1.Integrated evidence chain (Eff-iEC) based effectiveness evaluation of a multifunctional traditional Chinese medicine formula: Taking Xiaoyao San as an example
Caiping HE ; Ye LUO ; Zhiqi LI ; Haocheng YANG ; Lu LIU ; Yingjie XU ; Xiaoyan CHEN ; Siqi HUANG ; Jincai WEN ; Xiaoyan ZHAN ; Zhaofang BAI ; Xu ZHAO ; Xiaohe XIAO
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):96-103
The study focuses on the concept of multifunctional traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas and aims to evaluate the efficacy of the classical formula Xiaoyao San (逍遥散). Study employs the integrated evidence chain (Eff-iEC) method to organize, integrate, and evaluate its therapeutic efficacy in treating different diseases with the same therapy, and to investigate the feasibility of using Eff-iEC to evaluate the multifunctionality of TCM formulas. The evaluation covered Xiaoyao San's therapeutic effects on depression, premenstrual syndrome, chronic hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, and menopausal syndrome. Concurrently, the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used for evaluation, and authoritative medical documents were incorporated to corroborate the recognition of Xiaoyao San within the medical community. Depression and menopausal syndrome received higher ratings than other conditions in the Eff-iEC, GRADE, and Medical Community Recognition assessments. The Eff-iEC evidence grade for Xiaoyao San was rated as "High" or above for chronic hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, and menopausal syndrome. Premenstrual syndrome received a "Moderate +" rating. The GRADE evidence level was "Low-〇〇⨁⨁" for depression, premenstrual syndrome, and chronic hepatitis; "Moderate-〇⨁⨁⨁" for dyspepsia and menopausal syndrome; and "Very Low-〇〇〇⨁" for irritable bowel syndrome. Depression and menopausal syndrome had the highest inclusion frequency, appearing in all 4 categories. Premenstrual syndrome, chronic hepatitis, and dyspepsia are not recommended in Western medical guidelines, but they are included in TCM guidelines, the China National Basic Medical Insurance Drug List, and the China National Essential Drug List. Irritable bowel syndrome appears only in the China National Basic Medical Insurance Drug List and China National Essential Drug List. The evaluation results obtained using the Eff-iEC method align with Medical Community Recognition, providing an objective and comprehensive assessment of Xiaoyao San's efficacy. The findings suggest that Xiaoyao San has strong evidence for treating depression and menopausal syndrome. However, further experimental and clinical trials are needed to assess its efficacy in treating premenstrual syndrome, chronic hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and dyspepsia. These results support the clinical efficacy and rational use of Xiaoyao San, expand the application scope of the Eff-iEC method, and offer valuable insights and methodological references for the comparative evaluation of multifunctional TCM formulas.
2.The application prospects of adeno-associated virus vectors in liver fibrosis
Suyu XIAO ; Sisi YAO ; Qing LI ; Tingzheng ZHAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(4):972-979
Liver fibrosis is a critical pathological stage in the progression of various chronic liver diseases to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, and it is characterized by the activation of hepatic stellate cells and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. There are currently limited clinical treatment methods for liver fibrosis, and gene therapy has attracted increasing attention as a promising intervention strategy. Owing to its advantages of low immunogenicity, strong tissue tropism, and long-term gene expression, adeno-associated virus (AAV) has become an ideal vector for gene therapy. This article systematically reviews the structural and functional features of AAV, the tissue-targeting properties of different serotypes, and the methods for preparation and purification of recombinant AAV and focuses on the advances in the application of AAV-mediated gene overexpression, gene silencing, gene editing, and cellular reprogramming in mechanism research and intervention of liver fibrosis, as well as the challenges in clinical translation and corresponding strategies. AAV-mediated gene therapy is expected to provide novel tools and strategies for the precise treatment and mechanism study of liver fibrosis.
3.Ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) for high transsphincteric fistulas: a double-center retrospective study with long-term follow-up
Leichang ZHANG ; Chuanyu ZHAN ; Lu LI ; Wanjin SHAO ; Guidong SUN ; Yugen CHEN ; Guanghua CHEN ; Yulei LANG ; Zenghua XIAO ; Xiao XIAO
Annals of Coloproctology 2025;41(1):77-83
Purpose:
This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) procedure in treating high transsphincteric fistulas.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the success rate of LIFT treatment in 82 patients with high transsphincteric fistulas involving at least one-third of the external sphincter. This study was carried out across 2 centers from November 2009 to February 2023.
Results:
All patients underwent successful surgery with a median operative time of 48.9 minutes (range, 20–80 minutes), and no intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. The median follow-up duration was 85.5 months (range, 4–120 months), with 5 patients (6.1%) lost to follow-up. Treatment was successful in 62 patients, whose symptoms disappeared and both the external opening and the intersphincteric incision completely healed, yielding an overall efficiency rate of 80.5%. There were 15 cases (19.5%) of treatment failure, including 6 (7.8%) that converted to intersphincteric anal fistula and 9 (11.7%) that experienced persistent or recurrent fistulas. Only 1 patient reported minor overflow during the postoperative follow-up, but no other patients reported any significant discomfort. There were no statistically significant differences between patients with surgical success and those with treatment failure in terms of fistula length, history of previous abscess or anal fistula surgery, number of external orifices or fistulas, and location of fistulas (all P>0.05).
Conclusion
LIFT is a safe and effective sphincter-preserving procedure that yields satisfactory healing outcomes and has minimal impact on anal function.
4.Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin mitigates atopic dermatitis by inhibiting Th2 differentiation through LCK phosphorylation modulation.
Hang ZHAO ; Xin MA ; Hao WANG ; Xiao-Jie DING ; Le KUAI ; Jian-Kun SONG ; Zhan ZHANG ; Dan YANG ; Chun-Jie GAO ; Bin LI ; Mi ZHOU
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(3):309-319
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the safety and topical efficacy of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (POG) and investigate the molecular mechanisms of its therapeutic effects in atopic dermatitis (AD).
METHODS:
The effects of POG on human keratinocyte cell viability and its anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated using cell counting kit-8 assay and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequently, the impact of POG on the differentiation of cluster of differentiation (CD) 4+ T cell subsets, including T-helper type (Th) 1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T (Treg), was examined through in vitro experiments. Network pharmacology analysis was used to elucidate POG's therapeutic mechanisms. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of topically applied POG was further evaluated in a calcipotriol-induced mouse model of AD. The protein and transcript levels of inflammatory markers, including cytokines, lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (Lck) mRNA, and LCK phosphorylation (p-LCK), were quantified using immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and Western blot analysis.
RESULTS:
POG was able to suppress cell proliferation and downregulate the transcription of interleukin 4 (Il4) and Il13 mRNA. In vitro experiments indicated that POG significantly inhibited the differentiation of Th2 cells, whereas it exerted negligible influence on the differentiation of Th1, Th17 and Treg cells. Network pharmacology identified LCK as a key therapeutic target of POG. Moreover, the topical application of POG effectively alleviated skin lesions in the calcipotriol-induced AD mouse models without causing pathological changes in the liver, kidney or spleen tissues. POG significantly reduced the levels of Il4, Il5, Il13, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (Tslp) mRNA in the AD mice. Concurrently, POG enhanced the expression of p-LCK protein and Lck mRNA.
CONCLUSION
Our research revealed that POG inhibits Th2 cell differentiation by promoting p-LCK protein expression and hence effectively alleviates AD-related skin inflammation. Please cite this article as: Zhao H, Ma X, Wang H, Ding XJ, Kuai L, Song JK, Zhang Z, Yang D, Gao CJ, Li B, Zhou M. Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin mitigates atopic dermatitis by inhibiting Th2 differentiation through LCK phosphorylation modulation. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 309-319.
Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy*
;
Animals
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Humans
;
Cell Differentiation/drug effects*
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Phosphorylation/drug effects*
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Mice
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Th2 Cells/drug effects*
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Keratinocytes/drug effects*
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Disease Models, Animal
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Mice, Inbred BALB C
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Calcitriol/analogs & derivatives*
5.Nigella sativa L. seed extract alleviates oxidative stress-induced cellular senescence and dysfunction in melanocytes.
