BackgroundInvasive vagus nerve stimulation therapy has been approved for the adjunctive treatment of treatment-resistant depression， which may contribute to the anti-inflammatory properties of vagus nerve stimulation （VNS）， whereas the efficacy of non-invasive transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation （tcVNS） in treating major depressive disorder （MDD） and its impact on plasma inflammatory factors remain unclear. ObjectiveTo observe the effect of escitaloprom combined with tcVNS on the status of depression， anxiety and sleep quality as well as the plasma levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in MDD patients， in order to provide references for the recovery and treatment of MDD patients. MethodsFrom August 21， 2019 to April 17， 2024， 45 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for MDD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） were recruited from the psychosomatic outpatient clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University. Subjects were divided into study group （n=23） and control group （n=22） using random number table method. All patients were treated with escitalopram. On this basis， study group added a 30-minute tcVNS therapy once a day for 4 weeks. While control group was given corresponding sham stimulation， and the duration of each stimulation lasted 30 seconds. Before and after 4 weeks of treatment， Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17） was used to assess depressive symptoms， and HAMD-17 anxiety/somatization subfactor and insomnia subfactor were used to assess patients' anxiety/somatization symptoms and sleep quality. Levels of plasma IL-6 and IL-10 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsThe generalized estimating equation model yielded a significant time effect for HAMD-17 total score， anxiety/somatization subfactor score and insomnia subfactor score in both groups （Wald χ²=315.226， 495.481， 82.420， P<0.01）. After 4 weeks of treatment， HAMD-17 total score and anxiety/somatization subfactor score of study group were lower than those of control group， with statistically significant differences （Wald χ²=4.967， 32.543， P<0.05 or 0.01）， while no statistically significant difference was found in the insomnia subfactor score between two groups （Wald χ²=0.819， P=0.366）. Significant time effects were reported on plasma IL-6 and IL-10 levels in both groups （Wald χ²=21.792， 5.242， P<0.05 or 0.01）. Compared with baseline data， a reduction in plasma IL-6 levels was detected in both groups （Wald χ²=22.015， 6.803， P<0.01）， and an increase in plasma IL-10 levels was reported in study group （Wald χ²=5.118， P=0.024） after 4 weeks of treatment. ConclusionEscitalopram combined with tcVNS therapy is effective in improving depressive symptoms， anxiety/somatization symptoms and sleep quality in patients with MDD. Additionally， it helps reduce plasma IL-6 levels and increase IL-10 levels. ［Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Key Research and Development Program-General Project （number， 2023-YBSF-185）， www.clinicaltrials.gov number， NCT04037111］

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， medicinal parts， processing and other aspects of Euphorbiae Pekinensis Radix（EPR） by referring to the herbal medicine， medical books， prescription books and other documents of the past dynasties， combined with the relevant modern research materials， so as to provide a basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herbal medicine. According to research， EPR was first recorded in the Shennong Bencaojing in the name of Daji， and it is the correct name of the herbal medicine in all dynasties， there are also other aliases such as Qiongju， Hongya Daji， and Xiamaxian. The dried roots of Euphorbia pekinensis from Euphorbiaceae was the mainstream of the past dynasties. Before the Ming dynasty， the above ground parts of E. pekinensis were used as Zeqi in herbal works. However， since LI Shizhen in the Ming dynasty proposed that the origin of Zeqi should be E. helioscopia， the aerial part of EPR is no longer used as medicine. Since modern times， the roots of Knoxia valerianoides has been used as EPR， and has become the mainstream of commodities， which should be corrected. Throughout history， it has been recorded that the main producing areas were Jiangsu， Anhui， Zhejiang， Shanxi and other regions， while modern botanical survey have shown that EPR is a widespread species distributed throughout the country. In ancient times， the harvesting time of EPR was mostly the twelfth lunar month， while in modern time， it is more common to harvest in autumn and winter. The main processing methods of EPR in ancient times were vinegar processing， wine processing， and stir frying， while in modern times， it is uniformly vinegar processing. In the medicinal properties and clinical aspects， the records are basically consistent throughout history， mainly characterized by bitter taste， cold and toxic nature. Its main efficacy is expelling water retention and reducing swelling. Based on the textual research， it is suggested to choose the dried roots of E. pekinensis when famous classical formulas containing EPR， processing method can be based on the original specified prescription requirements， if the processing method is not clear， it is recommended to use vinegar-processed products as medicine.

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， medicinal parts， harvesting and processing， and other aspects of Manjiao and Zanthoxyli Radix by referring to the herbal medicine， medical books， prescription books and other documents of the past dynasties， combined with the relevant modern research materials， in order to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing the two medicinal materials. According to the herbal textual research， Manjiao was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty with aliases such as Zhujiao， Goujiao and Zhijiao. Throughout history， Manjiao was sourced from the stems and roots of Zanthoxylum armatum in the Rutaceae family， and its leaves and fruits can also be used in medicine. The traditional recorded production area was mainly in Yunzhong（now Tuoketuo region in Inner Mongolia）， with mentions in Zhejiang， Hunan， Fujian， Guangdong， Guangxi， Yunnan， Taiwan， and other provinces. Presently， this species is distributed from the south of Shandong， to Hainan， Taiwan， Tibet and other regions. The roots can be harvested year-round， while the fruits are harvested in autumn after maturity. In ancient times， the roots and stems were mostly used for brewing or soaking in wine， whereas nowadays， the roots are often sliced and then used as a raw material in traditional Chinese medicine， and the fruits should be stir-fried before use. Manjiao has a bitter taste and warm property， and was historically used to treat wind-cold dampness， joint pain， limb numbness， and knee pain. Modern researches have summarized its effects as dispelling wind， dispersing cold， promoting circulation， and relieving pain， and it is used for treating rheumatoid arthritis， toothache， bruises， as well as an anthelmintic. Zanthoxyli Radix initially known as Rudi Jinniugen， recorded in Bencao Qiuyuan of the Qing dynasty， with the alternate name of Liangbianzhen. In recent times， it is more commonly referred to as Liangmianzhen， sourced from the dried roots of Z. nitidum of the Rutaceae family， mainly produced in Guangxi and Guangdong. It can be harvested throughout the year， cleaned， sliced， and dried after harvesting. Zanthoxyli Radix is pungent， bitter， warm and slightly toxic， with the functions of promoting blood circulation， removing stasis， relieving pain， dispelling wind， and resolving swelling. Based on the results of herbal textual research， it is clarified that the ancient Manjiao and the modern Zanthoxyli Radix are not the same species. This article corrects the mistaken belief of by previous scholars that Zanthoxyli Radix is the same as ancient Manjiao， and suggests that formulas described as Manjiao should use Z. armatum as the medicinal herb， while those described as Liangmianzhen or Rudi Jinniu should use Z. nitidum. The processing was performed according to the processing requirements prescribed in the formulas， otherwise， the raw products are recommended for use.

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， medicinal parts， harvesting and processing， and other aspects of Manjiao and Zanthoxyli Radix by referring to the herbal medicine， medical books， prescription books and other documents of the past dynasties， combined with the relevant modern research materials， in order to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing the two medicinal materials. According to the herbal textual research， Manjiao was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing of the Han dynasty with aliases such as Zhujiao， Goujiao and Zhijiao. Throughout history， Manjiao was sourced from the stems and roots of Zanthoxylum armatum in the Rutaceae family， and its leaves and fruits can also be used in medicine. The traditional recorded production area was mainly in Yunzhong（now Tuoketuo region in Inner Mongolia）， with mentions in Zhejiang， Hunan， Fujian， Guangdong， Guangxi， Yunnan， Taiwan， and other provinces. Presently， this species is distributed from the south of Shandong， to Hainan， Taiwan， Tibet and other regions. The roots can be harvested year-round， while the fruits are harvested in autumn after maturity. In ancient times， the roots and stems were mostly used for brewing or soaking in wine， whereas nowadays， the roots are often sliced and then used as a raw material in traditional Chinese medicine， and the fruits should be stir-fried before use. Manjiao has a bitter taste and warm property， and was historically used to treat wind-cold dampness， joint pain， limb numbness， and knee pain. Modern researches have summarized its effects as dispelling wind， dispersing cold， promoting circulation， and relieving pain， and it is used for treating rheumatoid arthritis， toothache， bruises， as well as an anthelmintic. Zanthoxyli Radix initially known as Rudi Jinniugen， recorded in Bencao Qiuyuan of the Qing dynasty， with the alternate name of Liangbianzhen. In recent times， it is more commonly referred to as Liangmianzhen， sourced from the dried roots of Z. nitidum of the Rutaceae family， mainly produced in Guangxi and Guangdong. It can be harvested throughout the year， cleaned， sliced， and dried after harvesting. Zanthoxyli Radix is pungent， bitter， warm and slightly toxic， with the functions of promoting blood circulation， removing stasis， relieving pain， dispelling wind， and resolving swelling. Based on the results of herbal textual research， it is clarified that the ancient Manjiao and the modern Zanthoxyli Radix are not the same species. This article corrects the mistaken belief of by previous scholars that Zanthoxyli Radix is the same as ancient Manjiao， and suggests that formulas described as Manjiao should use Z. armatum as the medicinal herb， while those described as Liangmianzhen or Rudi Jinniu should use Z. nitidum. The processing was performed according to the processing requirements prescribed in the formulas， otherwise， the raw products are recommended for use.

OBJECTIVE To discuss the effect mechanism of atractylodin （ATR） on lung injury and airway inflammation in rats with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD）. METHODS AECOPD model was established using smoke exposure and intratracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide. Rats were randomly grouped into model group， ATR low-， medium- and high-dose groups （25， 50 and 100 mg/kg）， as well as high-dose ATR+anisomycin [ANS， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK） activator] group （100 mg/kg ATR+5 mg/kg ANS）. Additionally， a non-modeled control group was set up， with 12 rats in each group. Rats in each group were intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding drug solution/normal saline once daily for 14 consecutive days. After the last medication， lung function [peak expiratory flow （PEF）， the ratio of forced expiratory volume （FEV） to forced vital capacity （FVC）， arterial partial pressure of oxygen （PaO2）]， as well as the number of inflammatory cells and the levels of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and IL-1β] in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF）， were measured. The pathological morphology of lung tissue in rats was observed. 163.com The apoptosis of lung epithelial cells was detected， and the expression levels of proteins related to the JNK/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK） signaling pathway in rat lung tissues were detected. RESULTS Compared with control group， PEF， FEV/FVC and PaO2 of model group were slowed or decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. The number of white blood cells， neutrophils， lymphocytes and macrophages， as well as the levels of IL-1β， TNF-α and IL-6 in BALF， along with the pathological score， the apoptosis rate of lung epithelial cells， and the phosphorylation levels of JNK and p38 MAPK proteins in lung tissues， were all increased or raised significantly （P＜0.05）； lung tissue exhibited severe damage， with disordered cell arrangement and marked infiltration of inflammatory cells. Compared with model group， the levels of above quantitative indicators in rats from all ATR dosage groups showed significant improvement in a dose-dependent manner （P＜0.05）； moreover， the pathological damage in lung tissue was alleviated， with cells arranged in a regular and orderly fashion. Compared with ATR high-dose group， the levels of the above quantitative indicators in rats from the high-dose ATR+ANS group were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）， and the pathological damage in lung tissue was exacerbated. CONCLUSIONS ATR inhibits airway inflammation by suppressing the activity of the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway， thereby improving lung tissue damage in AECOPD rats.

