1.Reconsideraton of Stroke with Syndrome of Combined Blood Stasis and Toxin from the Perspective of Xiang Thinking
Yunfan ZHANG ; Di ZHAO ; Lina MIAO ; Hongxi LIU ; Jingjing WEI ; Xiao LIANG ; Liuding WANG ; Xueru ZHANG ; Yunmeng CHEN ; Yunling ZHANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(13):1305-1310
Xiang thinking is a cognitive approach that reflects the relationships between phenomena and their underlying principles by analyzing their external manifestations through methods such as analogy, reasoning, deduction, and symbolism. This article applied xiang thinking to analyze the etiology and pathogenesis of "wind, fire, phlegm, and blood stasis" in stroke, thereby exploring its impact on the principles of syndrome differentiation and treatment of this condition. Meanwhile, the article traced the construction process of xiang thinking, and interpreted the concept of "toxin pathogen" in traditional Chinese medicine from four perspectives, state, attribute, origin, and law. Furthermore, the relationship between the process of constructing xiang thinking and the origin of etiology, identification methods, pathogenesis evolution, and treatment strategies for stroke with syndrome of combined blood stasis and toxin was explored, so as to provide insights into research on the etiology and pathogenesis of stroke, as well as clinical diagnosis and treatment approaches.
2.Study on Zhang Yunling's Medication Law in Treating Headache Based on Data Mining
Hongxi LIU ; Xiao LIANG ; Jingzi SHI ; Jingjing WEI ; Wei SHEN ; Guojing FU ; Yue LIU ; Liuding WANG ; Yunling ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;31(1):59-64
Objective To study the medication law of Professor Zhang Yunling in the treatment of headache based on data mining technology;To provide ideas for the clinical treatment of headache.Methods Professor Zhang Yunling's outpatient TCM prescription data for the treatment of headache from Sep.2017 to Dec.2020 were collected,and the Ancient and Modern Medical Record Cloud Platform 2.3.5 was used to mine the selected TCM prescriptions for herbal medicine frequency statistics,property,taste and meridian tropism statistics,herbal medicine efficacy statistics,correlation analysis,clustering analysis,complex network analysis,etc.Results Through collection and screening,totally 332 prescriptions were included,involving 178 kinds of Chinese materia medica,with a total frequency of 5 380 times.The top 10 kinds of Chinese materia medica were Chuanxiaong Rhizoma,Paeoniae Radix alba,Atractyodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum,Bambusae Caulis in Taenia,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Astragali Radix,Amomi Fructus Rotundus,Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum,and Polygalae Radix.They were mainly warm,mild and slightly cold in properties,sweet,pungent and bitter in tastes,and liver,lung,spleen meridian in meridian tropism.In the statistics of herbal medicine efficacy,expelling wind and relieving pain,suppressing liver yang,promoting blood circulation and qi,clearing heart and relieving restlessness,clearing heat and detoxifying,softening liver and relieving pain were used more frequently.The combinations in herbal medicines association included"Atractyodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma-Chuanxiaong Rhizoma","Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum-Paeoniae Radix alba","Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Paeoniae Radix alba","Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum-Chuanxiaong Rhizoma","Bambusae Caulis in Taenia-Chuanxiaong Rhizoma".Herbal medicines clustering clustered 32 kinds of high-frequency herbal medicines used more than 60 times into 6 categories.Complex network analysis screened out the core formula for the treatment of headache:Chuanxiaong Rhizoma,Paeoniae Radix alba,Atractyodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Bambusae Caulis in Taenia,Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum,Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum,Astragali Radix,Amomi Fructus Rotundus,and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.Conclusion In the treatment of headache,Professor Zhang Yunling holds that the pathogenesis of headache is deficiency in origin and excess in superficiality,deficiency of qi and blood,loss of nourishment of brain collaterals,stagnation of phlegm and dampness,disturbance of wind pathogen,obstruction of brain collaterals,and the location of the disease is related to the five viscera and involves the stomach.Focuses on tonifying deficiency and reducing excess,treats exterior and interior separately,and gives consideration to both the symptoms and the root causes,which often uses drugs to treat headache,such as dispelling wind and relieving pain,promoting blood circulation and relieving pain,relieving spasm and relieving pains,eliminating phlegm and dampness,invigorating qi and spleen,nourishing blood and yin,eliminating dampness and regulating stomach,relieving depression and restlessness,which can provide some reference for the clinical treatment of headache.
3.YTE-17 inhibits colonic carcinogenesis by resetting antitumor immune response via Wnt5a/JNK mediated metabolic signaling
Sui HUA ; Deng WANLI ; Chai QIONG ; Han BING ; Zhang YULI ; Wei ZHENZHEN ; Li ZAN ; Wang TING ; Feng JILING ; Yuan MAN ; Tang QINGFENG ; Xu HONGXI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(4):525-541
The density and composition of lymphocytes infiltrating colon tumors serve as predictive factors for the clinical outcome of colon cancer.Our previous studies highlighted the potent anti-cancer properties of the principal compounds found in Garcinia yunnanensis(YTE-17),attributing these effects to the regu-lation of multiple signaling pathways.However,knowledge regarding the mechanism and effect of YTE-17 in the prevention of colorectal cancer is limited.In this study,we conducted isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification(iTRAQ)analysis on intestinal epithelial cells(IECs)exposed YTE-17,both in vitro and in vivo,revealing a significant inhibition of the Wnt family member 5a(Wnt5a)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK)signaling pathway.Subsequently,we elucidated the influence and mechanism of YTE-17 on the tumor microenvironment(TME),specifically focusing on macrophage-mediated T helper 17(Th17)cell induction in a colitis-associated cancer(CAC)model with Wnt5a deletion.Additionally,we performed the single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)on the colonic tissue from the Wnt5a-deleted CAC model to characterize the composition,lineage,and functional status of immune mesenchymal cells during different stages of colorectal cancer(CRC)progression.Remarkably,our findings demon-strate a significant reduction in M2 macrophage polarization and Th17 cell phenotype upon treatment with YTE-17,leading to the restoration of regulatory T(Treg)/Th17 cell balance in azoxymethane(AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)model.Furthermore,we also confirmed that YTE-17 effectively inhibited the glycolysis of Th17 cells in both direct and indirect co-culture systems with M2 macrophages.Notably,our study shed light on potential mechanisms linking the non-canonical Wnt5a/JNK signaling pathway and well-established canonical β-catenin oncogenic pathway in vivo.Specifically,we proposed that Wnt5a/JNK signaling activity in IECs promotes the development of cancer stem cells with β-catenin activity within the TME,involving macrophages and T cells.In summary,our study undergoes the po-tential of YTE-17 as a preventive strategy against CRC development by addressing the imbalance with the immune microenvironment,thereby mitigating the risk of malignancies.
4.Thought of Treatment of Orifices Based on Correspondence Between Drugs and Symptoms in Chinese Herbal Classics in Past Dynasties
Hongxi LIU ; Jingzi SHI ; Jingjing WEI ; Yue LIU ; Wei SHEN ; Yunmeng CHEN ; Liuding WANG ; Xiansu CHI ; Xiao LIANG ; Yunling ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(5):185-193
ObjectiveTo discuss the thought of treatment of orifices in the Chinese herbal classics in the past dynasties based on the correspondence between drugs and symptoms to guide the clinical treatment based on syndrome differentiation. MethodAll the literature data of Chinese herbal classics were retrieved from the database of the Chinese Medical Dictionary, involving 76 works of Chinese herbal classics and covering representative works from the Han dynasty to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The information on Chines herbal drugs for the treatment of orifices was collected and sorted out. According to Chinese Materia Medica (11th Edition) and Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2020 Edition), the nature, flavor, and meridian tropism of the selected Chinese herbal drugs were statistically analyzed. The pathogenesis elements in the treatment of orifices were classified and counted, and the contents of syndrome differentiation and treatment in various Chinese herbal classics were extracted. ResultIn 76 Chinese herbal classics in the past dynasties, 93 Chinese herbal drugs for the treatment of orifices were selected. The nature of drugs was mainly warm, followed by cold and mild. The flavor was mainly pungent, followed by bitter and sweet. In terms of meridian tropism, drugs mainly acted on the lung meridian, followed by stomach, heart, liver, spleen, and kidney meridians. The pathogenesis elements of orifices could be divided into six categories, i.e., wind invasion, turbid obstruction and Qi stagnation, water and dampness stagnation, blood stasis and collaterals blockage, heat and toxin damage, deficiency of vital Qi and cold coagulation. ConclusionOrifices are mainly treated with drugs effective in dispelling wind and pathogenic factors, resolving turbidity and removing stagnation, inducing diuresis and eliminating dampness, promoting blood circulation and dredging collaterals, clearing heat and purging fire, tonifying deficiency and dispelling cold, which are used in combination. Eliminating pathogenic factors and dredging, tonifying deficiency and purging excess are the main characteristics of treatment of orifices based on syndrome differentiation, which is in line with the physiological dysfunction state of orifices in losing the function, evil Qi blockage and healthy Qi deficiency.
5.Study on the Medication Rule of the National Patent of Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound Formula in the Treatment of Depression
Hongxi LIU ; Jingzi SHI ; Xiao LIANG ; Wei SHEN ; Jingjing WEI ; Yue LIU ; Guojing FU ; Yunling ZHANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023;64(19):2027-2032
ObjectiveTo explore the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine compounds for depression in the National Patent Database using data mining, and to provide ideas for the clinical treatment and the development of new drugs for depression. MethodsThe patent data of traditional Chinese medicine compounds for the treatment of depression were searched from inception to July 1st, 2022 on the Patent Publication Announcement website of China National Intellectual Property Administration. The selected traditional Chinese medicine compounds were analyzed by using the data mining section of the ancient and modern medical record cloud platform (V2.3.5) for drug frequency, and based on this, the nature, flavor, channel entry and function of the medicinals were analyzed. Representative high-frequency herbal combinations were obtained through correlation analysis, while the classification of Chinese medicine compounds for depression was analyzed by cluster analysis, and the core combinations of herbs for the treatment of depression were screened out using complex network analysis. ResultsA total of 325 Chinese medicine compounds were included, involving 452 herbs, with a total frequency of 3532 times. The top 10 mostly used herbs were Yujin (Radix Curcumae, 122 times), Chaihu (Radix Bupleuri, 122 times), Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba, 109 times), Suanzaoren (Spina Date Seed, 95 times), Fuling (Poria, 94 times), Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis, 94 times), Yuanzhi (Radix Polygalae, 84 times), Baizhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, 72 times), Shichangpu (Rhizoma Acori Graminei, 71 times), and Danshen (Salvia Miltiorrhiza, 61 times). The natures of the herbs were mainly warm (998 times), neutral (944 times), slightly cold (596 times) and cold (497 times); the flavors were mainly sweet (1648 times), acrid (1392 times), and bitter (1337 times); the channels of entry were mainly liver (1695 times), heart (1521 times), spleen (1326 times) and lung (1268 times). The medicinals with the function of soothing liver to relieve constraint, moistening the intestines to promote defecation, calming the heart and the mind, moving qi to relieve constraint were used more frequently. The high frequency herbal combinations by association analysis included “Chaihu (Radix Bupleuri)→ Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba)”, “Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis)→Chaihu (Radix Bupleuri)” and “Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba)→ Yujin (Radix Curcumae)”. The 22 high frequency medicinals used more than 40 times could be clustered into six categories. Complex network analysis found the core herbal combination for the treatment of depression was the formula of Chaihu (Radix Bupleuri), Yujin (Radix Curcumae), Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba), Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Fuling (Poria), Suanzaoren (Spina Date Seed), and Xiangfu (Cyperi Rhizoma). ConclusionTraditional Chinese medicine compounds for the treatment of depression is mainly based on the pathogenesis of constraint, stasis and deficiency, focusing on the liver, heart, spleen and lung, commonly using medicinals with the function of soothing liver to relieve constraint, fortifying spleen and nourishing heart, regulating qi and invigorating blood, and moistening the intestines to promote defecation, which can provide a reference for the clinical treatment and new drug research and development for depression.
6.Clinical Application of Supplementing Essence and Boosting Marrow Method in the Treatment of Encephalopathy Based on the Marrow Sea Theory
Hongxi LIU ; Mengying LU ; Xiao LIANG ; Jingjing WEI ; Yue LIU ; Yunmeng CHEN ; Xiansu CHI ; Guojing FU ; Yunling ZHANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023;64(18):1877-1884
As the guiding theory for the diagnosis and treatment of encephalopathy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), The marrow sea theory has important theoretical connotation and clinical value. This paper summarized the clinical research literature on the differentiation and treatment of common encephalopathy based on the marrow sea theory published in recent years, analyzed the treatment method and effects from eight aspects in terms of stroke, dizziness, insomnia, headache, constraint syndrome, dementia, tremor syndrome, and atrophy syndrome, and discussed the possible mechanism based on the relevant basic research. It is believed that marrow sea depletion is the common pathogenesis of encephalopathy in TCM. Guided by the method of supplementing essence and boosting marrow, the corresponding formulas and medicinals are recommended in accordance with differentiated syndromes, which can effectively improve the symptoms of the disease, delay the progression, increase the daily life ability of the patients, and improve the quality of life. Based on the marrow sea theory, the method of supplementing essence and boosting marrow, rectifying healthy qi and dispelling pathogen can be used to highlight the advantages of TCM and provide ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of encephalopathy in TCM.
