Diabetic nephropathy（DN） is a common and severe microvascular complication of diabetes. In recent years， the classical herbal formula Shenqi dihuang decoction has demonstrated unique advantages in the clinical treatment of DN. This article conducts a systematic review of the mechanisms of action and clinical applications of Shenqi dihuang decoction in the treatment of DN. It reveals that the mechanism by which this formula improves DN involves multi-target synergistic regulation. For instance, Shenqi dihuang decoction exerts multiple pharmacological effects by regulating signaling pathways including phosphatidy linostiol 3-kinase/protein kinase B， AMP-activated protein kinase/silent information regulator 1/forkhead box O1， and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 pathways.These effects include regulating glucose and lipid metabolism， inhibiting oxidative stress， reducing inflammation， improving insulin resistance， modulating cell death （apoptosis/autophagy/ferroptosis/pyroptosis）， and preventing renal fibrosis. Existing clinical studies indicate that Shenqi dihuang decoction and its modified formulas， alone or in combination with other therapeutic methods， can significantly improve glucose and lipid metabolism， reduce proteinuria， and delay renal function decline in patients with DN. These effects are superior to those of Western medicines such as irbesartan， valsartan， and empagliflozin， and the treatment demonstrates good safety. Future research should leverage systems biology and artificial intelligence technologies to further elucidate the integrated mechanisms in the treatment of DN by Shenqi dihuang decoction， thereby advancing the precision and standardization of its clinical application.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and clinical utilization of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formula granules based on real-world data， and to provide evidence for their rational clinical use. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， open-label， observational centralized monitoring study was conducted. Participants who received TCM formula granules in 293 medical institutions throughout China from February 5th， 2020 to May 20th， 2025 were consecutively enrolled. The year of data collection was used as the stratification factor. Demographic characteristics （including sex， age， and concomitant medication use）， information on TCM formula granule use （including mean prescribed dosage and inappropriate use）， and adverse event（AE）/adverse drug reaction（ADR） occurrence and related factors were collected and statistically analyzed. ResultsA total of 42 011 participants were included in the safety set （SS）， with a mean age of （38.34±22.30） years， including 18 693 males and 23 318 females. Among them， 3519 participants （8.38%） had a history of or concomitant diseases. The three most common comorbidities were hypertension （1189 cases， 33.79%）， diabetes mellitus （850 cases， 24.15%）， and coronary heart disease （471 cases， 13.38%）. The top three diagnostic categories were respiratory， thoracic， and mediastinal diseases （7008 cases， 16.68%）， infectious and parasitic diseases （6591 cases， 15.69%）， and gastrointestinal diseases （4580 cases， 10.90%）.Among 41 961 participants with available concomitant medication data， 3332（7.94%） received concomitant medications， and western medicines were the most commonly used concomitant medications （2819 cases， 6.72%）. The mean prescribed dosage of TCM formula granules （expressed as the equivalent dosage of crude herbal pieces） was （158.23±104.86） g in 2020， （131.70±65.84） g in 2021， （130.62±59.96） g in 2022， （86.74±50.61） g in 2023， （118.59±52.01） g in 2024， and （134.38±49.43） g in 2025. The five most frequently prescribed toxic herbs were Kuxingren （Semen Armeniacae Amarum， 2746 cases， 6.54%）， Xixin （Radix et Rhizoma Asari， 2193 cases， 5.22%）， processed Kuxingren （862 cases， 2.05%）， Baiqucai （Herba Chelidonii， 747 cases， 1.78%）， and Wuzhuyu （Fructus Evodiae， 645 cases， 1.54%）. Prescriptions involving incompatible combinations of the "eighteen antagonisms" and the "nineteen mutual inhibitions" were most frequently observed in 2020 （54 cases， 0.503%）， and then decreased markedly， remaining at zero or an extremely low level thereafter. The overall incidence of adverse drug reactions （ADRs） associated with TCM formula granules was 0.057% （24 cases）， indicating a rare occurrence. The annual incidence was 0.028% （3 cases） in 2020， 0 in both 2021 and 2022， 0.065% （5 cases） in 2023， 0.158% （15 cases） in 2024， and 0.226% （1 case） in 2025. Among the 24 patients who experienced ADRs， 15 had inappropriate medication use.Five of the 24 patients used toxic herbs， and all five had inappropriate medication. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that no history of drug-related adverse reactions ［OR=0.053， 95%CI（0.006， 0.465）］ and no concomitant medication ［OR=0.315， 95%CI（0.109， 0.911）］ were associated with a lower risk of ADRs. ConclusionTCM formula granules are widely used in clinical practice and exhibit a favorable overall safety. Greater attention should be paid to people with a history of drug-related adverse reactions and those receiving concomitant medications to further improve medication safety.

