1.Mechanisms of Macrophage Glycolysis in Regulating Acute Lung Injury and TCM Intervention Strategies Based on Theory of "Spleen Failing to Disperse Essence"
Qian XU ; Maofu ZHANG ; Xiali LIANG ; Guoxiong HAO ; Jingwei LI ; Xiaojie JIN ; Yongqi LIU ; Xiangxia LUO ; Zhiming ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(18):218-226
Acute lung injury (ALI) is a critical respiratory emergency caused by various non-cardiogenic factors, including severe pulmonary and extrapulmonary infections, lung contusion, and sepsis. Its pathological features are centered on alveolar-capillary barrier dysfunction, uncontrolled inflammatory responses, and impaired alveolar fluid clearance, manifesting as refractory hypoxemia and respiratory distress, with a poor clinical prognosis. Modern studies have revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction and glucose metabolic reprogramming in macrophages, characterized by hyperactivated glycolysis, drive pro-inflammatory polarization and represent a key mechanism leading to excessive inflammatory responses and disease progression in ALI. Therefore, targeting macrophage glycolysis may be a potential therapeutic strategy for ALI. The Plain Questions: Special Discussion on Channels and Vessels in Huangdi's Internal Classic states that "The spleen disseminates essence upward to the lungs". When the spleen fails in transport and transformation, the distribution of refined nutrients becomes disordered, resulting in the endogenous generation of turbid pathogens that obstruct the pulmonary collaterals, causing failure of lung dispersion and descent and leading to dyspneic reversal. This forms the dynamic pathological pattern of ''deficiency in the root with excess in the manifestation'', thereby proposing the core pathogenesis of ALI as ''spleen deficiency with transport dysfunction and turbid pathogens obstructing the lungs''. This process is intrinsically associated with the inflammatory cascade triggered by disordered macrophage glucose metabolism. Taking the theory of ''spleen failing to disperse essence'' as the entry point, the present study systematically elucidates the progressive pathological mechanism of "energy metabolism disorder-cytokine storm'' in ALI from the perspectives of the ''spleen deficiency-turbid obstruction'' pathogenesis and macrophage glycolysis-pro-inflammatory polarization. In addition, we summarize Chinese medicine compound formulas and monomeric components that ''restore spleen transport and eliminate turbid pathogens'', and explore their potential mechanisms in the treatment of ALI by regulating macrophage metabolic phenotypes to improve the state of ''spleen failing to disperse essence''. This provides a molecular basis for elucidating the ''spleen-lung'' energy metabolism dialogue, deepens understanding of the multi-target regulatory mechanisms of herbal prescriptions, and promotes the deep integration of classical theory with modern medicine.
2.Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine intervention in chemotherapy renal injury
Yeyuan LIU ; Yafeng QI ; Maofu ZHANG ; Xinyu LI ; Yanyun SHEN ; Yu LIU ; Shangzu ZHANG ; Yangyang LI ; Liying ZHANG ; Zhiming ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(4):556-569
Renal injury is one of the common ad-verse reactions in the clinical application of chemo-therapy drugs,which is the main reason why the chemotherapy can not be carried out in the whole cycle.The pathological mechanism of chemothera-py-induced renal injury is very complicated,mainly involving oxidative stress,inflammatory response,apoptosis,mitochondrial dysfunction,and regula-tion of transporters,causing pathological damage to renal tubules or glomeruli.At present,there is no specific pharmacological intervention for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced renal injury.As a treasure of traditional Chinese medicine,tradi-tional Chinese medicine has the advantages of overall regulation,multi-targeting,small adverse re-actions and no obvious drug dependence in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-in-duced renal injury.In recent years,there have been more and more studies on the intervention of che-motherapy-induced renal injury by multi-compo-nent and multi-directional intervention of active components,extracts and compounds of tradition-al Chinese medicine,and some progress has been made.A large number of studies have shown that the potential mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating renal injury in-duced by chemotherapy include inhibiting oxida-tive stress,reducing inflammatory response and in-hibiting apoptosis.Although there are many stud-ies on the mechanism of action of traditional Chi-nese medicine in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced renal injury,there is still a lack of systemat-ic review.Based on this,this paper summarizes the mechanism of renal injury induced by chemothera-py and the intervention of traditional Chinese medi-cine,so as to provide theoretical support for its clinical treatment and new drug innovation.
3.Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine intervention in chemotherapy renal injury
Yeyuan LIU ; Yafeng QI ; Maofu ZHANG ; Xinyu LI ; Yanyun SHEN ; Yu LIU ; Shangzu ZHANG ; Yangyang LI ; Liying ZHANG ; Zhiming ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(4):556-569
Renal injury is one of the common ad-verse reactions in the clinical application of chemo-therapy drugs,which is the main reason why the chemotherapy can not be carried out in the whole cycle.The pathological mechanism of chemothera-py-induced renal injury is very complicated,mainly involving oxidative stress,inflammatory response,apoptosis,mitochondrial dysfunction,and regula-tion of transporters,causing pathological damage to renal tubules or glomeruli.At present,there is no specific pharmacological intervention for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced renal injury.As a treasure of traditional Chinese medicine,tradi-tional Chinese medicine has the advantages of overall regulation,multi-targeting,small adverse re-actions and no obvious drug dependence in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-in-duced renal injury.In recent years,there have been more and more studies on the intervention of che-motherapy-induced renal injury by multi-compo-nent and multi-directional intervention of active components,extracts and compounds of tradition-al Chinese medicine,and some progress has been made.A large number of studies have shown that the potential mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating renal injury in-duced by chemotherapy include inhibiting oxida-tive stress,reducing inflammatory response and in-hibiting apoptosis.Although there are many stud-ies on the mechanism of action of traditional Chi-nese medicine in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced renal injury,there is still a lack of systemat-ic review.Based on this,this paper summarizes the mechanism of renal injury induced by chemothera-py and the intervention of traditional Chinese medi-cine,so as to provide theoretical support for its clinical treatment and new drug innovation.
4.Experimental Research Progress in TCM Compounds for the Prevention and Treatment of Tic Disorders
Jialin ZHONG ; Maofu ZHANG ; Lü GAO ; Peng FENG ; Jing SHANG ; Zhenggang SHI
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(7):192-196
Tic disorder is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder with complex etiology and diverse phenotypes,and its incidence has been increasing significantly in recent years.Most scholars believe that abnormalities in the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical circuit and its interconnected brain regions are closely related to the development of tic disorder.Chinese materia medica intervention in tic disorders is characterized by multi-targets,multi-mechanisms and holistic nature,and has a good prospect for research application.This article summarized the experimental studies of TCM compound intervention in tic disorder in recent years,which have shown that TCM compounds could reduce the damage of nerve cells through the regulation of neurotransmitters,inflammatory response,immune function and the"colony-gut-brain axis"to improve and prevent tic disorder,which could provide a reference for the research and development of new medicines for tic disorder and for the clinical research.
5.Traditional Chinese Medicine Regulates Signaling Pathways Related to Precancerous Lesions of Gastric Cancer: A Review
Maofu ZHANG ; Xinyu LI ; Yanyun SHEN ; Yeyuan LIU ; Jialin ZHONG ; Lulu CHEN ; Haihong ZHAO ; Zhongyang SONG ; Zhiming ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):297-306
Precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) are a group of pathological changes caused by abnormalities in the structure, morphology, and differentiation of gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Since the early symptoms are hidden and non-specific, PLGC is not easy to be diagnosed and it has often developed into intermediate or advanced gastric cancer once being diagnosed and missed the best time for treatment. Accordingly, the incidence of this disease is increasing year by year, which lifts a heavy burden on the patients. The pathogenesis of PLGC is complex, involving inflammatory microenvironment, bile reflux, glycolysis, autophagy, and apoptosis. Currently, PLGC is mainly treated with anti-inflammatory and endoscopic therapies, which are difficult to curb the development of PLGC. Therefore, seeking a safe and effective therapy is an important topic of modern research. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), characterized by treatment based on syndrome differentiation and a holistic view, exerts effects via multiple pathways, mechanisms, and targets. Recent studies have confirmed that TCM can regulate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR), Wnt/β-catenin, Sonic Hedgehog, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), neurogenic locus notch homolog protein (Notch), nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and other signaling pathways. By targeting these pathways, TCM can inhibit aerobic glycolysis, reduce oxidative stress, repair the inflammatory microenvironment, regulate cellular autophagy, and promote vascular normalization, thereby delaying or reversing PLGC. However, few researchers have systematically summarized the TCM regulation of PLGC-associated pathways. By reviewing the relevant articles at home and abroad, this paper summarized the roles of the above signaling pathways in the development of PLGC and the research progress in the regulation of signaling pathways by TCM in the treatment of PLGC, with a view to providing a new theoretical basis for the clinical research on PLGC and the drug development for this disease.
