Modernization Of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Articles

Huangqin-Huanglian Decoction Protects Liver against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in High Fat-diet Mice.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the advantage of low toxicity of natural ingredients, multiple targets and effects, and low medication costs. It has unique advantages for metabolic and chronic diseases. Huangqin-Huanglian decoction (HQHLD) is composed of Scutellariae Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, Rehmanniae Radix, and Gentianae Radix Et Rhozima; it has great potential for the treatment of NAFLD with the modern pharmacological research and TCM theory, but there is still a relative lack of research on the potential targets and pharmacological effects of HQHLD. In this work, we have used network pharmacology to predict the targets and signaling pathways of HQHLD, and validated NAFLD-related targets using the HFD model in order to explore more therapeutic drugs and methods for NAFLD. We collected the HQHLD ingredients and NAFLD targets through TCMSP, ETCM, DisGeNET, HGMD, MalaCards, OMIM, and TTD, built ingredients-target networks by Cytoscape, and screened key ingredients in HQHLD. DAVID and Metascape databases were used for GO functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, respectively. Molecular docking of the key ingredients and key targets was performed by AutoDock. We verified the effect of HQHLD on high-fat diet (HFD) mice by measuring the weight, liver weight index, and the level of TG, TC, LDL-C, and HDLC. HE staining and oil-red staining were performed to detect the damage and fat accumulation in the liver. The changes in INSR, PPAR-α, PPAR-γ, TNF-α, and caspase3 were experimented with WB. With the network pharmacology analysis, we found quercetin, baicalein, sitosterol, wogonin, oroxylin-A, glycyrrhizin, hydroberberine, berberine, sesamin, and carotene to be the main ingredients in HQHLD. According to KEGG pathway analysis, INSR, AKT, JNK1, PPAR-α, PPAR-γ, and the other 16 targets are the main targets of HQHLD in the treatment of NAFLD. We took HFD mice as the in vivo model of NAFLD. Our results showed that HQHLD could reduce liver weight, and TG and LDL-C levels, and increase HDL-C level in serum. By HE and oil red staining, we found that HQHLD could protect the morphology of hepatocytes and reduce fat in the liver. We also found HQHLD to protect the liver by increasing the expression of INSR and PPAR-α, and reducing the expression of PPAR-γ, TNF-α, and caspase3 in the liver. In conclusion, our study has firstly studied the main ingredients and key targets of HQHDL in treating NAFLD by network pharmacology analysis, and preliminarily confirmed that HQHLD could alleviate NAFLD in a multi-target way by lowering fatty acids, and decreasing insulin resistance, inflammation, and apoptosis in the liver.

Codonopsis radix: a review of resource utilisation, postharvest processing, quality assessment, and its polysaccharide composition.

Codonopsis radix is the dried root of C. pilosula (Franch.) Nannf., C. pilosula Nannf. var. modesta (Nannf.) L. T. Shen, or C. tangshen Oliv., constitutes a botanical medicine with a profound historical lineage. It encompasses an array of bioactive constituents, including polyacetylenes, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, triterpenoids, and polysaccharides, conferring upon it substantial medicinal and edible values. Consequently, it has garnered widespread attention from numerous scholars. In recent years, driven by advancements in modern traditional Chinese medicine, considerable strides have been taken in exploring resources utilization, traditional processing, quality evaluation and polysaccharide research of Codonopsis radix. However, there is a lack of systematic and comprehensive reporting on these research results. This paper provides a summary of recent advances in Codonopsis research, identifies existing issues in Codonopsis studies, and offers insights into future research directions. The aim is to provide insights and literature support for forthcoming investigations into Codonopsis.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Knowledge Graph Construction Based on Large Language Models

This study explores the use of large language models in constructing a knowledge graph for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to improve the representation, storage, and application of TCM knowledge. The knowledge graph, based on a graph structure, effectively organizes entities, attributes, and relationships within the TCM domain. By leveraging large language models, we collected and embedded substantial TCM–related data, generating precise representations transformed into a knowledge graph format. Experimental evaluations confirmed the accuracy and effectiveness of the constructed graph, extracting various entities and their relationships, providing a solid foundation for TCM learning, research, and application. The knowledge graph has significant potential in TCM, aiding in teaching, disease diagnosis, treatment decisions, and contributing to TCM modernization. In conclusion, this paper utilizes large language models to construct a knowledge graph for TCM, offering a vital foundation for knowledge representation and application in the field, with potential for future expansion and refinement.