By reviewing the research history on quality comparison between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs， this paper systematically combed the relevant research reports since the 1950s， and summarized and analyzed the results of existing comparative studies， and found that the existing comparative research on the quality of wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs were mainly focused on several aspects， including characteristics， microstructures， chemical compositions， pharmacodynamic effects， and genetic diversity. Among these， comparative studies of chemical compositions have been the dominant approach， with a particular emphasis on comparing the contents of index components. However， research on pharmacodynamic effects remained relatively limited. Due to various factors such as sample quantity， sample origin， growth period and cultivation methods， the differences in quality between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs vary significantly. In general， most wild Chinese crude drugs exhibited higher quality than cultivated products， with significant differences in their characteristics. The contents and proportions of some chemical components underwent noticeable changes， particularly with a marked increase in the proportion of primary metabolites after cultivation. The quality of cultivated Chinese crude drugs is closely related to the cultivation practices employed. Chinese crude drugs produced through wild nurturing， simulated wild planting， ecological cultivation， and other similar methods demonstrate quality levels comparable to those of wild Chinese crude drugs. Based on the analysis results， it is recommended to explicitly specify the cultivation practices and cultivation period of cultivated Chinese crude drugs in comparative studies of the quality between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs. Multiple technical approaches， including characteristics， microscopy， non-targeted metabolomics combined with quantitative analysis of differential components， and bioefficacy evaluation， should be employed to comprehensively assess the quality disparities between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs. Moreover， research efforts should be intensified to investigate the changes in pharmacodynamic effects resulting from differences in plant cell wall composition， primary metabolites， and secondary metabolites， in order to guide the production of high-quality Chinese crude drugs.

ObjectiveBased on the traditional quality evaluation methods summarized in previous dynasties， this paper systematically contrasted cultivated Astragali Radix（CA） and wild-simulated Astragali Radix（WA） from the aspects of character， microstructure and chemical composition by modern technological means. MethodThe collected CA and WA were compared in characters and microscopic characteristics in cross section， and comparative analysis were performed on the contents of cellulose， extracts， carbohydrate， total flavonoids， total saponins， etc. Then ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging（DESI-MSI） were used to comparatively analyze the secondary metabolites and their spatial distributions in the xylem and phloem of CA and WA. ResultIn terms of characters， the characters and sectional features of WA was consistent with the characteristics of high-quality Astragali Radix， while the CA was quite different from the traditional high-quality Astragali Radix. In terms of microscopy， the phellem layer of CA was thin， and the section fissures were mostly distributed through the cambium in a long strip shape without obvious growth ring characteristics. The cork layer of WA was thick， and the cracks in the section were distributed in the center of the xylem and the outer edge of the phloem in an irregular cavity shape. The cambium was tight without cracks， and had obvious characteristics of a growth ring. In terms of chemical composition， the contents of water-soluble extract， 80% ethanol extract and sucrose of CA was significantly higher than those of WA， while the contents of total saponins， lignin and hemicellulose were significantly lower than those of WA. And the contents of 100% ethanol extract， total polysaccharides and total flavonoids in both of them were generally similar， but slightly higher in WA. The contents of 2 kinds of monoacyl-substituted flavonoid glycosides in the xylem of WA was significantly higher than those of CA， while the contents of 2 kinds of flavonoid aglycones and one flavonoid glycoside were on the contrary. The contents of 7 saponins in phloem of WA were significantly higher than those of CA. ConclusionThere are significant differences between CA and WA in characters， microstructure and chemical components， in which CA has a fast growth rate and a short planting period， and the primary metabolites such as water-soluble extracts and sucrose are more enriched， which is the reason for its firm texture and sweetness being significantly higher than those of WA. However， the contents of lignin， hemicellulose and some secondary metabolites in WA are significantly higher than those in the CA， which are close to the traditional description of characters and quality. Based on the results of this study， it is suggested to strengthen the production of WA， improve the supply capacity of WA， and gradually upgrade the current standard. It is recommended to increase the contents of monoacyl-substituted flavonoid glycosides， total saponins and other indicators that can characterize different production methods， so as to guide the high-quality production of Astragali Radix.

ObjectiveBased on the experience of traditional quality evaluation， the quality of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma（AMR） with different production methods such as direct seeding， transplanting after seedling raising， topping and non-topping， and difference in growth years was compared. MethodVernier caliper was used to measure the trait data of AMR in different production methods. Paraffin sections of AMR with different production methods were made by saffron solid green staining， and the microstructure was observed. The contents of water-soluble and alcohol-soluble extracts in AMR with different production methods were determined according to the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The content of water-soluble total polysaccharides in AMR with different production methods was detected by sulfuric acid-anthrone method. Fiber analyzer was used to detect the content of fiber components in AMR with different production methods. The contents of monosaccharides， oligosaccharides and some secondary metabolites in AMR with different production methods were detected by ultra performance liquid chromatography（UPLC）， and the differences of chemical components were compared by multivariate statistical analysis methods such as principal component analysis（PCA） and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA）. ResultIn terms of traits， the 3-year-old AMR with direct seeding and without topping was close to the high-quality AMR with "phoenix-head and crane-neck， strong sweetness and clear aroma" recorded in ancient materia medica， followed by the 3-year-old AMR with topping after transplanting， while the 2-year-old AMR with topping after transplanting with high market circulation rate was generally fat and strong with mild odor. In the microscopic aspect， the arrangement of xylem vessels and fiber bundles in the 3-year-old samples formed two obvious rings. Compared with the 2-year-old samples cultivated in Bozhou and Zhejiang， the 3-year-old samples without topping after transplanting had more wood fibers. In terms of chemical composition， the contents of 70% ethanol extract， fructose， glucose， sucrose， 1-kestose， atractylenolide Ⅰ， chlorogenic acid， neochlorogenic acid， cryptochlorogenic acid and other components in 3-year-old AMR with direct seeding and without topping were significantly higher than those in the other three samples（P<0.05）. The contents of cellulose， 70% ethanol extract， sucrose， atractylenolide Ⅰ， atractylone and other components in 3-year-old AMR with topping after transplanting were significantly higher than those in the 2-year-old AMR with high market circulation rate（P<0.05）， while the contents of water-soluble extract and water-soluble total polysaccharides in 2-year-old samples with topping after transplanting were significantly higher than those in the 3-year-old AMR with topping after transplanting， direct seeding and without topping（P<0.05）. ConclusionUnder the current mainstream production mode， too much manual intervention makes AMR heavily enriched in polysaccharides and increased the yield， but the accumulation of sweet substances， fragrant substances and fiber substances is insufficient， which affects its quality. The current quality standard of AMR has some shortcomings in guiding the high quality production of it， it is suggested to revise the quality standard of AMR， supplement the quantitative analysis of secondary metabolites， and strengthen the production of imitation wild AMR.

