1.Textual Research on Classical Formula Mulisan
Dongsen HU ; Xiangyang ZHANG ; Canran XIE ; Jiawei SHI ; Ziyi WANG ; Zhuoyan ZHOU ; Lin ZHANG ; Yexin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):191-200
The classic formula Mulisan is the 45th of the 93 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Formulas (second batch) of Han medicine published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of Ostreae Concha, Astragali Radix, Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma, and wheat, with the effect of replenishing qi and stopping sweating. It is a common formula in the clinical treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. This study analyzes the historical evolution, composition, dosage, original plants and their processing methods, decocting method, efficacy, indications, and modern clinical application of Mulisan by tracing, comparative analysis, and bibliometric methods. The results showed that Mulisan firstly appeared in the Pulse Classic written by WANG Shuhe in the Western Jin Dynasty. The formulation idea can be traced back to the Important Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergency in the Tang Dynasty. The herb composition, dosage, efficacy, and indications of Mulisan were first recorded in the Treatise on Diseases, Patterns, and formulas Related to Unification of the Three Etiologies in the Southern Song dynasty. In terms of original plants and their processing methods, Ostreae Concha is the shell of Ostrea rivularis, which should be calcined before use. Astragali Radix and Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma are the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Ephedra sinica, respectively, the raw material of which should be used. Wheat is the dried mature fruit of T. aestivum, which can be used without processing, while the stir-fried fruit, being thin and deflated, demonstrates better effect. The composition of Mulisan is Ostreae Concha 8.26 g, Astragali Radix 8.26 g, Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma 8.26 g, and wheat 7.92 g. The medicinal materials should be ground into coarse powder and decocted with 450 mL water to reach a volume of 240 mL, and the decoction should be taken warm. In modern clinical practice, Mulisan has a wide range of indications, including spontaneous sweating and night sweating caused by Yang deficiency or Qi deficiency. The clinical disease spectrum treated by Mulisan involves endocrine system diseases, neurological diseases, respiratory system diseases, and cancer. This formula plays a significant role in the treatment of internal medicine diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the subsequent research, development, and clinical application of Mulisan.
2.Textual Research on Classical Formula Mulisan
Dongsen HU ; Xiangyang ZHANG ; Canran XIE ; Jiawei SHI ; Ziyi WANG ; Zhuoyan ZHOU ; Lin ZHANG ; Yexin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):191-200
The classic formula Mulisan is the 45th of the 93 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Formulas (second batch) of Han medicine published by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of Ostreae Concha, Astragali Radix, Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma, and wheat, with the effect of replenishing qi and stopping sweating. It is a common formula in the clinical treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. This study analyzes the historical evolution, composition, dosage, original plants and their processing methods, decocting method, efficacy, indications, and modern clinical application of Mulisan by tracing, comparative analysis, and bibliometric methods. The results showed that Mulisan firstly appeared in the Pulse Classic written by WANG Shuhe in the Western Jin Dynasty. The formulation idea can be traced back to the Important Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergency in the Tang Dynasty. The herb composition, dosage, efficacy, and indications of Mulisan were first recorded in the Treatise on Diseases, Patterns, and formulas Related to Unification of the Three Etiologies in the Southern Song dynasty. In terms of original plants and their processing methods, Ostreae Concha is the shell of Ostrea rivularis, which should be calcined before use. Astragali Radix and Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma are the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Ephedra sinica, respectively, the raw material of which should be used. Wheat is the dried mature fruit of T. aestivum, which can be used without processing, while the stir-fried fruit, being thin and deflated, demonstrates better effect. The composition of Mulisan is Ostreae Concha 8.26 g, Astragali Radix 8.26 g, Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma 8.26 g, and wheat 7.92 g. The medicinal materials should be ground into coarse powder and decocted with 450 mL water to reach a volume of 240 mL, and the decoction should be taken warm. In modern clinical practice, Mulisan has a wide range of indications, including spontaneous sweating and night sweating caused by Yang deficiency or Qi deficiency. The clinical disease spectrum treated by Mulisan involves endocrine system diseases, neurological diseases, respiratory system diseases, and cancer. This formula plays a significant role in the treatment of internal medicine diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the subsequent research, development, and clinical application of Mulisan.
3.Research Strategies for the Traditional Chinese Medicine Pathomechanism Syndrome Differentiation System from the Perspective of Systems Thinking
Ziyi ZHOU ; Zhe FENG ; Xueping ZHOU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(8):765-768
Given the limitations of traditional scientific research methods in revealing the complex and dynamic evolution of disease pathomechanisms, this paper analyzes the current state and challenges of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pathomechanism syndrome differentiation system within the framework of systems thinking. The challenges include insufficient experimental models, low data standardization, complex nonlinear characteristics, and difficulties in integrating expert experience. By leveraging qualitative-quantitative comprehensive integration methods, this paper proposes specific research strategies, including constructing qualitative models of pathomechanism evolution, employing mathematical models for validation and quantitative analysis to reveal pathomechanism patterns, and incorporating a "human-centered" approach to achieve human-machine collaboration. These strategies aim to provide insights for the modernization and development of a new TCM pathomechanism syndrome differentiation system.
4.The modern Silk Road spirit leads the “Belt and Road” Initiative to facilitate global tropical disease control programmes
Liying ZHOU ; Xiangjie LI ; Ziyi CHEN
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2025;37(3):316-320
The modern Silk Road spirit advocating for win-win cooperative partnerships, aligns with the target of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, which provides new opportunities for collaboration on tropical disease control among countries along the “Belt and Road”. The modern Silk Road spirit may effectively facilitate tropical disease control programmes and improve disease control concepts and approaches through collaborative research, information sharing, infrastructure development, and joint efforts in pharmaceuticals and vaccine development; however, there are still multiple challenges that require to be overcome, including political and cultural differences, and data sharing. Therefore, countries participating in the “Belt and Road” Initiative need to work together with mutual respects, build effective collaborative mechanisms and improve communications to jointly facilitate the sustainable development of global tropical disease control programmes and cultural exchange, so as to contribute to global health and prosperities. This article discusses the contribution of the modern Silk Road spirit to facilitating global tropical disease control programmes in the context of the “Belt and Road” Initiative.
5.Artificial intelligence applications in Ménière's disease.
Ziyi ZHOU ; Yiling ZHANG ; Qiuyue MAO ; Qin WANG
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(5):496-500
Objective:Ménière's disease(MD) is a common disorder of the inner ear. The fluctuating clinical symptoms and the absence of gold standards for diagnosis have posed serious problems for clinical diagnosis and treatment over the years. With the development of science and technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely used in the field of medicine, and the potential of AI application to MD is demonstrated. The purpose of this review is to outline the use of AI in MD. Initially, specific instances where AI aids in differentiating MD from other causes of vertigo are presented. Furthermore, the role of AI in the evaluation of Endolymphatic Hydrops (EH), particularly through imaging and biochemical assays, is highlighted due to its correlation with MD. Additionally, the effectiveness of AI in managing MD patients and forecasting disease progression is examined. In conclusion, the prevalent challenges hindering the clinical integration of AI in MD treatment are discussed, alongside potential strategies to surmount these barriers.
Humans
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Meniere Disease/diagnosis*
;
Artificial Intelligence
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Endolymphatic Hydrops/diagnosis*
6.Current status and progress of health economics research on allergen specific immunotherapy.
Qianxue HU ; Liyue LI ; Ziyi LONG ; Bingyue HUO ; Yuzhe HAO ; Xiangning CHENG ; Tianjian XIE ; Qing CHENG ; Tao ZHOU ; Liuqing ZHOU ; Shan CHEN ; Yue ZHOU ; Jianjun CHEN
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(9):894-898
Allergen specific immunotherapy(AIT), as an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and other allergic diseases, has received widespread attention in the field of health economic evaluation in recent years. This article reviews the current status and progress of economic research on AIT, mainly discussing the socioeconomic burden of allergic rhinitis, the results of health economic studies from different countries, and the primary methods used in health economic research on allergic rhinitis. Existing studies indicate that, although AIT involves high initial costs, it offers significant long-term economic benefits by reducing healthcare resource utilization, improving patient quality of life, and decreasing medication dependence. Moreover, reducing initial costs, applying standardized assessment tools, and conducting cross-national comparative analyses have become key directions for future research. Overall, AIT demonstrates strong potential in terms of long-term health benefits and cost savings, providing solid economic evidence for the management of allergic diseases.
Humans
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Desensitization, Immunologic/economics*
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Cost-Benefit Analysis
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Rhinitis, Allergic/economics*
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Economics, Medical
7.VenusMutHub: A systematic evaluation of protein mutation effect predictors on small-scale experimental data.
Liang ZHANG ; Hua PANG ; Chenghao ZHANG ; Song LI ; Yang TAN ; Fan JIANG ; Mingchen LI ; Yuanxi YU ; Ziyi ZHOU ; Banghao WU ; Bingxin ZHOU ; Hao LIU ; Pan TAN ; Liang HONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2454-2467
In protein engineering, while computational models are increasingly used to predict mutation effects, their evaluations primarily rely on high-throughput deep mutational scanning (DMS) experiments that use surrogate readouts, which may not adequately capture the complex biochemical properties of interest. Many proteins and their functions cannot be assessed through high-throughput methods due to technical limitations or the nature of the desired properties, and this is particularly true for the real industrial application scenario. Therefore, the desired testing datasets, will be small-size (∼10-100) experimental data for each protein, and involve as many proteins as possible and as many properties as possible, which is, however, lacking. Here, we present VenusMutHub, a comprehensive benchmark study using 905 small-scale experimental datasets curated from published literature and public databases, spanning 527 proteins across diverse functional properties including stability, activity, binding affinity, and selectivity. These datasets feature direct biochemical measurements rather than surrogate readouts, providing a more rigorous assessment of model performance in predicting mutations that affect specific molecular functions. We evaluate 23 computational models across various methodological paradigms, such as sequence-based, structure-informed and evolutionary approaches. This benchmark provides practical guidance for selecting appropriate prediction methods in protein engineering applications where accurate prediction of specific functional properties is crucial.
