1.Proteomic Analysis of Danlou Tablet in Improving Platelet Function for Treating Coronary Heart Disease with Phlegm-stasis Intermingling Syndrome in Minipigs
Ziyan WANG ; Ying LI ; Aoao WANG ; Hongxu MENG ; Yue SHI ; Yanlei MA ; Guoyuan ZHANG ; Lei LI ; Jianxun LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):41-53
ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the role of Danlou tablet in treating coronary heart disease (CHD) with phlegm-stasis intermingling syndrome in minipigs by improving platelet function and explore the potential pharmacological mechanism of Danlou tablet in regulating platelet function by using proteomics technology. MethodsThirty Bama minipigs were randomly divided into a normal control group (6 pigs) and a high-fat diet group (24 pigs). After 2 weeks of high-fat diet feeding, the high-fat diet group was randomly subdivided into a model group, an atorvastatin group (1 mg·kg-1), and Danlou tablet groups (0.6 g·kg-1 and 0.3 g·kg-1). All groups continued to receive a high-fat diet for 8 weeks after the procedure. The normal control group was given a regular diet, underwent only coronary angiography, and did not receive an interventional injury procedure. The model group and each administration group were fed a high-fat diet. Two weeks later, they underwent a coronary angiography injury procedure. After the procedure, drugs were mixed into the feed every morning for 8 consecutive weeks, with the minipigs maintained on a continuous high-fat diet during this period. Quantitative proteomics technology was further used to study platelet proteins, and differential proteins were obtained by screening. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to analyze key regulatory proteins and biological pathways involved in the therapeutic effect of Danlou tablet on CHD with phlegm-stasis intermingling syndrome. ResultsCompared with the normal control group, the model group showed a significant increase in total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of minipigs' serum (P<0.01), a significant shortening in prothrombin time of (PT) (P<0.01), a coagulation function index, and an increase in whole blood viscosity (P<0.01) and platelet aggregation rate (P<0.01). Moreover, the platelet morphology was altered, and the contents of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) were significantly increased (P<0.01). Hemodynamic parameters were obviously abnormal, including significantly decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), and left ventricular maximal positive dp/dt (LV+dp/dtmax) (P<0.01). Left ventricular maximal negative dp/dt (LV-dp/dtmax) was significantly increased (P<0.01). Besides, there were myocardial cell hypertrophy, obvious edematous degeneration, massive interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, high degree of fibrosis, and coronary endothelial atherosclerosis. TC and TG levels in minipigs' serum were significantly reduced in Danlou tablet groups with 0.6 g·kg-1 and 0.3 g·kg-1 (P<0.05, P<0.01), compared with those in the model group. LDL-C was decreased in the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg-1 (P<0.05). The whole blood viscosity under low and high shear conditions was significantly reduced in the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg-1 (P<0.05). In groups with all doses of Danlou tablet, maximum aggregation rate (MAR) and average aggregation rate (AAR) were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), and platelets' morphological changes such as pseudopodia extension were reduced. ET-1 levels in the serum were significantly reduced. In the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg-1, NO level in the serum was reduced (P<0.05). In groups with all doses of Danlou tablet, DBP and MAP were significantly increased (P<0.05). In the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg-1, LVSP and LV+dp/dtmax were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), and LV-dp/dtmax was significantly decreased (P<0.05). In groups with all doses of Danlou tablet, edematous degeneration in myocardial tissue was milder, and coronary artery lesion degree was significantly alleviated. Compared with the normal control group, there were 94 differentially expressed proteins in the model group, including 81 up-regulated and 13 down-regulated proteins. Compared with the model group, the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg-1 showed 174 differentially expressed proteins, including 100 up-regulated and 74 down-regulated proteins. A total of 30 proteins were reversed after Danlou tablet intervention. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that its pharmacological mechanism may exert anti-platelet activation, aggregation, and adhesion effects through biological pathways such as regulation of actin cytoskeleton, platelet activation pathway, Fcγ receptor-mediated phagocytosis, as well as proteins such as growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2), Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 2 (RAC2), RAC1, and heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1 (HSP90AA1). ConclusionDanlou tablet can effectively reduce platelet activation and aggregation, exerting a good therapeutic effect on CHD with phlegm-stasis intermingling syndrome in minipigs. Its pharmacological mechanism may involve regulating biological pathways such as actin cytoskeleton and platelet activation pathway, as well as proteins like GRB2, RAC2, RAC1, and HSP90AA1, thereby exerting a pharmacological effect in anti-platelet activation, aggregation, and adhesion.
