OBJECTIVE To investigate the immunotoxicity and potential mechanism of Carthamus tinctorius extract on RBL-2H3 cells via direct induction and induction by sensitized serum prepared with an overdose of the extract. METHODS For direct induction by C. tinctorius extract， RBL-2H3 cells were divided into normal control group （no treatment） and C. tinctorius extract group （10 mg/mL）. For induction by sensitized serum prepared with an overdose of C. tinctorius extract， rats were divided into normal control group （no treatment）， adjuvant-treated group （1 mL adjuvant）， C. tinctorius extract-induced sensitization group （2.04 g/mL）， and ovalbumin （OVA）-induced sensitization group （50 mg/mL）. Sensitization was performed once every other day for a total of 3 times. Morphological changes of RBL-2H3 cells were observed， the degranulated rate of cells was counted， and histamine content was determined； the release rate of β -hexosaminidase （ β -Hex） was calculated， the levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration were detected. RESULTS Under direct induction by C. tinctorius extract， compared with the normal control group， the volume of cells in the C. tinctorius extract group was significantly reduced and cell density decreased； the degranulation rate of cells， histamine content， β -Hex release rate， IL-6 and TNF-α levels， as well as intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration were all significantly increased （ P ＜0.01）. Under i nduction by sensitized serum prepared with an overdose of C. tinctorius extract， compared with the adjuvant-treated group， the above indicators in the C. tinctorius extract-induced sensitization group and the OVA-induced sensitization group showed consistent changes with those in the C. tinctorius extract group under direct induction， all being significantly elevated （ P ＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS C. tinctorius extract may affect degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells and promote Ca²⁺ influx accompanied by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines through two approaches： direct induction and induction by sensitized serum prepared under overdose administration. Its mechanism may be related to the activation of the calcium signaling pathway and the regulation of inflammatory pathways under the synergistic effect of multiple components.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Janus kinase （JAK） inhibitors combined with Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） in treating rheumatoid arthritis （RA）. MethodsClinical data from 169 RA patients were retrospectively collected. Among them， 71 cases received JAK inhibitors as the control group， while 98 cases received JAK inhibitors plus CHM as the observation group， both treated for 24 weeks. The rheumatoid factor （RF）， cyclic citic peptide antibody （anti-CCP）， erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， C-reactive protein （CRP）， and white blood cell count （WBC） were recorded before and after treatment. Databases including CNKI， Wanfang， VIP， PubMed and Web of Science were searched from inception till August 31st， 2025 for randomized controlled trials （RCTs） on the combined use of JAK inhibitors and CHM for RA. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the risk of bias assessment tool. Meta-analyses were performed for RF， anti-CCP， ESR， CRP， 28-joint disease activity score （DAS28）， overall clinical effective rate， and incidence of adverse events. Sensitivity analysis were also performed. ResultsThe retrospective study demonstrated that after treatment， ESR， CRP， and anti-CCP levels decreased in the observation group， while ESR and CRP levels decreased in the control group （P＜0.05）. Moreover， ESR and RF levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. A total of 9 RCTs involving 770 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that the JAK inhibitors plus CHM group was superior to the JAK inhibitors group in reducing RF （MD=-8.97， 95%CI -15.01 to -2.94， P=0.004）， CRP （MD=-3.34， 95%CI -3.82 to -2.86， P＜0.001）， ESR （MD=-5.33， 95%CI -7.98 to -2.69， P＜0.001）， and DAS28 score （MD=-0.54， 95%CI -0.74 to -0.34， P＜0.001）， as well as in improving the overall clinical effective rate （OR=4.53， 95%CI 2.55 to 8.03， P＜0.001）. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups in anti-CCP levels （SMD=-2.08， 95%CI -4.41 to 0.24， P=0.080） or incidence of adverse events （OR=0.93， 95%CI 0.55 to 1.57， P=0.790）. ConclusionThe combination of JAK inhibitors and CHM demonstrates remarkable efficacy in treating RA， contributing to improved disease activity and reduced inflammatory markers with a favorable safety profile.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between serum fasting triglyceride glucose-body mass index （TyG-BMI） and new-onset metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） within 10 years. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the data of individuals who underwent physical examination in The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University in 2013， 2018， and 2023 and were not diagnosed with MAFLD in 2013， and a total of 1 340 valid subjects were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The gbmt package in R 4.3.0 was used to construct the dynamic change trajectory model of TyG-BMI， and four different TyG-BMI trajectory groups were determined， i.e.， the low-level group （n=352）， the medium-level group （n=517）， the high-level group （n=314）， and the extremely high-level group （n=157）. The data on general information and blood biochemical parameters were collected from all subjects and were then compared between groups. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data with heterogeneity of variance between multiple groups. The Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the association between different TyG-BMI trajectories and the risk of MAFLD， and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the value of TyG-BMI in the diagnosis of MAFLD. ResultsThe cumulative incidence rate of MAFLD increased with the increase in the level of TyG-BMI trajectory， with a cumulative incidence rate of 4.83% in the low-level group， 29.98% in the medium-level group， 61.15% in the high-level group， and 83.44% in the extremely high-level group （P<0.001）， and the cumulative incidence rate of MAFLD in men was significantly higher than that in women （51.34% vs 20.67%， P<0.001）. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that increases in the levels of TyG-BMI trajectory， uric acid， diastolic blood pressure， hemoglobin， and alanine aminotransferase were independent risk factors for the onset of MAFLD （all P<0.05）， while the increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was an independent protective factor against MAFLD （P<0.001）. After adjustment for confounding factors， the medium-， high-， and extremely high-level groups had a hazard ratio of 4.430 （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 2.660 — 7.377， P<0.001）， 6.937 （95%CI： 4.110 — 11.708， P<0.001）， and 7.989 （95%CI： 4.616 — 13.827， P<0.001）， respectively. The ROC curve analysis showed that TyG-BMI had the highest diagnostic value， with an area under the ROC curve of 0.859 （95%CI： 0.840 — 0.879）， a sensitivity of 79.8%， and a specificity of 76.3%. ConclusionThe risk of MAFLD increases with the increase in the level of TyG-BMI trajectory， and TyG-BMI can be used as a predictive indicator for MAFLD.

Anxiety disorder is a highly prevalent psychological illness, and research has shown that obesity is a significant risk factor for its development. This study explored the ameliorative effects and mechanisms of saponins from Panax japonicus(SPJ) on anxiety disorder in mice fed a high-fat diet(HFD). Fifty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal control diet(NCD) group, HFD group, and low-and high-dose SPJ groups. At week 12, six mice from the HFD group were further divided into a control group(treated with DMSO) and an exogenous fibroblast growth factor 21(FGF21) group(administered rFGF21). The anxiety-like behavior of the mice was assessed using the open field test and elevated plus maze test. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and oil red O staining were performed to observe pathological changes in the liver and adipose tissue. Glucose metabolism was evaluated through the glucose tolerance test(GTT) and insulin tolerance test(ITT). Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of FGF21 and its downstream-related proteins in the liver and cortex, along with the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF), disks large homolog 4(DLG4), and synaptophysin(SYP) in the cortex. Real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR(qPCR) was used to detect the expression of FGF21 and its receptor genes in the liver and cortex. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to examine the expression of neuronal activator c-Fos, FGF21, and the FGF21 co-receptor β-klotho in the cerebral cortex. The results showed that SPJ significantly improved the frequency of activity in the open arms of the elevated plus maze and the central area of the open field in HFD mice, up-regulated the expression of BDNF, DLG4, and SYP, and effectively alleviated anxiety-like behaviors in HFD mice. Compared with the NCD group, HFD mice exhibited up-regulated expression of FGF21 in the liver and cerebral cortex, while the expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1(FGFR1) and β-klotho was significantly down-regulated, suggesting that HFD mice exhibited FGF21 resistance. SPJ markedly up-regulated the β-klotho levels in HFD mice, reversing FGF21 resistance. Further comparison with exogenously administered FGF21 revealed that SPJ activates brain cortical regions in a consistent manner, and additionally, SPJ promotes the number and colocalization of c-Fos and β-klotho positive cells in the brain cortex. In summary, SPJ effectively alleviates anxiety-like behaviors in HFD mice. Its mechanism is associated with up-regulation of β-klotho expression in the brain, reversal of FGF21 resistance, and subsequent activation of neurons in the cerebral cortex and amygdala.
Animals ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Fibroblast Growth Factors/genetics* ; Mice ; Male ; Panax/chemistry* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Anxiety/etiology* ; Saponins/administration & dosage* ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/genetics* ; Humans ; Liver/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*

The phase changes and quantity-quality transfer of 17 batches of Ostreae Concha(Ostrea rivularis) during the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process were analyzed. The content of calcium carbonate(CaCO_3), the main component, was determined by chemical titration, and the extract yield and transfer rate were calculated. The CaCO_3 content in the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction was 94.39%-98.80%, 95.03%-99.22%, and 84.58%-90.47%, respectively. The process of raw material to calcined decoction pieces showed the yield range of 96.85% to 98.55% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 96.92% to 99.27%. The process of calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction showed the extract yield range of 2.86% to 5.48% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 2.59% to 5.13%. The results of X-ray fluorescence(XRF) assay showed that the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction mainly contained Ca, Na, Mg, Si, Br, Cl, Al, Fe, Cr, Mn, and K. The chemometric results showed an increase in the relative content of Cr, Fe, and Si from raw material to calcined decoction pieces and an increase in the relative content of Mg, Al, Br, K, Cl, and Na from calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction. X-ray diffraction(XRD) was employed to establish XRD characteristic patterns of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The XRD results showed that the main phase of all three was calcite, and no transformation of crystalline form or generation of new phase was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) was employed to establish the FTIR characteristic spectra of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The FTIR results showed that the raw material had internal vibrations of O-H, C-H, C=O, C-O, and CO■ groups. Due to the loss of organic matter components after calcination, no information about the vibrations of C-H, C=O, and C-O groups was observed in the spectra of calcined decoction pieces and standard decoction. In summary, this study elucidated the quantity-quality transfer and phase changes in the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process by determining the CaCO_3 content, calculating the extract yield and transfer rate, and comparing the element changes, FTIR characteristic spectra, and XRD characteristic pattern. The results were reasonable and reliable, laying a foundation for the subsequent process research and quality control of the formula granules of calcined Ostreae Concha(O. rivularis Gould), and providing ideas and methods for the quality control of the whole process of raw material-decoction pieces-standard decoction-formula granules of Ostreae Concha and other testacean traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Calcium Carbonate/analysis* ; Quality Control

Following the release of the Technical Requirements on Quality Control and Standard Establishment of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Granules by the National Medical Products Administration in 2021, Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission has promulgated 296 national drug standards so far, and most provinces have started the work of establishing provincial standards as supplements. The promulgation of standards fostered high-quality development of the industry. Since the implementation of national and provincial standards for more than three years, enterprises have gained deep understanding and hands-on experiences on the characteristics, technical requirements, production process, and quality control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) formula granules. Meanwhile, challenges have emerged restricting the high-quality development of this industry, including how to formulate quality control strategies for medicinal materials and decoction pieces, how to reduce manufacturing costs, and how to improve the pass rate and product stability under high standards. Based on the work experiences from standard management and process research, this article analyzed the distribution of sources, processing methods, dry extract rate ranges, process requirements for volatile oil-containing decoction pieces, control measures of safety indices, characteristics and trends of setting characteristic chromatograms or fingerprints, characteristics and trends of setting content ranges, and main differences between national standards and provincial standards. On the one hand, this article aims to present main characteristics for deeply understanding different indicators in standards and provide basic ideas for establishing quality and process control systems. On the other hand, from the perspective of industrial practice, suggestions are put forward on the important aspects that need to be focused on in the quality and process control of TCM formula granules.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; China ; Drug Industry/standards*

