1.Metabolomics combined with network pharmacology reveals mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression.
Guo-Liang DAI ; Ze-Yu CHEN ; Yan-Jun WANG ; Xin-Fang BIAN ; Yu-Jie CHEN ; Bing-Ting SUN ; Xiao-Yong WANG ; Wen-Zheng JU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(5):1340-1350
This study aims to explore the mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression based on metabolomics and network pharmacology. The chemical constituents of Jiaotai Pills were identified by UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 480, and the targets of Jiaotai Pills and depression were retrieved from online databases. STRING and Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network of core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression and the "compound-target-pathway" network. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets. The mouse model of depression was established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) and treated with different doses of Jiaotai Pills. The behavioral changes and pathological changes in the hippocampus were observed. UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 120 was used for metabolic profiling of the serum, from which the differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways were screened. A "metabolite-reaction-enzyme-gene" network was constructed for the integrated analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology. A total of 34 chemical components of Jiaotai Pills were identified, and 143 core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression were predicted, which were mainly involved in the arginine and proline, sphingolipid, and neurotrophin metabolism signaling pathways. The results of animal experiments showed that Jiaotai Pills alleviated the depression behaviors and pathological changes in the hippocampus of the mouse model of CUMS-induced depression. In addition, Jiaotai Pills reversed the levels of 32 metabolites involved in various pathways such as arginine and proline metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism in the serum of model mice. The integrated analysis showed that arginine and proline metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism might be the key pathways in the treatment of depression with Jiaotai Pills. In conclusion, metabolomics combined with network pharmacology clarifies the antidepressant mechanism of Jiaotai Pills, which may provide a basis for the clinical application of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression.
Animals
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
Depression/genetics*
;
Mice
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Metabolomics
;
Male
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Humans
;
Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*
;
Antidepressive Agents
2.Expert consensus on evaluation index system construction for new traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) from TCM clinical practice in medical institutions.
Li LIU ; Lei ZHANG ; Wei-An YUAN ; Zhong-Qi YANG ; Jun-Hua ZHANG ; Bao-He WANG ; Si-Yuan HU ; Zu-Guang YE ; Ling HAN ; Yue-Hua ZHOU ; Zi-Feng YANG ; Rui GAO ; Ming YANG ; Ting WANG ; Jie-Lai XIA ; Shi-Shan YU ; Xiao-Hui FAN ; Hua HUA ; Jia HE ; Yin LU ; Zhong WANG ; Jin-Hui DOU ; Geng LI ; Yu DONG ; Hao YU ; Li-Ping QU ; Jian-Yuan TANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(12):3474-3482
Medical institutions, with their clinical practice foundation and abundant human use experience data, have become important carriers for the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and the "cradles" of the preparation of new TCM. To effectively promote the transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and establish an effective evaluation index system for the transformation of new TCM conforming to the characteristics of TCM, consensus experts adopted the literature research, questionnaire survey, Delphi method, etc. By focusing on the policy and technical evaluation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions, a comprehensive evaluation from the dimensions of drug safety, efficacy, feasibility, and characteristic advantages was conducted, thus forming a comprehensive evaluation system with four primary indicators and 37 secondary indicators. The expert consensus reached aims to encourage medical institutions at all levels to continuously improve the high-quality research and development and transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and targeted at clinical needs, so as to provide a decision-making basis for the preparation, selection, cultivation, and transformation of new TCM for medical institutions, improve the development efficiency of new TCM, and precisely respond to the public medication needs.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards*
;
Humans
;
Consensus
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
3.Comparison between sinking and floating fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, fingerprinting, and chemometrics.