2.Action Mechanism of Huamoyan Granules in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Based on TRPV1/p38 MAPK Pathway
Jin ZHANG ; Lili YANG ; Canwen ZHENG ; Jing KANG ; Yanlei MA ; Yue SHI ; Lei LI ; Hongxu MENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):79-89
ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the protective effect of Huamoyan granules on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore whether its protective effect is oriented toward an anti-inflammatory direction by regulation of macrophage polarization, which can effectively inhibit the progression of pathological inflammatory response, reduce the release of inflammatory pain mediators, and downregulate the protein expression level of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), so as to provide experimental evidence for its clinical application and investigate its action mechanism. MethodsAfter adaptive feeding, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham group, model group, celecoxib group, and high, medium, and low-dose synovitis granule groups (9.6, 4.8, 2.4 g·kg-1). The administration dose of celecoxib capsules was 20 mg·kg-1. There were 10 rats in the sham group and 12 rats in the model group and each administration group. A KOA animal model was established by means of intra-articular injection of sodium iodoacetate into the knee joint. From the 10th day of the experiment, each administration group was given intragastric administration at a dose of 10 mL·kg-1 for 4 weeks. General conditions of rats in each group were assessed daily. The pressure pain threshold (PPT) to mechanical stimulation and joint diameter were recorded. X-ray examination was performed on the right knee joints of rats for imaging analysis. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and other pro-inflammatory cytokines in rat serum samples, as well as the expression levels of neurogenic inflammatory mediators such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Histopathological changes in the knee joint synovial tissues were examined by hematoxylineosin (HE) staining. Safranin O-fast green staining was performed to observe and evaluate the degree of knee cartilage lesions. Western blot was employed to quantitatively analyze TRPV1, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and phosphorylated (p)-p38 MAPK in rat knee synovial tissues. Immunofluorescence (IF) was used to measure and assess M1/M2 macrophage polarization. ResultsCompared with those in the sham group, the circumference and joint diameter of the right knee were markedly enlarged in the model group (P<0.01), while PPTs of rats showed a significant reduction (P<0.01). The contents of IL-1β, TNF-α, CGRP, and NGF in rats' serum were significantly elevated (P<0.01), and the synovial Krenn score was increased (P<0.01). The Mankin score of cartilage tissue was increased (P<0.01), and the protein expressions of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK were significantly upregulated (P<0.01). The experimental intervention significantly reduced the proportion of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages in the total macrophage population (P<0.01), and the percentage of M2 macrophages was decreased (P<0.01). The M1/M2 macrophage ratio was significantly elevated (P<0.01). Knee joint diameters of all dose groups of Huamoyan granules and the celecoxib group were reduced (P<0.01) compared with those of the model group, and the PPT recovery speeds in the high and medium-dose groups of Huamoyan granules were more obvious (P<0.05). The contents of IL-1β, CGRP, and NGF in the rats' serum in all administration groups were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the content of TNF-α in rats' serum was significantly reduced (P<0.01). All dose groups of Huamoyan granules demonstrated significant reductions in both synovial Krenn score (P<0.05, P<0.01) and protein expression of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK in rats' synovial tissues (P<0.01). The percentage of M1 macrophages in the synovial tissues of the celecoxib group and all dose groups of Huamoyan granules was decreased (P<0.01). The percentage of M2 macrophages was increased (P<0.05), and the M1/M2 ratio was decreased (P<0.01). ConclusionHuamoyan granules can alleviate the inflammatory response of KOA, reduce the release of inflammatory pain mediators, and downregulate TRPV1 protein expression by regulating macrophage polarization. Its mechanism may be related to the TRPV1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway, thereby achieving the effect of improving peripheral pain hypersensitivity in KOA.
