ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal fibrosis in rats with chronic kidney disease （CKD） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy specific pathogen-free （SPF） Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=15） and a modeling group （n=55）. Rats in the modeling group were administered a 2.5% adenine suspension at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage for 4 weeks to establish a CKD model. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group （20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （5.82， 11.64， and 23.28 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administered an equal volume of physiological saline， the corresponding concentration of irbesartan， or Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription by gavage for 12 weeks. Body weight and renal function indices were dynamically monitored. Serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio （ACR）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 hUTP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Renal histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR in renal tissues. ResultsCompared with the model group， rats in the irbesartan group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription groups showed significantly decreased levels of SCr， BUN， ACR， 24 hUTP， IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. AST levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while no significant difference was observed in ALT levels. Histopathological examination revealed that， compared with the model group， renal tubular epithelial cell edema and necrosis and Bowman's capsule dilation were alleviated， inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced， and interstitial and glomerular fibrosis was markedly improved in all treatment groups， with the most pronounced effect observed in the high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription group. Real-time PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly downregulated in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. IHC results demonstrated that PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in renal tissues were significantly decreased in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. Western blot analysis further confirmed that the expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR were significantly reduced in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal function indices in CKD rats， reduces collagen deposition in renal tissues， and decreases serum inflammatory factor levels. Its protective effect on renal function may be achieved by activating autophagy through downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway， thereby alleviating renal fibrosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Shengui Jiangtang Formula on insulin resistance and glucose-lipid metabolism in spontaneous type 2 diabetic db/db mice based on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/forkhead box protein O1 （FoxO1） signaling pathway， and to provide theoretical foundation for its clinical application through fundamental experiments. MethodsA randomized controlled design was employed in this study. Thirty spontaneous type 2 diabetic db/db mice meeting the inclusion criteria （fasting blood glucose >7.0 mmol·L^-1 and random blood glucose on a different day≥11.1 mmol·L^-1） were selected as the subjects. After stratified block randomization by body weight and blood glucose levels， they were randomly assigned to a model group， a metformin group， and a Shengui Jiangtang formula group， with n=10 per group. Ten db/m mice were used as the normal group. During the 5-week intervention， general indicators （including general condition， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， body weight， and food intake） were recorded weekly. An oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） was performed at week 5. After 5 weeks， serum was collected to measure glucose-lipid metabolism parameters. Liver tissues were analyzed as follows： Histopathology was observed through hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining， periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining， and Oil red O staining. The expression of proteins and genes related to the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway was quantitatively analyzed using Western blotting （Western blot） and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsGeneral observations： The mice in the normal group were generally healthy， exhibited agile responses and had smooth and glossy fur. Compared with the normal group， the mice in the model group displayed typical symptoms of polydipsia， polyphagia， and polyuria， along with listlessness and rough fur. Their food intake， initial body weight， liver weight， and liver index were all significantly higher than those in the normal group （P<0.01）. After 5 weeks of drug intervention， neither the Shengui Jiangtang Formula group nor the metformin group significantly affected the food intake of the model mice. Compared with the model group， no statistically significant difference was observed in liver weight or liver index in the Shengui Jiangtang formula group. Serum biochemical indicators： Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly elevated levels of FBG， fasting insulin， homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance （HOMA-IR）， glycosylated serum protein， and blood lipids. After drug intervention， compared with the model group， the Shengui Jiangtang formula group significantly reduced FBG in the model mice （P<0.01）. The blood glucose levels at all time points during the OGTT in the Shengui Jiangtang Formula group were lower than those in the model group， with statistically significant differences in the 0 min blood glucose and the area under the curve for glucose compared to the model group （P<0.05）. Furthermore， the formula significantly reduced fasting insulin