Formation of Hyperprogression of Immunotherapy from Perspective of "Yang Deficiency and Toxin Knot" and Role of "Five Views on Differentiation and Treatment" Intervention / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Immune checkpoint inhibitors （ICIs） have shown good efficacy in tumor treatment and have changed the landscape of tumor treatment. However， some patients treated with ICIs have not only failed to achieve the desired therapeutic effect， but also developed an atypical response pattern of abnormally accelerated tumor growth， namely hyperprogressive disease （HPD）. The pathogenesis of HPD is still unclear and it is difficult to diagnose， which poses a challenge for clinical identification and treatment decisions. Exploring the underlying mechanism of HPD is important to improve the effect of immunotherapy. Based on the theory of "Yang deficiency and toxic knot"， this paper discussed the mechanism of HPD in immunotherapy from the perspective of "spleen and kidney Yang deficiency and hefty toxic pathogens". It was concluded that the inactivation of p53 oncogene and immunosuppressive microenvironment were the manifestations of the deficiency of healthy qi in the body and declined yang in the spleen and kidney， serving as an important basis for the occurrence of HPD. Adverse reactions caused by ICIs belong to the category of "drug toxicity". The occurrence and development of murine double minute 2 （MDM2）/murine double minute 4 （MDM4） activation， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） mutation， and tumor inflammatory microenvironment are the manifestations of the hyperactivity of pathogenic Qi， conflict of cancer toxicity and drug toxicity， and being hefty by virtue of deficiency， which can promote the abnormal proliferation of tumor cells， and they are the core pathogenic elements of HPD and are closely related to disease prognosis. In terms of treatment， under the guidance of the theory of "five views on differentiation and treatment" （time-space view， core view， symptom view， precision view， and disease-before-onset view）， which was summarized according to the clinical practice of this research team， this paper， taking the prevention and treatment of HPD as the entry point， formulated traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compounds to reinforce healthy Qi and warm Yang and realize the dynamic management of the whole spatiotemporal cycle， and removed toxins and resisted cancer to realize the all-round systemic intervention of the specimen. Additionally， targets were enriched in the macro-clinical manifestations and microscopic pathological changes of HPD to improve the targeting of drug selection and the precision of prevention and treatment， giving full play to the unique therapeutic advantages of TCM， and providing new ideas for the clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of HPD.

Sishenwan Combined with Tongxie Yaofang Treats Ulcerative Colitis with Spleen-kidney Yang Deficiency and Liver Depression / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo induce the rat model of ulcerative colitis （UC） with spleen-kidney Yang deficiency and liver depression， and explore the efficacy and mechanism of Sishenwan combined with Tongxie Yaofang （SSW&TXYF） based on the therapeutic principles of tonifying spleen， soothing liver， warming kidney， and astringing intestine. MethodSixty male SD rats were randomized into normal， model， mesalazine， and high-， medium-， and low-dose SSW&TXYF groups. The rats in other groups except the normal group were administrated with Sennae Folium decoction and hydrocortisone and received tail clamping for 14 days. On day 14， rats received enema with TNBS-ethanol solution to induce UC. The rats were administrated with corresponding drugs from day 15 of modeling， and the body weight and mental state were observed and recorded. The sucrose preference test was performed from day 25. On day 28， the rectal temperature was measured， and the rats were administrated with 3% D-xylose solution at a dose of 10 mL·kg-1 by gavage. Blood was sampled 1 h later， from which the serum was collected for measurement of the D-xylose content. The serum， hippocampus， and colorectum samples of rats were collected on day 29. The levels of gastrin （GAS）， adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH）， corticosterone （CORT）， cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）， cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）， interleukin （IL）-4， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， and interferon （IFN）-γ in the serum and 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） in the hippocampus were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to reveal the colonic lesions. The mRNA and protein levels of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）， and c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK） in the colon tissue were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blot， respectively. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased body weight， anal temperature， and D-xylose content in the serum and increased GAS content （P<0.01）. The modeling led to cAMP/cGMP unbalance and decreased the ACTH and CORT content in the serum （P<0.01）， the preference for sucrose water， and the 5-HT content in the hippocampus （P<0.01）. Moreover， it shortened the colorectal length and caused massive infiltration of inflammatory cells and severe structural damage in the colon tissue. High， medium， and low doses of SSW&TXYF improved above indicators （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced inflammatory infiltration， and repaired the pathological damage of the tissue. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed lowered IL-4 level （P<0.01） and elevated TNF-α and IFN-γ levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the serum， as well as up-regulated expression of p38 MAPK， ERK， and JNK （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， SSW&TXYF elevated the IL-4 level （P<0.01）， lowered the TNF-α and IFN-γ levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of p38 MAPK， ERK， and JNK （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionA rat model of UC with spleen-kidney Yang deficiency and liver depression was successfully established. SSW&TXYF can significantly mitigate this syndrome by reducing the inflammatory response in the colon and inhibiting the MAPK pathway.

