In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Inulae Flos has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. After textual research， it could be verified that the medicinal use of Inulae Flos was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty. In successive dynasties， Xuanfuhua has been taken as the official name， and it also has other alternative names such as Jinfeicao， Daogeng and Jinqianhua. The period before the Song and Yuan dynasties， the main origin of Inulae Flos was the Asteraceae plant Inula japonica， and from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present， I. japonica and I. britannica are the primary source. In addition to the dominant basal species， there are also regional species such as I. linariifolia， I. helianthus-aquatili， and I. hupehensis. The earliest recorded production areas in ancient times were Henan， Hubei and other places， and the literature records that it has been distributed throughout the country since modern times. The medicinal part is its flower， the harvesting and processing method recorded in the past dynasties is mainly harvested in the fifth and ninth lunar months， and dried in the sun， and the modern harvesting is mostly harvested in summer and autumn when the flowers bloom， in order to remove impurities， dry in the shade or dry in the sun. In addition， the roots， whole herbs and aerial parts are used as medicinal materials. In ancient times， there were no records about the quality of Inulae Flos， and in modern times， it is generally believed that the quality of complete flower structure， small receptacles， large blooms， yellow petals， long filaments， many fluffs， no fragments， and no branches is better. Ancient processing methods primarily involved cleaning， steaming， and sun-drying， supplemented by techniques such as boiling， roasting， burning， simmering， stir-frying， and honey-processing. Modern processing focuses mainly on cleaning the stems and leaves before use. Regarding the medicinal properties， ancient texts describe it as salty and sweet in taste， slightly warm in nature， and mildly toxic. Modern studies characterize it as bitter， pungent， and salty in taste， with a slightly warm nature. Its therapeutic effects remain consistent across eras， including descending Qi， resolving phlegm， promoting diuresis， and stopping vomiting. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Inulae Flos， either I. japonica or I. britannica should be used as the medicinal source. Processing methods should follow formula requirements， where no processing instructions are specified， the raw products may be used after cleaning.

In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Inulae Flos has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. After textual research， it could be verified that the medicinal use of Inulae Flos was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty. In successive dynasties， Xuanfuhua has been taken as the official name， and it also has other alternative names such as Jinfeicao， Daogeng and Jinqianhua. The period before the Song and Yuan dynasties， the main origin of Inulae Flos was the Asteraceae plant Inula japonica， and from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present， I. japonica and I. britannica are the primary source. In addition to the dominant basal species， there are also regional species such as I. linariifolia， I. helianthus-aquatili， and I. hupehensis. The earliest recorded production areas in ancient times were Henan， Hubei and other places， and the literature records that it has been distributed throughout the country since modern times. The medicinal part is its flower， the harvesting and processing method recorded in the past dynasties is mainly harvested in the fifth and ninth lunar months， and dried in the sun， and the modern harvesting is mostly harvested in summer and autumn when the flowers bloom， in order to remove impurities， dry in the shade or dry in the sun. In addition， the roots， whole herbs and aerial parts are used as medicinal materials. In ancient times， there were no records about the quality of Inulae Flos， and in modern times， it is generally believed that the quality of complete flower structure， small receptacles， large blooms， yellow petals， long filaments， many fluffs， no fragments， and no branches is better. Ancient processing methods primarily involved cleaning， steaming， and sun-drying， supplemented by techniques such as boiling， roasting， burning， simmering， stir-frying， and honey-processing. Modern processing focuses mainly on cleaning the stems and leaves before use. Regarding the medicinal properties， ancient texts describe it as salty and sweet in taste， slightly warm in nature， and mildly toxic. Modern studies characterize it as bitter， pungent， and salty in taste， with a slightly warm nature. Its therapeutic effects remain consistent across eras， including descending Qi， resolving phlegm， promoting diuresis， and stopping vomiting. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Inulae Flos， either I. japonica or I. britannica should be used as the medicinal source. Processing methods should follow formula requirements， where no processing instructions are specified， the raw products may be used after cleaning.

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 10^th 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.

Objectives: Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is a rare endocrine disorder caused by parathyroid hormone (PTH) defi ciency. The PTH is a candidate gene for familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (FIH). This study aimed to investigate the pathogenicity of two novel rare variants (RVs) ofPTH through in vitro functional study. Methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing was used to identify candidate gene mutations. Clinical data were retrospectively collected. Wild-type (WT) PTH was used as a template for site-directed mutagenesis to create mutant eukaryotic expression plasmids, which were transfected into cells. Treated with or without 4-phenylbu tyric acid (4-PBA), the levels of intact PTH (iPTH) and PTH (1-84) were measured by chemiluminescence, and protein expression was assessed using Western blotting. Results: Two patients carrying PTH mutations (c.154G > A: p.Val52Ile, c.270G > T: p.Leu90Phe) were identified.Patient 1, a 45-year-old male, presented with carpal and pedal numbness, muscle cramps, and low serum calcium (1.29 mmol/L). Patient 2, a 12-year-old female, had muscle twitches, convulsions, low calcium (1.50 mmol/L), and iPTH of 4 pg/mL. The iPTH or PTH (1-84) levels in the medium transfected with mutant Val52Ile and Leu90Phe PTH decreased by 31%–38%, and 51%–96% compared to WT (allP < 0.05), which were not rescued by 4-PBA. No significant changes in intracellular PTH expression were observed. Conclusions In this study, two novel RVs of PTH(Val52Ile and Leu90Phe) were identified that may impair hormone synthesis and secretion. Our study has broadened the mutation spectrum of the PTH and shed light on potential mechanisms underlying FIH.

Objectives: Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is a rare endocrine disorder caused by parathyroid hormone (PTH) defi ciency. The PTH is a candidate gene for familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (FIH). This study aimed to investigate the pathogenicity of two novel rare variants (RVs) ofPTH through in vitro functional study. Methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing was used to identify candidate gene mutations. Clinical data were retrospectively collected. Wild-type (WT) PTH was used as a template for site-directed mutagenesis to create mutant eukaryotic expression plasmids, which were transfected into cells. Treated with or without 4-phenylbu tyric acid (4-PBA), the levels of intact PTH (iPTH) and PTH (1-84) were measured by chemiluminescence, and protein expression was assessed using Western blotting. Results: Two patients carrying PTH mutations (c.154G > A: p.Val52Ile, c.270G > T: p.Leu90Phe) were identified.Patient 1, a 45-year-old male, presented with carpal and pedal numbness, muscle cramps, and low serum calcium (1.29 mmol/L). Patient 2, a 12-year-old female, had muscle twitches, convulsions, low calcium (1.50 mmol/L), and iPTH of 4 pg/mL. The iPTH or PTH (1-84) levels in the medium transfected with mutant Val52Ile and Leu90Phe PTH decreased by 31%–38%, and 51%–96% compared to WT (allP < 0.05), which were not rescued by 4-PBA. No significant changes in intracellular PTH expression were observed. Conclusions In this study, two novel RVs of PTH(Val52Ile and Leu90Phe) were identified that may impair hormone synthesis and secretion. Our study has broadened the mutation spectrum of the PTH and shed light on potential mechanisms underlying FIH.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Modified Guomin Decoction （加味过敏煎， MGD） in patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis （AD） of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pattern of heart fire and spleen deficiency， and to explore its possible mechanisms. MethodsIn this randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled study， 72 patients with mild to moderate AD and the TCM pattern of heart fire and spleen deficiency were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group， with 36 cases in each group. The treatment group received oral MGD granules combined with topical vitamin E emulsion， while the control group received oral placebo granules combined with topical vitamin E treatment. Both groups were treated twice daily for 4 weeks. Clinical efficacy， TCM syndrome scores， Visual Analogue Scale （VAS） for pruritus， Dermatology Life Quality Index （DLQI） scores， Scoring Atopic Dermatitis （SCORAD） and serum biomarkers， including interleukin-33 （IL-33）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， immunoglobulin E （IgE）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were compared before and after treatment. Safety indexes was also assessed. ResultsThe total clinical effective rates were 77.78% （28/36） in the treatment group and 38.89% （14/36） in the control group， with cure rates of 19.44% （7/36） and 2.78% （1/36）， respectively. The treatment group showed significantly better clinical outcomes compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. The treatment group exhibited significant reductions in total TCM syndrome scores， including erythema， edema， papules， scaling， lichenification， pruritus， irritability， insomnia， abdominal distension， and fatigue scores， as well as reductions in VAS， DLQI， SCORAD， and serum IgE and IL-33 levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the control group， the treatment group had significantly better improvements in all indicators except for insomnia （P＜0.05）. No adverse events occurred in either group. ConclusionMGD is effective and safe in treating mild to moderate AD patients with heart fire and spleen deficiency pattern. It significantly alleviates pruritus， improves TCM syndromes and quality of life， and enhances clinical efficacy， possibly through modulation of immune responses.

Objectives: Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is a rare endocrine disorder caused by parathyroid hormone (PTH) defi ciency. The PTH is a candidate gene for familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (FIH). This study aimed to investigate the pathogenicity of two novel rare variants (RVs) ofPTH through in vitro functional study. Methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing was used to identify candidate gene mutations. Clinical data were retrospectively collected. Wild-type (WT) PTH was used as a template for site-directed mutagenesis to create mutant eukaryotic expression plasmids, which were transfected into cells. Treated with or without 4-phenylbu tyric acid (4-PBA), the levels of intact PTH (iPTH) and PTH (1-84) were measured by chemiluminescence, and protein expression was assessed using Western blotting. Results: Two patients carrying PTH mutations (c.154G > A: p.Val52Ile, c.270G > T: p.Leu90Phe) were identified.Patient 1, a 45-year-old male, presented with carpal and pedal numbness, muscle cramps, and low serum calcium (1.29 mmol/L). Patient 2, a 12-year-old female, had muscle twitches, convulsions, low calcium (1.50 mmol/L), and iPTH of 4 pg/mL. The iPTH or PTH (1-84) levels in the medium transfected with mutant Val52Ile and Leu90Phe PTH decreased by 31%–38%, and 51%–96% compared to WT (allP < 0.05), which were not rescued by 4-PBA. No significant changes in intracellular PTH expression were observed. Conclusions In this study, two novel RVs of PTH(Val52Ile and Leu90Phe) were identified that may impair hormone synthesis and secretion. Our study has broadened the mutation spectrum of the PTH and shed light on potential mechanisms underlying FIH.

Objectives: Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is a rare endocrine disorder caused by parathyroid hormone (PTH) defi ciency. The PTH is a candidate gene for familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (FIH). This study aimed to investigate the pathogenicity of two novel rare variants (RVs) ofPTH through in vitro functional study. Methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing was used to identify candidate gene mutations. Clinical data were retrospectively collected. Wild-type (WT) PTH was used as a template for site-directed mutagenesis to create mutant eukaryotic expression plasmids, which were transfected into cells. Treated with or without 4-phenylbu tyric acid (4-PBA), the levels of intact PTH (iPTH) and PTH (1-84) were measured by chemiluminescence, and protein expression was assessed using Western blotting. Results: Two patients carrying PTH mutations (c.154G > A: p.Val52Ile, c.270G > T: p.Leu90Phe) were identified.Patient 1, a 45-year-old male, presented with carpal and pedal numbness, muscle cramps, and low serum calcium (1.29 mmol/L). Patient 2, a 12-year-old female, had muscle twitches, convulsions, low calcium (1.50 mmol/L), and iPTH of 4 pg/mL. The iPTH or PTH (1-84) levels in the medium transfected with mutant Val52Ile and Leu90Phe PTH decreased by 31%–38%, and 51%–96% compared to WT (allP < 0.05), which were not rescued by 4-PBA. No significant changes in intracellular PTH expression were observed. Conclusions In this study, two novel RVs of PTH(Val52Ile and Leu90Phe) were identified that may impair hormone synthesis and secretion. Our study has broadened the mutation spectrum of the PTH and shed light on potential mechanisms underlying FIH.

Objectives: Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is a rare endocrine disorder caused by parathyroid hormone (PTH) defi ciency. The PTH is a candidate gene for familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (FIH). This study aimed to investigate the pathogenicity of two novel rare variants (RVs) ofPTH through in vitro functional study. Methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing was used to identify candidate gene mutations. Clinical data were retrospectively collected. Wild-type (WT) PTH was used as a template for site-directed mutagenesis to create mutant eukaryotic expression plasmids, which were transfected into cells. Treated with or without 4-phenylbu tyric acid (4-PBA), the levels of intact PTH (iPTH) and PTH (1-84) were measured by chemiluminescence, and protein expression was assessed using Western blotting. Results: Two patients carrying PTH mutations (c.154G > A: p.Val52Ile, c.270G > T: p.Leu90Phe) were identified.Patient 1, a 45-year-old male, presented with carpal and pedal numbness, muscle cramps, and low serum calcium (1.29 mmol/L). Patient 2, a 12-year-old female, had muscle twitches, convulsions, low calcium (1.50 mmol/L), and iPTH of 4 pg/mL. The iPTH or PTH (1-84) levels in the medium transfected with mutant Val52Ile and Leu90Phe PTH decreased by 31%–38%, and 51%–96% compared to WT (allP < 0.05), which were not rescued by 4-PBA. No significant changes in intracellular PTH expression were observed. Conclusions In this study, two novel RVs of PTH(Val52Ile and Leu90Phe) were identified that may impair hormone synthesis and secretion. Our study has broadened the mutation spectrum of the PTH and shed light on potential mechanisms underlying FIH.

By systematically combing ancient and modern literature， this paper examined Tribuli Fructus and Astragali Complanati Semen（ACS） used in the famous classical formulas from the aspects of name， origin， production area， harvesting and processing， clinical efficacy， so as to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing such medicinal materials. The results showed that the names of Tribuli Fructus in the past dynasties were mostly derived from its morphology， and there were nicknames such as Baijili， Cijili and Dujili. The name of ACS in the past dynasties were mostly originated from its production areas， and there were nicknames such as Baijili， Shayuan Jili and Tongjili. Because both of them had the name of Baijili， confusion began to appear in the Song dynasty. In ancient and modern times， the main origin of Tribuli Fructus were Tribulus terrestris， and ancient literature recorded the genuine producing areas of Tribuli Fructus was Dali in Shaanxi and Tianshui in Gansu， but today it is mainly cultivated in Anhui and Shandong. The fruit is the medicinal part， harvested in autumn throughout history. There is no description of the quality of Tribuli Fructus in ancient times， and the plump， firm texture， grayish-white color is the best in modern times. Traditional processing methods for Tribuli Fructus included stir-frying and wine processing， while modern commonly used is purified， fried and salt-processed. The ancient records of Tribuli Fructus were spicy， bitter， and warm in nature， with modern research adding that it is slightly toxic. The main effects of ancient and modern times include treating wind disorders， improving vision， promoting muscle growth， and treating vitiligo. The mainstream base of ACS used throughout history is Astragalus complanatus. Ancient texts indicated ACS primarily originated from Shaanxi province. Today， the finest varieties come from Tongguan and Dali in Shaanxi. The medicinal part is the seed， traditionally harvested in autumn. Modern harvesting occurs in late autumn or early winter， followed by sun-drying. Ancient texts valued seeds with a fragrant aroma as superior， while modern standards prioritize plump， uniform and free of impurities. Traditional processing methods for ACS included frying until blackened and wine-frying， while modern practice commonly employs purification methods. In terms of medicinal properties， the ancient and modern records are sweet and warm in nature. Due to originally classified under Tribuli Fructus， its effects were thus regarded as equivalent to those of Tribuli Fructus， serving as the medicine for treating wind disorders， additional functions included tonifying the kidneys and treating vitiligo. The present record of its efficacy is to tonify the kidney and promote Yang， solidify sperm and reduce urine， nourish the liver and brighten the eye， etc. Based on the textual research results， it is suggested that when developing the famous classical formulas of Tribuli Fructus medicinal materials， we should pay attention to the specific reference object of Baijili， T. terrestris and A. complanatus should be identified and selected， and the processing method should be in accordance with the requirements of the formulas.