1.Effect of Qingfei Shenshi Decoction (清肺渗湿汤) Combined with Western Medicine on Clinical Effectiveness and Immune Function for Patients with Bronchial Asthma of Heat Wheezing Syndrome
Ying SUN ; Haibo HU ; Na LIU ; Fengchan WANG ; Jinbao ZONG ; Ping HAN ; Peng LI ; Guojing ZHAO ; Haoran WANG ; Xuechao LU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(1):38-44
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness and safety of Qingfei Shenshi Decoction (清肺渗湿汤) combined with western medicine for patients with bronchial asthma of heat wheezing syndrome, and to explore its potential mechanism of action. MethodsEighty-six participants with bronchial asthma of heat wheezing syndrome were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, each group with 43 participants. The control group received conventional western medicine, and the treatment group was additionally administered Qingfei Shenshi Decoction orally on the basis of the control group, 1 dose per day. Both groups were treated for 14 days. The primary outcome measure was clinical effectiveness; secondary outcome measures included traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score, asthma control test (ACT) score, pulmonary function indices such as forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), serum inflammatory factor levels including interleukin-4 (IL-4), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and immune function indices including CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+. All outcome measures were evaluated before and after treatment. Vital signs were monitored, and electrocardiography, blood routine, urine routine, liver function, and renal function tests were performed before and after treatment. Adverse events and reactions during the study were recorded. ResultsA total of 80 patients completed the trial with 40 in each group. The total clinical effective rate of the treatment group was 97.5% (39/40), which was significantly higher than that of the control group (85.0%, 34/40, P<0.05). After treatment, both groups showed decreased TCM syndrome scores, IL-4, TNF-α, hs-CRP, and CD8+ levels, as well as increased ACT scores, CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, FEV1, FVC, and PEF levels (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, the improvements in these indices were more significant in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). No significant abnormalities in safety indicators were observed in either group, and no adverse events or reactions occurred. ConclusionQingfei Shenshi Decoction combined with conventional western medicine for patients with bronchial asthma of heat wheezing syndrome can effectively improve the clinical symptoms, pulmonary function, and clinical effectiveness, with good safety. Its mechanism may be related to reducing inflammatory factor levels and regulating T lymphocyte subsets to improve immune function.
2.Pseudolaric Acid B-linked Double-network Hydrogel Alleviates Pruritus by Inhibiting The Growth of Staphylococcus aureus
Ye YOU ; Yan YANG ; Tong-Yu LI ; Cheng-Long CAI ; Ting WANG ; Chan ZHU ; Zong-Xiang TANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1734-1745
ObjectiveThis study aimed to elucidate the mechanistic role of Staphylococcus aureus in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by pruritus and barrier dysfunction. A key focus was screening traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) active components with dual antibacterial and antipruritic efficacy, followed by systematic evaluation of their in vitro antibacterial activity. Additionally, a novel drug delivery system was constructed to enable localized efficient drug delivery, inhibiting S. aureus proliferation and alleviating its induced pruritus, thereby providing new strategies for targeted AD therapy. MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks (body weight 18-22 g) were used to establish an AD model via repeated oxazolone sensitization. On day 14, microbial samples were collected from the lesional area (1 cm²) using sterile cotton swabs, followed by vortex mixing, serial dilution, and plating on 5% sheep blood agar plates (incubated at 37°C for 24 h). Single colonies with complete transparent β-hemolytic zones were isolated and identified as vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) via 16S rRNA sequencing. An S. aureus mono-infection animal model was then established by applying gauze saturated with bacterial suspension (McFarland turbidity 0.1) to the nape and back skin of mice. The pruritic phenotype and inflammatory cell infiltration induced by S. aureus were evaluated using comprehensive approaches including behavioral assays (e.g., scratching frequency recording), hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and toluidine blue staining. The in vitro antibacterial efficacy of the TCM monomer pseudolaric acid B (PAB) and double network hydrogel (DN) was separately assessed by disk diffusion assay, while the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PAB was determined via broth dilution method. Further validation of the pharmacodynamic characteristics of the composite system (PAB@DN, composed of PAB and DN) was conducted through behavioral assays, HE staining, and dermatitis scoring, with its drug release