Depression is a common psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent low mood or mental disorders. Current treatments primarily focus on regulating neurotransmitter levels， but their effectiveness is limited. The mechanisms underlying its onset are complex， and there is no unified consensus. Abnormal signaling pathway transmission plays a crucial role in the development of depression， involving multiple pathways， including Toll-like receptor 4/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （TLR4/NLRP3）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription （JAK/STAT）， mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （MAPK/ERK）， brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase receptor B （BDNF/TrkB）， cyclic AMP/protein kinase A/cAMP response element-binding protein （cAMP/PKA/CREB）， and others. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） is based on a holistic approach and the principle of treatment based on the differentiation of syndromes， regulating the balance of multiple systems and organ functions from a macroscopic perspective. This approach has shown unique advantages in the treatment of depression. TCM attributes the onset of depression to dysfunction of the organ systems， involving liver Qi stagnation， heart spirit deficiency， kidney essence depletion， and spleen dysfunction. TCM compound treatments focus on soothing the liver， strengthening the spleen， calming the heart， and replenishing essence， with formulas such as Xiaoyaosan， Zishui Qinggan Yin， and Chahu Jia Guizhi Longgu Muli Tang. The active components of Chinese herbs mainly aim to tonify and regulate Qi， such as salidroside， ginsenoside Rb₁， astragaloside， and muscone. External TCM treatments， primarily acupuncture， aim to open the orifices and invigorate the spirit. Acupoints such as Baihui， Shenting， and Yintang are commonly used. Additionally， massage and moxibustion therapy can intervene in depression by regulating signaling pathways. This article reviews the core role of signaling pathways in the development of depression and the mechanism of TCM regulation of signaling pathways to intervene in depression， aiming to discover new therapeutic approaches that can improve the symptoms of depressed patients.

Psoriasis vulgaris is notoriously difficult to treat and prone to recurrence. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， however， has shown considerable efficacy in mitigating or suppressing such recurrence. The underlying reason lies in the TCM concept of "latent pathogens"， which are prone to be reactivated by external pathogenic factors， thereby triggering relapse. At the early stage of recurrence， manifestations of "latent fire" often appear externally. If treatment is not thorough， the condition may shift into a state of "stalemate between healthy Qi and pathogenic factors"， in which the disease appears on the skin but is rooted in deeper pathological layers， remaining unresolved and accumulating internally. Over time， blood stasis arises from fire， and the fire further congeals due to stasis， leading ultimately to recurrent flare-ups. This aligns with the modern immunological concept of "immunological memory" mediated by tissue-resident memory T cells （T_RM） in the skin， which corroborates the TCM view of "latent fire inducing blood stasis". The interaction between T_RM and keratinocytes （KC） parallels the entanglement of latent fire and latent stasis， both of which are deeply entrenched and difficult to resolve. The core pathogenesis of recurrent psoriasis vulgaris lies in "latent fire causing blood stasis". The hallmark is the deep concealment and persistence of latent fire and stasis， which linger and await an opportunity to reemerge. Based on this understanding， Xijiao Dihuangtang is employed to cool the blood， resolve stasis， and eliminate latent pathogens， and treatment is tailored according to the disease stage through three-phase syndrome differentiation. In the progressive stage， both exterior and interior are treated， with emphasis on clearing latent fire. In the stationary stage， the focus shifts to dispelling latent stasis and simultaneously regulating the Zang-fu organs. In the regressive stage， efforts are made to prevent the retention of latent pathogens and to strengthen healthy Qi. Accordingly， drugs effective in dispersing wind and clearing heat， pungent-moistening and dredging the collaterals， and tonifying deficiency and moistening dryness are often employed to achieve optimal outcomes. The precise mechanisms by which Xijiao Dihuangtang treats recurrent psoriasis vulgaris remain to be fully elucidated. Current research suggests it may intervene in the recurrence process through inhibiting KC proliferation via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and glycolysis， regulating the Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg cell balances to restore immune homeostasis， suppressing inflammatory cytokine production to alleviate the inflammatory response， modulating angiogenesis-related factors， such as vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGF-A） and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， to control disease progression， and restructuring the gut microbiota to modulate systemic immunity and thereby influence the course of disease recurrence.

ObjectiveTo explore the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal （HPG） axis by modified Erxian decoction in rats with perimenopausal syndrome （PMS） and to further analyze the expression of proteins related to the silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）/hypothalamic kisspeptin （Kisspeptin）/gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH） signaling pathway in the arcuate nucleus region （ARC） of the hypothalamus， so as to reveal the potential target of action and molecular biological mechanism of modified Erxian decoction for the treatment of perimenopausal syndrome. MethodsAn animal model was established via the incomplete castration method， with successful modeling confirmed by the exfoliated cervical cell smear method. The 48 rats were divided into six groups based on the randomization principle after successful modeling， including a sham operation group， a model group， an estradiol valerate group （0.09 mg∙kg^-1∙d^-1）， high-， medium-， and low-dose modified Erxian decoction groups （7.614， 3.807，1.903 5 g∙kg^-1∙d^-1）， with 8 rats in each group. The estradiol valerate group and the high-， medium- and low-dose modified Erxian decoction groups were continuously administered by gavage for 28 days， and the indicators were detected 24 hours after the last administration. Body weights and uterine indices were measured. The pathological changes of the uterus were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was performed to measure the levels of estradiol （E₂）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH）. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to determine the expression levels of SIRT1， Kisspeptin， kisspeptin receptor （GPR54）， and GnRH in the ARC region of the hypothalamus and gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor （GnRH-R） in pituitary. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， rats in the model group had a significantly increased body weight （P0.01）， reduced wet weight and index of uterus （P0.01）， endometrial thinning or atrophy， glandular atrophy， and a decreasing number of glands. Additionally， serum levels of E₂ and the expression of SIRT1 in the ARC region of the hypothalamus significantly decreased （P0.01）. Serum levels of FSH， LH， and GnRH， the expression of Kisspeptin， GPR54， and GnRH in the ARC region of the hypothalamus， and GnRH-R in pituitary significantly increased （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， the estradiol valerate group and the high-， medium-dose modified Erxian decoction groups had significantly reduced body weight， serum levels of FSH， LH， and GnRH， and expression of Kisspeptin， GPR54， and GnRH in the ARC region of the hypothalamus and GnRH-R in pituitary （P0.05， P0.01） and significantly increased wet weight and index of uterus， serum level of E₂， and expression of SIRT1 in the ARC region of the hypothalamus （P0.05， P0.01）. In addition， they showed thickened endometrium， increased number of endometrial glands， and improved glandular atrophy. ConclusionModified Erxian decoction regulates the function of the HPG axis through multi-targets， and its mechanism of action may be related to the up-regulation of the expression of SIRT1 in the ARC region of the hypothalamus， the inhibition of the over-activation of the Kisspeptin/GnRH signaling pathway， the regulation of the expression of GnRH-R in the pituitary， the restoration of secretion balance of gonadotropins， and the elevation of the estrogen level. This study provides an experimental basis for the interpretation of the scientific connotation of modified Erxian decoction in the treatment of perimenopausal syndrome and a theoretical reference for the development of a novel therapeutic strategy based on the SIRT1/Kisspeptin/GnRH pathway.

Objective:To investigate the effect of sleep on physical performance and the correlation between sleep quality and physical performance in the elderly.Methods:In this prospective multicenter case-control study, 472 elderly people aged 60-80 years were recruited from three regions in China, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hainan Province.Basic information of study participants was collected through face-to-face interviews, and physical performance of study participants was assessed by the time up and go(TUG)test on site, with 106 cases(22.5%)in the normal physical performance group and 366 cases(77.5%)in the abnormal group.The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale(ESS)were applied to assess sleep quality of study subjects.Correlation analysis was performed to examine factors affecting subjects' physical performance.Results:Age, history of alcohol consumption, BMI, past medical history, the ESS score, daytime sleepiness, and some components of PSQI, such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping drugs and daytime dysfunction, were influencing factors of the TUG score.Two components of PSQI, sleep duration and habitual sleep efficiency, and the ESS score were positively correlated with physical performance.Logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors for decreased physical performance in the elderly included increased age( OR=1.125, 95% CI: 1.083-1.168, P<0.01), history of alcohol consumption( OR=0.482, 95% CI: 0.384-0.605, P<0.001), abnormally high body mass index( OR=1.663, 95% CI: 1.340-2.063, P<0.01), hyperlipemia( OR=0.156, 95% CI: 0.077-0.318, P<0.01), digestive system diseases( OR=0.154, 95% CI: 0.044-0.532, P<0.01), use of sleeping drugs( OR=0.415, 95% CI: 0.202-0.854, P<0.05), daytime sleepiness( OR=4.234, 95% CI: 2.800-6.403, P<0.01), a high habitual sleep efficiency score of PSQI( OR=1.425, 95% CI: 1.214-1.672, P<0.01)and a high sleep disturbances score in PSQI( OR=3.356, 95% CI: 2.337-4.819, P<0.01). Conclusions:The incidence of physical performance decline is high in the elderly.There is a correlation between physical performance and sleep quality.

Objective:To explore the prognostic factors of primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) in the era of novel agents.Methods:The clinical data of 66 patients with pPCL treated at the Department of Haematology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University from 2011 to 2022 were retrospectively collected to analyze their prognostic factors.Results:Among the 66 patients with pPCL, the median age was 59 (range: 29-79) years. The median overall survival (OS) duration was 19.0 (95% CI 10.4-27.6) months, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) duration was 11.0 (95% CI 6.5-15.6) months. The median OS and PFS were significantly longer in patients with the best post-treatment response of very good partial remission (VGPR) or better than in patients with a response of partial remission (PR) or worse (median OS: 33.0 months vs 6.0 months, P<0.001; median PFS: 16.0 months vs 3.0 months, P<0.001). OS was significantly longer in patients who underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation than in those who did not undergo transplantation (49.0 months vs 6.0 months, P=0.002), and there was a trend toward a longer PFS in patients who underwent transplantation than in those who did not undergo transplantation (19.0 months vs 8.0 months, P=0.299). The median OS and PFS were significantly longer in patients who received maintenance therapy than in those who did not receive maintenance therapy (median OS: 56.0 months vs 4.0 months, P<0.001; median PFS: 20.0 months vs 2.0 months, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that hypercalcemia was an independent risk factor ( HR=3.204, 95% CI 1.068-9.610, P=0.038) for patients with pPCL, while receiving maintenance therapy ( HR=0.075, 95% CI 0.022-0.253, P<0.001) and post-treatment response of VGPR or better ( HR=0.175, 95% CI 0.048-0.638, P=0.008) were independent protective factors for patients with pPCL. Conclusions:In the era of novel agents, hypercalcemia, receiving maintenance therapy, and post-treatment response of VGPR or better are independent prognostic factors for pPCL.

Objectives:To investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib combined with niraparib in treating patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.Methods:Thirty-five patients with pathological confirmed platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who experienced progression after receiving at least two lines of standard treatment were eligible. All of them were treated with anlotinib combined with niraparib between September 2019 and October 2021. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The second endpoints included overall survival, objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and safety. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test, and influence factor analysis was performed using Cox proportional risk regression models.Results:The best overall response showed that partial response was observed in 14 patients, stable disease was noted within 13 patients, and progressive disease was found in 8 patients. Therefore, the ORR and DCR of these 35 patients were 40.0% (95% CI:22.9%-57.1%) and 77.1% (95% CI:62.9%-91.4%), respectively. The median follow-up duration was 18.9 months (6.9-32.2). The median PFS was 6.5 months (95% CI:5.35-7.66). Multivariate Cox regression analysis for PFS indicated that age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) score, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and BRCA mutation status were independent factors influencing PFS ( P＜0.05). Additionally, the PFS in patients with BRCA mutation who have never received PARP inhibitor treatment was significantly longer than that in patients without BRCA mutation who have been exposed to prior PARPi treatment (15.0 vs 6.0 month, P=0.029). The most common treatment-related adverse reactions were fatigue (85.7%), hematologic toxic (85.7%) and hypertension (74.3%). There were no treatment-related deaths. Conclusion:Anlotinib combined with niraparib shows a promising efficacy and tolerable safety in platinum-resistant ROC patients.

Objectives:To investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib combined with niraparib in treating patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.Methods:Thirty-five patients with pathological confirmed platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who experienced progression after receiving at least two lines of standard treatment were eligible. All of them were treated with anlotinib combined with niraparib between September 2019 and October 2021. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The second endpoints included overall survival, objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and safety. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test, and influence factor analysis was performed using Cox proportional risk regression models.Results:The best overall response showed that partial response was observed in 14 patients, stable disease was noted within 13 patients, and progressive disease was found in 8 patients. Therefore, the ORR and DCR of these 35 patients were 40.0% (95% CI:22.9%-57.1%) and 77.1% (95% CI:62.9%-91.4%), respectively. The median follow-up duration was 18.9 months (6.9-32.2). The median PFS was 6.5 months (95% CI:5.35-7.66). Multivariate Cox regression analysis for PFS indicated that age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) score, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and BRCA mutation status were independent factors influencing PFS ( P＜0.05). Additionally, the PFS in patients with BRCA mutation who have never received PARP inhibitor treatment was significantly longer than that in patients without BRCA mutation who have been exposed to prior PARPi treatment (15.0 vs 6.0 month, P=0.029). The most common treatment-related adverse reactions were fatigue (85.7%), hematologic toxic (85.7%) and hypertension (74.3%). There were no treatment-related deaths. Conclusion:Anlotinib combined with niraparib shows a promising efficacy and tolerable safety in platinum-resistant ROC patients.

Objective To explore the characteristics of TCM prescriptions for acute gouty arthritis based on data mining methods;To provide reference for clinical treatment.Methods The clinical literature on the TCM treatment of acute gouty arthritis was retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP and SinoMed.The obtained formulas were input into Excel 2019 to establish a database,and SPSS Modeler 18.0,SPSS Statistics 26.0 and Cytoscape 3.9.1 were used for frequency analysis,association rule analysis,clustering analysis and factor analysis.Results A total of 290 articles meeting the requirements were included,including 295 prescriptions,involving 218 kinds of Chinese materia medica,with a total frequency of 3 573 times.24 kinds of Chinese materia medica,including Coicis Semen,Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex,Atractylodis Rhizoma,Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix were used frequently in the treatment of acute gouty arthritis.The commonly used drugs were heat-clearing drugs,moisture-clearing drugs,blood circulation-activating drugs for removing blood stasis,and wind-dampness drugs.The property was mainly cold,the taste was mainly bitter,and the meridians were mainly liver,stomach,spleen and kidney meridians.The analysis of high-frequency drug association rules obtained 22 drug combinations,among which the core drug pairs were Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex-Atractylodis Rhizoma,Coicis Semen-Atractylodis Rhizoma-Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex.Clustering analysis obtained 4 clustering methods,and factor analysis obtained 9 common factors.Conclusion The main treatment of acute gouty arthritis by TCM is clearing heat and dampness,removing blood stasis and clearing collaterals,tonifying liver and kidney,regulating spleen and stomach,which could provide reference for the clinical treatment of acute gouty arthritis.

Objective To analyze the research trends and frontier of TCM regulation of NF-κB;To provide reference for related research.Methods Relevant literature about TCM regulation of NF-κB was retrieved from CNKI,VIP,Wanfang Data,CBM and Web of Science from January 1,2013 to December 31,2022.VOSviewer 1.6.19 and CiteSpace 6.2.R4 software were used for visualization analysis on authors,institutions and keywords.Results Totally 3 728 articles in Chinese and 995 in English were included,and the number of articles was on the rise.The Chinese and English articles involved 487 and 237 core authors,respectively,forming research teams represented by Yan Guanghai,Liu Jian,Wang Li,and Li Wei,Zhang Li,Zhang Yu,etc.There were 7 and 8 effective clusters in Chinese and English articles respectively.Keyword analysis showed that this research field mainly focused on diseases(inflammatory diseases,tumors,cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases,etc.),research methods(in vivo experiment,in vitro experiment)and intervention methods(acupuncture,TCM monomer,TCM compound,etc.).Conclusion TCM regulation of NF-κB mainly focuses on related diseases and intervention methods,and it is a research trend to find drug action targets and conduct experimental verification through network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.

Objective To explore the effect of exercise preconditioning on inflammatory response in ischemic stroke brain tissue which mediated by miR-146a in extracellular vesicles in rats with middle cerebral artery oc-clusion(MCAO),and its mechanism.Methods Sixty 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divid-ed into a non-exercise group and an exercise group.The non-exercise group was further divided into a sham-operation control group(C,n=15)and an MCAO model group(M,n=15),while the exercise group was further di-vided into an exercise only group(E,n=15)and an exercise plus MCAO model group(EM,n=15).Rats in the E and EM groups underwent 8 weeks of treadmill exercise,6 days per week,30 minutes per day.Then rats in the M and EM groups received MCAO to induce ischemic stroke,while the C and E groups underwent a sham surgery.Twenty-four hours after the surgery,neurobehavioral tests were performed.Plasma was collected to ex-tract extracellular vesicles,and brain tissue was collected to measure the volume of cerebral infarction by using the triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining.Moreover,the Nissl staining was conducted to observe neuronal and Nissl body.Mean while,the content of miR-146a in plasma extracellular vesicles and brain tissue was mea-sured by using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR),and the expression of TNF receptor associat-ed factor 6(TRAF6),nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in brain tissues were determined using Western blotting.The targeting relationship between miR-146a and TRAF6 was detected by using the dual luciferase reporter gene assay.Results(1)The neurological behavioral scores of the EM and M groups were higher than those of the C group(P<0.01 and P<0.01),with that of the EM group lower than the M group(P<0.01).(2)TTC staining showed that the infarct volume of the EM and M groups was larger than that of the other two groups(P<0.01 and P<0.01),with that of the EM group smaller than the M group(P<0.01).(3)Nissl staining results showed that the neuronal arrangement was loose,the number of neurons re-duced,and the Nissl bodies were lightly stained and decreased in the M group compared with the C and E groups.Moreover,compared with the M group,the number of neurons and Nissl bodies increased in the EM group.(4)The qPCR analysis showed that the expression of miR-146a in the plasma-derived exosomes and brain tissues of the EM and M groups decreased compared with the C group(P<0.05 and P<0.01),with that of the EM group higher than the M group(P<0.05).(5)According to Western blotting,compared with the C group,the expression levels of TRAF6,NF-κB,and TNF-α proteins increased significantly(P<0.05 and P<0.01),with that of group EM signfiicantly lower than group M(P<0.05 and P<0.05).(6)Dual-luciferase report-er gene assay showed that miR-146a had a specific binding site with TRAF6.Conclusion Eight weeks of exer-cise preconditioning reduces the infarct area and the extent of brain damage,which may be mediated by miR-146a via exosomes,increasing the expression of miR-146a in brain tissue,targeting TRAF6,negatively regulat-ing TRAF6/NF-κB,and reducing the expression of TNF-α,thus alleviating the inflammatory response in brain tissue and exerting a protective effect on ischemic brain injury.