1.Action Mechanism of Huamoyan Granules in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Based on TRPV1/p38 MAPK Pathway
Jin ZHANG ; Lili YANG ; Canwen ZHENG ; Jing KANG ; Yanlei MA ; Yue SHI ; Lei LI ; Hongxu MENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):79-89
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 10th 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.
2.Syndrome Patterns Distribution and Risk Factors of Mixed Hemorrhoids in Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Multicenter Real-world Study Using Large Language Models and Latent Class Analysis
Ruyue DENG ; Kang DING ; Yuxin ZHU ; Meng LI ; Huiting ZHU ; Lei DU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(7):755-763
ObjectiveTo develop a standardized classification model for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome patterns of mixed hemorrhoids using multi-center real-world data, and unveil their distribution patterns and core risk factors, thereby providing evidence-based support for standardizing TCM syndrome differentiation and implementing precision interventions. MethodsA multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 13 283 mixed hemorrhoid patients from eight hospitals in Jiangsu Province between September 1st, 2023 and December 31st, 2024. DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-7B and LLaMA-3.3 large language models (LLM) were integrated with latent class analysis (LCA) to perform unsupervised learning and latent class modeling of TCM symptomatology. Potential risk factors were screened via univariate analysis, followed by logistic regression to identify independent risk factors for each syndrome pattern. ResultsThe model's performance indicators were stable and reliable across different clinical data types,i.e. in the outpatient records, past medical history (F1=99.7%), current medical history (F1=94.9%), and specialist examination (F1=90.7%); in inpatient records, past medical history (F1=98.2%), current medical history (F1=91.2%), specialist examination (F1=90.3%), and discharge status (F1=90.6%). Latent class mode-ling identified four core TCM syndrome patterns including spleen deficiency and qi sinking syndrome (915 cases, 6.89%), damp-heat pouring downward syndrome (10 820 cases, 81.46%), qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome (1252 cases, 9.43%), and wind injuring intestinal collaterals syndrome (296 cases, 2.22%), with respective latent class probabilities of 0.069, 0.815, 0.094, and 0.022. Logistic regression demonstrated that gender, age, disease duration, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, constipation, smoking history, and alcohol consumption were independent risk factors for pattern differentiation (P<0.05). The efficacy validation evaluation revealed that the cure rates for patients with spleen deficiency and qi sinking syndrome and qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome were higher than those for patients with damp-heat pouring downward syndrome (adjusted P<0.05), with no statistically significant differences among other syndrome patterns. ConclusionDamp-heat pouring downward syndrome is the predominant syndrome in mixed hemorrhoids. Gender, age, disease duration, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipi-demia, constipation, smoking history, and alcohol consumption are independent risk factors for the differentiation of syndrome types.
3.Construction and Application of a Multicenter Traditional Chinese Medicine Proctology Disease Data Platform Based on Multimodal Large Models
Yuxin ZHU ; Liping ZHAO ; Jiafa LU ; Huiting ZHU ; Xia YANG ; Lei DU ; Kang DING
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(7):770-775
This paper has constructed a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) specialized disease dataset platform for mixed hemorrhoids based on a multimodal large model, and the preliminary application has been validated. The platform uses StarRocks to establish a four-level data warehouse system, enabling the aggregation, cleaning, and standardization of multi-source heterogeneous data. Using DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-7B as the base model, domain fine-tuning is performed through low-rank adaptation (LoRA) technology. Combined with LLaMA-3.3 natural language processing and reasoning chain techniques, the platform enables intelligent parsing and structured extraction of unstructured TCM medical records. It accurately identifies six major categories and 28 subcategories of entities, including symptoms and syndromes, with a fine-tuned model F1 score of 93.8%. The platform has established a high-quality specialized disease dataset containing more than 50,000 medical records and has been applied in a real-world study involving 17,831 patients, preliminarily verifying the efficacy of TCM heritage surgery.
4.Study on the correlation between inflammatory indicators in the hyperacute phase of acute ischemic stroke and early neurological deterioration, syndrome factors, and prognosis
Ligaoge KANG ; Ying GAO ; Jinyue BAI ; Huan TANG ; Hongbo SHEN ; Lei LIU ; Lingbo KONG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(1):98-107
Objective:
Inflammatory cascade reactions play a crucial role in secondary neuronal injury in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aim of this study was to explore the correlations between specific serological indicators, early neurological deterioration (END), disease prognosis, and syndrome factors in AIS based on this injury mechanism.
Methods:
The data for this study were collected from 135 patients with AIS admitted to the emergency department of Fangshan Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, within 24 h of onset between November 2019 and May 2021. Among these, 29 patients had complete data and experienced END. Additionally, 9 non-END patients were matched from the remaining 90 patients with complete data, resulting in a total of 38 patients for statistical analysis. Statistical methods, including logistic regression and receiver operating curves, were used to analyze the correlation between serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) within 24 h of END onset, disease prognosis, and syndrome factors. Grouping criteria included END occurrence, presence of syndrome elements on the first and third day post-onset, and prognosis at 90 days post-onset.