profile evaluated by mass spectrometry analysis. Based on scratching behavioral analysis and dermatitis scoring, the optimal ratio and concentration of PAB@DN were optimized. ResultsThe S. aureus load in AD lesional tissues was significantly higher than in normal skin ((5.3±0.33)×10⁶ CFU vs. (3.6±0.26)×10⁷ CFU, P<0.001). In the S. aureus mono-infection group, mice exhibited a 6.7-fold increase in scratching frequency compared to the control group. HE staining revealed marked epidermal thickening ((10.4±2.39) μm vs. (85.6±1.95) μm, P<0.000 1), and toluidine blue staining showed a 23-fold increase in mast cell degranulation. Pseudolaric acid B exhibited a significant concentration-dependent inhibitory effect onS. aureus growth, with its in vitro antibacterial effect being 57% that of the antibiotic cefepime (inhibition zone diameter: PAB (1.885±0.036) cm vs. cefepime (3.636±0.005) cm, P<0.000 1) and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 g/L. The carrier double network hydrogel (DN) itself lacked direct antibacterial activity (no significant difference in inhibition zone diameter compared to the control) but effectively ameliorated the dry symptoms of AD-like lesions. The PAB@DN composite system demonstrated a synergistic effect compared to individual components, resulting in a 50% reduction in scratching behavior, an 86% decrease in dermatitis score, and a 60% reduction in epidermal thickening. It also reduced the S. aureus load in mouse skin by approximately 34%, with the optimal effective formulation being PAB at 1 g/L loaded onto DN. ConclusionS. aureus colonization plays a critical driving role in the onset and progression of AD. Using an S. aureus infection model, this study confirmed that the pseudolaric acidB-hydrogel composite delivery system (PAB@DN) can effectively alleviate S. aureus-induced pruritus and skin damage, providing experimental evidence for microbiota-targeted therapy of AD.
3.Methodological Considerations on Constructing Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment Agent for Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment Based on Clinical Practice Guidelines
Feng ZHOU ; Tengfei CHEN ; Wandi ZHANG ; Haoyuan LI ; Xingyu ZONG ; Jiahao LIN ; Qingquan LIU ; Guozhen ZHAO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(17):1853-1857
Developing an intelligent agent for integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine diagnosis and treatment based on clinical practice guidelines is a key approach to advancing the standardization and intelligent deve-lopment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and to supporting clinical decision-making. This paper argues for the necessity of building a knowledge base using guidelines as the sole data source, systematically identifies five core methodological challenges across the entire process, and proposes corresponding solutions. An ontology framework capable of distinguishing between TCM and western medicine concepts should be designed to address the difficulty of knowledge integration. A closed-loop "algorithm-based extraction-expert review" model is adopted to reduce data extraction errors. Expert consensus is incorporated to address decision gaps in specific clinical scenarios outlined in the guidelines, while a multi-stage, standardized output process for the AI system is established to eliminate model hallucinations. Furthermore, an evaluation framework reflecting clinical applicability is developed to enhance the AI system's accuracy and stability. Throughout the research process, it is essential to ensure the in-depth and continuous participation of multidisciplinary experts, strictly control the selection and quality evaluation of guidelines, and rely on the expert consensus method to address decision gaps in the knowledge base. Additionally, continuous validation and iterative optimization of intelligent agents are required to ensure the accuracy and stability of generated outputs. Limitations remain in the mechanisms for real-time knowledge synchronization in intelligent diagnostic and treatment systems, and further validation through large-scale real-world studies is warranted.
4.Correlation between different obesity related indicators and blood lipids levels among children and adolescents
TIAN Siying, HUANG Yiying, LI Shaoli, ZONG Xinnan, LIU Junting, CHEN Fangfang
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(7):1015-1020
Objective:
To determine the correlation between obesity related indicators and blood lipid levels among children and adolescents.
Methods:
A total of 5 812 participants were included. Height, weight, body composition, waist circumference, blood pressure were measured and fasting glucose and blood lipid levels were tested based on a cross sectional survey of children and adolescents 6-17 years in Beijing, 2022-2023. The body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), body roundness index (BRI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. Linear and Logistic regression were used to analyze the associations between the four obesity indicators (BMI, FMI, BRI, and WHtR) and blood lipids in children and adolescents. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to evaluate differences in the associations between different obesity indicators with dyslipidemia.
