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

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

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， academic name， medicinal parts， origin， harvesting， processing and other aspects of Abri Herba and Abri Mollis Herba by referring to the herbal medicine， medical books， prescription books and other documents of the past dynasties， combined with the modern literature， so as to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing this type of medicinal materials. According to the herbal textual research， Abri Herba was first recorded in Lingnan Caiyaolu， with other aliases such as Huangtoucao and Xiye Longlincao. It originates from the dried whole plant of Abrus cantoniensis， a Fabaceae plant， which can be used medicinally except for its fruits. Currently， this species is mainly distributed in Guangdong and Guangxi， and also found in Hunan and Thailand， it can be harvested throughout the year， mainly in spring and autumn. The roots， stems， and leaves can be used for medicinal purposes， but the pods are toxic and need to be removed. After harvesting， impurities and pods are removed， and it is dried and processed for medicinal use. Abri Herba has a sweet and slightly bitter taste， is cool in nature， and is associated with the liver and stomach meridians， it is used for clearing heat and relieving dampness， dispersing blood stasis and relieving pain， and is mainly used to treat jaundice-type hepatitis， stomach pain， rheumatic bone pain， contusion and ecchymosis pain， and mastitis. Abri Mollis Herba was first recorded in the 1982 edition of Zhongyaozhi as another origin for Abri Herba， and was singled out in some monographs such as Xinhua Bencao Gangyao in 1988 for use， while some other monographs use it as a local habitual products or confused products of Abri Herba with aliases such as Daye Jigucao， Qingtingteng， and Maoxiangsi. It comes from the dried whole herb of A. mollis without pods， and is mainly produced in Guangxi and Guangdong， and occasionally found in Hong Kong， Hainan and Fujian. The collection and processing are similar to Abri Herba， after harvesting， impurities and pods are removed， and it is dried and cut for medicinal use. Abri Mollis Herba has a sweet and light taste， is cool in nature， and is associated with the liver and stomach meridians， with the efficacy of clearing heat and detoxifying， and promoting dampness， it is mainly used to treat infectious hepatitis， mastitis， furuncles， burns and scalds， and pediatric malnutrition. Based on the research， A. mollis was first recorded to be used as a medicine in the same origin as A. cantoniensis， and as plants of the same genus， have similar morphological characteristics， and their medicinal parts， collection and processing， properties and flavors， and meridian affiliations are consistent. And in the folk， Abri Mollis Herba is often used as Abri Herba， which has been used for a long time and is now dominated by the cultivation of A. mollis. So it is recommended that the subsequent version of Chinese Pharmacopoeia should include A. mollis in the origin of Abri Herba， and it is also recommended that in famous classical formulas refered to Jiguccao can use A. cantoniensis and A. mollis as the sources of the herb， refered to Mao Jiguccao can use A. mollis as the sources of the herb. Processing is carried out according to the requirements specified in the original formulas， and raw products are recommended to be included in the medicine if there are no requirements.