Introduction of Western Medicines into China and Improvement on Decoctions during Modern China

Abstract: During the late Qing dynasty (1840 A.D.-1912 A.D.), a large quantity of Western medicines entered China, which continuously impacted the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) market and revealed the shortcomings of Chinese medicines. Some personages in the TCM community followed the trend of learning from the West, and attempted to reform TCM, with the improvement on decoction becoming an important aspect of this effort. Through debates and trials, the improvement on decoction underwent three stages of conceptual evolution: “taking Chinese medicines as the foundation and referring to the dosage forms of Western medicines”, “introducing Western techniques to serve the preparation of decoctions” and “integrating the theories of TCM and Western medicine to improve decoctions”. The study on the improvement on decoction highlights the effective complementarity between modern TCM and Western medicine in the field of pharmacy, and provides valuable experience and support for the reevaluation of the value of TCM in contemporary society.

Guiding modern traditional Chinese medicine research using the theory of state‐target differentiation and treatment—Maintaining the validity of traditional Chinese medicine and creating new medical science

AbstractAs an important part of Chinese civilization, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history and broad social foundation. In the development of modern medicine, TCM bears the responsibility of inheriting Chinese culture, while integrating with modern science and technology to continuously promote medical progress. The theory of “state‐target differentiation and treatment” is an innovative model combining Chinese and Western medicine that has provided a new mindset and method for modernizing TCM. This theory not only guides the reconstruction of modern TCM diagnosis and treatment systems, but also strongly promotes the reconstruction of the modern herbal system. As an emerging bioinformatics technology, phenomics research can reveal biological processes dynamically and quantitatively, which will help “open the black box” of TCM by providing technical methods to reveal the nature of “state” and the mechanism of “state modulation” in TCM. TCM can provide a valuable clinical reference from the perspective of disease cognition, sort out phenomics information parameters systematically and uniformly, and provide more accurate and meaningful data for phenomics research. The in‐depth combination of TCM and phenomics from the concept and technology will vigorously promote the development of human precision medicine. Modern TCM research guided by the theory of state‐target differentiation and treatment can effectively improve the scientific basis and targetability of clinical treatments and can also initiate a breakthrough in the integration of Chinese and Western medicine, further promoting the profound communication and cooperation between Chinese and Western medicine, so as to achieve better development of medicine in the future.

Neuroprotective effects of Shenghui decoction via inhibition of the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway in an AlCl3-induced zebrafish (Danio rerio) model of Alzheimer's disease

Ethnopharmacological relevanceAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a multi-factorial degenerative disease, and multi-targeted therapies targeting multiple pathogenic mechanisms should be explored. Shenghui decoction (SHD) is an ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula used clinically to alleviate AD. However, the precise mechanism of action of SHD as a therapeutic agent for AD remains unclear. Aim of the studyThis study investigated the neuroprotective properties and potential mechanisms of action of SHD in mitigating AD-like symptoms induced by AlCl3 in a zebrafish model. Materials and methodsActive components of SHD were detected using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Zebrafish were exposed to AlCl3 (200 μg/L) for 30 days to establish an AD zebrafish model. AlCl3-exposed zebrafish were treated with SHD or donepezil. Behavioral tests were used to assess learning and memory, locomotor activity, and AD-related anxiety and aggression in AlCl3-exposed zebrafish. Nissl staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate histological alterations in brain neurons. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α; interleukin-1β, IL-1β) were quantified using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Markers of oxidative stress and cholinergic activity (acetylcholinesterase, AChE) were detected using biochemical assays. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the protein expression levels of Aβ, p-tau, PSD-95, synaptophysin, TLR4, phosphorylation of NF-κB p65, p38, and JNK. ResultsFifteen SHD compounds were identified by UPLC-MS/MS analysis. SHD improved AlCl3-induced dyskinesia, learning and memory impairment, anxiety-like behavior, and aggressive behavior in zebrafish. AlCl3-exposed zebrafish showed AD-like pathology, overexpression of Aβ, hyperphosphorylated tau protein, marked neuronal damage, decreased expression of synaptic proteins, synaptophysin, and PSD-95, and impairment of synaptic structural plasticity. These effects were reversed by the SHD treatment. We also observed that SHD ameliorated oxidative stress and decreased AChE activity and inflammatory cytokine levels. These effects are similar to those observed for donepezil. Meanwhile, SHD could decrease the protein expression of TLR4 and inhibit phosphorylation of NF-κB, JNK, and p38 MAPK. These results demonstrate that SHD has the potential to exert neuroprotective effects, which may be partly mediated via inhibition of the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. ConclusionsOur findings revealed the therapeutic mechanism of SHD in mitigating AD progression and suggested that SHD is a potent neuroprotectant that contributes to the future development of TCM modernization and broader clinical applications.