The term yin excess originated in the Huang Di Nei Jing, which refers to the phenomenon of "heavy yin" when wind pathogens invades the human body and defensive qi enters the yin part of the human body. Later doctors have played a role in yin excess. Theoretically, yin and yang are out of balance in the human body, and yin is too much and yang is not enough, which is the process of physiological transformation to pathology; from the diagnosis point of view, patients with yin deficiency have less pulse and more blood; from the clinical manifestations, patients with yin excess appear cold from the back, hands and feet cold reverse; from the point of view of treatment, bitter cold products can cause yin excess. Modern research specifies yin as phlegm, dampness, stasis and other pathological products, and emphasize the relation between yin excess and yang deficiency. Yin excess includes pathological factors such as phlegm stasis cold, external cold straight in the liver wood, set in the hypochasm, resulting in mass; or overthinking and cold drink injury spleen, phlegm turbidiousness, long and hard phlegm forming lumps, thus resulting yin excess; or it may deplete the yang energy of the heart, leading to neglect of the warming function and stagnation of blood stasis; or if the kidney yang is deficient and the body lacks warmth, and there is no true yang in the ridge, then the wood will sink and congest blood stasis; the above etiology and pathogenesis lead to the occupation of yin pathogens, resulting in liver cancer. The treatment methods include liver cold turbidizing, warming liver and dispelling cold, with Wuzhuyu Decoction; spleen-deficiency phlegm production, the treatment should be warm the middle and resolving the phlegm, with Linggui Zhugan Decoction and Zhenwu Decoction; Yang deficiency and stasis, the treatment should warm kidney to remove blood stasis, with Poyu Decoction.

Objective To evaluate the clinical utility of the f-wave to QRS complex amplitude ratio(f/R ratio)in intracardiac electrogram(IC-ECG)-guided positioning of peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)tips in patients with atrial fibrillation(AF),providing evidence to enhance clinical practice.Methods This study employed a conve-nience sampling method to enroll eligible AF patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Suzhou from July 2023 to July 2024.During PICC placement,IC-ECG was utilized to monitor f-wave and QRS complex amplitude variations.Following successful catheterization,the f/R ratio was measured,and chest X-ray was performed to confirm the catheter tip position.The accuracy of PICC tip positioning across different f/R ratio ranges was analyzed,and the incidence of arrhythmias was recorded.A receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to assess the diag-nostic performance of the f/R ratio in PICC tip localization.Results A total of 68 AF patients were included,with f/R ratios ranging from 20.63％to 91.24％.PICC tip positioning accuracy varied significantly across different f/R ratio ranges(P=0.006).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for f/R ratio in PICC tip positioning was 0.784(P=0.009),with a maximum Youden index of 0.567,an optimal diagnostic threshold of 40.00％,a sensitivity of 81.7％,a speci-ficity of 75.0％,a positive predictive value of 96.1％,and a negative predictive value of 35.3％.No arrhythmias other than AF occurred during the procedure.Conclusion The f/R ratio provides reliable and safe guidance for PICC tip positioning in AF patients.An f/R ratio ≥40％is associated with higher accuracy in identifying the optimal catheter tip position.