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， academic name， medicinal parts， origin， harvesting， processing and other aspects of Abri Herba and Abri Mollis Herba by referring to the herbal medicine， medical books， prescription books and other documents of the past dynasties， combined with the modern literature， so as to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing this type of medicinal materials. According to the herbal textual research， Abri Herba was first recorded in Lingnan Caiyaolu， with other aliases such as Huangtoucao and Xiye Longlincao. It originates from the dried whole plant of Abrus cantoniensis， a Fabaceae plant， which can be used medicinally except for its fruits. Currently， this species is mainly distributed in Guangdong and Guangxi， and also found in Hunan and Thailand， it can be harvested throughout the year， mainly in spring and autumn. The roots， stems， and leaves can be used for medicinal purposes， but the pods are toxic and need to be removed. After harvesting， impurities and pods are removed， and it is dried and processed for medicinal use. Abri Herba has a sweet and slightly bitter taste， is cool in nature， and is associated with the liver and stomach meridians， it is used for clearing heat and relieving dampness， dispersing blood stasis and relieving pain， and is mainly used to treat jaundice-type hepatitis， stomach pain， rheumatic bone pain， contusion and ecchymosis pain， and mastitis. Abri Mollis Herba was first recorded in the 1982 edition of Zhongyaozhi as another origin for Abri Herba， and was singled out in some monographs such as Xinhua Bencao Gangyao in 1988 for use， while some other monographs use it as a local habitual products or confused products of Abri Herba with aliases such as Daye Jigucao， Qingtingteng， and Maoxiangsi. It comes from the dried whole herb of A. mollis without pods， and is mainly produced in Guangxi and Guangdong， and occasionally found in Hong Kong， Hainan and Fujian. The collection and processing are similar to Abri Herba， after harvesting， impurities and pods are removed， and it is dried and cut for medicinal use. Abri Mollis Herba has a sweet and light taste， is cool in nature， and is associated with the liver and stomach meridians， with the efficacy of clearing heat and detoxifying， and promoting dampness， it is mainly used to treat infectious hepatitis， mastitis， furuncles， burns and scalds， and pediatric malnutrition. Based on the research， A. mollis was first recorded to be used as a medicine in the same origin as A. cantoniensis， and as plants of the same genus， have similar morphological characteristics， and their medicinal parts， collection and processing， properties and flavors， and meridian affiliations are consistent. And in the folk， Abri Mollis Herba is often used as Abri Herba， which has been used for a long time and is now dominated by the cultivation of A. mollis. So it is recommended that the subsequent version of Chinese Pharmacopoeia should include A. mollis in the origin of Abri Herba， and it is also recommended that in famous classical formulas refered to Jiguccao can use A. cantoniensis and A. mollis as the sources of the herb， refered to Mao Jiguccao can use A. mollis as the sources of the herb. Processing is carried out according to the requirements specified in the original formulas， and raw products are recommended to be included in the medicine if there are no requirements.

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， medicinal parts， harvesting， processing and others of Chrysanthemi Indici by referring to the herbal medicine， medical books， prescription books and other documents of the past dynasties， combined with the relevant modern research materials， in order to provide a basis for the development of famous classical formulas containing this medicinal herb. According to the research， Chrysanthemi Indici was first recorded under the name Kuyi in Bencao Jingjizhu， with aliases such as Yeshanju， Huangjuzai and Lubianju. The botanical source of Chrysanthemi Indici throughout history was Chrysanthemum indicum of the Asteraceae family. It is now distributed in most areas of China， and since the Qing dynasty， the product from Suichang， Zhejiang has been highly regarded. The whole plant can be used as medicine. According to the natural growth laws， the roots were collected in the first lunar month， leaves in the third， stems in the fifth， flowers in the ninth， and fruits in the eleventh， all of which were dried in the shade. In modern times， Chrysanthemi Indici is harvested during their initial blooming in autumn and winter. Since Bencao Gangmu listed Chrysanthemi Indici as a single medicinal material and clarified that all parts have medicinal value， ancient herbal texts began to record the independent medicinal use of Chrysanthemi Indici Flos， and the use of flowers as medicine has become mainstream. In modern times， the quality of Chrysanthemi Indici Flos is summarized to be best when they are dry， yellow， complete， and fragrant. Because Chrysanthemi Indici has a bitter and pungent taste， and is warm， it can eliminate and disperse， often using the power of alcohol to reach and ascend， and is commonly used to treat carbuncles， boils， and scrofula， with consistent properties and effects throughout ancient and modern times. Based on the research results， it is suggested that Chrysanthemi Indici involved in the formulas can be used as C. indicum， which can be used according to the medicinal parts labeled in the original formulas and the requirements of processing， while those without clear medicinal parts and requirements of processing should be used as the whole plant of the dried raw products.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Objective     To construct a radiomics model for identifying clinical high-risk carotid plaques. Methods     A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with carotid artery stenosis in China-Japan Friendship Hospital from December 2016 to June 2022. The patients were classified as a clinical high-risk carotid plaque group and a clinical low-risk carotid plaque group according to the occurrence of stroke, transient ischemic attack and other cerebrovascular clinical symptoms within six months. Six machine learning models including eXtreme Gradient Boosting, support vector machine, Gaussian Naive Bayesian, logical regression, K-nearest neighbors and artificial neural network were established. We also constructed a joint predictive model combined with logistic regression analysis of clinical risk factors. Results    Finally 652 patients were collected, including 427 males and 225 females, with an average age of 68.2 years. The results showed that the prediction ability of eXtreme Gradient Boosting was the best among the six machine learning models, and the area under the curve (AUC) in validation dataset was 0.751. At the same time, the AUC of eXtreme Gradient Boosting joint prediction model established by clinical data and carotid artery imaging data validation dataset was 0.823. Conclusion     Radiomics features combined with clinical feature model can effectively identify clinical high-risk carotid plaques.