Integrating artificial intelligence into the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine industry: a review.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the practical experience and summary of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. It shows great potential in treating various chronic diseases, complex diseases and major infectious diseases, and has gradually attracted the attention of people all over the world. However, due to the complexity of prescription and action mechanism of TCM, the development of TCM industry is still in a relatively conservative stage. With the rise of artificial intelligence technology in various fields, many scholars began to apply artificial intelligence technology to traditional Chinese medicine industry and made remarkable progress. This paper comprehensively summarizes the important role of artificial intelligence in the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry from various aspects, including new drug discovery, data mining, quality standardization and industry technology of traditional Chinese medicine. The limitations of artificial intelligence in these applications are also emphasized, including the lack of pharmacological research, database quality problems and the challenges brought by human-computer interaction. Nevertheless, the development of artificial intelligence has brought new opportunities and innovations to the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. Integrating artificial intelligence technology into the comprehensive application of Chinese medicine industry is expected to overcome the major problems faced by traditional Chinese medicine industry and further promote the modernization of the whole traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Acetylcholine Analog-Modified Albumin Nanoparticles for the Enhanced and Synchronous Brain Delivery of Saponin Components of Panax Notoginseng.

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) are commonly used first-line drugs for treating cerebral thrombosis and stroke in China. However, the synchronized and targeted delivery of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) poses a significant challenge for modern TCM formulations. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was modified using 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), an analog of acetylcholine, and subsequently adsorbed the major PNS onto the modified albumin to produce MPC-BSA@PNS nanoparticles (NPs). This novel delivery system facilitated efficient and synchronized transport of PNS across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) through active transport mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the transport rates of R1, Rg1, Rb1, and Rd across the BBB were relatively synchronous in MPC-BSA@PNS NPs compared to those in the PNS solution. Additionally, animal experiments revealed that the brain-targeting efficiencies of R1 + Rg1 + Rb1 in MPC-BSA@PNS NPs were 2.02 and 7.73 times higher than those in BSA@PNS NPs and the free PNS group, respectively. This study presents a simple and feasible approach for achieving the targeted delivery of complex active ingredient clusters in TCM.

Application status and challenges of molecular docking in development of traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine is precious treasure of ancient Chinese science and a key to unlocking the treasure trove of Chinese civilization. To elucidate the efficacy and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicines, scientists have been engaged in the research on the molecular basis and regulatory targets. Molecular docking is a computer-aided drug design method capable of visualizing the interaction between components and target proteins. With the progress in the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine and the advancement of algorithms and computing power, molecular docking has become an essential approach in the development of new traditional Chinese medicines. This article summarizes the recent research progress in molecular docking in the development of traditional Chinese medicine, aiming to provide valuable references for further screening of active components and offering insights for improving the development of new traditional Chinese medicines.

Application and development of electronic sensing technologies represented by electronic nose in modern traditional Chinese medicine preparations

Odor is one of the important indicators evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicines. Research data has shown that there are increasing methods available for evaluating the odors of traditional Chinese medicines. Compared with conventional odor sensing techniques, electronic noses stand out for their convenience, high speed, and objectivity. The progress in the pharmaceutical technology of traditional Chinese medicines has provided new formulas and dosage forms for the innovative development in this field. The electronic nose with versatility can be customized to be equipped with a variety of cross-sensors, which can well satisfy the needs of the traditional Chinese medicine preparation technology. This study summarizes the characteristics, application status, and representative products of the current electronic nose, and analyzes the application and feasibility of electronic nose in the production of traditional Chinese medicine preparations based on the current status of odor evaluation. This review is expected to provide new methods, techno-logies, and ideas for electronic nose to play its unique role in the whole-process quality control and pharmaceutical process of traditional Chinese medicine preparations.

