Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, and its treatment continues to face major challenges such as therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Pyroptosis, a newly characterized form of programmed cell death, induces tumor cell death through gasdermin-mediated membrane pore formation and is accompanied by the release of inflammatory mediators, thereby playing complex roles in lung cancer initiation, progression, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Active components and herbal formulas derived from traditional Chinese medicine can modulate pyroptosis-related signaling pathways through multi-target mechanisms, showing potential advantages in inducing lung cancer cell death, inhibiting proliferation and migration, and reversing chemoresistance. This review systematically summarizes relevant studies from domestic and international sources, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis, its roles in lung cancer development and tumor microenvironment remodeling, and the current research progress on traditional Chinese medicine-based interventions targeting pyroptosis, with the aim of providing references for the prevention and treatment of lung cancer using traditional Chinese medicine.

Non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）， as the most common subtype of lung cancer， has a high incidence and mortality rate among global cancer cases. Although modern medicine has made remarkable progress in the treatment of NSCLC with advances in screening technologies and continuous optimization of therapeutic regimens， current treatments inevitably result in adverse outcomes such as high tumor recurrence rates， significant toxic side effects， and poor quality of life for patients. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） holds that the core pathogenesis of lung cancer lies in ''deficiency of healthy Qi and excess of pathogenic factors''. It originates from congenital insufficiency or acquired malnourishment， leading to an imbalance of Yin and Yang， deficiency of healthy Qi， and inability to eliminate pathogenic factors. The interactions among Qi stagnation， phlegm accumulation， blood stasis， and toxins give rise to disease. The root is deficiency， while the manifestation is excess. Therefore， the treatment of lung cancer in TCM is generally guided by the principle of "supporting the healthy Qi and eliminating the pathogens". A large number of clinical and pharmacological studies have shown that TCM and its active components can， through multiple targets and mechanisms， alleviate postoperative and chemoradiotherapy-related adverse reactions， inhibit tumor growth and recurrence， and improve the quality of life of patients with NSCLC. It is worth noting that although extensive studies have been conducted on the therapeutic patterns and pharmacological mechanisms of TCM and its active substances in NSCLC treatment， issues such as the diversity of medicinal materials， the complexity of chemical components， the scientific basis of herbal compatibility， and the flexibility of dosage indicate that there is still considerable room for further clinical and basic research. This review summarizes recent literature on the clinical syndromes， drug selection， medication patterns， and pharmacological mechanisms of TCM and its active components in the treatment of NSCLC， aiming to provide guidance for clinical medication in TCM therapy for NSCLC and to deepen the understanding and research of its therapeutic mechanisms.

ObjectiveTo investigate the antitumor effect and mechanism of Guiqi Yiyuan ointment on Lewis lung cancer mice based on the extracellular regulatory protein kinase （ERK） signaling pathway. MethodsA Lewis lung cancer mouse model was established. Except for the blank group， the model mice were randomly divided into the model group， Guiqi Yiyuan ointment low， medium， and high dose groups， and the extracellular ERK1/2 inhibitor group， with 10 mice per group. The Guiqi Yiyuan ointment was administered by gavage at doses of 1.75， 3.5， 7.0 g·kg^-1·d^-1 for the low， medium， and high dose groups， respectively. The ERK1/2 inhibitor group was given the ERK1/2 inhibitor LY3214996 （100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage. The treatment was administered for 14 consecutive days， after which samples were collected. Tumor histopathological changes were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe ultrastructural changes in tumor cells. Immunofluorescence was performed to measure the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 （p-ERK1/2） and the expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 （PD-L1） in tumor tissues. Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to detect the expression of p-ERK1/2， PD-L1， the autophagy marker Beclin-1， the autophagic protein p62， and the microtubule-associated protein light chains LC3Ⅰ and LC3Ⅱ at both the protein and gene levels. ResultsCompared with the model group， the average tumor weight was significantly reduced in the low and medium dose groups of Guiqi Yiyuan ointment （P<0.05）， and markedly reduced in the high dose and inhibitor groups （P<0.01）. Tumor cells in all treatment groups became progressively irregular， with ruptured nuclei and expanded areas of cell disintegration and necrosis. The number of organellar ablations in tumor tissues increased， and the number of autophagic vesicles also increased in all groups. The mean fluorescence intensity of p-ERK1/2 and PD-L1 was reduced in the low and medium dose groups of Guiqi Yiyuan ointment （P<0.05）， and significantly reduced in the high dose and inhibitor groups （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of ERK1/2， PD-L1， Beclin-1， and p62 was reduced in the medium dose group （P<0.05）， while LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ mRNA expression was elevated （P<0.05）. In the high dose and inhibitor groups， mRNA expression of ERK1/2， PD-L1， Beclin-1， and p62 was significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ mRNA expression was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Protein expression of p-ERK1/2， PD-L1， Beclin-1， and p62 was reduced in the medium dose group （P<0.05）， and LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ protein expression was elevated （P<0.05）. In the high dose and inhibitor groups， protein expression of p-ERK1/2， PD-L1， Beclin-1， and p62 was significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ protein expression was significantly elevated （P<0.01）. ConclusionGuiqi Yiyuan ointment may inhibit the activation of the ERK signaling pathway， downregulate the expression of p-ERK1/2， promote autophagic flux in tumor cells， and regulate the expression of PD-L1， thereby exerting an inhibitory effect on tumor growth in Lewis lung cancer mice.

