The inflammatory microenvironment is closely associated with the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis （OA）， specifically manifesting as macrophage activation， dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines， and redox imbalance. Following an overview of the pathological characteristics of the OA inflammatory microenvironment， this paper reviews the research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） intervening in OA by modulating the inflammatory microenvironment. It has been found that TCM monomers/active ingredients （such as total alkaloids from Strychnos nux-vomica ， quercetin， triptolide， etc.）， herb pairs （e.g. Angelica pubescens - Gentiana macrophylla ， Carthami Flos-Lycopodii Herba）， and TCM formulas （such as Zhuanggu jianxi formula， Duhuo jisheng decoction and Rongjin niantong formula， etc.） can inhibit macrophage activation， reduce the release of proinflammatory cytokines and the generation of reactive oxygen species by inhibiting multiple signaling pathways， including nuclear factor-κB， Wnt/ β -catenin， and mitogen-activated protein kinase， thereby alleviating the articular inflammatory microenvironment， restoring local joint homeostasis， and slowing the progression of OA.

ObjectiveThis study systematically analyzed the arginine metabolic dysregulation in the rat model of heart failure （HF）， providing a modern scientific basis for elucidating the pathogenesis of HF and offering new insights for the prevention and treatment of HF with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. MethodsA thoracotomy was performed to ligate the left anterior descending coronary artery of rats， which induced acute myocardial ischemia and thus led to the development of post-myocardial infarction heart failure. The rats were divided into a sham surgery group and a model group， with eight rats in each group. Serum targeted metabolomics analysis was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry （UPLC-TQ-S）， and the spatial distribution of metabolites in cardiac tissue was observed using airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionizationmass spectrometry imaging （AFADESI-MSI）. Targets associated with HF and arginine metabolism were screened from databases including GeneCards and the Gene Expression Omnibus （GEO）， a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed， and enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway and Gene Ontology （GO） was performed. Finally， molecular docking was conducted to verify the binding between core metabolic components and key targets， and potential TCMs were predicted based on the core pathways and targets. ResultsCompared with the sham surgery group， the levels of arginine and citrulline in the serum of model rats were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， while those of proline， ornithine， creatine， creatinine and glutamate were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Cardiac mass spectrometry imaging showed a decreased abundance of arginine in the local myocardial tissue. Bioinformatics analysis identified 24 core functional targets， such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme （ACE）， neuronal nitric oxide synthase （NOS1）， 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A （HTR2A）， and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， and enrichment analysis indicated that these targets were significantly involved in the calcium signaling pathway， neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions， and phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding activities between arginine， citrulline and HTR2A， as well as between creatine， creatinine and EGFR. Based on pathway-target prediction， potential TCM interventions， such as ginseng and magnolia， were identified. ConclusionThis study revealed characteristic arginine metabolic disorder in HF， and the core targets of HF were closely associated with the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. It provides a modern biological interpretation of the pathogenesis of HF in TCM from the perspectives of metabolites and signaling pathways， and offers valuable insights for targeted therapy of HF and the development of TCM.

ObjectiveThis study systematically analyzed the arginine metabolic dysregulation in the rat model of heart failure （HF）， providing a modern scientific basis for elucidating the pathogenesis of HF and offering new insights for the prevention and treatment of HF with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. MethodsA thoracotomy was performed to ligate the left anterior descending coronary artery of rats， which induced acute myocardial ischemia and thus led to the development of post-myocardial infarction heart failure. The rats were divided into a sham surgery group and a model group， with eight rats in each group. Serum targeted metabolomics analysis was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry （UPLC-TQ-S）， and the spatial distribution of metabolites in cardiac tissue was observed using airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionizationmass spectrometry imaging （AFADESI-MSI）. Targets associated with HF and arginine metabolism were screened from databases including GeneCards and the Gene Expression Omnibus （GEO）， a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed， and enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway and Gene Ontology （GO） was performed. Finally， molecular docking was conducted to verify the binding between core metabolic components and key targets， and potential TCMs were predicted based on the core pathways and targets. ResultsCompared with the sham surgery group， the levels of arginine and citrulline in the serum of model rats were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， while those of proline， ornithine， creatine， creatinine and glutamate were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Cardiac mass spectrometry imaging showed a decreased abundance of arginine in the local myocardial tissue. Bioinformatics analysis identified 24 core functional targets， such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme （ACE）， neuronal nitric oxide synthase （NOS1）， 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A （HTR2A）， and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， and enrichment analysis indicated that these targets were significantly involved in the calcium signaling pathway， neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions， and phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding activities between arginine， citrulline and HTR2A， as well as between creatine， creatinine and EGFR. Based on pathway-target prediction， potential TCM interventions， such as ginseng and magnolia， were identified. ConclusionThis study revealed characteristic arginine metabolic disorder in HF， and the core targets of HF were closely associated with the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. It provides a modern biological interpretation of the pathogenesis of HF in TCM from the perspectives of metabolites and signaling pathways， and offers valuable insights for targeted therapy of HF and the development of TCM.

