ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Astragali Radix-mediated changes in gut microbiota on treating type 2 diabetes （T2DM）. MethodsA 12-week randomized， placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled eighty patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control in the Qi deficiency type. All patients received insulin therapy. The observation group （40 cases） was administered with Astragali Radix Granules， while the control group （40 cases） received a placebo. Both treamtents were taken orally twice daily. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Serum glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Glucose metabolism indicators including fasting blood glucose （FPG）， 2-hour postprandial blood glucose （2 h PG），glycated albumin（GA）， and glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） were evaluated. Pancreatic function was evaluated using fasting C-peptide （FCP）， 2-hour postprandial C-peptide （2 h CP）， and C-peptide area under the curve （AUC_cp）. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， and safety indicators were also observed. ResultsIn terms of glucose metabolism indicators， compared with the baseline， both groups exhibited significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C （P<0.01），while FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after the treatment， the observation group showed significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C（P<0.05， P<0.01），and significantly higher FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp （P<0.05， P<0.01）， indicating that Astragali Radix can improve glucose metabolism. In terms of the diversity of gut microbiota， no significant differences were detected in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes of the two groups compared with their respective baselines. However， compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group demonstrated significant increases in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The β-diversity analysis showed significant separation in gut microbiota composition before and after treatment in both groups， indicating that Astragali Radix can significantly alter the structure and improve the diversity of gut microbiota. At the phylum level， compared with the baseline， both groups showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. The relative abundance of the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria was significantly lower in the observation Group after treatment （P<0.01）. Compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. No significant difference was found in Firmicutes/Bacteroidota （F/B） ratio between the two groups after treatment， and other phyla showed no significant differences. At the genus level， compared with the baseline， the observation group exhibited a significant increase in Bacteroides （P<0.01） and a significant decrease in Escherichia-Shigella （P<0.01）， whereas no significant difference was seen in the control group . Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group after treatment had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroides （P<0.01）. No significant differences were seen in other genera. Linear discriminant analysis （LDA） identified potential characteristics taxa： in the observation group， Bacteroidota at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Dubosiella at the genus level， in the control group， Proteobacteria at the phylum level as well as Barnesiella and Staphylococcus at the genus level. Correlation analysis based on a heatmap revealed that GLP-1 levels were positively correlated with Firmicutes， F/B ratio and Fusobacterium， and negatively correlated with Bacteroidota， Proteobacteria， Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella. In terms of clinical efficacy， compared with the control group， the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher （P<0.05）. Compared with the baseline， the scores for shortness of breath， fatigue， weakness， spontaneous sweating and reluctance to speak significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the score for weakness was significantly lower in the observation group （P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix could improve clinical symptoms and alleviate weakness symptoms. In terms of safety， compared with the baseline， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05，P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix did not induce any significant abnormalities in liver and kidney functions. ConclusionAstragali Radix demonstrates the potential to significantly improve the gut microbiota environment in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with Qi deficiency. The therapeutic effect may contribute to glycemic control， possibly mediated by an elevation in GLP-1 level. These findings may support its further clinical investigations and potential applications.

This article systematically reviews the current research status as well as diagnosis and treatment strategies of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for gastroesophageal reflux disease （GERD）. Studies demonstrate that TCM， based on the "disease-syndrome combination" approach， exhibits multi-target advantages in alleviating symptoms of various GERD subtypes， promoting mucosal repair， regulating emotions， and facilitating the reduction of western medication. To address clinical challenges such as symptom overlap and limited therapeutic efficacy， strategies have been proposed including "treating different diseases with the same method" and integrated regulation based on viscera correlation. Future efforts should focus on elucidating the mechanisms of compound prescriptions， promoting TCM drug development under the "three-combination" evaluation framework that integrates TCM theory， human experience and clinical trial evidence， and optimizing integrated traditional and western medicine models to enhance GERD management.

