Anti-cancer Effect and Mechanism of Chinese Herbal Medicine Saponins： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Cancer， one of the deadliest diseases caused by cells escaping homeostasis， abnormal proliferation， and abnormal differentiation， is fast becoming one of the most burdensome diseases of this century. With decades of human research and cognitive changes in cancer， cancer treatment is also developing rapidly， but there is still a lack of effective treatment and countermeasures. Especially， the search for safe， efficient， and non-toxic drugs has become a long-term goal in the field of cancer. Saponins extracted and separated from traditional Chinese medicine can improve cancer through various pathways and have almost no toxic side effects. Therefore， the research on the anti-cancer effect of saponins is heating up. It is found that saponins play anti-tumor roles by inhibiting proliferation， metastasis， and angiogenesis of cancer cells， promoting apoptosis of cancer cells， inducing autophagy of tumor cells， and regulating miRNA expression and immune functions. Chinese herbal medicine saponins can regulate secretory glycoprotein /β-catenin （Wnt/β-catenin）， adenylate activated protein kinase （AMPK）， nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB）， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， Janus kinase/activator of signal transduction and transcription 3 （JAK/ STAT3）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， Toll-like receptor （TLR）， and other related signaling pathways to get involved in the proliferation， metastasis， angiogenesis， apoptosis， autophagy， and other processes of cancer cells， thus interfering with the progression of cancer. Therefore， the focus of this review is to update the discovery and evaluation of Chinese herbal medicine saponins with anti-cancer properties， clarify their mechanism of action， including the progress of related signaling pathways， and deepen the understanding of the anti-cancer function of Chinese herbal medicine saponins， so as to provide a new perspective and direction for the prevention and treatment of tumors by traditional Chinese medicine and better promote the development and utilization of resources.

Correlation Between Expression of HIF-1α and Prognosis of Arsenic-containing Chinese Herbal Compound in Treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

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

Discussion on the legal attributes of provincial Chinese herbal pieces processing norms / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To provide a reference for the definition of the legal attributes of the provincial Chinese herbal pieces processing norms and the improvement of legal expression for the drug standards in Drug Administration Law. METHODS Based on the legal evolution of local drug standards in China， the composition of national drug standards for Chinese herbal pieces and the composition of current provincial Chinese herbal pieces processing norms were analyzed； at the same time， based on the method of legal interpretation， the legal connotation of the provincial Chinese herbal medicine processing norms in Drug Administration Law was investigated. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS In the practice of drug supervision， the provincial Chinese herbal pieces processing norms are essentially local drug standards. The newly revised Drug Administration Law defines the drug standards specifically， but does not stipulate the legal attribute of drug standards for the provincial Chinese herbal pieces processing norms， and there are certain legislative technical defects. It is suggested that when amending the Drug Administration Law， the legal attributes of the drug standards of the provincial Chinese herbal medicine processing norms should be clarified.

Construction of Chinese Herbal Medicine Traceability System Based on Influencing Factors of Chinese Herbal Medicine Quality / 中国实验方剂学杂志

As a Chinese saying goes， "good Chinese medicinal material makes good medicine"， the quality of Chinese herbal medicines is related to the development prospect of Chinese medicine industry in China. With the rapid development of new technologies such as traceability methods and monitoring instruments， it is imperative to integrate and innovate traditional Chinese herbal medicines with new-generation information technology in view of the quality problems existing in the current production and circulation of Chinese herbal medicines， and it is of great significance for the construction of traceability system to ensure the quality and safety of Chinese herbal medicines and to promote the industry of Chinese herbal medicines to move towards high-quality development. This paper reviews the development history of the traceability system of Chinese herbal medicines in China， takes the influencing factors of the quality of Chinese herbal medicines as the entry point， and proposes that the construction of the traceability system should satisfy the traceability requirements of the characteristics of Chinese herbal medicines and their traditional medication experience. By analyzing the influencing factors of the quality of Chinese herbal medicines， it is pointed out that focusing on the influencing factors to build a traceability system is of great significance for targeting the problematic links at a later stage and exploring the interrelationship between environmental factors and the quality of Chinese herbal medicines. Based on the previous explorations， the author summarizes the system framework， functional modules and practical applications of the traceability system of Chinese herbal medicines， and looks forward to the development of a traceability system with risk early warning function and expert decision-making function in its functional development. Finally， based on the factors affecting the quality of Chinese herbal medicines， the author puts forward several thoughts on construction of the traceability system， and makes an in-depth analysis and puts forward a solution for the current situation that a unified， standardized and universal traceability system has not yet been built， with a view to providing ideas and references for the construction of traceability system of Chinese herbal medicines.