An investigation into the HIF-dependent intestinal barrier protective mechanism of Qingchang Wenzhong decoction in ulcerative colitis management

Ethnopharmacological relevanceUlcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, non-specific inflammatory disease affecting the colon and rectum with an etiology that remains elusive. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used on long-term UC treatment to better maintain the efficacy than traditional aminosalicylic acid or glucocorticosteroids and to ease financial burden of patients. Qingchang Wenzhong Decoction (QCWZD) is a modern TCM decoction with established clinical efficacy but the mechanism of its protection on intestinal barrier function remains unclear. Aim of the studyCurrent findings highlight that the activation of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) pathway can facilitate the repair of intestinal epithelium barrier. This study is to investigate the protective effects of QCWZD and its HIF-targeted ingredients on hypoxia-dependent intestinal barrier. MethodsThe mice model of UC was induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Disease activity index (DAI) and histopathology scores and colon length were used to measure the severity of colitis. The DAO activity in serum and protein expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins were detected to explore the function of intestinal barrier. The protein levels of HIF-1α and its downstream gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were measured as well. HIF-targeted active ingredients in QCWZD were selected by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Protective effects of six constituents on HIF-related anti-oxidative and barrier protective pathway were evaluated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HT29 and RAW264.7 cells, through the measurement of the production of ROS and mRNA level of pro-inflammatory cytokines. HIF-1α knockdown was carried out to explore the correlation of protection effects with HIF-related pathway of the active ingredients. ResultsQCWZD effectively alleviated colitis induced by DSS and demonstrated a protective effect on intestinal barrier function by upregulating HIF-related pathways. Six specific ingredients in QCWZD, targeting HIF, successfully reduced the production of cellular ROS and proinflammatory cytokines in LPS-induced cells. It is noteworthy that the barrier protection provided by these molecules is intricately linked with the HIF-related pathway. ConclusionsThis study elucidates the HIF-related molecular mechanism of QCWZD in protecting the function of the epithelial barrier. Six compounds targeting the activation of the HIF-dependent pathway were demonstrated to unveil a novel therapeutic approach for managing UC.

ChatGPT技术对中医药现代化的影响

ChatGPT技术对中医药现代化的影响

Perspective on the Modern Interpretation of the Property Theory of Mild-natured and Sweet-flavored Traditional Chinese Medicine via Gut Microbiota Modulation

ABSTRACT The property theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has guided its clinical application for thousands of years. Although the TCM modernization project has made significant progress, several challenges, such as identifying modern biological indicators, remain. Recent investigations have demonstrated that the gut microbiota contributes to the metabolism and efficacy of TCMs, providing a potential indicator of TCM properties. To investigate whether the gut microbiota can partially interpret the property theory of TCM, we searched the “PubMed” and “China National Knowledge Infrastructure” databases using “gut microbiota” and “traditional Chinese medicine” as keywords. This review mainly focused on the relationship between mild-natured and sweet-flavored TCMs (MS-TCMs) and the gut microbiota. We discovered that MS-TCMs can recalibrate the gut microbiota to alleviate various diseases. At the family level, MS-TCMs upregulated Erysipelotrichaceae, Verrucomicrobiaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Christensenellaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Prevotellaceae, while downregulating Enterobacteriaceae, Rikenellaceae4, and S24-7. At the genus level, MS-TCMs increased the abundance of Ruminococcus, Turicibacter, Parabacteroides, Dubosiella, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Oscillospira, and Prevotella, and decreased the abundance of Parasutterella, Mucispirillum, Lachnoclostridium, Escherichia, Enterococcus, Butyricicoccus, Clostridiales, Blautia, Desulfovibrio, and Oscillibacter. Mechanistically, changes in gut bacteria can influence the levels of metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, lipopolyaccharides, and neurotransmitters, which further regulate a series of physiological signaling pathways within the host. Overall, analyzing the TCM–microbiota interaction is an effective means to reveal the mechanisms of TCM, suggesting that the gut microbiota can be developed into a modern indicator of TCM properties.

Application of Metabolomics and Traditional Chinese Medicine for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treatment.

Diabetes is a major global public health problem with high incidence and case fatality rates. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is used to help manage Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and has steadily gained international acceptance. Despite being generally accepted in daily practice, the TCM methods and hypotheses for understanding diseases lack applicability in the current scientific characterization systems. To date, there is no systematic evaluation system for TCM in preventing and treating T2DM. Metabonomics is a powerful tool to predict the level of metabolites in vivo, reveal the potential mechanism, and diagnose the physiological state of patients in time to guide the follow-up intervention of T2DM. Notably, metabolomics is also effective in promoting TCM modernization and advancement in personalized medicine. This review provides updated knowledge on applying metabolomics to TCM syndrome differentiation, diagnosis, biomarker discovery, and treatment of T2DM by TCM. Its application in diabetic complications is discussed. The combination of multi-omics and microbiome to fully elucidate the use of TCM to treat T2DM is further envisioned.

A review of novel research technology to explore the mystery of traditional Chinese medicine: Terahertz.

During the 2022 Annual National Terahertz Biophysics Conference, the hypothesis was proposed that bio frequency electromagnetic fields sensitive points, akin to acupuncture points, exist in the human body. This development has prompted numerous researchers to apply terahertz technology to the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In recent years, terahertz technology has achieved notable progress in the field of TCM, particularly concerning the meridian-collateral system. This review systematically presents the advancements in terahertz technology and its implications on TCM theory from a biophysical perspective. Additionally, it summarizes the utilization of terahertz waves in elucidating aspects of TCM, particularly focusing on the scientific connotation of Qi, the theoretical foundation of the meridian-collateral system, and moxibustion in diagnosing and treating diseases. We aimed to explore the innovative applications and distinct advantages of terahertz technology in TCM and its feasibility as a pioneering technological tool for the modernization of TCM.

Fructooligosaccharides and fructans from Platycodon grandiflorum: Structural characterization, lung-oriented guidance and targetability

Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) has been widely applied as a conductant drug by ancient and modern traditional Chinese medicine practitioners during long-term clinical practice. However, determining how to guide other medicines to the targeted lungs in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription remains unclear. An ethanol soluble fraction (Fr. B) was obtained by macroporous resin and 75 % ethanol precipitate. The components were unambiguously determined as fructooligosaccharides and small molecule weight (Mw) fructans according to HILIC-ESI−-MS/MS, MS/MS and 1/2D NMR. We discovered that the Fr. B possesses the lung-oriented guidance and targetability by activating Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum (Golgi-ER) transport system. Rab21, a highly expressed transmembrane protein in the lungs, was found to be the core-affinity target of Fr. B which physically colocalized with the Golgi-ER and directly interacted with Rab21 to accelerate the uptake of extracellular therapeutic substances. The lung-oriented guidance and targetability of Fr. B was validated by the transient knockdown and overexpression of Rab21 considering dynamic observations of colocalization interactions among Fr. B, extracellular substances, and the Golgi-ER. Together, our results delineate a potential mechanism of Fr. B toward lung-oriented guidance and targetability via a direct targeting affinity of Rab21 and resulting collective stimulation of key Golgi-ER transport effectors for the acceleration of extracellular substances into the lungs.

A syndrome differentiation model of TCM based on multi-label deep forest using biomedical text mining.

Syndrome differentiation and treatment is the basic principle of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to recognize and treat diseases. Accurate syndrome differentiation can provide a reliable basis for treatment, therefore, establishing a scientific intelligent syndrome differentiation method is of great significance to the modernization of TCM. With the development of biomdical text mining technology, TCM has entered the era of intelligence that based on data, and model training increasingly relies on the large-scale labeled data. However, it is difficult to form a large standard data set in the field of TCM due to the low degree of standardization of TCM data collection and the privacy protection of patients' medical records. To solve the above problem, a multi-label deep forest model based on an improved multi-label ReliefF feature selection algorithm, ML-PRDF, is proposed to enhance the representativeness of features within the model, express the original information with fewer features, and achieve optimal classification accuracy, while alleviating the problem of high data processing cost of deep forest models and achieving effective TCM discriminative analysis under small samples. The results show that the proposed model finally outperforms other multi-label classification models in terms of multi-label evaluation criteria, and has higher accuracy in the TCM syndrome differentiation problem compared with the traditional multi-label deep forest, and the comparative study shows that the use of PCC-MLRF algorithm for feature selection can better select representative features.

From evidence-based traditional Chinese medicine to digital-intelligent traditional Chinese medicine: a focus on standards evaluating the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine

The difficulty in defining the ambiguous “natural language” within the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the dynamic evaluation and individual differences of treatment based on syndrome differentiation, as well as “hard-to-quantify” characteristics of subjectiveness in the evaluation of treatment efficacy during the treatment, has resulted in the questioning and limited use of various TCM therapies with extensive application in clinical practice, which also arises from the lack of recognized and scientific evaluation methods. The standards evaluating the clinical efficacy of TCM remain the key bottleneck restricting the modernization and internationalization of TCM. Although the concept of evidence-based medicine was introduced into the field of TCM and applied to the evaluation and exploration of the clinical efficacy of TCM, there is still a lack of systematic methodological tools for its applicability evaluation. The concept of “digital-intelligent TCM” provides a new direction for the exploration of TCM based on the scientific and technological background of the times. It is not antagonistic to evidence-based TCM; instead, it complements and prompts evidence-based TCM to jointly accelerate the standardization of the evaluation of the clinical efficacy of TCM.

An Intelligent Wristband for Simultaneous Multiparameter Measurement during Fumigation and Washing Therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest healing systems, which plays an essential role in daily health management. However, TCM is frequently controversial due to its subjectivity and lack of scientific quantification. Modern sensing technologies, enabling the detection of various physiological signals, have the remarkable performance of multifunctionality, superintegration, and ultraminiaturization. Combining with modern sensing technology is a good opportunity for the modernization, objectification, and scientization of TCM. This article proposes an intelligent wristband for simultaneous multiparameter measurement of pulse, skin temperature, and perspiration, essential physiological signals in TCM. As a significant functional material, a carbon nanotube/poly(dimethylsiloxane) nanocomposite with 3D interpenetrating network structures exhibits great electrical conductivity, stress effect, and thermoresistive effect, ensuring intelligent wristband's high accuracy, high sensitivity, and good stability for pulse and temperature measurements. Furthermore, the perspiration sensing unit is also integrated. The as‐prepared intelligent wristband is applied during fumigation and washing therapy, and artificial intelligence is introduced to judge whether the user is during fumigation and washing therapy or in the resting state by classifying the user's physiological state, with an accuracy of up to 100%. This work offers a unique strategy for TCM and wearable sensing technology with an important practical significance.

Chaihu Shugan powder influences nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rats in remodeling microRNAome and decreasing fatty acid synthesis

Ethnopharmacological relevanceChaihu Shugan powder (CSP) plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through a variety of biological mechanisms. However, whether the mechanism involves microRNA (miRNA) regulation remains unknown. Aim of the studyTo investigate the effects of CSP on the miRNA expression profile of rats with NAFLD induced by high-fat diet (HFD), and to explore the mechanism of CSP in the treatment of NAFLD. MethodsNAFLD rat models were established by an 8-week HFD. The therapeutic effects of CSP on NAFLD were evaluated by physiological, biochemical and pathological analysis and hepatic surface microcirculation perfusion test. MicroRNA sequencing was used to study the effect of CSP on the miRNA expression profile of NAFLD rats, and the target genes of differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were predicted for further function enrichment analysis. Next, targets of CSP and NAFLD were collected by a network pharmacological approach, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis were performed for the common target genes of CSP, NAFLD and DE miRNAs, and the expression levels of key genes and proteins were verified by quantitative Real-time PCR and Western blot. Finally, a network among formula-herb-compound-miRNA-target-biological processes-disease was established to explained the complex regulation mechanism of CSP on NAFLD. ResultsThe results showed that CSP significantly improved liver lipid accumulation, serum lipid and transaminase levels and liver surface microcirculation disturbance in HFD-induced NAFLD rats. The intervention of CSP reversed the high expression of 15 miRNAs in liver tissues induced by HFD, including miR-34a-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-20b-5p and miR-142-3p. The results of pathway and functional enrichment analysis showed that, CSP might play an anti-NAFLD role via regulating DE miRNAs related to fatty acid metabolic process. Combined with the network pharmacological analysis, it was found that the DE miRNAs might affected the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway in the treatment of NAFLD by CSP. Molecular biology experiments have conformed the decreased the gene and protein levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha (ACACA), fatty acid synthase (FASN) and other fatty acid biosynthesis related enzymes on NAFLD rats after intervention of CSP. ConclusionsCSP can significantly reduce hepatic lipid accumulation of NAFLD rat model induced by HFD, and its mechanism may be through the action of 15 miRNAs such as miR-34a-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-20b-5p and miR-142-3p. Reduce the gene and protein expression levels of ACACA, FASN and other fatty acid biosynthesis related enzymes, thus reducing fatty acid biosynthesis. Based on an epigenetic perspective, this study explains the key anti-NAFLD mechanism of CSP via combination of microRNA sequencing and network pharmacological analysis, providing a new reference for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine.