1.Shashen Maidong Tang Enhances Efficacy of Chemotherapy in Mouse Model of Lewis Lung Cancer by Modulating JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Lin YU ; Yaoyao WANG ; Limin LIU ; Zuowei HU ; Yanping ZHOU ; Shang WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):1-10
ObjectiveTo predict the mechanism through which Shasheng Maidong Tang enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy for lung cancer via network pharmacology and validate the prediction results in animal experiments. MethodsThe potential mechanism through which Shasheng Maidong Tang enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy for lung cancer was predicted by network pharmacology, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and molecular docking methods. C57/BL6 mice were assigned into normal, model, cisplatin, and Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin groups. In addition to the normal group, the remaining groups were injected subcutaneously with 0.2 mL of 1×107 cells·mL-1 Lewis lung cancer cells to establish the Lewis lung cancer model. The daily gavage dose of Shasheng Maidong Tang was 3.58 g·kg-1, and the concentration of cisplatin intraperitoneally injected on every other day was 2 mg·kg-1. Drugs were administered for 14 d. The changes in the tumor volume and the rate of tumor suppression were monitored, and the tumor histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the interleukin (IL)-6 and interferon (IFN)-γ levels in peripheral blood. Real-time PCR was performed to quantify the mRNA levels of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the tumor tissue of mice. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of JAK2, STAT3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 (Caspase-3), and Pim-1 proto1 (PIM1) in the tumor tissue. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of Bcl-2 and PIM1 in the tumor tissue. ResultsNetwork pharmacological predictions indicated that Shasheng Maidong Tang might enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy for lung cancer by regulating nitrogen metabolism, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, cancer pathway, and JAK/STAT signaling pathway. The experimental results demonstrated that tumor volume in the cisplatin group and Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group was reduced compared with the model group, with statistically distinct differences observed on days 14, 17, 20 post modeling (P<0.05). Notably, the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin therapy further decreased tumor volume compared with the cisplatin group, showing marked reductions on days 17 and 20 (P<0.05), consistent with trends visualized in tumor volume comparison charts. The Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group exhibited higher tumor inhibition rate than the cisplatin group (P<0.05). Histopathological analysis via HE staining revealed that the tumors in the model group displayed frequent nuclear mitosis, densely arranged cells, hyperchromatic nuclei, and no necrosis. Cisplatin treatment induced partial necrosis and vacuolization, while the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group exhibited extensive necrotic regions, maximal vacuolization, disarranged tumor cells, and minimal mitotic activity. Compared with the model group, the cisplatin group and the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group showed elevated level of IFN-γ (P<0.01) and declined level of IL-6 (P<0.01) in the peripheral blood. Compared with the cisplatin group, the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group presented elevated level of IFN-γ (P<0.01) and lowered level of IL-6 (P<0.01) in the peripheral blood. Compared with the model group, the cisplatin group and the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin groups showed down-regulated mRNA levels of JAK2 and STAT3 (P<0.01) and up-regulated mRNA level STAT1 (P<0.01). Compared with the cisplatin group, the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group presented down-regulated mRNA levels of JAK2 and STAT3 (P<0.01) and up-regulated mRNA level of STAT1 (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the cisplatin group and the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group showed down-regulated protein levels of JAK2 (P<0.01), Bcl-2 (P<0.01), PIM1 (P<0.01), and STAT3 (P<0.05), and up-regulated protein level of Caspase-3 (P<0.01). Compared with the cisplatin group, Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group presented down-regulated protein levels of JAK2 (P<0.01), Bcl-2 (P<0.01), PIM1 (P<0.01), STAT3 (P<0.05), and up-regulated protein level of Caspase-3 (P<0.01). The Bcl-2 and PIM1 expression results obtained by immunohistochemistry were consistent with those of Western blot. ConclusionShasheng Maidong Tang may enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy in the mouse model of Lewis lung cancer by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
2.Comparison of Wild and Cultivated Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Based on Traditional Quality Evaluation
Changsheng YUAN ; Feng ZHOU ; Xingyu LIU ; Yu SHI ; Yihan WANG ; Huaizhu LI ; Yongliang LI ; Shan GUAN ; Huaizhong GAO ; Yanmeng LIU ; Zhilai ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):203-214
ObjectiveTo characterize the quality differences among different germplasm and introduced varieties of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots(BSR), and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, providing a basis for high-quality production and quality control. MethodsWild BSR from Yulin(YLW) served as the quality reference, we conducted comparative analysis among YLW, locally domesticated wild germplasm in Yulin(YLC3), Daqing germplasm introduced and cultivated in Yulin(YLDQC3), and locally cultivated germplasm in Daqing(DQC3). A combination of traditional pharmacognostic methods and modern multi-omics analyses was employed, including macroscopic traits(appearance, odor), microscopic features(proportions of cork, phloem, xylem), cell wall component contents(hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin), carbohydrate contents(starch, water-soluble polysaccharides), marker compound contents(ethanol-soluble extracts, total saponins, liposoluble extracts, and saikosaponins A, B2, C, D), metabolomics, and transcriptomics, in order to systematically characterize quality differences and investigate molecular mechanisms among these samples. ResultsMacroscopically, Yulin-produced BSR(YLW, YLC3, YLDQC3) exhibited significantly greater weight, length, and upper and middle diameters than Daqing-produced BSR(DQC3). Odor-wise, YLW and YLC3 had a a fragrance taste, YLDQC3 had a rancid oil odor, and DQC3 had a sweet and fragrant taste. Microscopically, Yulin germplasm(YLW, YLC3) and Daqing germplasm(YLDQC3, DQC3) shared similar structural features, respectively. However, Yulin germplasm showed significantly higher proportions of cork and phloem, as well as stronger xylem vessel staining intensity compared to Daqing germplasm. Regarding various component contents, Yulin germplasm contained significantly higher levels of ethanol-soluble extracts, total saponins, and saikosaponins A, B2, C, D, while Daqing germplasm had significantly higher levels of hemicellulose, starch, and liposoluble extracts. After introduction to Yulin, the Daqing germplasm(YLDQC3) showed increased starch, water-soluble polysaccharides and liposoluble extracts contents, decreased cell wall component content, but no significant difference in other component contents. Metabolomics revealed that saponins and terpenes accumulated significantly in Yulin germplasm, while alcohols and aldehydes accumulated predominantly in Daqing germplasm. Transcriptomics indicated similar gene expression patterns within the same germplasm but specificity between different germplasms. Integrative metabolomic-transcriptomic analysis identified 145 potential key genes associated with the saikosaponin biosynthesis pathway, including one acetyl-coenzyme A(CoA) acetyltransferase gene(ACAT), one 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase gene(HMGS), two hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA(HMG-CoA) reductase genes(HMG), one phosphomevalonate kinase gene(PMK), one 1-deoxy-D-xylose-5-phosphate synthase gene(CLA), one hydroxymethylbuten-1-aldol synthase gene(HDR), two farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase genes(FPPS), one squalene synthase gene(SQS), one β-amyrin synthase gene(BAS), 102 cytochrome P450(CYP450) gene family members, and 32 uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase(UGT) gene family members. ConclusionAmong the three cultivated types, YLC3 most closely resembles YLW in appearance, microscopic features, contents of major bioactive constituents, metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles. Yulin germplasm exhibits superior saponin synthesis capability compared to Daqing germplasm, and Yulin region is more suitable for the growth of B. scorzonerifolium. Based on these findings, it is recommended that artificial cultivation in northern Shaanxi and similar regions utilize the local Yulin germplasm source cultivated for at least three years.
3.Traditional Chinese Medicine Regulates Related Signaling Pathways to Prevent and Control Breast Cancer and Precancerous Lesions: A Review
Yifei ZENG ; Di ZHAO ; Junyue WANG ; Mengjie WANG ; Yubo GUO ; Yu ZHOU ; Dongxiao ZHANG ; Wenjie ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):290-301
Breast cancer has become the malignant tumor with the highest incidence rate among women, seriously threatening the life and health of women all over the world. The pathogenic factors and development mechanisms of breast cancer are complex and diverse. The development of breast cells from ordinary hyperplasia to atypical hyperplasia, and from pre-cancerous lesions to cancerous lesions, is a long-term progressive process. Therefore, early screening and prevention of breast cancer is particularly important. Western medicine has a relatively mature treatment program for breast cancer, which is mainly based on surgery and systemic treatment, whereas the ensuing complications and adverse reactions often bring a heavy burden to patients. For the precancerous lesions of breast cancer, surgery is also the mainstay of treatment. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has increasingly highlighted its advantages in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Increasing studies have shown that in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and pre-cancerous lesions, TCM compound prescriptions, single herbs or herb pairs, and active components are able to regulate a variety of intracellular signaling pathways through multi-targets to inhibit the proliferation and invasion, promote the apoptosis and autophagy of tumor cells, and regulate the cell cycle and the immune microenvironment, thus exerting anti-tumor effects. At the same time, they can significantly attenuate the toxic side effects of radiotherapy and drug resistance of patients. However, the specific mechanisms of TCM in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and precancerous lesions have not been fully clarified. The available studies are tanglesome regarding the TCM inhibition of tumor development through the regulation of classical signaling pathways such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Wnt/β-catenin, and Notch, which still need to be verified by a large number of clinical and experimental studies. Therefore, this paper reviews the research progress in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and precancerous lesions by TCM through interfering with the relevant signaling pathways in recent years, aiming to summarize the possible mechanisms of TCM in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and provide references for subsequent studies.
4.Construction and Application of a Real-World Cohort of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Based on a Multimodal Large-Scale Traditional Chinese Medicine Big Data Platform
Zhichao WANG ; Xianmei ZHOU ; Fanchao FENG ; Mengqi WANG ; Xin WANG ; Bin KANG ; Xiaofan YU ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Lei XIAO ; Juan LI ; Zhichao ZHANG ; Ye MA ; Yeqing JI ; Xin TONG ; Zhuoyue WU ; Jia LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):961-965
This paper introduces a real-world cohort research model for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) based on the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Dominant Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Data Platform. Firstly, data cleaning is performed by standardizing diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and imaging, intelligently extracting unstructured information, and cleaning and constructing a standardized database. Secondly, for cohort establishment, CAP patients across the province are screened in accordance with CAP diagnostic criteria to build a high-quality disease-specific cohort. Lastly, in terms of protocol design, the characteristics of TCM research and the CAP disease profile are considered to determine appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, estimate sample size, define interventions, outcomes and economic evaluations, providing a reference for real-world TCM research on CAP.
5.Construction and Application of a Real-World Cohort of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Based on a Multimodal Large-Scale Traditional Chinese Medicine Big Data Platform
Zhichao WANG ; Xianmei ZHOU ; Fanchao FENG ; Mengqi WANG ; Xin WANG ; Bin KANG ; Xiaofan YU ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Lei XIAO ; Juan LI ; Zhichao ZHANG ; Ye MA ; Yeqing JI ; Xin TONG ; Zhuoyue WU ; Jia LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):961-965
This paper introduces a real-world cohort research model for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) based on the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Dominant Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Data Platform. Firstly, data cleaning is performed by standardizing diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and imaging, intelligently extracting unstructured information, and cleaning and constructing a standardized database. Secondly, for cohort establishment, CAP patients across the province are screened in accordance with CAP diagnostic criteria to build a high-quality disease-specific cohort. Lastly, in terms of protocol design, the characteristics of TCM research and the CAP disease profile are considered to determine appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, estimate sample size, define interventions, outcomes and economic evaluations, providing a reference for real-world TCM research on CAP.
6.Correlation Analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on Syndrome Improvement and Clinical Biomarkers of "Excess Heat-Toxicity" Based on Machine Learning Model
Qi LI ; Keke LUO ; Baolin BIAN ; Hongyu YU ; Mengxiao WANG ; Mengyao TIAN ; Wen XIA ; Yuan MA ; Xinfang ZHANG ; Pengyue LI ; Nan SI ; Hongjie WANG ; Yanyan ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):162-173
ObjectiveThis paper aims to find the identified and validated clinical biomarker data building upon a clinical study of early-phase phase Ⅱ and investigate the correlation analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" based on a machine learning model. Additionally, the effective prediction of clinical biomarker values for the main symptoms of the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome was assessed. MethodsA total of 229 patients meeting the inclusion criteria for "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome were randomly divided into the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group. Syndrome score transition matrices were constructed for the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group based on three main symptoms of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome, such as oral ulcers, sore throat, and gum swelling and pain. Data from the patients with these three syndromes were also integrated for an overall analysis. The corresponding syndrome score transition matrices were further constructed to visualize symptom change trends of the patients in the two groups via heatmaps. Based on the identified and validated clinical biomarkers related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism in the early phase, Spearman correlation analysis was employed to analyze and evaluate the associations between clinical biomarkers and syndrome improvement. Key clinical biomarkers reflecting the effect of Huanglian Jiedu Wan were screened through the comparison of differences between groups. An extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm was used to develop a prediction model for main symptom classification, with classification performance evaluated through 10-fold cross-validation. Feature importance analysis was applied to identify variables with the greatest contribution to the prediction result. ResultsThe syndrome transition matrix results indicated that the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group showed a superior effect to the placebo group in improving oral ulcers, sore throat, and overall symptoms, with significant effects observed especially in sore throat and overall symptom analyses (P<0.01). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that several clinical biomarkers positively correlated with "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome and its main symptom improvement, were also called "heat-related biomarkers", including succinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, glycine, lactic acid, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and so on. Conversely, clinical biomarkers negatively correlated with symptom severity, were also called "heat-clearing related biomarkers" after administration of Huanglian Jiedu Wan, including malic acid, fumaric acid, cis-aconitic acid, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), IL-1β, IL-4, IL-8, succinic acid, and citric acid. The XGBoost classification model using all 52 biomarkers as variables achieved an average test accuracy of 0.754 and an average F1 score of 0.777. Feature importance analysis identified the scores of glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 were the highest in all the variables, with importance scores of 0.081 and 0.080, respectively. After screening out 14 key variables and optimizing the parameters, model performance improved to an average accuracy of 0.758 and an F1 score of 0.798. Feature importance analysis further determined that the glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 showed obvious changes after screening the variables, confirming the good syndrome prediction ability of the model constructed by these key clinical biomarkers. ConclusionThis study systematically elucidates the correlation between syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers of Huanglian Jiedu Wan in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome. An XGBoost classification model based on key clinical biomarkers is successfully established, achieving effective prediction of the symptoms related to the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome such as oral ulcers and sore throat and providing a new insight for objective identification of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.
7.Correlation Analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on Syndrome Improvement and Clinical Biomarkers of "Excess Heat-Toxicity" Based on Machine Learning Model
Qi LI ; Keke LUO ; Baolin BIAN ; Hongyu YU ; Mengxiao WANG ; Mengyao TIAN ; Wen XIA ; Yuan MA ; Xinfang ZHANG ; Pengyue LI ; Nan SI ; Hongjie WANG ; Yanyan ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):162-173
ObjectiveThis paper aims to find the identified and validated clinical biomarker data building upon a clinical study of early-phase phase Ⅱ and investigate the correlation analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" based on a machine learning model. Additionally, the effective prediction of clinical biomarker values for the main symptoms of the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome was assessed. MethodsA total of 229 patients meeting the inclusion criteria for "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome were randomly divided into the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group. Syndrome score transition matrices were constructed for the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group based on three main symptoms of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome, such as oral ulcers, sore throat, and gum swelling and pain. Data from the patients with these three syndromes were also integrated for an overall analysis. The corresponding syndrome score transition matrices were further constructed to visualize symptom change trends of the patients in the two groups via heatmaps. Based on the identified and validated clinical biomarkers related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism in the early phase, Spearman correlation analysis was employed to analyze and evaluate the associations between clinical biomarkers and syndrome improvement. Key clinical biomarkers reflecting the effect of Huanglian Jiedu Wan were screened through the comparison of differences between groups. An extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm was used to develop a prediction model for main symptom classification, with classification performance evaluated through 10-fold cross-validation. Feature importance analysis was applied to identify variables with the greatest contribution to the prediction result. ResultsThe syndrome transition matrix results indicated that the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group showed a superior effect to the placebo group in improving oral ulcers, sore throat, and overall symptoms, with significant effects observed especially in sore throat and overall symptom analyses (P<0.01). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that several clinical biomarkers positively correlated with "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome and its main symptom improvement, were also called "heat-related biomarkers", including succinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, glycine, lactic acid, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and so on. Conversely, clinical biomarkers negatively correlated with symptom severity, were also called "heat-clearing related biomarkers" after administration of Huanglian Jiedu Wan, including malic acid, fumaric acid, cis-aconitic acid, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), IL-1β, IL-4, IL-8, succinic acid, and citric acid. The XGBoost classification model using all 52 biomarkers as variables achieved an average test accuracy of 0.754 and an average F1 score of 0.777. Feature importance analysis identified the scores of glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 were the highest in all the variables, with importance scores of 0.081 and 0.080, respectively. After screening out 14 key variables and optimizing the parameters, model performance improved to an average accuracy of 0.758 and an F1 score of 0.798. Feature importance analysis further determined that the glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 showed obvious changes after screening the variables, confirming the good syndrome prediction ability of the model constructed by these key clinical biomarkers. ConclusionThis study systematically elucidates the correlation between syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers of Huanglian Jiedu Wan in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome. An XGBoost classification model based on key clinical biomarkers is successfully established, achieving effective prediction of the symptoms related to the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome such as oral ulcers and sore throat and providing a new insight for objective identification of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.
