Chinese Medicine Regulates Intestinal Flora to Treat Ulcerative Colitis in Patients with Syndrome of Large Intestine Dampness-heat： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The clinical changes of ulcerative colitis （UC） with the main syndrome of large intestine dampness-heat and the alterations of intestinal flora in UC were summarized to reveal the underlying mechanism. After review of the treatment methods for UC with the syndrome of large intestine dampness-heat， we identified the representative traditional Chinese medicines and compound prescriptions and explored the treatment mechanisms. Furthermore， we probed into the associations of UC and the treatment methods with the intestinal flora. The related articles were retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）. The available studies have shown that Akkermansia muciniphila， Escherichia coli， Enterococcus， and probiotics such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are closely associated with Chinese medicines in UC patients with the syndrome of large intestine dampness-heat. However， due to the shortcomings in clinical research and the susceptibility of intestinal flora to diverse factors， it is still challenging to accurately characterize the intestinal flora changes associated with diseases. Additionally， the research on the mechanisms of Chinese medicines in regulating intestinal flora in UC patients with the syndrome of large intestine dampness-heat remains to be improved. The feasibility of using Chinese medicines and compound prescriptions for precise regulation of intestinal flora in these patients is still debatable. In this regard， scientific issues such as the biological connotation of UC with the syndrome of large intestine dampness-heat and the correlation between syndrome and intestinal flora have become primary research tasks. Additionally， attention should also be paid to the interactions between the intestinal lumen exposure profile of Chinese medicines and intestinal flora. Finally， the thinking of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and the concepts of modern medicine should be combined for the research on the formulation of TCM regimens for regulating intestinal flora in treating UC.

Modified Liuwei Dihuangtang Combined with Losartan Potassium Regulates ACE1/AngⅡ/AT1R Axis and Intestinal Flora in Rat Model of Diabetic Kidney Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of modified Liuwei Dihuangtang in preventing and treating renal injury in diabetic kidney disease （DKD） via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 1 （ACE1）/angiotensin Ⅱ （AngⅡ）/angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor （AT1R） axis. MethodFifty male SD rats were randomized into a normal group （n=8） and a modeling group （n=42）. The rats in the modeling group were fed with a high-sugar and high-fat diet for 6 weeks and intraperitoneally injected with 35 mg·kg-1 streptozotocin （STZ） to establish the model of DKD. After successful modeling， the rats were randomized into model， traditional Chinese medicine （modified Liuwei Dihuangtang granules 21 g·kg-1）， western medicine （losartan potassium， 33 mg·kg-1）， and integrated Chinese and western medicine （losartan potassium 33 mg·kg-1 combined with modified Liuwei Dihuangtang granules 21 g·kg-1） groups. The levels of fasting blood glucose （FBG）， urinary protein （Up）， blood urea nitrogen （Bun）， and serum creatinine （SCr） were measured in each group after 8 consecutive weeks of drug intervention. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the serum levels of ACE1， AngⅡ， and AT1R. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of ACE1， AngⅡ， and AT1R in the renal tissue. The pathological and morphological changes of the renal tissue were observed after hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， Masson staining， and periodic acid Schiff 's （PAS） staining. The fecal samples of rats in each group were collected for 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed elevated levels of Up， FBG， Bun， SCr， ACE1， AngⅡ， and AT1R （P<0.01）， serious lesions in the renal tissue， up-regulated protein levels of ACE1， AngⅡ， and AT1R （P<0.01）， increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes （F/B） ratio， decreased relative abundance of Lactobacillus， and increased relative abundance of Moralella and Bifidobacteria. Compared with the model group， drug intervention lowered the levels of Bun， SCr， ACE1， AngⅡ， and AT1R （P<0.01） and alleviated the pathological changes in the renal tissue. Chinese medicine and integrated Chinese and western medicine lowered the levels of Up and FBG （P<0.01）， and western medicine and integrated Chinese and western medicine down-regulated the protein levels of ACE1， AngⅡ， and AT1R. In addition， Chinese medicine down-regulated the protein levels of AngⅡ （P<0.01） as well as ACE1 and AT1R （P<0.05）. Chinese medicine and integrated Chinese and western medicine decreased the F/B ratio， and western medicine and Chinese medicine increased the relative abundance of Blautia. Chinese medicine and integrated Chinese and western medicine increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus， Ruminococcus undetermined genera， and Bifidobacteria， decreased the relative abundance of Moralella， and increased the Chao 1 and Ace indexes （P<0.05）. Compared with the western medicine group， the integrated Chinese and western medicine group showed lowered levels of Up （P<0.01）， Bun （P<0.05）， and ACE1 and AT1R （P<0.01）， down-regulated protein levels of ACE1， AngⅡ， and AT1R （P<0.05）， alleviated pathological changes in the renal tissue， increased relative abundance of Bifidobacteria， and increased Chao 1 and Ace indexes （P<0.05）. ConclusionModified Liuwei Dihuangtang combined with losartan potassium can mitigate renal fibrosis by regulating the ACE1/AngⅡ/AT1R axis， increasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium， reducing the relative abundance of Moralella， improving the richness and evenness of intestinal flora， and alleviating pathological damage in the renal tissue.