Sepsis refers to a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection,with persistently high morbidity and mortality,posing a significant healthcare burden.As integral components of innate and adaptive immunity,macrophages exhibit high plasticity and can differentiate into distinct phenotypes(M1 pro-inflammatory and M2 anti-inflammatory)in response to various environmental stimuli,playing crucial roles in both the hyperinflammatory phase and late immunosuppressive phase of sepsis.The metabolic profile of M2 macrophages has gradually become a research focus,and it is regulated by a variety of enzymes and signaling pathways,including adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase,peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase pathways.These pivotal signaling pathways and enzymes can promote the polarization of M2 macrophages and enhance their anti-inflammatory functions by modulating the metabolism of glucose,lipid,and amino acid,thereby conferring protective effects against sepsis and providing new ideas for the targeted treatment.

In recent years,with the advancement of microbial detection technologies,an increasing number of studies have revealed significant differences in the gut microbiota composition of kidney transplant recipients before and after surgery.These changes in the gut microbiota may influence graft function and the occurrence of post-transplant complications through a variety of factors.This article will review the research progress in the relationship between gut microbiota and kidney transplantation.It focuses on the changes in gut microbiota after kidney transplantation.The role of gut microbiota in immune regulation,drug metabolism,graft function protection,and post-transplant complications is also studied.At the same time,these effects may be of great significance in improving the short-term and long-term prognosis of kidney transplant recipients,thus providing a novel idea for further improving kidney transplant prognosis.

Objective To investigate the effect of active muscle response on mechanical responses and injuries of human neck under high Gx loading.Methods A refined finite element model of the head and neck with active muscle response was established and validated based on the existing post-crash volunteer experiments.The effects of active muscle action on the kinematic and biomechanical responses of the neck were investigated under different G-value loads and at each tilting angle using this model.Results The stress distribution of vertebrae under high Gx load was dispersed from C4-7 to the whole vertebrae,and the active muscle action reduced the stress change,and the effect was significant under 8 G acceleration,which reduced the peak vertebral bone stress by 23.6％and 11.6％,and the peak intervertebral disc stress by 42.3％and 63.4％under 8 G and 10 G conditions,respectively.The maximum stress difference of 34.3 MPa was achieved by the active muscle action at 15° backward tilting.Conclusions The neck showed better stability by the active muscle action under the impact of high Gx loading.At different tilting angles,the active muscle action was more obvious in the backward tilting posture compared with the forward tilting and upright seated postures,and the backward tilting posture was safer to meet the impact when the same active muscle action was applied.The results can provide a reference for the subsequent studies related to the neck injury.

Ischemic bowel disease(IBD)is a prevalent intestinal vascular disease that poses a serious threat to patients' lives and health.Tthe key pathological process of ischemic bowel disease is intestinal ischemia-reperfusion(II/R)injury.If not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner,it can lead to life-threatening conditions such as peritonitis,intestinal gangrene perforation,and multiple organ dysfunction.Current treatments primarily focus on symptomatic and surgical interventions,lacking targeted pharmacological therapies.A substantial body of research has found that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)exhibits a protective effect against II/R injury.This review systematically elaborated on the mechanisms by which various TCM bioactive components,including Astragaloside IV,Ginsenosides,Salvianolic acids,and Tetramethylpyrazine,as well as compound formulations such as Shenqi injection,Taoren Chengqi decoction,and Sini decoction ameliorate II/R injury.These findings provide novel research perspectives for developing TCM-based therapeutics for IBD.

