Mechanism of Modified Zhenwutang in Delaying Progression of Chronic Renal Failure Based on Network Pharmacology， Molecular Docking， and Experimental Verification / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo preliminarily predict the active ingredients， targets， and signaling pathways of modified Zhenwutang in the treatment of chronic renal failure （CRF） based on network pharmacology and explore its potential mechanism for delaying disease progression through molecular docking and animal experiments. MethodThe effective ingredients and targets of modified Zhenwutang were obtained from the HERB database. The targets related to CRF were obtained from the GeneCards. The intersection target genes were obtained using Venny 2.1 software and a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed using the STRING. The core targets for treating CRF with modified Zhenwutang were screened using Cytoscape 3.9.1 software. The intersection genes were analyzed using Metascape database for gene ontology （GO） analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis. Molecular docking validation was performed using AutoDockTools 1.5.6 software for the key targets and active ingredients. An experimental CRF model was established in rats by administering adenine via gavage for 12 weeks， followed by intervention with modified Zhenwutang and benazepril hydrochloride for four weeks. After treatment， the rats were euthanized， and immunohistochemistry （IHC）， immunofluorescence （IF）， real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and western blot were performed to detect the expression levels of prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing proteins 1 （PHD1）， prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing proteins 2 （PHD2）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in the renal tissues of the rats. ResultA total of 426 drug target genes of modified Zhenwutang were obtained from the HERB database. A total of 2 698 target genes related to CRF were obtained from the GeneCards database. There were 154 intersection genes between the drug and the disease. Eight core targets were identified， including albumin （ALB）， protein kinase B1 （Akt1）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， insulin （INS）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）， tumor protein p53 （TP53）， and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， which might be closely related to the treatment of CRF with modified Zhenwutang. KEGG enrichment analysis predicted that the main mechanism of modified Zhenwutang in treating CRF involved lipid and atherosclerosis， HIF-1 signaling pathway， cell apoptosis， and nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） signaling pathway. Molecular docking results showed that the ingredients of modified Zhenwutang had stable binding activity with the core targets ALB， Akt1， TNF， IL-6， INS， VEGFA， TP53， and IL-1β， which may regulate inflammation and cell apoptosis by affecting the target proteins. The animal model validation results demonstrated that modified Zhenwutang could reduce the expression levels of HIF-1α and α-SMA in the renal tissues of CRF rats， increase the expression levels of PHD1 and PHD2， alleviate renal tissue hypoxia injury， reduce myofibroblast formation， and slow down the progression of CRF in rats. ConclusionModified Zhenwutang may improve renal tissue hypoxia， inhibit cell transdifferentiation， cell apoptosis/necroptosis， and inflammation by affecting the expression of target proteins such as ALB， Akt1， TNF， IL-6， INS， VEGFA， TP53， and IL-1β， as well as regulating the HIF-1 signaling pathway， thus delaying the progression of CRF.

Effect of Modified Zhenwutang on Interstitial Fibrosis in Rats with Chronic Renal Failure Based on IL-6/MMP-9/COL-Ⅳ Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the modulatory effect of modified Zhenwutang on the interleukin-6 （IL-6）， matrix metallopeptidase-9（MMP-9）， type Ⅳ collagen（COL-Ⅳ） in rats with chronic renal failure （CRF） and to investigate the potential mechanism of its treatment of CRF. MethodFifty male SD rats were randomly divided into a modeling group of 40 rats and a normal group of 10 rats， and the modeling group was prepared by continuous adenine gavage for 12 weeks. After successful modelling， the modelling group was divided into the model group， the low dose （7.2 g·kg-1·d-1） group， the medium dose （14.4 g·kg-1·d-1） group， the high dose （28.8 g·kg-1·d-1） group and the Benadryl hydrochloride （10 mg·kg-1·d-1） group for gavage according to the random number table method， In the normal group and the model group， equal volume of distilled water was administered by gavage for 4 