ObjectiveTo decipher the mechanism by which Zuoguiwan （ZGW） treat hyperthyroidism in rats with kidney-Yin deficiency based on the dopamine receptor D4 （DRD4）/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） oxidase 4 （NOX4） signaling pathway. MethodsThe rat model of kidney-Yin deficiency was induced by unilateral intramuscular injection of dexamethasone （0.35 mg·kg^-1）. After successful modeling， the rats were randomized into model， methimazole （positive control， 5 mg·kg^-1）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.85， 3.70， 7.40 g·kg^-1， respectively） ZGW， and normal control groups. After 21 days of continuous gavage， the behavioral indexes and body weight changes of rats were evaluated. The pathological changes of the renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The serum levels of thyroid hormones ［triiodothyronine （T₃）， thyroxine （T₄）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）］， renal function indexes ［serum creatine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）］， energy metabolism markers ［cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） and cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）］， and oxidative stress-related factors ［superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and NADPH）］ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was employed to analyze the expression of DRD4， NOX4， mitochondrial respiratory chain complex proteins ［NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit S4 （NDUFS4） and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 4 （COX4）］， and inflammation-related protein ［tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）］ pathway in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed mental malaise， body weight decreases （P<0.01）， inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal tissue， a few residual parotid glands in the thyroid， elevations in serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA， and NADPH （P<0.01）， down-regulation in protein levels of TSH， SOD， and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulation in expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， ZGW increased the body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced the infiltration of renal interstitial inflammatory cells， restored the thyroid structure and follicle size， lowered the serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA and NADPH （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the expression of TSH， SOD and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， high-dose ZGW outperformed methimazole （P<0.05）. ConclusionBy activating DRD4， ZGW can inhibit the expression of NOX4 mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway， reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response， thereby ameliorating the pathological state of hyperthyroidism due to kidney-Yin deficiency. This study provides new molecular mechanism support for the clinical application of ZGW.

Based on the thinking of programmatization and proceduralization， this study integrated traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） classic theories with modern knowledge expression technologies to construct a "formula-symptom" syndrome differentiation thinking model centered on "symptom clustering-main syndrome screening-formula adaptation"， and explored the standardization and intelligentization path of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment. By establishing the mapping relationship model between formulas and syndromes including quantitative weight analysis of chief， deputy， assistant and envoy medicines， designing the logical hierarchical structure of formula-syndrome decision tree （application of three-level decision tree and fuzzy logic）， and formulating the procedural design of four diagnostic methods （structured collection， correlation model， and dynamic correction mechanism）， the standardization and visualization of the syndrome differentiation process are realized. This model can be transformed into the core data set for artificial intelligence training. Through ternary knowledge graph and machine learning algorithms， it can improve the repeatability of syndrome differentiation and the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment， and implement the strategy of "group model + individual modification" to balance the conflict between quantification and individualization. The core value of this model lies in promoting the objectification and precision development of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment through the integration of traditional syndrome differentiation thinking and modern system science.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder （ADHD） is often accompanied by tic disorder. The core pathogenesis is considered to be ministerial fire scorching yin and internal stirring of deficient wind， which leads to disharmony between the body and spirit， resulting in clinical manifestations. The treatment principles emphasize nourishing yin fluids， calming ministerial fire， and extinguishing endogenous wind （内风）. The method of nourishing yin fluids is applied throughout the entire treatment process， commonly using ingredients such as Shudihuang （Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata）， Shanzhuyu （Corni Fructus）， Gouqizi （Lycii Fructus）， Wuweizi （Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus）， and Tusizi （Cuscutae Semen）. These are combined with approaches to harmonize the zang-fu organs， primarily including extinguishing liver wind， clearing heart fire， nourishing kidney water， and strengthening spleen earth， thereby stabilizing ministerial fire and extinguishing endogenous wind. Additionally， emotional regulation and smoothing emotional constraint are essential to improve clinical symptoms in children with ADHD comorbid with tic disorder.

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.