Shi-Long LIU ; Hong-Wei ZHANG ; Zhen-Ling ZHANG ; Han-Ting JIA ; Zhi-Jun GUO ; Rui-Sheng WANG ; Hong-Wei ZHANG ; Shuo WANG ; Yi-Jian ZHONG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(14):3918-3929
This study aims to explore the scientific connotation of sinking Rehmanniae Radix has the best quality and compare the quality between floating and sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole electrostatic field Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was employed to detect the chemical components in floating and sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples. The fingerprint of fresh Rehmanniae Radix was established by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), and four index components were determined simultaneously. The cluster analysis, principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were conducted to compare the quality of floating and sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples. An evaporative light-scattering detector was used to compare the content of five sugars. The extract yield and drying rate were determined, and the quality connotation of sinking Rehmanniae Radix has the best quality was explained by multiple indicators. A total of 41 components were preliminarily identified from fresh Rehmanniae Radix by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, including 7 iridoid glycosides, 9 phenylethanol glycosides, 6 amino acids, 4 sugars, 3 phenolic acids, 5 nucleosides, 3 organic acids, 1 ionone, 1 furan, 1 coumarin, and 1 phenylpropanoid. The results showed that the main chemical components were consistent between floating and sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix. Nine common peaks were identified in the fingerprints of 15 batches of floating and sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples, and the similarity of fingerprints was greater than 0.9. The cluster analysis, PCA, and OPLS-DA classified floating and sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix sasmples into two categories, indicating differences in the quality between them. The total content of catalpol, rehmannioside D, ajugol, and verbascoside in sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples was higher than that in floating samples of the same batch and specification, and the main differential component was catalpol. The total content of fructose, glucose, sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose in sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples was higher than that in floating samples of the same batch and specification, and the main differential component was stachyose. The extract yield and drying rate of the sinking samples were higher than those of floating samples. This study preliminarily showed that floating and sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples had the same components but great differences in the content of medicinal substance basis. The total content of four glycosides and five sugars, extract yield, and drying rate of sinking fresh Rehmanniae Radix samples is higher than that of floating samples of the same batch and specification. These findings, to a certain extent, explains the scientificity of sinking Rehmanniae Radix has the best quality recorded in ancient books and provide a reference for the quality control and clinical application of fresh Rehmanniae Radix.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
Rehmannia/chemistry*
;
Chemometrics
;
Mass Spectrometry/methods*
;
Quality Control
;
Principal Component Analysis
;
Plant Extracts
4.Domestication progress of endangered Chinese medicinal material Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus.
Ting XIAO ; Ming-Hao YANG ; Qiu-Ling WANG ; Qiang LYU ; Yu-Qing ZHENG ; Lian-Cheng XU ; Ma YU ; Jian-He WEI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(16):4483-4489
Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus is the dried bulb of perennial herbaceous plants in the Fritillaria genus(Liliaceae family) and is a representative traditional Chinese medicinal material with distinctive regional characteristics. Clinically, it is widely used in the treatment of dry cough, bronchial asthma, and other respiratory diseases, possessing significant medicinal and economic value and being highly esteemed in TCM. Currently, Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus primarily relies on wild harvesting. However, due to excessive collection, its wild resources have drastically declined, and all source species have been classified as category Ⅱ in the List of National Key Protected Wild Plants, exacerbating the supply-demand imbalance in the market. To mitigate this issue, large-scale cultivation through the domestication of wild Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus has become an inevitable trend. However, its strict environmental requirements, low propagation efficiency, high seedling mortality, and immature cultivation techniques have severely hindered industrialization. This study investigates the domestication process of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus, focusing on seed propagation, seedling cultivation, and medicinal material production. It also reviews the species and distribution of wild resources, their endangered status, market supply-demand dynamics, and the historical and current development of domestication. The findings indicate that enhancing propagation efficiency, optimizing cultivation models, and distinguishing between seed propagation and medicinal material production are key measures to accelerate the industrialization of domesticated Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus. This research aims to promote the industrialization of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus domestication and provide a reference model for the conservation and sustainable utilization of rare and endangered medicinal plant resources.
Fritillaria/chemistry*
;
Endangered Species
;
Plants, Medicinal/growth & development*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/economics*
;
China
5.Mechanism of Compound Ziyin Granules in improving postmenopausal osteoporosis by modulating Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Wen-Jing LIU ; Fan XIE ; Piao-Piao WANG ; Yu-Ting SUN ; Wen-Yan LI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(16):4659-4667
This study investigates the therapeutic effect and underlying mechanism of Compound Ziyin Granules(CZYG) on postmenopausal osteoporosis(PMOP) induced by bilateral ovariectomy in rats. Six-month-old female SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated(sham) group, ovariectomy(OVX) model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose CZYG groups, and alendronate sodium(AS) group. After 30 days of model establishment, treatment was administered by gavage once daily for 8 weeks, followed by sample collection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure serum levels of calcium ions, alkaline phosphatase(AKP), estrogen(E_2), osteoprotegerin(OPG), osteocalcin(BGP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP), and type Ⅰ procollagen N-terminal propeptide(PINP). Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the femurs of rats, while micro-computed tomography(micro-CT) was used to analyze the microstructure of the distal femur. Western blot analysis was performed to measure the expression levels of bone metabolism-related proteins, including wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 2(Wnt2), β-catenin, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5(LRP5), glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β). The mRNA expression levels of Wnt2, β-catenin, LRP5, GSK-3β, p-GSK-3β were determined by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR). Thirty days after bilateral ovariectomy, compared to the sham group, the OVX group showed significant increases in body weight and significant decreases in uterine coefficient. After 8 weeks of treatment, compared to the OVX group, CZYG(medium and high doses) and AS reduced body weight, with high-dose CZYG and AS significantly increasing the uterine coefficient. Serum levels of AKP and TRAP were significantly elevated, while levels of calcium, E_2, BGP, and OPG were significantly decreased in the OVX group. Compared to the OVX group, CZYG and AS significantly reduced serum levels of AKP and TRAP, while high-dose CZYG and AS notably increased the levels of E_2, BGP, OPG, and PINP. Micro-CT and HE staining results indicated that CZYG(medium and high doses) and AS significantly increased bone tissue volume, trabecular number, bone mineral density, and improved the microstructure of the femur. Compared to the OVX group, high-dose CZYG and AS significantly upregulated the protein and mRNA expression levels of Wnt2, β-catenin, and LRP5, and downregulated the phosphorylation level of p-GSK-3β. These results suggest that CZYG can improve PMOP by promoting estrogen secretion, improving bone metabolism indicators, increasing trabecular number and bone mineral density. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Animals
;
Female
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal/genetics*
;
Rats
;
Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effects*
;
Humans
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
beta Catenin/genetics*
;
Osteoprotegerin/metabolism*
;
Ovariectomy
;
Calcium/blood*
;
Bone Density/drug effects*
6.Development and Initial Validation of the Multi-Dimensional Attention Rating Scale in Highly Educated Adults.
Xin-Yang ZHANG ; Karen SPRUYT ; Jia-Yue SI ; Lin-Lin ZHANG ; Ting-Ting WU ; Yan-Nan LIU ; Di-Ga GAN ; Yu-Xin HU ; Si-Yu LIU ; Teng GAO ; Yi ZHONG ; Yao GE ; Zhe LI ; Zi-Yan LIN ; Yan-Ping BAO ; Xue-Qin WANG ; Yu-Feng WANG ; Lin LU
Chinese Medical Sciences Journal 2025;40(2):100-110
OBJECTIVES:
To report the development, validation, and findings of the Multi-dimensional Attention Rating Scale (MARS), a self-report tool crafted to evaluate six-dimension attention levels.
METHODS:
The MARS was developed based on Classical Test Theory (CTT). Totally 202 highly educated healthy adult participants were recruited for reliability and validity tests. Reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability. Structural validity was explored using principal component analysis. Criterion validity was analyzed by correlating MARS scores with the Toronto Hospital Alertness Test (THAT), the Attentional Control Scale (ACS), and the Attention Network Test (ANT).
RESULTS:
The MARS comprises 12 items spanning six distinct dimensions of attention: focused attention, sustained attention, shifting attention, selective attention, divided attention, and response inhibition.As assessed by six experts, the content validation index (CVI) was 0.95, the Cronbach's alpha for the MARS was 0.78, and the test-retest reliability was 0.81. Four factors were identified (cumulative variance contribution rate 68.79%). The total score of MARS was correlated positively with THAT (r = 0.60, P < 0.01) and ACS (r = 0.78, P < 0.01) and negatively with ANT's reaction time for alerting (r = -0.31, P = 0.049).
CONCLUSIONS
The MARS can reliably and validly assess six-dimension attention levels in real-world settings and is expected to be a new tool for assessing multi-dimensional attention impairments in different mental disorders.
Humans
;
Adult
;
Male
;
Attention/physiology*
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Reproducibility of Results
;
Young Adult
;
Psychometrics
7.Application of Assessment Scales in Palliative Care for Glioma: A Systematic Review.
Zhi-Yuan XIAO ; Tian-Rui YANG ; Ya-Ning CAO ; Wen-Lin CHEN ; Jun-Lin LI ; Ting-Yu LIANG ; Ya-Ning WANG ; Yue-Kun WANG ; Xiao-Peng GUO ; Yi ZHANG ; Yu WANG ; Xiao-Hong NING ; Wen-Bin MA
Chinese Medical Sciences Journal 2025;40(3):211-218
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patients with glioma experience a high symptom burden and have diverse palliative care needs. However, the assessment scales used in palliative care remain non-standardized and highly heterogeneous. To evaluate the application patterns of the current scales used in palliative care for glioma, we aim to identify gaps and assess the need for disease-specific scales in glioma palliative care. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of five databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL for quantitative studies that reported scale-based assessments in glioma palliative care. We extracted data on scale characteristics, domains, frequency, and psychometric properties. Quality assessments were performed using the Cochrane ROB 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools. RESULTS: Of the 3,405 records initially identified, 72 studies were included. These studies contained 75 distinct scales that were used 193 times. Mood (21.7%), quality of life (24.4%), and supportive care needs (5.2%) assessments were the most frequently assessed items, exceeding half of all scale applications. Among the various assessment dimensions, the Distress Thermometer (DT) was the most frequently used tool for assessing mood, while the Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) was the most frequently used tool for assessing quality of life. The Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was the most common tool for cognitive assessment. Performance status (5.2%) and social support (6.8%) were underrepresented. Only three brain tumor-specific scales were identified. Caregiver-focused scales were limited and predominantly burden-oriented. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant heterogeneity, domain imbalances, and validation gaps in the current use of assessment scales for patients with glioma receiving palliative care. The scale selected for use should be comprehensive and user-friendly.
Humans
;
Glioma/psychology*
;
Palliative Care/methods*
;
Quality of Life
;
Psychometrics
;
Brain Neoplasms/psychology*
8.Inflammation-related collagen fibril destruction contributes to temporomandibular joint disc displacement via NF-κB activation.
Shengjie CUI ; Yanning GUO ; Yu FU ; Ting ZHANG ; Jieni ZHANG ; Yehua GAN ; Yanheng ZHOU ; Yan GU ; Eileen GENTLEMAN ; Yan LIU ; Xuedong WANG
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):35-35
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement is one of the most significant subtypes of temporomandibular joint disorders, but its etiology and mechanism are poorly understood. In this study, we elucidated the mechanisms by which destruction of inflamed collagen fibrils induces alterations in the mechanical properties and positioning of the TMJ disc. By constructing a rat model of TMJ arthritis, we observed anteriorly dislocated TMJ discs with aggravated deformity in vivo from five weeks to six months after a local injection of Freund's complete adjuvant. By mimicking inflammatory conditions with interleukin-1 beta in vitro, we observed enhanced expression of collagen-synthesis markers in primary TMJ disc cells cultured in a conventional two-dimensional environment. In contrast, three-dimensional (3D)-cultivated disc cell sheets demonstrated the disordered assembly of inflamed collagen fibrils, inappropriate arrangement, and decreased Young's modulus. Mechanistically, inflammation-related activation of the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway occurs during the progression of TMJ arthritis. NF-κB inhibition reduced the collagen fibril destruction in the inflamed disc cell sheets in vitro, and early NF-κB blockade alleviated collagen degeneration and dislocation of the TMJ discs in vivo. Therefore, the NF-κB pathway participates in the collagen remodeling in inflamed TMJ discs, offering a potential therapeutic target for disc displacement.
Animals
;
NF-kappa B/metabolism*
;
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders/pathology*
;
Temporomandibular Joint Disc/metabolism*
;
Rats
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Male
;
Collagen/metabolism*
;
Cells, Cultured
;
Joint Dislocations/pathology*
;
Interleukin-1beta
;
Arthritis, Experimental
9.Pathogenesis and treatment strategies for infectious keratitis: Exploring antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides, nanotechnology, and emerging therapies.
Man YU ; Ling LI ; Yijun LIU ; Ting WANG ; Huan LI ; Chen SHI ; Xiaoxin GUO ; Weijia WU ; Chengzi GAN ; Mingze LI ; Jiaxu HONG ; Kai DONG ; Bo GONG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(9):101250-101250
Infectious keratitis (IK) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, primarily resulting from improper contact lens use, trauma, and a compromised immune response. The pathogenic microorganisms responsible for IK include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and Acanthamoeba. This review examines standard therapeutic agents for treating IK, including broad-spectrum empiric antibiotics for bacterial keratitis (BK), antifungals such as voriconazole and natamycin for fungal infections, and antiviral nucleoside analogues for viral keratitis (VK). Additionally, this review discusses therapeutic agents, such as polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), for the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). The review also addresses emerging drugs and the challenges associated with their clinical application, including anti-biofilm agents that combat drug resistance and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway-targeted therapies to mitigate inflammation. Furthermore, methods of Photodynamic Antimicrobial Therapy (PDAT) are explored. This review underscores the importance of integrating novel and traditional therapies to tackle drug resistance and enhance drug delivery, with the goal of advancing treatment strategies for IK.
10.Clinical and Mechanism of Modified Xiaoyaosan and Its Effective Components in Treatment of Thyroid Diseases: A Review
Shanshan LI ; Yu FU ; Dandan WEI ; Fei WANG ; Mengjiao XU ; Ting WANG ; Shuxun YAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):302-310
Thyroid diseases are common clinical endocrine disorders, and their pathogenesis is generally considered to be closely related to genetic predisposition factors, immune system disorders, hormone levels, etc. Xiaoyaosan is widely used in the treatment of various thyroid diseases with excellent effects. This study summarized the relevant literature on the treatment of thyroid diseases with modified Xiaoyaosan prescriptions and their active ingredients from aspects such as theoretical analysis, clinical research, and mechanism research. Theoretical analysis revealed that Xiaoyaosan could not only disperse stagnated liver qi but also replenish deficient spleen Qi, which was consistent with the etiology and pathogenesis of thyroid diseases. Clinical studies found that Xiaoyaosan and its modified prescriptions could be widely used in the treatment of multiple thyroid diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and thyroid nodules. Both the use of modified Xiaoyaosan alone and in combination with medications such as methimazole, propylthiouracil, and euthyrox could effectively improve patients' clinical symptoms. In the mechanism research, this study discovered that the whole formula of Xiaoyaosan and its modified prescriptions could inhibit inflammatory reactions, regulate immune balance, and delay liver damage during the treatment of thyroid diseases. The research on Xiaoyaosan for treating thyroid diseases mainly focused on thyroid cancer, autoimmune thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism. The mechanisms of action mainly involved promoting cell apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation and migration, arresting the cell cycle, and regulating thyroid hormone levels. In conclusion, this study systematically combs and summarizes the research status of Xiaoyaosan in treating thyroid diseases through literature retrieval, aiming to provide new perspectives and new ideas for the prevention and treatment of thyroid diseases with traditional Chinese medicine.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail