1.Current Status of Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the Research on Mechanism
Junxiang LI ; Hong SHEN ; Tangyou MAO ; Lei ZHU ; Jiaqi ZHANG ; Zhibin WANG ; Xudong TANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(1):103-110
In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has achieved significant progress in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A comprehensive literature search was conducted covering the period from January 1, 2010, to December 30, 2024, across Chinese databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, VIP China Science and Technology Journal Database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System, as well as international databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. The clinical applications and mechanistic studies of TCM in IBD were systematically reviewed. The current status of TCM research on the etiology and pathogenesis of IBD, innovative clinical practices, and multimodal therapeutic approaches, including Chinese herbal formulas, single herbs or active compounds, acupuncture, herbal retention enema, and acupoint application, were summarized, together with their synergistic effects when combined with western medical treatments. The development and application of Chinese patent medicines for IBD are undergoing a profound transition from efficacy validation to mechanistic exploration. Mechanistic studies on the effects of TCM in IBD mainly focus on regulating gut microbiota homeostasis, repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier, and modulating intestinal immune balance. Furthermore, future research directions for TCM-based IBD management are proposed, including the establishment of TCM diagnostic and treatment models, expanding integrated applications of external and internal TCM therapies, innovating personalized treatment strategies, and advancing drug development. These efforts aim to provide insights for the standardized and precision-oriented development of TCM in the diagnosis and treatment of IBD.
2.Olfactory Receptors Expressed in The Intestine and Their Functions
Pei-Wen YANG ; Meng-Meng YUAN ; Ying ZHOU ; Peng LI ; Gui-Hong QI ; Ying YANG ; Zhong-Yi MAO ; Meng-Sha ZHOU ; Xiao-Shuang MAO ; Jian-Ping XIE ; Yi-Nan YANG ; Shi-Hao SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):534-549
Olfactory receptors (ORs) form the largest superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Traditionally recognized for their role in the nasal olfactory epithelium, where they mediate the sense of smell, accumulating evidence has firmly established their ectopic expression in non-olfactory tissues, including the intestine, lungs, and kidneys. The intestine, as the primary site for nutrient digestion and absorption, harbors a highly complex chemical environment. To adapt to this environment, the gut employs a sophisticated network of “chemosensors” to monitor luminal contents and maintain homeostasis. Among these sensors, intestinal ORs have emerged as crucial functional components, serving as a molecular bridge that connects environmental chemical signals—such as food-derived odorants—to specific physiological responses. This discovery has significantly deepened our understanding of how dietary flavors and compounds influence intestinal physiology at the molecular level. This review systematically summarizes the expression profiles, ligand classification, and biological functions of ORs within the gastrointestinal tract. Studies indicate that intestinal ORs exhibit distinct spatial distribution patterns across different gut segments and display cell-type specificity, particularly within enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. These receptors function as versatile sensors capable of recognizing a wide variety of ligands, including exogenous dietary components, gut microbiota metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, and endogenous small molecules like azelaic acid. Upon activation by specific ligands, intestinal ORs trigger intracellular signaling cascades, primarily involving the AC-cAMP-PKA pathway or calcium influx channels. A major focus of this review is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors regulate the secretion of gut hormones. Activation of specific ORs in enteroendocrine cells has been shown to stimulate the release of hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and serotonin (5-HT), thereby modulating systemic energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical roles of ORs in immune regulation and pathology. Evidence suggests that specific ORs contribute to the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis and may offer protection against inflammation. Beyond their involvement in inflammatory responses, ORs such as Olfr78 have been shown to regulate the differentiation and function of intestinal endocrine cells. Similarly, Olfr544 has been demonstrated to alleviate intestinal inflammation by remodeling the gut microbiome and metabolome. These findings collectively suggest that specific ORs hold promise as therapeutic targets for mitigating intestinal inflammation and maintaining gut homeostasis. Additionally, the review explores the emerging role of ORs in cancer. Although OR expression is often downregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal mucosa, activation of specific ORs by certain ligands can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis via pathways such as MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK. Conversely, other receptors, such as OR7C1, may serve as biomarkers for cancer-initiating cells. In conclusion, intestinal ORs represent a vital component of the gut’s sensory network. The review also discusses the translational potential of these findings. By elucidating the precise pairing relationships between dietary components and specific ORs, novel therapeutic strategies could be developed. Intestinal ORs may thus emerge as promising targets for nutritional and pharmacological interventions in metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, and malignancies.
3.Analyses of respiratory etiological characteristics of influenza-like illness cases in Jing’an District, Shanghai in 2024
Jiaming LIANG ; Zhou ZHOU ; Mingyi CAI ; Dongsheng REN ; Lixue LYU ; Chuanwu MAO ; Hong CHEN
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(4):259-264
ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of 21 respiratory pathogens in influenza-like illness (ILI) cases in Jing’an District, Shanghai in 2024, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of respiratory infectious diseases. MethodsData of1 907 ILI cases at four sentinel hospitals in Jing’an District were collected from January to December 2024. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected and tested for 21 respiratory pathogens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Chi-square test and Cochran-Armitage trend test were used for data analyses. ResultsAmong the 1 907 ILI cases, 1 340 were tested positive (70.27%), including 1 160 (60.83%) virus-positive cases, 424 (22.23%) bacteria-positive cases , and 86 (4.51%) positive cases of other pathogens (fungi, mycoplasma, and chlamydia). The top five viruses by detection rate were: influenza virus (14.84%), SARS-CoV-2 (14.47%), rhinovirus (12.69%), adenovirus (7.08%), and parainfluenza virus (6.71%). The top two bacteria by detection rate were Streptococcus pneumoniae (14.47%) and Haemophilus influenzae (10.33%). Among other pathogens (fungi, mycoplasma, and chlamydia), Mycoplasma pneumoniae showed the highest detection rate (4.30%). In terms of age distribution, statistically significant differences were observed in the detection rates of SARS-CoV-2, Legionella, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (P<0.05), with the highest rates found in individuals aged 65 years and above. Statistically significant differences were also found in the detection rates of rhinovirus, adenovirus, enterovirus, common coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, bocavirus, parainfluenza virus, human metapenu-movirus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae among different age groups (P<0.05), all showing the highest detection rates in the 0‒<15 years age group. In terms of seasonal distribution, SARS-CoV-2, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, enterovirus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae showed epidemic peaks in summer; rhinovirus, common coronavirus, bocavirus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae had higher detection rates in autumn. Influenza virus exhibited a peak incidence during winter, while human metapenu-movirus peaked in winter and spring. Significant differences in co-infection detection rates were observed among age groups, with the rate in children aged 0‒<15 years (34.81%) being the highest. The co-infection detection rate was higher in males than in females (P=0.019). Both the single-pathogen detection rate and the co-infection detection rate (P<0.001) varied significantly across seasons: the single-pathogen detection rate was highest in winter (62.06%), while the co-infection detection rate peaked in summer (31.20%) and was lowest in winter (14.52%). ConclusionBased on detection rates, the main pathogens in the ILI population of Jing’an District, Shanghai, 2024 were influenza virus, SARS-CoV-2, rhinovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, common coronavirus, enterovirus, Human metapenu-movirus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Pathogen detection rates varied by age and season. Coinfection rates were much higher in children than in adults, higher in males than in females, and peaked in summer while being lowest in winter.
4.Disposal of the first imported case of Zika virus disease in Shanghai
Jixing YANG ; Zhenzhen QI ; Xiaofan REN ; Liang HONG ; Hong YAO ; Shenghua MAO
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(4):270-273
ObjectiveTo describe the disposal process of the first imported case of Zika virus disease in Shanghai, and to provide a reference for the prevention and control of imported infectious diseases in the future. MethodsA retrospective review was conducted of the process by which epidemiological investigation, etiological testing, and case management were performed by the Shanghai municipal-and district-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after one imported case of Zika virus disease was identified by Shanghai Customs. ResultsOn April 8th, 2025, customs authority at a certain airport in Shanghai identified a febrile inbound case (case A, female, 40 years old). An antecubital venous blood specimen was obtained and analyzed by nucleic acid testing for various vector-borne pathogens, by which Zika virus nucleic acid was found to be positive. On 9 April, the district CDC collected antecubital venous blood specimens again from Case A and her three accompanying travelers (B, C, and D), and nucleic acid testing was conducted for multiple mosquito-borne infectious diseases. Case A again tested positive for Zika virus nucleic acid, while Traveler D (male, aged 6 years) tested positive for dengue virus nucleic acid. The other two travelers tested negative. Case A and Traveler D were subsequently transferred to a designated district hospital for isolation and treatment. After discharge, both cases left China and returned to their overseas residence. ConclusionCase A was the first imported case of Zika virus disease in Shanghai. For cases with a history of living in endemic areas of multiple infectious diseases such as dengue virus, Zika virus and chikungunya virus, it is necessary to carry out rapid testing of multiple pathogens simultaneously to prevent missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis.
6.Gene Mutation Characteristics, Prognosis and Survival Analysis of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Miao HE ; Hong-Juan TIAN ; Dong-Feng MAO ; Xiao-Chen ZHAO ; Shu-Ting ZHANG ; Fang-Qing ZHAO ; Tao WU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(3):691-697
OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the gene mutation characteristics and survival time of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) based on next-generation sequencing(NGS) gene detection.
METHODS:
A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 92 patients with AML (non APL) admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to May 2022. AML related genes tested were using NGS, the mutation characteristics and survival time of AML patients were analyzed.
RESULTS:
Among the 92 patients, 41 were males and 51 were females. A total of 38 types of gene mutations were detected. Six-two patients carried at least one gere mutation, while no gene mutations were detected in 30 patients. In the group with favourable prognosis (n =14), the frequencies of higher gene mutations were NRAS, KIT (21.43%, n =3), KRAS (14.29%, n =2). In the group with intermediate prognosis (n =64), the gene mutation frequencies from high to low were DNMT3A (18.75%, n =12), NPM1 (17.19%, n =11), IDH2, FLT3-ITD, CEBPA (12.50%, n =8), TET2 (10.94%, n =7). In the poor prognosis group (n =14), ASXL1, TP53, EZH2, NRAS had higher gene mutation frequency than others(14.29 %, n =2 ). Statistical analysis revealed that KIT had a relative hotspot of mutations in the intermediate-risk group, and DNMT3A had a relative hotspot of mutations in the high-risk group (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis of genes with high mutation rates in different prognostic groups, such as NRAS, KIT, IDH2, DNMT3A, NPM1, and FLT3-ITD, with prognosis found that KIT was a factor affecting OS (P < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed for the others(P >0.05).
CONCLUSION
The frequency of gene mutations is high in AML patients, 67.4% of the patients carried at least one gene mutation. The mutation frequency varies among different genes in patients with different karyotypes, and there are obvious dominant mutations. KIT and DNMT3A can be used as factors for evaluating the prognosis of AML.
Humans
;
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics*
;
Nucleophosmin
;
Mutation
;
Prognosis
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Male
;
Female
;
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
;
Middle Aged
;
DNA Methyltransferase 3A
;
Adult
;
Aged
;
Survival Analysis
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit/genetics*
7.Efficacy and Safety of Zihua Wenfei Zhisou Granule in Treatment of Postinfectious Cough: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase II Clinical Trial.
Ting LI ; Xue-Mei LIU ; Mei YANG ; Yan-Qing WU ; Wei LIU ; Bing MAO ; Hong-Li JIANG
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(1):3-10
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicine (CM) Zihua Wenfei Zhisou Granule (ZWZG) in postinfectious cough (PIC) patients with CM syndrome of wind-cold invading Fei (Lung, WCIF).
METHODS:
This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial. PIC patients with WCIF syndrome were recruited from the Respiratory Departments in 6 hospitals across China between March 2019 and December 2020. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to group A (ZWZG-matched placebo 15 g), group B (active ZWZG 15 g), and group C (active ZWZG 10 g plus ZWZG-matched placebo 5 g) in a 1:1:1 ratio. All medications were taken orally 3 times daily for 14 consecutive days. The primary outcomes were cough relief rate and cough disappearance rate. The secondary outcomes included time to cough relief, time to cough disappearance, and changes in cough symptom score (CSS), cough Visual Analog Scale (VAS) value, Cough-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (CQLQ) score, and CM syndrome score from baseline (day 0) to post-treatment (day 14). Adverse events (AEs) in each group were recorded.
RESULTS:
A total of 198 patients were included in the full analysis set (FAS) and safety analysis set (SS), while 183 were enrolled in the per-protocol analysis set (PPS). In the FAS population, the cough relief rate was 47.76%, 90.77% and 84.85% in groups A, B, and C, respectively; while the cough disappearance rate was 31.34%, 72.31% and 68.18%, respectively. The cough relief rates and cough disappearance rates in groups B and C were significantly higher than group A (P<0.0001). Both the median time to cough relief and cough disappearance in groups B and C were shorter than group A (P<0.0001). Compared with group A, groups B and C showed significantly greater improvements from baseline to post-treatment in CSS during daytime and nighttime as well as VAS (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in changes from baseline to post-treatment in CQLQ and CM syndrome scores among 3 groups (P>0.05). Results in the PPS population were consistent with those in the FAS population. Groups B and C showed lower incidence in AEs than group A (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between groups B and C (P>0.05). No drug-related severe AEs were reported.
CONCLUSIONS
ZWZG can increase cough disappearance rate and cough relief rate; and it is beneficial in shortening cough duration and reducing cough severity and frequency in patients suffering from PIC. It is safe and generally well tolerated. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900022078).
Humans
;
Cough/drug therapy*
;
Double-Blind Method
;
Male
;
Female
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects*
;
Middle Aged
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Adult
;
Aged
;
Quality of Life
8.Tongmai Hypoglycemic Capsule Attenuates Myocardial Oxidative Stress and Fibrosis in the Development of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy in Rats.
Jie-Qiong ZENG ; Hui-Fen ZHOU ; Hai-Xia DU ; Yu-Jia WU ; Qian-Ping MAO ; Jun-Jun YIN ; Hai-Tong WAN ; Jie-Hong YANG
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(3):251-260
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect of Tongmai Hypoglycemic Capsule (THC) on myocardium injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) rats.
METHODS:
A total of 24 Sprague Dawley rats were fed for 4 weeks with high-fat and high-sugar food and then injected with streptozotocin intraperitoneally for the establishment of the DCM model. In addition, 6 rats with normal diets were used as the control group. After modeling, 24 DCM rats were randomly divided into the model, L-THC, M-THC, and H-THC groups by computer generated random numbers, and 0, 0.16, 0.32, 0.64 g/kg of THC were adopted respectively by gavage, with 6 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of THC administration, echocardiography, histopathological staining, biochemical analysis, and Western blot were used to detect the changes in myocardial structure, oxidative stress (OS), biochemical indexes, protein expressions of myocardial fibrosis, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related faactor 2 (Nrf2) element, respectively.
RESULTS:
Treatment with THC significantly decreased cardiac markers such as creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase-MB, etc., (P<0.01); enhanced cardiac function indicators including heart rate, ejection fraction, cardiac output, interventricular septal thickness at diastole, and others (P<0.05 or P<0.01); decreased levels of biochemical indicators such as fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate transaminase, (P<0.05 or P<0.01); and decreased the levels of myocardial fibrosis markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen I (Col-1) protein (P<0.01), improved myocardial morphology and the status of myocardial interstitial fibrosis. THC significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels in model rats (P<0.01), increased levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione (P<0.01), and significantly increased the expression of Nrf2, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, heme oxygenase-1, and superoxide dismutase 2 proteins in the left ventricle of rats (P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
THC activates the Nrf2 signaling pathway and plays a protective role in reducing OS injury and cardiac fibrosis in DCM rats.
Animals
;
Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/physiopathology*
;
Oxidative Stress/drug effects*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Myocardium/metabolism*
;
Fibrosis
;
Male
;
Capsules
;
Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use*
;
NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism*
;
Rats
;
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy*
9.Beneficial Bacterial Modulation by Gypsum Fibrosum and Terra Flava Usta in Gut Microbiota.
Meng-Jie LI ; Yang-Yang DONG ; Na LI ; Rui ZHANG ; Hong-Lin ZHANG ; Zhi-Mao BAI ; Xue-Jun KANG ; Peng-Feng XIAO ; Dong-Rui ZHOU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(9):812-820
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the regulatory effects of two traditional mineral medicines (TMMs), Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao, GF) and Terra Flava Usta (Zaoxintu, TFU), on gut-beneficial bacteria in mice, and preliminarily explore their mechanisms of action.
METHODS:
Mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=10 per group): the control group (standard diet), the GF group (diet supplemented with 2% GF), and the TFU group (diet supplemented with 2% TFU). After 4-week intervention, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the changes in the gut microbiota (GM). Scanning electron microscopy, in combination with coumarin A tetramethyl rhodamine conjugate and Hoechst stainings, was used to observe the bacteria and biofilm formation.
RESULTS:
Principal coordinate analysis revealed that GF and TFU significantly altered the GM composition in mice. Further analysis revealed that GF and TFU affected different types of gut bacteria, suggesting that different TMMs may selectively modulate specific bacterial populations. For certain bacteria, such as Faecalibaculum and Ileibacterium, both GF and TFU exhibited growth-promoting effects, implying that they may be sensitive to TMMs and that different TMMs can increase their abundance through their respective mechanisms. Notably, Lactobacillus reuteri, a widely recognized and used probiotic, was significantly enriched in the GF group. Random forest analysis identified Ileibacterium valens as a potential indicator bacterium for TMMs' impact on GM. Further mechanistic studies showed that gut bacteria formed biofilm structures on the TFU surface.
CONCLUSIONS
This study provides new insights into the interaction between TMMs and GM. As safe and effective natural clays, GF and TFU hold promise as potential candidates for prebiotic development.
Animals
;
Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*
;
Bacteria/growth & development*
;
Mice
;
Biofilms/drug effects*
;
Male
;
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*
10.Dual activation of GCGR/GLP1R signaling ameliorates intestinal fibrosis via metabolic regulation of histone H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells.
Han LIU ; Yujie HONG ; Hui CHEN ; Xianggui WANG ; Jiale DONG ; Xiaoqian LI ; Zihan SHI ; Qian ZHAO ; Longyuan ZHOU ; JiaXin WANG ; Qiuling ZENG ; Qinglin TANG ; Qi LIU ; Florian RIEDER ; Baili CHEN ; Minhu CHEN ; Rui WANG ; Yao ZHANG ; Ren MAO ; Xianxing JIANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):278-295
Intestinal fibrosis is a significant clinical challenge in inflammatory bowel diseases, but no effective anti-fibrotic therapy is currently available. Glucagon receptor (GCGR) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) are both peptide hormone receptors involved in energy metabolism of epithelial cells. However, their role in intestinal fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Herein GCGR and GLP1R were found to be reduced in the stenotic ileum of patients with Crohn's disease as well as in the fibrotic colon of mice with chronic colitis. The downregulation of GCGR and GLP1R led to the accumulation of the metabolic byproduct lactate, resulting in histone H3K9 lactylation and exacerbated intestinal fibrosis through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Dual activating GCGR and GLP1R by peptide 1907B reduced the H3K9 lactylation in epithelial cells and ameliorated intestinal fibrosis in vivo. We uncovered the role of GCGR/GLP1R in regulating EMT involved in intestinal fibrosis via histone lactylation. Simultaneously activating GCGR/GLP1R with the novel dual agonist peptide 1907B holds promise as a treatment strategy for alleviating intestinal fibrosis.

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