Disruption of the intestinal mucosal barrier caused by gut dysbiosis and metabolic imbalance is the underlying pathology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Traditional Chinese medicine Wuji Wan (WJW) is commonly used to treat digestive system disorders and showed therapeutic potential for IBD. In this interdisciplinary study, we aim to investigate the pharmacological effects of WJW against experimental colitis by combining functional metabolomics and gut-microbiota sequencing techniques. Treatment with WJW altered the profile of the intestinal microbiota and notably increased the abundance of Lactobacillus, thereby facilitating the conversion of tryptophan into indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indoleacrylic acid (IA). These indole derivatives activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway, which reduced colonic inflammation and restored the expression of intestinal barrier proteins. Interestingly, the beneficial effects of WJW on gut barrier function improvement and tryptophan metabolism were disappeared in the absence of gut microbiota. Finally, pre-treatment with the AhR antagonist CH-223191 confirmed the essential role of IAA-mediated AhR activation in the therapeutic effects of WJW. Overall, WJW enhanced intestinal barrier function and reduced colonic inflammation in a murine colitis model by modulating Lactobacillus-IAA-AhR signaling pathway. This study provides novel insights into colitis pathogenesis and presents an effective therapeutic and preventive approach against IBD.

Objective:To construct and validate a theoretical model of residents′ willingness to participate in tiered medical care based on harmonious management theory, providing reference for promoting the tiered medical care system and aiding governmental decision-making.Methods:Based on the harmonious management theory and literature review, a model capturing residents′ propensity to engage in tiered medical care was formulated. Using convenience sampling method, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 2 067 residents from 24 communities in Zhejiang province from April to May 2022. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the survey results, and multilevel linear regression and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the driving mechanism of residents′ willingness to participate in tiered medical care.Results:The willingness rate of residents to participate in tiered medical care was 69.7%, which was at an average level. Regression insights highlighted the positive influence of policy support perception ( β=0.170, P<0.01), awareness of management mechanisms ( β=0.093, P<0.01), cognitive attitudes ( β=0.102, P<0.01), and trust levels ( β=0.244, P<0.01) on residents′ participation willingness. In contrast, resource allocation perceptions lacked a significant effect ( β=0.065, P>0.05). The structural equation model revealed that cognitive attitudes played a mediating role in the " policy system perception → participation willingness" and " management mechanism perception → participation willingness" pathways, with effect sizes of 0.030 and 0.039, respectively. Trust levels also mediated these paths, with effect sizes of 0.039 and 0.045, and entirely mediated the " resource allocation perception → participation willingness" path, registering an effect size of 0.053. Conclusions:The harmonious management theory can be used to explain the formation mechanism of residents′ willingness to participate in tiered medical care. The government and medical institutions urgently need to further improve residents′ awareness of tiered medical care, focus on enhancing residents′ trust, and further improve policies and management measures such as financial investment, medical insurance reimbursement, and referral systems.