weeks. After the administration， the levels of blood creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN） and 24 h urine protein （24 h-UTP） were measured， the levels of serum IL-6 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1）， IL-6， MMP-9， and other molecules in the rat kidney. The expression of ICAM-1 mRNA， IL-6 mRNA， MMP-9 mRNA and COL-Ⅳ mRNA in rat kidney tissues was measured by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The expression levels of ICAM-1， IL-6， MMP-9 and COL-Ⅳ in rat kidney tissues were measured by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the levels of SCr， BUN and 24 h-UTP were significantly increased in the model group （P<0.01）； the serum IL-6 level was significantly increased （P<0.01）， the tubular lumen was dilated with atrophy， the tubular epithelial cells were necrotic， swollen and vacuolated， the interstitium was infiltrated by a large number of inflammatory cells and collagen fibers were deposited， the levels of IL-6， ICAM-1 and COL-Ⅳ were strongly positive in the tubular interstitium of the model group （P<0.01）， The levels of ICAM-1 mRNA， IL-6 mRNA and COL-Ⅳ mRNA were significantly increased （P<0.01） and MMP-9 mRNA was significantly decreased （P<0.05） in the model rats. ICAM-1， IL-6 and COL-Ⅳ protein expression was significantly increased （P<0.01） and MMP-9 protein expression was significantly increased （P<0.01） in the renal tissue， and MMP-9 protein expression was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the 24 h-UTP， SCr and BUN levels of rats were significantly reduced after treatment with modified Zhenwutang （P<0.01）， the serum IL-6 level was significantly decreased （P<0.01）， the renal lesions of rats were significantly improved and collagen fiber deposition was reduced； the expression of IL-6， ICAM-1 and COL-Ⅳ in renal tubules and interstitium was weakened， and MMP-9 in ICAM-1 mRNA， IL-6 mRNA and COL-Ⅳ mRNA levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01） and MMP-9 mRNA levels were significantly increased （P<0.05）， ICAM-1， IL-6 and COL-Ⅳ protein expression was significantly reduced （P<0.01） and MMP-9 protein expression was significantly The expression of ICAM-1， IL-6 and COL-Ⅳ proteins was significantly decreased （P<0.01） and MMP-9 protein expression was significantly increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Zhenwutang may regulate the IL-6/MMP-9/COL-Ⅳ signaling pathway， thereby reducing proteinuria， improving renal function， reducing renal pathological damage and delaying the progression of CRF interstitial fibrosis.

Based on Oxidative Stress/NF-κB Exploration of Mechanism of Modified Zhenwutang in Delaying Progression of Chronic Renal Failure Complicated with Cardiac Disease by Inflammatory Factors / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveBy observing the effect of modified Zhenwutang on the expression of superoxide dismutase 1（SOD1）， malondialdehyde（MDA）， advanced oxidation protein product（AOPP）， nuclear factor kappa-B（NF-κB） p65，p-p65，IL-1β， TNF-α in serum and renal tissue of adenine-induced chronic renal failure rats and the pathology of heart and kidney tissue， the possible mechanism of modified Zhenwutang delaying the progression of chronic renal failure complicated with heart disease was discussed. MethodFifty SPF male SD rats were divided into normal group 10 and model group 40 according to the random number table method. After one week of adaptive feeding， the experimental chronic renal failure complicated with cardiovascular disease rat model was established by intragastric administration of adenine 150 mg·kg-1·d-1. After the model was completed， 3 rats in the normal group and the model group were randomly selected to detect whether the model was successful. After successful modeling， the rats in the model group were divided into model group ， modified Zhenwutang low-dose group ， modified Zhenwutang medium-dose group， modified Zhenwutang high-dose group and Benazepril hydrochloride group according to the random number table method， with 6 rats in each group. Drugs were administered once a day for 4 weeks. At the end of the 17th week of the experiment， 24-hour urinary total protein（24 h-UTP） and urine creatinine（UCr）were detected. At the end of the 17th week， the rats in each group were anesthetized and the abdominal aorta was taken. After centrifugation， the supernatant was taken to detect triglyceride（TG）， total cholesterol（TC）， serum calcium（Ca）， serum potassium， serum phosphate， serum creatinine（Scr）， blood urea nitrogen（BUN）； the expression levels of serum AOPP， IL-1β and TNF-α were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. The pathological changes of heart and kidney tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE）/Masson method. The ultrastructural changes of proximal renal tubules were observed by transmission electron microscopy . The kidney tissue expressions of SOD1， MDA， AOPP， NF-κB p65，p-p65，IL-1β and TNF-α were observed by immunohistochemistry. The kidney tissue expression levels of SOD1， NF-κB p65， IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA were observed by real-time polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）. The kidney tissue expression levels of SOD1， MDA， NF-κB p65 and p-p65 were detected by Western blot. Result①Compared with the normal group， the experimental rats in the model group showed an increase in 24-hour UTP （P<0.01）and a decrease in UCr（P<0.01）. The experimental rats in the model group showed an increase in Cr， BUN， TG， TC， serum phosphate， and serum potassium（P<0.01）.The levels of AOPP， IL-1β and TNF-α in serum of rats in the model group were significantly increased（P<0.01）. In the model group， the glomerular balloon space was significantly widened， the renal interstitium was significantly widened with a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration， a large number of renal tubular lumens were blocked by brown deposits， and there were a large number of collagen fiber deposition in the renal interstitium. The collagen fibers around the renal vessels， outside the capsule wall of the renal capsule wall， glomerular basement membrane and renal tubular basement membrane were significantly increased， and the cardiac muscle fibers were significantly thickened. There was a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration around the blood vessels， and a large number of collagen fibers around the cardiac vessels and between the myocardial cells. In the model group， high-density diamond-shaped needle-like crystals were observed in the proximal renal tubular epithelial cells of rats， with increased lysosomes， mitochondrial proliferation， mitochondrial cristae and dense mitochondrial outer membrane. The left ventricular diastolic wall thickness and systolic wall thickness of the experimental rats in the model group was increased in proximal renal tubular epithelial cells and their nuclei.In the model group， the expression of MDA， AOPP， NF-κB p65，p-p65 IL-1β and TNF-α in proximal renal tubular epithelial cells was significantly increased（P<0.01）， the expression of p-p65 in the nucleus of proximal renal tubular epithelial cells was significantly increased（P<0.01）， and the expression of SOD1 in proximal renal tubular epithelial cells was significantly decreased（P<0.01）. The kidney tissue expression of NF-κB p65， IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA in the model group was increased（P<0.01）， and the expression of SOD1 mRNA was decreased（P<0.01）. The kidney tissue expression of SOD1 protein in the model group was significantly decreased（P<0.01）. The kidney tissue expression of MDA， NF-κB p65 and p-p65 protein was increased （P<0.01）. ② Compared with the model group， after the intervention of modified Zhenwutang， 24 h-UTP was decreased （P<0.01）and UCr was increased（P<0.01）. Cr， BUN， TG， TC， serum phosphate， serum potassium was decreased （P<0.01）. Serum AOPP， IL-1β and TNF-α levels were decreased（P<0.01）. Cardiac and Renal pathological damage was reduced； mitochondrial damage in proximal renal tubules was reduced； the expression of MDA， AOPP， NF-κB p65， IL-1β， TNF-α in proximal renal tubular epithelial cells was decreased （P<0.01）， the expression of p-p65 in the nucleus of proximal renal tubular epithelial cells was significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the expression of SOD1 in proximal renal tubular epithelial cells was significantly increased （P<0.01）. The kidney tissue expression of NF-κB p65， IL-1β， TNF-α mRNA was decreased （P<0.01）， and the expression of SOD1 mRNA was increased（P<0.01）. The kidney tissue expression of SOD1 protein was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the expression of MDA， NF-κB p65 and p-p65 protein was decreased （P<0.01）. The Chinese medicine group showed a significant dose-effect trend. ConclusionModified Zhenwutang may reduce the production of oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in proximal renal tubular epithelial cells， thereby reducing oxidative stress products and inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors caused by the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway， reducing the damage to heart and kidney tissues and functions， and delaying the progression of chronic renal failure complicated with heart disease， and the traditional Chinese medicine group has a dose-effect trend.

