Latest ArticlesSaponins and related extracts of Xiebai（Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus）can effectively improve the occurrence and development of coronary heart disease by anti-platelet aggregation，anti-oxidation，reducing blood lipids，anti-atherosclerosis，anti-myocardial ischemic injury and protecting cardiomyocytes and vascular endothelial cells.Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（AKT）/mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）is an important signaling pathway of Xiebai（Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus）.Gualou Xiebai Baijiu Decoction（瓜蒌薤白白酒汤），Gualou Xiebai Banxia Decoction（瓜蒌薤白半夏汤）and Zhishi Xiebai Guizhi Decoction（枳实薤白桂枝汤）have the effects of anti-atherosclerosis，anti-inflammation，vascular protection and anti-ischemia and anti hypoxia injury effects.By summarizing the domestic and foreign literatures related to the mechanism of action of Xiebai（Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus）in the treatment of coronary heart disease，it is helpful to provide scientific basis and theoretical support for its clinical application and new drug development.
Autophagy is involved in the pathological changes of traumatic optic neuropathy（TON），and the regulation of autophagy mediated by the adenosine monophosphate activated kinase（AMPK）-mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）-ULK pathway is a potential therapeutic approach.AstragalosideⅣ（AS-Ⅳ）can regulate autophagy and plays a therapeutic role in a variety of diseases.This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of AS-Ⅳon TON and the role of AMPK-mTOR-ULK pathway-mediated autophagy in this process.
The rats were divided into seven groups：sham operation group，model group，AS-Ⅳlow，medium and high dose groups，rapamycin group，AMPK inhibitor group（AS-Ⅳ+compound C）.Correlation tests were performed after 7 days of the corresponding drug intervention.
After 7 days，the phosphorylation levels of AMPK，mTOR and ULK proteins in retinal tissue changed significantly after TON.AS-Ⅳwas found to increase LC3 mRNA and protein levels in TON model rats in the study.In addition，it increased the levels of p-AMPK and p-ULK and reduced p-mTOR level.Moreover，AS-Ⅳincreased the survival rate of retinal ganglion cells（RGCs）and improved the P2 peak latency time of flash-visual evoked potential（F-VEP）.The above effects were reversed by the AMPK inhibitor compound C.
AS-Ⅳcan increase the survival rate of RGCs and improve visual function after TON，which is related to the improvement of autophagy by regulating the AMPK-mTOR-ULK pathway.The AMPK-mTOR-ULK pathway may be a potential therapeutic approach for TON.
Organ fibrosis is considered as a kind of tumor lesion with complex mechanism and difficult prevention and treatment，which is the focus and difficulty of medical research.Due to its multi-target and multi-mechanism characteristics，traditional Chinese medicine has been widely concerned in organ fibrosis，especially the role of invigorating Qi and activating blood.Danggui Buxue Decoction（当归补血汤，DBD），composed of Huangqi（Astragali Radix）and Danggui（Angelicae Sinensis Radix），is a representative prescription of invigorating Qi and activating blood，and has shown therapeutic effects in a variety of organ fibrosis.Therefore，this paper summarized the research progress of DBD in organ fibrosis of lung，kidney，liver and heart in recent 20 years.It is found that the mechanism of action of DBD against organ fibrosis is related to the regulation of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway，the improvement of extracellular matrix deposition，the regulation of neovascularization，anti-oxidative stress，anti-inflammation and the regulation of apoptosis.It provides a reference for the clinical application and mechanism study of DBD in organ fibrosis.
To further verify the therapeutic effect of Liqi Tongbian Decoction（理气通便方）in treating slow transit constipation（STC）by regulating the intestinal microbiota/short-chain fatty acids（SCFAs）/5-hydroxytryptamine（5-HT）axis through fecal microbiota transplantation（FMT）technology.
After 7 days of adaptive feeding，24 rats were used in the experiment，of which 3 were the normal control group and received sterile water treatment.The rest 21 rats were used to establish the STC model through loperamide suspension+clamp tail stimulation and were treated with an antibiotic cocktail for 7 days to achieve decolonization.Among them，3 rats were randomly selected and euthanized to evaluate the intestinal motility.After successfully establishing the STCpseudogerm-free rat model，the animals were randomly divided into the normal rat fecal transplantation group，the STCrat fecal transplantation group and the Liqi Tongbian Decoction rat fecal transplantation group，with 6 rats in each group.All groups were given the corresponding rat fecal suspension daily by oral gavage for a week.After the gavage，the general condition and colonic tissue pathological changes of each group were observed.The intestinal microbiota and SCFAs in the feces of each group were detected.The concentration of 5-HT was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA），and the expression and distribution of 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 3（5-HT3R）and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 4（5-HT4R）in colonic tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry.Additionally，the expression levels of tryptophan hydroxylase 1（TPH1），tryptophan hydroxylase 2（TPH2），5-hydroxytamine transporter（SERT）and monoamineoxidase A（MAO-A）in colonic tissue were detected by Western Blot.
The Liqi Tongbian Decoction rat fecal transplantation group significantly improved the water content of feces and increased the number of defecations，accelerated the colonic transit，increased the concentration of 5-HT in the serum，and increased the expressions of 5-HT3R and 5-HT4R in colonic tissue.It also increased the expression levels of TPH1，TPH2，SERT and MAO-A proteins.At the taxonomic level，significant differences were found in the genus Mucispirillum after fecal transplantation.The measurement of SCFAs showed that the fecal fluid of the rats in the Liqi Tongbian Decoction group had significantly up-regulated the level of butyric acid after treatment，while the other SCFAs did not show significant changes.
Liqi Tongbian Decoction can improve the structure of the intestinal microbiota in STCpseudogerm-free rats，up-regulate the abundance of Mucispirillum，mediate the production of SCFAs（especially butyric acid），stimulate the synthesis of 5-HT and the expressions of its receptors 5-HT3R and 5-HT4R，and promote the transport and metabolism of 5-HT，thereby improving the colonic transit function.These results further verify that regulating the intestinal microbiota/SCFAs/5-HT axis is a key step in the treatment of STCwith Liqi Tongbian Decoction.
Vertigo，as a comprehensive symptom，widely exists in a variety of clinical diseases.Its incidence is increasing year by year，seriously affecting the physical and mental health and quality of life of patients.Therefore，it is of great significance to explore and study formulae that can effectively treat vertigo.As a valuable crystallization of ZHANG Zhongjing＇s clinical practice，classic formulae are characterized by rigorous compounding and precise use of medicines，which show unique advantages in the treatment of vertigo.Through reviewing the literature，this paper summarized and concluded the progress of clinical research and mechanism study on the treatment of vertigo with classic formulae such as Linggui Jiugan Decoction（苓桂术甘汤），Wuling Powder（五苓散），Zexie Decoction（泽泻汤），Xiaochaihu Decoction（小柴胡汤）and Wuzhu Decoction（吴茱萸汤）at the recent stage，and combined with the discriminative ideas of ZHANGZhongjing in treating the disease，with the aim of providing ideas for the clinical treatment of vertigo and supporting its broader study.
To investigate the interventional effects of Buyang Huanwu Decoction（补阳还五汤）combined with Huanglian Jiedu Decoction（黄连解毒汤）（modified）on cognitive impairment in diabetic encephalopathy and explore its potential mechanisms through magnetic resonance spectroscopy（MRS）and metabolic indicators.
A prospective，randomized，controlled，double-blind study was conducted，enrolling119 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus（T2DM）-associated cognitive impairment and Qi-Yin deficiency with phlegm-stasis syndrome from the Traditional Medicine Center of Jinhua Central Hospital between January 2024 and December 2024.The participants were randomized into an experimental group and a control group.The experimental group received Buyang Huanwu Decoction combined with Huanglian Jiedu Decoction（modified）combined with standard hypoglycemic therapy，while the control group received mecobalamin，piracetam and standard hypoglycemic therapy.The intervention lasted 12 weeks.Montreal Cognitive Assessment（MoCA）scores，hippocampal N-acetylaspartate/creatinine（NAA/Cr），frontal choline/creatinine（Cho/Cr）via MRSand serum metabolic indicators［glycosylated hemoglobin（HbA1c），homocysteine（Hcy），malondialdehyde（MDA）］were assessed at baseline，week 6 and week 12.Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM）syndrome scores and adverse reactions were concurrently evaluated.
The experimental group showed a 15%～20% greater improvement in MoCA total scores compared to the control group，with significantly elevated hippocampal NAA/Cr（≥0.3）and reduced levels of Hcy and MDA（P<0.05）.Buyang Huanwu Deoction and Huanglian Jiedu Decoction（modified）demonstrated neuroprotective effects by improving neuronal metabolic status，regulating methionine pathways and mitigating oxidative stress.Regarding TCM syndrome scores，both primary and secondary symptom scores in the treatment group showed significant reductions，with an overall syndrome remission rate of 92.3%，which was significantly higher than that of the control group（P<0.001）.The degree of improvement was strongly correlated with the increase in MMSE scores（r＝-0.82，P<0.001）.No serious adverse events were observed in either group during the treatment period，and the treatment group demonstrated good safety.
Buyang Huanwu Decoction combined with Huanglian Jiedu Decoction（modified）exhibits favorable safety and cognitive improvement，potentially alleviating diabetic encephalopathy progression through modulation of neuro-metabolic homeostasis and systemic oxidative pathways，providing theoretical and mechanistic support for integrated TCM-Western medicine interventions.
Metabolic associated fatty liver disease（MAFLD）is characterized by fatty deposits in the liver accompanied by obesity，type 2 diabetes mellitus or metabolic related diseases.It is a common liver disease，whose spectrum of disease is not only limited to liver diseases such as metabolic steatohepatitis，liver fibrosis，liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma，but also often associated with extrahepatic complications，involving multiple systems，especially posing a serious threat to the female endocrine system.It is often combined with polycystic ovary syndrome（PCOS），which refers to MAFLD combined with PCOS.Although MAFLD combined with PCOSis considered a benign disease，as the condition progresses，it eventually develops into cirrhosis，and even leads to liver cancer，infertility and other diseases，seriously endangering women＇s health.The pathogenesis of MAFLD complicated with PCOSis not clear yet.The author’s tutor believes that the occurrence of MAFLD combined with PCOSis related to spleen，liver and kidney.Phlegm and dampness run through the development of MAFLD combined with PCOS.From a modern medical perspective，it is currently believed to be related to insulin resistance（IR）.IR is highly consistent with the theory of phlegm-dampness in TCM.Therefore，this article discussed the important role of IR in this disease from the point of phlegmdampness.For the disease located in spleen，the treatment is mainly warming Yang to dissipate Qi.For the disease located disease in liver，the treatment is soothing liver and dispelling dampness.For the disease located in kidney，the treatment is tonifying kidney and dispelling dampness.Based on the method of eliminating phlegm and removing dampness to regulate IR and improve MAFLD with PCOS，it opens up a new idea for the treatment of MAFLD with PCOS.
Duhuo（Angelica Pubescentis Radix）is the dried root of Duhuo（Angelica pubescens Maxim.f.biserrata Shan et Yuan），which is mainly distributed in Sichuan and Hubei of China，with the effects of expelling wind and removing dampness，unblocking obstruction and relieving pain in traditional Chinese medicine.A total of 420 chemical compositions have been identified from Duhuo（Angelica Pubescentis Radix），mainly including coumarins（107）and volatile oils（262）.Modern pharmacological studies show that Duhuo（Angelica Pubescentis Radix）exhibits a variety of biological activities such as analgesic effect，anti-inflammation，vascular protection，antioxidant effect，central regulation and anti-tumor effect.In this paper，the types，structures and pharmacological effects of the main chemical components of Duhuo（Angelica Pubescentis Radix）were systematically reviewed，which provided a reference for the research on quality control，biological activity，development and utilization.
The theory of liver and kidney from the same source can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor＇s Inner Canon，and later generations of medical practitioners have enriched its clinical applications.The concept of liver and kidney from the same source adheres to the holistic view of the five Zang-Fu organs in traditional Chinese medicine，based on the principle of mutual promotion between wood and water and explains numerous diseases related to aging and deficiency.This has extremely high guiding value for the diagnosis and treatment of elderly patients with osteoporosis accompanied by abnormal blood lipids.This paper used the method of analysis and synthesis，combined with the analogy thinking mode，to explore the relationship between the theory of liver and kidney from the same source and the liver-bone axis and osteoporosis with dyslipidemia，and expounded the relationship between liver and bone in traditional Chinese medicine and modern research.The liver-bone axis may be a further development of the theory of liver and kidney from the same source and can improve the theory of liver and kidney from the same source and deduce the concept of“liver and kidney from the same source”，contributing to the basic research and clinical practice of elderly osteoporosis with dyslipidemia.
To establish the preparation process，high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）fingerprint and content determination method of the standard decoction of the stem of Feilongzhangxue［Toddalia asiatica（Linn）Lam］，and to analyze and evaluate the quality of decoction pieces by chemical pattern recognition method，so as to provide a reference for its quality control.To study the changes of the fingerprint of the stem of Feilongzhangxue［Toddalia asiatica（Linn）Lam］decoction piece and standard decoction，and to analyze the transmission law of the Toddalolactone in the decoction pieces-standard decoction.
HPLCfingerprints were established，and cluster analysis and principal component analysis were performed.The response surface method combined with principal component analysis（PCA）was used to evaluate the relative peak area and transfer rate of the eight common peaks，and the optimal decoction process was selected.The content of Toddalolactone in decoction pieces and standard decoction was determined by HPLC，and the transfer rate was calculated.
The similarity of the fingerprints of the stem of Feilongzhangxue［Toddalia asiatica（Linn）Lam］decoction pieces and the standard decoction was 0.719-0.996 and 0.992-1.000，respectively.Eight of the eleven common peaks in the decoction pieces were transferred to the standard decoction，and five of the common peaks were confirmed by comparison with the control substance，which were chlorogenic acid（peak 1），magnolidine（peak 2），hesperidin（peak 4），toddalolactone（peak 6）and toddaculin（peak 11）.The average ointment yield of 15 batches of standard decoction was9.29%，and the average transfer rate of Toddalolactone from decoction piece to standard decoction was 58.98%.
The fingerprint and content determination methods are stable and reliable，and the results of the transmission of the amount of Toddalolactone from decoction pieces to standard decoction indicate that the preparation process is scientific and feasible，which can provide a reference for its quality control.
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