To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

BACKGROUND:Cardiac dysfunction due to spinal cord injury is an important factor of death in patients with spinal cord injury;however,the specific mechanism is still not clear.Therefore,revealing the mechanism of cardiac dysfunction in spinal cord injury patients is of great significance to improve their quality of life and survival rate. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the mechanism of luteolin in improving serum-induced myocardial cell death in spinal cord injury rats. METHODS:Allen's impact instrument was used to damage the spine T9-T11 of male SD rats to establish a spinal cord injury model meanwhile a sham operation group was set as the control group.The serum of rats of each group was collected.H9c2 cells were divided into a blank control group,a sham operated rat serum group,a spinal cord injury rat serum group and a luteolin pretreatment group.The cells in blank control group were only cultured with ordinary culture medium.The cells in the sham operated rat serum group were treated with medium containing 10%serum from sham operated rat.The cells in the spinal cord injury rat serum group were treated with medium containing 10%serum from spinal cord injury rat.The cells in the luteolin pretreatment group were precultured with a final concentration of 20 μmol/L luteolin for 4 hours and then changed to a medium containing 10%rat serum from spinal cord injury rat.After 24 hours of culture,the survival rate of each group of H9c2 cells was measured by CCK-8 assay.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of autophagy related protein LC3 and p62 in H9c2 cells in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the blank control group,there was no significant change in cell survival rate in the sham operated rat serum group(P>0.05).Compared with the sham operated rat serum group,the cell survival rate(P<0.01)and the expression of LC3 protein(P<0.05)in spinal cord injury rat serum group was significantly reduced,and the expression of p62 protein was significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with the spinal cord injury rat serum group,the survival rate of cells in the luteolin pretreatment group significantly increased(P<0.000 1);the expression of LC3 protein significantly increased(P<0.05),and the expression of p62 protein significantly decreased(P<0.05).The results indicate that luteolin may improve myocardial cell death induced by serum from rats with spinal cord injury by promoting autophagy.

BACKGROUND:Carnosic acid,a bioactive compound found in rosemary,has been shown to reduce inflammation and reactive oxygen species(ROS).However,its mechanism of action in osteoclast differentiation remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of carnosic acid on osteoclast activation,ROS production,and mitochondrial function. METHODS:Primary bone marrow-derived macrophages from mice were extracted and cultured in vitro.Different concentrations of carnosic acid(0,10,15,20,25 and 30 μmol/L)were tested for their effects on bone marrow-derived macrophage proliferation and toxicity using the cell counting kit-8 cell viability assay to determine a safe concentration.Bone marrow-derived macrophages were cultured in graded concentrations and induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand for osteoclast differentiation for 5-7 days.The effects of carnosic acid on osteoclast differentiation and function were then observed through tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining,F-actin staining,H2DCFDA probe and mitochondrial ROS,and Mito-Tracker fluorescence detection.Western blot and RT-PCR assays were subsequently conducted to examine the effects of carnosic acid on the upstream and downstream proteins of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand-induced MAPK signaling pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and F-actin staining showed that carnosic acid dose-dependently inhibited in vitro osteoclast differentiation and actin ring formation in the cell cytoskeleton,with the highest inhibitory effect observed in the high concentration group(30 μmol/L).Carnosic acid exhibited the most significant inhibitory effect during the early stages(days 1-3)of osteoclast differentiation compared to other intervention periods.Fluorescence imaging using the H2DCFDA probe,mitochondrial ROS,and Mito-Tracker demonstrated that carnosic acid inhibited cellular and mitochondrial ROS production while reducing mitochondrial membrane potential,thereby influencing mitochondrial function.The results of western blot and RT-PCR revealed that carnosic acid could suppress the expression of NFATc1,CTSK,MMP9,and C-fos proteins associated with osteoclast differentiation,and downregulate the expression of NFATc1,Atp6vod2,ACP5,CTSK,and C-fos genes related to osteoclast differentiation.Furthermore,carnosic acid enhanced the expression of antioxidant enzyme proteins and reduced the generation of ROS during the process of osteoclast differentiation.Overall,carnosic acid exerts its inhibitory effects on osteoclast differentiation by inhibiting the phosphorylation modification of the P38/ERK/JNK protein and activating the MAPK signaling pathway in bone marrow-derived macrophages.

BACKGROUND:Currently,different methods of model establishment have been derived from different injury modes of spinal cord injury.Traditional physical injury modeling methods have their own advantages and disadvantages,and there is a lack of more effective and stable animal models of spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVE:To establish a reproducible,controllable,trauma-free,low-mortality,more stable,widely applicable,and short-term postoperative care rat model of spinal cord injury. METHODS:Forty Sprague-Dawley rats with similar body mass and ages were randomly divided into a control group and an improved group,with 20 rats in each group.Animal models of spinal cord injury in the control group were constructed using a clip model method,while the improved group used a modified ligation method based on the compression method to make the spinal cord injury models using suture ligation based on fenestration.Postoperative comparisons were made between the two groups,assessing urination behavior,hematuria,pyuria(infection rate),mortality,scoliosis rate and Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores at 1,3,5,and 7 days after modeling. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the conventional modeling method,the modified ligation method based on the compression method resulted in faster recovery of urination behavior,lower hematuria rate,lower infection rate,lower mortality rate,lower scoliosis rate,and more concentrated and stable Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores(all below 2 points within 1 week).This proves that the modified ligation method based on compression is more suitable for the establishment of spinal cord injury models in rats.