7.Establishment and Evaluation of Animal Models of Combined Stasis and Toxin Syndrome
Yue LIU ; Mingjiang YAO ; Xiao LIANG ; Wenqiang CUI ; Wei SHEN ; Jingjing WEI ; Xiansu CHI ; Hongxi LIU ; Jianxun LIU ; Yunling ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(13):72-78
ObjectiveTo screen and establish animal models of combined stasis and toxin syndrome based on the comparison of three modeling methods, i.e., carrageenan (Ca), Ca combined with dried yeast (Ca+Yeast), and Ca combined with lipopolysaccharide (Ca+LPS). MethodForty SPF male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, Ca group, Ca+Yeast group, and Ca+LPS group, with 10 rats in each group. The Ca group, Ca+Yeast group, and Ca+LPS group received an intraperitoneal injection of Ca (10 mg·kg-1) on the first day. The Ca+LPS group received an intraperitoneal injection of LPS (50 μg·kg-1) on the second day, and the Ca+Yeast group received a subcutaneous injection of dry yeast suspension (2 mg·kg-1) on the back on the second day. The rectal temperature of each group was dynamically observed after modeling. After 24 hours of modeling, the macroscopic evaluation indexes, including tongue manifestation, pulse, and black tail length in each group were observed. The PeriCam PSI imaging system was used to detect the blood flow perfusion of the rat tail. The automatic hemorheology analyzer was used to measure the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity of each group. The PL platelet function analyzer was used to detect the platelet aggregation rate of the rats. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the interleukin-6 (IL-6) level in the rat plasma. The myocardial tissue, brain tissue, and lung tissue of each group of rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. ResultCompared with the normal group, all three model groups showed varying degrees of black tail (P<0.05, P<0.01), reduced blood flow perfusion at the tail end (P<0.05, P<0.01), decreased R, G, and B values of tongue manifestation (P<0.05, P<0.01), and increased maximum platelet aggregation rate (P<0.05, P<0.01). The pulse amplitudes of the Ca+Yeast group and the Ca+LPS group were lower than that of the normal group (P<0.05, P<0.01). In addition, the average rectal temperature of the Ca+Yeast group increased after 24 hours of modeling (P<0.01), and the low-, medium-, and high-shear whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity increased (P<0.05, P<0.01) as compared with those in the normal group. Additionally, the expression level of the plasma inflammatory factor IL-6 was significantly up-regulated (P<0.05). Pathological morphology results showed that the Ca+Yeast group had the most severe pathological changes, with small foci of myocardial fiber dissolution, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibroblast proliferation observed. In the hippocampal area, the neurons were sparse and had undergone red degeneration. In the small focus of the lung interstitium, lymphocytes and neutrophils were infiltrated. ConclusionThe animal model of combined stasis and toxin syndrome was properly established using Ca+Yeast. The systematic evaluation system of the model, which includes traditional Chinese medicine four diagnostic information, western medicine microscopic indicators, and tissue pathological morphology, is worthy of consideration and reference by researchers.
8.Herbal Textural Research on Treatment of Headache Based on Syndrome Differentiation
Hongxi LIU ; Mengying LU ; Xiao LIANG ; Xiansu CHI ; Jingjing WEI ; Yue LIU ; Liuding WANG ; Yunling ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(22):155-162
ObjectiveTo summarize the thinking of treatment of headache based on syndrome differentiation by reviewing the literature of materia medica in the past dynasties, so as to guide the clinical practice. MethodAll the literature of materia medica in the Chinese Medical Dictionary, involving 76 works from Han to Qing Dynasties, were searched, and the information of the herbs for treating headache was extracted. According to Chinese Materia Medica (11th Edition) and Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2020 Edition), the nature, taste, and meridian tropism of the selected herbs were statistically analyzed, and the syndrome elements of headache were classified and counted. In addition, the contents of syndrome differentiation and treatment of headache by different herbs were extracted. ResultFrom the 76 monographs of materia medica in the past dynasties, 114 herbs for treating headache were selected. The herbs mainly had cold or warm nature, pungent or bitter taste, and tropism to the lung and live meridians. The syndrome elements of headache treated by the herbs mainly included wind attack, fire disturbance, turbid obstruction, stagnation, cold coagulation, and healthy Qi deficiency. ConclusionHeadache is mainly treated with the herbs with the effects of dispelling pathogenic wind, clearing heat and purging fire, eliminating phlegm and resolving dampness, regulating Qi movement and activating blood, warming Yang and dispelling cold, and tonifying deficiency and reinforcing healthy Qi, and the herbs are often used in combinations. Headache is treated following the principles of dispelling wind and pathogen, regulating Qi and blood, and tonifying deficiency and purging excess, which is in line with the laws of obstruction and nutrient deficiency causing pain.
9.ZHANG Yunling's Experience in the Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis from Emphasis on both Spleen and Kidney
Liuding WANG ; Xueming FAN ; Wei SHEN ; Hongxi LIU ; Jingzi SHI ; Jingjing WEI ; Xiao LIANG ;
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023;64(20):2067-2070
This paper summarized Professor ZHANG Yunling's experience in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from emphasis on both spleen and kidney. It is considered that the characteristic of ALS manifested as overlap of atrophy-flaccidity disease and convulsive disease, and the core pathogenesis are the deficiency of spleen and kidney and the inner pathogenic qi. ZHANG advocated that ALS should be treated from tonifying both the spleen and kidney, as strong spleen and kidney led the latent pathogen at peace. Usually applied Huangqi (Astragalus mongholicus), Baizhu (Atractylodes macrocephala) combined with Taizishen (Pseudostellaria heterophylla), fried Yiyiren (Coix lacryma-jobi), Doukou (Myristica fragrans) and Sharen (Wurfbainia villosa) to tonify the middle and replenish qi, ascend lucidity and descend turbidity to invigorate the spleen; Roucongrong (Cistanche deserticola), Tusizi (Cuscuta chinensis) combined with Shanyao (Dioscorea oppositifolia), Shanzhuyu (Cornus officinalis) and prepared Dihuang (Rehmannia glutinosa) are used to support the fire and nourish the water, so as to replenish the spleen. The empirical formula regarded invigorateing the spleen and replenishing the kidney as the core therapeutic principle throughout the treatment of the whole process, which aimed at extinguishing inner wind and pacifying latent pathogen when treating the root.
10.A novel inhibitor of ARfl and ARv7 induces protein degradation to overcome enzalutamide resistance in advanced prostate cancer.
Yan LI ; Ya CHU ; Guangjiang SHI ; Xiaobin WANG ; Wanli YE ; Chun SHAN ; Dajia WANG ; Di ZHANG ; Wei HE ; Jingwei JIANG ; Shuqian MA ; Yuhong HAN ; Zhili ZHAO ; Shijia DU ; Zhen CHEN ; Zhiyu LI ; Yong YANG ; Chen WANG ; Xi XU ; Hongxi WU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2022;12(11):4165-4179
Enzalutamide (ENZ) is a second-generation androgen receptor (AR) antagonist used for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and reportedly prolongs survival time within a year of starting therapy. However, CRPC patients can develop ENZ resistance (ENZR), mainly driven by abnormal reactivation of AR signaling, involving increased expression of the full-length AR (ARfl) or dominantly active androgen receptor splice variant 7 (ARv7) and ARfl/ARv7 heterodimers. There is currently no efficient treatment for ENZR in CRPC. Herein, a small molecule LLU-206 was rationally designed based on the ENZ structure and exhibited potent inhibition of both ARfl and constitutively active ARv7 to inhibit PCa proliferation and suppress ENZR in CRPC. Mechanically, LLU-206 promoted ARfl/ARv7 protein degradation and decreased ARfl/ARv7 heterodimers through mouse double minute 2-mediated ubiquitination. Finally, LLU-206 exhibited favorable pharmacokinetic properties with poor permeability across the blood-brain barrier, leading to a lower prevalence of adverse effects, including seizure and neurotoxicity, than ENZ-based therapies. In a nutshell, our findings demonstrated that LLU-206 could effectively inhibit ARfl/ARv7-driven CRPC by dual-targeting of ARfl/ARv7 heterodimers and protein degradation, providing new insights for the design of new-generation AR inhibitors to overcome ARfl/ARv7-driven CRPC.

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