Objective To evaluate the clinical utility of the f-wave to QRS complex amplitude ratio(f/R ratio)in intracardiac electrogram(IC-ECG)-guided positioning of peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)tips in patients with atrial fibrillation(AF),providing evidence to enhance clinical practice.Methods This study employed a conve-nience sampling method to enroll eligible AF patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Suzhou from July 2023 to July 2024.During PICC placement,IC-ECG was utilized to monitor f-wave and QRS complex amplitude variations.Following successful catheterization,the f/R ratio was measured,and chest X-ray was performed to confirm the catheter tip position.The accuracy of PICC tip positioning across different f/R ratio ranges was analyzed,and the incidence of arrhythmias was recorded.A receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to assess the diag-nostic performance of the f/R ratio in PICC tip localization.Results A total of 68 AF patients were included,with f/R ratios ranging from 20.63％to 91.24％.PICC tip positioning accuracy varied significantly across different f/R ratio ranges(P=0.006).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for f/R ratio in PICC tip positioning was 0.784(P=0.009),with a maximum Youden index of 0.567,an optimal diagnostic threshold of 40.00％,a sensitivity of 81.7％,a speci-ficity of 75.0％,a positive predictive value of 96.1％,and a negative predictive value of 35.3％.No arrhythmias other than AF occurred during the procedure.Conclusion The f/R ratio provides reliable and safe guidance for PICC tip positioning in AF patients.An f/R ratio ≥40％is associated with higher accuracy in identifying the optimal catheter tip position.

[Objective]To enrich the modern scientific connotation of the theory"spleen being in charge of the defensive function"in traditional Chinese medicine,and provide ideas for experimental research and clinical treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC).[Methods]Starting from the congruency between the therapeutic principle and method for UC in traditional Chinese medicine and the theory"spleen being in charge of the defensive function",and taking into account the fact that various components of Huangya Decoction were scientifically proven to effectively alleviate UC symptoms,this article discussed the potential mechanism of classic formula of Huangya Decoction in treating UC via"strengthening the spleen and enriching Qi"by explaining the theoretical connotation and immunological extension of"spleen being in charge of the defensive function",and combining with modern pharmacological research.[Results]Although studies on the treatment of UC by Huangya Decoction are still lacking,Huangya Decoction is feasible to treat UC by strengthening the spleen and enriching Qi based on the theory"spleen being in charge of the defensive function"in traditional Chinese medicine.The potential mechanisms include regulating immune cells,protecting intestinal epithelial barrier function,regulating intestinal flora,inhibiting or alleviating inflammatory response and regulating autophagy pathway expression.[Conclusion]The theoretical connotation of"spleen being in charge of the defensive function"in traditional Chinese medicine exhibits homologous physiological effects with the immune function in modern medicine,resulting from the synergistic action of multiple organs such as the spleen and gastrointestinal tract.The application of Huangya Decoction,a classic formula of strengthening the spleen and enriching Qi,for the treatment of UC through multi-target and multi-link approaches is not only feasible but also provides new insights for UC therapy.It lays a foundation for the systematic research,development and utilization of basic theories in traditional Chinese medicine and classic formulas.