3.Expert Consensus on Clinical Application of Qidong Yixin Oral Liquid
Changkuan FU ; Xiaochang MA ; Mingjun ZHU ; Yue DENG ; Hongxu LIU ; Mingxue ZHANG ; Ying CHEN ; Yan ZHOU ; Ling ZHANG ; Jianhua FU ; Wei YANG ; Yu'er HU ; Ming CHEN ; Yanming XIE ; Yuanyuan LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):147-158
The prescription of Qidong Yixin oral liquid is derived from the experience of national medical master Ren Jixue in treating viral myocarditis (VMC). It has the functions of tonifying Qi, nourishing the heart,calming the mind, and relieving palpitations. It is used to treat VMC and angina pectoris of coronary heart disease caused by deficiency of both Qi and Yin. However,the understanding of its efficacy evidence, advantageous aspects, dosage and administration, and medication safety remains insufficient in clinical practice. Therefore,the development of the Expert Consensus on the Clinical Application of Qidong Yixin Oral Liquid (hereinafter referred to as consensus) was initiated. Consensus strictly followed the process and methods of the expert consensus on the clinical application of Chinese patent medicines of the China Association of Chinese Medicine,successively completing multiple tasks such as the consensus project initiation,determination of clinical problems,evidence search and evaluation,formation of recommendation opinions and consensus suggestions,solicitation of opinions,peer review, submission for review and release, and so on. Consensus formed a total of 10 recommendation opinions and 12 consensus suggestions,clarifying the clinical positioning,efficacy advantages,syndrome differentiation,dosage and administration,combination therapy,timing of medication,adverse reactions,contraindications, and precautions of Qidong Yixin oral liquid,indicating that it has good clinical advantages and safety in the treatment of VMC and angina pectoris of coronary heart disease,providing norms and references for physicians to safely and rationally apply Qidong Yixin oral liquid. Consensus was reviewed and approved for release by the Standardization Office of the China Association of Chinese Medicine on December 23, 2024. Standard number:GSCACM-376-2024.
4.Cost-utility analysis of enfortumab vedotin combined with pembrolizumab in the first-line treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma
Qi LU ; Jinyue HUANG ; Xin LING ; Hongxu ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(20):2548-2554
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-utility of enfortumab vedotin combined with pembrolizumab (PemEV) versus gemcitabine combined with cisplatin or carboplatin (GP) in the first-line treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC). METHODS From the perspective of China’s health system, a dynamic Markov model was established based on the pan-Asian subgroup data from the EV-302 trial. The study timeframe was set at 20 years, with a cycle length of 21 days and a discount rate of 5%. Using total direct medical costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as outcome measures, the incremental cost- effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the PemEV regimen compared to the GP regimen was calculated. The robustness of the model was validated through sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis, and the price thresholds for enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab were estimated under conditions where the PemEV regimen was more cost-effective compared to the GP regimen. RESULTS Cost- utility analysis indicated that compared to the GP regimen, PemEV regimen could generate an additional 2.602 QALYs in aUC patients, but the treatment cost increased by 3 339 703.56 yuan, with an ICER of 1 283 554.39 yuan/QALY. This figure significantly exceeded the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold (3 times China’s gross domestic product per capita in 2024, 287 247 yuan/QALY). The rate parameter of the exponential distribution fitted to the overall survival curve in the PemEV regimen had the greatest impact on ICER, according to the one-way sensitivity analysis. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested that the PemEV regimen had no chance of being more cost-effective than the GP regimen at the current WTP threshold. Scenario analysis revealed that the PemEV regimen consistently lacked cost-utility advantage over the GP regimen, regardless of whether the study model was changed to a partitioned survival model, the study timeframe was set to 5, 10 or 20 years, or the prices of enfortumab vedotin and/or pembrolizumab were reduced by 60%. The prices of enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab should be simultaneously reduced by 78.65% (55.71 yuan/mg and 38.26 yuan/mg, respectively) when the PemEV regimen had a cost-utility advantage over the GP regimen. CONCLUSIONS From the perspective of China’s healthcare system, PemEV regimen does not demonstrate a cost-utility advantage over GP regimen in the first-line treatment of aUC.