Syndromes and Mechanisms of Depression Induced by Second Hit in Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the syndromes and mechanisms of depression induced by maternal separation （MS） combined with chronic restraint stress （RS） in mice. MethodOn postnatal day 0 （PD0）， the offspring mice were randomized into a blank group （NC） and a modeling group. The mouse model of depression was established by MS+RS for 21 days. After removal of female mice on PD21， the modeled mice were randomized into model， Wenyang， Jieyu， Wenyang Jieyu， and fluoxetine groups， with 15 mice in each group. The sucrose preference， tail suspension， and open field tests were carried out to evaluate the anxiety and depression-like behavior in mice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the adrenocorticotrophic hormone （ACTH） and corticosterone （CORT） levels in mouse plasma. High performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detector was used to determine the content of monoamine neurotransmitters in the hippocampus. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to determine the mRNA levels of genes in the 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） system， hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis， and brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） signaling pathway in the hippocampus. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the expression levels of proteins in the 5-HT system and HPA axis in the hippocampus. The Simple Western system was used to determine the protein levels of BDNF and tyrosine kinase receptor B （TrkB） in the hippocampus. ResultCompared with the NC group， the model group exhibited depression-like behavior， which was significantly relieved by Wenyang Jieyu prescription and fluoxetine. Compared with the NC group， the model group showed elevated levels of CORT and ACTH in the plasma （P<0.01）， which， however， were lowered by Wenyang Jieyu prescription and fluoxetine （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the NC group， the model group showed inhibited expression of neurotransmitters in the hippocampus （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while Wenyang Jieyu prescription and fluoxetine restored the expression of neurotransmitters （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with NC group， the model group showed inhibition of the 5-HTergic nerve and abnormal activation of the HPA axis， and Wenyang Jieyu prescription and fluoxetine regulated the abnormal state of the 5-HTergic nerve and HPA axis. Compared with NC group， the modeling down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus （P<0.05， P<0.01）， which， however， were recovered in Wenyang， Jieyu， Wenyang Jieyu， and fluoxetine groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe mouse model of depression induced by MS+RS may present the syndrome of Yang deficiency and liver depression. Wenyang Jieyu prescription may increase the content of hippocampal neurotransmitters by regulating the 5-HT system and the BDNF signaling pathway mediated by the HPA axis， thereby alleviating depression-like behavior in mice.

Clinical Study of Modified Shenqi Pill （肾气丸） Plus Tongdu Tiaoshen Acupuncture （通督调神针刺） for Neurogenic Bladder After Spinal Cord Injury of Kidney-Yang Deficiency Syndrome / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of modified Shenqi Pill （肾气丸） plus Tongdu Tiaoshen Acupuncture （通督调神针刺） in the treatment of neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome. MethodsForty-six patients were randomly divided into 23 cases each in the control group and the treatment group. Both groups were given conventional treatment， i.e. oral methylcobalamin tablets （0.5 mg each time， 3 times a day） and paraplegic conventional acupuncture （once a day， 6 consecutive days a week）. The control group was given simple bladder function rehabilitation training on the basis of the conventional treatment； and the treatment group was given modified Shenqi Pill orally （1 dose a day， 150 ml each time， taken warmly in morning and evening） and Tongdu Tiaoshen Acupuncture （once a day， 6 consecutive days per week） in addition to what were given to the control group. The treatment course lasted for 4 weeks. The 24 h urination frequency， 24 h urine leakage frequency， 24 h single urine volume， bladder residual urine volume， international lower urinary tract symptom （LUTS） score， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score were compared between the two groups， and clinical effectiveness and TCM syndrome effectiveness were compared between the two groups after treatment. ResultsTwenty patients in each group were finally analyzed in this study. The number of 24 h urination， the number of 24 h urine leakage， bladder residual urine volume， LUTS score， and the TCM syndrome scores decreased after treatment in both groups， and the 24 h single urine volume increased （P＜0.01）； and much more improvement was found of each index in the treatment group than in the control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The total clinical effectiveness and TCM syndrome effectiveness in the treatment group was 85.00% （17/20） respectively， which were statistically significantly higher than 45.00% （the total clinical effectiveness， 9/20） and 60.00% （TCM syndrome effectiveness， 12/20） in the control group （P＜0.01）. ConclusionModified Shenqi Pill plus Tongdu Tiaoshen Acupuncture can signi-ficantly improve the clinical symptoms of neurogenic bladder patients after spinal cord injury of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome， having better effectiveness than simple bladder function rehabilitation training， and its mechanism may be related to the improvement of the injured nerve function innervating the bladder.

Ideas for Prevention and Treatment of Postoperative Recurrence and Metastasis of Gastric Cancer Based on the Theory of “Chuan-she”（传舍） and “Yang Deficiency and Toxic Knot” / 中医杂志

Based on the theory of “chuanshe”， this paper expounded the role of yang deficiency and toxic knot as the core pathogenesis in various aspects of gastric cancer recurrence and metastasis after surgery， and put forward the prevention and treatment ideas of recurrence and metastasis of gastric cancer by conjugating yang to curb the trend of “transmission （chuan）”， protecting the yang to prevent metastasis by settling its “residence （she）”， preventing immersion by warming the yang to block the way of “chuan-she”， and attacking and cutting to clear the pathogen of cancer and poison and eliminate the root of the disease. In the process of preventing and treating recurrence and metastasis after gastric cancer surgery， the three methods of conjugating yang， protecting yang and warming yang should be flexibly used based on the principle of treating yang； combined with attacking and removing cancer poison， differentiating syndromes and diseases ； meanwhile， the changes of cold and heat in the body should be identified in detail and treated by the syndromes， in order to provide reference for the clinical differentiation and treatment of recurrence and metastasis after gastric cancer accurately.

Identification of Kidney-Yang Deficiency Syndrome in Osteoporosis Patients Based on Rule Ensemble Method of Bagging Combining LASSO Regression / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the identification of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome of patients with osteoporosis（OP）， and to form the clinical syndrome identification rules of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）. MethodBasic information， etiology， clinical symptoms and other characteristics of 982 OP patients were included， and statistical tests were used to screen the variables associated with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome. Taking the decision tree as the base model， bootstrap aggregation algorithm（Bagging algorithm） was utilized to establish the classification model of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome in OP， generating numerous rules and removing redundancy. Combining least absolute shrinkage and selection operator（LASSO） regression to screen key rules and integrate them to construct an identification model， achieving the identification of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome in OP patients. ResultEighteen key identification rules were screened out， and of these， where 11 rules with regression coefficients>0 correlated positively with the kidney Yang deficiency syndrome， the rule with the highest coefficient was chilliness（present）&feverish sensation over the palm and sole（absent）. The other 7 rules with regression coefficients<0 correlated negatively with the syndrome， the rule with the lowest coefficient was reddish tongue（present）&diarrhea（absent）&deficiency of endowment（absent）. According to the regression coefficients of each key rule， variables with importance>0.2 were ranked as chilliness， reddish tongue， feverish sensation over the palm and sole， cold limbs， clear urine， diarrhea， deficiency of endowment， prolonged illness. The results of the partial dependence analysis of the identification model showed that compared to OP patients without chilliness， those with chilliness（present） had a 0.266 8 higher probability of being identified as having kidney Yang deficiency syndrome， indicating that this variable had the highest impact on identification of the syndrome. Similarly， compared to OP patients without reddish tongue， those with reddish tongue had a 0.141 9 lower probability of being identified as having kidney Yang deficiency syndrome， indicating that this variable had the highest impact on identifying non-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome. The accuracy， sensitivity， specificity and area under receiver operating characteristic curve（AUC） of the established kidney Yang deficiency syndrome identification model in the test set were 0.865 9， 0.853 7， 0.872 0 and 0.931 5， respectively. ConclusionA precise identification model of OP kidney Yang deficiency syndrome is conducted basing on the rule ensemble method of Bagging combining LASSO regression， and the screened key rules can explain the identification process of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome. In this research， according to the regression coefficients of rules， the importance and partial dependence of variables， combined with the thinking of TCM， the influence of patient characteristics on the identification of syndromes is described， so as to reveal the primary and secondary syndromes of identification and assist the clinical identification of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome.

Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex Combination Alleviates Slow Transit Constipation due to Yang Deficiency in Rats via Regulating VIP/cAMP/PKA/AQP Pathway in Colon / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex in regulating the intestinal function in the rat model of slow transit constipation （STC） due to yang deficiency via the vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）/cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide （cAMP）/protein kinase A （PKA）/aquaporin （AQP） pathway. MethodSD rats were randomized into 6 groups （n=6）， including a control group， a model group， high-， medium-， and low-dose Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex groups， and a prucalopride group. Other groups except the control group were treated with loperamide hydrochloride combined with ice water by gavage for the modeling of STC due to yang deficiency. The number of fecal pellets， time to the first black stool defecation， fecal water content， intestinal propulsion rate， and score of fecal properties were recorded in each group. At the end of the treatment， the colon was stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） to reveal the histopathological changes and Alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff （AB-PAS） to reveal the secretion of colonic mucus. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the level of VIP in the serum. The mRNA level of AQP in the colon was measured by polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to observe the expression of AQPs in the colon and kidney tissues. Western blot was performed to determine the protein levels of cAMP， PKA， and VIP in the colon tissue. ResultCompared with the control group, the model group had longer time to the first black stool defecation, reduced fecal pellets and water content, reduced Bristol Stool Form Scale score and intestinal propulsion rate, and constipation aggravated（P<0.01）. Moreover, increased the intestinal lesions, reduced the mucus secretion, reduce the serum VIP level, up-regulated the expression levels of AQP1 in the colon and kidney tissues, inhibited the expression of AQP3 and AQP9（P<0.01）., and down-regulated the protein levels of cAMP, PKA, and VIP in the colon tissue. Compared with the model group， the high-dose Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex group had shortened time to the first black stool defecation， increased fecal pellets and water content， increased Bristol Stool Form Scale score and intestinal propulsion rate， and alleviated constipation symptoms. Moreover， high-dose Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex reduced the intestinal lesions， increased the mucus secretion， elevated the serum VIP level（P<0.01）.， down-regulated the expression levels of AQP1 in the colon and kidney tissues， promoted the expression of AQP3 and AQP9（P<0.05，P<0.01）， and up-regulated the protein levels of cAMP， PKA， and VIP in the colon tissue. The medium- and low-dose groups had weaker effect than the high-dose group（P<0.01）. ConclusionHigh-dose Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Cinnamomi Cortex can improve the intestinal motility and balance the intestinal water and fluid metabolism by up-regulating the VIP/cAMP/PKA/AQP pathway， thereby mitigating the constipation symptoms in the rat model of slow transit constipation due to yang deficiency.

Clinical observation of Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Decoction combined with balanced acupuncture in the treatment of Migraine with Yang deficiency and cold coagulation / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Decoction combined with balanced acupuncture in the treatment of migraine with yang deficiency and cold congealing syndrome.Methods:Randomized controlled trial. Totally 91 cases of migraine with yang deficiency and cold congealing syndrome in our hospital from March 2021 to May 2022 were selected and divided into 45 cases in the Western medicine group and 46 cases in the integrated Chinese and Western medicine group according to random number table method. The Western medicine group took flunarizine hydrochloride capsules orally, and the integrated Chinese and Western medicine group combined ephedrine and aconiti asarum decoction + balanced acupuncture treatment on the basis of the Western medicine group. Both groups were treated for 1 month. Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome score was performed before and after treatment, the degree of headache was assessed by VAS scale, and the impact of headache on life was assessed by Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6); the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) were determined by radioimmunoassay. The adverse reactions during treatment were observed and recorded, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:The total effective rate was 82.22% (37/45) in the Western medicine group and 95.65% (44/46) in the integrated Chinese and Western medicine group, with statistical significance ( χ2=4.20, P=0.041). After treatment, the scores of headache, hair, urine and cold limbs in the integrated Chinese and Western medicine group were lower than those in the Western medicine group ( t values were 18.49, 22.29, 21.31, 27.49, P<0.01), and the scores of VAS and HIT-6 were lower than those in the Western medicine group ( t values were 23.20, 9.33, P<0.01). After treatment, the level of 5-HT in the integrated Chinese and Western medicine group [(98.34±6.23) μg/L vs. (85.23±4.21) μg/L, t=11.74] was higher than that of the Western medicine group ( P<0.01); CGRP [(11.24±1.99) ng/L vs. (15.22±2.52) ng/L, t=8.37] was lower than that of the Western medicine group ( P<0.01). During treatment, the incidence of adverse reactions was 2.22% (1/45) in the Western medicine group and 2.17% (1/46) in the integrated Chinese and Western medicine group, without statistical significance ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Decoction combined with balanced acupuncture can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and life quality of patients of migraine with yang deficiency and cold congealing, and the clinical efficacy can be promoted.

Metabonomics analysis on Terra Flavausta in treating diarrhea with spleen yang deficiency based on UPLC-Q-Exactive MS / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To study the effects of Terra Flavausta on diarrhea mice with spleen yang deficiency based on metabonomics. Methods:Totally 30 mice were divided into normal group, model group and Terra Flavausta group according to random number table method. Mice in the model group and Terra Flavausta group were treated by the method of "diet disorder + clearing fire with herbs bitter in flavour and cold in property" to establish the diarrhea model of spleen yang deficiency. After successful modeling, Terra Flavausta group received Zaoxintu Decoction 12.0 g/kg for gavage, while normal group and model group were given equal volume of distilled water for gavage, for consecutive 7 d. The serum metabolites of each mouse were analyzed and identified based on UPLC-Q-Exective-MS. The differential metabolites were characterized by principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, and the potential biomakers were screened, and the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed. Results:Totally 110 different metabolites were screened under the positive and negative ion mode. Terra Flavausta can effectively reverse the disorder of serum metabolism in diarrhea mice with spleen yang deficiency, and has a significant callback effect on 12 potential biomarkers related to diarrhea with spleen yang deficiency. KEGG pathway enrichment mainly involved HIF-1 signaling pathway, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, platelet activation, etc. Conclusion:Terra Flavausta may play the effect of warming spleen and relieving diarrhea through down-regulation of L-ascorbic acid affecting HIF-1 signal pathway, ascorbic acid and aldose metabolism pathway, vitamin digestion and absorption pathway, up-regulation of prostaglandins G2 and H2 affecting platelet activation pathway, and down-regulation of jasmonic acid α linolenic acid metabolic pathway.

Study on the objectivity and biological mechanism of Psoralea corylifolia Linn.'s 'Great dryness damages the liver' / 药学学报

According to the theory of 'Xingben Dazao' of Psoralea corylifolia Linn. (BL), the susceptible syndromes and biomarkers of liver injury caused by BL were searched. Rat models of kidney-yin deficiency syndrome (M_yin) and kidney-yang deficiency syndrome (M_yang) were established, and all animal experimental operations and welfare following the provisions of the First Affiliated Experimental Animal Ethics and Animal Welfare Committee of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. YFYDW2020017). The results showed that BL significantly decreased the body weight, water intake, and urine weight of M_yin rats and increase the organ indexes of the liver, testis, adrenal gland, and spleen and the expression of alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Meantime, BL significantly increased the urine weight of M_yang rats and decreased the expression of ALT and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed that BL could aggravate inflammatory infiltration of hepatocytes in rats with M_yin and alleviate liver injury in rats with M_yang. Metabolomics identified 17 BL co-regulated significant differential metabolic markers in M_yin and M_yang rats. Among them, 8 metabolites such as glutamine, quinolinate, biliverdin, and lactosylceramide showed opposite trends, mainly involving cysteine and methionine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, purine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, glycerol phospholipid metabolism, glutamine metabolism, and other pathways. M_yin/M_yang may be the susceptible constitution of BL for liver damage or protection, which may be related to the regulation of amino acid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism. The study can provide some experimental data support for the safe and accurate use of BL in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine.

Evolution Patterns of 256 Cases of Chronic Kidney Disease with Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome Based on Data Mining / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome in different stages and time evolution of chronic kidney disease （CKD） to explore the evolution patterns of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome in CKD. MethodThe evidence information of 256 patients with CKD was collected from October 2020 to September 2022 according to relevant standards， and the "Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome Evaluation Scale for Chronic Kidney Disease" was developed. With SPSS Statistics 20.0， SPSS Modeler 18.0， Gephi 0.9.2， and R 4.2.1， the syndrome information of CKD patients at various stages and the syndrome changes after one year were statistically analyzed using complex network analysis， association rule analysis， probability transition matrix analysis， and chi-square test， and the kidney Yang deficiency syndrome of patients at various stages was comprehensively evaluated. ResultIn the CKD population， the proportion of females with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome was higher than that of males （P<0.01）， and the proportion of people over 65 years old was higher than in people under 65 years old. The proportion of people with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome increased with the progression of kidney disease， and the proportion of Ⅳ-Ⅴ CKD patients with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome was higher than that of Ⅰ-Ⅱ CKD patients （P<0.01）. From Ⅰ CKD to Ⅴ CKD， the frequency of dull tongue continued to increase， and the frequency of enlarged tongue and tooth-marked tongue continued to increase after Ⅲ CKD. The frequency of thick coating and greasy coating ranked in the top 3 of frequency distribution in Ⅴ CKD. After Ⅲ CKD， the top 3 tongue characteristics were weak pulse， deep pulse， and thready pulse， all of which were characteristics of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome. Complex network analysis of the tongue and pulse showed that the core tongue and pulse characteristics of patients with end-stage CKD were tooth-marked tongue with white coating and deep and thready pulse. The results of symptom frequency analysis and complex network analysis showed that aversion to cold and preference for warmth， weakness of the knees， and cold extremities were the top 3 symptoms in Ⅰ-Ⅲ CKD patients with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome， and in Ⅳ-Ⅴ CKD， the manifestations of the syndrome of Yang deficiency and water diffusion， such as drowsiness and fatigue， edema， and frequent urination at night became characteristic symptoms. The scores of edema， pale complexion， soreness and weakness of the waist and knees， loose stools， and mental depression symptoms， as well as the total score of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome gradually increased with disease progression， with statistical differences between different stages of CKD （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The frequency analysis of disease-related syndrome elements showed that the frequencies of Yang deficiency syndrome， phlegm-dampness syndrome， blood stasis syndrome， and turbidity-toxin syndrome gradually increased with disease progression， and there were statistically significant differences in the distribution between different stages of CKD （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results of complex network analysis showed that Yang deficiency syndrome was the core syndrome element throughout all stages of CKD and was the main syndrome element type of CKD， while phlegm-dampness syndrome， blood stasis syndrome， and turbidity-toxin syndrome were gradually revealed in the middle and late stages of CKD. In the CKD population with kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome， the distribution of phlegm-dampness syndrome， blood stasis syndrome， and turbidity-toxin syndrome as concurrent syndromes in different CKD stages had statistically significant differences （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The association rule analysis showed that as the disease progressed， associations between the concurrent syndromes， such as phlegm-dampness syndrome， blood stasis syndrome， turbidity-toxin syndrome， and fluid retention syndrome， and kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome were gradually enhanced. The comparison of the changes in CKD with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome within one year showed that the disease location was centered on the kidney and transmitted between the spleen， stomach， heart， and liver. There is a 23.81% probability of kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome transforming into Qi deficiency syndromes （Qi deficiency in the spleen and kidney， Qi deficiency in the liver， and Qi deficiency in the heart）， 23.79% into Yin deficiency syndromes （Yin deficiency in the liver and kidney， Qi and Yin deficiency， and Yin deficiency in the liver and stomach）， and 9.52% into dampness syndromes （phlegm-dampness internal obstruction and wind-dampness obstruction）. In contrast， 20% of spleen and kidney Qi deficiency syndrome transformed into kidney Yang deficiency syndrome， and 33.33% of Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome transformed into kidney Yang deficiency syndrome. ConclusionAs Ⅰ CKD progresses to Ⅴ CKD， the severity of kidney Yang deficiency syndrome gradually increases， and the syndrome characteristics of kidney Yang deficiency become pronounced. Furthermore， the pathogenic factors， such as phlegm-dampness， blood stasis， and turbidity-toxin， gradually increase. With the change of time， kidney Yang deficiency syndrome in CKD tends to evolve into syndromes related to Qi deficiency， Yin deficiency， and dampness. The discovery of these rules provides a theoretical basis and reference guidance for the treatment of CKD based on syndrome differentiation.

Clinical Effect of Modified Jichuanjian on Senile Patients with Slow Transit Constipation of Spleen-kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome and Effect on Brain-gut Peptide / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of modified Jichuanjian on senile patients with slow transit constipation of spleen-kidney yang deficiency syndrome and the influence on brain-gut peptide. MethodA total of 150 senile patients with slow transit constipation were randomized into control group （75 cases） and observation group （75 cases） with the random number table method. The observation group was given modified Jichuanjian （oral， 1 dose/day， 4 weeks）， and the control group was treated with Biantong Capsules （oral， 3 capsules/time， twice/day， 4 weeks）. Data before and after treatment were recorded， including the score of major constipation symptoms， score of Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life （PAC-QOL）， TCM syndrome score， spontaneous complete bowel movements （SCBM）， colonic transit test， serum 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， 5-HT 4 receptor （5-HT4R）， somatostatin （SS）， and vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， and recurrence. ResultThe total effective rate of the observation group was 93.06% （67/72）， as compared with the 74.65% （53/71） in the control group （χ2=8.974 6， P<0.01）. After treatment， the scores of major constipation symptoms， scores of four dimensions of PAC-QOL， total score of PAC-QOL， and TCM syndrome score were lower than those before treatment in the two groups （P<0.01）， and lower in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.01）. The SCBM in the observation group were more than those in the control group at the 2nd， 3rd， 4th weeks after treatment （P<0.01）. The proportions of residual markers at 24， 48， 72 h after treatment were smaller than those before treatment in the two groups （P<0.01）， and smaller in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.01）. After treatment， the levels of serum 5-HT and 5-HT4R were higher （P<0.01） and the levels of serum SS and VIP were lower （P<0.01） than those before treatment in the two groups. In addition， the levels of serum 5-HT and 5-HT4R in the observation group were higher （P<0.01） and the levels of serum SS and VIP were lower （P<0.01） in the observation group than in the control group. The recurrence in the observation group was 29.85% （20/67） in comparison with the 58.49% （31/53） in the control group （χ2=9.932 4， P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Jichuanjian is effective for senile patients with slow transit constipation of spleen-kidney yang deficiency syndrome， which can alleviate clinical symptoms， improve quality of life， regulate the level of serum brain-gut peptide， improve the colonic transit function， increase SCBM， and reduce the recurrence.

Study on molecular mechanism of Jichuanjian improving Yang deficiency constipation based on Ca / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the effect of JiChuanjian(JCJ)on the Yang deficiency constipation based on Ca

Clinical Observation on Herb-partitioned Moxibustion on Navel Combined with Yishen Tongluo Prescription in Treatment of Infertility Induced by Idiopathic Asthenozoospermia with Kidney-Yang Deficiency and Collateral Obstruction Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of herb-partitioned moxibustion on the navel combined with Yishen Tongluo prescription in the treatment of infertility induced by idiopathic asthenozoospermia （iAZS） with kidney-Yang deficiency and collateral obstruction syndrome and its effect on sperm DNA damage and superoxide dismutase （SOD） in the seminal plasma. MethodsA total of 112 eligible patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into an observation group （56 cases） and a control group （56 cases）. The patients in the observation group were treated with herb-partitioned moxibustion on the navel combined with Yishen Tongluo prescription，while those in the control group received levocarnitine oral liquid. The primary observation indicators included spouse pregnancy rate，progressive motility （PR），and total sperm motility，and the secondary observation indicators included sperm DNA fragmentation index （DFI），SOD in the seminal plasma， and improvement of TCM syndromes. The treatment cycle was 12 weeks. Before and after treatment，the PR，total sperm motility，sperm DFI，SOD in the seminal plasma， and TCM syndrome scores were recorded. The patients were followed up for 12 weeks and the pregnancy status of spouses within 24 weeks （half a year） was recorded. The clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated. ResultThe pregnancy rate of spouses in the observation group was 15.69% （8/51）， higher than 3.85% （2/52） in the control group （χ2=4.118，P<0.05）. The total effective rate of the observation group was 88.24%（45/51）， superior to 69.23% （36/52）in the control group （Z=-3.402，P<0.01）. After treatment， PR， total sperm motility，sperm DFI， SOD in the seminal plasma， and TCM syndromes of the two groups were improved compared with those before treatment （P<0.05）， and the observation group was superior to the control group （P<0.05）. ConclusionHerb-partitioned moxibustion on the navel combined with Yishen Tongluo prescription in the treatment of iAZS-induced infertility patients with kidney-Yang deficiency and collateral obstruction syndrome can increase PR，total sperm motility， and SOD level in the seminal plasma， reduce sperm DFI，improve the TCM symptoms of patients， and improve the pregnancy rate of spouses. The mechanism may be attributed to the fact that this treatment can increase the SOD level in the seminal plasma of patients，enhance the body's antioxidant function，protect sperm from oxidative stress damage，and reduce sperm DFI.

Hunyuan moxibustion for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome of spleen and kidney yang deficiency: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the therapeutic effect between Hunyuan moxibustion and oral western medication on diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome（IBS-D）of spleen and kidney yang deficiency.@*METHODS@#Sixty patients with IBS-D of spleen and kidney yang deficiency were randomly divided into a Hunyuan moxibustion group and a western medication group, 30 cases each group. The Hunyuan moxibustion group was treated with Hunyuan moxibustion at Guanyuan（CV 4），40 min each time, once a day; in the western medication group，loperamide hydrochloride capsules (2 mg each time, 3 times a day) and bacillus licheniformis live capsules (0.5 g each time, 3 times a day) were given orally.Both groups were treated for 20 days. The scores of irritable bowel syndrome（IBS）symptom severity scale（IBS-SSS）, IBS quality of life scale (IBS-QOL) and TCM symptom grading quantitative were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment，each item scores and total scores of IBS-SSS in the two groups were lower than those before treatment（P<0.05）, and the total scores of IBS-QOL were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05)；each item score and total score of IBS-SSS in the Hunyuan moxibustion group were lower than those in the western medication group (P<0.05), and the total score of IBS-QOL in the Hunyuan moxibustion group was higher than that in the western medication group (P<0.05).After treatment, each item score and total score of TCM symptom grading quantitative in the Hunyuan moxibustion group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), the abdominal pain, diarrhea, lack of appetite scores and total score in the western medication group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05)；and the abdominal pain, soreness and weakness of waist and knees, fear to cold and cold limbs scores and total score in the Hunyuan moxibustion group were lower than those in the western medication group (P<0.05).The total effective rate was 90.0%（27/30）in the Hunyuan moxibustion group, which was higher than 73.3%（22/30）in the western medication group (P<0.05). No adverse reactions occurred in both groups during treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#Hunyuan moxibustion can effectively improve the symptom severity and quality of life in patients with IBS-D of spleen and kidney yang deficiency, especially in improving the symptoms of abdominal pain, soreness and weakness of waist and knees, fear to cold and cold limbs.Its therapeutic effect is superior to western medication.

Constructing a Syndrome Differentiation Model by Combining Latent Structure Analysis of Association Rules： An Example of Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome in Primary Osteoporosis / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo construct a quantitative differentiation model of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes by taking primary osteoporosis （POP） with kidney yang deficiency syndrome as an example， and to provide methodological reference for the standardization of syndrome differentiation. MethodsHigh-frequency clinical features of POP were screened by descriptive statistical analysis， and strong association features of POP were obtained by association rule algorithm. On this basis， a latent structure （latent tree） model was established through latent structure analysis， and the implicit and explicit variables （features） related to POP with kidney yang deficiency syndrome were comprehensively clustered， and the clustering results were interpreted by the indexes of mutual information and cumulative information coverage， to explore the primary and secondary symptoms， and to deduce the categories of POP with kidney yang deficiency syndrome based on the probability of the features appearing in the various latent categories. Based on the categories， the clinical feature scores and identification thresholds were calculated， and the syndrome differentiation model of POP with kidney yang deficiency was initially constructed by combining the comprehensive judgment rules. Finally， the results of TCM professionals' judgment were used as the gold standard to further evaluate the effectiveness of the model in assisting the syndrome differentiation. ResultsThe 32 features strongly associated with POP were obtained， and the Bayes information critedon score of the further constructed latent tree model was -15291.93. Based on the mutual information and the cumulative information coverage， the main symptoms of POP with kidney yang deficiency syndrome were bone weakness， fatigue， pale tongue， clear urine， frequent nocturnal urination， cold limbs， thin pulse， white coating， and secondary symptoms were weakness， loss of libido， loose stool， frequent urination， lumbar and knee weakness， and fear of cold. From the probability of the occurrence of each clinical feature in different latent categories of POP with kidney yang deficiency syndrome， the state was introduced as S0 category （none/mild kidney yang syndrome）/ S1 category （moderate kidney yang syndrome）/ S2 category （severe kidney yang syndrome）. Optimizing the preliminary rules of state identification and refining the state of S1 category， the results showed that among 970 patients with POP， there were 520 patients having no/mild kidney yang deficiency syndrome， 224 patients with moderate to mild kidney yang deficiency syndrome， 81 patients with moderate to severe kidney yang deficiency syndrome， and 145 patients with severe kidney yang deficiency syndrome. During the evaluation and validation process， the correct rate of the model assessment index was 0.8835， while the sensitivity was 0.7181， and the specificity was 0.9437. ConclusionCombined with the latent structure analysis of the association rule， the syndrome differentiation model for POP with kidney yang deficiency could be constructed， and the model shows a good quantitative identification effect， which can provide methodological supports for clinicians to improve the efficiency and accuracy of TCM diagnosis.

Effects of Wenyang jieyu decoction on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and neurotransmitters in kidney-yang deficiency depressed rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of Wenyang jieyu decoction on phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway and neurotransmitters in rats with kidney-yang deficiency depression. METHODS The SD rats were divided into blank group， model group， fluoxetine group （positive control of western medicine， 4.17 mg/kg）， Xiaoyao powder group （positive control of TCM， 1.88 g/kg） and Wenyang jieyu decoction low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （1.25， 2.50， 5.00 g/kg）， with 15 rats in each group. Except for blank group， the other groups were treated with corticosterone 20 mg/kg subcutaneously to induce kidney-yang deficiency depressed model， meanwhile the mice were given relevant medicine intragastrically， once a day， for 28 consecutive days. The general conditions of rats were observed. The sucrose preference rate and the static time of forced swimming were detected， and organ indexes of rats were calculated. The levels/contents of neurotransmitters in serum were detected， the expressions of PI3K/Akt pathway-related proteins in hippocampus were detected， and the number of dendritic spines was determined. RESULTS Compared with blank group， model group suffered from the symptoms such as hair loss， fear of cold， curling up； sucrose preference rate， indexes of adrenal gland， thymus gland and spleen，serum levels of cyclic adenosine phosphate （cAMP）， brain-derived neurotrophic factor and gamma-aminobutyric acid， the ratio of cAMP to cyclic guanosine monophosphate， the contents of norepinephrine， dopamine and 5-hydroxy-tryptamine， the expressions of PI3K， Akt， mammalian target of rapamycin， and the number of dendritic spines in the hippocampus were significantly decreased （P＜0.01）. The time of immobility， level of glutamic acid and protein expression of glycogen synthetase kinase-3β were prolonged and increased （P＜0.01）. Compared with model group， depression symptoms of rats in each administration group were improved， and the above indexes were mostly reversed （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Wenyang jieyu decoction can improve depression-like behavior and the deficiency of kidney-yang， regulate the secretion of neurotransmitters， and activate PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， thus playing a role in protecting hippocampal neurons.

Vascular Cognitive Impairment with Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome and DNA Methylation Essence / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the distribution of vascular cognitive impairment （VCI） with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome and explore the biological nature of VCI with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome from the perspective of DNA methylation under the combination of disease and syndrome， so as to provide an epigenetic target for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatment of this disease with this syndrome in the future. MethodCommunity residents in Beijing were screened out for cognitive impairment from September 2020 to November 2022 through the scale， and VCI patients were analyzed for the syndrome. VCI patients with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome and healthy people were enrolled in this study. Peripheral venous blood was collected and subjected to genome-wide DNA methylation detection by Illumina Human Methylation 850K BeadChip. Then， differentially methylated genes （DMGs） were screened out for bioinformatics analysis. ResultA total of 1 902 people were investigated in this study， and 201 of them had VCI， accounting for 10.57%， including 72.14% with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome. The methylation results showed that compared with the normal group， the VCI group had 386 differential methylation sites， and 136 DMGs were annotated. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes（KEGG） signaling pathway enrichment analysis showed that the DMGs between the two groups were mainly involved in mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR） signaling pathway， Estrogen signaling pathway， cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP） signaling pathway， etc. Protein-protein interaction （PPI） analysis showed that DMGs， such as epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR）， epidermal growth factor （EGF）， and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， played important roles in the network. ConclusionKidney Yang deficiency is the main syndrome in VCI patients. DMGs including EGFR， EGF， and STAT3 and the related pathways such as mTOR signaling pathway， Estrogen signaling pathway， and cAMP signaling pathway may play a vital role in the occurrence and development of VCI with kidney Yang deficiency syndrome.

Observation on clinical effect of fire needling for mild to moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia with kidney yang deficiency / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of fire needling on prostate symptoms, quality of life, average daily number of nightly urination, urine flow rate and prostat volume in patients with mild to moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) of kidney yang deficiency.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients with mild to moderate BPH of kidney yang deficiency were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 4 cases dropped off). The observation group was treated with fire needling at Guanyuan (CV 4), Shuidao (ST 28) and Qugu (CV 2) twice a week (2-3 d interval between each treatment), continuous treatment for 4 weeks. The control group received lifestyle advice and education, once a week for 4 weeks. In the two groups, the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), the quality of life (QoL) score and the average daily number of nightly urination were observed before treatment, after treatment and during the follow-up of the 4th week; the urinary maximum flow rate (Qmax), the average flow rate (Qave), and the prostate volume were assessed before and after treatment in the two groups. The safety was observed in the observation group.@*RESULTS@#After treatment and during follow-up, the IPSS scores, QoL scores, and the average daily number of nightly urination in the observation group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, there was no significant difference in Qmax, Qave and prostate volume between the two groups and within the each group (P>0.05). There were no fire needling-related adverse reactions, and no obvious abnormality was found in urine routine and coagulation function tests before and after treatment in the observation group.@*CONCLUSION@#Fire needling can improve lower urinary tract symptoms and quality of life, reduce frequency of nightly urination in patients with mild to moderate BPH of kidney yang deficiency, and has good safety.

Governor vessel moxibustion combined with western medication for mild to moderate depression with kidney-yang deficiency: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the therapeutic efficacy of governor vessel moxibustion combined with fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule, simple fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule and placebo moxibustion combined with fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule for mild to moderate depression with kidney-yang deficiency.@*METHODS@#A total of 126 patients with mild to moderate depression with kidney-yang deficiency were randomized into a governor vessel moxibustion group (42 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a western medication group (42 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a placebo moxibustion group (42 cases, 1 case dropped off). The western medication group was given fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule orally, 20 mg a time, once a day. On the basis of the treatment in the western medication group, governor vessel moxibustion was applied from Dazhui (GV 14) to Yaoshu (GV 2) in the governor vessel moxibustion group, once a week; placebo moxibustion was applied in the placebo moxibustion group, once a week. Treatment of 8 weeks was required in the 3 groups. Before and after treatment, the scores of Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17), Asberg's rating scale for side effects (SERS) and TCM clinical symptom were compared, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the scores of HAMD-17, SERS and TCM clinical symptom were decreased compared before treatment in the 3 groups (P<0.05), the decrease ranges of above scores in the governor vessel moxibustion group were larger than those in the western medication group and the placebo moxibustion group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 92.5% (37/40) in the governor vessel moxibustion group, which was higher than 75.6% (31/41) in the western medication group and 80.5% (33/41) in the placebo moxibustion group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Governor vessel moxibustion combined with fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule can improve the degree of depression and relieve the clinical symptoms in mild to moderate depression patients with kidney-yang deficiency, the efficacy is superior to simple fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule, and can reduce the fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule-induced adverse effect to a certain extent.