ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction （加味葛根芩连汤， MGQD） in the treatment of ulcerative colitis （UC） based on intestinal mucus barrier. MethodsThirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group， a model group and a MGQD group with 10 mice in each. Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt （DSS） was used to construct the UC model in all groups except for the control group. Meanwhile， mice in the MGQD group were given 20 g/kg of MGQD decoction by gavage according to their body weight， while those in the control group and model group were given 0.2 ml/20 g of pure water by gavage， once a day for 7 consecutive days. On the day following the last gavage， the body weight， disease activity index （DAI） score， spleen weight， and colon length were compared. The pathological changes of the intestinal mucosal tissues were observed by HE staining； the protein expression levels of mucin 2 （MUC2） and leucine-rich repeat G protein-coupled receptor 5 （Lgr5） in the intestinal mucosal tissues were detected by immunofluorescence； the cuprocytes in the intestinal mucosal tissues were detected by AB/PAS staining； and the expression level of Ki67 in the intestinal mucosal tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. ResultsHE staining showed that the colon mucosal tissue of the mice in the control group was intact. In the model group， the colon mucosal epithelial structure was severely damaged， with a large amount of inflammatory cell infiltration in the mucosal propria. In the MGQD group， the mucosal tissue structure was partially lost， with a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration.The body weight and colon length of mice in the model group decreased significantly compared to those in the control group， while DAI scores and spleen weight increased， and the levels of MUC2， Ki67， Lgr5 proteins， and the number of goblet cells were significantly reduced （P＜0.01）. Compared to the model group， the MGQD group had increased body weight of mice， colon length， and decreased DAI scores and spleen weight； the levels of MUC2， Ki67， Lgr5 proteins， and the number of goblet cells were increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionMGQD has a favorable ameliorative effect on UC-related symptoms and pathological tissue damage， and its mechanism of action may be related to the restoration of the prolife-ration and differentiation of intestinal stem cells into goblet cells， thereby promoting the repair of the intestinal mucus barrier.

Organoid technology， a rapidly advancing three-dimensional （3D） cell culture platform， can closely mimic the microarchitecture and functions of human digestive organs， effectively overcoming the limitations of conventional two-dimensional cell models and animal experiments. By systematically summarizing the distinctive strengths of organoid technology in simulating digestive physiological and pathological states， constructing digestive system disease models， enabling high-throughput drug screening， and facilitating personalized treatment， this review explored the potential applications of organoids in identifying active components of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formulas， evaluating in vitro pharmacokinetics and toxicological parameters， and investigating multi-target synergistic mechanisms. By integrating cutting-edge engineering technologies， organoids are expected to provide a more scientific research platform for TCM， accelerate the modernization of its mechanistic studies， and enhance its scientific value and global impact.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of gene mutation on the effectiveness of arsenic-containing Chinese herbal compound formulas in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes （MDS） of different traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） patterns， so as to provide the basis for the clinical application. MethodsClinical data of 442 MDS patients who were treated with arsenic-containing herbal compound formulas were retrospectively collected， including the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. Based on the TCM four examinations， the patients were divided into the spleen-kidney deficiency group as well as the qi-yin deficiency group， and according to the results of the next-generation sequencing （NGS） test， they were divided into the group with and without gene mutation respectively. The influence of gene mutation on the clinical effectiveness of patients with different TCM patterns was analyzed， the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients with different outcomes of the two TCM patterns were compared， and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted on the influencing factors of the effective rate of MDS patients with gene mutation. ResultsA total of 190 cases were included