Mechanism of Modified Zhenwutang in Delaying Renal Interstitial Fibrosis in Chronic Renal Failure Based on Ang Ⅱ/AT1R/NOX4 Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the underlying mechanism of modified Zhenwutang in delaying renal interstitial fibrosis in chronic renal failure （CRF） by observing the effects of modified Zhenwutang on the expression of angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ）， angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor （AT1R）， nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） oxidase 4 （NOX4）， transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）， type I collagen （COL1A1）， and type Ⅲ collagen （COL3A1） in the serum and renal tissues of adenine-induced CRF rats. MethodFifty male SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group （n=10） and an experimental group （n=40） using a random number table. After one week of adaptive feeding， the experimental CRF model was established in rats by administering adenine at 150 mg·kg-1·d-1 orally. Three rats from each group were randomly selected to evaluate the model induction. After successful modeling， rats in the experimental group were randomly divided into a model group， low-， medium， and high-dose modified Zhenwutang groups， and a benazepril hydrochloride group， with six rats in each group. The rats were orally administered the corresponding drugs once daily for four weeks. At the end of the first week， 13th week， and 17th week of the experiment， 24 hour urinary protein quantification （24 h-UTP） was measured. At the end of the 17th week， the rats were euthanized， and blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta for the measurement of total protein （TP）， albumin （ALB）， creatinine （Cr）， and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） in the serum. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the expression levels of serum Ang Ⅱ. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to observe the pathological changes in renal tissues. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was performed to observe the expression of AT1R， NOX4， TGF-β1， COL1A1， and COL3A1. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to observe the mRNA expression levels of AT1R， NOX4， and TGF-β1. Western blot was conducted to measure the protein expression levels of AT1R， NOX4， and TGF-β1. Result① Compared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in 24 h-UTP （P<0.01）. The levels of Cr and BUN in the model group were significantly higher （P<0.01）， while the levels of TP and ALB were significantly lower （P<0.01）. The serum Ang Ⅱ level in the model group was significantly elevated （P<0.01）. The model group exhibited widening of the renal glomerular mesangial space， necrotic glomeruli， increased interstitial width with extensive inflammatory cell infiltration， brownish precipitates blocking the renal tubular lumens， irregular renal tubules， and significant deposition of collagen fibers in the renal interstitium. Additionally， the collagen fibers around the renal vessels， outside the parietal layer of the renal sacs， glomerular basement membrane， and tubular basement membrane increased significantly. The expression of AT1R and NOX4 in the glomeruli and renal tubules of the model group was significantly enhanced， and TGF-β1 expression also significantly increased in the renal tubules. The expression of COL1A1 and COL3A1 in the renal interstitium significantly increased. The mRNA expression of AT1R and TGF-β1 in the model group significantly increased （P<0.01）， while NOX4 mRNA expression significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The protein expression of AT1R， NOX4， and TGF-β1 was significantly enhanced （P<0.01）. ② Compared with the model group， modified Zhenwutang significantly reduced 24h-UTP （P<0.01）， decreased levels of Cr and BUN （P<0.01）， increased levels of TP and ALB （P<0.01）， reduced serum Ang Ⅱ level （P<0.01）， alleviated renal pathological damage， reduced expression of AT1R， NOX4， TGF-β1， COL1A1， and COL3A1 in the glomeruli， renal tubules， and renal interstitium， reduced mRNA expression of AT1R and TGF-β1 （P<0.01）， increased NOX4 mRNA expression （P<0.01）， and weakened protein expression of AT1R， NOX4， and TGF-β1 （P<0.01）. The modified Zhenwutang groups showed a significant dose-effect trend. ConclusionModified Zhenwutang may delay renal interstitial fibrosis in CRF rats by reducing the expression of Ang Ⅱ， AT1R， NOX4， and TGF-β1 in the serum and renal tissues， thereby alleviating renal pathological damage， reducing proteinuria， protecting renal function， and delaying the progression of CRF. The modified Zhenwutang group exhibited a dose-effect trend.

Historical Tracing and Textual Research on Ancient Classic Formula Zhenwutang / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ZHANG Zhongjing's Zhenwutang is a classic formula for warming Yang and excreting water. It is composed of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata， Poria， Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma， Paeoniae Radix Alba， and Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens. Physicians of later generations have inherited and developed this formula by detailed recording and application. This paper adopted bibliometrics method to analyze Zhenwutang in terms of history， indications， dosage， drug processing， usage， and modification. The results showed that Zhenwutang was most widely used in Ming and Qing dynasties. Many physicians have inherited ZHANG Zhongjing's theory regarding the application of Zhenwutang in disease treatment， and a few physicians have used it to treat diphtheria and water-related diseases. Some physicians modified this formula to treat maculae， intermittent dysentery， jaundice and so on. Zhenwutang was mainly used to treat diseases of the circulatory system， respiratory system and urinary system in modern clinical practice. The processing of herbal medicines in this formula was clear. Specifically， the raw material of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata needed to be processed and peeled， while those of Poria， Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma， Paeoniae Radix Alba， and Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens can be used directly. Although being different， most of the dosages were consistent with those in Treatise on Febrile Diseases. According to the textual research， it is suggested that the reference dosage of this prescription in clinical practice is 41.25 g for Poria， Paeoniae Radix Alba， and Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， respectively， 27.5 g for Atractylodes macrocephala， and 15 g for Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata. The medicinal materials should be decocted in 1 600 mL water to reach a volume of 600 mL. After removal of the residues， the decoction should be taken warm with 140 mL each time， three times a day. The textual research of Zhenwutang is expected to provide a theoretical reference for the clinical application and formulation of Zhenwutang.

Classical Famous Prescription Zhenwutang in Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Chronic heart failure （CHF）， the end stage of heart disease due to a variety of causes， features high disability rate and mortality， which has become a hot spot in cardiovascular field. As recorded in Treatise on Cold Damage（《伤寒论》）， Zhenwutang is composed of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata， Poria Cocos， Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae， Paeoniae Radix Alba， and Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens. With the functions of warming Yang and excreting water， it is a classical prescription for the treatment of CHF in clinical settings. By searching China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， PubMed， Wanfang Data， and VIP， we find Zhenwutang exerts therapeutic effect on CHF through multiple targets and multiple pathways. Experiments show that it alleviates CHF by antagonizing the overactivation of neuroendocrine system， inhibiting immune-inflammatory response， suppressing cardiac remodeling， restricting apoptosis， regulating autophagy， improving myocardial energy metabolism， inhibiting oxidative stress injury， protecting endothelial function， and decreasing volume load. Clinical research shows that Zhenwutang can significantly alleviate the clinical symptoms of CHF patients in a safe manner with little adverse reactions. This paper systematically summarizes the mechanisms of and clinical research on Zhenwutang in the treatment of CHF in recent years， so as to provide theoretical and experimental data for the further research and development of Zhenwutang.

Clinical Observation of Yishen Tongluo Decoction in Treating Chronic Glomerulonephritis with Spleen and Kidney Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrosis mechanism of Yishen Tongluo decoction in the treatment of chronic glomerulonephritis （CGN） with spleen and kidney Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. Method:According to the random number table method， one hundred and twenty patients were divided into control group （60 cases） and observation group （60 cases）. The two groups were given oral valsartan capsules， 160 mg/time， 1 time/day， and dipyridamole tablets orally， 50 mg/time， 3 times/day. Patients in control group additionally took Wubi Shanyao pills orally， 9 g/time， 2 times/day， while patients in observation group additionally took Yishen Tongluo decoction orally， 1 dose/day. Both groups were treated continuously for four months. Before and after treatment， 24 h urine total protein （24 h UTP）， creatinine （SCr）， urea nitrogen （BUN）， serum cystatin C （CysC）， tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α</italic> （TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-17， interferon-<italic>γ</italic> （IFN-<italic>γ</italic>）， transforming growth factor-<italic>β</italic>₁ （TGF-<italic>β</italic>₁）， connective tissue growth factor （CTGF）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases （TMP-1） and hypoxia inducible factor-1<italic>α </italic>（HIF-1<italic>α</italic>） levels were detected in both groups. The scores of spleen and kidney Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were graded. Urine protein， and urine red blood cells （urinary RBC） were monitored. Result:The 24 h UTP， SCr， BUN and CysC levels of the observation group were lower than those of the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The score of spleen and kidney Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome in the observation group was lower than that in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The levels of TNF-<italic>α</italic>， IL-6， IL-17 and IFN-<italic>γ </italic>in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The levels of TGF-<italic>β</italic>₁， CTGF， TMP-1 and HIF-1<italic>α</italic> in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. While MMP-9 level was higher than that in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The clinical effective rate was 88.33% （53/60） in the observation group， higher than 73.33% （44/60） in the control group （<inline-formula><alternatives><mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>χ</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:math><graphic specific-use="big" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="alternativeImage/155A9E27-C0C9-44b4-96FF-AF947372054E-M002.jpg"><?fx-imagestate width="3.30200005" height="3.64066648"?></graphic><graphic specific-use="small" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="alternativeImage/155A9E27-C0C9-44b4-96FF-AF947372054E-M002c.jpg"><?fx-imagestate width="3.30200005" height="3.64066648"?></graphic></alternatives></inline-formula>=4.356， <italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:On the basis of conventional Western medicine treatment， Yishen Tongluo decoction in the treatment of CGN patients with spleen and kidney Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome can reduce proteinuria， and improve traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， with anti-inflammatory and anti-kidney fibrosis effects. Thereby， it plays a role in protecting renal function and delaying the malignant progression of renal function， with high clinical efficacy and value of clinical use.

Empirical Analysis and Modern Research of Zhenwutang / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Zhenwutang is the classic formula of Wenyang Lishui in " <italic>Treatise on Febrile Diseases</italic>" . It consists of five kinds of medicines, namely Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Poria, Paeoniae Radix Alba or Paeoniae Radix Rubra. It has been included in the <italic>Catalogue of Ancient Classics</italic> (<italic>The First Batch</italic>) issued by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2018.There are two articles in the " <italic>Treatise on Febrile Disease</italic>s" about the syndromes of Zhenwutang. On the basis of Article 82 of the Chapter of Taiyang disease, the Taiyang disease is demonstrated by sweating, but after that the patient still suffers from fever, epigastric throb, dizziness and shiver, this shall be treated with Zhenwutang. According to Article 316 of the chapter of Shaoyin disease, Shaoyin disease lasts for two or three days, until the fourth and fifth days, and is demonstrated by abdominal pain, difficult urination, severe pain in the limbs and diarrhea, the patient have a cough, diuresis, diarrhea and vomit, this shall be treated with Zhenwutang. The original texts discuss the basic pathogenesis is edema syndrome due to Yin and Yang deficiency, with symptoms of unfavorable urination, heavy limbs or edema, pale tongue, white moss and heavy pulse as dialectical points. In terms of the compatibility of prescriptions, usage and dosage, and the interpretation of prescriptions, this paper examines Zhenwutang syndromes in " Treatise on Febrilediseases" , summarizes the material basic research of Zhenwutang, and provides the basis for the quality control of its compound pharmacodynamics. This study summarizes the progress of pharmacological research for Zhenwutang in recent years, finds that Zhenwutang has many efficacies, such as cardiotonic, diuretic, lowering lipid, anti-oxidation, improving renal function and balancing of water and liquid metabolism, lists traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes treated with Zhenwutang, such as heart palpitations, edema, cough, abdominal pain, sipping, dizziness, and Western medicine diseases, like congestive heart failure, pulmonary heart disease, bronchial asthma, chronic colitis, cirrhosis, ascites, chronic glomerulonephritis, chronic renal failure, benign prostatic hyperplasia and Meniere's syndrome, expounds the principle of Zhenwutang for " treating different diseases with the same therapy" , in order to provide useful reference for the research and development and clinical application of Zhenwutang and more classic prescriptions.

Influence of Addition and Subtraction Therapy of Zhenwutang to Residual Renal Function and Nutritional Status of Patients with Maintenance Hemodialysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To discuss influence of addition and subtraction therapy of Zhenwutang to residual renal function （RRF）， nutritional status， dialysis adequacy and quality of life of patients with maintenance hemodialysis （MHD）. Method:One hundred and thirty-six patients were randomly divided into control group （68 cases） and observation group （68 cases） by random number table. Patients in two group got MHD， 3 times/week， 4 h/time， levocarnitine injection （1 g dissolved in 5-10 mL water for injection） after the dialysis， 2-3 min/time， recombinant human erythropoietin injection with subcutaneous injection for 4 weeks， 3 000 U， 3 times/day， valsartan capsules for 3 months， 80 mg/time， 1 time/day. The control group took Manshenning mixture， 35 mL / time， 3 times / day.Patients in observation group added addition and subtraction therapy of Zhenwutang for 3 months， 1 dose/day. Before and after treatment， urea nitrogen （BUN）， creatinine （CR） and 24 hours' urine volume were recorded. And RRF， rate of decrease of RRF and rate of decrease in urine volume were also calculated. Levels of hemoglobin （HB）， albumin （ALB）， prealbumin （PA） and transferrin （TRF） were detected. After treatment， standardized protein metabolism rate （nPCR）， urea clearance index （Kt / V） and glomerular filtration rate （EGFR） were discussed. And improved subjective comprehensive nutrition assessment （SGA）， dialysis related quality of life （kdta） and health survey summary （SF-36） were graded. Six months' follow-up， primary end point event （24 h urine volume ≤ 400 mL） and no residual renal function （24 h urine volume ≤ 400 mL） were recorded. Result:Levels of RRF， Kt/V， nPCR， eGFR， Hb， Alb， PA， TRF and total scores of KDTA and SF-36 in observation group were higher than those in control group （P<0.01）. And score of SGA， rate of decrease of RRF and rate of decrease in urine volume were less than those in control group （P<0.01）.Incidence rate of primary end point event was 27.94%（19/68） lower than 47.06%（32/68） in control group （χ2=5.302， P<0.05）， incidence rate of no residual renal functionwas 17.65%（11/68） lower than 36.76%（25/68） in control group （χ2=6.274， P<0.05）. And BUN and Cr were lower than those in control group （P<0.01）， 24 h urine volume was more than that in control group （P<0.01）. Conclusion:Addition and subtraction therapy of Zhenwutang can maintenance of RRF， improvement of nutritional status， improvement of dialysis adequacy and quality of life of patients .

Effect of Qizhi Zhenwutang in Improving Renal Interstitial Fibrosis and Its Mechanism on Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction in Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of Qizhu Zhenwutang on renal interstitial fibrosis in rats ligated with unilateral ureter， transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）/Smads and oxidative stress. Method:A total of 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group， high-dose group， low-dose group and irbesartan group （n=6）. The left ureter ligation was performed in the model group and the treatment group. In the sham operation group， the ureter was not ligated， only the ureter was separated， and the abdominal cavity was closed. Rats in each group were given drugs by gavage on the next day after operation. Sham operation group and model group were given aseptic distilled water 10 mL·kg-1 by gavage， high-dose Qizhizhenwu Tang group was given 22.2 g·kg-1 by gavage， low-dose group was given 11.1 g·kg-1 by gavage， and irbesartan group was given 0.02 g·kg-1 by gavage. Rats in each group were sacrificed on the 14th day after operation， 24-hour urine was collected before sampling， and the total amount of 24 hour urine protein （24 h-Upr） was detected. Blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta to detect serum creatinine（SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）. The tissues were stained with htoxylin eosin （HE） and Masson， and the pathological changes were observed under light microscope， immunohistochemical method was used to detect α-SMA， FN and Col-Ⅰ expressions. Western blot method was used to detect the expressions of TGF-β1， Smad3， p-Smad3 and NOX4. Result:Compared with sham group， SCr， BUN and collagen volume fraction （CVF），24 h-Upr in model group were all increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expressions of α-SMA， Col-Ⅰ， FN， TGF-β1， p-Smad3， NOX4 were higher （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， SCr， BUN and CVF were lower in high-dose group and irbesartan group （P<0.05）. 24 h-Upr was lower in high-dose group （P<0.05）， the expressions of α-SMA， Col-Ⅰ， FN， TGF-β1， Smad3， p-Smad3， NOX4 in traditional Chinese medicine treatment group were less （P<0.05）. Conclusion:Qizhi Zhenwutang can reduce the urinary protein of UUO rats， protect the renal function， and inhibit the occurrence and development of renal interstitial fibrosis， the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway and oxidative stress response.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Zhenwutang Combined with Zhengji Technique on Cold-dampness Arthralgia Syndrome Caused by Knee Osteoarthritis at Episode / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To study the clinical efficacy of modified Zhenwutang combined with Zhengji technique on cold-dampness arthralgia syndrome caused by knee osteoarthritis (KOA) at episode and the effect on inflammatory factors of joint fluid. Method: One hundred and forty-eight patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group by random number table. Patients in control group got celecoxib capsules, 0.2 g/time, 1 time/day, and Zhengji technique with lumbar positioning oblique pulling and finger pressing for 12 times, 1 time for every two days, 3 times/week. Patients in observation group got modified Zhenwutang, 1 dose/day, and the same Zhengji technique. The course of treatment was 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC), pain and swelling, index of severity of osteoarthritis (ISOA), local signs of knee joint and cold-dampness obstruction syndrome were scored, and the score of quality of life were discussed by arthritis impact measurement scale 2 (AIMS2-SF). And levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were detected. Result: The clinical efficacy in observation group was better than that in control group (Z=2.131, PPPβ, IL-17, TNF-α, SP and CGRP were higher than those in control group (PConclusion: Modified Zhenwutang combined with Zhengji technique can relieve clinical symptoms of patients with cold-dampness arthralgia syndrome caused by knee osteoarthritis (KOA) at episode, ameliorate joint function to improve patients' quality of life, reduce the expression of proinflammatory factors and neuropeptides in synovial fluid, so as to inhibit the inflammatory response and controlling clinical symptoms.

Simultaneous Determination of Eleven Active Constituents in Zhenwutang Decoction by HPLC / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To establish a method for simultaneous determination of eleven active constituents in Zhenwutang decoction， such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural， （+）-cianidanol， paeoniflorin， benzoylaconitine， benzoylhypacoitine， benzoylpaeoniflorin， 6-gingerol， 8-gingerol， atractylenolide Ⅱ， 6-shogaol and pachymic acid. METHODS： HPLC method was adopted. The separation was performed on Phenomenex Kinetex C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.2 ％ phosphoric acid solution（gradient elution） at flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 285 nm （4.4-7 min， 5-hydroxymethylfurfural）， 203 nm [7-12 min，（+）-cianidanol]， 233 nm （12-50 min，paeoniflorin， benzoylaconitine， benzoylhypacoitine， benzoylpaeoni- florin）， 200 nm （50-62.3 min， 6-gingerol， 8-gingerol； 62.9-90 min， 6-shogaol， pachymic acid） and 222 nm （62.3-62.9 min， atractylenolide Ⅱ）. The column temperature was set at 35 ℃， and the sample size was 20 μL. RESULTS： The linear ranges of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural， （+） -cianidanol， paeoniflorin， benzoylaconitine， benzoylhypacoitine， benzoylpaeoniflorin， 6-gingerol， 8-gingerol， atractylenolide Ⅱ， 6-shogaol， pachymic acid were 0.62-12.47 μg/mL （r＝0.999 6），2.36-47.25 μg/mL （r＝0.999 7），200.80-4 016 μg/mL （r＝0.999 7），4.45-89.04 μg/mL （r＝0.999 6），4.28-85.54 μg/mL （r＝0.999 5），5.16-103.13 μg/mL （r＝0.999 9），5.53-110.66 μg/mL （r＝0.999 9），0.84-16.89 μg/mL （r＝0.999 8），0.60-12.04 μg/mL （r＝0.999 9），0.53-10.62 μg/mL （r＝0.999 5），1.04-20.78 μg/mL （r＝0.999 7）， respectively. The limits of quantitation were 0.155， 0.590， 1.210， 1.112， 1.070， 0.258， 0.553， 0.421， 0.153， 0.354， 0.431 μg/mL， respectively. The limits of detection were 0.047， 0.179， 0.134， 0.337， 0.324， 0.078， 0.168， 0.128， 0.046， 0.107， 0.131 μg/mL， respectively. RSDs of precision， stability and reproducibility tests were all lower than 3％. The average recovery rates were 96.06％-103.01％（RSD＝2.64％，n＝6）， 95.11％-101.57％（RSD＝2.58％，n＝6）， 97.22％-102.11％（RSD＝1.93％，n＝6）， 96.43％-102.78％（RSD＝2.35％，n＝6）， 96.42％-101.43％（RSD＝2.15％，n＝6）， 96.86％-102.05％（RSD＝2.10％，n＝6）， 95.32％-100.55％（RSD＝1.87％，n＝6）， 97.04％-103.25％（RSD＝2.22％，n＝6）， 96.78％-103.22％（RSD＝2.62％，n＝6）， 97.04％-103.14％（RSD＝2.28％，n＝6）， 97.08％-103.51％（RSD＝2.94％，n＝6）， respectively. CONCLUSIONS： The method is accurate and specific， and suitable for simultaneous determination 11 active components of Zhenwutang decoction.

Study on the Preparation Proec s of Zhe nwutang Granule / 中国药师

Objective:To optimize the extraction process of the water extract of Zhenwutang and study on the preparation of gran -ule of Zhenwu decoction to provide reference for the development and utilization of Zhenwutang granule .Methods: Heating refluxing was used, and the effects of the ratio of solid to liquid , extraction time and times were investigated by orthogonal test .As the synthetic indices of evaluation , the yield of extraction and the contents of paeoniflorin and benzoylmesaconine measured by HPLC were deter -mined to confirm the optimal water extraction process of Zhenwutang granule .Besides, granularity pass rate, moisture, loss on drying, solubility and angle of repose of the granule were regarded as the indices to evaluate the best ratio of the excipients in the preparation of the granule by single factor test.Results:Paeoniflorin and benzoyl mesaconitine had good linearity within the range of 5.45-32.70μg (r=0.9996) and 3.24-16.80 μg(r=0.9997), respectively.The average recovery was 99.62％ (RSD =1.34％ , n=6) and 1017.2 ％(RSD=1.74％, n=6), respectively.The optimum extraction process was as follows :the ratio of solid to liquid was 1:12 with twice refluxing extraction ( 2h for each time) .The optimum granule forming process was as follows:the pharmaceutical excipients were a mixture of dextrin and soluble starch with the best ratio of 1:3. The granularity pass rate , moisture, loss on drying, solubility and angle of repose of the granule was94 .12％ ,4.87 ％, 0.93％,89 .23％ and 36.18°, respectively.Conclusion:The optimized re-fluxing extraction process is stable , reliable and feasible , and the prepared granule is in good formability and melting .