Results:
All 38 cases had onset time of less than 12 h, and there were no significant differences in age, gender, and onset time between the END and non-END groups. The TNF-α serum level within 24 h of onset was not associated with the occurrence of END but was negatively correlated with all-cause mortality at 90 days [0.1
5.Da Chaihutang for Treatment of Sepsis with Yang Syndrome:A Randomized Controlled Trial
Na HUANG ; Guangmei CHEN ; Xingyu KAO ; Zhen YANG ; Weixian XU ; Kang YUAN ; Junna LEI ; Jingli CHEN ; Mingfeng HE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):55-63
ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Da Chaihutang (DCH) for the treatment of sepsis with Yang syndrome. MethodsA total of 70 patients suffering from sepsis with Yang syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 35 cases in each group. They both received standard Western medicine treatment. The observation group was additionally given a dose of DCH, which was boiled into 100 mL and taken twice. The control group was additionally given an equal volume and dosage of warm water. The intervention lasted for three days. The 28-day all-cause mortality and the changes in the following indicators before and after intervention were compared between the two groups, including sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score,white blood cell (WBC),the percentage of neutrophils (NEU%),C-reactive protein (CRP),procalcitonin (PCT),alanine transaminase (ALT),aspartate transaminase (AST),total bilirubin (TBil),creatinine (Cr),blood urea nitrogen (BUN),acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) grade,gastrointestinal dysfunction score (GDS),serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (iFABP), citrulline (CR),platelet (PLT),prothrombin time(PT),activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT),fibrinogen (Fib),international normalized ratio (INR),and D-dimer (D-D). ResultsThere was no significant difference between the two groups regarding 28-day all-cause mortality. After the intervention,SOFA,WBC,PCT,and Cr were significantly decreased, and PLT was significantly increased in the control group (P<0.05). SOFA,APACHE Ⅱ,NEU%,CRP,PCT,ALT,AST,Cr,BUN,AGI grade,GDS,and serum iFABP and CR were significantly improved in the observation group (P<0.05). After the intervention,APACHE Ⅱ,PCT,AGI grade,GDS,and serum iFABP in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ,while CR and PLT were higher (P<0.05,P<0.01). There were significant differences regarding the gap of SOFA,APACHE Ⅱ,AST,TBil,AGI grade,GDS,iFABP,CR, and PLT between the two groups (P<0.05,P<0.01). There were slight differences regarding PT,APTT,Fib,INR,and D-D between the two groups,which were in the clinical normal range. ConclusionOn the basis of Western medicine, DCH helped to reduce sepsis severity and improved multiple organ dysfunction with high clinical efficacy and safety, but further research on its impact on the prognosis of patients with sepsis is still required.
6.Precise application of O-arm navigation system in thoracolumbar fractures with developmental pedicle stenosis
Lintao SU ; Jianfeng JIANG ; Jun MA ; Liangliang HUANG ; Changyu LEI ; Yaozheng HAN ; Hui KANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(9):1855-1862
BACKGROUND:For thoracolumbar spine fractures with developmental stenosis of the vertebral arch,accurate nail placement is difficult using traditional fluoroscopy-assisted techniques.O-arm navigation assistance systems offer higher precision in general vertebral arch nail placement,but there is scarce literature on the application of O-arm navigation-assisted nail placement in thoracolumbar spine fractures with developmental stenosis of the vertebral arch both domestically and abroad. OBJECTIVE:To explore the accuracy of percutaneous vertebral arch nail placement assisted by O-arm navigation in patients with thoracolumbar spine fractures complicated by developmental stenosis of the vertebral arch. METHODS:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 53 patients who underwent percutaneous vertebral arch screw fixation surgery at Department of Orthopedics,General Hospital of Central Theater Command of PLA for thoracolumbar spine fractures complicated by developmental stenosis of the vertebral arch from January 2021 to March 2023.Totally 208 cases of vertebral arch developmental stenosis were found(cases with multiple vertebral arch developmental stenosis were counted separately).Based on the surgical approach,the patients were divided into two groups:O-arm navigation group(n=98)and C-arm fluoroscopy group(n=110).Postoperative imaging data were compared between the two groups,including anatomical perforation score,functional perforation score,actual vs.expected nail trajectory in the horizontal plane,and sagittal plane angle differences. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no significant difference in the narrowest width of the pedicle isthmus(pow)between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).The proportions of different degrees of narrowing(mild:6 mm≤pow<7 mm,moderate:5 mm≤pow<6 mm,severe:pow<5 mm)were also not significantly different between the two groups(P>0.05).(2)The overall grade and scores of anatomical perforation and functional perforation were lower in the O-arm group compared to the C-arm group,and these differences were statistically significant(P<0.001).In terms of the angular deviation between the actual and planned screw trajectories,the O-arm group had smaller deviations,and these differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)In the mild and moderate narrowing groups,the O-arm group showed significant advantages in anatomical perforation,functional perforation,and angular deviation between actual and planned screw trajectories,and these differences were statistically significant(P<0.001).(4)The O-arm group demonstrated better performance in anatomical perforation and functional perforation,especially in the T12-L2 segment,with more significant advantages.Additionally,the O-arm group had better angular deviations in actual and planned screw trajectories in all segments compared to the C-arm group.(5)Therefore,the use of O-arm navigation-assisted percutaneous screw placement for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with developmental pedicle isthmal narrowing provides higher accuracy and safer surgery.
8.Study on the correlation between cranial CT features of acute ischemic stroke onset within 24 h and early neurological deterioration, 90 d prognosis, and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome elements
Ligaoge KANG ; Ying GAO ; Huan TANG ; Hongbo SHEN ; Lei LIU ; Liya LIU ; Yan GAO ; Lingbo KONG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(3):424-437
Objective:
To investigate the potential of conventional cranial computed tomography (CT) in assessing the early neurological deterioration(END), long-term prognosis, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome elements during the acute phase in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
Methods:
This study included 101 patients with AIS onset within 24 h in the Emergency Department of Fangshan Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from November 2019 to May 2021. To investigate the correlation between the relevant characteristics of the first conventional cranial CT in patients with AIS onset within 24 h and END, 90 d prognosis, and initial syndrome elements, the presence or absence of END, the 90 d prognosis (non-disabling outcome or functionally independent outcome), and the establishment of syndrome elements (internal fire, phlegm-dampness, blood stasis, qi deficiency, yin deficiency) were used as dependent variables and grouping criteria.
Results:
This study included 61 males and 40 females, with an age of (64.43±10.56) years. The time from onset to conventional cranial CT examination was 3.50 (1.50, 9.75) h. Among the patients, there were 70 cases (69.3%) of mild AIS, 30 cases (29.7%) of moderate AIS, and one case (1.0%) of severe AIS. Fifteen patients (14.9%) received intravenous thrombolysis. Among the 101 patients, six syndrome elements were observed within 24 h of onset: internal wind in 101 cases (100.0%), internal fire in 58 cases (57.4%), phlegm-dampness in 60 cases (59.4%), blood stasis in 67 cases (66.3%), qi deficiency in 39 cases (38.6%), and yin deficiency in 23 cases (22.8%). The incidence of END was higher in patients with lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (32.9%) than in those without such lesions (10.7%), showing a strong positive correlation with END occurrence (OR=4.082, P = 0.026). The incidence of END was higher in patients with lesions in the basal ganglia region (33.3%) and the carotid system blood supply area (32.8%) than in those without lesions in the basal ganglia region (15.8%) and the carotid system territory (14.7%), showing moderate positive correlations with END occurrence (OR=2.667, P =0.047; OR=2.836, P=0.044). The proportion of non-disabling outcomes was lower among patients with white matter degeneration (30.8%) and lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (52.1%) than in those without white matter degeneration (63.6%) and without such lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (78.6%), both showing strong negative correlations with the occurrence of non-disabling outcomes (OR=0.254, P=0.034; OR=0.296, P=0.015). Similarly, the proportion of functionally independent outcomes was lower among individuals with white matter degeneration (30.8%) and lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (64.4%) than in those without white matter degeneration (77.3%) and without such lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (89.3%), both also showing strong negative correlations with the occurrence of functionally independent outcomes (OR=0.131, P=0.001; OR=0.217, P=0.014). The incidence rates of internal fire, blood stasis, and yin deficiency syndrome elements were 66.7%, 73.0%, and 30.2%, respectively, among patients with lesions in the basal ganglia region, compared to 42.1%, 55.3%, and 10.5% among those without lesions in this region. The presence of lesions in the basal ganglia region showed moderate to strong positive correlations with internal fire and yin deficiency syndrome elements (OR=2.750, P=0.016; OR=3.670, P=0.028). Patients with lesions in the centrum semiovale and corona radiata regions (66.7%) had a higher incidence of qi deficiency than those without lesions in this region (33.7%), showing a strong positive correlation with the occurrence of qi deficiency (OR=3.931, P=0.022). No CT characteristics were found to be correlated with phlegm-dampness syndrome elements.
Conclusion
The first cranial CT in patients with AIS has potential application value in predicting disease progression, assessing prognosis, and diagnosing syndromes, which can provide physicians with diagnostic and treatment decisions to improve the long-term prognosis of patients with AIS.


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