Improvement effects of limonin on intestinal injury and intestinal flora disturbance in rats with ulcerative colitis and its mechanism / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects of limonin on intestinal injury and intestinal flora disturbance in rats with ulcerative colitis （UC） and its mechanism. METHODS UC rat models were established， and 70 rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into model group， limonin low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （12.5， 25， 50 mg/kg）， and sulfasalazine group （positive control group，500 mg/kg）， with 14 rats in each group. Another 14 rats were selected as the control group. After modeling， each group was given the corresponding drug or equal amount of normal saline， once a day， for 2 weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last administration， the general condition of rats was observed and the body weight was measured， and colon tissue was collected for colonic mucosal damage index （CMDI） scoring； the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in colon tissue were detected； the pathological changes of colon tissue were observed； the protein expressions of Claudin-1， Occludin， ZO-1， high mobility group protein B1 （HMGB1） and receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） in colon tissue were detected； fecal 16S rRNA sequencing was used to detect the relative abundance of zhangxiaxia5287@163.com intestinal microbiota in rats. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the rats in the model group were in poor mental state， with darker fur， irritable mood， disordered arrangement of colon glands， inflammatory cell infiltration， cell necrosis and edema； CMDI score， the levels of IL-1β， IL-6 and TNF-α， protein expressions of HMGB1 and RAGE in colon tissue， the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were significantly increased （P＜0.05）； body weight， the protein expressions of Claudin-1， Occludin and ZO-1 in colon tissue， the relative abundance of Firmicutes in the intestine were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， general situation and pathological damage of colonic tissue in limonin groups were improved， the levels of the above indicators were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）， and in a dose-dependent manner （P＜0.05）； there was no significant difference in various indexes between sulfasalazine group and limonin high-dose group （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Limonin can improve intestinal injury and intestinal flora disturbance in UC model rats， the mechanism of which may be associated with the down-regulation of HMGB1/RAGE signaling pathway.

Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis by Regulating Intestinal Flora： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Ulcerative colitis （UC） is a chronic， non-specific inflammatory bowel disease. The pathogenesis of this disease is complex and is attributed to multiple factors. Intestinal mucosal barrier damage is the basic pathological change of UC， and intestinal flora disorder is one of the important characteristics of UC. Intestinal flora plays a key role in the pathological process of UC by regulating intestinal mucosal immunity and inflammatory response to repair the damaged intestinal mucosal barrier. At present， western medicine has the advantages of rapid action onset and significant short-term efficacy， but the curative effect of long-term use is not good， accompanied by many adverse reactions， causing great physical and mental pain to patients. Therefore， it is urgent to explore new treatment methods with definite long-term efficacy and mild adverse reactions. A large number of studies have shown that Chinese medicine can regulate intestinal flora through multiple targets in an all-around way， restore the homeostasis of the flora， and repair the damaged intestinal mucosal barrier， thereby inhibiting the progression of UC. Numerous studies have shown that the active components， monomers， and compounds of Chinese medicine can effectively antagonize UC by regulating the intestinal flora to improve the intestinal mucosal immunity， reduce the inflammatory response of the intestinal mucosa， and restore the normal physiological function of the intestinal mucosal barrier， providing a new strategy for UC prevention and treatment. Although there are some studies of the regulation of intestinal flora by Chinese medicine to prevent and treat UC， those studies have the shortcomings of systematic and comprehensive inadequacy. Therefore， based on the research status of UC， intestinal flora， and Chinese medicine treatment， this study reviewed the relationship between intestinal flora and UC and clarified the key role of intestinal flora in the occurrence and development of UC. At the same time， this paper comprehensively summarized the Chinese medicine that targeted the regulation of intestinal flora for the treatment of UC in the past five years to provide new strategies and ideas for UC treatment.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Banxia Xiexintang Combined with Vedolizumab in Treatment of Crohn's Disease with Syndrome of Cold and Heat in Complexity / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of modified Banxia Xiexintang combined with vedolizumab （VDZ） in the treatment of active moderate to severe Crohn's disease （CD） with the syndrome of cold and heat in complexity and the effect of the therapy on intestinal flora. MethodEighty patients were randomized based on the random number table method into a control group （40 cases） and an observation group （40 cases）. The control group was treated with VDZ， and the observation group was treated with modified Banxia Xiexintang （1 bag per day） combined with VDZ. The treatment in both groups lasted for 14 weeks and the follow-up lasted until the 52th weeks. The CD activity index （CDAI）， CD simplified endoscopic score （SES-CD）， inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire （IBDQ） score， and syndrome score of cold and heat in complexity were assessed before treatment， after treatment， and at the end of follow-up. The levels of hemoglobin （HGB）， hematocrit （HCT）， albumin （ALB）， C-reactive protein （CRP）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-17 （IL-17）， and fecal calprotectin （FC） were measured before and after treatment. Intestinal flora was examined before and after treatment. The safety of the therapy was evaluated. ResultCompared with those before treatment， the scores of CDAI， SES-CD， and the syndrome of cold and heat in complexity decreased （P<0.05） and the IBDQ score increased after treatment （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the scores of CDAI， SES-CD， and the syndrome of cold and heat in complexity increased （P<0.05） and the IBDQ score decreased （P<0.05） at the end of follow-up. After treatment and at the end of follow-up， the observation group had lower scores of CDAI， SES-CD， and syndrome of cold and heat （P<0.05） and higher IBDQ score （P<0.05） than the control group. Moreover， the observation group had higher clinical remission rate（χ2=4.381，3.962） and response rate（χ2=5.541，4.306） and lower non-response rate（χ2=6.646，4.306） than the control group at the two time points （P<0.05）. The endoscopic remission rate（χ2=4.072，3.985） and response rate（χ2=4.528，5.161） in the observation group were higher than those in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the HGB， HCT， and ALB levels in both groups elevated， and the observation group had higher levels than the control group （P<0.05）. The treatment in both groups lowered the levels of CRP， IL-6， TNF-α， IL-17， and FC （P<0.05）， and the observation group had lower levels of CRP， IL-6， TNF-α， IL-17， and FC than the control group after treatment （P<0.05）. The relative abundance of Bifidobacterium， Lactobacillus， and Prevotella increased （P<0.05）， while that of Proteus， Klebsiella， and Enterococcus decreased （P<0.05） in the two groups after treatment. Moreover， the changes in the relative abundance of these bacteria in the observation group were more obvious than those in the control group （P<0.05）. No adverse reactions related to the modified Modified Banxia Xiexintang were observed during the study period. ConclusionModified Banxia Xiexintang combined with VDZ can play a synergistic role and has good short-term and long-term efficacy. This therapy can improve the nutritional status， regulate intestinal flora， and reduce inflammatory injury in the treatment of moderate to severe active CD patients with the syndrome of cold and heat in complexity without causing severe adverse reactions.

