Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Kaempferol-A Natural Drug for Rheumatoid Arthritis.","authors":"Hong-Mei Hong, Jia-Wang Zhou, Ming-Yu Li, Gui-Feng Hao, Zhi-Jun Xie","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-4225-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-4225-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145124295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research Progress on Signal Transduction Pathways Related to Breast Cancer and Chinese Medicine Intervention.","authors":"Zeng-de Tan, Hao-Yang Wang, Jun-Ying Pan, Yu-Zhe Jin, Ming-Ming Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-4145-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-4145-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145124328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crocin Inhibited Aβ Generation via Modulating APP Processing, Suppressing Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Activating Autophagy in N2a/APP Cells.","authors":"Zi-Rong Liang, Cui-Jun Lin, Yi-Han Liu, Qian Yue, Pui Man Hoi","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-3933-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-3933-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the mechanism of crocin, a major active component of Crocus sativus (Zanghonghua), in regulating amyloid beta (Aβ) generation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and autophagy in neuronal cells, with potential therapeutic applications in Alzheimer's disease (AD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Mouse neuroblastoma Neuron2a (N2a) cells stably transfected with the human amyloid precursor protein (APP) Swedish mutant was used as a cellular model for AD (N2a/APP). Control cells were vector transfected (N2a/vector). The effects of 3 different doses of crocin on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cytosolic calcium, and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Aβ levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. APP processing and ER stress proteins expressions were determined by Western blot. Autophagosome formation was evaluated by autophagy detection kit and confocal microscope.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Crocin inhibited APP expression in N2a/APP cells and promoted α-cleavage of APP processing, while modestly reduced beta-secretase 1 (BACE1) and presenilin 1 (PS1, P<0.05 or P<0.01). ER stress markers, including the binding immunoglobulin protein/78-kD glucose-regulated protein (Bip/GRP78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), were elevated in N2a/APP cells compared to N2a/vector cells (P<0.05). Crocin could effectively reduce the levels of ER stress (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, crocin enhanced autophagy by promoting formation of autophagosome (P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Crocin significantly inhibited Aβ generation by promoting α-cleavage of APP processing, inhibiting ER stress-associated unfolded protein response, and regulating autophagy.</p>","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145124269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dihuang Yinzi Regulates cAMP/PKA/CREB-BDNF to Improve Synaptic Plasticity in APP/PS1 Mice: A Study Based on Brain Metabolomics.","authors":"Huan-Ning Jiang, Bo Zhang, Jian Zhang, Yan-Yan Zhou","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-3936-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-3936-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the mechanism of Dihuang Yinzi (DHYZ) in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by integrating metabolomics and experimental verification.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-eight male APP/PS1 mice were divided into model, high- (DHYZ-H), medium- (DHYZ-M), and low-dose DHYZ (DHYZ-L) groups (12 mice per group) according to a random number table. Mice in DHYZ groups were gavaged with DHYZ 6.34, 12.68, and 25.35 g/(kg·d), respectively. Twelve C57BL/6 mice were gavaged with distilled water as the blank group. Metabolomics was used to analyze differential metabolites in the brains of mice. Morris water maze test was used to detect the memory abilities of mice. The hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the general morphology and ultrastructure of neurons. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and amyloid β -protein 1-42 (A β_1-42). The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the mRNA expressions of density-regulated protein 1 (DRP1), fission 1 (FIS1), mitofusin-1 (MFN1), and optic atrophy protein 1 (OPA1). Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), cAMP response binding protein (CREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), synapsin 1 (SYN1), synaptophysin (SYP), and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 82 differential metabolites were identified in the brains of APP/PS1 mice, among which 7 differential metabolites could be regulated by DHYZ. After DHYZ intervention, the memory abilities of mice significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), the number of synapses and neurons in the hippocampus increased, and the mitochondrial morphology and structure were relatively intact. The DHYZ groups exhibited a significant reduction in hippocampal ROS and A β_1-42 levels, along with a significant elevation in SOD level (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The mRNA expressions of DRP1 and FIS1 were reduced, while the mRNA expressions of MFN1 and OPA1 were increased after DHYZ treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The cAMP/PKA/CREB-BDNF pathway was activated, and the expressions