Digital Chinese Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Mechanism of electroacupuncture treating detrusor-bladder neck dyssynergia after suprasacral spinal cord injury by proteomics","authors":"Liya Tang , Qirui Qu , Jincan Liu , Ming Xu , Lu Zhou , Qiong Liu , Kun Ai","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To elucidate the potential mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) in restoring detrusor-bladder neck dyssynergia (DBND) following suprasacral spinal cord injury (SSCI).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 52 specific pathogen-free (SPF) grade famale Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (10 – 12 weeks, 250 – 280 g) were randomly assigned to either a sham group (<em>n</em> = 12) or a spinal cord injury model group (<em>n</em> = 40). In the model group, DBND was induced through Hassan Shaker spinal cord transection at T10 level, with 24 rats meeting inclusion criteria and subsequently randomized into DBND group (<em>n</em> = 12) and EA intervention group (DBND + EA group, <em>n</em> = 12). After spinal shock recovery (day 19 after modeling), DBND + EA group received EA treatment at Ciliao (BL32), Zhongji (RN3), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints for 20 min per session at 10/50 Hz frequencies, once daily for 10 d. Sham and DBND groups received anesthesia only without EA intervention. On day 29 post-modeling, all rats underwent urodynamic assessments, followed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics, and Western blot (WB) analysis of detrusor and bladder neck tissues. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were defined as proteins with <em>P</em> < 0.05, unique peptides ≥ 2, and fold change > 1.2 or < 0.83. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was performed using KOBAS 3.0 (<em>P</em> < 0.01), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were analyzed using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) 11.5 and Cytoscape 3.9.1.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with sham group, DBND group showed significantly elevated leak point pressure (LPP) and maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) (both <em>P</em> < 0.01). EA treatment significantly reduced both LPP and MCC compared with DBND group (<em>P</em> < 0.01 and <em>P</em> < 0.05, respectively). HE staining revealed that EA reduced detrusor fibrosis and improved bladder neck inflammation. TMT proteomics identified 30 overlapping DEPs in detrusor and 59 overlapping DEPs in bladder neck when comparing DBND + EA/DBND groups with sham group. In detrusor tissue, KEGG analysis revealed 10 significantly enriched pathways (<em>P</em> < 0.01), including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. PPI analysis showed 22 of 30 DEPs were interconnected. In bladder neck tissue, 14 pathways were significantly enriched (<em>P</em> < 0.01), including relaxin signaling pathway, with 51 of 59 DEPs showing interconnections. Both TMT and WB validations demonstrated that compared with sham controls, DBND rats exhibited upregulated collagen type IV alpha 2 chain (Col4a2) and downregulated guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(z) subunit alpha (Gnaz) in detrusor tissue, while EA treatment normalized both proteins (both <em>P</em> < 0.05). In bladder neck tissue, DBND","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 267-278"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlation analysis between facial feature-based traditional Chinese medicine inspection of spirit classification and Beck Depression Inventory score","authors":"Shan Lu ,&nbsp;Xubo Shang ,&nbsp;Dong Yang ,&nbsp;Junfeng Yan ,&nbsp;Xiaoye Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To determine the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) inspection of spirit classification and the severity grade of depression based on facial features, offering insights for intelligent intergrated TCM and western medicine diagnosis of depression.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using the Audio-Visual Emotion Challenge and Workshop (AVEC 2014) public dataset on depression, which conclude 150 interview videos, the samples were classified according to the TCM inspection of spirit classification: Deshen (得神, presence of spirit), Shaoshen (少神, insufficiency of spirit), and Shenluan (神乱, confusion of spirit). Meanwhile, based on Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score for the severity grade of depression, the samples were divided into minimal (0 – 13, Q1), mild (14 – 19, Q2), moderate (20 – 28, Q3), and severe (29 – 63, Q4). Sixty-eight landmarks were extracted with a ResNet-50 network, and the feature extracion mode was stadardized. Random forest and support vectior machine (SVM) classifiers were used to predict TCM inspection of spirit classification and the severity grade of depression, respectively. A Chi-square test and Apriori association rule mining were then applied to quantify and explore the relationships.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analysis revealed a statistically significant and moderately strong association between TCM spirit classification and the severity grade of depression, as confirmed by a Chi-square test (<em>χ</em>² = 14.04, <em>P</em> = 0.029) with a Cramer’s V effect size of 0.243. Further exploration using association rule mining identified the most compelling rule: “moderate depression (Q3) → Shenluan”. This rule demonstrated a support level of 5%, indicating this specific co-occurrence was present in 5% of the cohort. Crucially, it achieved a high Confidence of 86%, meaning that among patients diagnosed with Q3, 86% exhibited the Shenluan pattern according to TCM assessment. The substantial Lift of 2.37 signifies that the observed likelihood of Shenluan manifesting in Q3 patients is 2.37 times higher than would be expected by chance if these states were independent—compelling evidence of a highly non-random association. Consequently, Shenluan emerges as a distinct and core TCM diagnostic manifestation strongly linked to Q3, forming a clinically significant phenotype within this patient subgroup.