Exploring mechanism of hypolipidemic effect of total Ligustrum robustum (Roxb. ) Blume on hyperlipidemic golden hamsters based on intestinal flora / 中国药理学通报

Aim To evaluate the hypolipidemic effect of the total phenylpropanoid glycosides extracted from Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume (LRTPG) on hyperlipidemic golden hamsters and explore its regulatory effect on intestinal flora. Methods Sixty hamsters were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a positive drug group, LRTPG-L group, LRTPG-M group, and LRTPG-H group. After the successful induction of the model by high-fat diet, the animals were continuously administered for four weeks, and their blood lipids and liver lipids were detected. The formed feces from the colorectal region of the hamsters in the control group, model group and LRTPG-H group were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing. Results LRTPG reduced serum TG, TC, LDL-C and liver TG, TC concentrations significantly in hyperlipidemic hamsters. The results of the intestinal microbiota sequencing showed that compared to the control group, LRTPG significantly decreased the relative abundance of the phylum Firmicutes and increased the relative abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia (P < 0.01) at the phylum level. At the family level, LRTPG significantly increased the relative abundance of Christensenellaceae, Peptococcaceae, and Verrucomicrobiaceae (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). At the genus level, LRTPG significantly increased the relative abundance of Oscillospira, Oscillibacter, Flavonifractor and Akkermansiaceae (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). These changes in the flora were beneficial to the hypolipidemic effect of LRTPG. Conclusion LRTPG may exert its hypolipidemic effect by improving the intestinal flora disorder caused by a high-fat diet in golden hamsters.

Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Constipation Based on 5-HT Signaling Pathway： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Chronic constipation （CC） is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal diseases. At present， the overall therapeutic effect of CC is still not satisfactory worldwide， which seriously affects the quality of life and social function of patients. The etiology and pathophysiological mechanism of constipation are still unclear. It involves comprehensive factors such as heredity， social psychology， diet， intestinal flora imbalance， intestinal motility disorder， visceral sensitivity change， pelvic floor muscle group dysfunction and enteric nervous system （ENS） disorder. Among them， the abnormal factors of the brain-gut-microbiome axis are particularly significant. The brain-gut-microbiome axis is a complex network of interactions between the intestine and the brain， integrating and coordinating the physiological functions and pathological processes of the gastrointestinal tract. Microorganisms in the intestinal lumen play an important role in it， and can communicate with the intestinal tract and the central nervous system through nerve， endocrine and immune pathways. As a key brain-gut peptide in the regulation pathway of the brain-gut-microbiome axis， 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） is involved in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility， sensation and secretion. The abnormal conduction of the 5-HT signaling pathway is closely related to the occurrence and development of constipation. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） is a unique precious resource in China， which has good curative effects and safety. In recent years， it has received extensive attention in the treatment of constipation. TCM and active ingredients， acupuncture and massage specifically regulate 5-HT signal transmission， so that the expressions of related molecules tend to be suitable for individual disease state levels to effectively improve constipation symptoms， with unique advantages. Therefore， this study used ''constipation''， ''intestinal flora''， ''5-HT''， and ''traditional Chinese medicine'' as the keywords to search PubMed， China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and other literature databases. The correlation between 5-HT and constipation as well as brain-gut-microbiome axis and the research progress of TCM intervention in the 5-HT signaling pathway in the treatment of constipation were reviewed in order to explore the potential therapeutic value of 5-HT system in this disease and provide references for subsequent research.