Development of Chinese herbal medicine for sensorineural hearing loss

According to the World Health Organization's world report on hearing, nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide will suffer from hearing loss by 2050, which may contribute to a severe impact on individual life quality and national economies. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) occurs commonly as a result of noise exposure, aging, and ototoxic drugs, and is pathologically characterized by the impairment of mechanosensory hair cells of the inner ear, which is mainly triggered by reactive oxygen species accumulation, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Though recent advances have been made in understanding the ability of cochlear repair and regeneration, there are still no effective therapeutic drugs for SNHL. Chinese herbal medicine which is widely distributed and easily accessible in China has demonstrated a unique curative effect against SNHL with higher safety and lower cost compared with Western medicine. Herein we present trends in research for Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of SNHL, and elucidate their molecular mechanisms of action, to pave the way for further research and development of novel effective drugs in this field.

Polysaccharides from Chinese herbal medicine: a review on the hepatoprotective and molecular mechanism / 中国天然药物

Polysaccharides, predominantly extracted from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs such as Lycium barbarum, Angelica sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Dendrobium officinale, Ganoderma lucidum, and Poria cocos, represent principal bioactive constituents extensively utilized in Chinese medicine. These compounds have demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory capabilities, especially anti-liver injury activities, while exhibiting minimal adverse effects. This review summarized recent studies to elucidate the hepatoprotective efficacy and underlying molecular mechanisms of these herbal polysaccharides. It underscored the role of these polysaccharides in regulating hepatic function, enhancing immunological responses, and improving antioxidant capacities, thus contributing to the attenuation of hepatocyte apoptosis and liver protection. Analyses of molecular pathways in these studies revealed the intricate and indispensable functions of traditional Chinese herbal polysaccharides in liver injury management. Therefore, this review provides a thorough examination of the hepatoprotective attributes and molecular mechanisms of these medicinal polysaccharides, thereby offering valuable insights for the advancement of polysaccharide-based therapeutic research and their potential clinical applications in liver disease treatment.

Consensus statement on research and application of Chinese herbal medicine derived extracellular vesicles-like particles (2023 edition) / 中草药·英文版

To promote the development of extracellular vesicles of herbal medicine especially the establishment of standardization, led by the National Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, research experts in the field of herbal medicine and extracellular vesicles were invited nationwide with the support of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, Professional Committee on Extracellular Vesicle Research and Application, Chinese Society of Research Hospitals and the Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Chinese Herbal Vesicles. Based on the collation of relevant literature, we have adopted the Delphi method, the consensus meeting method combined with the nominal group method to form a discussion draft of "Consensus statement on research and application of Chinese herbal medicine derived extracellular vesicles-like particles (2023)". The first draft was discussed in online and offline meetings on October 12, 14, November 2, 2022 and April and May 2023 on the current status of research, nomenclature, isolation methods, quality standards and research applications of extracellular vesicles of Chinese herbal medicines, and 13 consensus opinions were finally formed. At the Third Academic Conference on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles, held on May 26, 2023, Kewei Zhao, convenor of the consensus, presented and read the consensus to the experts of the Expert Committee on Research and Application of Chinese Herbal Vesicles. The consensus highlights the characteristics and advantages of Chinese medicine, inherits the essence, and keeps the righteousness and innovation, aiming to provide a reference for colleagues engaged in research and application of Chinese herbal vesicles at home and abroad, decode the mystery behind Chinese herbal vesicles together, establish a safe, effective and controllable accurate Chinese herbal vesicle prevention and treatment system, and build a bridge for Chinese medicine to the world.

Intervention of Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas on Oxidative Stress of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） is a common disease in clinical practice. It is associated with obvious exposure to toxic particles or gases and has become the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. The pathogenesis of COPD is complex， and the oxidative stress involved in COPD plays a crucial role in the pathological process of the disease. Patients with COPD usually have high levels of oxidative stress in the lungs， which will affect the whole body for a long time， causing a variety of complications and accelerating the development of the disease. On the one hand， oxidative stress can directly damage the airway and lung tissue. On the other hand， it also drives other pathological mechanisms to jointly promote the development of disease， such as participating in inflammatory reactions and protease/anti-protease imbalance， promoting mucus secretion， accelerating cellular senescence， causing autoimmunity， and involving in genetic regulatory pathways. At present， western medicine treatment is mostly based on conventional drug treatment， and antioxidant-targeted oxidative stress is adopted， but there are still some challenges in efficacy and safety. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of preventing and treating COPD. In particular， Chinese herbal medicine formulas have great potential to interfere with the oxidative stress of COPD. Whether it is the modified classical traditional Chinese medicine or the new formulation developed by modern doctors， the research results reflect the multi-target and multi-channel advantages of traditional Chinese medicine treatment， and their efficacy and safety are gradually verified. This paper reviewed the literature in recent years， starting with the basic and clinical research on the intervention of traditional Chinese herbal medicine formulas on oxidative stress of COPD， so as to provide further ideas for related research on the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress of COPD by traditional Chinese medicine.

Rapid determination of microbial contamination of Bupleurum chinense DC. decoction slices by ATP bioluminescence technology combined with statistical analysis methods / 药学学报

This study focuses on the microbial quality control of the Chinese herbal decoction pieces. In view of the shortcomings of traditional culture methods such as slow detection speed and inability to detect unculturable microorganisms, a new method based on ATP bioluminescence technology combined with statistical analysis methods was established to rapidly predict and quantitatively detect the total aerobic microbial count (TAMC) and total yeast and mold count (TYMC) contaminated Bupleurum chinense DC. decoction pieces. Based on the optimized ATP bioluminesence detection system, accurate detection of pure bacterial solution of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus can be achieved, with detection limits of 47.86, 89.13 and 1 862.09 CFU·mL-1, respectively. The detection time was 6.5 h, and the detection cost was as low as 2 yuan/time. The upper and lower warning limits of TAMC were determined by the misjudgment rates of 10% and 20%, respectively. And the warning limit of TYMC was determined by the misjudgment rate of 20%. The proposed crossing method could quickly predict the amount of microbial contamination in Bupleurum chinense DC. decoction pieces. The constructed partial least squares regression (PLSR) model could accurately quantify the quantity of microbial contamination in Bupleurum chinense DC. decoction pieces. The optimal PLSR prediction model for TAMC had a correction coefficient (R2) of 0.826, a root mean square error of correction set (RMSEE) of 0.468 and a root mean square error of cross-validation set (RMSECV) of 0.465. The R2, RMSEE and RMSECV in the prediction model of TYMC were 0.778, 0.543 and 0.541, respectively. The aim of this study is to establish a kind of rapid detection method and prediction models for the microbial limit of traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese herbal decoction pieces, and to provide a more convenient and sensitive detection technology for the microbial quality process control of traditional Chinese medicine products.

Research on dynamic on-line monitoring method of moisture attribute in three honey-processed Chinese herbal slice based on in-situ general model / 药学学报

Aiming at the hysteresis and destructiveness of off-line static detection of critical quality attribute of the moisture content of the raw material unit of the traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing process, honey-processed Tussilago farfara, honey-processed Astragalus and honey-processed Glycyrrhiza uralensis were used as the research carriers, and the drying method was used to measure the moisture content as a reference value. The moving stage was used to simulate the movement process of samples on the conveyor belt in the actual on-site production process, and near-infrared (NIR) spectra were collected, combined with machine learning, to establish NIR on-site dynamic detection model of moisture content in multi-variety honey-processed Chinese herbal slice. The results show that the second derivative method is used to preprocess the spectrum. The number of decision trees (ntree), the number of random features (max feature), and the minimum number of samples for generating leaf nodes (node size) are selected: 46, 76, and 8, respectively. The quantitative analysis model of moisture content has the best effect. The prediction coefficient of determination (the prediction coefficient of determination, R2pre) and the root mean square error of prediction (root mean square error of prediction, RMSEP) of the model were 0.903 2 and 0.330 2, respectively. The NIR quantitative model for the moisture content of multi-variety honey-processed Chinese herbal slice established in this study has good predictive performance, and can achieve rapid, accurate and non-destructive quantitative analysis of the moisture content of honey-processed Tussilago farfara, honey-processed Astragalus and honey-processed Glycyrrhiza uralensis at the same time, and provides a method for determining the moisture content of honey-processed Chinese herbal slice of the raw material unit of the traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing process.

Toxicity Reduction Measures of Herbal Medicines Causing Liver Injury and Role of Herbal Medicines in Preventing and Treating Liver Injury / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Chinese herbal medicines play a great role in disease prevention and treatment， while some may cause adverse effects on the human body after of long-term application. Liver injury， one of such adverse effects， is an important check item in the development of new Chinese medicines for clinical application and has become a major reason for the withdrawal of many listed drugs from the market. With the rising concern about the safety of Chinese herbal medicines， studies about liver injury caused by herbal medicines are increasing. Most of the studies focus on liver injury caused by Chinese herbal medicines or their ingredients. To improve the safety of Chinese herbal medicines， this paper summarizes the material basis and mechanisms of several Chinese herbal medicines that cause liver injury and the measures to reduce liver injury. These measures include reducing the dose and course of administration， changing the route of administration， and altering the dosage form， compatibility， and processing. In addition， this paper introduces the biological effects and mechanisms of single Chinese herbal medicines， Chinese medicine prescriptions， and active components in the prevention and treatment of liver injury. Furthermore， this paper proposes the safe dose and efficacy-toxicity boundary of Chinese herbal medicines that may cause liver injury by referring to the modern research on toxicity reduction， clarifies the mechanisms of toxicity reduction measures， and determines the material basis of liver injury induced by Chinese herbal medicines， which will ensure the safe application of herbal medicines in clinical practice. Finally， this paper suggests that efforts should be made to strengthen the clinical research on the prevention and treatment of liver injury and elucidate the scientific connotation of the prevention and treatment of liver injury by Chinese herbal medicines by using modern science and technology， aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of liver injury.

Four Properties of Chinese Herbal Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The four properties of Chinese herbal medicine have a history of several thousand years and are one of the important theoretical guides for the clinical application of Chinese herbal medicine. However， there have been few reviews of research methods and techniques for the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine in recent years. Therefore， this article summarized the advances and techniques for the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine by screening relevant literature on the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine and clarifying the characteristics， advantages， and applicable objects of each technique， in order to provide references for in-depth research on the four properties in the future. Chinese databases such as China national knowledge infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang data， and VIP， as well as international databases including PubMed， Cochrane Library， and EMbase were searched for relevant literature on the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine. The advances， research objects， and research techniques involved in the literature were extracted， classified， and summarized. Currently， the research techniques for the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine mainly include six categories， i.e.， literature data research， network pharmacology， biothermodynamics， cell biology， proteomics， and metabolomics. The research hierarchy can be divided into micro-level， small-level， medium-level， and macro-level. The research objects used in each experimental study are different， mainly single Chinese herbal medicine， Chinese herbal monomers， targets， microbial communities， cells， mice， and rats. Different research techniques explain the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine from different dimensions， which overall indicate the material basis of the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine. In future research， the interpretation of the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine can be first located at the research hierarchy， then corresponding research techniques can be selected according to the research hierarchy， and research indicators can be determined to obtain research conclusions. This can help researchers of traditional Chinese medicine effectively carry out research design and perform related experiments on the four properties of Chinese herbal medicine.

Advances in the treatment of diabetic ulcers by Chinese herbal extracts / 药学实践杂志

Skin ulcers are the most prevalent consequence of diabetes mellitus, and people with diabetic ulcers have a substantially greater death risk than those who do not have ulcers. Herbal medications have gained wide concern in recent years due to their multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway synergistic therapeutic effects. Clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of herbal treatments in diabetic refractory ulcers. To systematically evaluate the healing effect of herbs on diabetic wounds, a literature search was conducted, the mechanism of action of 15 herbal extracts in promoting diabetic wound healing were reviewed, and the classification based on traditional Chinese medicine theory was discussed, which could provide a reference for the precise treatment and exploitation of herbal medicines for diabetic ulcers.

Advances in Phytochemistry and Modern Pharmacology of Saposhnikovia Divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk / 中国结合医学杂志

Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk (S. divaricata, Fangfeng) is a herb in the Apiaceae family, and its root has been used since the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.). Chromones and coumarins are the pharmacologically active substances in S. divaricata. Modern phytochemical and pharmacological studies have demonstrated their antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anticoagulant activities. Technological and analytical strategy theory advancements have yielded novel results; however, most investigations have been limited to the main active substances-chromones and coumarins. Hence, we reviewed studies related to the chemical composition and pharmacological activity of S. divaricata, analyzed the developing trends and challenges, and proposed that research should focus on components' synergistic effects. We also suggested that, the structure-effect relationship should be prioritized in advanced research.

Efficacy of Chinese Herbal Medicines on Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients with Endometriosis in Long-Term Management: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the factors related to pregnancy of endometriosis and whether Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) can improve pregnancy outcomes in patients with endometriosis in long-term management.@*METHODS@#This multicenter cohort study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of endometriosis patients with fertility needs from January 2019 to November 2019. A total of 252 patients with endometriosis from 5 level-III Grade A hospitals in Beijing were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed for the relevant factors. The propensity score matching (PSM) function of SPSS software was used to match the CHMs group with the non-CHMs group. The pregnancy rate and live birth rate were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The results of univariate analysis showed that age, disease course, presence of infertility, presence of adenomyosis, time after surgery or use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a), use of CHMs and follow-up time were influencing factors of pregnancy in endometriosis patients (P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that age, presence of adenomyosis, time after surgery or use of GnRH-a, use of CHMs and follow-up time were independent factors affecting pregnancy in endometriosis patients, among which, age ⩾35 years old, presence of adenomyosis and follow-up time >6 months were independent risk factors (OR=0.445, 0.348, 0.140, respectively, P<0.05), time after surgery or use of GnRH-a ⩽6 months and use of CHMs were independent protective factors (OR=3.839, 3.842, respectively, P<0.05). After PSM, 99 pairs of two groups were matched successfully. The pregnancy rate of the CHMs group was higher than that of the non-CHMs group [55.56% (55/99) vs. 36.36% (36/99), P<0.05]. The live birth rate of the CHMs group was higher than that of the non-CHMs group [49.49% (49/99) vs. 35.35% (35/99), P<0.05].@*CONCLUSION@#CHMs can effectively improve clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate of patients with endometriosis in the chronic disease management.

Blocking and reversing liver fibrosis with traditional Chinese medicine compound prescriptions: Beyond the known frontiers / 临床肝胆病杂志

Liver fibrosis is the inevitable course for the progression of chronic hepatitis B to liver cirrhosis and is also the most important risk factor for hepatocarcinogenesis, and therefore, blocking and reversing liver fibrosis is an important strategy to effectively reduce the development of chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis and liver cancer. There are currently no effective drugs and measures for the treatment of liver fibrosis in Western medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has unique advantages in the treatment of liver fibrosis; however, due to a lack of strict and standardized clinical research, there is still no high-quality evidence for support from the aspect of evidence-based medicine (EBM). With subsidies from National Science and Technology Major Project in the 12th and 13th five-year plans, the authors conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on compound Biejia Ruangan tablets combined with entecavir in blocking and reversing chronic hepatitis B liver fibrosis. With liver biopsy as the gold standard, 1000 patients were enrolled to confirm the efficacy of compound Biejia Ruangan tablets combined with entecavir in blocking and reversing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and this study has become the first clinical trial investigating the anti-liver fibrosis effect of TCM supported by high-quality EBM evidence, bringing great hope to patients with chronic liver diseases and helping TCM move towards the world. This article introduces these research findings and reviews the current status and challenges of TCM in blocking and reversing liver fibrosis.

Advantages and characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of liver fibrosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is the common pathological process of various chronic liver diseases and is associated with the progression of liver diseases, and it is also a key factor affecting the outcome of liver diseases and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The early process of HF is reversible, but without timely intervention and treatment, HF may gradually aggravate and progress to liver cirrhosis and even HCC, which will endanger people's health. Therefore, it is of great significance to actively prevent and treat HF; however, due to the complex pathogenesis of HF, Western medicine treatment is limited and there is still a lack of effective and widely accepted anti-fibrotic drugs, and thus there is a huge demand for medical treatment. With the efforts of scholars in China and globally, traditional Chinese medicine treatment has become a hotspot and a key breakthrough point in reversing HF and preventing its progression, with the advantages of multiple targets and pathways. This article elaborates on the advantages and characteristics of TCM treatment of HF from the aspects of syndrome differentiation, method of treatment, drug compatibility, and modern molecular mechanism.

Current research status of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway / 临床肝胆病杂志

Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is one of the common malignant tumors of the digestive tract and seriously threatens the life of patients due to a high incidence rate， a high degree of malignancy， strong invasion and metastasis， and poor prognosis. At present， the main methods for the prevention and treatment of HCC include drugs， surgery， and interventional treatment， but all of these methods have certain adverse reactions and side effects. As an important intracellular signal transduction pathway in the human body， the JAK/STAT signaling pathway mainly exerts an anti-HCC effect by regulating cell invasion， metastasis， proliferation， growth， apoptosis， autophagy， angiogenesis， inflammation/immune response， iron metabolism， and drug resistance. Therefore， targeting the JAK/STAT signaling pathway plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of the development and progression of HCC. Traditional Chinese medicine has attracted wide attention due to its advantages of multiple targets， pathways， components， and levels in the treatment of HCC， and many cell or animal experiments on traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of HCC have shown that the JAK/STAT signaling pathway is an important target for the prevention and treatment of HCC， with the effects of improving liver function， reducing HCC recurrence， and improving immunity. Based on this， this article analyzes the mechanism of action of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in HCC， as well as the intervention effect of traditional Chinese medicine monomers， traditional Chinese medicine extracts， and traditional Chinese medicine compounds on the JAK/STAT signaling pathway， in order to provide theoretical basis and reference for the prevention and treatment of HCC and the research and development of new traditional Chinese medicine drugs.

Application of Natural Ingredients of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Pain Management： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Pain is one of the most prevalent health problems. Current medications for pain are mainly anticonvulsants， tricyclic antidepressants， and opioidergic drugs. However， their therapeutic effectiveness is limited during application， and some even have severe side effects. In recent years， research on natural ingredients from Chinese herbal medicine has been extensively conducted for their analgesic activities. A series of natural ingredients represented by alkaloids， coumarins， flavonoids， and terpenoids have shown great analgesic activity， and further studies on their analgesic mechanism have found that most natural products have multi-target analgesic mechanisms. It can exert analgesic effects by blocking ion channels， regulating related receptors， or inducing anti-inflammatory or antioxidant effects. In addition， many traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formulas have shown great analgesic ability after clinical application and have multiple complex analgesic mechanisms. The drug cloud （dCloud） theory can better describe the mechanisms， and it can represent the complete therapeutic spectrum of multi-target analgesics from two dimensions， namely the "direct efficacy" that directly inhibits pain signals and the "background efficacy" that targets the root causes of pain. The authors summarized the research progress of natural ingredients with analgesic effects found in Chinese herbal medicine so far， as well as the analgesic efficacy and potential mechanisms of TCM formulas with great analgesic effects in clinical applications， so as to provide a new basis for searching for new analgesic drugs from TCM.

Effect and Mechanism of Baoshen Prescription in Alleviating Renal Fibrosis in UUO Mice by Regulating ERK/p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the protective effect of Baoshen prescription against renal fibrosis and explore its underlying mechanism through network pharmacology， molecular docking， and in vivo experiments. MethodAll mice were randomly divided into sham surgery group， model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose Baoshen prescription groups， and a benazepril hydrochloride group. Unilateral ureteral obstruction （UUO） was performed to establish a renal fibrosis model， and the administration of Baoshen prescription at low， medium， and high doses （0.455， 0.91， and 1.82 g·kg-1）， and benazepril hydrochloride （1.68 mg·kg-1） or distilled water began on the same day as model preparation. Mice in the model group and the sham surgery group were given an equal volume of distilled water. The intervention was carried out once daily for 14 days. Mouse serum levels of blood urea nitrogen （BUN） and creatinine （Cr） were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining were used to observe renal pathological changes. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the expression of fibronectin （FN）， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， and E-cadherin， which are related to renal fibrosis. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to measure the mRNA expression of transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 （MCP-1） in renal tissues. The mechanism of Baoshen prescription in improving renal fibrosis was explored through network pharmacology， molecular docking， and Western blot experiments. ResultCompared with the sham surgery group， the model group showed significantly increased levels of BUN and Cr （P<0.01）. The model group exhibited abnormal renal glomerular morphology， loss of tubular brush borders， tubular dilation， and an enlarged area of blue collagen fibers. Mice in the model group showed significantly elevated levels of FN and α-SMA （P<0.01）， significantly decreased expression of E-cadherin （P<0.01）， and significantly increased expression of TGF-β1， TNF-α， NLRP3， and MCP-1 mRNA （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Baoshen prescription groups showed significantly reduced BUN and Cr levels （P<0.01）， alleviated renal pathological damage， improved fibrosis， reduced expression of FN and α-SMA （P<0.01）， increased E-cadherin expression （P<0.01）， and downregulated mRNA expression of TGF-β1， TNF-α， NLRP3， and MCP-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Network pharmacology and molecular docking predicted that Baoshen prescription could potentially improve renal fibrosis through the extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway. Pharmacological research showed that compared with the sham surgery group， the model group exhibited significantly increased expression of phosphorylated （p）-ERK and p-p38 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， medium- and high-dose Baoshen prescription groups showed significantly downregulated expression of p-ERK and p-p38 proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBaoshen prescription can effectively improve renal fibrosis induced by UUO in mice， and its mechanism of action may be related to the ERK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.