1.Quality control of Sagina japonica by HPLC fingerprint combined with quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker
Junhong LIU ; Xue LI ; Meiqin ZHANG ; Han HU ; Chunmei BAI ; Chunhua LIU ; Yongjun LI
China Pharmacy 2026;37(7):883-888
OBJECTIVE To establish the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint of Sagina japonica , and to establish a quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker (QAMS) method for simultaneous determination of six componen ts in S. japonica , aiming to provide references for the quality control of this medicinal herb. METHODS HPLC method was used to establish the fingerprints of 12 batches (No. S1-S12) of S . japonica according to Similarity Evaluation System of Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine . The similarity evaluation and identification of common peaks were conducted, followed by cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) for 12 batches of samples. Using vicenin-2 as internal reference, the contents of p-hydroxy cinnamic acid, apigenin-6-C-arabinoside-8-C-glucoside, isoorientin, vitexin and 20-hydroxyecdysone were determined by QAMS method. The results were then compared with those obtained by the external standard method. RESULTS The similarities of HPLC fingerprints for 12 batches of S . japonica ranged from 0.828-0.998. A total of 17 common peaks were calibrated, and 6 common peaks were identified. Specifically, peak 5 was identified as vicenin-2, peak 7 as p-hydroxycinnamic acid, peak 10 as apigenin-6-C-arabinoside-8-C-glucoside, peak 11 as isoorientin, peak 13 as vitexin, and peak 15 as 20-hydroxyecdysone. The results of CA showed that S1-S5, S7 and S9-S11 were clustered into one category, S6 was clustered into one category, and S8 and S12 were clustered into one category. The results of PCA revealed that the accumulative contribution rate of the four main components was 89.430%. The content ranges measured by QAMS method for p-hydroxy cinnamic acid, apigenin-6-C-arabinoside-8-C-glucoside, isoorientin, vitexin and 20-hydroxyecdysone were 0.017 4-0.269 4, 0.568 8-4.240 3, 0.503 2-5.040 3, 0.024 0-0.132 0 and 2.551 3-4.881 1 mg/g, respectively. There was no significant difference in the contents of components measured between QAMS method and the external standard method ( P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS The established HPLC fingerprint and QAMS method can be used for quality evaluation and quality control of S . japonica.
2.Clinical Advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Childhood Simple Obesity: Insights from Expert Consensus
Qi ZHANG ; Yingke LIU ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Guichen NI ; Heyin XIAO ; Junhong WANG ; Liqun WU ; Zhanfeng YAN ; Kundi WANG ; Jiajia CHEN ; Hong ZHENG ; Xinying GAO ; Liya WEI ; Qiang HE ; Qian ZHAO ; Huimin SU ; Zhaolan LIU ; Dafeng LONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):238-245
Childhood simple obesity has become a significant public health issue in China. Modern medicine primarily relies on lifestyle interventions and often suffers from poor long-term compliance, while pharmacological options are limited and associated with potential adverse effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history in the prevention and management of this condition, demonstrating eight distinct advantages, including systematic theoretical foundation, diversified therapeutic approaches, definite therapeutic efficacy, high safety profile, good patient compliance, comprehensive intervention strategies, emphasis on prevention, and stepwise treatment protocols. Additionally, TCM is characterized by six distinctive features: the use of natural medicinal substances, non-invasive external therapies, integration of medicinal dietetics, simple exercise regimens, precise syndrome differentiation, and diverse dosage forms. By combining internal and external treatments, TCM facilitates individualized regimen adjustment and holistic regulation, demonstrating remarkable effects in improving obesity-related metabolic indicators, regulating constitutional imbalance, and promoting healthy behaviors. However, challenges remain, such as inconsistent operational standards, insufficient high-quality clinical evidence, and a gap between basic research and clinical application. Future efforts should focus on accelerating the standardization of TCM diagnosis and treatment, conducting multicenter randomized controlled trials, and fostering interdisciplinary integration, so as to enhance the scientific validity and international recognition of TCM in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.
3.Expert Consensus on Treatment of Simple Obesity in Children with Chinese Herbal Medicine
; Yingke LIU ; Xinxin REN ; Tiefeng ZHANG ; Yuqing LIU ; Junhong WANG ; Juan YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(17):175-183
Childhood obesity is a chronic nutritional disorder caused by multiple factors that result in excessive total body fat and/or increased local fat content and abnormal fat distribution,sometimes accompanied by complications such as metabolic syndrome. The obesity caused by other factors excluding the secondary factors like genetics or metabolism is referred to as simple obesity. The incidence of childhood obesity in China is showing a trend toward younger ages and rapid growth,posing a serious threat to people's health and creating a heavy economic burden. Therefore,it is urgent to control and effectively intervene in childhood obesity. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine has long been a representative of internal treatment and shows effectiveness and advantages in the clinical treatment of childhood obesity. However,there is currently a lack of a comprehensive set of diagnostic and treatment standards,as well as evidence-based clinical practice. In order to improve clinical physicians' understanding of this disease and to promote the standardization and rationalization of herbal treatment,experts in clinical Chinese and Western medicine,nutrition,and methodology from across China were invited. On the basis of expert experience and current evidence,the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development,and Evaluation (GRADE) method was used to grade the evidence and recommendations. After two rounds of Delphi expert consultations,the guideline secretariat revised and refined the materials based on expert opinions. Ultimately,14 entries of expert consensus and recommendations were formulated,highlighting the advantages and characteristics of herbal treatment for childhood obesity,clarifying syndrome differentiation,medication,treatment cycles,and combination therapy plans for common clinical syndromes,thereby providing more treatment ideas in clinical practice and better leveraging therapeutic advantages.
4.Development and Application of the Evidence Quality Rating Scale for Ancient Classical Prescriptions in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Juwen ZHANG ; Jianping LIU ; Xiangfei SU ; Wei WEI ; Xiaolan SU ; Xue FENG ; Fanya YU ; Xudong ZHANG ; Junhong YU ; Wei CHEN
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(8):804-810
ObjectiveTo develop the Evidence Grading Scale for Ancient classical prescriptions in Traditional Chinese medicine, assess its reliability and validity, and apply it in practice to provide multi-source evidence for clinical practice guidelines development. MethodsLiterature retrieval was conducted to extract and screen existing evaluation dimensions, then the initial items were summarized using thematic analysis. Experts in the clinical medicine, medical history and literature participated in the Delphi questionnaire survey to evaluate and refine the items. An expert consensus meeting was conducted to finalize the included items, refine the method for items evaluation and evidence grading. The evidence quality rating scale for ancient classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions was then established and tested for reliability and validity. ResultsThrough literature review, extraction, screening and summarization, a total of 3 dimensions and 12 initial items were formed. Questionnaires were sent to 69 experts to evaluate the initial items, with a questionnaire response rate of 100% and an expert authority coefficient of 0.92. All 12 items were retained for they had importance scores above 4. The Evidence Grading Scale on Ancient classical prescriptions in Traditional Chinese medicine includes 3 dimensions with 12 items. The 3 dimensions includes ancient evidence, inheritance status, and modern application. Each dimension contains 4 items, and each item has a full score of 5 points. The evidence was rated as high-level, moderate-level, and low-level according to the final scores. The content validity index (CVI) of the 12 items was >0.9, the average CVI of the scale was 0.98, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.90. ConclusionThe Evidence Grading Scale on Ancient classical prescriptions in Traditional Chinese medicine has good reliability and validity, which is practical for use in the development of TCM clinical guidelines and can better support clinical decision-making.
5.Establishment of Psoriasis Rat Model with Spleen Deficiency and Dampness Obstruction Syndrome Induced by External Dampness Factors
Yating ZHANG ; Haojie SU ; Fanlu LIU ; Panyu ZHOU ; Qing WANG ; Junhong ZHANG ; Jingjing WU ; Ling HAN
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(13):1369-1377
ObjectiveTo construct a rat model of psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type), and evaluate the macroscopic manifestations and microscopic indicators of the model. MethodsTwenty-two SD rats were divided into normal group (n=3), common psoriasis group (n=5), spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group (n=7), and psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group (n=7). The spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) rat model was established through 32-week exposure to an artificially simulated high-humidity environment, while the common psoriasis model was developed via 7-day topical application of imiquimod cream, and these two approaches were combined to construct a composite model of psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type). Rats in the normal group were housed under normal humidity conditions. The general state, tongue manifestation of rats were observed to evaluate the macroscopic syndrome manifestations; the microscopic syndrome manifestations of rats were evaluated through adipose tissue and liver tissue changes; the severity of psoriasis in rats was evaluated through skin pathological changes, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression and spleen tissue changes; changes in rat CD4+ interferon-γ+ cells (CD4+IFN-γ+ cells), CD4+ tumour necrosis factor-α+ cells (CD4+ TNF-α+ cells), and forkhead framing protein P3+ regulatory T cells (CD3+CD4+FoxP3+ Treg cells) were detected by flow cytometry. ResultsMacroscopically, both the spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group and psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group exhibited manifestations of spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction, including lethargy, huddling behavior, dull and disheveled fur, as well as soft or loose stools and perianal soiling in some individuals; both these two groups displayed enlarged tongue, swollen, and moist tongue texture, accompanied by slippery tongue surface. Microscopically, compared to the common psoriasis group, the psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group showed increased epididymal fat index (P<0.05); compared to the normal group and spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group, the psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group demonstrated significantly elevated spleen mass (P<0.05), while hepatic gross morphology and HE staining revealed no significant histopathological changes across all groups. Dorsal skin lesions were markedly exacerbated in the psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group when compared to those in common psoriasis group. Both the common psoriasis group and psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group exhibited significantly higher erythema scores, scaling scores, infiltration scores, PASI total scores, and proportions of CD3+CD4+FoxP3+Treg cells compared to the normal group and spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group (P<0.05), with pronounced PCNA-positive expression observed in the epidermal basal layer and dermis; the psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group displayed significantly increased proportions of CD4+TNF-α+cells compared to the spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) group (P<0.05); whereas no significant differences were detected in CD4+IFN-γ+cell proportions among groups (P>0.05). ConclusionThe rat model of psoriasis with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction syndrome (external dampness type) can be successfully constructed by artificially simulating a high-humidity environment combined with imiquimod induction.
6.Treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder from the Perspective of "Fire" Based on the Dynamic and Static Concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Kangning ZHOU ; Zhenhua YUAN ; Qiang ZHANG ; Junhong WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(4):349-353
From the perspective of dynamic and static concept in traditional Chinese medicine, we explored the pathogenesis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is categorized into "dynamic type" and "static type" based on symptom presentation. It is believed that the core disease mechanism of static type ADHD refers to insufficiency of essence and blood, as well as the loss of nourishment of brain marrow and heart blood; the dominant mechanism of dynamic type ADHD refers to excessive use of the mind and improper diet lead to the excessive movement of dragon-thunder fire (symbolizing hyperactivity). The treatment should first differentiate between static type and dynamic type. The treatment for static type focuses on the spleen and kidney, and involves replenishing the acquired constitution to nourish the congenital, supporting the heart and spirit, and enriching the brain and marrow, so as to ensure sufficient qi and blood, abundant essence and strong spirit, thereby improving symptoms of attention deficits. The dynamic type should be treated by static method, and involves using calming medicinals to supplement, transform, and subdue to reach the aims of enriching yin and subduing yang, warming and supplementing the spleen and kidney, which helps restore the dragon-thunder fire to its balance. Based on the physiological characteristics of children, a dynamic-static differentiation and treatment system is established to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of ADHD.
7.Effect of Lingzhu Granules on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome accompanied by insulin resistance
Dongyu YANG ; Shan LU ; Junhong ZHANG ; Xulong CHEN ; Sinan LI ; Yan XIE
Chongqing Medicine 2025;54(9):2001-2006
Objective To explore the regulatory effect of Lingzhu Granules on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the rats with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)accompanied by insulin resistance.Methods Fe-male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats aged 3 weeks d old were selected to establish the model by using the DHEA method.The intervention treatment was administered by different doses of Lingzhu Granules and the homeostasis model as-sessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)was calculated.The relative expression levels of PI3K,Akt,GSK-3β and GLUT4 mRNA in the ovaries was detected by RT-PCR.The expression levels of PI3K and Akt were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the model control group,the rat body weight in the medium and high doses Lingzhu Granules groups was significantly reduced(P<0.05).The fasting blood glucose,fasting insulin and HOMA-IR index in the Lingzhu Granules low,medium and high doses groups were significantly lower than those in the model control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).The mRNA relative expression levels of PI3K,Akt,GSK-3β and GLUT4 in the Lingzhu Granules medium and high doses groups all were higher than those in the model control group(P<0.05).The relative expression levels of PI3K and Akt in the ovarian tissue in the Lingzhu Granules low,medium and high doses groups were higher than those in the model control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Lingzhu Granules could effectively improve the insulin resistance status of PCOS rats by enhancing the synthesis of PI3K and Akt.
8.Expression and significance of miR-1243 and lncRNA HULC in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues
Mingyue GAO ; Duxian LIU ; Jizong ZHANG ; Cheng GONG ; Xiaoya ZHANG ; Junhong MENG
Journal of Chinese Physician 2025;27(10):1543-1547
Objective:To investigate the expression of miR-1243 and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HULC in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tissues, and their relationships with clinicopathological features and postoperative prognosis of patients.Methods:A total of 116 PTC patients treated in the Second Hospital of Nanjing from August 2021 to August 2023 were selected. The expression levels of miR-1243 and lncRNA HULC in PTC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The differences in the expression levels of miR-1243 and lncRNA HULC between PTC tissues and adjacent normal tissues, as well as among PTC tissues with different clinical features and different prognoses, were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of miR-1243 in predicting postoperative recurrence of PTC patients.Results:The relative expression level of miR-1243 in PTC tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent normal tissues ( P<0.05), while the relative expression level of lncRNA HULC was higher than that in adjacent normal tissues ( P<0.05). The relative expression level of lncRNA HULC in PTC tissues of patients with tumor diameter ≥2 cm, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ, and lymph node metastasis was higher than that in patients with tumor diameter <2 cm, TNM stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, and no lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). The relative expression level of miR-1243 in PTC tissues of patients with TNM stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ and lymph node metastasis was lower than that in patients with TNM stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and no lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). There was no significant correlation between the expression of miR-1243 and lncRNA HULC in PTC tissues ( r=0.129, P=0.167). All patients were followed up for 12 months, and 20 patients had postoperative recurrence. The proportion of TNM stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ in recurrent patients was 70.00%(14/20), which was higher than that in non-recurrent patients [29.17%(28/96), P<0.05], and the relative expression level of miR-1243 was lower than that in non-recurrent patients ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the relative expression level of lncRNA HULC between recurrent and non-recurrent patients ( P>0.05). The area under the ROC curve of miR-1243 relative expression level in predicting postoperative recurrence of PTC patients was 0.809(95% CI: 0.711-0.907, P<0.05), with a cut-off value of 1.17, sensitivity of 65.00% and specificity of 87.50%. Conclusions:The expression of miR-1243 is down-regulated and lncRNA HULC is up-regulated in PTC tissues, and both are related to clinicopathological features such as lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Among them, the expression of miR-1243 is related to postoperative recurrence.
9.Exploration on the Mechanism of Shugan Zhixie Prescription in Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation
Jinxue ZHANG ; Junhong LIU ; Lining SU ; Xueqian LAI ; Dan WANG ; Jiale CHEN ; Yajie CHEN ; Hongmei LI ; Yajing LI
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(12):39-45
Objective To investigate the mechanism of Shugan Zhixie Prescription in treating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea(IBS-D)using network pharmacology;To validate the findings through in vivo experiments.Methods Active components and potential targets of Shugan Zhixie Prescription were identified via the TCMSP database.Disease targets for IBS-D were retrieved from GeneCards,DisGeNET and OMIM databases.The intersection of drugs and disease targets was taken,and the protein interaction network was constructed by using STRING database.GO and KEGG pathways were enriched to identify the key signaling pathways of Shugan Zhixie Prescription in the treatment of IBS-D.The rat model of liver depression and spleen deficiency type IBS-D was established by the method of abnormal hunger and satiety,restraint pinch stress and intestinal perfusion of acetic acid.The rats were intervened with low-,medium-and high-dosage of Shugan Zhixie Prescription respectively for 14 days.Serum contents of diamine oxidase(DAO),interleukin(IL)-8,and IL-18 were measured by ELISA.Protein expressions and mRNA expressions of relevant targets in colonic tissue were detected using Western blot and RT-qPCR.Results A total of 26 active components and 553 targets of Shugan Zhixie Prescription were obtained,and 1 930 targets of IBS-D disease were obtained,with 184 drug-disease intersection targets.The possible mechanism was related to NF-κB,AGE-RAGE,Th17 cell differentiation and other signaling pathways.Animal experiments demonstrated that Shugan Zhixie Prescription could significantly reduce defecation frequency,fecal water content,and inflammatory cytokine levels in model rats.It markedly decreased TLR4 and NF-κB protein expressions(P<0.01),while increased AQP3,AQP8 and Occludin protein expressions in colonic tissue(P<0.01,P<0.05).Conclusion Shugan Zhixie Prescription exerts therapeutic effects on IBS-D through multiple pathways and targets,and the mechanism may be related to inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and promoting intestinal barrier repair.
10.Study on the expression of miR-873-5p and CXCL16 in thyroid cancer tissues and their relationship with pathological parameters and prognosis
Mingyue GAO ; Jizong ZHANG ; Cheng GONG ; Junhong MENG ; Xiaoya ZHANG ; Duxian LIU
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;46(13):1620-1625
Objective To investigate the expression of microRNA-873-5p(miR-873-5p)and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 16(CXCL16)in thyroid cancer tissue and their relationship with pathological parameters and prognosis.Methods A total of 125 patients with thyroid cancer who underwent surgery at Nanjing Sec-ond Hospital from January 2018 to June 2019 were selected as the research subjects.Some cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues of the patients were collected,and the expressions of miR-873-5p and CXCL16 mRNA were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.The binding sites of miR-873-5p and CXCL16 were predicted through the online database.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between miR-873-5p and CXCL16 mRNA expression,and the correlation between miR-873-5p,CXCL16 mRNA expression and pathological parameters.According to the median expression of miR-873-5p and CXCL16 mRNA in thyroid cancer tissues,they were classified as high expression and low expression.The survival curves of patients with high and low expression of miR-873-5p and CXCL16 mRNA were plotted by the Kaplan-Meier method.Taking the survival status of patients with thyroid cancer as the dependent varia-ble,Cox regression was used to determine the relationship between the expressions of miR-873-5p and CX-CL16 mRNA and the death of patients with thyroid cancer.Results The expressions of miR-873-5p and CX-CL16 mRNA in thyroid cancer tissues were 0.83±0.12 and 1.54±0.25,respectively,and those in adjacent tissues were 1.13±0.15 and 0.98±0.13,respectively,the differences were statistically significant(t=-18.160,21.089).P<0.001).Pearson correlation analysis showed that the expression of miR-873-5p and CXCL16 mRNA in thyroid cancer tissues was negatively correlated(r=-0.722,P<0.001).The expression of miR-873-5p in thyroid cancer tissues was negatively correlated with pathological type,TNM stage and lymph node metastasis(r=-0.510,—0.262,-0.315,P<0.05).The expression of CXCL16 mRNA was positively correlated with pathological type,TNM stage and lymph node metastasis(r=0.593,0.275,0.314,P<0.05).The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the 5-year overall survival rate of patients with high expression of miR-873-5p was higher than that of patients with low expression of miR-873-5p.The 5-year o-verall survival rate of patients with high expression of CXCL16 mRNA was lower than that of patients with low expression of CXCL16 mRNA,and the difference was statistically significant(x2=11.328,10.514,all P=0.001).miR-873-5p≥0.84 was an independent protective factor for death in patients with thyroid cancer,and CXCL16 mRNA≥1.55 was an independent risk factor for death in patients with thyroid cancer(P<0.05).Conclusion The expressions of miR-873-5p and CXCL16 mRNA in thyroid cancer tissues are related to patho-logical parameters and prognosis,and may become prognostic markers for patients with thyroid cancer.

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