Effects of Akkermansia on AOM/DSS Inflammatory-associated Colorectal Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the effects of Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK) on azomethane-oxide (AOM)/glucan sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced inflammatory colorectal cancer mouse model and intestinal stem cells. Methods AOM/DSS-induced mouse models of inflammatory-associated colorectal cancer were randomly divided into three groups, namely, model, AKK and aspirin groups, based on different administration of drugs by gavage. The tumor number, size, distribution, and burden were observed 10 weeks after intervention. Immunohistochemical method was used to analyze the expressions of Ki67 and Lgr5 proteins, which are utilized to characterize tumor malignancy and stem cells. The mRNA expressions of Lgr5, CD133, Nanog, and ALDH1 were detected by qRT-PCR. Results Compared with those of the model group, the tumor number, size, and burden of the AKK group were significantly reduced (P < 0.01). The expressions of Ki67 and Lgr5 in the AKK group of tumor tissues were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the mRNA expressions of CD133, Nanog and ALDH1 were significantly down-regulated. Conclusion AKK is effective against AOM/DSS-induced colitis-associated colorectal cancer in mice, and its mechanism of action may be closely related to colorectal stem cell activity.

Review of bone metabolism regulated by intestinal flora and the application of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 药学实践杂志

As a complex and large microbial community colonized in the human body, the intestinal flora and its metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play an important role in participating in human metabolism, resisting pathogens, and regulating immune mechanisms. In recent years, many studies have found that the intestinal flora is closely related to bone metabolism. The intestinal flora is able to regulate bone metabolism and affect bone mass changes through various pathways such as absorption of nutrition, generation of SCFAs, regulation of immunity, and influence on body metabolism. The potential pathways and mechanisms by which intestinal flora affect bone mass changes were reviewed in this article in bone metabolism. The related study on Traditional Chinese Medicine that has effects in balancing intestinal flora for regulating bone metabolism was also introduced in order to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, a disease related to bone metabolism.

Intervention of Renal Fibrosis with Traditional Chinese Medicine by Regulating Intestinal Microecology Based on "Combination of State and Target" / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Renal fibrosis is the main pathological foundation of chronic kidney diseases progressing to end-stage renal diseases. With complex pathogenic factors and prolonged disease course， it threatens the quality of life of patients and brings about heavy financial burden to medical care. In the instance of intestinal flora disturbance， the internal homeostasis is broken， resulting in various "imbalances". The "combination of state and target" endows the syndrome differentiation-based treatment of renal fibrosis with new connotation from the perspective of intestinal flora reconstruction and microbial diversity restoration. In addition， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）-targeted intervention of intestinal microecology has unique advantages under the principle of "treating different diseases with the same method"， which can guide the diagnosis and treatment of renal fibrosis. To be specific， TCM emphasizes macroscopic regulation of state and microscopic targeting. In view of the inflammatory response， accumulation of endotoxin， and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix （ECM） in the process of renal fibrosis， the strategies for treating this disease have been developed， such as alleviating dampness，removing turbid toxin， and relieving deficiency and stasis. Famous prescriptions in ancient books or compound Chinese medicine prescriptions， classical formulas， Chinese medicine monomers， or active components of Chinese medicine target intestinal microecology. Therefore， from the perspective of common pathogenic factors of renal diseases （renal fibrosis） or pathological product-intestinal microecological imbalance， this article combines TCM basic theory with modern medical pathogenesis， and summarizes the research on TCM intervention of renal fibrosis by regulating intestinal microecology and the scientific connotation of renal fibrosis， which is expected to provide ideas and methods for the product development and related preparations and in-depth molecular biological research.

Mechanism of Xianglian Pills in improving dyslipidemia in obese mice induced by high-fat diet based on network pharmacology and intestinal flora / 中国中药杂志

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Xianglian Pills(XLP) on lipid metabolism in obese mice and explore the underlying mechanism based on network pharmacology and intestinal flora. Firstly, network pharmacology was used to predict the possible effect of XLP on obesity. Secondly, an obese mouse model induced by a high-fat diet was established to observe changes in mouse body weight, adiposity index, liver and adipose tissue pathology. Lipid profiles, liver and kidney function markers, insulin content, and the expression of recombinant uncoupling protein 1(UCP-1) and PR structural domain protein 16(PRDM16) were measured. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was used to analyze the changes in the intestinal flora. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis showed that XLP mainly played a role in improving obesity by regulating lipolysis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and insulin resistance. The results of animal experiments showed that XLP significantly reduced body weight, adiposity, blood lipid levels, and serum insulin levels in obese mice, while enhancing the expression of UCP-1 and PRDM16 in adipose tissue without causing damage to the liver or kidneys. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that XLP decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes(F/B) ratio at the phylum level, increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia and Bacteroides at the family and genus levels, and reduced the abundance of Allobaculum. Therefore, XLP can effectively improve lipid metabolism disorders in high-fat diet-induced obese mice, and the mechanism is related to the improvement of brown adipose function, the browning of white fat, the accelerated lipid metabolism, and the improvement of intestinal flora. However, its effect on promoting the conversion of white adipose to brown adipose still needs to be further studied.

Therapeutic effect and mechanism of Mailuo Shutong Pills on posterior limb swelling caused by femur fracture in rats based on intestinal flora and intestinal metabolism / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and underlying mechanism of Mailuo Shutong Pills(MLST) on posterior limb swelling caused by femur fracture in rats. The rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, a low-dose MLST group(1.8 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), a high-dose MLST group(3.6 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and a positive drug group(60 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) Maizhiling Tablets). The femur in the sham operation group was exposed and the wound was sutured, while the other four groups underwent mechanical damage to cause femur fracture. The rats were treated with corresponding drugs by gavage 7 days before modeling and 5 days after modeling, while those in the sham operation group and the model group were given an equivalent dose of distilled water by gavage. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to detect the pathological injury of the posterior limb muscle tissues in rats, and the degree of hind limb swelling was measured. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kit was used to detect the expression levels of interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the serum of rats in each group. The activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD), malondialdehyde(MDA), catalase(CAT), and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) in rat serum was also measured. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of heme oxygenase 1(HO-1), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1), and nuclear transcription factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2) in rat posterior limb muscle tissues. The changes in the intestinal flora and intestinal metabolites in rats were detected by 16S rDNA sequencing and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS), respectively, to explore the underlying mechanism of MLST in treating posterior limb swelling caused by femur fracture in rats. Compared with the model group, MLST significantly improved the degree of posterior limb swelling in rats, reduced the levels of serum inflammatory factors, and alleviated oxidative stress injury. The HE staining results showed that the inflammatory infiltration in the posterior limb muscle tissues of rats in the MLST groups was significantly improved. Western blot results showed that MLST significantly increased the protein expression of HO-1, NQO1, and Nrf2 in rat posterior limb muscle tissues compared with the model group. The 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that MLST improved the disorder of intestinal flora in rats after femur fracture. The UPLC-MS/MS results showed that MLST significantly affected the bile acid biosynthesis and metabolism pathway in the intestine after femur fracture, and the Spearman analysis confirmed that the metabolite deoxycholic acid involved in bile acid biosynthesis was positively correlated with the abundance of Turicibacter. The metabolite cholic acid was positively correlated with the abundance of Papilibacter, Staphylococcus, and Intestinimonas. The metabolite lithocholic acid was positively correlated with Papilibacter and Intestinimonas. The above results indicated that MLST could protect against the posterior limb swelling caused by femur fracture in rats. This protective effect may be achieved by improving the pathological injury of the posterior limb muscle, reducing the expression levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress-related factors in serum, reducing the oxidative injury of the posterior limb muscle, improving intestinal flora, and balancing the biosynthesis of bile acids in the intestine.

Effect and mechanism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix in alleviating insulin resistance in T2DM db/db mice based on intestinal flora / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to examine the effect and underlying mechanism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix on insulin resistance in db/db mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) based on the analysis of intestinal flora. Fifty db/db mice were randomly divided into a model group(M group), a metformin group(YX group), a high-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group(YGG group), a medium-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group(YGZ group), and a low-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group(YGD group). Another 10 db/m mice were assigned to the normal group(K group). After continuous administration for eight weeks, body weight and blood sugar of mice were measured. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect glycosylated serum protein(GSP) and fasting serum insulin(FINS), and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR) was calculated. The histopathological changes in the pancreas were observed by HE staining. Tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α expression in the pancreas was detected using immunohistochemistry. The structural changes in fecal intestinal flora in the K, M, and YGZ groups were detected by 16S rRNA. Western blot was used to detect the expression of farnesoid X receptor(FXR) and takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5(TGR5) in the ileum, cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) and sterol 27α-hydroxylase(CYP27A1) in the liver, and G protein-coupled receptors 41(GPR41) and 43(GPR43) in the colon. Compared with the K group, the M group showed increased body weight, blood sugar, serum GSP, fasting blood glucose(FBG), and FINS, increased HOMA-IR, inflammatory infiltration of islet cells, necrosis and degeneration of massive acinar cells, unclear boundary between islet cells and acinar cells, disturbed intestinal flora, and down-regulated FXR, TGR5, CYP7A1, CYP27A1, GPR41, and GPR43. Compared with the M group, the YX, YGG, YGZ, and YGD groups showed decreased body weight, blood sugar, serum GSP, FBG, and FINS, islet cells with intact and clumpy morphology and clear boundary, necrosis of a few acinar cells, and more visible islet cells. The intestinal flora in the YGZ group changed from phylum to genus levels, and the relative abundance of intestinal flora affecting the metabolites of intestinal flora increased. The protein expression of FXR, TGR5, CYP7A1, CYP27A1, GPR41, and GPR43 increased. The results show that Puerariae Lobatae Radix can improve the inflammatory damage of pancreatic islet cells and reduce insulin resistance in db/db mice with T2DM. The mechanism of action may be related to the increase in the abundance of Actinobacteria, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides in the intestinal tract and the protein expression related to metabolites of intestinal flora.

Research Progress on the Protective Effect of Intestinal Flora on Radiation-induced Lung Injury in Thoracic Tumors / 中国肺癌杂志

Radiation therapy is one of the main treatment methods for patients with thoracic malignant tumors, which can effectively improve the survival rate of the patients. However, radiation therapy can also cause damage to normal tissues while treating tumors, leading to radiation-induced lung injury such as radiation pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis. Radiation-induced lung injury is a complex pathophysiological process involving many factors, and its prevention and treatment is one of the difficult problems in the field of radiation medicine. Therefore, the search for sensitive predictors of radiation-induced lung injury can guide clinical radiotherapy and reduce the incidence of radiation-induced lung injury. With the in-depth study of intestinal flora, it can drive immune cells or metabolites to reach lung tissue through the circulatory system to play a role, and participate in the occurrence, development and treatment of lung diseases. At present, there are few studies on intestinal flora and radiation-induced lung injury. Therefore, this paper will comprehensively elaborate the interaction between intestinal flora and radiation-induced lung injury, so as to provide a new direction and strategy for studying the protective effect of intestinal flora on radiation-induced lung injury.
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Progress on factors affecting gastrointestinal function and drug protection in high altitude hypoxia environment / 药学实践杂志

Due to factors such as low pressure, low oxygen and cold in the plateau environment, people who enter the plateau rapidly are susceptible to digestive system diseases, such as upper abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting and other gastrointestinal dysfunction, which seriously affect the health and work ability of people who enter the plateau rapidly. The gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by the rapid advance to the plateau is mainly reflected in three aspects: gastrointestinal motility dysfunction, impaired mucosal barrier function, and intestinal flora imbalance. At present, the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal dysfunction is still not very clear, and there are fewer drugs for targeted prevention and treatment. Gastrointestinal hormones, oxygen free radicals, inflammatory factors, intestinal flora and other factors, as well as the protective effects of related drugs were reviewed in this paper to provide treatment options and theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of the gastrointestinal emergency response caused by entering the plateau.

Analysis on Changes of Aquaporin and Intestinal Flora in a Rat Model with Spleen-Yin Deficiency Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of spleen-Yin deficiency on gastrointestinal absorption， water metabolism and intestinal flora in rats with spleen-Yin deficiency syndrome. MethodA rat model of spleen-Yin deficiency syndrome was established by using the composite factors， including irregular meat and vegetable diet， weight-bearing fatigue swimming and gavage with warm-heat injury-Yin drugs. The changes of body weight， food intake， water intake and duration of swimming in the blank and model groups were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the histopathological damage of the stomach and colon. Urinary excretion rate of D-xylose was determined by phloroglucinol method. The content of gastrin（GAS） in serum was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. The relative expression levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide（VIP）， aquaporin 3（AQP3） and AQP4 in gastric tissues were detected by Western blot. The relative mRNA expression levels of VIP， AQP3 and AQP4 in gastric tissues were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）， and the changes of intestinal flora were analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. ResultCompared with the blank group， the results of general physical signs showed that the body weight and food intake of rats in the model group were significantly decreased， the water intake was significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the duration of swimming was significantly decreased（P<0.01）. Pathological examination results showed that in the mucosa of gastric tissues of rats in the model group appeared to be misaligned， the mucosa of colonic tissues could be seen to be obviously thinned or mutilated， and the epithelial cells appeared to be necrotic or even exfoliated. Compared with the blank group， the urinary D-xylose excretion rate of rats in the model group was significantly decreased（P<0.01）， and the serum GAS content was significantly decreased（P<0.05）. Compared with the blank group， Western blot results showed that the relative expression level of VIP protein in gastric tissues of rats in the model group was significantly decreased， while the relative expression levels of AQP4 and AQP3 proteins were significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， Real-time PCR results showed that the relative expression level of VIP mRNA in gastric tissues of rats in the model group was significantly decreased（P<0.01）， and the relative mRNA expression levels of AQP3 and AQP4 were significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the results of intestinal flora analysis showed that the number of operational taxonomic units（OTUs） and α-diversity increased and β-diversity decreased significantly in the model group， the abundance of Porphyromonadaceae was increased significantly， and the abundance of Oscillibacter_ruminantium was decreased significantly（P<0.05）. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Porphyromonadaceae was significantly positively correlated with AQP4 protein level， while Oscillibacter_ruminantium was significantly positively correlated with VIP protein level， and negatively correlated with AQP3 and AQP4 protein levels（P<0.05）. Linear discriminant analysis effect size（LEfSe） analysis results showed that there were significant differences in a variety of intestinal bacteria between groups， and the intestinal bacteria of the model group were significantly enriched in the phylum/order/family/genus of Elusimicrobia， Betaproteobacteria， Burkholderiales， Sutterellaceae and Parasutterella（P<0.05）. ConclusionSpleen-Yin deficiency syndrome can weaken the digestion and absorption capacity of gastrointestinal tract， and cause the disturbance of water metabolism and intestinal flora. AQP4， AQP3 and VIP protein levels of gastric mucosa are closely related to Porphyromonadaceae and Oscillibacter_ruminantium. And AQP4， AQP3 and VIP may be involved in the regulation of intestinal flora in order to affect the physiological function of spleen governing transportation and transformation.

Exploring on Mechanism of Gegen Qinliantang in Interventing Antibiotic-associated Diarrhea Based on 16S rRNA Sequencing and Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Gegen Qinliantang（GQT） on the intestinal flora of antibiotic-associated diarrhea（AAD） by 16S rRNA sequencing and network pharmacology. MethodSixty SD rats were randomly divided into six groups（n=10）， including blank group， model group， GQT high-， medium- and low-dose groups（10.08， 5.04， 2.52 g·kg-1） as well as Lizhu Changle group（0.15 g·kg-1）， except for the blank group， each group was given clindamycin（250 mg·kg-1） by gavage once a day for 7 consecutive days. After successful modeling， the blank group and the model group were given equal volumes of normal saline by gavage. The other groups were given corresponding doses of drugs by gavage for 14 days. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform（TCMSP） was used to screen the active components and targets of GQT， GeneCards， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man（OMIM） database， Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base（PharmGKB）， DrugBank and DisGeNET were used to search for AAD disease targets. The drug-disease common targets were obtained by R software. STRING was applied to analyze the target protein-protein interaction， and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis was performed. Then hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the colon， and 16S rRNA sequencing of AAD colon content flora structure further verified the results of network pharmacology. ResultThrough network pharmacology， it was found that 238 active components were screened from GQT and acted on 276 component targets， among which quercetin， puerarin， wogonin and apigenin were the main core components of GQT， 1 097 AAD disease targets and 127 drug-disease intersection targets. The protein-protein interaction network mainly included core targets such as protein kinase B1（Akt1）， interleukin（IL）-6 and IL-1β， which were mainly enriched in the IL-17 signaling pathway. It was verified through animal experiments that compared with the blank group， the colon structure of the model group was seriously abnormal， the intestinal epithelial columnar cells were damaged， the goblet cells were reduced， and a large number of inflammatory cells were infiltrated. Compared with the model group， the colon structure of the GQT high-dose group improved， but there were still abnormalities， the colon structure of GQT medium- and low- dose groups and Lizhu Changle group improved significantly and reached the normal level. GQT could improve the structural diversity of AAD intestinal flora. At the phylum level， the abundance of Firmicutes was increased and the abundance of Bacteroidetes was decreased. At the genus level， the abundance of Lactobacillus was increased， and the abundances of Prevotella and Bacteroides were decreased. Among them， Lactococcus could be used as a biomarker for AAD treatment with GQT， and the prediction of functional metabolism of intestinal flora revealed that GQT could promote acetate and lactate metabolic pathways in the intestine. ConclusionGQT may activate IL-17 signaling pathway by acting on the targets of Akt1 and IL-6 through key components such as quercetin and wogonin， and improve the abundance of Lactococcus in the intestinal tract as well as acetate and lactate metabolic pathways， so as to play a role in repairing the intestinal barrier for the treatment of AAD.

Therapeutic Effect and Mechanism of Yiqi Huoxue Tongbian Prescription on Slow Transit Constipation in Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Yiqi Huoxue Tongbian prescription on slow transit constipation （STC） in rats. MethodThe rat model of STC was established by gavage of loperamide hydrochloride. Rats were assigned into control， model， mosapride， low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.51， 7.02， and 14.04 g·kg-1， respectively） Yiqi Huoxue Tongbian prescription groups. The changes of general signs， fecal moisture content， and intestinal propulsion rate were measured after model establishment and drug administration. The colonic mucosal changes were observed by hematoxylin eosin staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the content of substance P （SP） and vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP） in the colon of rats in each group. The gray values of aquaporin （AQP） 3， AQP4， AQP8， and c-Kit in rat colon tissue were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot， and the changes of intestinal flora were detected by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. ResultCompared with the model group， 10 days of treatment with Yiqi Huoxue Tongbian prescription increased the fecal moisture content and intestinal propulsion rate （P<0.01）. The medium- and high-dose Yiqi Huoxue Tongbian prescription groups and the mosapride group showed no obvious mucosal inflammation and neat arrangement of goblet cells with a large number in the colon tissue. Moreover， the three groups showed increased SP content （P<0.01） and decreased VIP content （P<0.01） in the serum. The medium- and high-dose Yiqi Huoxue Tongbian prescription groups showed down-regulated protein levels of AQP3， AQP4， and AQP8 （P<0.01） and up-regulated protein level of c-Kit （P<0.01）. The drug administration groups presented slightly increased observed species， Chao1， ACE， and Shannon， Simpson， and PD whole tree. The principal component analysis showed that the control group had a short distance with the high- and medium-dose Yiqi Huoxue Tongbian prescription groups， indicating that high- and medium-dose Yiqi Huoxue Tongbian prescription can recover the intestinal flora to that in the control group. ConclusionYiqi Huoxue Tongbian prescription can alleviate the defecation status of rats with slow transit constipation by down-regulating the expression of AQP3， AQP4， and AQP8 to reduce the absorption of water in the intestine， up-regulating the expression of c-Kit to increase the number and distribution of Cajal interstitial cells， and regulating the balance of flora in the colon tissue.

Effect of Magnolia officinalis Cortex Before and After Sweating on Distribution of Intestinal Flora and Levels of 5-HT and SP in IBS-C Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Magnolia officinalis cortex for constipation-type irritable bowel syndrome（IBS-C） rats before and after sweating. MethodIBS-C rat model was established by gavage of ice water， and rats were randomly divided into the blank group， model group， mosapride group（1 mg·kg-1）， M. officinalis cortex group（10 g·kg-1） and sweated M. officinalis cortex group（10 g·kg-1）. The changes of body weight， fecal number and fecal water content of rats were observed， 16S rRNA sequencing was used to detect the structural changes of fecal intestinal flora in rats， the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine（5-HT） and substance P（SP） in colonic tissues of rats were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. ResultCompared with the model group， the fecal water content and fecal number of mosapride group， M. officinalis cortex group and sweated M. officinalis cortex group were significantly increased（P<0.05）. At the phylum level， the top four species of flora abundance were Firmicutes， Bacteroidetes， Spirochaetes and Proteobacteria. Compared with the blank group， the proportion of Firmicutes in the model group was significantly reduced（P<0.05）， while the proportion of Spirochaetes was significantly increased（P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the proportion of Firmicutes and Spirochaetes in M. officinalis cortex group and sweated M. officinalis cortex group tended to be similar to that in the blank group， and the proportion of Spirochaetes in sweated M. officinalis cortex group was lower than that of M. officinalis cortex group. At the family level， the top four species of flora abundance were Lactobacillaceae， S24_7， Ruminococcaceae， Bacteroidaceae， compared with the blank group， the proportion of Lactobacillaceae in the model group decreased significantly（P<0.05）， and its proportion in the M. officinalis cortex group and sweated M. officinalis cortex group increased significantly after administration（P<0.05）， and the flora structure of the two groups tended to be similar to that of the blank group. At the genus level， the top four species of flora abundance were Lactobacillus， Unspecified_S24_7， Bacteroides and Treponema. Compared with the blank group， the proportion of Lactobacillus in the model group decreased significantly（P<0.05）， while the proportion of Treponema increased significantly（P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， ratio of bacterial structure of Lactobacillus and Treponema in the M. officinalis cortex group and sweated M. officinalis cortex group tended to be similar to those in the blank group， indicating that M. officinalis cortex could restore the intestinal microbial structure of IBS-C rats before and after sweating. Compared with the model group， the 5-HT content in mosapride group was significantly reduced（P<0.05）， the contents of 5-HT and SP in the M. officinalis cortex group and sweated M. officinalis cortex group were significantly increased（P<0.01）， and the sweated M. officinalis cortex group was higher than the M. officinalis cortex group. ConclusionM. officinalis cortex can play a therapeutic role on IBS-C rats by regulating 5-HT pathway and intestinal flora structure before and after sweating.

Effects of Huzhang Qingmai decoction on cognitive function and intestinal flora in mice with chronic cerebral ischemia / 药学实践杂志

Objective To investigate the mechanism of action of Huzhang Qingmai decoction (HZQMY) on the improvement of cognitive function in mice with chronic cerebral ischemia from the perspective of intestinal flora. Methods A mouse model of chronic cerebral ischemia was established by placing microcoils around the bilateral common carotid arteries to induce bilateral carotid artery stenosis (BCAS). After 12 weeks of intragastric administration, the cognitive function of the mice was measured by the Morris water maze; the myelin damage was analyzed by LFB staining; The contents of the cecum of the mice in each group were extracted and analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results The results of the water maze experiment showed that the mice in the HZQMY group had a significantly shorter escape latency, increased the number of crossings platform and the percentage of target quadrants. LFB staining showed that the white matter damage in the model group was severe; the white matter damage in the HZQMY group was milder. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that compared with the model group, the abundance of Verrucomicrobiota, Akkermansia, and ErysiPelatoclostridium capsulatum in the intestinal flora in HZQMY group was significantly reduced (P<0.05), while the abundances of Eubacterium_xylanoPhilum and Allobaculum were significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion The protective effect of HZQMY, which has the effect of improving cognitive function in mice with chronic cerebral ischemia, may be related to the regulation of intestinal flora in mice with chronic cerebral ischemia.