ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of action of Xibining Formula （膝痹宁） for cartilage damage in knee osteoarthritis （KOA） through the cyclic guanosine-adenosine monophosphate synthase （cGAS）- stimulator of interferon genes （STING） signaling pathway. MethodsFifty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups （10 per group）， sham operation group， KOA model group， low-dose Xibining Formula group， high-dose Xibining Formula group， and high-dose Xibining Formula + agonist group. The KOA models were constructed using the destabilization of the medial meniscus （DMM） method in all groups but the sham surgery group. Two weeks after surgery， the low- and high-dose Xibining Formula groups were administered Xibining Formula at doses of 3.58 g/（kg·d） and 14.32 g/（kg·d） respectively via gavage. The high-dose Xibining Formula + agonist group received 14.32 g/（kg·d） of Xibining Formula via gavage followed by an intraperitoneal injection of Vadimezan （DMXAA） at 25 mg/kg. The sham surgery group and the KOA model group mice were given an equivalent volume of normal saline at 5 ml/（kg·d） via gavage， once daily for four consecutive weeks. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） were measured by ELISA； pathological changes in cartilage tissue were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Safranin O-Fast Green staining. Pathological changes were scored according to the Mankin scoring system； the levels of cartilage tissue matrix regulation-related indicators such as matrix metalloproteinase 3 （MMP3）， matrix metalloproteinase 13 （MMP13）， a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 （ADAMTS）， type-Ⅱ collagen （CⅡ） and aggregated proteoglycan （Aggrecan）， and also cGAS-STING pathway-related protein and mRNA expression levels were detected by Western blot and qPCR methods. ResultsCompared with the sham surgery group， the KOA model group showed severe cartilage edge destruction， significantly increased Mankin scores， significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression levels of COLⅡ and Aggrecan， and significantly increased protein and mRNA expression levels of cGAS， STING， MMP3， MMP13， and ADAMTS5 （P＜0.01）. Compared with the control group， serum level of IL-6， IL-1β， TNF-α in all the intervented groups decreased （P＜0.01）， while compared with high-dose Xibining Formula group， level of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α in low-dose Xibining Formula group and high-dose Xibining Formula + agonist group increased （P＜0.01）. Compared with the KOA model group， all the intervention groups exhibited alleviated cartilage pathological changes， signi-ficantly reduced Mankin scores， significantly increased protein and mRNA expression levels of COLⅡ and Aggrecan， and significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression levels of cGAS， STING， MMP3， MMP13， and ADAMTS5 （P＜0.01）. Compared with high-dose Xibining Formula group， high-dose Xibining Formula + agonist group showed cartilage edge destruction， significantly increased Mankin scores， significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression levels of COLⅡ and Aggrecan， and increased protein and mRNA expression levels of cGAS， STING， MMP3， MMP13， and ADAMTS5 （P＜0.01）. ConclusionXibining Formula may improve KOA cartilage damage by inhibiting the cGAS-STING signaling pathway， decreasing matrix degradation-related proteins， and elevating matrix composition-related proteins.

As a common malignant tumor of the respiratory system， the incidence and mortality of lung cancer are still rising year by year. Its pathogenesis is complex， the prognosis is poor， and it seriously affects human physical and mental health. Although existing Western medical treatments can inhibit tumor growth to a certain extent and relieve patients' painful symptoms， problems such as postoperative recurrence and metastasis， numerous adverse reactions， and the tendency to develop drug resistance make the overall therapeutic effect unsatisfactory. Therefore， it is urgent to seek more efficient and safer treatments. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） signaling pathway can regulate the growth， differentiation， apoptosis， and autophagy of lung cancer cells， and is extensively involved in the occurrence and development of lung cancer， thus being regarded as an important target for anti-lung cancer therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） exerts anti-lung cancer effects through multiple pathways， mechanisms， and targets， with advantages such as preventing postoperative recurrence and metastasis， alleviating the adverse reactions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy， and improving quality of life. TCM has therefore become a key approach in current anti-lung cancer treatment. Studies have found that active components of Chinese medicine， including flavonoids， saponins， polyphenols， and terpenes， as well as Chinese medicine compound prescriptions such as Guiqi Yiyuan extract， Qingzao Jiufei decoction， and Yiqi Fuzheng formula， have significant regulatory effects on AMPK and its interacting signaling pathways. These effects include inducing autophagy and apoptosis of lung cancer cells， modulating macrophage polarization， inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition， reversing drug resistance， and blocking the cell cycle， thereby exerting anti-lung cancer activity. This article reviews and summarizes recent studies on the anti-lung cancer effects of TCM， and discusses the mechanisms by which TCM regulates the AMPK signaling pathway in the treatment of lung cancer， with the aim of providing ideas and references for the development of new clinical anti-lung cancer drugs.

As a common malignant tumor of the respiratory system， the incidence and mortality of lung cancer are still rising year by year. Its pathogenesis is complex， the prognosis is poor， and it seriously affects human physical and mental health. Although existing Western medical treatments can inhibit tumor growth to a certain extent and relieve patients' painful symptoms， problems such as postoperative recurrence and metastasis， numerous adverse reactions， and the tendency to develop drug resistance make the overall therapeutic effect unsatisfactory. Therefore， it is urgent to seek more efficient and safer treatments. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） signaling pathway can regulate the growth， differentiation， apoptosis， and autophagy of lung cancer cells， and is extensively involved in the occurrence and development of lung cancer， thus being regarded as an important target for anti-lung cancer therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） exerts anti-lung cancer effects through multiple pathways， mechanisms， and targets， with advantages such as preventing postoperative recurrence and metastasis， alleviating the adverse reactions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy， and improving quality of life. TCM has therefore become a key approach in current anti-lung cancer treatment. Studies have found that active components of Chinese medicine， including flavonoids， saponins， polyphenols， and terpenes， as well as Chinese medicine compound prescriptions such as Guiqi Yiyuan extract， Qingzao Jiufei decoction， and Yiqi Fuzheng formula， have significant regulatory effects on AMPK and its interacting signaling pathways. These effects include inducing autophagy and apoptosis of lung cancer cells， modulating macrophage polarization， inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition， reversing drug resistance， and blocking the cell cycle， thereby exerting anti-lung cancer activity. This article reviews and summarizes recent studies on the anti-lung cancer effects of TCM， and discusses the mechanisms by which TCM regulates the AMPK signaling pathway in the treatment of lung cancer， with the aim of providing ideas and references for the development of new clinical anti-lung cancer drugs.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effect and potential mechanism of “Layers adjusting external application” paste on synovial fibrosis （SF） in rats with knee osteoarthritis （KOA）. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， KOA group and Layers adjusting external application group， with 8 rats in each group. KOA model was induced by the anterior cruciate ligament disruption method in KOA group and Layers adjusting external application group. Fourteen days after modeling， the Layers adjusting external application group was given “Layers adjusting external application” paste [Sanse powder （8 g for every 100 cm2）， Compound sanhuang ointment （5 g for every 100 cm2）] on the knee joint， 8 h every day， for 28 d in total. After the last administration， the degree of synovitis and fibrosis in rats was observed， and Krenn scoring was performed in each group. The expressions of collagen Ⅰ， high mobility group protein B1 （HMGB1） and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB p65 （p-NF-κB p65） were detected in the synovial membrane； the contents of interleukin-1β （IL- 1β）， IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in serum as well as the expressions of fibrosis-related and HMGB1/Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins and mRNA were detected in synovial tissue. RESULTS Compared with the sham operation group， the synovial lining cells in the KOA group showed significant proliferation and disordered arrangement， the inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition were obvious； the positive expressing cells of collagen Ⅰ， HMGB1 and p-NF-κB p65 were increased significantly； the contents of IL-1β， IL-6 and TNF-α in serum， the expressions of fibrosis-related protein （transforming growth factor-β， collagen Ⅰ， tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1， α-smooth muscle actin） and their mRNA as well as theexpressions of HMGB1， TLR4 protein and their mRNA， the expressions of p-NF-κB p65 protein and NF-κB p65 mRNA were all increased significantly in synovial tissues of rats （P＜0.01）. Compared with the KOA group， the pathological changes in the synovial tissue of rats in Layers adjusting external application group were significantly improved， and the above quantitative indicators were significantly reversed （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS “Layers adjusting external application” paste could significantly improve SF in KOA rats， the mechanism of which may be associated with the inhibition of the activation of HMGB1/ TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Xibining （XBN） and adipose stem cell exosome （ADSC-Exos） in the cases of separate or joint application on cartilage degeneration and mitochondrial autophagy and explore its mechanism of action to improve knee osteoarthritis （KOA）. MethodSD rats were divided into a sham operation group （sham group）， a model group， an ADSC-Exos group （Exos group）， an XBN group， and an ADSC-Exos+XBN group （Exos+XBN group）. KOA model was established by using anterior cruciate ligament transection （ACLT）. The pain sensitivity status of rats was evaluated， and the degeneration degree of the knee joint and cartilage tissue was detected by Micro-CT and pathological staining. The expression of p62 and LC3B was observed by immunofluorescence， and the serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， and IL-15 in rats were detected by ELISA. The Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of MMP-3， MMP-13， ADAMTS5， ColⅡ， TIMP， ACAN， PINK1， Parkin， p62， and LC3A/B. ResultCompared with the sham group， rats in the model group showed decreased cold-stimulated foot-shrinkage thresholds and mechanical pain sensitivity thresholds， varying degrees of abrasion and loss of cartilage tissue， degeneration of cartilage tissue， elevated serum IL-1β， IL-6， IL-15， and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）， and increased protein expression of MMP-3， MMP-13， and ADAMTS5 in cartilage tissue. In addition， the protein expression of ColⅡ， TIMP1， and ACAN was decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， rats in each treatment group showed higher cold-stimulated foot-shrinkage thresholds and mechanical pain sensitivity thresholds， reduced cartilage tissue degeneration， lower serum levels of IL-1β， IL-6， IL-15， and TNF-α （P<0.05，P<0.01）， decreased protein expression of MMP-3， MMP-13， and ADAMTS5， and higher protein expression of Cold， TIMP1， and ACAN in cartilage tissue （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Moreover， the changes were the most obvious in the Exos+XBN group. ConclusionBoth ADSCs-Exos and XBN can increase the level of mitochondrial autophagy in chondrocytes and delay cartilage tissue degeneration by promoting the expression of the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway， and the combination of the two can enhance the therapeutic effect.

Circadian rhythm disorders are closely related to metabolic diseases， which can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） by directly acting on the liver or indirectly affecting the liver through the liver-brain axis and intestinal flora. The rhythms of yin and yang， ying （营） and wei （卫）， twelve hours and four seasons in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） chronomedicine are similar to the connotations of modern biological rhythms. From the perspective of chronomedicine of TCM， the incidence of NAFLD is closely related to the abnormality of the daily rhythm of the waxing and waning of yin and yang， the daily rhythm of the circulation of ying and wei， the rhythm of twelve hours and four seasons. Through analyzing the rhythms related to the occurrence， development and prognosis of NAFLD， it is helpful to enhance the understanding of NAFLD in relation to time， so as to better guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect and mechanism of warming channels and activating blood circulation external treat-ment to alleviate peripheral hyperalgesia in knee osteoarthritis(KOA)based on NGF/TrKA signaling pathway.METHODS 30 SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,KOA group and Yiceng group.KOA model was established by anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT).14 days after model establishment,rats in Yiceng group were treated with Yiceng patch.The peripheral pain threshold of rats was measured at different time points.The cartilage sections were stained with HE,Aggrecan and type II collagen.The synovial sections were stained with HE,Sirius red,silver and performed with immunostaining.The protein expression of key molecules NGF and TrKA of NGF/TrKA signaling pathway,inflammatory index IL-1β,pain mediator TRPV1,pan-neural mark-ers PGP9.5 and S100 in synovium and complexes transported to dorsal root ganglia(DRG)tissues via nerve endings was determined by Western Blot.The corresponding gene expression was determined by qPCR.The levels of NGF and SP in peripheral blood of rats were determined by ELISA.RESULTS Compared with the KOA group,the cold allodynia and mechanical allodynia thresholds of the rats in the Yiceng group increased(P<0.05,P<0.01);the protein and gene expression of NGF,TrKA,TRPV1,IL-1β,PGP9.5 in the synovial tissue decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01);the protein and gene expression levels of TRPV1,PGP9.5,S100 in the DRG tissue were downregulated(P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION The warming channels and activating blood circulation external treatment can inhibit the NGF/TrKA signaling pathway,downregulate the gene and protein expressions of NGF,TrKA,TRPV1,IL-1β,PGP9.5,and may inhibit the sprouting of sensory nerve fibers and improve the peripheral hyperalgesia state of rats with KOA.

ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyze the clinical efficacy of Xibining Ⅱ prescription in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with cold-dampness blockage syndrome by oral medication and to explore the influencing factors of endpoint events. MethodA real-world retrospective cohort design was adopted， and medical records of knee osteoarthritis patients with cold-dampness blockage syndrome treated with oral medication from the orthopedics outpatient department of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine were collected. All patients received conventional Western medicine treatment and were divided into non-exposure group （573 cases） and exposure group （427 cases） according to whether or not they received treatment with Xibining Ⅱ prescription. Descriptive analysis of the baseline data of the 1 000 screened cases was performed using IBM SPSS 27.0. According to the baseline data， 334 pairs were matched using the propensity score matching method， resulting in a total of 668 cases in both groups. The changes in visual analogous scale （VAS）， Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index （WOMAC） total score， Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure （JKOM） score， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score before treatment and at 2， 6， 12 weeks after treatment， as well as the incidence of adverse reactions， were compared between the two groups. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the influencing factors of endpoint events， with clinical cure judged based on the improvement rate of WOMAC total score before and after treatment. ResultAfter 12 weeks of treatment， compared to the results before treatment， the VAS， WOMAC total score， JKOM score， and TCM syndrome score of patients in both groups significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group showed a more significant reduction in VAS， WOMAC total score， JKOM score， and TCM syndrome score （P<0.01）. After 12 weeks of treatment， the clinical cure rate and significant efficiency were higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group （P<0.05）. Compared to the results before treatment within each group， VAS， WOMAC pain， stiffness， function scores， JKOM score， and TCM syndrome score significantly decreased at 2， 6， 12 weeks after treatment in both groups （P<0.01）. Compared to the non-exposure group at the same time points， the exposure group showed a reduction in VAS at 2， 12 weeks， WOMAC pain at 6， 12 weeks， and function scores at 12 weeks （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The JKOM score decreased at 6， 12 weeks， and the TCM syndrome score significantly decreased at 2， 6， 12 weeks in the exposure group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Multivariate logistic regression analysis at 12 weeks showed that factors affecting clinical cure included the course of disease， history of alcohol consumption， hypertension， coronary heart disease， and the use of Xibining Ⅱ prescription （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared to the non-exposure group at the same time points， the incidence of epigastric discomfort in the exposure group was lower at 2， 12 weeks （P<0.01）， the incidence of diarrhea and vomiting was slightly higher than that in the non-exposure group， but the difference was not statistically significant. ConclusionThe clinical application of Xibining Ⅱ prescription combined with conventional Western medicine treatment in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with cold-dampness blockage syndrome is more effective than conventional Western medicine treatment alone. It can significantly reduce VAS， WOMAC total score， JKOM score， and TCM syndrome score， with more pronounced long-term effects and a low incidence of adverse reactions.

Objective To investigate the effect of Piezo1 activated by mechanical stress on knee osteoarthritis synovial fibrosis via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK)1/2 signaling pathway.Methods Twenty-five Sprague Dawley rats were divided into blank,exercise,exercise+GsMTx4,exercise+PD98059,and exercise+GsMTx4+PD98059 groups(n=5 per group).After modeling,serum and synovial tissue were extracted and collagen deposition was evaluated by Sirius red and Masson staining.Expression levels of Piezo1,ERK1/2,phospho(p)-ERK1/2,α-smooth muscle actin(SMA),transforming growth factor(TGF)-β,Collagen Ⅰ,and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(TIMP)-1 were detected by Western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR),and the interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α contents were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.For cell experiments,synovial cells were divided into blank,pull,pull+GsMTx4,pull+PD98059,and pull+GsMTx4+PD98059 groups and the above indices were detected in the model cells by Western blot,RT-qPCR,and other techniques.Results Mechanical stress increased collagen deposition in synovial tissues in the rats,and increased the protein and mRNA expression levels of the pathway-related and fibrosis-specific indicators Piezo1,p-ERK/ERK,α-SMA,TGF-β,Collagen I,and TIMP-1(P＜0.05).Piezo1 expression was significantly down-regulated by both inhibitors(P＜0.05),but the ERK inhibitor(PD98059)had no significant effect on Piezo1 gene expression.Levels of serum inflammatory factors were significantly higher in the exercise group compared with the blank group(P＜0.05),and levels were significantly reduced by the inhibitors(P＜0.05).The in vitro experiments showed the same trends as the animal experiments.Conclusions The Piezo1 ion channel can sense mechanical stress and activate the ERK 1/2 pathway to mediate knee synovial fibrosis.

Objective To explore the mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) in improvement of renal injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN) by regulating mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70 ribosome protein S6 kinase (S6K1)/coiled-coil myosin-like Bcl-2-interacting protein (Beclin 1) pathway. Methods The model of SD rats with DN was established by a method of high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, and they were randomly divided into model group, MSC-EVs group, and MSC-EVs+MHY1485 (mTOR activator) group, with 12 rats in each group. Another 12 SD rats were normally fed for 6 weeks and then intraperitoneally injected with an equal dose of sodium citrate solution as controls. After grouping with MSC-EVs and MHY1485, blood glucose and levels of renal function indicators [blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), and urinary microalbumin (UmALB)] in rats were detected. HE staining was used to detect the pathological morphology of renal tissue in rats of each group; immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of mTOR/S6K1/Beclin 1 pathway related proteins in the renal tissues of rats in each group; the Western blot was used to detect the mTOR/S6K1/Beclin 1 pathway and autophagy-related protein expression in the renal tissues of rats in each group. Results Compared with the control group, the renal tissue morphology of rats in the model group were impaired, and the blood glucose, BUN, Scr, UmALB, relative positive expressions of p-mTOR and p-S6K1, p-mTOR/mTOR, p-S6K1/S6K1 increased significantly (P < 0.05), while microtubule associated protein 1A/1B light chain 3 (LC3) Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ, expression of Beclin 1 protein, and relative positive expression of Beclin 1 significantly reduced (P < 0.05); compared with the model group, the MSC-EVs group had less impairment in the renal tissue morphology, and the blood glucose, BUN, Scr, UmALB, relative positive expressions of p-mTOR and p-S6K1, p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-S6K1/S6K1 decreased significantly (P < 0.05), while expression of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ, Beclin 1 protein, and relative positive expression of Beclin 1 increased significantly (P < 0.05); compared with the MSC-EVs group, the impairment of the renal tissue morphology was worse in the MSC-EVs+MHY1485 group, and the blood glucose, BUN, Scr, UmALB, relative positive expressions of p-mTOR and p-S6K1, expression of p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-S6K1/S6K1 increased significantly (P < 0.05), while the expression of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ, Beclin 1 protein, and relative positive expression of Beclin 1 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Conclusion MSC-EVs can enhance autophagy, reduce levels of blood glucose, Scr, BUN and urinary protein in rats with DN, alleviate renal tissue damage, and the mechanism may be achieved by inhibiting the activation of the mTOR/S6K1/Beclin 1 pathway.