It is considered that "turbid pathogen damaging the clear， and the loss of clarity and harmony regulation" is the core pathogenesis of esophageal precancerous lesions， with turbid pathogen persisting throughout the disease course. Turbid pathogen encompasses qi turbidity， phlegm turbidity， stasis turbidity， and toxin turbidity， closely related to dietary indiscretion， emotional disharmony， spleen-stomach deficiency， and kidney deficiency failing to consolidate. Turbid pathogen undergoes a dynamic evolution process of qi constraint generating turbid→ phlegm-stasis transforming into toxin→turbidity toxin harming the healthy qi， corresponding to the pathological alterations of hypoxia， inflammation and immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment. The overall therapeutic principle is to remove turbidity and restore clarity. In the early stage， targeting the hypoxic tumor microenvironment， the suggested treatment method is opening constraint and dispersing the block， regulating qi and remove turbidity， with emphasis on soothing liver and regulating stomach， raising the clear and directing the turbid downward. In the middle stage， targeting inflammatory microenvironment， the treatment aims to clear toxin and dissipate nodules， resolve stasis and eliminate turbid， emphasizing phlegm-stasis elimination， turbid-toxin resolution， and concurrent stomach qi protection. In the late stage， corresponding to immunosuppressive microenvironment， the method of boosting qi， nourishing yin， reinforcing healthy qi， and eliminating turbidity can be used， with focus on spleen-stomach tonification， kidney essence replenishment， and healthy qi reinforcement to expel pathogenic factors.

Objective To investigate the material basis and mechanism of Danshen Baizhu prescription in coronary heart disease, vascular dementia and idiopathic membranous nephropathy based on network pharmacology. Methods TCMSP, PubChem, UniProt, GeneCards, OMIM, and DrugBank databases were used to obtain drug and disease targets, and the TCM-compound-drug target network, compound-common target-disease network, and protein-protein interaction map were drawn by STRING database and Cytoscape software, and gene enrichment analysis was performed by Metascape database. Results A total of 164 active compounds, 509 potential targets, and 141 common targets were screened out. The main active ingredients were Tanshinone II A, Isorhamnetin, Quercetin, Luteolin, Kampferol, β-sitosterol, Stigmasterol, etc. The key targets were albumin, interleukin 6, Tumor necrosis factor , serine/threonine kinase 1, vascular endothelial growth factor A , mainly enriching in the positive regulation of cell migration, cell viability, protein phosphorylation, responsing to growth factors, oxidative stress and other biological processes and lipid and atherosclerosis, MAPK, atherosclerosis and fluid shear force, AGE-RAGE, IL-17, PI3K-Akt and other signaling pathways. Conclusion The mechanism of action of Danshen Baizhu prescription for coronary heart disease, vascular dementia and idiopathic membranous nephropathy may mainly play a role in multiple targets and pathways such as inhibition of inflammation, inhibition of oxidative stress, and vasodilation.

ObjectiveTo explore effect of Xianlian Jiedu prescription on the recurrence of colorectal cancer （CRC） and investigate the related mechanisms. MethodsA postoperative recurrence model was established in 25 Balb/c mice by injecting CT26 cells subcutaneously into the armpit， followed by surgical removal of 99% of the subcutaneous tumor. The mice were randomly divided into model group， low-dose Xianlian Jiedu prescription （XLJDP-L） group （6.45 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， medium-dose Xianlian Jiedu prescription （XLJDP-M） group （12.9 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， high-dose Xianlian Jiedu prescription （XLJDP-H） group （25.8 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and 5-fluorouracil （5-FU） group （1×10^-3 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. The mice were euthanized after 14 days of continuous intervention， and recurrent tumor tissue was harvested. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological and morphological changes in the recurrent tumor tissue. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was employed to assess the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen （Ki67）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， and platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule （CD31） in recurrent tumor tissue. The Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of angiopoietin-2 （ANG-2）， VEGF， phosphorylated-protein kinase B （p-Akt）， protein kinase B （Akt）， phosphorylated-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （p-PI3K）， and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K） in recurrent tumor tissue. ResultsBefore treatment， there were no statistical differences in tumor volume， tumor weight， and body mass among the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group compared to the model group， indicating model stability. After treatment， compared with those in the model group， the tumor volume and tumor weight in the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， showing dose dependency. Meanwhile， there were no significant differences in body weight among the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group compared to the model group. HE staining showed that compared with that in the model group， tumor tissue in the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group had loosely arranged cells， increased intercellular spaces， small and shriveled nuclei， light staining， fewer mitotic figures and atypical nuclei， and increased necrotic areas. IHC showed that compared with those of the model group， the positive rates of Ki67， VEGF， and CD31 in the recurrent tumor tissue of the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group were significantly reduced （P<0.01） in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot results showed that compared with those of the model group， the protein expression levels of ANG-2 and VEGF in the recurrent tumor tissue of the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group were significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the p-Akt/Akt and p-PI3K/PI3K ratios were significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXianlian Jiedu prescription significantly inhibits the recurrence of CRC in mice after subcutaneous tumor surgery. The mechanism may involve regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway and downregulating key angiogenic proteins such as ANG-2， VEGF， and CD31.