levels， HOMA-IR， and glycosylated serum protein levels （P<0.05）. It also showed a tendency to decrease blood lipids， liver enzymes （aspartate aminotransferase， alanine aminotransferase）， and blood urea nitrogen levels， and a tendency to increase creatinine levels， although these differences were not statistically significant. Liver histomorphology： HE staining indicated that Shengui Jiangtang formula improved the morphological structure of hepatocytes and attenuated steatosis in diabetic mice. Liver PAS staining showed that it increased hepatic glycogen content and promoted hepatic glycogen synthesis in diabetic mice. Oil red O staining demonstrated that it reduced lipid deposition within hepatocytes. Western blot： Compared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased protein expression of PI3K， Akt， p-Akt， and p-FoxO1， and increased FoxO1 protein expression. Compared with the model group， both the metformin and Shengui Jiangtang Formula groups showed increased protein expression of PI3K， Akt， p-Akt， and p-FoxO1， and decreased FoxO1 protein expression. Real-time PCR： Compared with the normal group， the mRNA expression of PI3K and Akt was downregulated （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression of FoxO1 was downregulated （P<0.05） in the model group. ConclusionShengui Jiangtang Formula can improve insulin resistance and glucose-lipid metabolic disorders in db/db mice. It alleviates hepatic steatosis， promotes hepatic glycogen synthesis， and reduces lipid deposition in these mice. The mechanism by which Shengui Jiangtang Formula improves insulin resistance may be associated with the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.

Diabetic retinopathy （DR） is a microvascular complication of diabetes and one of its most common complications. Prolonged hyperglycemia induces oxidative stress， inflammatory responses， apoptosis， and pathological angiogenesis， ultimately disrupting the blood-retinal barrier（BRB） and leading to visual impairment or even blindness. Recent studies show that the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） signaling pathway plays an important role in the development of DR's pathological changes. Meanwhile， Chinese herbal monomers have been shown to modulate the Nrf2 signaling pathway， thereby intervening in the development of DR. In terms of inhibiting oxidative stress， saponin compounds such as platycodin-D and ginsenoside Rb1 downregulate the expression of malondialdehyde （MDA）， thereby ameliorating retinal oxidative stress. Flavonoids such as total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata flower and puerarin upregulate the expression of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and glutathione peroxidase （GPx）， effectively clearing lipid peroxides. Regarding the suppression of inflammation， phenolic compounds like resveratrol and chlorogenic acid inhibit the nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） pathway， reducing the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α） and mitigating inflammatory responses. In the context of inhibiting apoptosis， polysaccharides such as Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide and Angelica sinensis polysaccharide downregulate the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） and suppress the activity of the executioner Caspase-3， thereby reducing the apoptosis rate. As for the inhibition of neovascularization， compounds including bilobalide and physcion significantly decrease the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， leading to a reduction in retinal pathological angiogenesis. Furthermore， Chinese herbal compound prescriptions such as Tongluo Zhujing pills， Yiqi Huoxue Yangyin decoction， Qiming granules， and Danlou tablets can also intervene in the onset and progression of DR through the mechanisms described above. In summary， both Chinese herbal monomers and Chinese herbal compound prescriptions can modulate the Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit oxidative stress， alleviate inflammation， and participate in maintaining BRB integrity， suppressing retinal neovascularization， and preventing neurodegeneration， thereby delaying the progression of DR. Therefore， this paper reviews and summarizes recent studies at home and abroad on how traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） works to treat DR， and the relationship between the Nrf2 pathway and DR. It aims to provide research ideas for preventing and treating DR.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of modified Buwangsan on cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus with mild cognitive impairment （T2DM-MCI） and explore the underlying mechanism. MethodsThirty-six 5-week-old SPF-grade SD rats were randomly assigned into 6 groups： Normal （Con， fed with a normal diet）， model （DM， fed with a high-sugar and high-fat diet）， low-dose modified Buwangsan （L-BWS， 1.86 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose modified Buwangsan （M-BWS， 3.72 g·kg^-1）， high-dose modified Buwangsan （H-BWS，7.44 g·kg^-1）， and huperzine A （SSJJ， 0.018 mg·kg^-1）. The rats were treated by gavage once a day for 12 weeks. The body weight and blood glucose level were monitored dynamically. Morris water maze was employed to test the cognitive function of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl staining were employed to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the serum and hippocampus were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of key autophagy-related proteins including microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， type Ⅲ phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex regulatory subunit （Beclin1）， and phosphorylated UNC-51-like kinase （p-ULK） 1/2 in the hippocampus. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to observe the regulation of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-mTOR/mTOR， and p-Akt/Akt ratios. ResultsCompared with the DM group， the L-BWS， M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ groups showed increases in body weight at the end of the experiment （P<0.05）， and the M-BWS， H-BWS and SSJJ groups showed declines in fasting blood glucose level （P<0.05）. In the water maze test， compared with the DM group， the M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ groups presented shortened escape latency （P<0.001）. The L-BWS， M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ group showcased regularly arranged cells in the hippocampus and cortex， markedly increased number of neurons， and significantly recovered Nissl bodies. Compared with the DM group， the L-BWS， M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ groups had reductions in the levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the serum and hippocampus （P<0.05）， increases in the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and expression level of beclin1 in the hippocampus （P<0.05） and the p-ULK level （P<0.05）. The p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR ratios in the hippocampus decreased in the M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ groups （P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Buwangsan significantly ameliorates cognitive dysfunction and neurological damage in the rat model of T2DM through multiple mechanisms. It regulates metabolic disorders， lowers the blood glucose level， improves lipid metabolism， and alleviates oxidative stress. It promotes the protection and repair of neurons by inhibiting inflammatory responses and activating the autophagy pathway in the hippocampus. At the same time， modified Buwangsan relieves autophagy inhibition by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway to alleviate the brain tissue injury.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of modified Buwangsan on cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus with mild cognitive impairment （T2DM-MCI） and explore the underlying mechanism. MethodsThirty-six 5-week-old SPF-grade SD rats were randomly assigned into 6 groups： Normal （Con， fed with a normal diet）， model （DM， fed with a high-sugar and high-fat diet）， low-dose modified Buwangsan （L-BWS， 1.86 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose modified Buwangsan （M-BWS， 3.72 g·kg^-1）， high-dose modified Buwangsan （H-BWS，7.44 g·kg^-1）， and huperzine A （SSJJ， 0.018 mg·kg^-1）. The rats were treated by gavage once a day for 12 weeks. The body weight and blood glucose level were monitored dynamically. Morris water maze was employed to test the cognitive function of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl staining were employed to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the serum and hippocampus were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of key autophagy-related proteins including microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， type Ⅲ phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex regulatory subunit （Beclin1）， and phosphorylated UNC-51-like kinase （p-ULK） 1/2 in the hippocampus. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to observe the regulation of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-mTOR/mTOR， and p-Akt/Akt ratios. ResultsCompared with the DM group， the L-BWS， M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ groups showed increases in body weight at the end of the experiment （P<0.05）， and the M-BWS， H-BWS and SSJJ groups showed declines in fasting blood glucose level （P<0.05）. In the water maze test， compared with the DM group， the M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ groups presented shortened escape latency （P<0.001）. The L-BWS， M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ group showcased regularly arranged cells in the hippocampus and cortex， markedly increased number of neurons， and significantly recovered Nissl bodies. Compared with the DM group， the L-BWS， M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ groups had reductions in the levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the serum and hippocampus （P<0.05）， increases in the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and expression level of beclin1 in the hippocampus （P<0.05） and the p-ULK level （P<0.05）. The p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR ratios in the hippocampus decreased in the M-BWS， H-BWS， and SSJJ groups （P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Buwangsan significantly ameliorates cognitive dysfunction and neurological damage in the rat model of T2DM through multiple mechanisms. It regulates metabolic disorders， lowers the blood glucose level， improves lipid metabolism， and alleviates oxidative stress. It promotes the protection and repair of neurons by inhibiting inflammatory responses and activating the autophagy pathway in the hippocampus. At the same time， modified Buwangsan relieves autophagy inhibition by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway to alleviate the brain tissue injury.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Tangbikang dry paste in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy （DPN） based on the glyoxalase-1 （GLO-1）/advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） pathway. MethodsA total of 56 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided， with eight assigned to the normal group. The remaining 48 rats were fed a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） to induce a type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） model. Based on blood glucose levels， the rats were randomly assigned to the model group， Tanglin group （13.5 mg·kg^-1）， metformin group （135 mg·kg^-1）， and Tangbikang dry paste low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （3， 6， 12 g·kg^-1）. Successful modeling of DPN was confirmed by a decrease in mechanical pain threshold in the model group at week 4. Fasting blood glucose， body weight， and mechanical pain threshold were measured every 4 weeks. After 16 weeks of intervention， the pathological morphology of the sciatic nerve was observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of RAGE， AGE， protein kinase C （PKC）， and collagen （COL） in the sciatic nerve was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of RAGE， PKC， Toll-like receptor （TLR）， COL， and GLO-1 was detected using real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR）. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， creatinine （CREA）， urea （UREA）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased fasting blood glucose （P<0.01）， decreased body weight and mechanical pain threshold （P<0.01）， and elevated serum AST， ALT， CREA， UREA， IL-6， and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while COL expression was decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was upregulated （P<0.01）， whereas COL and GLO-1 mRNA levels were downregulated （P<0.01）. Histological examination showed irregular nerve morphology， axonal alterations， and myelin degeneration. Compared with the model group， fasting blood glucose levels in the Tangbikang dry paste high-dose group at all time points and in the medium-dose group at weeks 4 and 16 were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. No significant changes in body weight were observed across all Tangbikang dose groups. The mechanical pain threshold was elevated at different time points after administration in all Tangbikang groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were decreased in all dose groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was reduced （P<0.01）， while COL expression was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was downregulated （P<0.01）， whereas GLO-1 mRNA expression was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， COL mRNA expression was significantly increased in the low- and high-dose groups （P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the sciatic nerve were milder in all Tangbikang groups compared to the model group. ConclusionTangbikang dry paste significantly improves DPN， and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the GLO-1/AGE/RAGE signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo preliminarily explore the active components and target pathways of Angelicae Sinensis Radix-Polygonati Rhizoma （ASR-PR） herb pair in the treatment of simple obesity through network pharmacology and molecular docking， and to verify and investigate its mechanism of action via animal experiments. MethodsThe chemical constituents and targets of ASR and PR were predicted using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP）. Targets related to simple obesity were identified by retrieving the GeneCards， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）， Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase （PharmGKB）， and DisGeNET databases. The intersection of drug and disease targets was used to construct an active component-target network using Cytoscape software. This network was imported into the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network， and topological analysis was conducted to identify core genes. Gene Ontology （GO） analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis and mapping were performed using the DAVID database and the Microbioinformatics platform. AutoDock 1.5.7 software was used to perform molecular docking between the top five active components and core targets. An animal model of simple obesity was established by feeding C57BL/6J mice a high-fat diet. The mice were administered ASR （2.06 g·kg^-1）， PR （2.06 g·kg^-1）， or ASR-PR （4.11 g·kg^-1） for 10 weeks， while the model group received an equal volume of purified water by gavage. After the administration period， the mice were sacrificed to measure body fat weight and serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， high-density lipoprotein （HDL）， and low-density lipoprotein （LDL）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe histopathological sections of liver and adipose tissue. Serum levels of leptin， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the mRNA expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） in liver tissue were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsNetwork pharmacology and molecular docking results indicated that the treatment of simple obesity by ASR-PR may involve the regulation of protein expression of core targets EGFR and STAT3 by its main components MOL009760 （Siberian glycoside A_qt）， MOL003889 （methyl protodioscin_qt）， MOL009766 （resveratrol）， MOL006331 （4′，5-dihydroxyflavone）， and MOL004941 （baicalin）， thereby modulating the PI3K/Akt and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. The animal experiment results showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly increased body weight， body fat weight， and serum levels of TG， TC， TNF-α， IL-6， and leptin （P<0.01）. EGFR mRNA expression was significantly elevated （P<0.05）， while STAT3 mRNA expression was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Histological analysis revealed disordered hepatic architecture in the model group， with pronounced lipid vacuoles， cytoplasmic loosening， lipid accumulation， and steatosis. Adipocytes in white adipose tissue （WAT） and brown adipose tissue （BAT） of the model group exhibited markedly increased diameters， reduced cell counts per unit area， and irregular morphology. Compared with the model group， the ASR-PR group significantly reduced body weight， body fat weight， serum TC， IL-6， TNF-α， leptin levels， and EGFR mRNA expression （P<0.01）. TG levels were also significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while STAT3 mRNA expression was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Histopathological improvements included reduced size and number of hepatic lipid vacuoles and restoration of liver cell morphology toward that of the normal group. The diameter of adipocytes significantly decreased， and the number of adipocytes per unit area increased. ConclusionASR-PR may regulate the expression of key target proteins such as EGFR and STAT3 via its core active components， modulate the PI3K/Akt and JAK/STAT signaling pathways， repair damaged liver and adipose tissues， and thereby alleviate the progression of obesity in mice.