Ben NIU ; Xiaohong AN ; Yongmei CHEN ; Ting HE ; Xiao ZHAN ; Xiuqi ZHU ; Fengfeng PING ; Wei ZHANG ; Jia ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(2):203-213
Nigella sativa L. seeds have been traditionally utilized in Chinese folk medicine for centuries to treat vitiligo. This study revealed that the ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa L. (HZC) enhances melanogenesis and mitigates oxidative stress-induced cellular senescence and dysfunction in melanocytes. In accordance with established protocols, the ethanol fraction from Nigella sativa L. seeds was extracted, concentrated, and lyophilized to evaluate its herbal effects via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, tyrosinase activity evaluation, measurement of cellular melanin contents, scratch assays, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot analysis for expression profiling of experimentally relevant proteins. The results indicated that HZC significantly enhanced tyrosinase activity and melanin content while notably increasing the protein expression levels of Tyr, Mitf, and gp100 in B16F10 cells. Furthermore, HZC effectively mitigated oxidative stress-induced cellular senescence, improved melanocyte condition, and rectified various functional impairments associated with melanocyte dysfunction. These findings suggest that HZC increases melanin synthesis in melanocytes through the activation of the MAPK, PKA, and Wnt signaling pathways. In addition, HZC attenuates oxidative damage induced by H2O2 therapy by activating the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE) pathway and enhancing the activity of downstream antioxidant enzymes, thus preventing premature senescence and dysfunction in melanocytes.
Oxidative Stress/drug effects*
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Melanocytes/cytology*
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Cellular Senescence/drug effects*
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Nigella sativa/chemistry*
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Plant Extracts/pharmacology*
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Seeds/chemistry*
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Mice
;
Animals
;
Melanins/metabolism*
;
Monophenol Monooxygenase/metabolism*
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Humans
6.Ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) for high transsphincteric fistulas: a double-center retrospective study with long-term follow-up
Leichang ZHANG ; Chuanyu ZHAN ; Lu LI ; Wanjin SHAO ; Guidong SUN ; Yugen CHEN ; Guanghua CHEN ; Yulei LANG ; Zenghua XIAO ; Xiao XIAO
Annals of Coloproctology 2025;41(1):77-83
Purpose:
This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) procedure in treating high transsphincteric fistulas.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the success rate of LIFT treatment in 82 patients with high transsphincteric fistulas involving at least one-third of the external sphincter. This study was carried out across 2 centers from November 2009 to February 2023.
Results:
All patients underwent successful surgery with a median operative time of 48.9 minutes (range, 20–80 minutes), and no intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. The median follow-up duration was 85.5 months (range, 4–120 months), with 5 patients (6.1%) lost to follow-up. Treatment was successful in 62 patients, whose symptoms disappeared and both the external opening and the intersphincteric incision completely healed, yielding an overall efficiency rate of 80.5%. There were 15 cases (19.5%) of treatment failure, including 6 (7.8%) that converted to intersphincteric anal fistula and 9 (11.7%) that experienced persistent or recurrent fistulas. Only 1 patient reported minor overflow during the postoperative follow-up, but no other patients reported any significant discomfort. There were no statistically significant differences between patients with surgical success and those with treatment failure in terms of fistula length, history of previous abscess or anal fistula surgery, number of external orifices or fistulas, and location of fistulas (all P>0.05).
Conclusion
LIFT is a safe and effective sphincter-preserving procedure that yields satisfactory healing outcomes and has minimal impact on anal function.
7.Ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) for high transsphincteric fistulas: a double-center retrospective study with long-term follow-up
Leichang ZHANG ; Chuanyu ZHAN ; Lu LI ; Wanjin SHAO ; Guidong SUN ; Yugen CHEN ; Guanghua CHEN ; Yulei LANG ; Zenghua XIAO ; Xiao XIAO
Annals of Coloproctology 2025;41(1):77-83
Purpose:
This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) procedure in treating high transsphincteric fistulas.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the success rate of LIFT treatment in 82 patients with high transsphincteric fistulas involving at least one-third of the external sphincter. This study was carried out across 2 centers from November 2009 to February 2023.
Results:
All patients underwent successful surgery with a median operative time of 48.9 minutes (range, 20–80 minutes), and no intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. The median follow-up duration was 85.5 months (range, 4–120 months), with 5 patients (6.1%) lost to follow-up. Treatment was successful in 62 patients, whose symptoms disappeared and both the external opening and the intersphincteric incision completely healed, yielding an overall efficiency rate of 80.5%. There were 15 cases (19.5%) of treatment failure, including 6 (7.8%) that converted to intersphincteric anal fistula and 9 (11.7%) that experienced persistent or recurrent fistulas. Only 1 patient reported minor overflow during the postoperative follow-up, but no other patients reported any significant discomfort. There were no statistically significant differences between patients with surgical success and those with treatment failure in terms of fistula length, history of previous abscess or anal fistula surgery, number of external orifices or fistulas, and location of fistulas (all P>0.05).