of SYN1, SYP and PSD95 proteins were significantly increased in the DHYZ-H group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>DHYZ could improve mitochondrial dynamics and synaptic plasticity in APP/PS1 mice, inhibit oxidative stress, and thereby enhancing learning and memory abilities in APP/PS1 mice. Its mechanism might be related to activation of the cAMP/PKA/CREB-BDNF signaling pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145091302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Kai-Xin-San Has Antidepressant-Like Effect in Tricyclic Antidepressant Treatment Resistant Animal Model by Rebalancing Tryptophan Metabolism.","authors":"Lei Yao, Chao Chen, Rui Jing, Chao-Chen Wang, Yuan-Bo Wang, Xia Li, Li-Hua Mu, Hong Yin, Ping Liu, Yuan Hu","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-3935-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-3935-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the effect of Kai-Xin-San (KXS), alone and in combination with imipramine (IMI), to ameliorate treatment-resistant depression (TRD) by normalizing tryptophan (TRP) metabolism.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups using the lottery method (10 rats per group): control, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), IMI, KXS, KXS+IMI, and IMI+lithium (LIT). The control group received a vehicle solution, while the others were treated with ACTH (100 µg/d) for 14 days, and concurrently, KXS (365.4 mg/kg), IMI (10 mg/kg) and LIT (100 mg/kg) were administered to ACTH-treated rats for 15 days. The behavioral tests including forced swimming test (FST) and open-field test (OFT) were performed. The state of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the levels of key enzymes and critical products in TRP metabolism, the neuroinflammatory response and the expression of serotonin (5-HT) receptors, and the alterations in the glutamatergic signaling pathway were assessed. Furthermore, molecular docking was conducted to screen the major bioactive compounds in KXS.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the ACTH group, KXS and KXS+IMI effectively deceased the immobility time in FST (P<0.01), increased the total distance, number of standing, center time, and center entries in OFT (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and attenuated the serum levels of ACTH and corticosterone (P<0.05 or P<0.01). KXS and KXS+IMI mitigated the disturbances in TRP catabolism by increasing kynurenine amino transferases, tryptophan hydroxylase, 5-HT and kynurenic acid levels while attenuating tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), kynurenine-3-monooxygenase, kynurenine/TRP ratio, and quinolinic acid in hippocampus or liver (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Additionally, KXS and KXS+IMI not only reduced the levels of neuroinflammation and serotonin 2A receptor, also rectified abnormalities in the glutamatergic system by activating brain-derived neurotrophic factor-mammalian target of rapamycin pathway in hippocampus of ACTH-challenged rats (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, molecular docking indicated that pachymic acid, ginsenoside Rg1 and tenuifolin could bind to TDO.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The therapeutic potential of KXS, especially combined with IMI, for TRD owed to its safeguarding effects on TRP metabolism. Pachymic acid, ginsenoside Rg1 and tenuifolin may be the primary contributors to these protective impacts of KXS.</p>","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145039280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Both Gut Microbiota-Dependent and -Independent Constituents of Xinglou Chengqi Decoction Highlight Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide in Treatment of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.","authors":"Xin Guo, En Hu, Wei-Kang Luo, Liang-Lin Zhang, Wen-Xin Zhu, Xi-Ya Yang, Teng Li, Tao Tang, Yang Wang, Jie-Kun Luo","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-3949-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-3949-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the effects of Xinglou Chengqi Decoction (XCD) on severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) and its relationship with gut microbiota.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>C57BL/6J mice were randomly allocated into sham, controlled cortical impact (CCI), and 3 doses of XCD (4.1, 8.2, and 16.4 g/kg) groups by using a random number table, n=7 per group. A CCI device was employed to establish the TBI model. XCD was administered intragastrically for 3 consecutive days. The effects of XCD on post-sTBI neurological deficits and histopathology were assessed. The contribution of gut microbiota to XCD-mediated improvement in sTBI was investigated using antibiotic-treated TBI mice. The gut microbiota-dependent mechanisms of XCD in sTBI were explored through 16S rDNA sequencing and serum metabolomics. The mechanisms underlying the absorbed ingredients of XCD in sTBI were examined using network pharmacology and metabolomics. Finally, mice were divided into sham, CCI, and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-treated groups, n=10 per group. FAD was administered to sTBI mice via daily tail vein injection (830 µg/kg) for 3 consecutive days to evaluate and verify its therapeutic effect.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>XCD significantly mitigated neurological impairments, neuronal damage, apoptosis, and blood-brain barrier disruption in CCI model mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The medium dose (8.2 g/kg) exhibited the greatest effect. The gut microbiota partly contributed to these protective effects. 