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of Gynostemma pentaphyllum alcohol extract in improving glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice through transcriptomics and gut microbiota analysis. MethodsEighteen db/db mice were randomly assigned to the model（DM） group， metformin（MET） group， and G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract（GP） group， with six mice in each group， based on stratification of fasting blood glucose and body weight. An additional six db/m mice were selected as the normal control（NC） group. Mice in the NC and DM groups were administered deionized water （10 mL·kg^-1） daily. The MET group received metformin （0.195 g·kg^-1） by gavage. The GP group was treated with G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract （3.9 g·kg^-1） by gavage for six weeks. Fasting blood glucose was measured every two weeks. After six weeks of intervention， serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， creatinine （CREA）， and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） were assessed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure insulin （FINS）， adiponectin （ADP）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe liver histomorphology， periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining was employed to assess hepatic glycogen synthesis， and Oil Red O staining was used to detect hepatic lipid deposition. Liver transcriptomic data were used to identify differentially expressed genes in the liver and conduct enrichment analysis. Real-time PCR was employed to verify the expression levels of adiponectin gene （Adipoq）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α （PGC-1α）， AMP-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α （PPARα）， glucokinase （GCK）， forkhead box （Fox）O1， FoxO3， phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase （PEPCK）， and glucose-6-phosphatase （G6PC）. Metagenomic sequencing was conducted to analyze changes in gut microbiota composition. ResultsCompared with the NC group， the DM group exhibited significantly elevated fasting blood glucose （P<0.01）， serum AST， ALT， TC， TG， LDL-C， and HDL-C （P<0.01）. FINS， homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance （HOMA-IR）， and the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while ADP was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Histological analysis confirmed severe hepatic steatosis and excessive lipid accumulation in the DM group， along with markedly reduced glycogen synthesis. Compared with the DM group， the GP group showed significantly decreased fasting blood glucose （P<0.01）， reduced serum TC， LDL-C， and HDL-C levels （P<0.05）， significantly decreased serum TG and AST levels （P<0.01）， significantly reduced FINS， HOMA-IR， and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）， and significantly increased ADP （P<0.01）. Hepatic steatosis and lipid deposition were significantly alleviated， while glycogen synthesis was markedly enhanced. Transcriptomic differential and enrichment analyses suggested that the mechanisms by which G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract improved hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism in db/db mice may involve regulation of the AMPK and FoxO signaling pathways. Real-time PCR results confirmed that expression of PGC-1α， PEPCK， G6PC， FoxO1， and FoxO3 was significantly downregulated following treatment with G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract （P<0.05， P<0.01）， whereas mRNA expression of Adipoq， PPARα， GCK， and AMPK was significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Metagenomic analysis showed that the relative abundance of Lactobacillus， Alistipes， and Akkermansia species was higher in the GP group than in the DM group. ConclusionG. pentaphyllum alcohol extract may improve glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice by regulating the hepatic AMPK/PPARα pathway to suppress lipid deposition and alleviate hepatic steatosis， by inhibiting gluconeogenesis through the AMPK/PGC-1α and FoxO pathways to lower fasting blood glucose， and by increasing the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria such as Lactobacillus， Alistipes， and Akkermansia to restore gut microbiota balance.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Tangbikang dry paste in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy （DPN） based on the glyoxalase-1 （GLO-1）/advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） pathway. MethodsA total of 56 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided， with eight assigned to the normal group. The remaining 48 rats were fed a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） to induce a type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） model. Based on blood glucose levels， the rats were randomly assigned to the model group， Tanglin group （13.5 mg·kg^-1）， metformin group （135 mg·kg^-1）， and Tangbikang dry paste low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （3， 6， 12 g·kg^-1）. Successful modeling of DPN was confirmed by a decrease in mechanical pain threshold in the model group at week 4. Fasting blood glucose， body weight， and mechanical pain threshold were measured every 4 weeks. After 16 weeks of intervention， the pathological morphology of the sciatic nerve was observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of RAGE， AGE， protein kinase C （PKC）， and collagen （COL） in the sciatic nerve was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of RAGE， PKC， Toll-like receptor （TLR）， COL， and GLO-1 was detected using real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR）. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， creatinine （CREA）， urea （UREA）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased fasting blood glucose （P<0.01）， decreased body weight and mechanical pain threshold （P<0.01）， and elevated serum AST， ALT， CREA， UREA， IL-6， and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was significantly increased （P<0.01）， while COL expression was decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was upregulated （P<0.01）， whereas COL and GLO-1 mRNA levels were downregulated （P<0.01）. Histological examination showed irregular nerve morphology， axonal alterations， and myelin degeneration. Compared with the model group， fasting blood glucose levels in the Tangbikang dry paste high-dose group at all time points and in the medium-dose group at weeks 4 and 16 were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. No significant changes in body weight were observed across all Tangbikang dose groups. The mechanical pain threshold was elevated at different time points after administration in all Tangbikang groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were decreased in all dose groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of RAGE， AGE， and PKC in the sciatic nerve was reduced （P<0.01）， while COL expression was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TLR， RAGE， and PKC was downregulated （P<0.01）， whereas GLO-1 mRNA expression was upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， COL mRNA expression was significantly increased in the low- and high-dose groups （P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the sciatic nerve were milder in all Tangbikang groups compared to the model group. ConclusionTangbikang dry paste significantly improves DPN， and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the GLO-1/AGE/RAGE signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo preliminarily explore the active components and target pathways of Angelicae Sinensis Radix-Polygonati Rhizoma （ASR-PR） herb pair in the treatment of simple obesity through network pharmacology and molecular docking， and to verify and investigate its mechanism of action via animal experiments. MethodsThe chemical constituents and targets of ASR and PR were predicted using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP）. Targets related to simple obesity were identified by retrieving the GeneCards， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）， Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase （PharmGKB）， and DisGeNET databases. The intersection of drug and disease targets was used to construct an active component-target network using Cytoscape software. This network was imported into the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network， and topological analysis was conducted to identify core genes. Gene Ontology （GO） analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis and mapping were performed using the DAVID database and the Microbioinformatics platform. AutoDock 1.5.7 software was used to perform molecular docking between the top five active components and core targets. An animal model of simple obesity was established by feeding C57BL/6J mice a high-fat diet. The mice were administered ASR （2.06 g·kg^-1）， PR （2.06 g·kg^-1）， or ASR-PR （4.11 g·kg^-1） for 10 weeks， while the model group received an equal volume of purified water by gavage. After the administration period， the mice were sacrificed to measure body fat weight and serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， high-density lipoprotein （HDL）， and low-density lipoprotein （LDL）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe histopathological sections of liver and adipose tissue. Serum levels of leptin， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the mRNA expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） in liver tissue were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsNetwork pharmacology and molecular docking results indicated that the treatment of simple obesity by ASR-PR may involve the regulation of protein expression of core targets EGFR and STAT3 by its main components MOL009760 （Siberian glycoside A_qt）， MOL003889 （methyl protodioscin_qt）， MOL009766 （resveratrol）， MOL006331 （4′，5-dihydroxyflavone）， and MOL004941 （baicalin）， thereby modulating the PI3K/Akt and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. The animal experiment results showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significantly increased body weight， body fat weight， and serum levels of TG， TC， TNF-α， IL-6， and leptin （P<0.01）. EGFR mRNA expression was significantly elevated （P<0.05）， while STAT3 mRNA expression was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Histological analysis revealed disordered hepatic architecture in the model group， with pronounced lipid vacuoles， cytoplasmic loosening， lipid accumulation， and steatosis. Adipocytes in white adipose tissue （WAT） and brown adipose tissue （BAT） of the model group exhibited markedly increased diameters， reduced cell counts per unit area， and irregular morphology. Compared with the model group， the ASR-PR group significantly reduced body weight， body fat weight， serum TC， IL-6， TNF-α， leptin levels， and EGFR mRNA expression （P<0.01）. TG levels were also significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while STAT3 mRNA expression was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Histopathological improvements included reduced size and number of hepatic lipid vacuoles and restoration of liver cell morphology toward that of the normal group. The diameter of adipocytes significantly decreased， and the number of adipocytes per unit area increased. ConclusionASR-PR may regulate the expression of key target proteins such as EGFR and STAT3 via its core active components， modulate the PI3K/Akt and JAK/STAT signaling pathways， repair damaged liver and adipose tissues， and thereby alleviate the progression of obesity in mice.