Parkinson disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease whose incidence increases year by year as the population ages.TCM compounds for the treatment of Parkinson disease has the characteristics of multiple components,targets,and pathways.Combined treatment with Western medicine can achieve synergistic effects and reduce adverse drug reactions.This article focused on the mechanism of TCM compounds for the treatment of Parkinson disease,reviewed relevant experimental studies in recent years.TCM compounds may exert therapeutic effects on Parkinson disease by regulating oxidative stress,mitochondrial dysfunction,neurotransmitters,neuroinflammation,abnormal protein aggregation,cell apoptosis,stem cell transplantation,neurotrophic factors,second messengers,and other mechanisms,in order to provide basis for clinical treatment of Parkinson disease.

Parkinson disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease whose incidence increases year by year as the population ages.TCM compounds for the treatment of Parkinson disease has the characteristics of multiple components,targets,and pathways.Combined treatment with Western medicine can achieve synergistic effects and reduce adverse drug reactions.This article focused on the mechanism of TCM compounds for the treatment of Parkinson disease,reviewed relevant experimental studies in recent years.TCM compounds may exert therapeutic effects on Parkinson disease by regulating oxidative stress,mitochondrial dysfunction,neurotransmitters,neuroinflammation,abnormal protein aggregation,cell apoptosis,stem cell transplantation,neurotrophic factors,second messengers,and other mechanisms,in order to provide basis for clinical treatment of Parkinson disease.

