ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Astragali Radix-mediated changes in gut microbiota on treating type 2 diabetes （T2DM）. MethodsA 12-week randomized， placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled eighty patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control in the Qi deficiency type. All patients received insulin therapy. The observation group （40 cases） was administered with Astragali Radix Granules， while the control group （40 cases） received a placebo. Both treamtents were taken orally twice daily. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Serum glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Glucose metabolism indicators including fasting blood glucose （FPG）， 2-hour postprandial blood glucose （2 h PG），glycated albumin（GA）， and glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） were evaluated. Pancreatic function was evaluated using fasting C-peptide （FCP）， 2-hour postprandial C-peptide （2 h CP）， and C-peptide area under the curve （AUC_cp）. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， and safety indicators were also observed. ResultsIn terms of glucose metabolism indicators， compared with the baseline， both groups exhibited significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C （P<0.01），while FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after the treatment， the observation group showed significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C（P<0.05， P<0.01），and significantly higher FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp （P<0.05， P<0.01）， indicating that Astragali Radix can improve glucose metabolism. In terms of the diversity of gut microbiota， no significant differences were detected in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes of the two groups compared with their respective baselines. However， compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group demonstrated significant increases in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The β-diversity analysis showed significant separation in gut microbiota composition before and after treatment in both groups， indicating that Astragali Radix can significantly alter the structure and improve the diversity of gut microbiota. At the phylum level， compared with the baseline， both groups showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. The relative abundance of the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria was significantly lower in the observation Group after treatment （P<0.01）. Compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. No significant difference was found in Firmicutes/Bacteroidota （F/B） ratio between the two groups after treatment， and other phyla showed no significant differences. At the genus level， compared with the baseline， the observation group exhibited a significant increase in Bacteroides （P<0.01） and a significant decrease in Escherichia-Shigella （P<0.01）， whereas no significant difference was seen in the control group . Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group after treatment had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroides （P<0.01）. No significant differences were seen in other genera. Linear discriminant analysis （LDA） identified potential characteristics taxa： in the observation group， Bacteroidota at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Dubosiella at the genus level， in the control group， Proteobacteria at the phylum level as well as Barnesiella and Staphylococcus at the genus level. Correlation analysis based on a heatmap revealed that GLP-1 levels were positively correlated with Firmicutes， F/B ratio and Fusobacterium， and negatively correlated with Bacteroidota， Proteobacteria， Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella. In terms of clinical efficacy， compared with the control group， the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher （P<0.05）. Compared with the baseline， the scores for shortness of breath， fatigue， weakness， spontaneous sweating and reluctance to speak significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the score for weakness was significantly lower in the observation group （P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix could improve clinical symptoms and alleviate weakness symptoms. In terms of safety， compared with the baseline， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05，P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix did not induce any significant abnormalities in liver and kidney functions. ConclusionAstragali Radix demonstrates the potential to significantly improve the gut microbiota environment in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with Qi deficiency. The therapeutic effect may contribute to glycemic control， possibly mediated by an elevation in GLP-1 level. These findings may support its further clinical investigations and potential applications.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of runt-related transcription factor 3 （RUNX3） in transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）-induced activation of mouse primary pulmonary fibroblasts （PFs）， and its effects on fibroblast activation protein （FAP） expression， cell proliferation， and collagen synthesis. MethodsPFs were isolated from C57BL/6 mice and cultured. A RUNX3 knockdown model was established using small interfering RNA （siRNA）. Cells were assigned to the control group （Control）， TGF-β₁-treated group （TGF-β₁）， negative control group （TGF-β₁+siRNA-NC）， and RUNX3-silenced group （TGF-β₁+si-RUNX3）. In addition， a RUNX3 overexpression rescue experiment was performed based on TGF-β₁ stimulation. Protein and mRNA levels of RUNX3， FAP， and typeⅠcollagen （COL1A1） were measured by Western blot and reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR （RT-qPCR）. Cell proliferation was assessed using CCK-8 and EdU assays. Co-expression of COL1A1 and FAP was examined by double immunofluorescence staining. ResultsCompared with the Control group， RUNX3， FAP， and COL1A1 expression levels were upregulated in PFs in the TGF-β₁ group （P<0.01）. The CCK-8 assay showed that the absorbance value was reduced in the RUNX3 knockdown group compared with the negative control group （P<0.01）. Consistently， the EdU assay demonstrated a lower proportion of EdU-positive cells in the RUNX3 knockdown group than in the negative control group （P<0.01）. Immunofluorescence double staining revealed decreased fluorescence intensities of COL1A1 and FAP in the RUNX3 knockdown group relative to the negative control. Under RUNX3 overexpression conditions， these fluorescence signals exhibited a partial rebound （P<0.01）. ConclusionRUNX3 in TGF-β1-induced PFs may promote cell proliferation and collagen synthesis by positively regulating FAP expression. Targeting the RUNX3/FAP axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.