5.Study on the medication law of TCM compound patents for primary dilated cardiomyopathy based on data mining
Jinyuan ZHANG ; Wei LIU ; Hongxu LIU ; Xiaolei LAI ; Tong TONG ; Yanjie LIAN
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(7):992-998
Objective:To investigate the medication law of TCM compound patents for treating primary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) based on data mining.Methods:TCM compound patents for the treatment of DCM were retrieved from State Intellectual Property Office of China-Chinese Patent Publication Notice webpage from the establishment of the database to November 18, 2024. After extracting information, statistics were conducted on patent publication time, indications, drug frequency, etc. The association rules of drugs were analyzed using SPSS Modeler 18.0 software based on the Apriori algorithm, and the core drug co-occurrence relationship was visualized using Cytascape 3.9.1 software. SPSS 27.0 software was used to cluster the high-frequency drugs and core co-occurrence drugs. The MCODE plug-in of Cytascape 3.9.1 software was used for graphic clustering analysis.Results:A total of 52 patents were included in this study, with high-frequency syndromes of qi deficiency and blood stasis (16 times), qi and yin deficiency (13 times), blood stasis and water stagnation syndrome (5 times), etc. A total of 236 kinds of Chinese materia medica were involved, with high-frequency herbal medicines such as Astmgali Radix (34 times), Salvia Miltiorrhiza (24 times), Poria (22 times), Ophiopogonis Radix (19 times), etc.; common pairs were Poria → Astmgali Radix (rule support 34.62%, confidence 81.82%), Atractylodes Macrocephala → Poria (rule support 25.0%, confidence 100%), etc.; common medicinal combinations were Atractylodes Macrocephala - Astmgali Radix → Poria (rule support 21.15%, confidence 100%), Astmgali Radix-Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus → Ophiopogonis Radix (rule support 21.15%, confidence 91.67%), etc.; new prescriptions included "Poria, Atractylodes Macrocephala, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Cmnamomi Mmulus, Descurainiae Semen, Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparaka, Polyporus", etc.; potential Chinese medicine combinations included "Aconitum Bullatifolium-Eupolyphaga Steleophaga-Myrrh-Os Costaziae-Os Draconis-Olibanum-Moschus-Pyritum", etc.Conclusion:TCM compound patents for treating DCM mainly include qi deficiency and blood stasis, qi-yin deficiency , blood stasis and water stagnation, etc. The basic treatment method is to tonify qi and nourish yin, invigorate blood circulation and eliminate blood stasis, promote water circulation and reduce swelling, and cooperate with the method of softening and dispersing knots.
6.Analysis on the current situation of clinical trials registration of Chinese materia medica in China
Jing HUANG ; Bin FENG ; Shuibing LIU ; Hongxu YANG ; Huan ZHANG ; Lifei CHENG ; Yihuan LIU ; Weigang WANG ; Jia JU
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(10):1454-1460
Objective:To analyze the current status of clinical trials of Chinese materia medica for the purpose of registration in China; To provide reference for the research and development of new TCM drugs.Methods:Clinical trials of Chinese materia medica/natural medicine registered in Drug Clinical Trial Registration and Information Disclosure Platform were retrieved from inception to December 31, 2024. Excel 2019 software was used to input and analyze the data such as the number of registered clinical trials, date of first publication, study status, field of indication, trial phases, sponsors, group leader, and design types.Results:A total of 1 137 Chinese materia medica clinical trials had been registered, accounting for 4.12% of the total number registered on the platform. Phase Ⅱ clinical trials accounted for the highest proportion (58.8%), and 99.7% of clinical trials conducted domestically. The sponsors were predominantly domestically pharmaceutical enterprises. These 1 137 clinical trials of Chinese materia medica clinical trials involved 752 drug categories, 28 dosage forms, and 796 varieties (the same class of drugs had different drug dosage forms), with capsules being the most common. The indications primarily focused on respiratory, digestive, cardio-cerebrovascular, neuropsychiatric, gynecological diseases. The group leader of clinical trials was distributed in 28 provinces, among which the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine as the group leader, undertook the most clinical trials of TCM. 89.9% of the clinical trials adopted the randomized controlled trial design, and only 31.9% of the clinical trials purchased insurance for the subjects.Conclusion:The research and development of new TCM drugs has entered a phase of vigorous development. Further efforts are still needed in establishing systematic guidelines for Chinese materia medica clinical trials, accelerating the internationalization of TCM, exploring innovative dosage forms and indications, and strengthening the protection of participants' rights.
7.Clinical efficacy and safety of remote ischaemic preconditioning in selective vascular surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Guangzu LIU ; Hongxu LIU ; Zhili WEI ; Hao CHEN ; Yalan ZHANG ; Shuai DONG ; Bing SONG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(10):1487-1494
Objective To systematically evaluate the clinical effects of remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) in elective vascular surgery. Methods Electronic searches were conducted in The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP Database, and CBM. Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results A total of 15 studies involving 1 382 patients were included. The meta-analysis results showed no statistically significant difference between RIPC and non-RIPC groups in reducing perioperative mortality in elective vascular surgery (P>0.05). There were also no statistically significant differences between the two groups of vascular surgery patients regarding the incidence of myocardial infarction, renal injury, postoperative stroke, postoperative length of hospital stay, duration of surgery or total anesthesia time, or the incidence of limb injury, arrhythmia, heart failure, and pneumonia (P>0.05). Conclusion For patients undergoing elective vascular surgery, there are no significant differences between RIPC and non-RIPC in terms of perioperative mortality and other clinical endpoint outcomes.
8.Discussion on the substance basis and possible mechanism of Xiefei Lishui Prescription in the treatment of heart failure based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with network pharmacology
Shuaijie GUO ; Sinai LI ; Weihong LIU ; Lei ZHANG ; Juju SHANG ; Hongxu LIU ; Mingxue ZHOU
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;46(3):345-352
Objective:To explore the effective components and potential mechanisms of Xiefei Lishui Prescription in the treatment of heart failure.Methods:Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography tandem four stage rod time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) technology was used to analyze and identify the active components of Xiefei Lishui Prescription. Drug targets were predicted through the Swiss Target Prediction database, and disease targets were collected from Gene Cards, Dis GENET, and TTD databases. The intersection of drug targets and disease targets was screened using a STRING database for protein interaction to identify core targets. The core targets were included in the DAVID database for GO enrichment and KEGG analysis. Finally, molecular docking validation was performed between the drug components and the corresponding core targets.Results:The results identified 10 active components of Xiefei Lishui Prescription, and 8 potential active components were screened using network pharmacology for the treatment of heart failure with Xiefei Lishui Prescription, corresponding to 160 related action targets. A total of 1 305 disease-related targets were collected, and a total of 51 targets ad 17 core targets were included in the string database for protein interaction analysis. GO functional enrichment and KEGG analysis indicated that the mechanism of Xiefei Lishui Prescription in treating heart failure may be related to pathways such as protein binding, ATP binding, and negative regulation of the VEGF signaling pathway and T cell receptor pathway during apoptosis. The molecular docking results showed that baicalin exhibited good binding activity with ESR1, sorghum isoflavones with ESR1, and quercetin with AKT1, EGFR, IL2, and ABCB1.Conclusion:Xiefei Lishui Prescription may exert therapeutic effects on heart failure through multiple pathways by targeting ESR1, AKT1, EGFR, and other targets.
9.Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine regulating related signaling pathways to promote tendon-bone healing
Chaoqiang YANG ; Xiaomin WANG ; Liang WANG ; Yican WANG ; Tiantai KANG ; Qing YANG ; Hongxu SHU ; Yunyun YANG ; Hulin ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(6):767-772
Tendon-bone healing is a complex biological process. Multiple signaling pathways are involved in tendon-bone healing, including transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway, bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, fibroblast growth factor signaling pathway and nuclear transcription factor-κB signaling pathway. This paper summarizes the research status of traditional Chinese medicine regulating related signaling pathways to promote tendon-bone healing. It is found that a variety of traditional Chinese medicine monomers or herbal extracts (such as baicalein, icariin, total flavonoids of Drynaria fortunei, parthenolide, total saponins of Panax notoginseng, etc.) and traditional Chinese medicine compounds (such as Taohong siwu decoction, Liuwei dihuang pill, Xujin jiegu liquid, etc.) can promote bone formation, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, by regulating the above signaling pathways, thereby effectively promoting tendon-bone healing.
10.Risks of biosafety and prevention strategies in medical and pharmaceutical research laboratories
Mo CHEN ; Jiayi TAO ; Hongxu WANG ; Qingjian ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Comparative Medicine 2024;34(4):109-113
Medical and pharmaceutical research laboratories encompass a wide range of study areas.They utilize diverse materials ranging from animals and microorganisms to nanoparticles and other substances.However,as laboratory waste increases,more biosafety risks are created.In this context,we outlined the safety risks associated with gene amplification,gene recombination,research involving pathogenic microorganisms,nanotechnology,animal experiments,genetically modified animals,and experimental waste.Additionally,we here in propose preventive measures to mitigate laboratory biosafety risks.These measures primarily involve the development of strict legal frameworks,improvement of hardware infrastructure,strengthening of safety awareness,and enhancement of education and training programs.

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