Chinese Medicine最新文献

Background: Olibanum (RF), a traditional Chinese medicinal resin, shows efficacy in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Its vinegar-processed form (PF) is clinically recognized for enhanced therapeutic effects, with prior mechanistic studies focusing on lipophilic components like boswellic acids. Yet, the regulatory mechanisms of PF's aqueous extracts remain unclear.

Methods: The aqueous extracts of RF and PF were characterized and compared through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle analysis, and protein profiling. The accumulation of these fractions in feces was confirmed using DiR dye labeling. A mouse CRC model was employed to evaluate and compare the therapeutic effects of RF and PF. The composition of butyric acid-producing microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomics. Butyric acid levels were quantified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TQ-MS). Macrophage phenotypes were assessed via flow cytometry, while mRNA and protein expression levels were determined through RT-qPCR and western blot analysis.

Results: PF aqueous extracts exhibited distinct morphology, particle size, and protein content and had a superior therapeutic effect in alleviating CRC compared to RF. Further analysis confirmed that both RF and PF accumulated in feces and modulated the butyric acid metabolism of gut microbiota. The increased levels of butyric acid contributed to CRC alleviation by promoting the polarization of M1 tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and suppressing the pyroptosis of M1 TAMs.

Conclusion: The study confirmed that vinegar-processed frankincense enhances its therapeutic effect on CRC by modulating M1 tumor-associated macrophages, which may provide efficient treatment of CRC from the perspective of host-gut metabolic interactions.

Background: Chronic insomnia disorder (CID) is characterized by dysregulation in brain function and is closely associated with neuroinflammation. Although acupuncture has been shown to improve insomnia symptoms, its underlying mechanisms, particularly at both the macro brain connectivity and corresponding molecular levels, remain unclear METHODS: Forty-eight CID patients were randomly assigned to either an acupuncture group or a waitlist group. Clinical data and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected before and after the intervention. Changes in brain connectivity were analyzed using fMRI to assess global brain connectivity (GBC) in each group. Gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas were utilized to identify important genes contributing to these acupuncture-induced GBC changes. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed to annotate the molecular biological processes involved.

Results: In the acupuncture group, fMRI analysis revealed decreased regional GBC in key regions, such as the pallidum and prefrontal cortex, correlating with symptom relief. In contrast, the waitlist group showed increased regional GBC without symptom relief. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that specific genes associated with astrocytes and neuroinflammation-related biological processes were linked to the acupuncture-induced changes in GBC. The neuroinflammation-informed GBC-transcriptomic signatures induced by acupuncture were further validated by their significant correlation with reductions in IL-6 levels as insomnia symptoms improved.

Conclusion: Acupuncture may remodel brain functional connectivity by regulating neuroinflammation-related pathways, thereby improving insomnia symptoms.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views body constitution as a foundational determinant of health and disease risk. Understanding the distribution of body constitutions across the population can help in developing personalized strategies to prevent disease, but few studies have examined composite constitutions or unbalanced tendencies.

Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of singular and composite (multiple) TCM body constitutions and tendencies in a sample of adult residents of Hangzhou, China. We used the 2016 version of the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ, 54 items) to classify participants into nine body constitutions and tendencies toward those body constitutions and examined variations in those distributions by demographics and selected lifestyle factors.

Results: Among 8,665 participants aged 18-80 years, 74.2% had one or more body constitutions, and 25.8% had unbalanced tendencies only. The Balanced constitution was the most common (22.3%). Of the eight unbalanced constitutions, Qi Deficiency (16.4%), Phlegm Dampness (11.0%), and Yang Deficiency (9.4%) were most prevalent. Over half of the individuals with an unbalanced constitution also had other constitutions (composite). The most frequent composite combinations included Qi Stagnation with Qi Deficiency, Blood Stasis and Qi Deficiency, and Damp Heat with Phlegm Dampness. Body constitution distribution varied significantly by age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Younger adults (18-39 years) were less likely to have the Balanced constitution (13.1%) and more likely to have composite unbalanced constitutions. Men were more likely to have Phlegm Dampness or Damp Heat, while women were more likely to have Yang Deficiency or Yin Deficiency. After adjusting for age and sex, individuals with obesity had a higher prevalence of Phlegm Dampness and a lower prevalence of the Balanced, Yang Deficiency, or Yin Deficiency constitutions.

Conclusions: Our results provide a comprehensive profile of the patterns and distribution of TCM body constitutions across demographic and lifestyle subgroups. This more complete understanding of TCM body constitutions can inform personalized medicine, support individual risk assessment, and help improve health outcomes.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated exceptional generalization capabilities across various fields, including their application in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, the performance of existing LLMs in TCM-specific tasks remains limited due to the lack of optimization for TCM knowledge during the pre-training phase, insufficient datasets, and the constraints of fine-tuning techniques. To address these challenges, this study constructs the XhTCM dataset by systematically integrating data from three authoritative sources-ShenNong_TCM_Dataset, TCMBank, and TCMIP v2.0. The dataset includes 100,000 structured entries, covering classical theories, prescription formulations, herbal pharmacology, and modern clinical practices. Based on this, we present XuanHuGPT, a domain-specific LLM tailored for TCM question answering and inference. By applying Parameter-Efficient Fine-Tuning (PEFT) techniques, we effectively balance model performance and training costs. Furthermore, we establish a comprehensive evaluation framework for TCM LLMs, combining quantitative metrics (BLEU, ROUGE, METEOR, BERTScore, and Embedding Distance) with expert qualitative assessments. Experimental results show that XuanHuGPT significantly outperforms both general-purpose LLMs and some existing TCM-specific models in accuracy, coverage, fluency, consistency, sensitivity, and safety. This study presents a reproducible paradigm for building intelligent TCM Q&A systems, contributing to the digital transformation, intelligent development, and global dissemination of TCM knowledge.

Background: Vascular dementia (VD), primarily caused by cerebral hypoperfusion, is a major dementia subtype. Our previous studies demonstrated that acupuncture improves clinical outcomes in VD patients and modulates their peripheral immune responses. Nevertheless, the mechanistic interplay between acupuncture-mediated peripheral immunomodulation and cognitive enhancement remains to be elucidated.

Methods: The cognitive abilities of rats were assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM), novel place recognition (NPR), and novel object recognition (NOR) tests. Neuronal injury and apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and TUNEL assay. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect microglial activation markers (Iba-1 and CD68). Cytokine levels-including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-2, IL-17A, IL-4, IL-10, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and IL-35-in hippocampal tissues and peripheral blood were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blotting was employed to analyze the expression of cleaved-caspase 3, caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax in rat hippocampal tissues. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the proportion, proliferation, and apoptosis of CD3⁺ T cells, CD4⁺ T cells, and CD8⁺ T cells in peripheral blood.

Results: Acupuncture ameliorated cognitive impairment in VD rats, reduced hippocampal neuronal damage and apoptosis, downregulated pro-apoptotic proteins (cleaved-caspase 3 and Bax), and upregulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Furthermore, it suppressed microglial activation markers (Iba-1 and CD68), decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-17A), and elevated anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β, IL-35) in the brain. Simultaneously, acupuncture modulated peripheral inflammatory cytokine profiles, increased CD3⁺ T cell and CD4⁺ T cell proportions, and reduced T-cell apoptosis in peripheral blood of VD rats.

Conclusions: Acupuncture improved cognitive impairment in VD rats and suppressed neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis; these benefits may be mediated, at least partially, through modulation of peripheral immunity.

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) exerts multiple pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and immune regulation, etc. However, its clinical efficacy and safety depend not only on the synergy of active substances but also on the precise control of potential toxic constituents. Therefore, a clear understanding of the in vivo behavior of TCM is essential. Bioavailability, as a key indicator for evaluating the clinical efficacy and safety of TCM, are increasingly recognized as interdependent. The ultimate goal of quality control is reflected in the bioavailability observed in clinical practice, making it a critical link for ensuring consistency and safety of TCM. This review summarizes recent progress on the mechanisms and roles of bioavailability in TCM quality control, and highlights that overcoming current bottlenecks requires cross-disciplinary integration. Guided by TCM theory and a holistic perspective, quality control should focus on biological effects rather than fragmented component analysis, and shift toward systematic and integrative approaches. Adhering to these principles is fundamental for improving bioavailability, enhancing clinical potential, and ensuring the safe use of TCM.

Background: Chlorhexidine is widely used as a chemical antibacterial mouthwash, but its potential side effects have spurred interest in safer natural alternatives.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the anticariogenic efficacy and inhibitory effects of a functional mouthwash containing Clematis chinensis Osbeck (C. chinensis Osbeck) extract in a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Study design and methods: In this randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial conducted at Busan M Dental Clinic, 69 participants were randomly assigned to three groups: saline gargle (n = 23), chlorhexidine gargle (n = 23), and C. chinensis Osbeck extract gargle (n = 23). Participants used 15 mL of the assigned mouthwash four times daily for 2 weeks. The oral environment was standardized with professional scaling and a 1-week recovery period before the intervention. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the O'Leary index and the Cariview™ test kit (AIOBIO Co. Ltd., Seoul, South Korea) at baseline, 1 week, and 2 weeks, respectively, to evaluate dental plaque acidogenicity and user satisfaction. Saliva tests (including cariogenic bacterial counts, acidogenicity, and buffering capacity) were performed using the SillHa Oral Wellness System (ARKRAY Inc., Kyoto, Japan). Subgingival plaque samples were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis to detect cariogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutans [S. mutans] and Gram-positive cariogenic bacteria [GS group], comprising S. mitis, S. sobrinus, and Lactobacillus casei). Statistical analyses were performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's post hoc test, with significance set at P < 0.05.

Results: The C. chinensis Osbeck extract gargle group showed reductions in the O'Leary index score and cariogenic activity, alongside a progressive increase in user satisfaction. Saliva analysis revealed significant decreases in caries-causing bacterial numbers and acid production and improved buffering capacity, enhancing salivary defense. Only the C. chinensis Osbeck extract gargle group showed a significant reduction in S. mutans and the GS group. Compared with the saline and chlorhexidine groups, this group demonstrated a continuous decrease in caries risk over the 2 weeks.

Conclusion: C. chinensis Osbeck extract significantly improved clinical parameters related to dental caries, suggesting its potential as a safe and effective natural alternative to chemical antibacterial agents for caries prevention and oral health maintenance.

Trials registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, KCT0008539. Registered on June 21, 2023, https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/23816 ).

Background: Our previous study demonstrated that neuronal G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK2) upregulation alleviated chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in mice, which was characterized by numbness and pain in distal hind limbs. The neuronal GRK2 was identified as a mediator of electroacupuncture (EA) effects on CIPN. Given that spinal insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), a known inducer of GRK2 in the peripheral neurons, decreases after oxaliplatin treatment in mice, this study is designed to investigate whether spinal IGF1 contributes to EA-mediated prevention of cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy via neuronal IGF1 receptor (IGF1R).

Methods: A total of 133 male C57BL/6 J mice were included in this study and randomly assigned to different experimental groups. The level of Igf1 mRNA was detected by Real-time PCR, the p-IGF1R protein level by Western blot, after EA treatment in cisplatin-treated mice. The cellular distribution of p-IGF1R in the spinal dorsal horn was observed by immunofluorescent staining. To study the role of neuronal IGF1R in EA preventing cisplatin-induced mechanical allodynia, sensory deficit, and microglia activation and neuroinflammation in the spinal cord of mice, the neuronal IGF1R was downregulated by intraspinal injection of an AAV vector delivering IGF1R shRNA with hSyn promotor (AAV-shIGF1R). Finally, the regulatory effect of EA on spinal GRK2 was assessed by Western blot in AAV-shIGF1R mice.

Results: Cisplatin treatment induced mechanical allodynia, sensory deficit, and a decrease of p-IGF1R in the spinal dorsal horn of mice. Immunofluorescence showed that p-IGF1R was localized within neurons (~ 82%), a small mount of microglia (~ 12%) and astrocytes (~ 4%). Cisplatin decreased NeuN⁺p-IGF1R⁺ neurons in the spinal dorsal horn. EA treatment significantly alleviated cisplatin-induced mechanical allodynia, sensory deficit, and significantly increased the Igf1 mRNA and p-IGF1R level in the spinal cord. Neuronal IGF1R downregulation in the spinal dorsal horn significantly attenuated the preventive effect of EA on cisplatin-induced mechanical allodynia, sensory deficit, and spinal microglial activation and neuroinflammation in mice. Furthermore, neuronal IGF1R downregulation decreased the spinal GRK2 in cisplatin-treated mice after EA treatment. These findings suggest EA significantly alleviated CIPN symptoms by enhancing IGF1/IGF1R signaling and reducing microglial activation and neuroinflammation.

Conclusion: Spinal dorsal horn IGF1 contributes to the preventive effect of EA treatment against cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy through neuronal IGF1R signaling in mice. The enhanced neuronal IGF1/IGF1R signaling in the spinal cord presents a potential strategy for CIPN prevention.

Objective: This study aims to establish a specialized molecular method for distinguishing different licorice and quantifying target species accurately from mixtures.

Methods: A rapid specific loci screening (SLS) algorithm was developed in this study, and used the chloroplast genome sequences were used to screen for variable loci in the Glycyrrhiza glabra (GG), G. uralensis (GU), and G. inflata (GI). Each locus has been validated by polymerase chain reaction and pyrosequencing. The selected loci were analyzed by Herb molecular quantification (Herb-Q) assay to complete the quantitative methodology verification and establish a quantitative detection system for homemade licorice mixtures and one of the patent medicines-Liuyi San.

Results: Outstanding performance was observed in quantitative validation, which evaluated linearity (0.9989), limit of detection (2%) and quantification (2%), and repeatability; additionally, a quantitative detection system was established for homemade licorice mixtures and Liuyi San (one of the patent medicines), with the lowest bias being 3.48%. When both GG and GU were present in the mixed powder, the average biases for GG and GU quantification were 8.25% and 8.01%, respectively. When only GG was present in Liuyi San, the bias was 6.43%; when both GG and GU were present, the biases for GG and GU were 5.61% and 3.48%, respectively.

Conclusion: This study successfully established an accurate detection system for quantifying the botanical origin of edible-medicinal licorice, which represents a significant milestone in enhancing the safety, efficacy, and quality control in licorice products.

The characteristics of the tongue surface and sublingual vein patterns provide valuable insights into an individual's health status and have long served as the cornerstone of traditional tongue diagnosis. As a non-invasive digital biomarker, tongue imaging has recently gained attention as a promising modality for capturing internal physiological and pathological variations, with the potential to support remote healthcare delivery and continuous health monitoring. Nevertheless, conventional practice remains highly dependent on subjective clinical judgment, which often introduces variability in diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic decision-making. To mitigate these limitations, computerized tongue image analysis (CTIA) has been developed to enhance objectivity, reproducibility, and consistency. This review proposes a structured taxonomy of CTIA, encompassing the essential stages of image acquisition, preprocessing, dataset construction, feature extraction, and disease detection. By systematically synthesizing advances across these stages, we delineate key challenges and outline potential solutions, particularly regarding data standardization and feature quantification. The taxonomy is intended to provide a coherent framework that may contribute to improving diagnostic precision and reliability, thereby informing the gradual clinical integration of tongue imaging as a supportive tool for non-invasive disease screening.