Objective:To study and establish the quality standard of Polyoxyl 15 hydroxystearate(HS15),a phar-maceutical excipient,and systematically evaluate its functionality-related characteristics and safety.HS15 was applied to the preparation of docetaxel(DTX)injection to further investigate the safety and pharmacokinetic char-acteristics of the injection in vitro and in vivo.Methods:Based on the general USP-NF2024,EP11.0 and the fourth general rules of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 edition,the quality standards of HS15 were studied.Combined with the functional properties of surfactants,the critical micelle concentration of HS15 was investigated,and its safety was investigated by hemolysis test and vascular irritation test in vitro.HS15 was further applied to the preparation of DTX injection,and the safety and efficacy of the preparation were comprehensively evaluated by in vitro cytotoxicity test and in vivo pharmacokinetic study.Results:According to the experimental results and the pharmacopoeia of various countries,the quality standard of HS15 was preliminarily formulated.When the concen-tration of HS15 was 1 mg·mL-1,the hemolysis rate was about0.2%,the vascular irritation was small,and the DTX injection was safe in vitro and in vivo.The pharmacokinetic behavior was in line with expectations.Conclusion:This study successfully established the quality standard of HS15,and its functional correlation index research and safety evaluation strategy can provide reference for the quality control of similar excipients.The appli-cation of HS15 in the preparation of DTX injection provides a theoretical and experimental basis for its application in the development of insoluble antitumor drug injection.

Objective:To establish a method for evaluating the material attributes and skeletal performance of 2208 hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC),to clarify the influence of different material attributes on the skeletal per-formance of HPMC,to compare the differences between the products of different manufacturers,and to analyze the factors affecting the process.Methods:In this study,the material attributes such as powder chemical properties,viscosity,gelation temperature,thermodynamic properties,weight-average molecular weight,methoxy and hydroxypropoxy contents of different manufacturers were firstly investigated.Then,the water absorption,swelling,and dissolution properties of HPMC blank skeleton tablets were determined using the weighing method.Finally,Principal Component Analysis(PCA)and Orthogonal Partial Least-Squares Discrimination Analysis(OPLS-DA)were used to systematically evaluate the material attributes and skeleton performance of HPMC.The systematic evaluation of each material attribute and skeleton performance of HPMC was carried out to elucidate the intrinsic relationship between each material attribute and skeleton performance of HPMC.Results:The results showed that there were obvious differences in the material attributes of HPMC from different manufacturers,such as the proper-ties of powder,viscosity,and weight-average molecular weight,and that there were differences in the corrosion performance,water absorption,and swelling performance of the skeleton tablets prepared from different manufactur-ers,with the most obvious differences between K4Mand K100M.The results of the PCA and OPLS-DA analyses indicated that these 19 variables showed some correlation with each other.Both mathematical models showed better differentiation and classification effects on HPMC samples,and the OPLS-DA model had better classification effects than the PCA model.Conclusion:Based on the PCA and OPLS-DA models,this study conducted systematical research on HPMC,clarified the degree of influence of different material attributes on the skeletal performance of HPMC,and suggested the addition of HPMC particle size and size distribution,and weight-average molecular weight as the quality standards,which provide a basis for the quality control of the related excipients,the screening of formulation prescriptions,and the improvement of performance.

Ischemic bowel disease(IBD)is a prevalent intestinal vascular disease that poses a serious threat to patients' lives and health.Tthe key pathological process of ischemic bowel disease is intestinal ischemia-reperfusion(II/R)injury.If not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner,it can lead to life-threatening conditions such as peritonitis,intestinal gangrene perforation,and multiple organ dysfunction.Current treatments primarily focus on symptomatic and surgical interventions,lacking targeted pharmacological therapies.A substantial body of research has found that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)exhibits a protective effect against II/R injury.This review systematically elaborated on the mechanisms by which various TCM bioactive components,including Astragaloside IV,Ginsenosides,Salvianolic acids,and Tetramethylpyrazine,as well as compound formulations such as Shenqi injection,Taoren Chengqi decoction,and Sini decoction ameliorate II/R injury.These findings provide novel research perspectives for developing TCM-based therapeutics for IBD.