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Automated facial analysis can serve as a common lens for TCM and western psychological assessments align in the diagnosis of depression. The inspection of spirit decline trajectory parallels worsening depression, supporting early screening and stratified intervention, and providing a reference for the intelligent assistance of integrated TCM and western medicine in the diagnosis of depression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 147-162"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lantana camara alleviating TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis in rats: regulating TNF-α/EGFR/STAT3/Bcl-2 signaling pathways","authors":"S. Magre Manoj,&nbsp;A. Bhalerao Pooja,&nbsp;K. Mandlik Satish,&nbsp;S. Mandlik Deepa","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the therapeutic potential and underlying mechanism of <em>Lantana camara</em> ethanolic extract (LCEE) in ulcerative colitis (UC).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Phytochemical analysis of LCEE was conducted using qualitative analysis, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). The active constituents of LCEE were identified through network pharmacology analysis, followed by molecular docking. The therapeutic mechanism was validated in a UC rat model using 42 male Wistar rats (200 – 250 g) induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Rats were randomly divided into seven groups (<em>n</em> = 6 per group): normal control (NC), ethanol control (EC), disease control (DC), three doses of LCEE treatment [low dose LCEE (100 mg/kg), medium dose LCEE (200 mg/kg), and high dose LCEE (400 mg/kg), p.o.], and dexamethasone (DEX, 2 mg/kg, p.o.) groups. Following TNBS-induced UC (120 mg/kg, intrarectally), rats were treated orally for 28 d. Disease severity was assessed through body weight changes, disease activity index (DAI), colon weight, colon length, and morphological scores. Haematological parameters, enzymatic antioxidants, nitric oxide (NO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and inflammatory cytokines were measured in the serum and colon tissues. Gene expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Histopathological alterations in the colon tissues were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin (HE), Giemsa, and periodic acid-schiff staining (PAS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>LC-MS analysis identified 13 phytoconstituents in LCEE, and HPTLC analysis confirmed the presence of ursolic acid, geniposide, and chlorogenic acid. Network pharmacological analysis identified 152 potential therapeutic targets with TNF, STAT3, Bcl-2, albumin (ALB), and EGFR as the top 5 hub targets. Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities of LCEE phytoconstituents with key inflammatory and apoptotic targets: linaroside with TNF-α (– 6.1 kcal/mol), ursolic acid with STAT3 (– 6.8 kcal/mol) and Bcl-2 (– 8.7 kcal/mol), and cirsiliol with EGFR (– 8.2 kcal/mol), comparable to DEX. LCEE treatment significantly increased body weights and thymus weight, while significantly reducing colon weight, spleen weight, and DAI scores. Haematological parameters showed significant improvements with increased haemoglobin, red blood cells, and platelet count, and decreased white blood cells counts. Antioxidants markers were significantly improved with increased glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels, and decreased malondialdehyde levels. LCEE significantly reduced NO and MPO levels and inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, nu","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 234-253"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Construction and evaluation of a predictive model for the degree of coronary artery occlusion based on adaptive weighted multi-modal fusion of traditional Chinese and western medicine data","authors":"Jiyu ZHANG,&nbsp;Jiatuo XU,&nbsp;Liping TU,&nbsp;Hongyuan FU","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To develop a non-invasive predictive model for coronary artery stenosis severity based on adaptive multi-modal integration of traditional Chinese and western medicine data.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Clinical indicators, echocardiographic data, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) tongue manifestations, and facial features were collected from patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) of Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital between May 1, 2023 and May 1, 2024. An adaptive weighted multi-modal data fusion (AWMDF) model based on deep learning was constructed to predict the severity of coronary artery stenosis. The model was evaluated using metrics including accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Further performance assessment was conducted through comparisons with six ensemble machine learning methods, data ablation, model component ablation, and various decision-level fusion strategies.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 158 patients were included in the study. The AWMDF model achieved excellent predictive performance (AUC = 0.973, accuracy = 0.937, precision = 0.937, recall = 0.929, and F1 score = 0.933). Compared with model ablation, data ablation experiments, and various traditional machine learning models, the AWMDF model demonstrated superior performance. Moreover, the adaptive weighting strategy outperformed alternative approaches, including simple weighting, averaging, voting, and fixed-weight schemes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The AWMDF model demonstrates potential clinical value in the non-invasive prediction of coronary artery disease and could serve as a tool for clinical decision support.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 163-173"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Herbal remedies for Alzheimer’s disease: neuroprotective mechanisms and cognitive enhancement potential","authors":"Dharmalingam Kirubakaran","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. Current drugs offer limited benefits and often cause side effects. Recently, interest has grown in medicinal plants for the treatment of AD due to their neuroprotective compounds. This review explores how herbal remedies may help AD, focusing on key plants including <em>Ginkgo biloba</em>, <em>Curcuma longa</em>, <em>Withania somnifera</em>, and <em>Panax ginseng</em>. These plants show promise in reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and amyloid buildup. Their bioactive compounds, including flavonoids and alkaloids, may promote memory and slow AD progression. Despite these promising findings, the review also highlights significant challenges in translating preclinical success into clinical efficacy. Issues such as variability in plant composition, lack of standardized formulations, insufficient large-scale clinical trials, and regulatory hurdles continue to impede the integration of herbal therapies into mainstream AD treatment. Addressing these challenges through rigorous scientific validation and standardized protocols is essential for advancing the use of herbal medicine in neurodegenerative disease management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 183-195"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical research report on Chinese patent medicines and classic traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions (2023)","authors":"Xiaolei Wu ,&nbsp;Haiyin Hu ,&nbsp;Yuetong Wang ,&nbsp;Alice Josephine Fauci ,&nbsp;Yazi Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenting Song ,&nbsp;Fengwen Yang ,&nbsp;Boli Zhang ,&nbsp;Junhua Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhaochen Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Chinese patent medicines and classic traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions were systematically reviewed from both Chinese and English journals published in 2023. A preliminary summary and evaluation were conducted on the generation and translation of clinical evidence for these treatments. This analysis aims to inform future research on clinical efficacy evaluation and guide the rational application of evidence.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>RCTs of Chinese patent medicines and classic traditional Chinese prescriptions published in 2023 were comprehensively retrieved from the Artificial Intelligence Clinical Evidence Database for Chinese Patent Medicine (AICED-CPM), with supplementary searches conducted in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (SinoMed), Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The study characteristics and methodological quality of these RCTs were systematically analyzed and evaluated.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 1 443 RCTs of Chinese patent medicines were included, comprising 1 399 Chinese articles and 44 English articles. Additionally, 334 RCTs of classic traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions were found, with 331 published in Chinese and 3 in English. 196 567 participants were included, covering 585 types of Chinese patent medicines (487 oral, 61 injectable, and 37 topical) and 179 classic traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. The involved studies encompassed 22 types of diseases, with research primarily focusing on diseases of the circulatory system, the respiratory system, and the genitourinary system. The sample sizes ranged from 18 to 3 777 participants, and most studies were conducted at a single center. Methodologically, the implementation of allocation concealment and blinding remained insufficiently emphasized.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Overall, compared with 2022, both the number of RCT publications and their methodological quality have improved in 2023, with heightened attention to research on diseases of the genitourinary system. However, quality control and standardized management in the design and implementation processes still require enhancement to produce more high-quality clinical evidence and accelerate the translation and application of this evidence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 123-136"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated plasma and synovial membrane lipidomic profiling revealing the therapeutic effects of moxibustion in collagen-induced arthritis rat models","authors":"Jiamin Wen ,&nbsp;Rui Zhang ,&nbsp;Danwen Wang ,&nbsp;Zhiling Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.010","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;To reveal the therapeutic effects of moxibustion in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat models using the combined analysis of plasma and synovial membrane lipidomic profiling and to enhance the understanding of how moxibustion affects lipid metabolism in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A total of 32 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control, moxibustion control (MC), model, and moxibustion model (MM) groups, with 8 rats in each group. CIA was induced in SD rats by two immunizations. The paw volume was measured before the induction of CIA. Following induction, after assessing paw volume and arthritis index (AI) scores, the MC and MM groups received treatment at bilateral Shenshu (BL23) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints for 10 min per acupoint. The intervention included three treatment courses, each spanning 6 d and followed by a 1-d interval. Paw volume and AI scores were assessed after each treatment course. After the completion of the three treatment courses, serum, plasma, synovial tissue, and ankle joint samples were collected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to quantify the levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in serum. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed for histopathological examination of the ankle joint tissues. Meanwhile, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS) was utilized to analyze the plasma and synovial tissue samples. In addition, multivariate statistical analysis was performed to identify differential lipid metabolites, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was applied to explore metabolic pathways modulated by moxibustion therapy.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;No significant difference in hind paw volume and AI scores was observed among the groups (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &gt; 0.05). After CIA induction, model group showed increased hind paw volume and AI scores compared with control group (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05), which were significantly reduced after moxibustion treatment in MM group compared with model group (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly higher in model and MM groups compared with control group (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05), but were lower in MM group than those in model group (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). Histopathological analysis showed improved cartilage and reduced inflammation in MM group. A total of 33 differential lipid metabolites in the plasma and 24 in the synovial membranes of CIA rat models were identified when compared with control group. Among these lipid metabolites, 31 in the plasma and all 24 in the synovial membranes were regulated by moxibustion treatment. Pathological analysis revealed upregulation of diacylglycerol (DG) and fatty acid (FA) levels, alongside downregulation of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), p","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 254-266"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Validating the pathogenic mechanism of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease induced by negative emotions via Mendelian randomization and traditional Chinese medicine theory of emotions","authors":"Zhiying Wang ,&nbsp;Yun Li ,&nbsp;Zhixian Zhong ,&nbsp;Ling Xu ,&nbsp;Yi Zhong ,&nbsp;Jian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to test the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory of emotional pathogenesis concept and explore the causal relationship between negative emotions and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data of negative emotions, bronchitis, emphysema, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were downloaded from genome-wide association study (GWAS) public database for a two-sample MR analysis. Independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with negative emotions, bronchitis, and emphysema were selected as instrumental variables. Primary causal estimates were derived using inverse-variance weighting (IVW), supplemented by weighted median (WM), and simple mode (SM) methods. Sensitivity analyses included MR-Egger regression and MR-PRESSO to assess pleiotropy, Cochran’s <em>Q</em> test for heterogeneity, and multivariate MR to adjust for smoking. Mediation analysis evaluated the role of inflammatory markers. Reverse MR was tested for bidirectional causality. Weak instrument bias was mitigated via F-statistic thresholds (&gt; 10). All analyses were conducted in RStudio.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>MR analysis identified significant causal effects of several negative emotions on COPD. Genetically, the IVW analysis of seen doctors for nerves anxiety tension or depression [OR_IVW = 1.006, 95% CI = (1.002, 1.010), <em>P</em> = 0.002], sensitivity/hurt feelings [OR_IVW = 1.024, 95% CI = (1.004, 1.044), <em>P</em> = 0.017], and irritability [OR_IVW = 1.019, 95% CI = (1.003, 1.035), <em>P</em> = 0.019 were robustly associated with increased risks of COPD. No heterogeneity was detected among the different instrumental variables (IVs) for depression (<em>P</em> = 0.655) and irritability (<em>P</em> = 0.163). MR-Egger regression intercepts for all emotional exposures were close to zero and statistically non-significant, indicating no evidence of directional pleiotropy. The horizontal pleiotropy results showed that except for worry (MR-PRESSO <em>P</em> = 0.006), other emotion exposures confirming no substantial pleiotropic bias. Multivariable MR demonstrated that anxiety remained independently associated with COPD after adjusting for smoking (<em>P</em> = 0.002), while associations with other negative emotions were attenuated post-adjustment. The mediation analysis revealed that CRP mediated 3.93% of the total effect of anxiety on COPD. However, reverse MR analysis found no evidence of reverse causality.