Objective To study anti-aging mechanism of skin with water extract of Codonopsis Radix by applying computational biology and animal experiments.Methods A total of 50 SPF 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice were selected and then randomly divided into five groups.D-galactose-induced aging mice model was constructed,and different doses of water extract of Codonopsis Radix were used for intervention.Hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE)and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes of mouse skin tissue.The content of hydroxyproline(HYP),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and malondialdehyde(MDA)in mouse skin were measured by biochemical detection.Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructural changes of mouse skin tissue.The chip data of skin aging from GEO database was obtained to screen skin-aging differential genes.TCMSP and UniProt databases were used to search for active ingredients and targets of Codonopsis Radix.The intersection of targets for Codonopsis Radix-skin aging was obtained by integrating the above data.A protein interaction network of all core gene proteins for Codonopsis Radix intervention in skin aging was constructed through the STRING database.Then,quantitative real-time PCR(RT-qPCR)and Western Blotting were used to verify target genes expression and pathway-related protein expression after the intervention of Codonopsis Radix in the aging model.Results Compared with the normal control group,the skin tissue structure of mice in senile model group were damaged significantly,the damage of skin tissue structure was improved significantly after the intervention of Codonopsis Radix.Compared with the normal control group,the content of HYP and SOD in the skin tissue of mice in senile model group were significantly reduced(P＜0.05),while MDA was significantly increased(P＜0.05).After the intervention of Codonopsis Radix,the content of HYP and SOD were increased,while MDA was decreased(P＜0.05)compared with senile model group.It was found that matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9)was the core target for the intervention of Codonopsis Radix on skin aging in computational biology.Experiments have shown that the expression of MMP9 was significantly increased in the skin of aging model mice compared to normal control group(P＜0.05).After the intervention of Codonopsis Radix,the expression of MMP9 is significantly reduced(P＜0.05),the expression of the key protein including inhibitory subunit of NF-kappa B alpha(IκBα)、IκB kinase-alpha(IKKα)、nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)P65 of NF-κB signaling pathway were significantly changed(P＜0.05).Conclusion Codonopsis Radix water extract can effectively alleviate skin aging in aging model mice by inhibiting the protein expression of IκBα、IKKα、NF-κB P65 of NF-κB signaling pathway,reducing the expression of downstream gene MMP9,and ultimately alleviate skin collagen damage and resist skin aging.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of serum angiopoietin-like protein 8(ANGPTL8)and Kruppel-like factor 2(KLF2)and the degree of coronary artery disease and the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events(MACE)in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods A total of 106 patients with AMI who were hospitalized in our hospital from January 2021 to June 2023 were selected as the research objects.According to the degree of coronary artery disease,the patients were grouped into mild group(52 cases)and severe group(54 cases).According to the occurrence of MACE,the patients were grouped into MACE group(18 cases)and non-MACE group(88 cases).General patient data were collected.Serum ANGPTL8 and KLF2 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Spearman correlation analysis was applied to analyze the correlation between serum ANGPTL8 and KLF2 levels and Gensini score in AMI patients.Multivariate logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of coronary artery disease degree in patients with AMI.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were drawn to analyze the value of serum ANGPTL8 and KLF2 levels in predicting the occurrence of MACE in AMI patients.Results The proportions of patients with history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,levels of triacylglycerol(TG),N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),cardiac troponin I(cTnI),Gensini score,and level of serum ANGPTL8 in the severe group were higher than those in the mild group(P<0.05).The level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)and serum KLF2 in the severe group were lower than those in the mild group(P<0.05).The number of lesions in the mild group and the severe group was statistically obvious(P<0.05).Serum ANGPTL8 level in AMI patients was positively correlated with Gensini score(r=0.638,P<0.05),and serum KLF2 level was negatively correlated with Gensini score(r=-0.612,P<0.05).History of hypertension,hyperlipidemia,cTnI and ANGPTL8 were risk factors for the progression of severe coronary artery disease in patients with AMI(P<0.05),while HDL-C and KLF2 were protective factors(P<0.05).The serum level of ANGPTL8 in AMI patients in the MACE group was higher than that in the non-MACE group(P<0.05),and the serum KLF2 level in the MACE group was lower than that in the non-MACE group(P<0.05).The area under the curve of serum ANG-PTL8 and KLF2 levels and their combination in predicting the occurrence of MACE in AMI patients was 0.740(95%CI:0.646～0.820),0.799(95%CI:0.710～0.870),and 0.806(95%CI:0.717～0.876),respectively.Conclusion The expressions of serum ANGPTL8 and KLF2 are closely related to the degree of coronary artery disease in patients with AMI,and have certain predictive value for the occurrence of MACE.