ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Liuwei Dihuangwan on behavioral impairments in the rat model of autism spectrum disorder （ASD） and explore the mechanism of action. MethodsTwelve SD pregnant rats were intraperitoneally injected with valproic acid （VPA） （10 rats） or normal saline （2 rats）， and male offspring were selected to establish the model of ASD and the control rats. Rats were randomly assigned into model， low-dose （0.75 g·kg^-1） and high-dose （1.5 g·kg^-1） Liuwei Dihuangwan， vitamin D （positive drug， 3.7×10^-5 g·kg^-1）， and blank groups. Each group was administrated with the corresponding concentration of drugs or the same volume of normal saline by gavage for 2 weeks. After the intervention， the three-chamber social test was conducted to evaluate social interaction and social preference. The open field test was carried out to observe spontaneous behavior and anxiety state. Hematoxylin-eosin staining （HE） was used to observe the pathological changes of the prefrontal tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe the ultrastructure of mitochondria in prefrontal neurons. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 （Iba-1） in the prefrontal tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6）. Western blot was employed to assess the expression differences of phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （p-AMPK）， adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， phosphorylated Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 （p-ULK1）， Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 （ULK1）， and FUN14 domain-containing protein 1 （FUNDC1）. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group spent less time sniffing stranger 1 and stranger 2 in the three-chamber social test （P<0.01） and showed reductions in the total distance traveled， average speed， distance traveled in the central area， and time spent in the central area in the open field test （P<0.01）. In addition， the model group showed extensive apoptosis of neurons， with shrunken nuclei and red-stained cytoplasm， and extensive necrosis of neurons in the prefrontal tissue， mitochondrial swelling， decreased matrix density， disrupted cristae， and autophagic lysosomes in neurons， increases in the rate of Iba-1 positive cells in the prefrontal area （P<0.01） and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 （P<0.01）， and down-regulation in the expression of p-AMPK/AMPK， p-ULK1/ULK1， and FUNDC1 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， low-dose and high-dose Liuwei Dihuangwan and the vitamin D prolonged the time spent sniffing stranger 1 and stranger 2 in the three-chamber social test （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased the total distance traveled， average speed， distance traveled in the central area， and time spent in the central area in the open field test （P<0.05， P<0.01）， restored the morphology of neurons in the prefrontal tissue， decreased the number of apoptotic cells， alleviated the swelling of mitochondria in neurons， increased the matrix density， mitigated the fragmentation and disorder of cristae， and increased the number of autophagosomes. Moreover， the drugs decreased the rate of Iba-1 positive cells in the prefrontal area （P<0.01）， lowered the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated the expression of p-AMPK/AMPK， p-ULK1/ULK1， and FUNDC1 （P<0.01）. ConclusionLiuwei Dihuangwan ameliorate autism-like behaviors and reduce neuronal apoptosis and neuroinflammatory damage in the rat model of ASD by promoting mitophagy mediated by the AMPK/ULK1/FUNDC1 pathway.

Retinal microcirculatory disorder is a key factor in the occurrence and development of diabetic retinopathy （DR）， and also an important link in the prevention and treatment of DR. The theory of "Gaozhuo" holds that the microcirculatory disorder in DR is based on the deficiency of spleen Qi and is characterized by the obstruction caused by "Gaozhuo" and blood stasis. The deficiency of spleen Qi is an essential precondition for the endogenous formation and accumulation of Gaozhuo， while Gaozhuo invasion is the direct cause of microcirculatory disorders in DR. The deficiency of spleen Qi and the endogenous formation of Gaozhuo mean the process in which glucose metabolism dysfunction induces an excessive production of inflammatory factors and lipid metabolites. The obstruction caused by "Gaozhuo" and blood stasis is the direct pathogenesis of microcirculatory disorders in DR， encompassing two stages： Gaozhuo obstruction and turbidity and stasis stagnation. Gaozhuo obstruction and turbidity and stasis stagnation represent the process in which inflammatory factors and lipid metabolites damage the retinal microcirculation and induce thrombosis， thus mediating microcirculatory disorders. Turbidity and stasis stagnation and blood extravasation outside the vessels reveal the progression to microvascular rupture and hemorrhage resulting from the microcirculatory disorders. According to the pathogenesis evolution of the theory of "Gaozhuo"， microcirculatory disorders in DR can be divided into deficiency of spleen Qi with Gaozhuo obstruction， deficiency of spleen Qi with turbidity and stasis stagnation， and turbidity and stasis stagnation with blood extravasation outside the vessels. Clinically， treatment principles should focus on strengthening the spleen and benefiting Qi， resolving turbidity， and dispersing stasis. Different syndrome patterns should be addressed with tailored therapies， such as enhancing the spleen and benefiting Qi while regulating Qi and reducing turbidity， strengthening the spleen and benefiting Qi while resolving turbidity and dispelling stasis， and strengthening the spleen and resolving turbidity while removing stasis and stopping bleeding. Representative prescriptions include modified Wendantang， modified Buyang Huanwutang， modified Danggui Buxuetang， Zhuixue Mingmu decoction， Tangmuqing， Shengqing Jiangzhuo Tongluo Mingmu prescription， Danhong Huayu decoction， and Yiqi Yangyin Huoxue Lishui formula.

Hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection is the primary cause of viral hepatitis and represents a substantial disease burden in China. However， effective and safe agents capable of completely eliminating HBV DNA are still lacking. In modern medicine， anti-HBV strategies mainly target covalently closed circular DNA （cccDNA）， among other mechanisms， and multiple novel drugs are currently under clinical investigation. Traditional medicine has been shown to exert anti-HBV effects through direct pathways， such as blocking viral entry， as well as indirect pathways， including the regulation of programmed cell death. Studies have confirmed that the integration of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and Western medicine in treating HBV infection and its related complications offers complementary advantages， particularly in enhancing HBV clearance rates， improving liver function， preventing various complications， and delaying the progression from hepatic fibrosis to hepatocellular carcinoma. This review focuses on advances in anti-HBV research involving TCM， Western medicine， and their integrated application， aiming to provide a basis for integrated HBV therapy and new drug development.

ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy and safety of the Qi-regulating and phlegm-removing method（Liu Junzitang Combined with Linggang Wuwei Jiangxintang） for treating acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with increased eosinophils （EOS）. MethodsSixty-eight AECOPD patients with increased EOS who were hospitalized in the Department of Pulmonary Diseases of Jinhua Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from April 2023 to April 2024 were recruited and randomly assigned to an experimental group （EG） or a control group （CG）. Both groups received conventional Western medicine， with the EG additionally receiving Liujunzitang and Linggan Wuwei Jiangxintang. The therapeutic efficacy indicators were measured after the treatment. The main therapeutic efficacy indicators included partial pressure of oxygen （PaO₂） and partial pressure of carbon dioxide （PaCO₂）. The secondary efficacy indicators included the TCM symptom scores， the COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， the Modified Medical Research Council （mMRC） Dyspnea Scale score， and the length of hospital stay. The indicators were measured at baseline and on days 3 and 7 of intervention. The safety was evaluated based on the adverse events. ResultsBaseline characteristics were not statistically different between the two groups. Compared with CG， EG showed no significant difference in PaO₂ （P=0.773）， PaCO₂ （P=0.632） and or CAT score （P=0.336） at on day 3 but better PaO₂ （P=0.004）， PaCO₂ （P=0.008）， and CAT score （P=0.013） were significantly better at on day 7. Compared with CGAfter treatment， EG had lower TCM syndrome scores of than CG EG on day 3 （P=0.005） and day 7 were significantly decreased （P0.001）. There was no significant difference in mMRC score between the two groups on day 3 （P=0.514） and day 7 （P=0.176） as wasor the length of hospital stay （P=0.915）. The generalized linear mixed model （GLMM） showed that compared with CG， EG had significant improvements over time in PaO₂， PaCO₂， TCM syndrome symptom scores， CAT score， and mMRC score. ConclusionRegulating qi Qi and removing phlegm combined with conventional Western medicine can significantly alleviateimprove the clinical symptoms and improve the lung function of AECOPD patients with increased EOS increased AECOPDwhich has and demonstrates good safety.

ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy and safety of the Qi-regulating and phlegm-removing method（Liu Junzitang Combined with Linggang Wuwei Jiangxintang） for treating acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with increased eosinophils （EOS）. MethodsSixty-eight AECOPD patients with increased EOS who were hospitalized in the Department of Pulmonary Diseases of Jinhua Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from April 2023 to April 2024 were recruited and randomly assigned to an experimental group （EG） or a control group （CG）. Both groups received conventional Western medicine， with the EG additionally receiving Liujunzitang and Linggan Wuwei Jiangxintang. The therapeutic efficacy indicators were measured after the treatment. The main therapeutic efficacy indicators included partial pressure of oxygen （PaO₂） and partial pressure of carbon dioxide （PaCO₂）. The secondary efficacy indicators included the TCM symptom scores， the COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， the Modified Medical Research Council （mMRC） Dyspnea Scale score， and the length of hospital stay. The indicators were measured at baseline and on days 3 and 7 of intervention. The safety was evaluated based on the adverse events. ResultsBaseline characteristics were not statistically different between the two groups. Compared with CG， EG showed no significant difference in PaO₂ （P=0.773）， PaCO₂ （P=0.632） and or CAT score （P=0.336） at on day 3 but better PaO₂ （P=0.004）， PaCO₂ （P=0.008）， and CAT score （P=0.013） were significantly better at on day 7. Compared with CGAfter treatment， EG had lower TCM syndrome scores of than CG EG on day 3 （P=0.005） and day 7 were significantly decreased （P0.001）. There was no significant difference in mMRC score between the two groups on day 3 （P=0.514） and day 7 （P=0.176） as wasor the length of hospital stay （P=0.915）. The generalized linear mixed model （GLMM） showed that compared with CG， EG had significant improvements over time in PaO₂， PaCO₂， TCM syndrome symptom scores， CAT score， and mMRC score. ConclusionRegulating qi Qi and removing phlegm combined with conventional Western medicine can significantly alleviateimprove the clinical symptoms and improve the lung function of AECOPD patients with increased EOS increased AECOPDwhich has and demonstrates good safety.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy on the long-term prognosis for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy （DCM） of yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 371 DCM patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. The yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy was defined as the exposure factor. Patients were categorized into exposure group （186 cases） and non-exposure group （185 cases） according to whether they received yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy combined with conventional western medicine for 6 months or longer. The follow-up period was set at 48 months， and the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events （MACE） in both groups. Cox regression analysis was used to explore the impact of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy on the risk of MACE， and subgroup analysis was performed. Changes in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventricular fractional shortening （LVFS）， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ） score were compared between groups at the time of first combined use of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy （before treatment） and 1 year after receiving the therapy （after treatment）. ResultsMACE occurred in 31 cases （16.67%） in the exposure group and 47 cases （25.41%） in the non-exposure group. The cumulative incidence of MACE in the exposure group was significantly lower than that in the non-exposure group ［HR=0.559， 95%CI（0.361，0.895）， P=0.014］. Cox regression analysis showed that yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy was an independent factor for reducing the risk of MACE in DCM patients ［HR=0.623， 95%CI（0.396，0.980）， P=0.041］， and consistent results were observed in different subgroups. Compared with pre-treatment， the exposure group showed decreased TCM syndrome score and MLHFQ score， reduced LVEDD， and increased LVEF and LVFS after treatment （P＜0.05）； in the non-exposure group， TCM syndrome score decreased， LVEF and LVFS increased， and LVEDD reduced after treatment （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the exposure group had higher LVEF and LVFS， smaller LVEDD， and lower TCM syndrome score and MLHFQ score compared with the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionCombining yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy with conventional western medicine can reduce the risk of MACE in DCM patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome， meanwhile improving their clinical symptoms， cardiac function， and quality of life.

ObjectiveTo investigate the imaging features of calcium salt deposition and serological markers in patients with alveolar echinococcosis through a retrospective analysis， as well as independent risk factors for the degree of calcium salt deposition in lesions， and to provide a basis for assessing disease process. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the imaging and clinical data of 107 patients with alveolar echinococcosis who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University from December 2023 to June 2025， and according to the volume of calcium salt deposition， they were divided into non-deposition group with 16 patients， mild deposition group with 52 patients， moderate deposition group with 16 patients， and severe deposition group with 23 patients. A one-way analysis of variance or the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups， and the χ² test or Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The four groups were further combined into the low deposition group （no/mild deposition） and the high deposition group （moderate/severe deposition）. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the independent influencing factors for calcium salt deposition， and a predictive model was established. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the predictive performance of the model， and the Bootstrap method was used for internal validation. ResultsThere were significant differences between the four groups in sex distribution， involvement of other sites， white blood cell count， lymphocyte percentage， fibrinogen， uric acid， sodium ion， chloride ion， and calcium ion （all P<0.05）. The univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the four groups in sex， involvement of other sites， white blood cell count， lymphocyte percentage， fibrinogen， alanine aminotransferase， albumin， creatinine， uric acid， sodium ion， chloride ion， and calcium ion （all P<0.1）. The multi-collinearity diagnosis showed that the VIF values for all continuous variables ranged from 1.104 to 1.760， suggesting that collinearity did not affect modeling. An ordinal logistic regression model was established based on sex， involvement of other sites， calcium ion， lymphocyte percentage， and uric acid. The multivariate analysis showed that lymphocyte percentage （odds ratio ［OR］=1.106， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.041 — 1.174， P=0.001） and blood calcium level （OR=0.005， 95%CI： 0.000 —0.230， P=0.007） were independent influencing factors for the degree of calcium salt deposition. The regression equation was established as Logit（P）=8.231 + 0.100 × lymphocyte percentage -5.344 × calcium ion. The ROC curve analysis showed that the model had an area under the ROC curve of 0.716， with a Youden index of 0.353， a sensitivity of 1.000， and a specificity of 0.353. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model had poor calibration （χ²=20.688， P=0.008）. The Bootstrap method with 1000 repeated samples showed that the estimated values of lymphocyte percentage （OR=1.106， 95%CI： 1.049 — 1.186， P=0.002） and calcium ion （OR=0.005， 95%CI： 0.000 — 0.214， P=0.010） were consistent with the original model， and the confidence intervals did not include 1， which further supported the reliability of the model. ConclusionBoth lymphocyte percentage and blood calcium level are independent influencing factors for calcium salt deposition in alveolar echinococcosis， and the degree of calcium salt deposition in alveolar echinococcosis lesions increases with the reduction in blood calcium level and the increase in lymphocyte percentage.

Compared with traditional therapies for chronic liver disease （CLD）， Bifidobacterium has the characteristics of multi-target intervention， high biosafety， and good host compatibility and provides new strategies for intervention of CLD progression in terms of microecological regulation. Various studies have shown that Bifidobacterium regulates liver homeostasis and exerts a therapeutic effect on CLD by regulating intestinal flora， maintaining antioxidation， promoting energy consumption， alleviating inflammation， improving glycolipid metabolism， and exerting an antitumor effect. This article systematically reviews the studies on Bifidobacterium in the treatment of CLD in China and globally， explores their different mechanisms， and elaborates on the interaction between related signaling pathways （such as the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling pathway and the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase signaling pathway） and the liver， in order to provide a basis for probiotic intervention in liver pathology， as well as new ideas for the comprehensive treatment of CLD.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the immunotoxicity and potential mechanism of Carthamus tinctorius extract on RBL-2H3 cells via direct induction and induction by sensitized serum prepared with an overdose of the extract. METHODS For direct induction by C. tinctorius extract， RBL-2H3 cells were divided into normal control group （no treatment） and C. tinctorius extract group （10 mg/mL）. For induction by sensitized serum prepared with an overdose of C. tinctorius extract， rats were divided into normal control group （no treatment）， adjuvant-treated group （1 mL adjuvant）， C. tinctorius extract-induced sensitization group （2.04 g/mL）， and ovalbumin （OVA）-induced sensitization group （50 mg/mL）. Sensitization was performed once every other day for a total of 3 times. Morphological changes of RBL-2H3 cells were observed， the degranulated rate of cells was counted， and histamine content was determined； the release rate of β -hexosaminidase （ β -Hex） was calculated， the levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration were detected. RESULTS Under direct induction by C. tinctorius extract， compared with the normal control group， the volume of cells in the C. tinctorius extract group was significantly reduced and cell density decreased； the degranulation rate of cells， histamine content， β -Hex release rate， IL-6 and TNF-α levels， as well as intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration were all significantly increased （ P ＜0.01）. Under i nduction by sensitized serum prepared with an overdose of C. tinctorius extract， compared with the adjuvant-treated group， the above indicators in the C. tinctorius extract-induced sensitization group and the OVA-induced sensitization group showed consistent changes with those in the C. tinctorius extract group under direct induction， all being significantly elevated （ P ＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS C. tinctorius extract may affect degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells and promote Ca²⁺ influx accompanied by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines through two approaches： direct induction and induction by sensitized serum prepared under overdose administration. Its mechanism may be related to the activation of the calcium signaling pathway and the regulation of inflammatory pathways under the synergistic effect of multiple components.

Intervertebral disc degeneration （IVDD） is the core cause of chronic low back pain， which severely impairs patients’ quality of life and imposes a heavy social and medical burden. The hypoxia-pyroptosis-inflammation cascade mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） is the core pathological mechanism driving the initiation and progression of IVDD. Natural active ingredients derived from traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） have become a research hotspot in the field of IVDD prevention and treatment due to their advantages of multi-target effects， favorable efficacy， and low toxicity. This paper systematically reviews the mechanism of HIF-1α-mediated hypoxia-pyroptosis-inflammation cascade in degenerative nucleus pulposus tissue and the intervention of related active ingredients. It is found that natural active ingredients such as baicalein， curcumin and resveratrol can intervene in the HIF-1α-mediated pathological cascade through four core links to delay IVDD progression： targeting the HIF-1α oxygen sensing pathway to block the initiation of pyroptosis cascade， inhibiting NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome activation to cut off the cascade amplification of inflammatory signals， intervening in the Gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis execution stage to protect cell membrane integrity， and regulating extracellular matrix metabolism to reconstruct intervertebral disc homeostasis.