Results:
Linear regression showed that BMI, FMI, BRI, and WHtR were positively correlated with triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and non high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non HDL-C) levels (boys: β 6-9 years =0.02-0.28, β 10-17 years =0.02-0.37; girls: β 6-9 years =0.02-0.28, β 10-17 years =0.03-0.25), and negatively correlated with the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level in both genders across age subgroups (boys: β BMI = -0.03, β FMI = -0.04 , β BRI =-0.09, β WHtR =-0.17; girls: β BMI =-0.03, β FMI =-0.04, β BRI =-0.11, β WHtR =-0.20) (all P <0.01). The associations between total cholesterol (TC) and remnant cholesterol (RC) levels with obesity indicators differed significantly by gender and age. The TC level was positively associated with obesity indicators in boys of all ages ( β BMI =0.01, β FMI =0.03, β BRI = 0.08 , and β WHtR =0.16) but only with FMI, BRI, and WHtR in girls 6-9 years of age ( β FMI =0.02, β BRI =0.05, and β WHtR =0.08) (all P <0.05). The RC level had a negative correlation with BRI in boys 10-17 years of age ( β =-0.01) and a positive correlation with BMI in girls 6- 9 years of age ( β =0.00) (all P <0.05). Logistic regression indicated that elevated obesity indicators were significantly associated with higher risks of elevated TG, LDL-C, and non HDL-C levels and a decreased HDL-C level in all gender age stratas (all P <0.01). Only the BMI and FMI in girls 6-9 years of age were significantly related to a high RC ( OR =1.07, 1.07, both P <0.05). ROC analysis revealed that FMI, BRI, and WHtR were more predictive than BMI of elevated TG, LDL-C, and non HDL-C levels. The BMI was superior in predicting a decreased HDL-C level in boys, while no significant difference was detected among indicators in girls. Indeed, all obesity indicators had poor predictive performance for elevated TC, RC, and LDL-C levels in girls (all AUC<0.7).
Conclusions
Obesity indicators reflecting body fat content and fat distribution are shown to be closely associated with dyslipidemia in children and adolescents with obvious age and gender differences. The FMI, BRI, and WHtR have potential advantages in the early identification of dyslipidemia among children and adolescents compared to the BMI alone.
5.Study on Compatibility and Efficacy of Blood-activating Herb Pairs Based on Graph Convolution Network
Jingai WANG ; Qikai NIU ; Wenjing ZONG ; Ziling ZENG ; Siwei TIAN ; Siqi ZHANG ; Yuwen ZHAO ; Huamin ZHANG ; Bingjie HUO ; Bing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):228-234
ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a prediction model for the compatibility of Chinese medicinal pairs based on Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN), named HC-GCN. The model integrates the properties of herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms to predict pairs with specific therapeutic effects. It serves as a demonstration by applying the model to predict and validate the efficacy of blood-activating herb pairs. MethodsThe training dataset for herb pair prediction was constructed by systematically collecting commonly used herb pairs along with their characteristic data, including Qi, flavor, meridian tropism, and target genes. Integrating traditional characteristics of herb with modern bioinformatics, we developed an efficacy-oriented herb pair compatibility prediction model (HC-GCN) using graph convolutional networks (GCN). This model leverages machine learning to capture the complex relationships in herb pair compatibility, weighted by efficacy features. The performance of the HC-GCN model was evaluated using accuracy (ACC), recall, precision, F1 score (F1), and area under the ROC curve (AUC). Its predictive effectiveness was then compared to five other machine learning models: eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), logistic regression (LR), Naive Bayes, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM). ResultsUsing herb pairs with blood-activating effects as a demonstration, a prediction model was constructed based on a foundational dataset of 46 blood-activating herb pairs, incorporating their Qi, flavor, meridian tropism, and target gene characteristics. The HC-GCN model outperforms other commonly used machine learning models in key performance metrics, including ACC, recall, precision, F1 score, and AUC. Through the predictive analysis of the HC-GCN model, 60 herb pairs with blood-activating effects were successfully identified. Among of these potential herb pairs, 44 include at least one herb with blood-activating effects. ConclusionIn this study, we established an efficacy-oriented compatibility prediction model for herb pairs based on GCN by integrating the unique characteristics of traditional herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms. This model demonstrated high predictive performance, offering a novel approach for the intelligent screening and optimization of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, as well as their clinical applications.
6.Basic connotation, times requirement, and cultivating path of “benevolent doctors” in the new era
Jiguang ZONG ; Ying WANG ; Mingjuan YUAN ; Cong LI ; Changqing ZOU
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(3):328-335
Promoting the construction of a “Healthy China” is essential to building a great modern socialist country. Health workers in every era have their historical missions and they are the “benevolent doctors” of their own era. Therefore, clarifying the basic connotation and times requirements of “benevolent doctors” has become the first question to be answered in cultivating “benevolent doctors”. The basic connotation of “benevolent doctor” should reflect not only the comprehensive development of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education in fostering virtue and nurturing talents, but also embody the people-centered development philosophy, promote social equity and justice, and reflect the strategic needs of building a “Healthy China.” Specifically in the practice of medical education, emphasizing both medical science spirit and medical humanities spirit has become an important path to cultivate “benevolent doctors” in the new era.
7.Prevention and Treatment of Post-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction from the Perspective of "Deficiency Qi Retention and Stagnation"
Yunze LI ; Huiqi ZONG ; Hongxu LIU ; Mingxuan LI ; Xiang LI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(12):1273-1276
It is believed that "deficiency qi retention and stagnation" is the fundamental pathogenesis of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients often have severe coronary vessel congestion before PCI, leading to emptiness in the heart's collaterals, which results in deficiency of healthy qi, poor movement of blood and body fluids, so the heart collaterals are susceptible to stagnation and stasis,then phlegm and stasis generate; after PCI, it is easy to damage the healthy qi then lead to qi deficiency, causing qi, blood, and body fluids fail to transport, thereby leading to blood stasis and phlegm turbidity retention, generating heat and wind to damage the heart and body. It is proposed that the prevention before PCI should replenish qi and collaterals, expel blood stasis and resolve phlegm, to support "deficient qi" in heart collaterals and prevent "stagnation" after PCI. Postoperative management should focus on replenishing qi and protecting the collaterals, eliminating pathogen and controlling development, so as to avoid exacerbating deficiency and stagnation by damaging healthy qi, and eliminate pathogen and unblock the collaterals to interrupt the pathogenesis, which prevent "retention and stagnation" from changes.
8.Protective Effect of Xuebijing on Lung Injury in Rats with Severe Acute Pancreatitis by Blocking FPRs/NLRP3 Inflammatory Pathway
Guixian ZHANG ; Dawei LIU ; Xia LI ; Xijing LI ; Pengcheng SHI ; Zhiqiao FENG ; Jun CAI ; Wenhui ZONG ; Xiumei ZHAO ; Hongbin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):113-120
ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect of Xuebijing injection (XBJ) on severe acute pancreatitis induced acute lung injury (SAP-ALI) by regulating formyl peptide receptors (FPRs)/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammatory pathway. MethodsSixty rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a SAP-ALI model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose XBJ groups (4, 8, and 12 mL·kg-1), and a positive drug (BOC2, 0.2 mg·kg-1) group. For the sham group, the pancreas of rats was only gently flipped after laparotomy, and then the abdomen was closed, while for the remaining five groups, SAP-ALI rat models were established by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate (Na-Tc) via the biliopancreatic duct. XBJ and BOC2 were administered via intraperitoneal injection once daily for 3 d prior to modeling and 0.5 h after modeling. Blood was collected from the abdominal aorta 6 h after the completion of modeling, and the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in plasma was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The amount of ascites was measured, and the dry-wet weight ratios of pancreatic and lung tissue were determined. Pancreatic and lung tissue was taken for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining to observe pathological changes and then scored. The protein expression levels of FPR1, FPR2, and NLRP3 in lung tissue were detected by the immunohistochemical method. Western blot was used to detect the expression of FPR1, FPR2, and NLRP3 in lung tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of FPR1, FPR2, and NLRP3 in lung tissue. ResultsCompared with the sham group, the SAP-ALI model group showed significantly decreased dry-wet weight ratio of lung tissue (P<0.01), serious pathological changes of lung tissue, a significantly increased pathological score (P<0.01), and significantly increased protein and mRNA expression levels of FPR1, FPR2, and NLRP3 in lung tissue (P<0.01). After BOC2 intervention, the above detection indicators were significantly reversed (P<0.01). After treatment with XBJ, the groups of different XBJ doses achieved results consistent with BOC2 intervention. ConclusionXBJ can effectively improve the inflammatory response of the lungs in SAP-ALI rats and reduce damage. The mechanism may be related to inhibiting the expression of FPRs and NLRP3 in lung tissue, which thereby reduces IL-1β and simultaneously antagonize the release of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α.