8.Elucidating the role of artificial intelligence in drug development from the perspective of drug-target interactions.
Boyang WANG ; Tingyu ZHANG ; Qingyuan LIU ; Chayanis SUTCHARITCHAN ; Ziyi ZHOU ; Dingfan ZHANG ; Shao LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(3):101144-101144
Drug development remains a critical issue in the field of biomedicine. With the rapid advancement of information technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the advent of the big data era, AI-assisted drug development has become a new trend, particularly in predicting drug-target associations. To address the challenge of drug-target prediction, AI-driven models have emerged as powerful tools, offering innovative solutions by effectively extracting features from complex biological data, accurately modeling molecular interactions, and precisely predicting potential drug-target outcomes. Traditional machine learning (ML), network-based, and advanced deep learning architectures such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), graph convolutional networks (GCNs), and transformers play a pivotal role. This review systematically compiles and evaluates AI algorithms for drug- and drug combination-target predictions, highlighting their theoretical frameworks, strengths, and limitations. CNNs effectively identify spatial patterns and molecular features critical for drug-target interactions. GCNs provide deep insights into molecular interactions via relational data, whereas transformers increase prediction accuracy by capturing complex dependencies within biological sequences. Network-based models offer a systematic perspective by integrating diverse data sources, and traditional ML efficiently handles large datasets to improve overall predictive accuracy. Collectively, these AI-driven methods are transforming drug-target predictions and advancing the development of personalized therapy. This review summarizes the application of AI in drug development, particularly in drug-target prediction, and offers recommendations on models and algorithms for researchers engaged in biomedical research. It also provides typical cases to better illustrate how AI can further accelerate development in the fields of biomedicine and drug discovery.
9.Luteolin and its antidepressant properties: From mechanism of action to potential therapeutic application.
Jiayu ZHOU ; Ziyi WU ; Ping ZHAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(4):101097-101097
Luteolin is a natural flavonoid compound exists in various fruits and vegetables. Recent studies have indicated that luteolin has variety pharmacological effects, including a wide range of antidepressant properties. Here, we systematically review the preclinical studies and limited clinical evidence on the antidepressant and neuroprotective effects of luteolin to fully explore its antidepressant power. Network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses contribute to a better understanding of the preclinical models of depression and antidepressant properties of luteolin. Seventeen preclinical studies were included that combined network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses to clarify the antidepressant mechanism of luteolin and its antidepressant targets. The antidepressant effects of luteolin may involve promoting intracellular noradrenaline (NE) uptake; inhibiting 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) reuptake; upregulating the expression of synaptophysin, postsynaptic density protein 95, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, B cell lymphoma protein-2, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione S-transferase; and decreasing the expression of malondialdehyde, caspase-3, and amyloid-beta peptides. The antidepressant effects of luteolin are mediated by various mechanisms, including anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation, anti-endoplasmic reticulum stress, dopamine transport, synaptic protection, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation, and 5-HT metabolism. Additionally, we identified insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as potential targets, luteolin has an ideal affinity for these targets, suggesting that it may play a positive role in depression through multiple targets, mechanisms, and pathways. However, the clinical efficacy of luteolin and its potential direct targets must be confirmed in further multicenter clinical case-control and molecular targeting studies.
10.Efficacy and safety of different treatments for moderate to severe Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis:a network meta-analysis
Ziyi LI ; Bingru WANG ; Wanmei GAO ; Xiaochun ZHOU ; Jianqin WANG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(22):2808-2814
OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy and safety of different treatment modalities for moderate to severe Henoch- Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN). METHODS Literature searches were conducted in the CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, SinoMed, PubMed, OVID, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies on the treatment of moderate to severe HSPN with 12 intervention measures: monotherapy with glucocorticoid (GC), as well as cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), Tripterygium wilfordii multiglucoside (TWM), leflunomide, mizoribine, tacrolimus, cyclosporin A, hemoperfusion, tonsillectomy combined with GC, and double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) combined with GC and cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate mofetil. The search period was from the inception of the databases to March 2024. After literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment, a network meta- analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software. RESULTS A total of 28 articles were included, with 14 RCTs and 14 cohort studies, involving 1 746 patients. The network meta-analysis results showed the combination of tacrolimus and GC had the highest probability of being the best in overall remission rate, followed by the combination of TWM and GC, and DFPP combined with GC and MMF. The combination of leflunomide and GC had the highest probability of being the best in complete remission rate, followed by the combination of mizoribine and GC, and DFPP combined with GC and cyclophosphamide. The combination of mizoribine and GC had the highest probability of being the best in terms of reducing 24-hour urinary protein quantification, followed by DFPP combined with GC and MMF, and the combination of leflunomide and GC. Moreover, the combination of tacrolimus and GC had the highest probability of being the best in safety, followed by the combination of cyclosporin A and GC, and the combination of leflunomide and GC. CONCLUSIONS Compared to other treatment methods, the combination therapy of tacrolimus and GC shows better efficacy and safety in the treatment of moderate to severe HSPN.

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