Conclusion
LIFT is a safe and effective sphincter-preserving procedure that yields satisfactory healing outcomes and has minimal impact on anal function.
8.Determination of sotagliflozin in rat plasma by UPLC-MS/MS method
Ge-xi CAO ; Xiao-xu ZHANG ; Yan-ru DENG ; Bin YAN ; Zhan-jun DONG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2025;41(2):230-234
Objective To establish a ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer(UPLC-MS/MS)method for determining the concentration of sotagliflozin in rat plasma and apply it to pharmacokinetic studies in rats.Methods Electrospray negative ion multi-reaction ion detection was used.Chromatographic column:EXT-C18(2.1 mm × 100.0 mm,2.7 μm);column temperature:45 ℃;mobile phase:5 mmol·L-1 ammonium acetate aqueous solution-acetonitrile;flow rate:0.35 mL·min-1;ion pairs:sotagliflozin m/z 483.3→315.1,dapagliflozin m/z 467.4→329.2;injection volume:6 μL,plasma samples were processed using methyl tert-butyl ether liquid-liquid extraction.Six male SD rats were administered a single oral dose of sogliflozin at 40 mg·kg-1,and detected the concentration of sogliflozin in plasma.Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using Drug And Statistics(DAS)2.1.1.Results Sotagliflozin showed good linearity within the range of 5-2 000 ng·mL-1,with intra-day and inter-day precision both less than 15%.The recovery rate,matrix effect,and stability were all within the specified range.Pharmacokinetic parameters:Cmax was(3 716.67±568.28)ng·mL-1,tmax was(1.00±0.32)h,t1/2 was(2.28±0.45)h,AUC0-t was(1.70 × 104±2 075.87)ng·mL-1·h.Conclusion This study established a method for determining the concentration of sotagliflozin in rat plasma,which is characterized by high sensitivity,rapid detection,and good repeatability.It is suitable for the determination of sotagliflozin concentration in plasma and pharmacokinetic studies.
9.Safety and efficacy of a new single-needle dialysis model in maintenance hemodialysis patients
Bin ZHAO ; Lihong ZHANG ; Shen ZHAN ; Lifang LIU ; Wei LIU ; Shanshan GUO ; Guanghui XIAO ; Yuzhu WANG
Chinese Journal of Nephrology 2025;41(2):125-127
The study was a prospective observational study. A total of 24 patients who underwent maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) at Haidian Hospital in Beijing from May 2024 to June 2024 were included as the study subjects. The safety and efficacy of a new single-needle dialysis in MHD patients were evaluated. The reasons for using single-needle dialysis included waiting for the maturity of internal fistula(7 cases, 29.17%), autogenous arteriovenous fistula thrombosis occurred (6 cases, 25.00%), puncture difficulty occurred (7 cases, 29.17%), and pain sensitivity or elderly (4 cases, 16.67%). The results showed that the average blood flow was (155.65±5.90) ml/min, total blood volume was (35.92±2.65) L during single-needle dialysis. One patient had slight puncture leakage, and the puncture success rate was 95.83%. Relevant indicators of dialysis adequacy showed that the average urea clearance (Kt/V) was 0.90±0.42, urea reduction ratio was 58.31%±7.93%, and online real-time Kt/V monitoring average value was 0.98±0.55. The results suggest that the application of the new improved single-needle dialysis mode in MHD patients is safe and effective.
10.Preoperative neoadjuvant therapy of mitotane combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors for adrenal cortical carcinoma: a case report
Guanwen DING ; Jiang LIU ; Zhan WANG ; Yi LU ; Yu XIAO ; Yang ZHAO ; Yushi ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Urology 2025;46(7):547-548
Adrenocortical carcinoma(ACC)is a rare and highly aggressive malignant tumor. Currently,mitotane is the first-line treatment. However,reports on neoadjuvant therapy for ACC using mitotane combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors remain scarce. This article reports a case of ACC. The patient was asymptomatic,and a right adrenal mass was detected during examination. Diagnostic imaging and endocrine evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of ACC. Due to the large tumor size,radical resection was initially considered unfeasible. After 7 months of mitotane therapy and two courses of tislelizumab,significant tumor shrinkage was achieved,allowing for successful open resection of the large right adrenal tumor combined with right nephrectomy. Postoperative histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of ACC. During the 3-month postoperative follow-up,no evidence of recurrence or metastasis was observed.

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