The liver is closely associated with inflammation and the redox response， and inflammation is the body's innate defense system for clearing away harmful stimuli and participating in the liver's wound-healing response.Oxidative stress is associated with the activation of inflammatory pathways， and sustained inflammation and the corresponding regenerative wound healing response can induce fibrosis， cirrhosis， progression to end-stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma， and ultimately death.Some "medicine and food homology" traditional Chinese medicine has been used in clinical effect， showing the ability to protect the liver.This paper reviewed the relationship between liver and oxidative stress response and inflammation response， and sorted out 110 "medicine and food same origin" traditional Chinese medicines based on the Chinese Pharmacopoeia（2020 edition） and the Chinese materia medica.The results showed that common floweringqince fruit， licorice root， cassia seed， emblic，seabuckthorn fruit，Chinese date， honeysuckle， ginger， cape jasmine fruit， platycodon root， lotus leaf， dandelion， reed root， honey， mountain honeysuckle， milkvetch root， glossy ganoderma， Gastrodia gastrodia and eucommia leaf were recorded to have liver protection effects.The liver protection mechanism is mainly anti-inflammatory， antioxidant and lipid peroxidation inhibition. Some Chinese herbs can also play a liver protection role by inhibiting the growth of hepatitis virus and liver cancer cells and regulating bile acid metabolism.In addition， the biological mechanism of its liver protection effect through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in animal experiments was analyzed， and it was found that it plays a role through multiple pathways and multiple targets， providing new ideas for the role of "medicine and food homology" traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment strategy of liver diseases.

The liver is closely associated with inflammation and the redox response， and inflammation is the body's innate defense system for clearing away harmful stimuli and participating in the liver's wound-healing response.Oxidative stress is associated with the activation of inflammatory pathways， and sustained inflammation and the corresponding regenerative wound healing response can induce fibrosis， cirrhosis， progression to end-stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma， and ultimately death.Some "medicine and food homology" traditional Chinese medicine has been used in clinical effect， showing the ability to protect the liver.This paper reviewed the relationship between liver and oxidative stress response and inflammation response， and sorted out 110 "medicine and food same origin" traditional Chinese medicines based on the Chinese Pharmacopoeia（2020 edition） and the Chinese materia medica.The results showed that common floweringqince fruit， licorice root， cassia seed， emblic，seabuckthorn fruit，Chinese date， honeysuckle， ginger， cape jasmine fruit， platycodon root， lotus leaf， dandelion， reed root， honey， mountain honeysuckle， milkvetch root， glossy ganoderma， Gastrodia gastrodia and eucommia leaf were recorded to have liver protection effects.The liver protection mechanism is mainly anti-inflammatory， antioxidant and lipid peroxidation inhibition. Some Chinese herbs can also play a liver protection role by inhibiting the growth of hepatitis virus and liver cancer cells and regulating bile acid metabolism.In addition， the biological mechanism of its liver protection effect through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in animal experiments was analyzed， and it was found that it plays a role through multiple pathways and multiple targets， providing new ideas for the role of "medicine and food homology" traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment strategy of liver diseases.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the relationship of exposure to five heavy metals, namely lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and aluminum with obesity in children and adolescents, so as to provide a scientific basis for subsequent research in the area. Methods: Four Chinese databasesc (CBM, VIP, CNKI and Wanfang) and four foreign databases (OVID, PubMed, Web of Science and EBSCO), were searched to collect relevant studies, and the search period was from the establishment of the database to May 5, 2024. After 2 investigators independently screened the literature, extracted the data and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies, the results were analyzed quantitatively and summarized qualitatively. Results: A total of 5 cohort studies on lead exposure and 17 cross sectional studies involving exposure to lead ( n =13), cadmium ( n =8), mercury ( n =8), arsenic ( n =4), and aluminum ( n =1) were included. Meta analysis of the 2 cohort studies showed that lead exposure was not associated with the risk of overweight and obesity in children ( RR=0.76, 95%CI=0.50-1.16, P ＞0.05). The cross sectional study Meta-analysis results showed that lead exposure was negatively associated with the risk of childhood overweight ( OR=0.70, 95%CI =0.59-0.84, 2 studies) and obesity ( OR=0.71, 95%CI =0.58-0.87, 3 studies); cadmium exposure was negatively associated with the risk of childhood overweight ( OR=0.83, 95%CI =0.73-0.95, 2 studies) and obesity risk( OR=0.70, 95%CI =0.63-0.78, 3 studies); mercury exposure increased the risk of overweight/obesity ( OR=1.42, 95%CI =1.14-1.76, 2 studies) and abdominal obesity ( OR= 1.99, 95%CI =1.45-2.73, 2 studies) in children; the group with the highest concentration of arsenic in urine had a lower risk of developing obesity compared to the group with the lowest concentration ( OR=0.39, 95%CI =0.23-0.65, 1 study), and the group with the highest concentration of aluminum in urine had a lower risk of obesity compared with the group with the lowest concentration ( OR=0.52, 95%CI =0.31-0.86, 1 study)(all P <0.05). Conclusion Heavy metal exposure may be a risk factor for overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, but the conclusions are inconsistent and need to be validated in further high quality prospective cohort studies.