Chinese patent medicines are the core preparations for disease prevention and treatment in clinical traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Their quality is the key to ensuring safe and effective medication and promoting the high-quality development of the TCM industry. At present， the quality evaluation of Chinese patent medicines faces prominent problems， such as inadequate control of quality consistency， over-reliance on single indicators， one-sided evaluation dimensions， unstable statistical methods， and poor implementability of research findings. These defects lead to insufficient scientificity of evaluation results， making it difficult to support the implementation of policies including centralized procurement， high quality， and favorable prices for Chinese patent medicines. According to the core requirements of quality evaluation for Chinese patent medicines， this study established a four-dimensional comprehensive evaluation system encompassing consistency index（CI）， content index（MI）， effect index（EI）， and preparation index（PI）. All evaluation indicators were normalized to achieve horizontal comparability. Meanwhile， an improved radar chart was introduced to realize the visualization of evaluation results. This method can systematically integrate four types of core quality attributes： Quality consistency， component content， biological activity， and preparation characteristics. It can effectively distinguish quality differences among products of the same specification from different manufacturers. The evaluation results are unique， stable， and not affected by the addition or reduction of samples， which takes scientificity， objectivity， and operability into account. This method can provide scientific and technical support for screening high-quality Chinese patent medicines and implementing policies of centralized procurement， high quality， and favorable prices. Moreover， it has important practical significance for improving the quality evaluation system of Chinese patent medicines and advancing the standard and modern development of TCM.

ObjectiveTo establish a comprehensive evaluation framework combining multi-component quantification with daily intake in response to the challenges posed by multiple coexisting dosage forms， single-faceted quality evaluation， and ambiguous clinical equivalence of Huoxiang Zhengqi preparations， and to compare the quality differences and superiority among eight commercially available dosage forms. MethodsA total of 75 batches of Huoxiang Zhengqi preparations from 25 manufacturers were investigated. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS） coupled with gas chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry （GC-QqQ-MS/MS） was adopted to simultaneously quantify 20 core marker components. Normalization was performed based on equivalent raw herb concentrations to eliminate interferences from dosage forms， excipients， and specifications. Considering the specified clinical dosage， the actual daily intake level was calculated to comprehensively evaluate component retention， content uniformity， and potential differences in in vivo exposure among different dosage forms. ResultsThe quality of Huoxiang Zhengqi preparations differed greatly among dosage forms and manufacturers. On the basis of the recommended daily doses in the package inserts， the total daily intake of the 20 tested components ranged from 3.14 to 614.30 mg·d^-1， while that of hesperidin， a quality-control marker， ranged from 0.03 to 40.65 mg·d^-1. Atractylodin was detected only in tinctures and soft capsules， with concentrations ranging from （2.68±0.01） to （5.73±0.37） mg·L^-1. The soft capsules from manufacturer M22 had the highest atractylodin level， while atractylodin was not detected in the other dosage forms. Nucleosides were most abundant in the oral liquids and tinctures （M4 to M13）. The tincture from manufacturer M5 showed the highest nucleoside level of 29.12 mg·L^-1， whereas the granules had the lowest nucleoside levels， with that of M23 being only 3.48 mg·L^-1. Perillae Folium-related components varied greatly among batches， with an relative standard deviation （RSD） of 87.55%. The daily intake of hesperidin from all three granule products was below 3.6 mg·d^-1， the reference value calculated for Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui according to the 2025 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. ConclusionThe levels of active components differed significantly among different dosage forms of Huoxiang Zhengqi preparations. Tinctures contained more types and higher overall levels of active components， while soft capsules were better at preserving volatile components. Granules and dripping pills had lower overall levels of active components. The comprehensive evaluation method established in this study can provide a basis for the quality control， process optimization， and the selection of high-quality products.

ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction against hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology， animal experiments， and cell experiments. MethodsThe active ingredients and corresponding targets of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction were screened via databases including the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP） and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine （BATMAN-TCM）. Hepatocellular carcinoma-related targets were retrieved from the GeneCards database. The common targets shared by Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to Gene Ontology （GO） functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analyses. Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma was prepared. The cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was adopted to observe the effects of different volume fractions （5%， 10%， 15%， and 20%） of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma on the proliferation of HepG2， MHCC-97H， Hepa1-6， and Huh-7 cells， and the concentration for subsequent experiments was determined. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect the effects of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma （5%， 10%， 15%， and 20%） on the apoptosis of MHCC-97H cells. A mouse model of subcutaneous xenograft hepatocellular carcinoma was established. The model mice were assigned into low-， medium-， and high-dose （4.63， 9.25， 18.5 g·kg^-1） Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and sorafenib （20 mg·kg^-1） groups. Body mass and tumor volume of mice were dynamically monitored during the intervention period. After 3 weeks of intervention， hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe tumor morphology. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） assay was employed to detect cell apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was adopted to examine the expression of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） in the tumor tissue. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to verify the changes in apoptosis-related factors and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/forkhead box O1 （PI3K/Akt/FoxO1） signaling pathway. ResultsA total of 220 common targets shared by Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and hepatocellular carcinoma were screened out by network pharmacology， among which tumor protein p53 （TP53）， Akt1， and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） were the core targets. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the common targets were involved in cell apoptosis and proliferation， as well as the PI3K/Akt and FoxO signaling pathways. Cell experiments showed that compared with the blank plasma group， all volume fractions of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma inhibited the proliferation of HepG2， MHCC-97H， Hepa1-6， and Huh-7 cells （P<0.01）. The proportion of early apoptotic cells in MHCC-97H cells was increased after treatment with different volume fractions of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma （P<0.01）. Animal experiments revealed that Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction inhibited the growth of tumor volume， promoted tumor cell apoptosis in the high-dose group， up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Bax and Caspase-3， down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2， and reduced the phosphorylation level of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionHuangqi Xiayuxue decoction exerts anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway and promoting hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction against hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology， animal experiments， and cell experiments. MethodsThe active ingredients and corresponding targets of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction were screened via databases including the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP） and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine （BATMAN-TCM）. Hepatocellular carcinoma-related targets were retrieved from the GeneCards database. The common targets shared by Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to Gene Ontology （GO） functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analyses. Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma was prepared. The cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was adopted to observe the effects of different volume fractions （5%， 10%， 15%， and 20%） of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma on the proliferation of HepG2， MHCC-97H， Hepa1-6， and Huh-7 cells， and the concentration for subsequent experiments was determined. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect the effects of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma （5%， 10%， 15%， and 20%） on the apoptosis of MHCC-97H cells. A mouse model of subcutaneous xenograft hepatocellular carcinoma was established. The model mice were assigned into low-， medium-， and high-dose （4.63， 9.25， 18.5 g·kg^-1） Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and sorafenib （20 mg·kg^-1） groups. Body mass and tumor volume of mice were dynamically monitored during the intervention period. After 3 weeks of intervention， hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe tumor morphology. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） assay was employed to detect cell apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was adopted to examine the expression of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） in the tumor tissue. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to verify the changes in apoptosis-related factors and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/forkhead box O1 （PI3K/Akt/FoxO1） signaling pathway. ResultsA total of 220 common targets shared by Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and hepatocellular carcinoma were screened out by network pharmacology， among which tumor protein p53 （TP53）， Akt1， and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） were the core targets. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the common targets were involved in cell apoptosis and proliferation， as well as the PI3K/Akt and FoxO signaling pathways. Cell experiments showed that compared with the blank plasma group， all volume fractions of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma inhibited the proliferation of HepG2， MHCC-97H， Hepa1-6， and Huh-7 cells （P<0.01）. The proportion of early apoptotic cells in MHCC-97H cells was increased after treatment with different volume fractions of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma （P<0.01）. Animal experiments revealed that Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction inhibited the growth of tumor volume， promoted tumor cell apoptosis in the high-dose group， up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Bax and Caspase-3， down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2， and reduced the phosphorylation level of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionHuangqi Xiayuxue decoction exerts anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway and promoting hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo identify protein biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） through an integrative multi-omics analysis. MethodsLarge-scale plasma protein quantitative trait locus data were integrated with MAFLD genome-wide association study data， and a proteome-wide Mendelian randomization analysis was performed. Summary data-based Mendelian Randomization （SMR）/heterogeneity in dependent instruments （HEIDI） test and colocalization analysis were used to assess significant proteins. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of continuous data with homogeneity of variance between two groups， and the Welch-corrected t-test was used for comparison of continuous data with heterogeneity of variance. The transcriptomic validation results were compared with the Mendelian randomization results to evaluate the changing trends of gene expression， and boxplots were used to display the expression distribution of candidate genes between groups. ResultsAmong 7 130 proteins analyzed， 40 showed a causal relationship with MAFLD， among which 26 increased the risk of MAFLD and 14 exerted a protective effect against MAFLD （FDR<0.05）. Nine proteins were supported by SMR/HEIDI （P_SMR<0.05， P_HEIDI>0.05）， and 14 showed a strong colocalization signal （PPH₄>0.9）. The transcriptomic analysis identified 5 differentially expressed proteins （all P<0.05）， i.e.， adenosine diphosphate-ribosylation factor-like GTPase 2， insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2， casein kinase 1 delta （CSNK1D）， leucine-rich repeat neuronal 1， and moesin （MSN）. In vitro validation showed upregulated expression levels of MSN （1.612±0.346 vs 0.569±0.077， P<0.05）， 14-3-3 protein theta （YWHAQ） （1.267±0.126 vs 0.313±0.029， P<0.05）， and CSNK1D （0.871±0.025 vs 0.431±0.080， P<0.05） and a downregulated expression level of histone deacetylase 8 （0.637±0.059 vs 1.097±0.260， P<0.05） in the MAFLD cell model. Functional annotation showed that CSNK1D participated in circadian and metabolic regulation， YWHAQ modulated the Hippo pathway and lipid signal transduction， and MSN was associated with cytoskeletal remodeling and fibrogenic responses. ConclusionThe integrative proteogenomic analysis in this study shows that CSNK1D， YWHAQ， and MSN may be key mediators in the pathogenesis of MAFLD. These proteins have the potential to serve as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets， providing new directions for research on disease mechanisms and the development of intervention strategies.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Guangxi from 2012 to 2024, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating prevention and control strategies. Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the incidence data of mumps in Guangxi from 2012 to 2024. Results A total of 159 873 mumps cases were reported from 2012 to 2024 in Guangxi, with an average annual reported incidence of 25.41/100 000, and no death. Mumps occurred every month, with the peak incidence mainly concentrated in April to July and October to January of the next year. There were 96,118 male cases (29.43 /100 000), and 63 755 female cases (21.07 /100 000). The male to female ratio was 1.40:1, and the difference between male and female was significant (χ²=4 321.276，P＜0.05). The annual incidence of mumps showed a certain periodic change, with the incidence peak and trough alternating every 4 - 5 years. The majority of patients were under 15 years old, accounting for 85.32% of the total number of cases. The patients mainly included students, preschool children and scattered children. The highest average incidence was in Nanning City with 40 231 cases (42.08/100 000), and the lowest was in Qinzhou City with 3 466 cases (8.16/100 000). From 2012 to 2024, a total of 210 mumps outbreaks with 4 483 cases were reported in Guangxi. Conclusion The incidence of mumps in Guangxi from 2012 to 2024 shows a periodic change and obvious seasonality. People under 15 years old are the key group at risk of mumps. The prevention and control of the epidemic of mumps in schools and kindergartens should be strengthened. It is suggested to carry out long-term monitoring of mumps as well as immune effect research, and continue to maintain a high vaccination rate of 2 doses of mumps-containing vaccines.

The paper reviews the evolution of the theory related to meridians and zangfu organs during the Warring States, Qin and Han dynasties, so as to reveal the rules and value of its development. By analyzing historical documents, especially Zubi Shiyimai Jiujing (Moxibustion Classics of Eleven Meridians of Legs and Arms), Yinyang Shiyimai Jiujing (Moxibustion Classic on Eleven Yin and Yang Meridians), Laoguanshan bamboo medical slips of Han Dynasty and lacquer figure of meridian points, the evolutionary stages, i.e. the germination, development, and maturity of meridian-zangfu theory, are explored. In the time of the Warring States, Qin and Han dynasties, the meridian-zangfu related theory was developed from the germination to the maturity. In the classics of the early time, Zubi Shiyimai Jiujing and Yinyang Shiyimai Jiujing demonstrated the preliminary relationship between meridians and zangfu organs, focusing on the physiological connection and pathogenesis of three yin meridians of foot and zangfu organs. In the literature of Laoguanshan bamboo medical slips of Han Dynasty and lacquer figure of meridian points, the physiological connection between the yin meridians of hand and foot, and five zang organs, as well as the related diseases were further clarified; additionally, the meridian-zangfu theory had been developed in the field of diagnosis and treatment. In the era of Chapter of Meridians in Lingshu (Miraculous Pivot), there were up to 31 descriptions relevant with the connection of meridian distribution and zangfu physiological functions. It marks the construction of the "circular" flow of meridians and the interior-exterior communication of zang and fu organs; and enriches the knowledge in diseases, diagnosis and treatment with meridians and zangfu organs involved. The review on the evolution of the meridian-zangfu theory is conductive to supplementing and improving the development history of this theory of early time, and further recognizing its development rules and value. The maturity of this theoretical system not only links the meridians with the five zang and six fu organs, but also provides an important theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine.
Meridians ; Humans ; History, Ancient ; China ; History, Medieval ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; History, 18th Century ; History, 17th Century ; History, 16th Century ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history*