This study aims to explore the impact of host plants on the quality of Taxilli Herba and provide a theoretical basis for the quality control of Taxilli Herba. The components of Taxilli Herba from three different host plants(Morus alba, Salix babylonica, and Cinnamomum cassia) and its 3 hosts(mulberry branch, willow branch, and cinnamon branch) were detected by widely targeted metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS). Principal component analysis(PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), and Venn diagram were employed for analysis. A total of 717 metabolites were detected in Taxilli Herba from the three host plants and the branches of these host plants by UPLC-MS/MS. The results of PCA and OPLS-DA of Taxilli Herba from the three different host plants showed an obvious separation trend due to the different effects of host plants. The Venn diagram showed that there were 32, 8, and 26 characteristic metabolites in samples of Taxilli Herba from M. alba host, S. babylonica host, and C. cassia host, respectively. It was found by comparing the characteristic metabolites of Taxilli Herba and its hosts that each host transmits its characteristic components to Taxilli Herba, so that the Taxilli Herba contains the characteristic components of the host. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis showed that the differential metabolites of Taxilli Herba from the three hosts were mainly enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. Furthermore, the differential metabolites enriching pathways of Taxilli Herba from the three hosts were different depending on the host. In a word, host plants have a significant impact on the metabolites of Taxilli Herba, and it may be an important factor for the quality of Taxilli Herba.
Metabolomics/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Quality Control ; Salix/chemistry* ; Cinnamomum aromaticum/metabolism* ; Principal Component Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether auraptene (AUR) exerts a protective effect on acute diquat (DQ)-induced liver injury in mice and explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Forty SPF-grade healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal control group (Control group), DQ poisoning model group (DQ group), AUR treatment group (DQ+AUR group), and AUR control group (AUR group), with 10 mice in each group. The DQ poisoning model was established via a single intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg DQ aqueous solution (0.5 mL); Control group and AUR group received an equal volume of pure water intraperitoneally. Four hours post-modeling, DQ+AUR group and AUR group were administered 0.5 mg/kg AUR aqueous solution (0.2 mL) by gavage once daily for 7 consecutive days, while Control group and DQ group received pure water. Blood and liver tissues were collected after anesthesia on day 7. Liver ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatic glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were detected using WST-1, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and enzymatic reaction methods, respectively. Protein expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), and activated caspase-9 in liver tissues was analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Transmission electron microscopy revealed that mitochondria in the Control group exhibited mild swelling, uneven distribution of matrix, and a small number of cristae fractures. In the AUR group, mitochondria showed mild swelling, with no obvious disruption of cristae structure. In the DQ group, mitochondria demonstrated marked swelling and increased volume, matrix dissolution, loss and fragmentation of cristae, and extensive vacuolization. In contrast, the DQ+AUR group showed significantly reduced mitochondrial swelling, volume increase, matrix dissolution, cristae loss and fragmentation, and vacuolization compared to the DQ group. Compared with the DQ group, the DQ+AUR group exhibited significantly lower serum AST levels (U/L: 173.45±23.60 vs. 255.33±41.51), ALT levels (U/L: 51.77±21.63 vs. 100.70±32.35), and hepatic MDA levels (μmol/g: 12.40±2.76 vs. 19.74±4.10), along with higher hepatic GSH levels (mmol/g: 37.65±14.95 vs. 20.58±8.52) and SOD levels (kU/g: 124.10±33.77 vs. 82.81±22.00), the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Western blotting showed upregulated Nrf2 expression (Nrf2/β-actin: 0.87±0.37 vs. 0.53±0.22) and HO-1 expression (HO-1/β-actin: 1.06±0.22 vs. 0.49±0.08), and downregulated Keap1 expression (Keap1/β-actin: 0.82±0.12 vs. 1.52±0.76) and activated caspase-9 expression (activated caspase-9/β-actin: 1.16±0.28 vs. 1.71±0.30) in the DQ+AUR group compared to the DQ group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION AUR attenuates DQ-induced acute liver injury in mice by activating the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Liver/pathology* ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/drug therapy* ; Diquat/poisoning* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress ; Apoptosis ; Coumarins

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*