ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of action of Kaixinsan in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease （AD） based on network pharmacology， molecular docking， and animal experimental validation. MethodsThe Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform（TCMSP） and the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine（ETCM） databases were used to obtain the active ingredients and targets of Kaixinsan. GeneCards， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man（OMIM）， TTD， PharmGKB， and DrugBank databases were used to obtain the relevant targets of AD. The intersection （common targets） of the active ingredient targets of Kaixinsan and the relevant targets of AD was taken， and the network interaction analysis of the common targets was carried out in the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction（PPI） network. The CytoNCA plugin within Cytoscape was used to screen out the core targets， and the Metascape platform was used to perform gene ontology（GO） functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes（KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis. The “drug-active ingredient-target” interaction network was constructed with the help of Cytoscape 3.8.2， and AutoDock Vina was used for molecular docking. Scopolamine （SCOP） was utilized for modeling and injected intraperitoneally once daily. Thirty-two male C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into blank control （CON） group （0.9% NaCl， n=8）， model （SCOP） group （3 mg·kg^-1·d^-1， n=8）， positive control group （3 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 of SCOP+3 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 of Donepezil， n=8）， and Kaixinsan group （3 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 of SCOP+6.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1 of Kaixinsan， n=8）. Mice in each group were administered with 0.9% NaCl， Kaixinsan， or Donepezil by gavage twice a day for 14 days. Morris water maze experiment was used to observe the learning memory ability of mice. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining method was used to observe the pathological changes in the CA1 area of the mouse hippocampus. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to determine the serum acetylcholine （ACh） and acetylcholinesterase （AChE） contents of mice. Western blot method was used to detect the protein expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3） and nuclear transcription factor（NF）-κB p65 in the hippocampus of mice. ResultsA total of 73 active ingredients of Kaixinsan were obtained， and 578 potential targets （common targets） of Kaixinsan for the treatment of AD were screened out. Key active ingredients included kaempferol， gijugliflozin， etc.. Potential core targets were STAT3， NF-κB p65， et al. GO functional enrichment analysis obtained 3 124 biological functions， 254 cellular building blocks， and 461 molecular functions. KEGG pathway enrichment obtained 248 pathways， mainly involving cancer-related pathways， TRP pathway， cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP） pathway， and NF-κB pathway. Molecular docking showed that the binding of the key active ingredients to the target targets was more stable. Morris water maze experiment indicated that Kaixinsan could improve the learning memory ability of SCOP-induced mice. HE staining and ELISA results showed that Kaixinsan had an ameliorating effect on central nerve injury in mice. Western blot test indicated that Kaixinsan had a down-regulating effect on the levels of NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and STAT3 phosphorylation in the hippocampal tissue of mice in the SCOP model. ConclusionKaixinsan can improve the cognitive impairment function in SCOP model mice and may reduce hippocampal neuronal damage and thus play a therapeutic role in the treatment of AD by regulating NF-κB p65， STAT3， and other targets involved in the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Correcting high myopia has always been challenging in clinical practice. For patients with high myopia, the implantation of an implantable collamer lens(ICL)has become the main treatment option. Recent studies have shown that ICL implantation is effective not only for correcting moderate-to-high myopia but is also increasingly used for mild-to-moderate myopia. Furthermore, ICL implantation can address difficult refractive problems and can be combined with corneal refractive surgery to extend the range of correction. ICL implantation offers a wide range of corrections, good postoperative visual quality, high predictability, reversibility, and preservation of the natural accommodative capacity. It is gradually demonstrating its unique advantages in clinical practice. Postoperative complicated cataract is a common cause of visual impairment, and severe cases may require secondary surgery. The design, material, and vault of the ICL, along with patient-specific factors, are related to the mechanism of postoperative complicated cataracts after ICL implantation. The purpose of this article is to review the updates and iterations in ICL design, the mechanism of postoperative complicated cataracts, and their prevention.

Diabetic macular edema(DME), a serious complication of diabetic retinopathy(DR), is a chronic condition caused by multiple factors. Throughout its progression, inflammatory factors and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)play a critical role. Anti-VEGF drugs have shown significant effectiveness in the treatment of DME; however, some patients may experience persistent DME after injection or require frequent injections. Dexamethasone intravitreal implants(DEX implants)serve as a sustained-release implant characterized by a reasonable release profile and high bioavailability. They offer safe, effective, and prolonged anti-inflammatory effects, aiding in the repair of retinal barrier and reduction of exudation. To further enhance patients' visual quality, exploring the efficacy of DEX implants in combination with existing treatment regimens has great clinical significance. This review primarily discusses the research advancements in DEX implants, focusing on their pharmacological properties, indications for use, and their combination with existing drugs and treatment methods. It also evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of combination therapy or switching to DEX implants compared to current standard treatments, aiming to provide guidance for personalized treatment options for patients with DME.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of the combination of components from Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma on rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes （RA-FLSs） and the underlying mechanism. MethodsRA-FLSs were grouped as follows： blank control， positive control （methotrexate）， Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma components， Chuanxiong Rhizoma components， and components from Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma+Chuanxiong Rhizoma. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was employed to the cell proliferation， invasion， and apoptosis. The levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-6， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， and malondiadehyde （MDA） in cells were measured. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）， nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） p65， phosphorylated inhibitory subunit of NF-κBα （p-IκBα）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-3 （Caspase-3）， and B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）. Real-time PCR was employed to determine the mRNA levels of Nrf2， HO-1， and NF-κB p65. ResultsThe cells in the groups of positive control， Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma components， Chuanxiong Rhizoma components， and components from Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma+Chuanxiong Rhizoma were treated with 2.50 mg·L^-1 methotrexate， 0.20 mg·L^-1 triptolide + 0.20 mg·L^-1 celastrol， 5.00 mg·L^-1 ferulic acid + 20.00 mg·L^-1 ligustrazine， 0.20 mg·L^-1 triptolide + 0.20 mg·L^-1 celastrol + 5.00 mg·L^-1 ferulic acid + 20.00 mg·L^-1 ligustrazine， respectively. Compared with the blank control group， drug administration reduced the proliferation and invasion and increased the apoptosis of cells （P<0.01）， lowered the levels of TNF-α， IL-6， ROS， and MDA （P<0.01）， up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of Caspase-3， Nrf2， and HO-1 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of Bcl-2， NF-κB p65， and p-IκBα （P<0.01）. Compared with the Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma components group， the combination of components from Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma+Chuanxiong Rhizoma inhibited the proliferation and invasion （P<0.05） and promoted the apoptosis of RA-FLSs， up-regulated the mRNA levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and protein levels of Nrf2 and Caspase-3 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated the protein levels of NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe combination of components from Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Tripterygii Radix et Rhizoma can inhibit the proliferation and invasion and promote the apoptosis of RA-FLSs and alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway， activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway， and regulating the expression of Bcl-2/Caspase-3.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of the Wulao Qisun prescription on pathological new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis （AS）. MethodsSynovial fibroblasts were isolated from the hip joints of AS patients and observed under a microscope to assess cell morphology. The cells were identified using immunofluorescence staining. The isolated AS fibroblasts were divided into blank group， low drug-containing serum group， medium drug-containing serum group， high drug-containing serum group， and positive drug group. After drug intervention， cell proliferation was measured using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay to observe fibroblast growth and determine the optimal intervention time. Alkaline phosphatase （ALP） activity was measured using the alkaline phosphatase assay. Protein expression of osteocalcin （OCN）， osteopontin （OPN）， and runt-related transcription factor 2 （Runx2） was detected by Western blot. The mRNA expression levels of Wnt5a， β-catenin， and Dickkopf-1 （DKK-1） were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared with the blank group， each drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription and the positive drug group inhibited the proliferation of AS fibroblasts and reduced ALP expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription downregulated β-catenin mRNA expression （P<0.05）. The medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group significantly downregulated Wnt5a and β-catenin mRNA expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with the positive drug group showing the most pronounced effect （P<0.01）. The high drug-containing serum group and the positive drug group significantly upregulated DKK-1 mRNA expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription inhibited the expression of OPN and Runx2 proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group inhibited the expression of OCN， OPN， and Runx2 proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe Wulao Qisun prescription can inhibit the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of AS fibroblasts， thereby delaying the formation of pathological new bone in AS. The possible mechanism involves the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin-related gene expression， further inhibiting the transcription of downstream target genes.

This article provides a systematic review of the research progress in the mechanisms related to lung cancer and ferroptosis， ferroptosis-related lung cancer biomarkers and gene mutation targets， and ferroptosis-targeted regulation of Chinese medicine in treating lung cancer in the past five years， providing a feasible and effective basis for the prevention and treatment of lung cancer with Chinese medicine and the development of new drugs. According to the available studies， ferroptosis is widely suppressed in lung cancer， while the specific regulatory mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The suppression is related to lipid metabolism， iron metabolism， cystine/glutamate antiporter system Xc^- （System Xc^-）/glutathione （GSH）/glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 （FSP1）/coenzyme Q10 （CoQ10）/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate ［NAD（P）H］， long non-coding RNA （lncRNA）， nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， and p53. In modern times， traditional Chinese medicine is widely used in the comprehensive treatment of lung cancer， and it has gradually become a hot research topic due to its obvious advantages of anti-tumor activity， high efficacy， and low toxicity. Traditional Chinese medicine plays an important role in the treatment of lung cancer. Studies have shown that the active components， extracts， and prescriptions of Chinese medicine can induce ferroptosis in lung cancer cells through targeted regulation of iron metabolism， lipid metabolism， and p53， Nrf2， LncRNA， and GPX4 pathways to inhibit the growth and proliferation of lung cancer， thus exerting anti-tumor effects. Therefore， regulating ferroptosis is expected to become a new direction for preventing lung cancer. Basic research has shown that Chinese medicine can regulate ferroptosis via multiple targets and pathways in the treatment of lung cancer. At present， Chinese medicine demonstrates great research prospects in regulating ferroptosis to treat lung cancer， which， howeve， still faces challenges to achieve clinical transformation.

Nervous system diseases， also known as neuropathies， encompass a wide range of conditions， primarily including Alzheimer's disease （AD）， Parkinson's disease （PD）， Huntington's disease， and other neurodegenerative disorders， as well as depression， subarachnoid hemorrhage， cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury， vascular dementia， and other neurological diseases. These diseases pose serious threats to the health and lives of patients， bringing heavy burdens to society and families. The pathogenesis of nervous system diseases is highly complex， involving mechanisms such as neuroinflammation， oxidative stress， apoptosis， endoplasmic reticulum stress， mitochondrial dysfunction， brain-derived neurotrophic factor deficiency， reduced cholinergic activity， axonal injury， and demyelination. In recent years， the incidence and mortality of nervous system diseases have been rising annually. Currently， western medicine primarily focuses on symptomatic treatment， often accompanied by many adverse reactions， including lethargy， excessive sedation， dizziness， headaches， tachycardia， liver function damage， metabolic disorders， and incomplete recovery after surgery. As a traditional Chinese medicine， Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma has effects such as promoting blood circulation， removing blood stasis， cooling the blood， clearing the heart， nourishing the blood， and calming the nerves. It can play a role in the treatment and protection against nervous system diseases through multiple targets， pathways， and mechanisms. Studies have found that the water-soluble phenolic acids and fat-soluble diterpenoid quinones in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma are the main active ingredients for the treatment of nervous system diseases. This paper summarized the effects of the active components and compounds of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma on nervous system diseases over the past ten years， aiming to provide a theoretical basis and research ideas for the development and application of active components and compounds of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in nervous system diseases.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Qingre Sanzhuo decoction in treating gouty arthritis （GA） combined with hyperuricaemia （HUA）. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomized into normal， model， colchicine （0.5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （17， 34， 68 g·kg^-1， respectively） Qingre Sanzhuo decoction groups （n=10）. The rats in other groups except the normal group were treated with the modified method for the modeling of GA combined with HUA. The drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage in the afternoon every day and the normal group and the model group were administrated with an equal volume of sterile normal saline by gavage. The level of uric acid （SUA） in the serum was measured 2 h after the last administration. The degree of ankle joint swelling was calculated 0.5， 12， 24， 48 h after modeling， and joint inflammation was scored. The pathological changes of ankle joints were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， C reactive protein （CRP）， and interleukin-18 （IL-18） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Real-time PCR was performed to determine the mRNA levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD （ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-1 （Caspase-1）， gasdermin D （GSDMD）， and nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） in the synovial tissue of ankle joints. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of NLRP3， ASC， and Caspase-1 in ankle joints. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of GSDMD and NF-κB in the synovial tissue of ankle joints. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increased SUA in the serum （P<0.05）， ankle joint swelling and joint inflammation （P<0.05）， increased number of blood vessels in the synovium， inflammatory cell foci in the synovial bursa， elevated serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， CRP， and IL-18 （P<0.05）， and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， GSDMD， and NF-κB in the synovial tissue of ankle joints （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the medium- and high-dose Qingre Sanzhuo decoction groups showed reduced SUA in the serum （P<0.05）， alleviated ankle joint swelling and joint inflammation （P<0.05）， lowered serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， CRP， and IL-18 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， GSDMD， and NF-κB in the synovial tissue of ankle joints （P<0.05）. However， in terms of ameliorating the pathological changes of ankle joints， only the high-dose Qingre Sanzhuo decoction group showed normal morphology of the synovial membrane of ankle joints and no obvious lesion in the articular cartilage. ConclusionQingre Sanzhuo decoction may play a role in preventing and controlling GA combined with HUA by down-regulating the activity of NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 pathway and inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines， such as TNF-α， IL-1β， CRP， and IL-18.

ObjectiveTo study the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of rheumatoid arthritis （RA） in the patients with cold dampness obstruction syndrome. MethodsThe RA patients treated in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rheumatology of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital from August 2022 to June 2024 were selected. The demographic information， clinical data， laboratory test results， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom information were collected for syndrome differentiation， on the basis of which the characteristics and influencing factors of cold dampness obstruction syndrome were analyzed. ResultsA total of 258 RA patients were selected in this study， including 88 （34.1%） patients with cold dampness obstruction syndrome， 53 （20.5%） patients with dampness and heat obstruction syndrome， 31 （12.0%） patients with wind dampness obstruction syndrome， 29 （11.2%） patients with liver-kidney deficiency syndrome， 19 （7.4%） patients with Qi-blood deficiency syndrome， 14 （5.4%） patients with phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome， 15 （5.8%） patients with stasis obstructing collateral syndrome and 9 （3.5%） patients with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome. The patients were assigned into two groups of cold dampness obstruction syndrome and other syndromes. The group of cold dampness obstruction syndrome had lower joint fever， 28-tender joint count （TJC28）， and 28-joint disease activity score （DAS28）-C-reactive protein （CRP） and higher central sensitization， cold feeling of joints， fear of wind and cold， cold limbs， and abdominal distention than the group of other syndromes （P<0.05）. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that central sensitization （OR 5.749， 95%CI 2.116-15.616， P<0.001） and DAS28-CRP （OR 0.600， 95% CI 0.418-0.862， P=0.006） were the independent factors influencing cold dampness obstruction syndrome in RA. ConclusionCold dampness obstruction syndrome is a common syndrome in RA patients. It is associated with central sensitization， cold feeling of joints， abdominal distension and may be a clinical syndrome associated with central sensitization.

The prescription Mahuang Shengmatang in the Treatise on Cold Damage （《伤寒论》） has sparked considerable debate among medical practitioners throughout history， with varying opinions on its indications， pathogenesis described in the text， principle of compatibility， and clinical applications. Both ancient and modern interpreters of Mahuang Shengmatang often focus on herbal compatibility as a primary approach to deduce the pathogenesis and treatment methods. Building upon this foundation， this paper utilizes herbal dosage as a clue to discern the primary and secondary herbs in the prescription. It further analyzes the principle of compatibility based on herbal indications， summarizing the indications and therapeutic principles of this prescription. Ultimately， it reveals the underlying pathogenesis reflected in the text. The internal closure of heat and toxin leads to the stagnation of Qi， preventing Yang Qi from reaching the extremities and causing cold hands and feet. When the pathogenic Qi finds no outlet， it floods both the upper and lower regions of the body， attacking the throat and causing cough with expectoration of pus and blood， and descending to the large intestine to consume Yin fluids， resulting in persistent diarrhea. Based on this pathogenesis， the paper expands the scope of symptoms and signs associated with the prescription， providing a more detailed portrayal of the applicable patient population and enhancing the basis for clinical prescription references. Additionally， the paper presents considerations on several controversial topics， suggesting that the "lower pulse" described in the text refers to the lower limb arterial pulsation， and the symptoms and signs resemble those of septic shock in modern medicine. Therefore， Mahuang Shengmatang should be categorized as a prescription for treating warm diseases and it is not developed by ZHANG Zhongjing. By employing a detailed discussion on the syndrome， pathogenesis， and clinical application in the texts of Mahuang Shengmatang from the dosage， principle of compatibility， and herbal indications， this paper not only enriches the theoretical foundation of Mahuang Shengmatang but also provides a comprehensive perspective and fresh ideas for understanding its clinical application.