BACKGROUND:Cervical disc herniation can cause pain in the neck and shoulder area,as well as radiating pain in the upper limbs.The incidence rate is increasing year by year and tends to affect younger individuals.Fully understanding the biomechanical characteristics of the cervical spine in adolescents is of great significance for preventing and delaying the onset of cervical disc herniation in this age group. OBJECTIVE:To reconstruct cervical spine models for both healthy adolescents and adolescent patients with cervical disc herniation utilizing finite element analysis techniques,to analyze the motion range of the C1-T1 cervical vertebrae as well as the biomechanical characteristics of the annulus fibrosus,nucleus pulposus,endplates,and the cartilage of the small joints. METHODS:A normal adolescent's cervical spine and an adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation were selected in this study.The continuous scan cervical spine CT raw image data were imported into Mimics 21.0 in DICOM format.The C1-T1 vertebrae were reconstructed separately.Subsequently,the established models were imported into the 3-Matic software for disc reconstruction.The perfected models were then imported into Hypermesh software for meshing of the vertebrae,nucleus pulposus,annulus fibrosus,and ligaments,creating valid geometric models.After assigning material properties,the final models were imported into ABAQUS software to observe the joint motion range of the C1-C7 cervical vertebrae segments under different conditions,and to analyze the biomechanical characteristics of the annulus fibrosus,nucleus pulposus,endplates,and small joint cartilage of each cervical spine segment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)In six different conditions,the joint motion range of the C1 vertebra in the cervical spine models of both normal adolescent and adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation was higher than that of the other vertebrae.Additionally,the joint motion range of each cervical spine segment in normal adolescent was greater than that in adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation.(2)In the cervical spine model of normal adolescent,the maximum stress values in the annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus were found on the left side during C2-3 flexion conditions(0.43 MPa and 0.17 MPa,respectively).In the cervical spine model of adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation,the maximum stress values were found on the left side during C7-T1 flexion conditions(0.54 MPa and 0.18 MPa,respectively).(3)In the cervical spine model of normal adolescent,the maximum stress value on the endplate was found on the left side of the upper endplate of C3 during flexion conditions(1.46 MPa).In the model of adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation,the maximum stress value on the endplate was found on the left side of the lower endplate of C7 during flexion conditions(1.32 MPa).(4)In the cervical spine model of normal adolescent,the maximum stress value in the small joint cartilage was found in the C2-3 left rotation conditions(0.98 MPa).In adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation,the stress in the small joint cartilage significantly increased under different conditions,especially in C1-2,with the maximum stress found during left flexion(3.50 MPa).(5)It is concluded that compared to normal adolescent,adolescent patient with cervical disc herniation exhibits altered cervical curvature and a decrease in overall joint motion range in the cervical spine.In adolescent with cervical disc herniation,there is a significant increase in stress on the annulus fibrosus,nucleus pulposus,and endplates in the C7-T1 segment.The stress on the left articular cartilage of the C1-2 is notable.Abnormal cervical curvature may be the primary factor causing these stress changes.

BACKGROUND:Flap transplantation technique is a commonly used surgical procedure for the treatment of severe tissue defects,but postoperative flap necrosis is easily triggered by ischemia-reperfusion injury.Therefore,it is still an important research topic to improve the survival rate of transplanted flaps. OBJECTIVE:To review the pathogenesis and latest treatment progress of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang Database and PubMed database were searched for relevant literature published from 2014 to 2024.The search terms used were"flap,ischemia-reperfusion injury,inflammatory response,oxidative stress,Ca2+overload,apoptosis,mesenchymal stem cells,platelet-rich plasma,signaling pathways,shock wave,pretreatment"in Chinese and English.After elimination of irrelevant literature,poor quality and obsolete literature,77 documents were finally included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Flap ischemia/reperfusion injury may be related to pathological factors such as inflammatory response,oxidative stress response,Ca2+overload,and apoptosis,which can cause apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells,vascular damage and microcirculation disorders in the flap,and eventually lead to flap necrosis.Studies have found that mesenchymal stem cell transplantation,platelet-rich plasma,signaling pathway modulators,shock waves,and pretreatment can alleviate flap ischemia/reperfusion injuries from different aspects and to varying degrees,and reduce the necrosis rate and necrosis area of the grafted flap.Although there are many therapeutic methods for skin flap ischemia/reperfusion injury,a unified and effective therapeutic method has not yet been developed in the clinic,and the advantages and disadvantages of various therapeutic methods have not yet been compared.Most of the studies remain in the stage of animal experiments,rarely involving clinical observations.Therefore,a lot of research is required in the future to gradually move from animal experiments to the clinic in order to better serve the clinic.