies have shown that dysfunction due to impaired mitochondrial quality control is an important pathological factor in the occurrence and development. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） has been widely favoured for regulating mitochondrial homeostasis and preventing sarcopenia by virtue of its multi-target and multi-pathway advantages. They can play a role in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia by regulating the mitochondrial quality control system to inhibit the occurrence of mitochondrial oxidative stress， regulate the balance of mitochondrial dynamics， inhibit mitochondrial autophagy， promote mitochondrial biosynthesis， resist the occurrence of mitochondrial apoptosis， and maintain the mitochondrial calcium and protein homeostasis. Based on this， the paper reviewed the relationship between mitochondrial quality control and sarcopenia， as well as the mechanism of TCM in intervening the mitochondrial quality control system to treat sarcopenia， in order to provide a new idea for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia by TCM and to a theoretical basis for the clinical research on TCM intervention in sarcopenia.