9.Application and prospect of artificial intelligence and population pharmacokinetics in personalized medication after organ transplantation
Shuai HE ; Huiying ZONG ; An’an LI ; Penglin ZHOU ; Rui GAO ; Xichao WU ; Yanjiao ZHU ; Yan LI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(14):1813-1818
Artificial intelligence (AI) and population pharmacokinetics (PPK) technologies have demonstrated significant potential in the personalized medication of immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, enabling precise prediction of drug dosages. This article provides a comprehensive review of the application status of AI and PPK in the individualized administration of immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, focuses on monitoring blood drug concentration, predicting efficacy/adverse reactions, and establishing individualized dosing models for organ transplant recipients after immunosuppressant administration, and analyzes and compares the application characteristics of different methods in different organ transplant patients as well as the integration and future development of AI and PPK technologies. AI and PPK technologies can not only significantly reduce the dependence on human resources, but also greatly improve the level of individualized treatment of immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, and reduce the discomfort and burden caused by frequent blood concentration monitoring to patients.
10.Expenditure trends and intergenerational substitution relationships of national negotiated drugs for non-small cell lung cancer in China
Shuqi ZONG ; Wei LI ; Yuxin XIAO ; Hao RUN
China Pharmacy 2025;36(16):1968-1974
OBJECTIVE To analyze the impact of intergenerational substitution effect of the drugs with the same indication on fund expenditures for national medical insurance for this indication in China, taking national medical insurance negotiated drugs for non-small cell lung cancer (hereinafter referred to as “NSCLC national negotiation drugs”) as an example. METHODS The sales amounts of 15 types of NSCLC national negotiated drugs in secondary and tertiary public hospitals across seven sample provinces from 2017 to 2023 were collected from the Pharmaceutical Drug Database of the China National Pharmaceutical Industry Information Center. A sliding t-test and Mann-Kendall trend test were used to evaluate the trends in sales amounts and DDDs. Taking epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-TKIs as examples, the generational substitution characteristics of these drugs were analyzed. RESULTS The change points of sales amounts and DDDs differed slightly across provinces; the change points of sales amount were mostly concentrated between the first quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2020, while those for DDDs were primarily concentrated in the first to second quarters of 2021. In five provinces, i.e. Beijing, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Sichuan and Shaanxi, sales amounts showed no significant upward trend after the breakpoints (P>0.05), whereas in Guangdong and Hubei, both sales amounts and DDDs continued to rise significantly following the breakpoints (P<0.05). Since 2020, the growth in sales amounts of EGFR-TKIs had slowed. After 2021, the sales amounts and DDDs of first- and second-generation EGFR-TKIs declined, while third-generation EGFR-TKIs showed clear substitution effects. The sales amounts of ALK-TKIs continuedto grow. However, the sales amounts and DDDs of first-generation ALK-TKIs had declined year by year, with second-generation ALK-TKIs demonstrating a significant substitution effect on first-generation ones, while third-generation ALK-TKIs had not yet shown a clear substitution trend. CONCLUSIONS With the annual access to and renewal of drugs in national medical insurance negotiations, the overall expenditure trend for NSCLC negotiated drugs comes to a plateau. The intergenerational substitution relationships of drugs with the same indication achieve a relative balance in fund expenditures for negotiated drugs with the same indication. It is recommended that pharmaceutical companies carefully consider their research pipelines, and that medical insurance authorities, during the renewal management process, pay attention to the impact of drug substitution effects on the overall actual expenditure of medical insurance funds for that specific target or the same indication, and scientifically evaluate the extent of price reductions during contract renewals.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail