BACKGROUND:Flap transplantation technique is a commonly used surgical procedure for the treatment of severe tissue defects,but postoperative flap necrosis is easily triggered by ischemia-reperfusion injury.Therefore,it is still an important research topic to improve the survival rate of transplanted flaps. OBJECTIVE:To review the pathogenesis and latest treatment progress of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang Database and PubMed database were searched for relevant literature published from 2014 to 2024.The search terms used were"flap,ischemia-reperfusion injury,inflammatory response,oxidative stress,Ca2+overload,apoptosis,mesenchymal stem cells,platelet-rich plasma,signaling pathways,shock wave,pretreatment"in Chinese and English.After elimination of irrelevant literature,poor quality and obsolete literature,77 documents were finally included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Flap ischemia/reperfusion injury may be related to pathological factors such as inflammatory response,oxidative stress response,Ca2+overload,and apoptosis,which can cause apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells,vascular damage and microcirculation disorders in the flap,and eventually lead to flap necrosis.Studies have found that mesenchymal stem cell transplantation,platelet-rich plasma,signaling pathway modulators,shock waves,and pretreatment can alleviate flap ischemia/reperfusion injuries from different aspects and to varying degrees,and reduce the necrosis rate and necrosis area of the grafted flap.Although there are many therapeutic methods for skin flap ischemia/reperfusion injury,a unified and effective therapeutic method has not yet been developed in the clinic,and the advantages and disadvantages of various therapeutic methods have not yet been compared.Most of the studies remain in the stage of animal experiments,rarely involving clinical observations.Therefore,a lot of research is required in the future to gradually move from animal experiments to the clinic in order to better serve the clinic.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness and safety of Xiaozhong Zhitong Mixture （消肿止痛合剂） combined with antibiotic bone cement in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer （DFU） with damp-heat obstructing syndrome. MethodsA total of 72 DFU patients with damp-heat obstructing syndrome were randomly assigned to treatment group （36 cases） and the control group （36 cases）. Both groups received standard treatment and topical antibiotic bone cement for ulcer wounds， while the treatment group received oral Xiaozhong Zhitong Mixture （50 ml per time， three times daily） in additionally. Both groups underwent daily wound dressing changes for 21 consecutive days. Ulcer healing rate， serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-1 beta （IL-1β）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， C-reactive protein （CRP）， and white blood cell （WBC） count were observed before and after treatment， and visual analog scale （VAS） scores for wound pain， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， and the DFU Healing Scale （DMIST scale） were also compared. Liver and kidney function were evaluated before and after treatment， and adverse events such as allergic reactions， worsening ulcer pain were recorded. ResultsTotally 35 patients in the treatment group and 33 in the control group were included in the final analysis. The ulcer healing rate in the treatment group was （87.93±9.34）%， significantly higher than （81.82±12.02）% in the control group （P = 0.035）. Compared to pre-treatment levels， both groups showed significant reductions in serum CRP， WBC， MDA， IL-1β， and TNF-α levels， with an increase in SOD level （P＜0.05）. TCM syndrome scores， VAS， and DMIST scores also significantly decreased in both groups （P＜0.05）， with greater improvements in the treatment group （P＜0.05）. No significant adverse reactions were observed in either group during treatment. ConclusionXiaozhong Zhitong Mixture combined with antibiotic bone cement has significant advantages in promoting DFU healing， reducing inflammatory response， and alleviating oxidative stress in DFU patients with damp-heat obstructing syndrome， with good safety for DFU patients with damp-heat obstructing syndrome.