[Objective]To investigate the therapeutic effect of Jian'gan Xiaozhi Decoction(JGXZ)on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)model mice and explore its mechanism from the perspective of mitochondrial autophagy mediated by the PTEN induced putative kinase 1(PINK1)/E3 uniquitin-protein ligase(Parkin)signaling pathway.[Methods]Sixty C57BL/6J mice were randomly and equally divided into 6 groups:control,model(NAFLD),polyene phosphatidyl choline(PPC)group 180 mg/kg intragastric administration,and JGXZ low,medium and high dose groups(8,16,32 g/kg)intragastric administration.Except for control group,the other 5 groups were given a high fat diet.The treatment lasted for 8 weeks,and the body weight of the mice was recorded weekly.After 8 weeks,blood samples were collected,the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)were measured,liver tissue was weighted and fixed,and histological changes in liver tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and oil red O staining.The levels of total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),interleukin-1 β(IL-1 β),IL-6,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),malondialdehyde(MDA)and activities of glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),superoxide dismutase(SOD)in liver tissue were measured to evaluate the effects of JGXZ on inflammation and oxidative stress in NAFLD mice.Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of voltage-dependent anion channel 1(VDAC1),translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20(TOM20),cytochrome c oxidase subunit Ⅳ(COX Ⅳ),phosphatase and PINK1,Parkin,Beclin1,microtubule-associated protein light chain 3(LC3),and P62 to evaluate the effects of JGXZ on mitochondrial autophagy in NAFLD mice.[Result]Compared with model group,JGXZ intervention significantly improved the body weight of NAFLD model mice,reduced liver index,alleviated liver tissue lesions in NAFLD model mice,reduced TC,TG,ALT,AST levels,decreased IL-1[3,IL-6,TNF-α and MDA levels,increased GSH-Px and SOD activity,down-regulated VDAC1,TOM20,COXⅣ and P62 protein expression,and up-regulated PINK1,Parkin,Beclin1,LC3 protein expression.[Conclusion]JGXZ can alleviate liver injury in NAFLD mice by promoting the PINK 1/Parkin signaling pathway mediated activation of mitochondrial autophagy.

Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules are made from decoction pieces by decocting， extracting， separating， concentrating， drying and granulating， which have the advantages of simple dispensing， convenient use and easy to take without decoction. However， because Dioscoreae Rhizoma is rich in starch and mucus components， its extract powder and formula granules are poorly soluble and difficult to dissolve or disperse completely within 5 min， and the insoluble material is difficult to dissolve completely even after 24 h in water， which affects the quality evaluation of the formula granules and medication psychology of patients. Therefore， by studying the dissolution process and mechanism of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract and its formula granules， it was found that the special chemical composition of Dioscoreae Rhizoma， the denaturation of starch and its compounding with protein and other substances during the high temperature extraction process， and the contraction of coating membrane during the spray drying process were combined to form the special microstructure of coating membrane covering starch granules， and it is the root cause of poor solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules. Based on the research on the structure， property and function of the powder， this paper proposed a technical strategy to improve the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules by powder modification process， and experimentally demonstrated that the modified Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules could completely dissolve within 2 min， which solved the technical problem and could provide reference for the improvement of solubility of other similar varieties， and promote the high-quality development of traditional Chinese medicine formula granule industry.

Issues caused by maxillofacial tumours involve not only dealing with tumours but also repairing jaw bone defects. In traditional tumour therapy, the systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs, invasive surgical resection, intractable tumour recurrence, and metastasis are major threats to the patients' lives in the clinic. Fortunately, biomaterial-based intervention can improve the efficiency of tumour treatment and decrease the possibility of recurrence and metastasis, suggesting new promising antitumour therapies. In addition, maxillofacial bone tissue defects caused by tumours and their treatment can negatively affect the physiological and psychological health of patients, and investment in treatment can result in a multitude of burdens to society. Biomaterials are promising options because they have good biocompatibility and bioactive properties for stimulation of bone regeneration. More interestingly, an integrated material regimen that combines tumour therapy with bone repair is a promising treatment option. Herein, we summarized traditional and biomaterial-mediated maxillofacial tumour treatments and analysed biomaterials for bone defect repair. Furthermore, we proposed a promising and superior design of dual-functional biomaterials for simultaneous tumour therapy and bone regeneration to provide a new strategy for managing maxillofacial tumours and improve the quality of life of patients in the future.
Biocompatible Materials ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone and Bones ; Humans ; Quality of Life