8.Effect and Mechanism of Modified Sini San on Improving Intestinal Mucosal Barrier of Chronic Stress Rats via Regulating Short-chain Fatty Acid Metabolism and Inhibiting HMGB1/RAGE Signaling Pathway
Youlan KE ; Yingying YUE ; Zicheng WANG ; Yaoxue SHANG ; Xian ZHOU ; Yu CHEN ; Songlin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):31-41
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of modified Sini San in ameliorating intestinal mucosal barrier by observing its effects on short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1)/receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) signaling pathways in chronic stress rats. MethodsThe 50 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,low-dose modified Sini San group (7.34 g·kg-1·d-1),high-dose modified Sini San group (14.68 g·kg-1·d-1),and Fructo-oligosaccharides group (3.15 g·kg-1·d-1),with 10 rats in each group. Except for the control group,all other groups were subjected to chronic unpredictable stress/social isolation to create a chronic stress model for 6 weeks. After 4 weeks of modeling,each treatment group was given corresponding drugs by gavage for 2 weeks while modeling. The control group and model group were given the same volume of physiological saline. The effects of Modified Sini San on behaviors,body weight,Bristol score in feces and fecal moisture content in chronic stress rats were observed. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the cecum. The content of SCFAs in the cecal contents of rats were detected by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the expression of HMGB1/RAGE pathway related proteins in cecal tissue. The levels of ZO-1,Occludin,and Claudin-1 in the cecal tissue were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ResultsCompared with the model group,the sucrose preference rate,total distance traveled and the number of grid crossings in the open field test of rats in the low-dose modified Sini San group were obviously increased (P<0.05, P<0.01),and the immobility time in the open field test and the immobility time in the forced swimming test of rats in the low-dose and high-dose modified Sini San groups were obviously reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Meanwhile,the Bristol score and fecal moisture content of rats in the low and high dose groups of modified Sini San were obviously increased (P<0.05). The low-dose group of modified Sini San had intact mucosal layer structure in the cecal tissue and reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells. The content of SCFAs in the cecal contents increased,with a obviously increase in the content of acetic acid,propionic acid,butyric acid,and isovaleric acid (P<0.05, P<0.01) and the expression levels of HMGB1,RAGE,Toll-like receptor 2(TLR2),Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and nuclear factor kappa-B p65(NF-κB p65) proteins in cecal tissue were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in low-dose group of modified Sini San. Meanwhile,the contents of ZO-1,Occludin,and Claudin-1 in the cecal tissue were obviously increased (P<0.01) in low-dose group of modified Sini San. ConclusionModified Sini San can improve the function of intestinal mucosal barrier in chronic stress rats by increasing the content of SCFAs in the intestine and inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE pathway.
