1.Analysis of Application of Animal Model of Spleen Deficiency and Dampness Syndrome Based on Data Mining
Qingqian YU ; Yifei ZHANG ; Zehan ZHANG ; Weiyue ZHANG ; Yuebo WANG ; Fengzhi WU ; Feng LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):235-243
ObjectiveThe research focuses on developing modeling and evaluation methodologies for an animal model exhibiting spleen deficiency and dampness excess syndrome, with the aim of standardizing such animal models for future reference. MethodsBy conducting a literature search on animal models of spleen deficiency and dampness excess syndrome, relevant publications meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria will be identified based on publication date, data source, types of diseases involved, animal characteristics, modeling methods, modeling duration, macroscopic syndrome assessment indicators, macroscopic quantification indicators, laboratory testing parameters, intervention approaches, positive controls and application context. A database will be established to facilitate the extraction of this information for quantitative analysis, statistical evaluation, and visual representation. ResultsA total of 137 literature articles meeting the standards have been included in the research. The primary animal species used in animal models of spleen deficiency and dampness excess are SD rats. Modeling methods include single-factor, dual-factor composite, and triple-factor composite methods, with various models widely applied in validation of pharmacological effects and mechanistic explorations. Evaluation indices of animal models for spleen deficiency and dampness excess primarily consist of macroscopic syndrome evaluation indicators and macroscopic quantitative indicators. Laboratory testing indicators are mostly related to research areas such as fluid metabolism and gastrointestinal function. The most commonly studied herbal formulas currently include Shenling Baizhu San and Pingwei San, with natural recovery and the use of the western medicine metronidazole as the most frequently used positive controls. ConclusionThe application of animal models for spleen deficiency and dampness excess is gradually increasing, with various modeling methods already simulating the typical characteristics of this syndrome pattern. However, there are still many areas that are worth contemplating and improving. This study aims to provide reference and ideas for the standardization of symptom names in animal models of spleen deficiency and dampness excess, as well as for the improvement of model construction and evaluation systems.
2.Yishen Tongluo Prescription Ameliorates Oxidative Stress Injury in Mouse Model of Diabetic Kidney Disease via Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 Signaling Pathway
Yifei ZHANG ; Xuehui BAI ; Zijing CAO ; Zeyu ZHANG ; Jingyi TANG ; Junyu XI ; Shujiao ZHANG ; Shuaixing ZHANG ; Yiran XIE ; Yuqi WU ; Zhongjie LIU ; Weijing LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):41-51
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Yishen Tongluo prescription in protecting mice from oxidative stress injury in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) via the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)/NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) signaling pathway. MethodsSpecific pathogen-free (SPF) male C57BL/6 mice were assigned into a control group (n=10) and a modeling group (n=50). The DKD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The mice in the modeling group were randomized into a model group, a semaglutide (40 μg·kg-1) group, and high-, medium-, and low-dose (18.2, 9.1, 4.55 g·kg-1, respectively) Yishen Tongluo prescription groups, with 10 mice in each group. The treatment lasted for 12 weeks. Blood glucose and 24-h urine protein levels were measured, and the kidney index (KI) was calculated. Serum levels of creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were assessed. The pathological changes in the renal tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, periodic acid-silver methenamine, and Masson’s trichrome staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to measure the levels of β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, of factors in the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathway. ResultsCompared with the control group, the DKD model group showed rises in blood glucose, 24-h urine protein, KI, SCr, BUN, and ALT levels, along with glomerular hypertrophy, renal tubular dilation, thickened basement membrane, mesangial expansion, and collagen deposition. Additionally, the model group showed elevated levels of β2-MG, NGAL, KIM-1, L-FABP, NOS, and 8-OHdG, lowered levels of GSH and T-AOC, up-regulated expression of MDA and Keap1, and down-regulated expression of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the semaglutide group and the medium- and high-dose Yishen Tongluo prescription groups showed reductions in blood glucose, 24-h urine protein, KI, SCr, BUN, and ALT levels, along with alleviated pathological injuries in the renal tissue. In addition, the three groups showed lowered levels of β2-MG, NGAL, KIM-1, L-FABP, NOS, and 8-OHdG, elevated levels of GSH and T-AOC, down-regulated expression of MDA and Keap1, and up-regulated expression of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, and GCLC (P<0.05). ConclusionYishen Tongluo prescription exerts renoprotective effects in the mouse model of DKD by modulating the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathway, mitigating oxidative stress, and reducing renal tubular injuries.
3.Mechanism of Yishen Tongluo Formula regulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway to ameliorate pyroptosis in diabetic nephropathy mice
Yifei ZHANG ; Zijing CAO ; Zeyu ZHANG ; Xuehui BAI ; Jingyi TANG ; Junyu XI ; Jiayi WANG ; Yiran XIE ; Yuqi WU ; Xi GUO ; Zhongjie LIU ; Weijing LIU
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(1):21-33
Objective:
To investigate the mechanism of Yishen Tongluo Formula in ameliorating renal pyroptosis in diabetic nephropathy mice by regulating the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway.
Methods:
Sixty C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into control (10 mice) and intervention groups (50 mice) using random number table method. The diabetes nephropathy model was established by intraperitoneally injecting streptozotocin(50 mg/kg). After modeling, the intervention group was further divided into model, semaglutide (40 μg/kg), and high-, medium-, and low-dose Yishen Tongluo Formula groups (15.6, 7.8, and 3.9 g/kg, respectively) using random number table method. The high-, medium-, and low-dose Yishen Tongluo Formula groups were administered corresponding doses of medication by gavage, the semaglutide group received a subcutaneous injection of semaglutide injection, and the control group and model groups were administered distilled water by gavage for 12 consecutive weeks. Random blood glucose levels of mice in each group were monitored, and the 24-h urinary protein content was measured using biochemical method every 4 weeks; after treatment, the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels were measured using biochemical method. The weight of the kidneys was measured, and the renal index was calculated. Hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, periodic Schiff-methenamine, and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes in renal tissue. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect urinary β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) levels. Western blotting and real-time fluorescence PCR were used to detect the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3), Caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in renal tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the proportion of protein staining area of the TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in renal tissue.
Results:
Compared with the control group, the random blood glucose, 24-h urinary protein, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and renal index of the model group increased, and the urine β2-MG, NGAL, and KIM-1 levels increased. The relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18 in renal tissue increased, and the proportion of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB protein positive staining areas increased (P<0.05). Pathological changes such as glomerular hypertrophy were observed in the renal tissue of the model group. Compared with the model group, the Yishen Tongluo Formula high-dose group showed a decrease in random blood glucose after 12 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). The Yishen Tongluo Formula high- and medium-dose groups showed a decrease in 24-h urinary protein, creatinine, urea nitrogen, and renal index, as well as decreased β2-MG, NGAL, and KIM-1 levels. NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1 β, and IL-18 relative protein and mRNA expression levels were also reduced, and the proportion of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB protein positive staining areas was reduced (P<0.05). Pathological damage to renal tissue was ameliorated.
Conclusion
Yishen Tongluo Formula may exert protective renal effects by inhibiting renal pyroptosis and alleviating tubular interstitial injury in diabetic nephropathy mice by regulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.
4.Status of Clinical Practice Guideline Information Platforms
Xueqin ZHANG ; Yun ZHAO ; Jie LIU ; Long GE ; Ying XING ; Simeng REN ; Yifei WANG ; Wenzheng ZHANG ; Di ZHANG ; Shihua WANG ; Yao SUN ; Min WU ; Lin FENG ; Tiancai WEN
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(2):462-471
Clinical practice guidelines represent the best recommendations for patient care. They are developed through systematically reviewing currently available clinical evidence and weighing the relative benefits and risks of various interventions. However, clinical practice guidelines have to go through a long translation cycle from development and revision to clinical promotion and application, facing problems such as scattered distribution, high duplication rate, and low actual utilization. At present, the clinical practice guideline information platform can directly or indirectly solve the problems related to the lengthy revision cycles, decentralized dissemination and limited application of clinical practice guidelines. Therefore, this paper systematically examines different types of clinical practice guideline information platforms and investigates their corresponding challenges and emerging trends in platform design, data integration, and practical implementation, with the aim of clarifying the current status of this field and providing valuable reference for future research on clinical practice guideline information platforms.
5.Preliminary Study on the Characteristics of Xiang (象) Thinking and Its Influence on Traditional Chinese Medicine Terminology
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(12):1197-1201
By reviewing the main perspectives in current scholarship on the characteristics of xiang (象) thinking, comparing their similarities and differences, this paper summarizes the features of xiang thinking as holism, functionality, and variability. Taking these three characteristics as the core and contrasting with conceptual thinking, it argues that under the influence of xiang thinking, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) terminology shows three distinctive traits. Firstly, the unity of body and function, and the non-duality of dao (道) and its manifestations; Secondly, functionalization in referential use; Thirdly, a constructive, processual nature with inherent variability in reference. Based on this, this paper analyzes some contemporary misinterpretations of TCM terminology that detach from the subjectivity of xiang thinking, such as the conceptual thinking-influenced division and opposition of material qi and functional qi, and the reification of the functional zang-fu concepts. It is further proposed that, in the context of the linguistic turn in western philosophical studies emphasizing the subject's role in language construction, TCM terminology rooted in the xiang thinking realm of subject-object unity should uphold a culturally subjective stance and construct a knowledge system consistent with its own characteristics.
6.Treatment of Perimenopausal Syndrome Using the Method of Clearing the Heart and Pacifying Liver
Yifei CHEN ; Ji LI ; Jie ZHANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(12):1290-1292
To summarise the clinical experience of treating perimenopausal syndrome with self-prescribed Gengnian Formula (更年方). It is believed that the key mechanism of perimenopausal syndrome is the imbalance of heart and liver, and it is common to see the syndrome of blazing of heart-liver fire, so the treatment should be based on calmness of qi and blood. It is advocated that using the method of clearing the heart and pacifying liver, prescribing Gengnian Formula as the basic formula, and modifying according to the symptoms, so as to regulate heart and liver and balance yin and yang.
7.Intervention of Sinomenine in Rat Osteoarthritis by Modulating FABP4
Shiqi ZHANG ; Jun ZHAO ; Ningning LIU ; Yu ZHANG ; Yifei ZHAO ; Jiao LIU ; Hongjian YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(15):115-123
ObjectiveThis study aims to observe the effect of sinomenine (SIN) on fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) in synovial tissue of rats with osteoarthritis (OA) and investigate the therapeutic mechanism of SIN on OA, further providing new ideas for the management of osteoarthritis by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). MethodsAn OA rat model was constructed and randomly divided into a control group, an OA group, an OA + SIN-L group (50 mg·kg-1), an OA + SIN-M (100 mg·kg-1), an OA + SIN-H (200 mg·kg-1), and an OA + prednisone (PDN) group (5 mg·kg-1). Following surgical modeling for three weeks, an appropriate medication was administered for four weeks. During modeling and administration, a hot plate test was performed to detect the pain and swelling of the knee joints of the rats. The periarticular tissue was collected for arthropathological observation at the end of drug administration. The expression of cleaved Caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), and FABP4 in the synovial tissue of rats was detected by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR), and the expression and distribution of FABP4 protein in the synovial membrane were detected by immunofluorescence. ResultsCompared with those in the control group, the levels of inflammatory factors and FABP4 in the serum of rats in the OA group were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), and joint swelling was significantly elevated (P<0.01). The thermal pain threshold was significantly reduced (P<0.01), and the expression of FABP4 protein and the fluorescence intensity were significantly increased (P<0.01). The synovial tissue exhibited significantly increased inflammatory infiltration, proliferated fibroblasts, and an elevated apoptotic index (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with those in the OA group, the serum lipid metabolism indexes of rats in the SIN administration group gradually returned to normal (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the levels of inflammatory factors and FABP4 in the serum of rats in the SIN-administered group were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and joint swelling was significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The thermal pain threshold was significantly elevated (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the expression of FABP4 protein and fluorescence intensity in the synovial tissue were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The synovial tissue displayed significantly reduced inflammatory infiltration and a decreased apoptotic index (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionThe therapeutic effect of SIN on OA may be related to the down-regulation of FABP4 expression, reduction of apoptosis, and inhibition of inflammatory factor expression.
8.Relationship between physical activity and sarcopenia among elderly people in ten provinces (autonomous regions) of China, 2022—2023
Yuchen WANG ; Huijun WANG ; Yuna HE ; Chang SU ; Jiguo ZHANG ; Wenwen DU ; Xiaofang JIA ; Feifei HUANG ; Li LI ; Jing BAI ; Yanli WEI ; Xiaofan ZHANG ; Fangxu GUAN ; Yifei OUYANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(6):661-667
Background The decline of physical activity in the elderly due to aging may increase the risk of sarcopenia. Currently, there is a lack of evidence from large natural populations on the relationship between PA and sarcopenia. Objective To explore the relationship between PA and sarcopenia in the elderly aged 60 years and above in 10 provinces (autonomous regions) of China. Methods Data were retrieved from the 2022—2023 round of the China Development and Nutrition Health Impact Cohort. Personal basic information and PA data were collected by questionnaire survey. Skeletal muscle mass was measured by bio-electrical impedance analysis, muscle strength was measured using a grip dynamometer, and physical performance was reflected by 6-meter walk speed. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria were used to diagnose sarcopenia. Light physical activity (LPA) duration, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) duration, and total physical activity volume were calculated. A total of
9.Research progress on the chemical composition and antidepressant mechanism of volatile oils of traditional Chinese medicine
Yifei ZHANG ; Lu CHENG ; Mingshi REN ; Dao GUO ; Fengjiao KUANG ; Zonghua KANG ; Jianguang LUO ; Feihua WU
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2025;56(1):22-30
Depressive disorder is a mental illness characterized by poor mood and cognitive dysfunction caused by a range of complicated factors. Antidepressants have strong short-term efficacy in clinical application, yet with significant adverse effects and resistance in long-term use. Essential oils are small molecular compounds mainly composed of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, most of which are characterized by aromatic odors, easy permeability through the blood-brain barrier, and low toxic side effects. Volatile oil from traditional Chinese medicine can regulate neurotransmitter monoamine, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, and intestinal microbiota-gut-brain axis to exert an antidepressant effect through multiple pathways and targets. This review summarizes the main antidepressant chemical components of essential oil of traditional Chinese medicine, their pharmacological mechanisms and clinical application, aiming to provide some reference for further development and clinical application of essential oil of traditional Chinese medicine.
10.Comparison of clinical features of nephrotic syndrome after haploidentical and matched donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Wei SUN ; Yuanyuan ZHANG ; Yuhong CHEN ; Yuqian SUN ; Yifei CHENG ; Fengrong WANG ; Huan CHEN ; Yao CHEN ; Chenhua YAN ; Xiaodong MO ; Wei HAN ; Lanping XU ; Yu WANG ; Xiaohui ZHANG ; Kaiyan LIU ; Xiaojun HUANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(4):478-480


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