1.Modified Guishenwan Alleviates Inflammation in Rat Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Inhibiting MAPK/NF-κB Pathway
Jiayu TIAN ; Wenyi QIN ; Juan YANG ; Xiaofeng RONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):86-94
ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which modified Guishenwan alleviates inflammation in the rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. MethodsAccording to the random number table method, 60 SPF female SD rats were randomized into a normal group (n=10) and a modeling group (n=50). The normal group received routine feeding, while the modeling group was administrated with letrozole (1 mg·kg-1·d-1) by gavage for 21 days for the modeling of PCOS. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model, diane-35 (0.2 g·kg-1·d-1), high- (16.04 g·kg-1·d-1), medium- (8.02 g·kg-1·d-1), low- (4.01 g·kg-1·d-1) dose modified Guishenwan groups. The drug intervention groups were administrated with modified Guishenwan at corresponding doses by gavage, and the normal group and model group were given equal volumes of normal saline. All the groups were continuously treated for 28 days. After treatment, Gram staining of vaginal smears was employed to observe the estrous cycle in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), and progesterone (PROG) in the plasma, as well as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the plasma and ovarian tissue. The LH/FSH ratio was calculated. The morphological changes in the ovarian tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 MAPK, NF-κB p65, IκBα, p-JNK, p-ERK, p-p38 MAPK, p-NF-κB p65, and p-IκBα in the ovarian tissue. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the mRNA levels of ERK, JNK, p38 MAPK, NF-κB p65, and IκBα in the ovarian tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group was in the estrus phase, with an increase in the number of ovarian vesicles and decreases in granulosa cells and corpus luteum formation (P<0.05), and lowered levels of FSH and E2 and elevated levels of LH, T, and LH/FSH in the plasma (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose modified Guishenwan recovered the estrous cycle, increased the generation of granulosa cells and corpus luteum, reduced the number of vesicles, elevated the levels of FSH and E2, and lowered the levels LH, T, and LH/FSH (P<0.05, P<0.01) in a dose-dependent manner. High-dose modified Guishenwan demonstrated the best therapeutic effect. Therefore, subsequent experiments for exploring the treatment mechanism were conducted in the normal group, model group, and high-dose modified Guishenwan group. The results showed that compared with the model group, high-dose modified Guishenwan lowered the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 and elevated the level of IL-10 in the plasma and ovarian tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01), down-regulated the protein levels of p-ERK, p-JNK, p-p38 MAPK, p-NF-κB p65, and p-IκBα, while up-regulating the protein level of IκBα (P<0.01). At the same time, the mRNA levels of ERK, JNK, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB p65 in the high-dose modified Guishenwan group were down-regulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionModified Guishenwan can improve the ovarian function in rat model of PCOS induced by letrozole and has anti-inflammatory effects, which may be related to inhibition of the MAPK/NF-κB pathway.
2.Effect of Modified Chunzetang on Bladder Fibrosis and Detrusor Function in Rats with Neurogenic Bladder Urinary Retention Induced by Spinal Cord Injury via Regulating NF-κB/TGF-β1 Signaling Pathway
Zhenhua XU ; Yanjie LI ; Yafeng REN ; Haoyuan LIU ; Bochao ZHU ; Juan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):95-103
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of modified Chunzetang on bladder fibrosis and detrusor function in rats with neurogenic bladder urinary retention induced by spinal cord injury. MethodsIn this study, an improved Hassan Shaker spinal cord transection method was used to establish a model of neurogenic bladder urinary retention induced by spinal cord injury, and rats with a spinal cord injury behavior score of 0 were selected for follow-up experiments. The selected rats were randomly divided into a model group (normal saline gavage), low-dose traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group (gavage of 14.4 g·kg-1 modified Chunzetang), high-dose TCM group (gavage of 28.8 g·kg-1 modified Chunzetang), positive drug group [intraperitoneal injection of 0.05 g·kg-1 nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)], and combination group (intraperitoneal injection of 0.05 g·kg-1 PDTC + gavage of 28.8 g·kg-1 modified Chunzetang). The rats in these groups were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for four weeks. The BL-420s biofunction acquisition system was used in the experiment to calculate the urodynamic indexes, and the isolated bladder was quickly weighed. The detrusor traction experiment was used to record the minimum bladder contraction tension and frequency in each group. The pathological morphology and tissue fibrosis of detrusor in each group observed by Hematoxycin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining were compared. The expression level of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was detected by immunohistochemistry. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of NF-κB p65, nuclear transcription factor-κB suppressor protein α (IκBα), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), type Ⅰ collagen (ColⅠ), and type Ⅲ collagen (ColⅢ) in bladder tissue of rats in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the changes in serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. ResultsCompared with that in the sham operation group, the pressure at the urinary leakage point in the model group decreased (P<0.01), and the bladder mass, bladder contractile tension, maximum bladder capacity, and bladder compliance increased (P<0.05,P<0.01). HE staining showed that the arrangement of bladder epithelial cells was disordered, and the pathological manifestations such as mucosa and myometria neutrophil infiltration were obvious. The lamina propria structure was destroyed, and the muscle fiber arrangement was disordered. The interstitial widening and tissue edema were obvious. Masson staining showed that the bladder wall of the model group had more collagen fiber deposition, and the degree of detrusor fibrosis was more severe. The content of detrusor in the visual field was reduced. At the same time, the protein expressions of NF-κB p65, TGF-β1, IκBα, ColⅠ, and ColⅢ in bladder tissue of rats in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with that in the model group, the pressure at the urinary leakage point in the modified Chunzetang and positive drug groups was increased (P<0.05), and the wet bladder weight, minimum bladder contractile tension, maximum bladder capacity, and bladder compliance were restored (P<0.05, P<0.01). HE and Masson showed that the bladder epithelial cells were relatively neatly arranged, and the structure of the bladder lamina propria was relatively stable. The detrusor bundles were arranged in an orderly manner, and the interstitium was narrow. The degree of tissue edema was relatively low, and the degree of bladder detrusor fibrosis in the modified Chunzetang and positive drug groups was reduced, while the degree of bladder detrusor fibrosis in the positive drug group and combination groups was not obvious. The results of Western blot showed that the expression of NF-κB p65, IκBα, TGF-β1, ColⅠ, and ColⅢ in bladder tissue, as well as the serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in modified Chunzetang and positive drug groups were significantly lower, and the expression of bladder tissue-related proteins and the serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the TCM groups decreased significantly with the increase in dose (P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry suggested that modified Chunzetang could fully affect the expression of α-SMA in bladder tissue. ConclusionModified Chunzetang can inhibit collagen deposition in bladder tissue of rats with urinary retention induced by spinal cord injury, delay the occurrence and development of bladder fibrosis, and protect the normal contractile function of bladder detrusor, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the NF-κB/TGF-β1 signaling pathway, reducing the production of NF-κB p65, IκBα, TGF-β1, ColⅠ, ColⅢ, and other related proteins, and protecting the muscle strength of detrusor.
3.Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervenes in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Regulating TLR4 Signaling Pathway: A Review
Zhiwei SU ; Juan XUE ; Jun SUN ; Heng FAN ; Rui ZHU ; Chunyan JI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):291-299
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease closely related to metabolism, which is mainly characterized by abnormal lipid deposition in hepatocytes. In recent years, with the increasing prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome, NAFLD has become one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and varied, involving the cross-regulation of multiple signaling pathways such as glucose-lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The TLR4 signaling pathway plays a key role in the development and progression of NAFLD, and abnormal activation of this pathway accelerates the deterioration of NAFLD by promoting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, inducing oxidative stress, and exacerbating insulin resistance. Studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can regulate the TLR4 signaling pathway to alleviate the symptoms and pathological features of NAFLD. The present review summarizes the experimental research progress in the TCM regulation of the TLR4 signaling pathway in treating NAFLD in the past 5 years, covering a wide range of TCM active ingredients (such as polysaccharides, terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids) and compound prescriptions. The active ingredients and compound prescriptions of TCM can effectively ameliorate lipid metabolism disorders, reduce insulin resistance, regulate intestinal flora, and inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress by regulating the TLR4 signaling pathway via multiple targets and pathways, thus slowing down the progression of NAFLD. Through in-depth analysis of the pathological mechanisms of NAFLD and exploration of the potential of TLR4 signaling pathway as a therapeutic target, we can provide theoretical support for the application of TCM in the treatment of NAFLD, as well as new perspectives and directions for future clinical research and new drug development, thereby promoting the innovation and development of therapeutic strategies for NAFLD.
4.Effects and mechanism of osthol on skin wound healing and angiogenesis in rats
Xiyan FEI ; Dan WANG ; Juan JIANG ; Xinfang HE ; Enjing ZHANG ; Shuqi FEI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(3):324-329
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of osthole (OST) on skin wound healing and angiogenesis in rats by regulating the sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway. METHODS Full-layer skin defect wound model rats were established and then randomly separated into Model group, OST low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups (OST-L group, OST-M group, OST-H group, 20, 30, 40 mg/kg OST), high-dose OST+SHH inhibitor cyclopamide group (OST-H+cyclopamide group, 40 mg/kg OST+10 mg/kg cyclopamide), with 12 rats in each group. Another 12 rats were selected as the control group. The wound healing of rats on 1, 7 and 14 days of administration was observed, and the wound healing rate of rats in each group was measured. The pathological changes and collagen deposition in rat wound tissue were observed; the levels of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in wound tissue of rats were detected; the relative expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) mRNA were also detected in wound tissue of rats; the protein expressions of VEGFA, VEGFR-2, SHH and glioma-associated oncogene homolog-1 (GLI1) were determined in wound tissue of rats. RESULTS Compared with Model group, the healing rate of skin wound, relative expression of collagen protein, the levels of Ang-1 and bFGF, the mRNA and protein expressions of VEGFA and VEGFR-2, and the protein expressions of SHH and GLI1 were all significantly increased in OST-M and OST-H groups (P<0.05). The wound tissue underwent significant re- epithelialization, with reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and granulation tissue edema, and an increase in the number of new blood vessels. SHH inhibitor cycloparamide weakened the promoting effects of OST on skin wound healing and angiogenesis in rats. CONCLUSIONS OST may promote skin wound healing and angiogenesis in rats by activating the SHH signaling pathway.
5.Retrospective review of clinical characteristics in 250 cases of suspected glucocorticoid allergy and typical case analysis
Juan GUO ; Qiangzhong PI ; Xiaotian DAI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(3):346-350
OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical characteristics of glucocorticoid allergy, and provide treatment and prevention strategies for patients with concurrent bronchial asthma. METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 250 patients with suspected glucocorticoid allergy admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (hereinafter referred to as “our hospital”)from May 1st, 2002, to April 30th, 2022; and a typical case analysis was carried out. RESULTS Among 250 patients with suspected glucocorticoid allergy, 140 were female patients (56.00%) and 110 were male patients (44.00%). The majority of admissions were to the internal medicine department (118 cases, 47.20%). One hundred and seventy patients (68.00%) were allergic to dexamethasone, and 37 patients (14.80%) were allergic to prednisone. Two hundred and thirty-eight patients (95.20%) were allergic to one type of glucocorticoid, and 12 patients (4.80%) were allergic to two types of glucocorticoid. Ten patients had clear records of glucocorticoid administration routes, in which 6 were intravenous and 4 were oral. Among the 250 patients, only 32 cases had clear records of clinical manifestations of glucocorticoid allergy, the most common clinical manifestations were rash (12 cases) and skin itching (8 cases), with 6 patients experiencing both rash and skin itching. The treatment for glucocorticoid allergy mainly involved discontinuing the medication and providing symptomatic treatment. For patients with concurrent bronchial asthma, it was generally necessary to switch to other glucocorticoids in their subsequent treatment to control the condition. The incidence of suspected glucocorticoid allergy among inpatients in our hospital during the same period was 0.019%. The incidence of suspected glucocorticoid allergy with concurrent bronchial asthma was 0.201%. Additionally, a case analysis of bronchial asthma combined with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in our hospital resulted in glucocorticoid allergy revealed that, based on the patient’s medical history and drug challenge test results, the patient was diagnosed with glucocorticoid (Methylprednisolone tablets and Dexamethasone acetate tablets) allergy, and antihistamine treatment was effective. CONCLUSIONS Glucocorticoid allergy is clinically rare, and its clinical manifestations are predominantly mild reactions such as rashes and skin itching. For patients with concurrent bronchial asthma who experience glucocorticoid allergy, treatment options include switching to other glucocorticoids, altering the route of glucocorticoid administration, symptomatic treatment, and the use of immunosuppressive agents as adjunctive or alternative therapy.
6.Targeted Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis in the New Era
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(1):19-27
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease. The clinical manifestation of RA involves various organs and systems both inside and outside the joints, and often exhibits strong clinical heterogeneity with unclear pathogenesis. Ineffective drug treatment for severe arthritis can result in physical disability and severely decreased quality of life. In recent years, targeted therapy for RA has become a hot research topic and has made new breakthroughs. Targeted treatments for RA mainly include two categories: biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. This article aims to elaborate on the current research status and progress of these drugs, with the hope of providing insights for clinicians to better guide personalized treatment for RA patients.
7.Effect of Shenge Bushen Capsules and Its Polysaccharides and Flavonoids on Precocious Puberty in Young Mice
Hong SUN ; Fan LEI ; Chenggong LI ; Shixian HU ; Weihua WANG ; Bin REN ; Juan HAO ; Rui LUO ; Lijun DU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):95-103
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Shenge Bushen Capsules (SBC) on sexual development in normal 3-week-old mice. MethodsThe experiment consisted of two parts. In the first part, mice were divided into four groups: The control group and the low, medium, and high-dose SBC groups (234.7, 469.4, 938.7 mg·kg-1, respectively). In the second part, mice were divided into four groups: Control group, Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide (PRP) group, total flavonoids group, and SBC group, all receiving a dose of 469.4 mg·kg-1. After 7 days of administration, the vaginal opening of female mice and the descent of testes and scrotum in male mice, as well as the ovarian and testicular organ indices, were observed. After 4 weeks of administration, female and male mice were housed together for 2 days, and the pregnancy rate of females was monitored. After delivery, the pregnant female mice continued receiving the treatment for 4 weeks, and the sexual development of their offspring, including vaginal opening, testicular descent, and organ indices of ovaries and testes, was observed. Serum sex hormones were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and growth hormone (GH) proteins in the hypothalamus was assessed by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group, there was no significant effect on the vaginal opening of female mice or the descent of testes in male mice after 7 days of SBC administration. After 4 weeks of administration, the pregnancy rate in the low-dose group was significantly reduced (P<0.05), but no significant effects were observed in the other groups. The three doses of SBC did not significantly affect the ovarian or testicular organ indices, and there was no significant upregulation in the expression of GnRH or GH in the hypothalamus. The primary component of SBC, Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide, significantly reduced the vaginal opening in female mice after 7 days of administration (P<0.05). After 4 weeks, the serum estradiol levels of non-pregnant female mice were decreased (P<0.05), but there was no significant effect on the expression of GnRH or GH proteins in the hypothalamus of either male or female mice. Additionally, there were no significant effects on precocious puberty indicators, such as vaginal opening and testicular descent, in the offspring mice. ConclusionSBC does not significantly promote precocious puberty in young mice, and it does not have any noticeable effects on the pregnancy rate of adult mice or the sexual development of their offspring.
8.Formation and Theoretical Explanation of the Exterior-Interior Relationships among Channels in The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor (《黄帝内经》)
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(1):6-11
Regarding the pathway and distribution of twelve channels, the current general view emphasizes their longitudinal distribution along the surface of the human body. Based on such a positioning, it is difficult to interpret the three yin and three yang "opening-closing- pivoting" theory, and the theory of the six channels transmission of externally-contracted febrile disease. Through combing the relevant contents in The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor (《黄帝内经》), it is proposed that, in addition to the longitudinal regional distribution of the channels on the human body, they also exhibit characteristics of layered distribution between the exterior and interior. The formation of this theory stems from the combination of body tissue and channels, that is, the taiyang governs the function of skin, yangming governs the function of flesh, and shaoyang governs the function of bone; taiyin governs the function of spleen and stomach, jueyin governs the function of liver, and shaoyin governs the function of heart. The process of integration of the channels with the body tissues has a relatively clear imprint in the syndrome differentiation of febrile disease in The Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor. The exterior-interior relationships of channels are the foundation and prerequisite for the theory of the three yin and three yang "opening-closing-pivoting" and the theory of the six channels transmission in Plain Questions·Treatise on Heat (《素问·热论篇》).
9.Application and challenge of ethical review of human organ donation and transplantation from ethical utilitarianism perspective
Qi YAO ; Renjie LÜ ; Xuemei LÜ ; Juan YAN
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(1):141-146
Ethical utilitarianism is a consequence-oriented ethical theory that pursues the maximization of happiness and fully considers the long-term impact of behavior. In the ethical review of human organ donation and transplantation, this theory is mainly applied in three aspects, ethical review supervision, process and content. However, in practice, it faces challenges such as the difficulty and subjectivity of utility calculation, the balance between individual rights and social welfare, the long-term impact of decision-making, and international cooperation under a global perspective. Therefore, governance strategies such as improving ethical review policy rules, refining the ethical review system by drawing on international experience, and strengthening public education and publicity are proposed. Despite many challenges, ethical utilitarianism still provides an important theoretical framework for the ethical review of human organ donation and transplantation. Therefore, this article reviews the application of ethical utilitarianism in the ethical review of human organ donation and transplantation and its challenges, aiming to provide a reference for related research on the ethical review of human organ donation and transplantation.
10.Research on The Role of Dopamine in Regulating Sleep and Wakefulness Through Exercise
Li-Juan HOU ; Ya-Xuan GENG ; Ke LI ; Zhao-Yang HUANG ; Lan-Qun MAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):88-98
Sleep is an instinctive behavior alternating awakening state, sleep entails many active processes occurring at the cellular, circuit and organismal levels. The function of sleep is to restore cellular energy, enhance immunity, promote growth and development, consolidate learning and memory to ensure normal life activities. However, with the increasing of social pressure involved in work and life, the incidence of sleep disorders (SD) is increasing year by year. In the short term, sleep disorders lead to impaired memory and attention; in the longer term, it produces neurological dysfunction or even death. There are many ways to directly or indirectly contribute to sleep disorder and keep the hormones, including pharmacological alternative treatments, light therapy and stimulus control therapy. Exercise is also an effective and healthy therapeutic strategy for improving sleep. The intensities, time periods, and different types of exercise have different health benefits for sleep, which can be found through indicators such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency and total sleep time. So it is more and more important to analyze the mechanism and find effective regulation targets during sleep disorder through exercise. Dopamine (DA) is an important neurotransmitter in the nervous system, which not only participates in action initiation, movement regulation and emotion regulation, but also plays a key role in the steady-state remodeling of sleep-awakening state transition. Appreciable evidence shows that sleep disorder on humans and rodents evokes anomalies in the dopaminergic signaling, which are also implicated in the development of psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia or substance abuse. Experiments have shown that DA in different neural pathways plays different regulatory roles in sleep behavior, we found that increasing evidence from rodent studies revealed a role for ventral tegmental area DA neurons in regulating sleep-wake patterns. DA signal transduction and neurotransmitter release patterns have complex interactions with behavioral regulation. In addition, experiments have shown that exercise causes changes in DA homeostasis in the brain, which may regulate sleep through different mechanisms, including cAMP response element binding protein signal transduction, changes in the circadian rhythm of biological clock genes, and interactions with endogenous substances such as adenosine, which affect neuronal structure and play a neuroprotective role. This review aims to introduce the regulatory effects of exercise on sleep disorder, especially the regulatory mechanism of DA in this process. The analysis of intracerebral DA signals also requires support from neurophysiological and chemical techniques. Our laboratory has established and developed an in vivo brain neurochemical analysis platform, which provides support for future research on the regulation of sleep-wake cycles by movement. We hope it can provide theoretical reference for the formulation of exercise prescription for clinical sleep disorder and give some advice to the combined intervention of drugs and exercise.

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