in the spleen-kidney deficiency group （119 cases with gene mutation） and 43 cases in the qi-yin deficiency group （23 cases with gene mutation）. No statistically significant differences were noted in effectiveness assessment， total effective rate， and total response rate between the spleen-kidney deficiency group and the qi-yin deficiency group （P＞0.05）. In the spleen-kidney deficiency group， the total effective rate of MDS with gene mutation was 65.55% （78/119）， which was lower than 80.28% （57/71） of MDS without gene mutation， with statistical significance （P = 0.033）， while no statistical differences in effectiveness assessment and total response rate were noted （P＞0.05）. In the qi-yin deficiency group， no statistical differences were observed in effectiveness assessment， total effective rate， and total response rate of the patients in with or without gene mutation （P＞0.05）. In the spleen-kidney deficiency group with gene mutation， the rate of complex karyotype （P = 0.031） and the mutation rate of CBL gene （P = 0.032） in the ineffective population were higher than those in the effective population， while the mutation rate of DDX41 gene in the effective population was higher than that in the ineffective population （P = 0.033）. No statistically significant differences were found in other gene mutations， age， gender distribution， number of gene mutations， bone marrow hyperplasia degree， blast cell range， reticular fiber tissue proliferation or not， and prognosis of chromosomal abnormalities between the effective and ineffective populations （P＞0.05）. In the qi-yin deficiency group with gene mutation， no statistically significant differences were found in various items between populations with different outcomes （P＞0.05）. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that complex karyotype， CBL mutation， and DDX41 mutation were independently associated with the effective rate of MDS with spleen-kidney deficiency and gene mutation （P＜0.05）. DDX41 mutation was an independent protective factor in the spleen-kidney deficiency group （OR＞1）， while complex karyotype and CBL mutation were independent risk factors （OR＜1）. ConclusionThe arsenic-containing TCM compound formulas exhibited better effectiveness in MDS with spleen-kidney deficiency pattern without mutation； and in MDS with spleen-kidney deficiency pattern without complex karyotypes， CBL mutation， and with DDX41 mutations. Furthermore， DDX41 mutation was an independent protective factor in the spleen-kidney deficiency group， while complex karyotype and CBL mutation were independent risk factors. In MDS with qi-yin deficiency pattern， gene mutation-related factors showed no significant impact on the effectiveness of arsenic-containing TCM compound formulas.

Objective To investigate the effect of subchronic inhalation of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) on oxidative stress damage in rat lung tissue. Methods SPF-grade Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups,the rats were placed in a HOPE-MED 8050A movable poison cabinet in a cage.To observe the ultrastructural and histopathology changes of lung tissue in rats.The levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in lung tissue were detected. The ultrastructural and histopathological changes were examined. The expression levels of HO-1 mRNA and protein were detected by Real-time PCR and Western Blot, respectively. Results The body mass, lung tissue mass, and lung organ coefficient of rats in each dose group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the body mass of rats in each group increased with the increase of exposure time (P<0.05); The results of lung histopathological examination showed that after TDI exposure,in the high-dose group, pulmonary alveolar wall hyperemia and edema were observed in the lung tissue of rats, alveolar wall thickening was observed, alveolar septa widening, and a large number of red blood cells were seen in the alveolar cavity. The results of ultrastructural examination of lung tissue showed that after TDI exposure, while in the high-dose group, the number of alveolar cells decreased, with unclear cell boundaries and irregular morphology. The levels of MDA in the lung tissue of rats exposed to TDI at various doses were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), while the levels of GSH, GSH-Px, SOD, and CAT were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); There was no significant difference in HO-1 gene and protein levels among rats in each group (P>0.05). Conclusion Subchronic inhalation of TDI can cause changes in the pathology and ultrastructure of rat lung tissue, leading to abnormal levels of metabolic enzymes in lung function, thereby inducing oxidative stress damage to the lungs. However, but HO-1 is involved in oxidative stress damage in the lungs induced by TDI.

ObjectiveMyelodysplastic syndromes （MDS） is a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders，and this study aims to investigate the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α（HIF-1α） in the bone marrow cells of patients with MDS and its correlation with the clinical features of MDS，the therapeutic efficacy of arsenic-containing Chineseherbal compound，and the survival prognosis. MethodAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria，27 MDS patients treated with arsenic-containing Chinese herbal compound in the Department of Hematology，Xiyuan Hospital，China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from January 2022 to September 2022 were included，and their bone marrow samples were collected by myelotomy. HIF-1α expression level in bone marrow cells was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR） to analyze its correlation with clinical features，and logistic and Cox regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the efficacy and prognostic survival of MDS patients. ResultThe HIF-1α mRNA expression level was lower in bone marrow cells of MDS patients than in healthy subjects. HIF-1α was positively correlated with the degree of myelodysplasia（r=0.384，P<0.05） and bone marrow granulocytic system%（G%）（r=0.560，P<0.01）. Logistic regression showed that HIF-1α was a risk factor for the prognosis in the follow-up of the efficacy of treatment（P<0.05）and Cox regression showed that HIF-1α was an independent factor affecting the survival prognosis of MDS patients ［odds ratio（OR）=398.968，95% confidence interval（CI）（1.281，116 858.743），P<0.05］. ConclusionThe level of HIF-1α expression in bone marrow cells of MDS patients was closely related to the degree of clinical myelodysplasia and G%，and HIF-1α was a risk factor for the efficacy for and survival prognosis of MDS patients.

Objective To analyze the TCM syndrome and treatment rule for the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis based on data mining;To provide reference for its clinical treatment.Methods With the help of the big data platform of evidence-based literature of TCM covering several dominant diseases in the field of digestion,literature on the experience of famous doctors,theoretical discussion and case reports in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis published from 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2022 was retrieved.Medical records were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.The data of TCM disease names,clinical symptoms,tongue manifestation,pulse manifestation,TCM syndrome,TCM treatment method and other terms in medical records were standardized and statistically analyzed.Results Totally 169 articles were included,including 228 medical cases,involving 228 patients,with a cumulative number of 361 visits,with an average age of(53.17±11.11)years old,with the largest number of 50-60 years old.Chronic atrophic gastritis mostly belonged to the categories of"stomach pain"and"epigastric puffiness"in TCM,and its main symptoms were stomach pain,epigastric puffiness and belching.The common tongue manifestation include dark red tongue,white moss,thin or greasy moss.The common pulse manifestation included wiry slippery pulse,wiry thready pulse and wiry pulse.The high-frequency syndromes included liver-stomach qi stagnation syndrome,spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome,liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency syndrome.The disease locations were mainly in the stomach,spleen and liver,and the syndrome elements were mainly qi deficiency,qi stagnation,blood stasis,dampness and heat,etc.The complex syndrome elements were more than the single syndrome elements,and the two syndrome elements of qi deficiency + qi stagnation was the most common.The most commonly used treatment methods were supplementing,regulating qi and regulating blood.Conclusion The treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis with TCM mostly focuses on the stomach,spleen and liver.The core syndrome elements are qi deficiency,qi stagnation,and blood stasis.The methods of nourishing qi and strengthening the spleen,soothing the liver and stomach,regulating qi and blood are often used.

ObjectiveTo investigate the immunological characteristics of the patients with aplastic anemia （AA） and elevated hemogram parameters treated with Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with Western medicine and the predictive effects of immunological indexes on elevated hemogram parameters， thus providing a reference for the prediction of the treatment efficacy and the adjustment of the treatment regimen. MethodA retrospective study was conducted， involving 77 AA patients treated with Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with Western medicine for 6 months in 19 medical institutions including Xiyuan Hospital， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from September 2018 to March 2021. The patients were assigned into two groups according to the elevations in hemogram parameters ［including hemoglobin （HGB）， white blood cell count （WBC）， platelet （PLT）， and absolute neutrophil count （ANC）］ after 6 months of treatment. One group had the elevation <50%， and the other group had the elevation ≥50% compared with the baseline. The clinical and immunological characteristics were compared between the two groups. Result① Compared with the group with HGB elevation<50%， the group with HGB elevation≥50% showed elevated level of CD3⁺ human leukocyte antigen-DR （HLA-DR）⁺ and increased proportion of patients with T-helper cell type 2 （Th2）<5%， CD8⁺≥50%， and CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺≥9% before treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD8⁺≥50% before treatment was the independent influencing factor for HGB elevation ≥50% ［odds ratio （OR）=12.000， 95% confidence interval （CI） 2.218， 64.928， P<0.01］. ② Compared with the group with WBC elevation<50%， the group with WBC elevation≥50% showed increased proportion of patients with CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺<6% and T-box transcription factor （T-bet）≥200% before treatment （P<0.05）. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺<6% （OR=2.998， 95%CI 1.036， 8.680， P<0.05） and T-bet≥200% （OR=3.634， 95%CI 1.076， 12.273， P<0.05） before treatment were independent influencing factors for WBC elevation≥50%. ③ Compared with the group with PLT elevation<50%， the group with PLT elevation≥50% presented lowered Th1 and CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺ levels and increased proportion of patients with Th1<12%， CD4⁺≥6%， and CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺<5% before treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺<5% before treatment was the independent influencing factor for PLT elevation≥50% （OR=16.190， 95%CI of 3.430 to 76.434， P<0.01）. ④ Compared with the group with ANC elevation<50%， the group with ANC elevation≥50% showed no significant changes in the hemogram parameters before treatment. ConclusionAs for the AA patients with rapid elevation in HGB， Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with Western medicine demonstrate significant effects in the patients with Th2<5% and CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺≥9%， especially those with CD8⁺≥50%. As for the AA patients with rapid elevation in WBC， the therapy was particularly effective in the patients with CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺<6% and T-bet≥200%. As for the AA patients with rapid growth in PLT， the therapy was particularly effective in the patients with Th1<12% and CD4⁺≥6%， especially those with CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺<5%.

The construction of standard system is an important part of standardization work， and also the top-level design of standardization work.Taking the group standards of the China Association of Chinese Medicine as a reference， and following the steps of establishing an expert group， literature research， Delphi method expert consultation and expert meeting， it was clarified that the content of the standard system for clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques of gastroenterology in traditional Chinese medicine， including terms （symptoms and signs， syndromes and syndrome components， and therapeutic principles and methods）， guidelines and standards （traditional Chinese medicine disease name， western medicine disease name， and classical syndromes）， effectiveness evaluation （modern medicine evaluation， traditional Chinese medicine characteristics of diseases， symptoms and signs grading， traditional Chinese medicine syndrome evaluation）， and practical techniques. Meanwhile， the structure chart of the standard system， the table of standard details and the table of statistical standards were compiled to lay the foundation for the standardisation of clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques of gastroenterology， and to provide reference for the construction of the standard system of various disciplines.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction （葛根芩连汤） in treatment of ulcerative colitis （UC） from the view of intestinal mucosal epithelial barrier damage and epithelial mesenchymal transition. MethodsSixty male C57BL/6J mice were divided into blank group， model group， western medicine control group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction groups， with 10 mice in each group. Except for the blank group， 3% dextran sodium sulfate （DSS） was used to induce colitis model by free drinking for 7 days， and on the first day of modelling， 6， 12， and 24 g/（kg·d） of modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction were given to the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups respectively， 5-aminosalicylic acid （5-ASA） 100 mg/（kg·d） given by gavage to western medicine control group， and 10 ml/kg distilled water were given to blank and model group by gavage， once a day for 7 days. Body mass of mice was recorded and disease activity index （DAI） scores were performed daily. The mice were anesthetized after 24h of the last administration and the colon was taken to observe the length of colon， HE staining was applied to observe the damage of colonic mucosa and score pathological states， Masson staining to detect the deposition of colonic collagen fibers， immunofluorescence to observe the distribution of F-actin in colonic mucosal epithelium， and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of tight junction protein ZO-1， Occludin， E-cadherin and Vimentin. ResultsCompared with the blank group at the same time， the percentage of body mass of mice in the model group on day 7 of modelling significantly reduced and the DAI score was significantly increased （P＜0.01）； compared with the model group at the same time， the body mass of mice in the western medicine control group and all of modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction groups decreased， and the DAI scores of mice in the western medicine control group and the high-dose modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction group decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； compared with the same time of mice in the low-dos Gegen Qinlian Decoction group， the body mass of mice in the high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group and the western medicine control group significantly elevated （P＜0.05）. Compared with the blank group， the length of the colon of mice in the model group was significantly shortened， the pathological score and the percentage of collagen area were significantly increased， the average fluorescence intensity of F-actin was reduced， the protein levels of ZO-1， Occludin and E-cadherin in the colon tissue decreased， and the protein level of Vimentin elevated （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the length of colon significantly increased， patholo-gical score， collagen area percentage decreased， ZO-1， Occludin， E-cadherin protein levels increased and Vimentin levels decreased in all medicated groups； the average fluorescence intensity of F-actin increased in the western medicine control group and the middle- and high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the low-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group， the proportion of collagen fibre area in the middle-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group and the western medicine control group reduced； the mean fluorescence intensity of F-actin increased in the middle-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group； the protein levels of ZO-1 and E-cadherin increased in the western medicine control group， and the protein levels of ZO-1 increased in the high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group （P＜0.05）. Compared with the medium-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group， the protein levels of ZO-1 elevated in the high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group （P＜0.05）. Comapred with the high-dose Gegen Qinlian Decoction group， level of E-cadherin and Vimentin protein of the western medicine control group increased （P＜0.05）. ConclusionModified Gegen Qinlian Decoction was able to reduce colonic inflammation and mucosal barrier damage and inhibit the process of epithelial mesenchymal transition in mice models of ulcerative colitis， which may be one of its action mechanisms .

ObjectiveTo analyse the current implementation status of Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） placebo and systematically evaluate the placebo effect in randomised controlled trials （RCTs） of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for the treatment of functional dyspepsia （FD）. MethodsA combination of medical subject terms and free words was used to search six databases， including PubMed， EMBASE， Cochrane Library， Web of Science， China National Knowledge Infrastructure， and Wanfang， for RCTs with CHM placebo group for FD published from January 31st， 1994 to September 30th， 2023. The dosage forms， composition， and methodological quality were collected and evaluated. The quality of the included articles was evaluated by Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool， and meta-analysis was performed on the CHM placebo response rate of patients with FD， and subgroup analysis and meta-regression was performed according to diagnostic criteria， efficacy criteria， duration of treatment， type of placebo， whether it contained active ingredient， and whether it evaluated placebo effects. ResultsA total of 34 publications were included involving 5046 participants， of which 2221 FD patients received CHM placebo treatment. Granules were the predominant placebo preparation， accounting for 71% （24/34）； 32.35% （11/34） of the studies added real CHM to the placebo， and only 12 （35%） of the studies described appearance， odour， and taste. The placebo response rate in FD patients in the placebo group was 41% （95% CI： 0.35 to 0.47； P＜0.01， I² = 87%）； there was significant difference between groups with different diagnostic criteria and different treatment durations （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， but there was no significant difference between the different efficacy evaluation criteria， the different placebo preparation， the presence of a low-dose active ingredient， and the presence or absence of placebo assessment （P＞0.05）. ConclusionThere was a significant CHM placebo effect in patients with FD， with granules as the main preparation of placebop. Different diagnostic criteria and different treatment times may affect the response rate of patients， and the addition of low-dose real medicine to the CHM placebos has not been seen to have an effect on the response rate. Clinical investigators have not paid enough attention to placebos， and there is a lack of uniform standards and norms for the preparation and evaluation of CHM placebos.