OBJECTIVES: To study the therapeutic mechanism of Tuihuang Mixture against cholestasis. METHODS: Forty-eight Wistar rats were randomized equally into blank group, model group, ursodeoxycholic acid group and Tuihuang Mixture group. Except for those in the blank group, all the rats were given α‑naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) to establish rat models of cholestasis, followed by treatments with indicated drugs or distilled water. Serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, γ-GT, TBA and TBIL of the rats were determined, and hepatic expressions IL-1β, IL-18, FXR, NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1 and GSDMD were detected using q-PCR, ELISA or Western blotting. Histopathological changes of the liver tissues were observed using HE staining. RESULTS: The rat models of cholestasis had significantly increased serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, γ-GT, TBA and TBIL with increased mRNA and protein expressions of IL-1β and IL-18, decreased protein and mRNA expressions of FXR, and increased protein expressions of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 and mRNA expressions of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1 and GSDMD in the liver tissue, showing also irregular arrangement of liver cells, proliferation of bile duct epithelial cells and inflammatory cells infiltration. Treatment of the rat models with Tuihuang Mixture significantly decreased serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, γ-GT, TBA and TBIL, lowered IL-1β and IL-18 and increased FXR protein and mRNA expressions, and reduced NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1 and GSDMD proteins and NLRP3, ASC and Caspase-1 mRNA expressions in the liver tissue. Tuihuang Mixture also significantly alleviated hepatocyte injury, bile duct epithelial cell proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver of the rat models. CONCLUSIONS Tuihuang Mixture can effectively improve cholestasis in rats possibly by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammatosome-mediated pyroptosis via regulating FXR.
Animals ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Rats ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/metabolism* ; Cholestasis/drug therapy* ; Rats, Wistar ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; 1-Naphthylisothiocyanate ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Interleukin-18/metabolism* ; Caspase 1/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism*

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an important role in preventing and treating diseases and improving human health. However, the complex bioactive components and regulation of signaling pathway and network restrict the elucidation of the mechanisms of action of TCM. A human being is regarded as a super "symbiont" composed of body cells and commensal microorganisms. Gut microbiota is the core commensal microorganism system of a human body, being considered as "the second genome" and the new "organ". Alterations in gut microbiota reflect the state of body health and progression of diseases. Recent investigations have revealed that the TCM rich in polysaccharides and polyphenols can modulate gut microbiota metabolites to rehabilitate gut homeostasis, thus ameliorating diseases via regulating gut-liver axis or gut-brain axis. This review summarizes the causal relationship and mechanisms of action of TCM in the treatment of diseases from the perspective of gut microbiota metabolites. Our findings are expected to provide new insights into the mechanisms of TCM in preventing and treating diseases and guidance for TCM-based drug discovery in the future.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Polyphenols/pharmacology* ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology*

As a type of endogenous small non-coding RNA， microRNA （miRNA） can regulate gene expression and thereby intervene against the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases， neurodegenerative diseases， metabolic diseases， and autoimmune diseases. The pathogenesis of cholestasis is complex and is mainly associated with the metabolism and transport of bile acids， oxidative stress， inflammatory response， and intestinal flora. Currently， ursodeoxycholic acid is the preferred drug for the clinical treatment of cholestasis， but it may cause adverse reactions and exhibit poor efficacy in some patients. Studies have shown that miRNA can intervene in the disease process of cholestasis through multiple mechanisms such as regulating bile acid metabolism and transport， alleviating oxidative stress， inhibiting inflammatory response， improving cholangiocyte proliferation， and regulating intestinal flora. It can be used as a new biomarker and action target for cholestasis， with high research potential and value. Therefore， this article summarizes the role and mechanisms of miRNA in regulating cholestasis in recent years， in order to provide a reference for further research on the prevention and treatment of cholestasis by targeting miRNA.

Saponins are widely found in various Chinese medicines such as Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma， Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma， and Bupleuri Radix. They possess multiple biological activities， including anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， antitumor， hepatoprotective， lipid-lowering， and hypoglycemic effects. They play an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases such as acute lung injury， hyperlipidemia， and diabetic cardiovascular complications， and hold significant research potential and value. Metabolism-related fatty liver disease is a prevalent chronic liver disease characterized by excessive lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. According to the "multiple hit" theory， its occurrence is the result of systemic homeostasis disorder， influenced by abnormal lipid metabolism， oxidative stress， inflammation， insulin resistance， mitochondrial dysfunction， and intestinal microbiota. However， there is currently no effective treatment available in clinical practice. Recent studies have found that Chinese herbal saponins can alleviate metabolism-related fatty liver disease through various pathways， including regulating abnormal lipid metabolism， inhibiting inflammatory responses， alleviating oxidative stress， reducing insulin resistance， improving mitochondrial dysfunction， modulating intestinal flora， inhibiting hepatocyte programmed death， regulating liver autophagy， and correcting immune imbalances. Therefore， this review summarized the pharmacological effects and related mechanisms of Chinese herbal saponins in improving metabolism-related fatty liver disease in recent years， aiming to provide a theoretical reference for the clinical application and experimental research of Chinese herbal saponins in the prevention and treatment of metabolism-related fatty liver disease.

ObjectiveTo investigate the intervention effect of Jiedu Tongluo Tiaogan prescription （JTTP） in protecting pancreatic β cells by targeting the bile acid Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 （TGR5）/cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） signaling pathway against NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome. MethodThirty-two male SPF-grade db/db mice were randomly divided into the model group， low-dose JTTP group （3.6 g·kg^-1）， high-dose JTTP group （7.2 g·kg^-1）， and metformin group （0.2 g·kg^-1）. Eight db/m mice were assigned to the blank control group. The mice were treated with drugs for 8 weeks， and fasting blood glucose （FBG） was measured every 2 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance tests （OGTT） were conducted after the last administration. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was performed to detect fasting insulin （FINS）， and the homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function （HOMA-β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and IL-1β levels were calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological changes in mouse pancreatic tissue. Immunofluorescence was performed to detect insulin expression in mouse pancreatic tissue. Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were used to detect the expression of proteins and mRNAs of key targets in the TGR5/cAMP signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome. ResultCompared with blank group， FBG， OGTT， FINS， IL-6， TNF-α and IL-1β in model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， after 6 weeks of drug treatment， FBG level in JTTP group and metformin group decreased significantly （P<0.01）. The results of OGTT experiment showed that compared with model group， the blood glucose levels of mice in each administration group were decreased at all time points （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the levels of FINS， TNF-α and IL-6 in JTTP dose groups and metformin group were significantly decreased. The level of IL-1β in JTTP high-dose group and metformin group was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Pancreatic pathology showed that the islets in the model group were irregular in shape， uneven in distribution， and showed signs of atrophy. The prognosis of JTTP was that the cell count increased and the boundary was clearer. Immunofluorescence results showed that the islet cells in the blank group were arranged in an orderly and full shape with appropriate insulin secretion， while the islet cells in model group were distorted in shape， atrophy in structure and less insulin secretion. The insulin content of mice in JTTP and metformin group was significantly increased. Compared with blank group， mRNA expressions of NLRP3， apoptosis-related spot-like protein （ASC） and Caspase-1 in pancreatic tissues of model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， JTTP high-dose group and metformin group promoted the up-regulation of TGR5 and cAMP mRNA， and down-regulated the mRNA expressions of NLRP3， ASC and Caspase-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with blank group， the expression of TGR5 protein in model group was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， TGR5 protein in JTTP high-dose group and metformin group was significantly increased （P<0.01）.