Rheumatoid arthritis （RA） is an autoimmune disease involving symmetrical small joints， with clinical manifestations such as small joint swelling， morning stiffness， progressive pain， and even joint deformity and loss of function. Due to the complex immune mechanism， the pathogenesis of RA remains unclear. However， studies have shown that the pathogenesis of RA is related to abnormal immune mechanism， increased synovial inflammatory response， abnormal biological behavior of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes （RA-FLSs）， and abnormal degradation of extracellular matrix. Mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） plays a key role in the regulation of cell growth， proliferation， differentiation， and apoptosis. It is involved in the abnormal release and activation of inflammatory mediators in RA， the abnormal proliferation， migration， and invasion of RA-FLSs， synovial angiogenesis， bone erosion， and cartilage destruction. The thousands of years of practical experience show that Chinese medicine can effectively mitigate the clinical symptoms such as joint swelling， morning stiffness， and pain and delay the occurrence of joint deformity in RA patients. Moreover， the Chinese medicine treatment has the advantages of overall regulation， personalized treatment， multiple pathways and targets， high safety， few adverse reactions， and stable quality. Modern studies have confirmed that Chinese medicine can play a role in the prevention and treatment of RA by interfering in the MAPK signaling pathway， reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines， inhibiting the abnormal proliferation， migration， and invasion of RA-FLSs， regulating the apoptosis of RA-FLSs， and protecting extracellular matrix. This article elaborates on the key role of MAPK signaling pathway in the development of RA and reviews the latest research results of Chinese medicine intervention in MAPK signaling pathway for the prevention and treatment RA， aiming to provide a basis for the development of new drugs and the clinical application of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of RA.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Tongxinluo capsules on the use of anti-ischemic drugs in patients with chronic coronary syndrome （CCS） of Qi deficiency and blood stasis. MethodA multicenter，prospective cohort study was conducted，with Tongxinluo capsules intervention as the exposure factor. Patients were divided into an exposed group （combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine） and a non-exposed group （western medicine alone），and followed up for one year. The use of anti-ischemic drugs was observed on the day of enrollment and at 3，6，12 months. ResultA total of 186 patients were enrolled，with 128 in the exposed group and 58 in the non-exposed group. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. At the 3-month follow-up，the types of first-line anti-ischemic drugs used in the exposed group were significantly fewer than those in the non-exposed group （P<0.01），and this difference remained statistically significant at 6 months （P<0.05） but was no longer significant at 12 months. At the 3- and 6-month follow-ups，there were no significant differences between the two groups in the types of second-line anti-ischemic drugs used. However，at the 12-month follow-up，the types of second-line anti-ischemic drugs used in the exposed group were significantly fewer than those in the non-exposed group （P<0.01）. At the 3-month follow-up，both groups showed a reduction in the types of first-line anti-ischemic drugs used compared to baseline （P<0.05），with a more pronounced reduction in the exposed group （P<0.05）. At the 6-month follow-up，the exposed group showed a significant reduction in the types of second-line anti-ischemic drugs used compared to baseline （P<0.05），while no significant changes were observed in the non-exposed group. At the 12-month follow-up，the difference in the types of second-line anti-ischemic drugs between the exposed and non-exposed groups was statistically significant （P<0.05），while there was no significant difference in the types of first-line anti-ischemic drugs. ConclusionTongxinluo capsules can effectively reduce the use of anti-ischemic drugs in patients with CCS of Qi deficiency and blood stasis.

BACKGROUND:In recent years,it has been found that some traditional Chinese medicine monomers can alleviate oxidative stress and apoptosis of the skin flap,promote vascular regeneration of the skin flap and prevent skin flap necrosis by activating autophagy. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine monomer regulating autophagy in preventing flap necrosis. METHODS:The Chinese and English key words were"traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),autophagy,skin flaps".The first author searched the relevant articles published in CNKI and PubMed databases from January 2010 to October 2022.A total of 196 articles were retrieved in the preliminary screening and then screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.The quality assessment was conducted by reading the literature titles and abstracts.Finally,55 articles were summarized. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The regulation of autophagy is mediated by AMPK/mTOR,PI3K/AKT and other signaling pathways.Activation of autophagy can alleviate the oxidative stress and apoptosis of the flap,promote the regeneration of blood vessels in the flap,and prevent flap necrosis.(2)Terpenoids(Betulinic acid,Andrographolide,Notoginseng Triterpenes,Catalpa),phenolic compounds(Resveratrol,Curcumin,Gastrodin),phenolic acids(Salvianolic acid B)and steroid compounds(Pseudoginsenoside F11)in traditional Chinese medicine monomers can alleviate oxidative stress and apoptosis of skin flap by regulating related signaling pathways to activate autophagy,promote skin flap angiogenesis and promote skin flap survival.(3)Studying the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine monomer to prevent flap necrosis by regulating autophagy can provide a reference and theoretical basis for traditional Chinese medicine to prevent flap necrosis and promote flap healing in the clinic.

BACKGROUND:Mesenchymal stem cells have great potential in the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury of skin flaps.However,their defects and the decline of their role in the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury of skin flaps restrict their wide application. OBJECTIVE:To review the strategies for improving the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury of skin flaps with mesenchymal stem cells,and provide a reference for its further theoretical research and clinical application. METHODS:Relevant documents included in CNKI,WanFang and PubMed were searched.The Chinese and English search terms were"mesenchymal stem cell,ischemia-reperfusion adjustment of skin flap,mesenchymal stem cells,stem cells,skin flap,ischemia-reperfusion injury,pretreatment,gene modification,biomaterial packaging,joint application".The relevant documents since 2007 were retrieved,and the documents with little relationship between the research content and the article theme,poor quality and outdated content were eliminated through reading the article,and finally 75 documents were included for summary. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Mesenchymal stem cells can inhibit inflammatory reactions,resist oxidative stress and induce angiogenesis,which has great potential in the treatment of skin flap ischemia-reperfusion injury.(2)Although mesenchymal stem cells have shown great potential in the treatment of skin flap ischemia-reperfusion injury,their shortcomings in treatment have limited their widespread clinical application.Through pre-treatment(cytokines,hypoxia,drugs,and other pre-treatment mesenchymal stem cells),gene-modified mesenchymal stem cells,biomaterial encapsulation of mesenchymal stem cells,as well as the combined use of mesenchymal stem cells and other drugs or therapeutic methods,can not only overcome the shortcomings of mesenchymal stem cells in treatment,but also improve their therapeutic effectiveness in skin flap ischemia-reperfusion injury.(3)Therefore,further improving the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cells in treating skin flap ischemia-reperfusion injury and exploring its therapeutic potential are of great significance for the research of mesenchymal stem cells and the treatment of skin flap ischemia-reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND:Mesenchymal stem cells are used in flap ischemia-reperfusion injury due to their antioxidant and inflammatory inhibition,and angiogenesis induction. OBJECTIVE:To review the mechanism and latest treatment progress of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury,and to provide a basis for further theoretical research and clinical rational application. METHODS:We searched the relevant articles indexed in CNKI,WanFang and PubMed databases.Chinese and English search terms were"mesenchymal stem cells;flap ischemia reperfusion injury;conditioned medium;exosomes;oxidative stress;inflammatory reactions;angiogenesis".Relevant literature since 2010 was searched,and 74 articles were finally included after excluding the literature that had little to do with the topic of the article,poor quality and outdated content. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Mesenchymal stem cells play significant roles in antioxidation,inhibition of inflammation and induction of angiogenesis and have great potential in the treatment of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury.(2)However,the defects of mesenchymal stem cells themselves and the decline of therapeutic effect in recent years have put the development and application of mesenchymal stem cells into a bottleneck period,and the research on the plasticity of mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium and its exosomes and mesenchymal stem cells came into being,and the therapeutic effect was significantly better than the use of mesenchymal stem cells alone.(3)Therefore,a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of action and the latest treatment progress of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury is of great significance for the research of mesenchymal stem cells and the treatment of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Diabetic ulcer （DU） wound is one of the chronic and serious complications of diabetes characterized by prolonged wound healing， and it is more common in foot and lower extremity ulcers. DU has brought great economic and psychological pressure to patients and seriously affected the quality of life of patients because of its great difficulty in treatment， long treatment process， and high morbidity and mortality. Therefore， how to help the rapid healing of DU wounds， reduce the disability rate and mortality rate， protect limb function， and improve the quality of life is an important topic and hot spot in the field of medical research. The pathogenesis of DU is complex， mainly including microcirculation disorder， peripheral neuropathy， inflammation and infection， and excessive apoptosis of cells， involving physiological processes such as wound inflammation， granulation tissue hyperplasia and re-epithelialization. A large number of previous studies have found that Chinese medicine can regulate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， Wnt/β-catenin， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Notch， nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）/Smad， and other signaling pathways， regulate abnormal glucose metabolism， improve microcirculation， inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress， regulate cell proliferation and excessive apoptosis， and promote wound tissue growth to promote the rapid healing of DU wounds under the guidance of treatment based on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome differentiation and internal and external treatment. Therefore， this paper reviewed Chinese medicinal monomers or Chinese medicinal compounds in recent years in regulating the above signaling pathways and the expression of key protein molecules and promoting the rapid healing of DU wounds， aiming to provide ideas and a theoretical basis for the in-depth study and clinical application of Chinese medicine in promoting the healing of DU wounds.

Osteoarthritis （OA） is a common chronic， highly prevalent， painful， and disabling degenerative joint disease. It has imposed a heavy burden on social healthcare and patients' psychology and economy due to its clinical symptoms such as impaired joint mobility and severe joint pain and the immature therapies. Studies have shown that OA is closely associated with articular cartilage dysfunction， synthesis and degradation disorders of chondrocyte extracellular matrix （ECM）， and joint inflammation. Moderate autophagy can restore the function of damaged chondrocytes， regulate chondrocyte apoptosis， and promote the synthesis and metabolism of ECM to alleviate the inflammation of joints and delay the onset and progression of OA. According to the clinical symptoms， OA can be classified into the category of impediment in traditional Chinese medicine. With the theories of holistic conception， treatment based on syndrome differentiation， and individualised diagnosis and treatment， traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated definite effects in the treatment of OA in thousands of years of practice. Moreover， traditional Chinese medicine causes mild adverse reactions， and the patients have high tolerance and acceptance. This paper briefly explains the roles of autophagy and the related regulatory proteins， such as Unc-51-like autophagy-activated kinase 1 （ULK1）， Beclin-1， and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 （LC3）， and details the latest research achievements in the prevention and control of OA by traditional Chinese medicines and its related markers via the regulation of autophagy， so as to provide a idea for the in-depth research in this field and the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating OA.

Osteoarthritis （OA）， rheumatoid arthritis （RA）， gouty arthritis （GA）， and intervertebral disc degeneration （IVDD） are the most common bone and joint-related diseases in clinical practice. They can all affect related joints， leading to joint pain， swelling， dysfunction， and other symptoms. The difference is that OA is mainly caused by joint wear and age-related degradation and is manifested as joint pain， stiffness， and limited movement. RA is an autoimmune disease， manifested as joint pain， swelling， morning stiffness， and systemic symptoms. GA is caused by abnormal uric acid metabolism， manifested as acute arthritis， and IVDD is caused by intervertebral disc degeneration. Studies have shown that the mechanism of the occurrence and development of these bone and joint diseases is extremely complex. Pyroptosis is closely related to these bone and joint-related diseases by participating in bone and joint inflammation， cartilage metabolism imbalance， extracellular matrix degradation， and pathological damage of bone and joint. Inhibition of bone and joint-related pyroptosis will effectively prevent and treat bone and joint-related diseases. At the same time， many studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has a prominent curative effect and obvious advantages in the prevention and treatment of bone and joint-related diseases. TCM can reduce the inflammatory reaction of bone and joints， improve the pathological damage of bone and joint diseases， and relieve bone and joint pain by inhibiting pyroptosis. Therefore， this article aims to briefly explain the relationship between pyroptosis and the occurrence and development of bone and joint-related diseases and summarize the latest research reports on the intervention of pyroptosis in the treatment of bone and joint-related diseases by TCM monomers， TCM extracts， and TCM compounds. It offers new ideas for the in-depth study of the pathogenesis and drug treatment of bone and joint diseases and provides a basis for the clinical use of TCM to prevent and treat bone and joint diseases.