Currently, clinically used drugs for the treatment of gout inflammation, such as colchicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and glucocorticoids, can only relieve the pain of joint inflammation and have severe hepatorenal toxicity and multiple organ adverse reactions. The NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a key complex that induces the onset of gout inflammation and has become a crucial target in the development of anti-gout drugs. This article reviews the research progress of anti-gout small molecules targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome and their bioactivity evaluation methods in the past five years, in order to provide information for the development of specific drugs for the treatment of gout inflammation.

Objective: To explore the balance of peripheral blood T helper 17 cells/regulatory T cell (Th17/Treg) ratio and the polarization ratio of M1 and M2 macrophages in lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). Methods: A rat model of lower extremity ASO was established, and blood samples from patients with lower extremity ASO before and after surgery were obtained. ELISA was used to detect interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-10, and IL-17. Real-time RCR and Western blot analyses were used to detect Foxp3, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 expression. Moreover, flow cytometry was applied to detect the Th17/Treg ratio and M1/M2 ratio. Results: Compared with the control group, the iliac artery wall of ASO rats showed significant hyperplasia, and the concentrations of cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly increased (P<0.01), indicating the successful establishment of ASO. Moreover, the levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in ASO rats were pronouncedly increased (P<0.05), while the IL-10 level was significantly decreased (P<0.05). In addition to increased IL-6 and IL-17 levels, the mRNA and protein levels of Foxp3 and IL-10 in ASO rats were significantly decreased compared with the control group. The Th17/Treg and M1/M2 ratios in the ASO group were markedly increased (P<0.05). These alternations were also observed in ASO patients. After endovascular surgery (such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and arterial stenting), all these changes were significantly improved (P<0.05). Conclusions: The Th17/Treg and M1/M2 ratios were significantly increased in ASO, and surgery can effectively improve the balance of Th17/Treg, and reduce the ratio of M1/M2, and the expression of inflammatory factors.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and safety of low-dose azacitidine in the treatment of senile myelodys-plastic syndromes(MDS).Methods:A total of 92 elderly MDS patients who were initially diagnosed in the Huaibei Miners General Hospital and the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2018 to June 2022 were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group with 46 patients in each group.The observation group received a low dose of azacitidine 100 mg/d,dl-7,28 days as a course of treatment,6 courses in total,and the control group received a standard dose of azacitidine 75 mg(m2·d),d1-7,28 days as a course of treatment,a total of 6 courses of treatment.The clinical efficacy,overall survival(OS)and adverse reactions of the two groups of patients were observed.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the clinical data between the two groups(P＞0.05).After treatment,the hemoglobin and platelet levels of the two groups of patients were significantly higher than before treatment in each group(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in leukocyte,hemoglobin and platelet levels between patients in the observation group and control group(P＞0.05).The number of cases with complete remission,partial remission,hematological remission,disease stabilization and disease progression in the observation group were 4,10,22,6 and 4,respectively,with a total effective rate of 78.26％.The numbers of cases with complete remission,partial remission,hematological remission,disease stabilization and disease progression in control group were 8,12,18,4 and 4,respectively,with a total effective rate of 82.61％.The total effective rate of patients in the observation group was slightly lower than that of the control group(x2=0.457,P=0.254).There was no significant difference between the two treatment schemes in the treatment of patients with blood transfusion dependence and patients with low risk,medium risk and high risk(P＞0.05).It takes 4 and 6 courses of treatment to achieve the best treatment response in the control group and observation group respectively.There was no significant difference in OS between the two groups(P＞0.05).In the observation group,there were 4,6 and 2 cases of infection,Ⅲ-Ⅳ degree myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reaction,respectively,with the incidence rate of adverse events being 26.09％.In the control group,there were 6,16 and 6 cases of infection,Ⅲ-Ⅳ degree myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reaction,respectively,with the adverse event rate was 60.87％.The incidence of adverse events in the control group was significantly higher than that in the observation group(x2=7.095,P=0.036).Conclusion:Elderly patients with MDS have poor tolerance to chemotherapy.Reducing azacitidine in the treatment of elderly MDS patients shows good efficacy and safety.