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study confirmed the causal effects of negative emotions on COPD through MR analysis and revealed that negative emotions may trigger CRP production, which plays an essential mediating role in this relationship. This study provides a reliable modern theoretical basis for emotion theory in TCM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 196-205"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"TCMHTI: a Transformer-based herb-target interaction prediction model for Qingfu Juanbi Decoction in rheumatoid arthritis","authors":"Zhenzhong Liang ,&nbsp;Changsong Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To predict the potential targets of Qingfu Juanbi Decoction (青附蠲痹汤, QFJBD) in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using an improved Transformer model and investigate the network pharmacological mechanisms underlying QFJBD’s therapeutic effects on RA.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>First, a traditional Chinese medicine herb-target interaction (TCMHTI) model was constructed to predict herb-target interactions based on Transformer improvement. The performance of the TCMHTI model was evaluated against baseline models using three metrics: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), precision-recall curve (PRC), and accuracy. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built based on the predicted targets, with core targets identified as the top nine nodes ranked by degree values. Gene Ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the targets predicted by TCMHTI and the targets identified through network pharmacology method for comparison. Then, the results were compared. Finally, the core targets predicted by TCMHTI were validated through molecular docking and literature review.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The TCMHTI model achieved an AUC of 0.883, PRC of 0.849, and accuracy of 0.818, predicting 49 potential targets for QFJBD in RA treatment. Nine core targets were identified: tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, cluster of differentiation 40 (CD40), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4), IL-4, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). The enrichment analysis demonstrated that the TCMHTI model predicted 49 targets and enriched more pathways directly associated with RA, whereas classical network pharmacology identified 64 targets but enriched pathways showing weaker relevance to RA. Molecular docking demonstrated that the active molecules in QFJBD exhibit favorable binding energy with RA targets, while literature research further revealed that QFJBD can treat RA through 9 core targets.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The TCMHTI model demonstrated greater accuracy than traditional network pharmacology methods, suggesting QFJBD exerts therapeutic effects on RA by regulating targets like TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, as well as multiple signaling pathways. This study provides a novel framework for bridging traditional herbal knowledge with precision medicine, offering actionable insights for developing targeted TCM therapies against diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 206-218"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and validation of a quality appraisal tool for case reports in traditional Chinese medicine using the Delphi method","authors":"Duoting Tan ,&nbsp;Hao Liang ,&nbsp;Yipin Yu ,&nbsp;Jin Guo ,&nbsp;Liqin Zhong ,&nbsp;Zhixi Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dcmed.2025.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To develop a quality appraisal tool for case reports in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) based on their characteristics.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>An extensive literature search was conducted in Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and China Science and Technology Journal Database (CSTJ), focusing on expert consensus statements and checklists for TCM case reports. Relevant items were extracted, and a Delphi method involving 34 experts was used in two rounds to rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale. Items were screened based on measures of central tendency and coordination (including total score, mean score, percentage of items rated as unimportant, and coefficient of variation). The weighted average method was used to determine item weights and construct the appraisal tool. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s α coefficient. The finalized tool was pilot-tested by two reviewers independently appraising 20 case reports, with an additional four reviewers evaluating 5 of these cases to compare inter-rater consistency.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 9 513 articles were retrieved, and 96 items from 25 articles were extracted. After two rounds of the Delphi method, 27 items across 10 domains were retained. The Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.72 in the first round (acceptable range), and 0.96 in the second round, indicating strong internal consistency. The tool was piloted by six reviewers, achieving a kappa value of 0.663 and a Kendall’s coefficient of concordance of 0.845, demonstrating high consistency among reviewers.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The developed TCM case report quality appraisal tool, consisting of 27 items in 10 domains, offers a scientific and reliable means of assessing the quality of TCM case reports. The tool showed high consistency and practical utility, and its application is expected to enhance the standardization, scientific rigor, and evidence quality of TCM case reports, facilitating the integration of traditional medical knowledge with modern evidence-based standards.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33578,"journal":{"name":"Digital Chinese Medicine","volume":"8 2","pages":"Pages 137-146"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}