Integrative analysis of bone-formation associated genes and immune cell infiltration in osteoporosis, and the prediction of active ingredients in targeted traditional Chinese medicine

Objective To explore the differential expression and mechanisms of bone formation-related genes in osteoporosis(OP)leveraging bioinformatics and machine learning methodologies;and to predict the active ingredients of targeted traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)herbs.Methods The Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)and GeneCards databases were employed to conduct a comprehensive screening of genes and disease-associated loci pertinent to the pathogenesis of OP.The R package was utilized as the analytical tool for the identification of differentially expressed genes.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)logis-tic regression analysis and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination(SVM-RFE)algorithm were employed in defining the genetic signature specific to OP.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses for the selected pivotal genes were conducted.The cell-type identification by estimating rela-tive subsets of RNA transcripts(CIBERSORT)algorithm was leveraged to examine the infiltra-tion patterns of immune cells;with Spearman’s rank correlation analysis utilized to assess the relationship between the expression levels of the genes and the presence of immune cells.Coremine Medical Database was used to screen out potential TCM herbs for the treatment of OP.Comparative Toxicogenomics Database(CTD)was employed for forecasting the TCM ac-tive ingredients targeting the key genes.AutoDock Vina 1.2.2 and GROMACS 2020 softwares were employed to conclude analysis results;facilitating the exploration of binding affinity and conformational dynamics between the TCM active ingredients and their biological targets.Results Ten genes were identified by intersecting the results from the GEO and GeneCards databases.Through the application of LASSO regression and SVM-RFE algorithm;four piv-otal genes were selected:coat protein(CP);kallikrein 3(KLK3);polymeraseγ(POLG);and transient receptor potential vanilloid 4(TRPV4).GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analy-ses revealed that these trait genes were predominantly engaged in the regulation of defense response activation;maintenance of cellular metal ion balance;and the production of chemokine ligand 5.These genes were notably associated with signaling pathways such as ferroptosis;porphyrin metabolism;and base excision repair.Immune infiltration analysis showed that key genes were highly correlated with immune cells.Macrophage M0;M1;M2;and resting dendritic cell were significantly different between groups;and there were signifi-cant differences between different groups(P<0.05).The interaction counts of resveratrol;curcumin;and quercetin with KLK3 were 7;3;and 2;respectively.It shows that the interac-tions of resveratrol;curcumin;and quercetin with KLK3 were substantial.Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed the robust binding affinity of these bioactive compounds to the target genes.Conclusion Pivotal genes including CP;KLK3;POLG;and TRPV4;exhibited commendable significant prognostic value;and played a crucial role in the diagnostic assessment of OP.Resveratrol;curcumin;and quercetin;natural compounds found in TCM;showed promise in their potential to effectively modulate the bone-forming gene KLK3.This study provides a sci-entific basis for the interpretation of the pathogenesis of OP and the development of clinical drugs.

Mechanisms and Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine Regulating NF-κB in the Treatment of Acute Lung Injury/Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute lung injury(ALI)has multiple causes and can easily progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)if not properly treated.Nuclear factorκB(NF-κB)is a key pathway in the treatment of ALI/ARDS.By exploring the relevance of NF-κB and the pathogenesis of this disease,it was found that this disease was mainly associated with inflammation,dysfunction of the endothelial barrier,oxidative stress,impaired clearance of alveolar fluid,and coagulation disorders.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has the characteristics of multitargeting,multipathway effects,and high safety,which can directly or indirectly affect the treatment of ALI/ARDS.This article summarizes the mechanism and treatment strategies of TCM in recent years through intervention in the NF-κB-related signaling pathways for treating ALI/ARDS.It provides an overview from the perspectives of Chinese herbal monomers,TCM couplet medicines,TCM injections,Chinese herbal compounds,and Chinese herbal preparations,offering insights into the prevention and treatment of ALI/ARDS with TCM.

The causes of adverse reactions in traditional Chinese medicine

With the increasingly widespread application of traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice,the safety of traditional Chinese medicine has been given more attention.The occurrence of adverse drug reactions of traditional Chinese medicine will harm the health of patients,leading to a certain incidence rate and mortality rate,and serious adverse drug reactions of traditional Chinese medicine will lead to increased treatment costs of patients,bringing huge economic burden to patients and society[1-3].