Objective:To explore the application and research progress of lasers in the treatment of kidney neoplasms through an integrated bibliometric and Meta-analysis study.Methods:On June 7th, 2024, an online search of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases for all relevant literature on lasers in kidney neoplasms was conducted. The retrieved results were subjected to a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. The high-quality studies were then screened to further describe the clinical characteristics of patients who underwent laser-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LLPN). Subsequently, a Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 software on further selected high-quality studies to compare the changes in renal function before and after LLPN treatment, and the differences in efficacy between LLPN and traditional laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN).Results:Our study obtained a total of 549 publications on lasers in kidney neoplasms, including 513 in English and 36 in Chinese. Bibliometric analysis revealed an overall upward trend in the annual publications and citations in this field. China was found to be a leading contributor ranking second in total publications ( n=100, 18.2%). The primary application of laser treatment was in nephron-sparing surgery for kidney neoplasms, especially in LPN. We further screened 11 high-quality studies comprising 284 patients who underwent LLPN for kidney neoplasms. Comprehensive descriptive statistical analysis was performed on clinical characteristics of the 284 patients. All patients had T 1a stage tumors with a mean tumor length of 2.6 cm (range: 0.8-4.0 cm), all being local, solitary, and exophytic tumors. Further Meta-analysis indicated that there were no significant differences in renal function indicators including both serum creatinine levels ( MD=4.52, 95% CI-9.73-0.69, P = 0.09) and estimated glomerular filtration rate ( MD=3.05, 95% CI-1.03-7.13, P= 0.14) before and after LLPN. Additionally, compared to traditional LPN, LLPN showed significantly reduced operative time ( MD=-10.58, 95% CI= -13.11-8.06, P<0.001), but no significant differences in estimated blood loss ( MD= -27.09, 95% CI-67.38-13.21, P=0.19) and hospital stay ( MD=-1.59, 95% CI-3.42-0.25, P=0.09). Conclusions:The application of lasers in managing of kidney neoplasms is arousing increasing attention among urologists. LLPN offers several advantages, including precise cutting and effective hemostasis. This technique demonstrates considerable clinical value for patients with exophytic T 1a kidney neoplasms undergoing "zero-ischemia" nephron-sparing surgery.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of using the fourth arm in retroperitoneal robot-assisted partial nephrectomy(PN)for cT1b stage renal tumors.Methods Clinical data of 49 patients with cT1b stage renal tumors who underwent retroperitoneal robot-assisted PN performed by the same surgeon in our hospital during Jan.2022 and Dec.2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into two groups based on whether the fourth arm was used or not:application group(n=21)and non-application group(n=28).The basic information,operation time,warm ischemia time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative complications and other data were compared between the two groups.Results All operations were successful,with no conversion to open surgery or radical nephrectomy.The application group had significantly shorter operation time[(128.76±31.58)min vs.(151.11±33.21)min,P=0.021],shorter warm ischemia time[(24.67±4.80)min vs.(27.61±3.54)min,P=0.017],and less intraoperative blood loss[(109.05±39.99)mL vs.(139.29±54.43)mL,P=0.037]compared with the non-application group.The increase of postoperative creatinine was(18.64±16.05)μmol/L in the application group and(20.30±13.49)μmol/L in the non-application group respectively.Complications occurred in 3 cases in the application group and 5 cases in the non-application group,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion When we perform the retroperitoneal robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for cT1b stage renal tumors,using the fourth arm can shorten the operation time and warm ischemia time,and reduce the intraoperative blood loss,which should be applied more in clinic.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of robot assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) in the treatment of pediatric renal tumors.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 29 children with renal tumors admitted to Xinhua Hospital from March 2019 to March 2024. Among them, there were 10 cases in the RAPN group, including 6 males and 4 females; The median age is 7.5 (4, 12) years old, with a tumor diameter of (4.3±1.6) cm, a median R. E. N. A.L. score of 9 (8, 11), and relative tumor size (tumor volume/contralateral kidney volume) of (34.0%±19.3%). There were 19 cases in the LPN group, 8 males and 11 females; the median age is 5.0(4, 11) years old, with a tumor diameter of (4.4±1.6) cm, a median R. E. N. A.L. score of 9 (8, 11), and relative tumor size(37.7%±18.1%). There was no statistically significant difference in preoperative characteristics between the two groups ( P>0.05). Both groups underwent partial nephrectomy, with renal artery occlusion and then warm ischemia. Clinical data from both groups during and postoperatively were compared, and a simple linear regression analysis was utilized to assess the correlation between the relative size of the tumor and the duration of intraoperative warm ischemia. Results:All 29 cases underwent a successful surgery. Compared with the LPN group, the total surgery time in the RAPN group was (115.0±28.4) minutes versus (127.9±28.2) min( P=0.25); the warm ischemia time was (20.9±3.0) min versus (27.0±4.5) min, respectively( P<0.01); the intraoperative bleeding was (50.0±24.5) ml and (80.0±21.2) ml( P<0.01); the difference in hemoglobin level before and after surgery was (10.3±3.5) g/L versus (12.9±2.7) g/L( P<0.05), respectively; the median postoperative drainage time was 3.5 (3, 4) days versus 4.0(3, 6) days( P=0.17); the median postoperative hospital stay was 4.5 (4, 8) days versus 6.0(5, 10) days( P<0.05). There were 3 cases of renal cell carcinoma associated with the MiT family translocation, 2 cases of mixed epithelial and stromal tumors, and 2 cases of cystic nephroma by postoperative pathological examination in the RAPN group. There were 10 cases of nephroblastoma, 3 cases of teratoma, 2 cases of renal cell carcinoma associated with the MiT family translocation, 2 cases of metanephric adenoma, 1 case of unclassified renal cell carcinoma, and 1 case of cystic nephroma in the LPN group. Apart from one child in the LPN group who developed a postoperative fever over 39℃, no other severe complications occurred during or after the surgery in the remaining patients. Compared with preoperative parameters, eGFR decreased (8.9±18.9) ml/(min·1.73m 2) and (21.4±34.8) ml/(min·1.73m 2) in the RAPN group and LPN group, respectively, 1 month postoperatively( P=0.36); three months after surgery, eGFR was followed up, and the RAPN group and LPN group showed a decrease of (5.9±23.4) ml/(min·1.73m 2) and (13.9±20.1) ml/(min·1.73m 2) compared with preoperative levels, respectively( P=0.42). Linear regression analysis indicated that in the LPN group, intraoperative warm ischemia time exhibited a progressively increasing trend with the augmentation of the tumor's relative size, and warm ischemia time = 0.1688×tumor relative size+ 20.64, ( R2=0.46, P<0.01). Based on this, it is estimated that when the tumor's relative size exceeds 55.5%, the intraoperative warm ischemia time often surpassed 30 minutes. However, in the RAPN group, this trend is not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions:Both LPN and RAPN are safe and feasible for the treatment of pediatric renal tumors. Compared with LPN, RAPN surgery has advantages of shortening warm ischemia time and reducing intraoperative bleeding, which helps patients recover early. RAPN is a better choice for children with a relative renal tumors size over 55.5%.

Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus(DM),which significantly affects the survival and quality of life of DM patients.Currently,existing first-line treatment approaches for DKD are ineffective in effectively preventing the occurrence and progression of DKD.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has the advantages of"ultiple pathways,multiple targets,and multiple mechanisms"in treating DKD,and has a broad prospect in the treatment of DKD.Aquaporin-2(AQP2)is a membrane channel protein widely expressed in the kidneys,and its physiological function is highly similar to the function of kidney filtration and reabsorption.Studies have found that various effective components and related formulae of Chinese medicine can improve symptoms in DKD patients by inhibiting the abnormal expression of AQP2.This article provides a review on the role of AQP2 in DKD and the research progress of TCM intervention,aiming to provide insights and references for the development of drugs related to the prevention and treatment of DKD.