9.Herbal Textual Research on Bambusae Succus in Famous Classical Formulas
Yu SHI ; Feng ZHOU ; Yihan WANG ; Yanmeng LIU ; Ming YANG ; Zhiping CHEN ; Jiangshan ZHANG ; Conglong XU ; Zhilai ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):231-239
This article systematically reviews and examines the historical evolution of Bambusae Succus as a medicinal material, covering aspects such as nomenclature, origin, geographical distribution, harvesting and processing methods, quality assessment, therapeutic effects and indications, by consulting ancient herbal texts, medical compendia, and modern literature. The aim is to provide a reference for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. Research indicated that Bambusae Succus was first documented in the Shennong Bencaojing during the Han dynasty, with Zhuli being the standard name used throughout history, alongside aliases like Zhuzhi, Zhuyou and Huoquan. Historically, the primary source of Bambusae Succus has been Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis(Danzhu), although other species such as Pleioblastus amarus and Bambusa emeiensis have also been used medicinally. Ancient records predominantly noted its origin in Yizhou(present-day Chengdu and surrounding areas in Sichuan) and the Wuling region(between present-day Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangxi provinces), while contemporary sources are mainly from regions south of the Yangtze River and southwestern China. Traditionally, Bambusae Succus was harvested from bamboo that had grown for exactly one year, today, it can be collected year-round without strict age requirements. Ancient preparation methods included direct fire roasting or dry distillation, whereas modern industrial production employs dry distillation, reflux extraction, and percolation. In terms of quality evaluation, ancient texts considered a sweet taste to be superior, while today, clarity and transparency are prioritized. Historically, Bambusae Succus was characterized as sweet and cold nature, targeting the lung and stomach meridians, with uses evolving from clearing heat and resolving phlegm to nourishing Yin, moistening dryness, and relaxing tendons and unblocking meridians. Modern descriptions classify it as sweet, bitter, and cold in nature, affecting the heart, liver, and lung meridians, with functions including clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and facilitating orifices. It is indicated for conditions such as stroke with phlegm confusion, lung heat with phlegm congestion, convulsions, epilepsy, excessive phlegm in febrile diseases, high fever with thirst, irritability during pregnancy, and tetanus, with more clearly defined applications. Based on the results of the research, it is recommended that when developing and utilizing famous classical formulas containing Bambusae Succus, the one-year-old Phyllostachys nigra var. Henonis, which has been highly praised throughout history, should be selected as the source material. Industrial production should adopt the dry distillation method. Furthermore, in-depth research should be conducted on the modern technological characterization of the traditional quality control indicator of sweet taste, and reasonable modern quality control standards should be established.
10.Analysis of the characteristics and influencing factors of mirtazapine steady-state trough concentration and concentration-to-dose ratio
Ze ZHANG ; Mengqiang ZHAO ; Ruiyan YU ; Yiyuan WANG ; Yuanyuan ZHAO ; Jing YU ; Chunhua ZHOU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(6):776-781
OBJECTIVE To analyze the distribution characteristics of mirtazapine steady-state trough concentration and concentration-to-dose ratio ( C / D ), and to investigate the influence of clinical and genetic factors on C / D . METHODS A retrospective study was conducted on hospitalized patients with depression who received mirtazapine treatment and underwent therapeutic drug monitoring at the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from May 2022 to May 2025. The collected data included patients’ gender, age, body mass index, daily dose, steady-state trough concentration, smoking status, history of liver disease, drug type, concomitant medications, and CYP2D6 metabolic phenotype. The C / D was calculated. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship between mirtazapine steady-state trough concentration and daily dose. Univariate analysis and multiple linear regression model were employed to screen the factors potentially influencing the C / D of mirtazapine. RESULTS A total of 226 patients were included. The daily dose of mirtazapine was 25.00 (24.82, 30.00) mg/d, the steady-state trough concentration was 44.46 (20.00, 70.00) ng/mL, and the C / D was 1.83 (1.00, 2.00) (ng·d)/(mL·mg). Steady-state trough concentrations were within the reference range (30-80 ng/mL) in 121 patients (53.54%), below the lower limit in 80 patients (35.40%), and above the upper limit in 25 patients (11.06%). A positive correlation was observed between mirtazapine steady-state trough concentration and daily dose (coefficient of determination was 0.320 8, P <0.001). Gender, smoking status, and CYP2D6 metabolic phenotype were significantly associated with the mirtazapine C / D ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Significant interindividual variability exists in mirtazapine steady-state trough concentrations. Gender, smoking status, and CYP2D6 metabolic phenotype are identified as independent influencing factors for the mirtazapine C / D , with higher C / D ratios observed in females, non-smokers, and intermediate metabolizers.

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