Inhibition of hepatitis B virus via selective apoptosis modulation by Chinese patent medicine Liuweiwuling Tablet

BACKGROUND Liuweiwuling Tablet(LWWL)is a Chinese patent medicine approved for the treatment of chronic inflammation caused by hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection.Previous studies have indicated an anti-HBV effect of LWWL,specifically in terms of antigen inhibition,but the underlying mechanism remains unclear.AIM To investigate the potential mechanism of action of LWWL against HBV.METHODS In vitro experiments utilized three HBV-replicating and three non-HBV-replicating cell lines.The in vivo experiment involved a hydrodynamic injectionmediated mouse model with HBV replication.Transcriptomics and metabolomics were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms of action of LWWL.RESULTS In HepG2.1403F cells,LWWL(0.8 mg/mL)exhibited inhibitory effects on HBV DNA,hepatitis B surface antigen and pregenomic RNA(pgRNA)at rates of 51.36%,24.74%and 50.74%,respectively.The inhibition rates of LWWL(0.8mg/mL)on pgRNA/covalently closed circular DNA in HepG2.1403F,HepG2.2.15 and HepG2.A64 cells were 47.78%,39.51%and 46.74%,respectively.Integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics showed that the anti-HBV effect of LWWL was primarily linked to pathways related to apoptosis(PI3K-AKT,CASP8-CASP3 and P53 pathways).Apoptosis flow analysis revealed that the apoptosis rate in the LWWL-treated group was significantly higher than in the control group(CG)among HBV-replicating cell lines,including HepG2.2.15(2.92%±1.01%vs 6.68%±2.04%,P<0.05),HepG2.A64(4.89%±1.28%vs 8.52%±0.50%,P<0.05)and HepG2.1403F(3.76%±1.40%vs 7.57%±1.35%,P<0.05)(CG vs LWWL-treated group).However,there were no significant differences in apoptosis rates between the non-HBV-replicating HepG2 cells(5.04%±0.74%vs 5.51%±1.57%,P>0.05),L02 cells(5.49%±0.80%vs 5.48%±1.01%,P>0.05)and LX2 cells(6.29%±1.54%vs 6.29%±0.88%,P>0.05).TUNEL staining revealed a significantly higher apoptosis rate in the LWWL-treated group than in the CG in the HBVreplicating mouse model,while no noticeable difference in apoptosis rates between the two groups was observed in the non-HBV-replicating mouse model.CONCLUSION Preliminary results suggest that LWWL exerts a potent inhibitory effect on wild-type and drug-resistant HBV,potentially involving selective regulation of apoptosis.These findings offer novel insights into the anti-HBV activities of LWWL and present a novel mechanism for the development of anti-HBV medications.

Kuicolong-yu enema decoction retains traditional Chinese medicine enema attenuates inflammatory response ulcerative colitis through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND Ulcer colitis(UC)is a chronic,nonspecific,and noninfectious inflammatory bowel disease.Recently,Toll-like receptors(TLRs)have been found to be closely associated with clinical inflammatory diseases.Achieving complete remission in patients with intermittent periods of activity followed by dormancy is challenging.Moreover,no study has explored the mechanism by which Kuicolong-yu enema decoction retains traditional Chinese medicine enemas to attenuate the inflammatory response in UC.AIM To explore the mechanism by which Kuicolong-yu enema decoction retains traditional Chinese medicine enemas to attenuate the inflammatory response in UC.METHODS This prospective clinical study included patients who met the exclusion criteria in 2020 and 2021.The patients with UC were divided into two groups(control and experimental).The peripheral blood of the experimental and control groups were collected under aseptic conditions.The expression of TLR4 protein,NF-κB,IL-6,and IL-17 was detected in the peripheral blood of patients in the experimental group and control group before and 1 month after taking the drug.Linear co rrelation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the expression level of TLR4 protein and the expression levels of downstream signal NF-κB and inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-17,and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS There were no significant differences in the patient characteristics between the control and experimental groups.The results showed that the expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The TLR4 protein expression in the experimental group was positively correlated with the expression level of downstream signal NF-κB and was positively correlated with the levels of downstream inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-17(r=0.823,P<0.05).CONCLUSION Kuicolong-yu enema decoction retains traditional Chinese medicine enema attenuates the inflammatory response of UC through the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Traditional Chinese medicine: empowering tuberculosis prevention and control

Dear Editor,Tuberculosis(TB)is an airborne chronic infectious disease,posing long-lasting challenges and causing extensive health crises and deaths to humanity throughout history,despite existing prevention and treatment methods.The latest TB statistics report released by the World Health Organization in 2023 pointed out that,in 2022,the world recorded approximately 10.6 million new confirmed cases of TB.Among them,China accounted for about 748,000,around 7.1%of the total[1].

Study progress in therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine monomer in severe acute pancreatitis

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a common acute abdomen clinical problem characterized by high mortality, mul-tiple complications, complicated pathogenesis and difficult treatment. Recent studies found traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) monomers have markedly good effect for treating SAP. Many TCM monomers can inhibit pancreatin, resist inflammation, im-prove microcirculation and immunoloregulation, etc. to block the pathological progress of SAP in multiple ways, reduce com-plications and lower mortality with rapid effects. It is significant for enhancing SAP treatment to deeply understand the current situation in TCM monomers for treating SAP and take precious references therein. This article summarizes the treating effects and mechanisms of TCM monomers for SAP in recent years.

Traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019:a review

prevalence.A number of clinical workers and researchers have made great efforts to understand the pathogenesis and clinical characteristics and develop effective drugs for treatment.However,no effective drugs with antiviral effects on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 have been discovered currently.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has gained abundant experience in the treatment of infectious diseases for thousands of years.In this review,the authors summarized the clinical outcome,pathogensis and current application of TCM on coronavirus disease 2019.Further,we discussed the potential mechanisms and the future research directions of TCM against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

The advances of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of liver diseases in 2019

Background:Currently,the treatment of liver diseases remains an unsolved problem due to its complicated etiology and pathogenesis.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been used for liver disease treatment for thousands of years.Disease treatment using TCM compounds conforms to the concept of“holism”,which coincides with the complicated pathogenic mechanisms of liver diseases.However,the mechanisms have not been clearly explained due to the complex components and multi-targets,which is a big obstacle TCM’s popularity and application.In recent years,studying the mechanisms and identifying the novel ingredients in herbal medicines are becoming a hot spot for many researchers.Therefore,we obtained literature in PubMed and summarized the progress of TCM’s active ingredients and formulas in treating various liver diseases in 2019.Based on the literature,flavonoids,polysaccharides,saponins,and alkaloids,as well as Chinese medicine formulas,such as Ba-Bao pill and Yin-Chen-Hao decoction,have attracted much attention.In addition,we also focused on the application of new omics analysis techniques,such as metabolomics,network pharmacology,and other omics analyses in the study of TCM formulas.

Antitumor applications of nano-traditional Chinese medicine

An article by Deng et al.[1] that was first published in ACS Nano in 2019 revealed that nanoparticles extracted from cuttlefish ink (CINPs) could inhibit tumor growth by synergizing immunotherapy and photothermal therapy.

Potential Treatment of COVID-19 with Traditional Chinese Medicine: What Herbs Can Help Win the Battle with SARS-CoV-2?

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been successfully applied worldwide in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).However,the pharmacological mechanisms underlying this success remain unclear.Hence,the aim of this review is to combine pharmacological assays based on the theory of TCM in order to elucidate the potential signaling pathways,targets,active compounds,and formulas of herbs that are involved in the TCM treatment of COVID-19,which exhibits combatting viral infections,immune regulation,and amelioration of lung injury and fibrosis.Extensive reports on target screening are elucidated using virtual prediction via docking analysis or network pharmacology based on existing data.The results of these reports indicate that an intricate regulatory mechanism is involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19.Therefore,more pharmacological research on the natural herbs used in TCM should be conducted in order to determine the association between TCM and COVID-19 and account for the observed therapeutic effects of TCM against COVID-19.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION AND TREATMENT OF HYPERKINESIA IN CHILDREN BY TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

Sixty-six children with hyperkinesia were treated with the Yizhi (wit-increasing) syrup, af-ter which their scores on behavior dropped, their school records improved, and the rate of appearance of soft neurotic signs lowered, all three changes being significant, giving a total effectiveness rate of 84.8%. After the treatment, examination of the 24-hour urine showed significant increases in its content of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), 3-4 dihydroxy phenylacetic acid (DOPAC), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and creatinine (Cr).

Pharmacological intervention of traditional Chinese medicine for the quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer： a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective： The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of various traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）approaches on the quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods： In this study, we systematically performedthe screening of randomized controlled trials from Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Embase, Medline, and Web of Science.The data were extracted by two reviewers independently, and then risk assessment was performed. All the analyses wereconducted using Review Manager 5.3. Results： A total of 18 eligible studies containing 1312 patients were included.Experimental group were treated with TCM combined with Western medicine or TCM alone （N = 688） and controlgroup were treated with Western medicine treatment alone （N = 624）. The results showed that the recent clinicalefficiency between the two groups was not statistically significant （P = 0.06）. KPS scores of the experimental group werehigher than those in the control group [P 〈 0.001, WMD = 9.60, 95%CI = （5.62, 13.57）]. The toxicity comparisonshowed that the occurrence of toxicities, such as leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, andneurotoxicity in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group [P 〈 0.001, OR = 0.31, 95%CI = （0.19,0.50）], [P = 0.003, OR = 0.49, 95%CI = （0.31, 0.78）], [P 〈 0.001, OR = 0.30, 95%CI = （0.16, 0.54）], [P 〈 0.001, OR =0.40, 95%CI = （0.27, 0.58）], and [P 〈 0.001, OR = 0.43, 95%CI = （0.30, 0.61）]. The immunological test comparisondemonstrated that the immunological parameters （CD3, CD4, and CD4/CD8） showed higher values in the experimentalgroup than those in the control group [P 〈 0.001, MD = 5.55, 95%CI = （4.83, 6.28）], [P 〈 0.0001, MD = 6.75, 95%CI =（5.25, 8.26）], and [P = 0.001, MD = 0.26, 95%CI = （0.10, 0.41）]. Conclusions： TCM did not show significant recentclinical efficiency. However, treatment with TCM showed increase in KPS scores in patients with colorectal cancer,alleviation of toxicity associated with chemotherapy, regulation of autoimmunity, and improvement in the quality of lifeof patients.

Analysis on the medication rules and mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicine in treating cervical cancer

Objective: To summarize the rule of application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer, and to explore the molecular mechanism of the compatibility of core herbs. Methods: Collect relevant literatures on cervical cancer in Chinese National Knowledgey Ifrastructure (CNKI), use TCM inheritance platform system (TCMISSV2.5) for association rules and complex system entropy clustering analysis;use BATMAN-TCM online analysis tools to construct target-pathway-disease network to reveal the underlying mechanisms of action. Results: Among the 78 prescriptions selected, a total of 172 Chinese medicines were used, and the five most frequently used herbs were Huang-bo (Phellodendri Chinrnsis Cortex), Fu-ling (Poria Cocos), Huang-qi (Hedysarum Multijugum Maxim.), Bai-hua-she-she-cao (Hedyotis Diffusae Herba) and Gan-cao (Licorice). Bai-hua-she-she-cao (Hedyotis Diffusae Herba) and Huang-qi (Hedysarum Multijugum Maxim.), Bai-hua-she-she-cao (Hedyotis Diffusae Herba) and Fu-ling (Poria Cocos), Bai-zhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Koidz.) and Fu-ling (Poria Cocos) are the three most commonly used medicine match. In addition, through cluster analysis, a total of 4 core herbs compatibility and 2 new prescriptions were excavated. Herbs in the new prescriptions which are used to clearing heat-toxin and removing dampness were most frequently used. Through the analysis of the signal pathway of high frequency Chinese medicines, we found that neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway may play important roles. Conclusion: The core Chinese medicines for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer are mainly clearing heat-toxin and removing dampness. The core Chinese medicines may play their anti-cervical cancer by interfering with the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction signaling pathway.

Effects of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine on Immune Organ Indexes and Macrophages Phagocytic Indexes in Chickens Infected by Infectious Bronchitis Virus

[ Objective] To study the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions on infectious bronchitis （IB） and find a novel avenue for prevention and treatment of viral diseases in poultry. [Method] A total of 160 cockerels at the age of 15 d were divided into four groups randomly, including traditional Chinese medicine group, moroxydine control group, challenge control group and healthy control group. Except the healthy control group, other groups were challenged with infectious bronchitis virus （IBV） on Day 15. After 48 h post challenge, the traditional Chinese medicine groupand moroxydine control group were respectively administrated with Chinese herbal medicine prescription and moroxydine, continuously for 5 d. The immune organ indexes and macrephage phagocytic indexes were detected on Day 18, 24 and 30, respectively. [ Result] The immune organ indexes and macrophage phagocytic indexes were not significantly different between traditional Chinese medicine group and moroxydine control group on Day 18. But all the indexes of the traditional Chinese medicine groups were increased significantly （ P 〈 0.05） on Day 24 and 30, and showed extremely significant difference （ P 〈 0.01 ） with those of challenge control group on Day 30. [ Conclusion] The traditional Chinese herbal medicine can enhance macrophage phagocytic indexes and immune organs indexes of chickens infected by IBV.

Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine nursing techniques for the management of postoperative complications in mixed hemorrhoids

Mixed hemorrhoids,especially ring-shaped mixed hemorrhoid,is still a headache for anorectal surgeons due to its post-operative complications.In recent years,clinicians have been studying and exploring to avoid and alleviate these complications.In the Chinese medicine industry,the application of traditional Chinese medicine nursing technology has good and unique effect in prevent local pain,perianal edema,promote wound healing,relieve urinary retention,improve constipation,relieve anxiety,and so on.This article summarized the evidences of investigated the role of traditional Chinese medicine nursing technique in preventing and treating mixed hemorrhoid so that practitioners can make decision based on the best available evidences.

The global registry of COVID-19 clinical trials: indicating the design of traditional Chinese medicine clinical trials

Objective:To analyze the registration information of Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19)related clinical trials from all the clinical trial registry accepted by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors(ICMJE).Methods:All the database of ICMJE-accepted clinical trial registry platform were searched for COVID-19 related clinical trials that registered from December 8,2019 to February 19,2020.Results:All the database totally contained data of 209 COVID-19 related clinical trials,including 66(31.6%)traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)related studies and 143(68.4%)non-TCM related studies.176(84.2%)clinical trials were registered in ChiCTR,as 33(15.8%)were registered in ClinicalTrials.gov.There were 152(72.7%)intervention trials,including 9(4.3%in total)preventive trials,136(65.1%in total)therapeutic trials and 7(3.3%in total)convalescent trials.Conclusion:At the present stage,clinical studies are still aiming at exploring the effective treatment of COVID-19,and the existing treatments need more high-quality clinical evidence supporting.Traditional Chinese medicine may have played an important role in all stages of the epidemic preventing and control,and the enthusiasm of carrying out scientific research has also been greatly improved.The relevant policies of clinical trial registration should be popularized among researchers,including traditional Chinese medicine researchers.And the methodological quality of clinical trials’design urges improving.

Progress in diagnosis and treatment of small cell lung cancer with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine

Lung cancer is one of the most common major diseases that seriously threaten human health,lung cancer includes small cell lung cancer(SCLC)and non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Although patients with SCLC account for about 20%of the total number of patients with lung cancer,the mortality rate is much higher than that of patients with NSCLC.Integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine has obvious advantages in the treatment of patients with SCLC.According to the relevant literature reports on the treatment of SCLC in recent years,this article will summarize the research progress of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine in the treatmentof SCLC from the aspects of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)combined with surgery,chemotherapy,radiotherapy,and molecular targeted therapy.

Metabolomics and its application in the evaluation of toxicity of traditional Chinese medicine

Metabolomics is a newly developed discipline following genomics,transcriptomics,and proteomics.It is based on the theory of systems biology,supported by modern spectroscopy analysis technology and is analyzed by the external stimulation of organisms.By analyzing the overall changes of metabolites with low molecular weight in organism after being stimulated by the outside world,we can understand the physiological and pathological state of organism,and finally clarify the essence of biological changes of organism.In recent years,metabolomics has developed rapidly.It has been widely used in early toxicity screening of lead compounds,preclinical toxicity of drugs and toxicity evaluation of clinical drugs.The in-depth interpretation of metabolomics results is also developing.This article reviewed the progress of metabolomics technology and its application in the study of toxicity evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine.

ADVANCES IN TREATMENT OF EPILEPSY WITH TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

Several years ago,the author had madea summary1.2 in the treatment of epilepsywith traditional Chinese medicine.Here is abrief account about the situation in thetreatment of this disease by Chinese medi-cine for the period from the year of 1987 to1992.