6.Experimental Research Progress in TCM Compounds for the Prevention and Treatment of Tic Disorders
Jialin ZHONG ; Maofu ZHANG ; Lü GAO ; Peng FENG ; Jing SHANG ; Zhenggang SHI
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(7):192-196
Tic disorder is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder with complex etiology and diverse phenotypes,and its incidence has been increasing significantly in recent years.Most scholars believe that abnormalities in the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical circuit and its interconnected brain regions are closely related to the development of tic disorder.Chinese materia medica intervention in tic disorders is characterized by multi-targets,multi-mechanisms and holistic nature,and has a good prospect for research application.This article summarized the experimental studies of TCM compound intervention in tic disorder in recent years,which have shown that TCM compounds could reduce the damage of nerve cells through the regulation of neurotransmitters,inflammatory response,immune function and the"colony-gut-brain axis"to improve and prevent tic disorder,which could provide a reference for the research and development of new medicines for tic disorder and for the clinical research.
7.Prevention and Treatment of Lung Cancer by Traditional Chinese Medicine Targeting Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway: A Review
Maofu ZHANG ; Zhiming ZHANG ; Zhongyang SONG ; Qian XU ; Jialin ZHONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(8):262-270
Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, with its morbidity and mortality ranking at the top. The early symptoms are not obvious, and the biological structure is complex, so many patients have missed the optimal treatment time. At present, the treatment of lung cancer in modern medicine is dominated by first-line chemotherapy and surgical treatment with platinum-containing regimen, which has relatively large side effects, poor prognosis, and a high risk of metastasis and recurrence. With the gradual rise of targeted therapy and immunotherapy for lung cancer, the overall recovery of patients with lung cancer is still poor and the survival rate is low, despite more abundant treatment methods. From the perspective of holistic concept and syndrome differentiation, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an important role in the prognosis of tumor patients, with many targets, a wide range and light toxic and side effect. Modern studies have shown that the occurrence and development of lung cancer are closely related to the abnormality of multiple signaling pathways, and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, as one of the most important pathways in cancer, is involved in the whole process of lung cancer development by regulating the expression of related signaling proteins and genes. In recent years, many studies have confirmed that TCM monomers and TCM compounds can inhibit the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of lung cancer and the activity of lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, induce lung cancer cell apoptosis, inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of lung cancer cells, and thus play an anti-lung cancer role. In recent years, research in this field has made breakthroughs, but there is a lack of systematic reviews and summaries. Thus, this paper reviewed relevant literature worldwide to analyze and interpret the mechanism of TCM intervention in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway against lung cancer. The TCM monomers targeted to regulate this signaling pathway were summarized in four categories: promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis, clearing heat and removing dampness, clearing heat and removing toxicity, and awakening the spirit. TCM compounds included Buzhong Yiqitang, Xuefu Zhuyutang, et al. This study aims to provide new ideas for clinical research and drug development for lung cancer.
8.Regulatory Mechanism of Mitochondrial Apoptosis in Gastric Cancer and Intervention of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Lulu CHEN ; Yuchan CHEN ; Zhongyang SONG ; Haihong ZHAO ; Maofu ZHANG ; Zhiming ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(14):259-269
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world, with hidden symptoms, complex pathogenesis, high morbidity, high mortality, and poor prognosis. As one of the classical apoptosis pathways, mitochondrial apoptosis has been widely described in the apoptosis escape by GC cells. Mitochondrial apoptosis can regulate the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of GC cells via oxidative stress, cell cycle, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial translocation and other mechanisms, and it is one of the potential targets of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) intervention to restore the mitochondrial function in GC. The theory of spleen-mitochondria in correlation explains that spleen deficiency and cancer toxin are the root causes of mitochondrial apoptosis. Accordingly, the TCM treatment should follow the basic principle of invigorating spleen to restore healthy Qi and removing cancer toxin to eliminate the root cause. Mitochondrial apoptosis can be promoted by inhibiting oxidative stress, promoting cell cycle arrest, and reducing mitochondrial membrane potential. This therapy can improve the energy metabolism, restore the mitochondrial structure and function, and prevent the occurrence and development of GC, with mild side effects and low drug resistance. However, the mechanism of mitochondrial apoptosis in GC and the target of TCM intervention in GC have not been systematically reviewed. Therefore, this paper systematically summarized the effects of mitochondrial apoptosis on the occurrence and development of GC and the role of TCM in the treatment of GC by intervening in mitochondrial apoptosis, aiming to provide a theoretical reference for the treatment and further research of GC.

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