Objective:To explore the interaction effects on brain activity between the smoking addiction and weight status by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.Methods:Retrospective analysis of clinical data and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed from 99 recruited subjects from January 2019 to December 2021. All participants were divided into four groups: overweight smokers ( n=24), normal-weight smokers ( n=28), overweight non-smokers ( n=19), and normal weight non-smokers ( n=28). Calculate regional homogeneity (ReHo) to reflect the internal brain activity of the subjects. Two-way ANOVA was used to detect the interaction effects between smoking addiction and overweight on ReHo by SPM12 software, correcting for age, years of education and head motion. Results:The interaction effect between smoking addiction and overweight on ReHo was significant in right superior frontal gyrus(x, y, z=15, 9, 60)(GRF corrected, Pvoxel<0.005, Pcluster<0.05). The ReHo value in the right superior frontal gyrus of overweight smokers was significantly higher than that of normal weight smokers ( t=3.768, P<0.001, Bonferroni corrected). The ReHo values in the right superior frontal gyrus of overweight non-smokers were significantly lower than those of normal weight non-smokers ( t=-3.242, P=0.002, Bonferroni corrected). The ReHo values in the right superior frontal gyurs of normal-weight smokers were significantly lower than those of normal weight non-smokers( t=-3.540, P=0.001, Bonferroni corrected). The ReHo values in the right superior frontal gyrus of overweight smokers were significantly higher than those of overweight non-smokers ( t=3.392, P=0.002, Bonferroni corrected). Correlation analyses showed that the strengthen ReHo value in right superior frontal gyrus was positively associated with pack-year in smoking addicts( r=0.387, P=0.007, Bonferroni corrected). Conclusion:Smoking addiction and overweight have an antagonistic effect on brain activity in the right superior frontal gyrus, which may provide potential therapeutic targets for individuals with comorbidity of smoking addiction and overweight.

Objective:To explore the perceived stress and coping experience of spouses of elderly people with long-term disability and empty nest.Methods:Using phenomenological research methods, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 spouses of disabled elderly people in a community in Beijing from February to June 2023, and data analysis was conducted using Colaizzi's 7-step analysis method.Results:The perceived stress and coping experience of spouses of long-term disabled empty nest elderly people were summarized into three themes and ten sub-themes, namely, the dynamic and variable stress perception of spouses (stress changed synchronously with the state of disabled elderly people, stress changed in a "U" shape, and pressure increased in a progressive manner), the challenges for spouses in long-term care of disabled elderly people (difficult in unifying opinions and views, incomprehensible inner emotions, difficulty in ensuring their elderly care, and coexistence of multiple roles and identities) and positive coping experiences and strategies of spouses (actively seeking external support, respecting the subjective wishes of disabled elderly people, and improving dyadic coping abilities) .Conclusions:Community nursing staff should support and guide spouses who undertake care work based on changes in perceived stress characteristics of long-term disabled empty nest elderly people. At the same time, it is necessary to understand the various challenges they face in long-term care, draw on positive coping experiences of spouses, so as to provide a basis for building a friendly family support system for home-based elderly care.