According to the theory of "toxin accumulation damaging yin"， the accumulation of pathological products and the disruption of homeostasis in the pre-metastatic niche （PMN） of malignant tumors correspond to "toxin accumulation" and "yin damage" respectively. During the dynamic evolution of PMN， the main pathogenesis in the initial stage is healthy qi deficiency and phlegm congestion， obstruction in the ying （营） and wei （卫） level， for which the therapeutic approach is fortifying spleen and warming yang， reinforcing healthy qi， consolidating the root， and assissting in resolving phlegm. In the progression stage， the predominant mechanism is mutual binding of phlegm and stasis， with collateral damage and pathological transformation. Treatment should focus on resolving phlegm and eliminating stasis， using insect-derived medicinals to attack accumulation and block pathological transmission. In the terminal stage， the main pathogenesis involves phlegm-stasis transforming into fire， with depletion of qi and yin， for which it is suggested to replenish qi and nourish yin， combine clearing and tonifying methods to control fire-toxin. After the PMN has formed， pathogenic toxin may flow along the collaterals， tending to lodge in corresponding viscera with functional imbalance and deviation between deficiency and excess， eventually giving rise to malignant tumors. Understanding the pathogenesis of the PMN in the malignant tumors based on the "toxin accumulation damaging yin" theory may provide a valuable perspective for developing traditional Chinese medicine strategies for the prevention and treatment of tumor metastasis.

Guided by the theory of "fire and original qi are restricted"， it is believed that original qi depletion is the root of the cutaneous immune-related adverse events （cirAEs） related to immune checkpoint inhibitors （ICIs）， and the yin fire exuberance is the branch. Among them， original qi depletion is the internal foundation of the disease， while the drug toxicity of ICIs harming original qi is the initiating factor， and exuberant yin fire is the key pathogenesis. In clinical practice， the general treatment principle advocates banking up original qi to consolidate the root and draining fire to raise yang. Buzhong Yiqi Decoction （补中益气汤） can be used to activate transportation of middle jiao （焦） and promote ascent and dispersion of clear yang， thereby restoring the balance of qi and fire， and medicinals such as Huangqin （Radix Scutellariae）， Huanglian （Rhizoma Coptidis） and Huangbai （Cortex Phellodendri Chinensis） can be supplementetd to clear and drain yin fire. At the same time， considering the accompanying symptoms such as dampness-stasis and fluids depletion， the methods of removing dampness and dispelling stasis， supplementing blood and nourishing yin should be added flexibly. This approach can provide a new perspective and treatment strategy for reducing ICIs-related cirAEs in malignant tumors.

Pulmonary complications， the most common postoperative complications of lung cancer， not only affect the quality of life of the patients after surgery but also increase the prognostic risks of postoperative recurrence and metastasis， threatening the life safety. At present， a multidisciplinary model of diagnosis and rehabilitation with integrated traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and Western medicine has been initially formed under the guidance of the concept of rapid rehabilitation post operation for lung cancer. However， the treatment that only aims at shortening hospital stay and reducing the incidence of postoperative complications does not pay enough attention to the postoperative functional rehabilitation of the lung and the impact of follow-up adjuvant therapy， which affects the completeness of rehabilitation. This paper classifies the typical postoperative symptoms and manifestations of lung cancer into five groups： Lung system， emotion， digestive tract， pain， and nerve. On this basis， this paper summarizes the three core pathogeneses of postoperative complications of lung cancer as failure of Qi to ascend and descend leading to insecurity of defensive exterior， vessel block leading to Qi stagnation and fluid retention， and lung Qi deficiency leading to spleen and kidney deficiency. Accordingly， this paper proposes the treatment principle of protecting healthy Qi and treating Qi with the core of descending-tonifying-ascending-dispersing Qi and puts forward three treatment methods. The first is replenishing Qi and consolidating exterior， and expelling phlegm and regulating lung. The second is replenishing Qi and promoting blood flow to resolve stasis and relieving pain. The third is replenishing Qi and tonifying lung， and invigorating spleen and tonifying kidney. Furthermore， this paper elaborates on the pathogenesis and treatment principles of four common postoperative complications： Lung infection， pleural effusion， atelectasis， and bronchopleural fistula. On the basis of Western medical treatment， the TCM treatment characteristics of treating symptoms in the acute phase and eradicating the root cause in the chronic phase should be played. While dispelling the pathogen， measures should be taken to protect the healthy Qi， including tonifying lung Qi， regulating spleen Qi， and replenishing kidney Qi. This study summarizes the pathogenesis and treatment strategy of common postoperative complications of lung cancer according to the principle of protecting healthy Qi and treating Qi， aiming to provide guidance for the future treatment of postoperative complications of lung cancer.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of Sanhua essential oil inhalation as aromatherapy in patients with breast cancer-related depression.MethodsIn total, 144 patients with breast cancer-related depression who underwent postoperative chemotherapy were recruited. The participants in the control group (n = 52) were offered a placebo (sunflower oil) daily, whereas those in the essential oil group (n = 52) were administered Sanhua essential oil. This study evaluated depression improvement, Hamilton Depression Scale score, scores of symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Pittsburgh Sleepiness Quotient Index score, incidence of nausea and vomiting, and signal changes on functional magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsDepression improved by 48.1% and 21.2% in the essential oil and control groups, respectively (P = .010). The Hamilton Depression Scale score (P = .017), scores for symptoms in TCM (P = .002), and the incidence of nausea and vomiting in the acute and delayed phases were lower in the essential oil group than in the control group (nausea in the acute phase, P = .017; nausea in the delayed phase, P = .039; vomiting in the acute phase, P = .008; vomiting in the delayed phase, P = .081). The Pittsburgh Sleepiness Quotient Index score was lower in the essential oil group than in the control group (P = .005). Significant differences existed between the two groups in the left superior parietal gyrus, right precuneus, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, and right precentral gyrus according to functional connectivity on functional magnetic resonance imaging.ConclusionInhalation of Sanhua essential oil alleviated depression in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, improved sleep quality, relieved TCM symptoms, reduced nausea and vomiting, and regulated activities in the brain regions.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of Juan Bi Pill (JBP) in treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: From February 2017 to May 2018, 115 participants from 4 centers were randomly divided into JBP group (57 cases) and placebo group (58 cases) in a 1:1 ratio using a random number table method. Participants received a dose of JBP (4 g, twice a day, orally) combined with methotrexate (MTX, 10 mg per week) or placebo (4 g, twice a day, orally) combined with MTX for 12 weeks. Participants were required with follow-up visits at 24 and 48 weeks, attending 7 assessment visits. Participants were undergo disease activity assessment 7 times (at baseline and 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 weeks) and safety assessments 6 times (at baseline and 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 weeks). The primary endpoint was 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP). The secondary endpoints included American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for 20% and 50% improvement (ACR20/50), Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), clinical disease activity index (CDAI), visual analog scale (VAS), Short Form-36 (SF-36) score, Medial Outcomes Study (MOS) sleep scale score, serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), tender joint count, swollen joint count, and morning stiffness. The adverse reactions were observed during the treatment. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of treatment, DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP scores in both groups were lower than before treatment (both P<0.01), while the remission rate of DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP and low disease activity of JBP group were higher than those in the placebo group (both P<0.01). JBP demonstrated better efficacy on ACR20 and ACR50 compliance rate at 12 and 48 weeks comparing to placebo (all P<0.05). The CDAI and HAQ-DI score, pain VAS and global VAS change of RA patients and physicians, the serum ESR and CRP levels, and the number of tenderness and swelling joints were lower than before treatment at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 weeks in both groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the reduction of above indices in the JBP group was more obvious than those in the placebo group at 12 weeks (ESR and CRP, both P<0.05) or at 12 and 48 weeks (all P<0.01). There was no difference in adverse reactions between the 2 groups during treatment (P=0.75). CONCLUSION JBP combined with MTX could effectively reduce disease activity in patients with RA in active stage, reduce the symptoms of arthritis, and improve the quality of life, while ensuring safety, reliability, and fewer adverse effects. (Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT02885597).
Humans ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Methotrexate/adverse effects* ; Female ; Double-Blind Method ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Adult ; Antirheumatic Agents/adverse effects* ; Aged