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that XCD promoted beneficial gut microbiota. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that XCD regulated serum metabolic profiles, particularly FAD. Network pharmacology combined with metabolomics analysis revealed that the gut microbiota-independent components of XCD also targeted FAD in TBI. FAD exerted neuroprotective effects, improved energy metabolism, and promoted angiogenesis following TBI (P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>XCD exerts neuroprotective effects on sTBI through both gut microbiota-dependent and -independent mechanisms, which highlight the therapeutic role of FAD.</p>","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145039297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Huashi Tongbi Formula on Erectile Dysfunction with Damp Heat Affecting Pi (Spleen) Pattern: A Multicentre, Randomized, Controlled Noninferiority Trial.","authors":"He-de Zou, Pei-Hai Zhang, Wen-Kang Chen, Bao-Feng Hu, Jian-Wei Wang, Hong-Sen Zeng, Guan-Chao Du, Qing-He Gao, Zi-Yang Ma, Yong-Jie Ma, Ya-Peng Zhang, Rui Cao, He-Kun Zhang, Wei Lin, Hao-Ran Xu, Jia-You Zhao","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-4142-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-4142-0","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;To evaluate the effect and safety of Chinese herbal compound Huashi Tongbi Formula (HTF) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) with damp heat affecting Pi (Spleen) pattern, and explore the possible mechanisms based on the analysis of gut microbiota.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;In this multicentre, randomized, parallel, positive control, noninferiority trial, a total of 162 ED patients with damp heat affecting Pi pattern were randomly divided into a treatment group (108 patients) and a control group (54 patients) in a 2:1 ratio using a random number table method. The treatment group was administered HTF granules (1 bag each time, twice a day). The control group was given sildenafil citrate tablets (50 mg, orally as needed). Both groups were treated for 8 weeks with a 8-week followed-up period. The main indicator was effective rate after 8-week treatment analysed using intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) methods, and the secondary indicators included International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) score, Erectile Quality Score (EQS), and Chinese medicine syndrome (CMS) score, which were analysed using ITT every 2 weeks during 8-week treatment period, and every 4 weeks during 8-week follow-up period. The 16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyse the impact of HTF on the gut microbiota. The adverse events (AEs) and changes in safety indicators of the two groups were recorded.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 162 patients were included in the ITT analysis, with 23 patients dropping out during the trial period (12 in the treatment group and 11 in the control group), and 139 patients were included in the PP analysis. ITT and PP analyses revealed that after 8-week treatment the difference and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in the effective rates between the treatment and the control groups were -3.7% (-17.9%, 10.5%) and -4.5% (-18.2%, 9.2%), respectively. At 2 weeks of treatment, the treatment group showed lower IIEF-5 and EQS scores but higher CMS score vs. control (P&lt;0.05); at 4 weeks, IIEF-5 remained lower (P&lt;0.05), while EQS and CMS scores were comparable (P&gt;0.05); by 6 weeks, all scores (IIEF-5, EQS, CMS) were similar between groups (P&gt;0.05); at 8 weeks, IIEF-5 and EQS were comparable, but CMS scores were lower (P&lt;0.05). During 4- and 8-week follow-up, the treatment group had higher IIEF-5 and EQS scores and lower CMS scores (P&lt;0.05). Both groups showed significant improvements in all scores from baseline (P&lt;0.05). There was no significant difference in the safety indicators between groups (P&gt;0.05). After HTF treatment, the relative abundances of Lachnospiraceae and Blautia increased, contributing the most to the differences in the microbial communities between groups. The abundances of Levilactobacillus and Lactiplantibacillus increased, whereas the abundances of Bilophila, Saccharimonadia, Patescibacteria, and others decreased in the treatment group (linear discriminant analysis sc","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145039307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lu'e Biyan Formula for Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis Patients with Fei (Lung)-Qi Deficiency-Coldness Syndrome: A Randomized, Double Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Trial.","authors":"Ming-Yue Jia, Mei-Yi Zhang, Si-Yao Xiao, Yang Yu, Xiang Shao, Chun-Sheng Han, Gui-Ling Han","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-3948-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-3948-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To observe the clinical effect and safety of Lu'e Biyan Formula (LBF) combined with loratadine in the treatment of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (AR) patients with Fei (Lung)-qi deficiency-coldness (FQDC) syndrome.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From September 2023 to December 2024, moderate to severe AR patients with FQDC syndrome were recruited from the Outpatient Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Pulmonary Diseases Part 1, China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to a test group and a control group by using a random number table at a ratio of 1:1. Both groups received oral loratadine tablets (10 mg, once daily) for 2 weeks. In addition, the test group received oral LBF (30 mL, twice daily), and the control group received a placebo of LBF. Changes in the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), Total Non-nasal Symptom Score (TNNSS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ), and Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores before and after treatment were compared between groups. Moreover, the total effective rates and disease recurrence rates were compared. Adverse events (AEs) during the study period were also recorded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Totally 109 participants were recruited, and the full analysis set included 105 cases, 54 in the test group and 51 in the control group. Compared with the pre-treatment values, the scores of sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction, nasal itching, TNSS, TNNSS, VAS, RQLQ, and CM syndrome were significantly reduced in both groups at 1 and 2 weeks post-treatment and 12 weeks post-drug withdrawal (P<0.01). After treatment, the aforementioned scores in the test group were all markedly lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). Moreover, the total effective rate in the test group was higher than that in the control group (98.15% vs. 70.59%, P<0.01). After 12 weeks of drug withdrawal, there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between groups (13.21% vs. 22.22%, P>0.05). No obvious AEs were observed in either group following treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The combination of LBF with loratadine can effectively alleviate the symptoms of moderate to severe AR patients with FQDC syndrome, thereby improving their quality of life. This therapy demonstrated both precise effect and high safety. (Trial registration No. ITMCTR2025000589).</p>","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145022941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding of Acupuncture Dose: Does Higher Intensity Mean Better?","authors":"Xue-Zhou Wang, Wei-Juan Gang","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-4146-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-025-4146-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"31 9","pages":"771-772"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144944821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sini Powder Alleviates Stress Response and Suppresses Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development by Restoring Gut Microbiota.","authors":"Si Mei, Zhe Deng, Fan-Ying Meng, Qian-Qian Guo, He-Yun Tao, Lin Zhang, Chang Xi, Qing Zhou, Xue-Fei Tian","doi":"10.1007/s11655-025-4127-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11655-025-4127-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To explore the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and its potential effects of Chinese medicine herbal formula Sini Powder (SNP) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The active components of SNP and their in vivo distribution were identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Construction of component-target-disease networks, protein-protein interaction network, Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis, and molecular docking were employed to analyze the active components and anti-HCC mechanisms of SNP. Cell viability assay and wound healing assay were utilized to confirm the effect of SNP-containing serum (2.5%, 5.0%, 10%, 20%, and 40%), isoprenaline or propranolol (both 10, 100, and 1,000 µ mol/L) on proliferation and migration of HepG 2 or Huh7 cells. Meanwhile, the effect of isoprenaline or propranolol on the β 2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) mRNA expression on HepG2 cells were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription (RT-qPCR). Mice with subcutaneous tumors were either subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS) followed by SNP administration (364 mg/mL) or directly treated with SNP (364 mg/mL). These two parallel experiments were performed to validate the effects of SNP on stress responses. Stress-related proteins and hormones were quantified using RT-qPCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry. Metagenomic sequencing was performed to confirm the influence of SNP on the gut microbiota in the tumor-bearing CRS mice.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The distribution of the 12 active components of SNP was confirmed in various tissues and feces. Network pharmacology analysis confirmed the anti-HCC effects of the 5 active components. The potential anti-HCC mechanisms of SNP may involve the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathways. SNP-containing serum inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 and Huh7 cells at concentrations of 2.5% and 5.0%, respectively, after 24 h of treatment. Furthermore, SNP suppressed tumor progression in tumor-bearing mice exposed to CRS. SNP treatment also downregulated the expressions of stress-related proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines, primarily by modulating the gut microbiota. Specifically, the abundance of Alistipes and Prevotella, which belong to the phylum Bacteroidetes, increased in the SNP-treated group, whereas Lachnospira, in the phylum Firmicutes, decreased.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>SNP can combat HCC by alleviating stress responses through the regulation of gut microbiota.</p>","PeriodicalId":10005,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"802-811"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143975280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}