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Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is used to treat mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) in children with favorable treatment outcome in China. In the present study, we evaluated the clinical efficacy of TCM combined with azithromycin (AZM) for the treatment of MP among children, providing high evidence-based reference for clinical treatment., Method: We retrieved eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from CQVIP, CNKI, WanFang, NSTL, PubMed, Embase, and Embase databases from January 2000 to November 2023. Data extraction and quality assessment of the enrolled studies were independently by two reviewers. Review Manager 5.3 was used for meta-analysis., Result: A total of 51 RCTs involving 5,799 children aged 1-14 enrolled. Meta-analysis demonstrated that TCM combined with AZM improved the cure rate (odds ratio [OR] = 2.34, 95% CI: 2.06 to 2.64) and the effective rate (OR = 5.21, 95% CI: 4.22 to 6.43), shorted the disappearance duration of cough (WMD = -1.62, 95% CI: -1.90 to -1.34), the duration of fever (WMD = -1.62, 95% CI: -1.96 to -1.29), and the disappearance time of lung rales (WMD = -1.15, 95% CI: -1.32 to -0.98), improved CRP levels (WMD = -2.06, 95% CI: -2.57 to -1.55), IL-6 levels (WMD = -1.92,95% CI: -2.51 to -1.34), and TNF-α levels (WMD = -1.59, 95% CI: -2.14 to -1.04), and reduced adverse reactions (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.44)., Conclusion: TCM combined with AZM in the treatment of MP among children has favorable clinical efficacy and safety., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lyu, Fan, Li, Wang, Tian, Xu, Zhang and Wang.)

Hepatic fibrosis is the formation of scar tissue in the liver. This scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue and can lead to liver dysfunction and failure if left untreated. It is usually caused by chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis B or C, alcohol abuse, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Pathological angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the development of hepatic fibrosis by promoting the growth of new blood vessels in the liver. These new vessels increase blood flow to the damaged areas of the liver, which triggers the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). HSCs are responsible for producing excess collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins that contribute to the development of fibrosis. Pathological angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the development of hepatic fibrosis by promoting the growth of new blood vessels in the liver. These new vessels increase blood flow to the damaged areas of the liver, which triggers the activation of HSCs. HSCs are responsible for producing excess collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins that contribute to the development of fibrosis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been found to target pathological angiogenesis, thereby providing a potential treatment option for hepatic fibrosis. Several studies have demonstrated that TCM exhibits anti-angiogenic effects by inhibiting the production of pro-angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-2, and by reducing the proliferation of endothelial cells. Reviewing and highlighting the unique TCM recognition of treating hepatic fibrosis by targeting pathological angiogenesis may shed light on future hepatic fibrosis research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Li, Zhu and Ouyang.)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can progress into colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) through the inflammation-cancer sequence. Although the mechanism of carcinogenesis in IBD has not been fully elucidated, the existing research indicates that CAC may represent a fundamentally different pathogenesis pattern of colorectal cancer. At present, there is no proven safe and effective medication to prevent IBD cancer. In recent years, Chinese medicine extracts and Chinese medicine monomers have been the subject of numerous articles about the prevention and treatment of CAC, but their clinical application is still relatively limited. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulas are widely applied in clinical practice. TCM formulas have demonstrated great potential in the prevention and treatment of CAC in recent years, although there is still a lack of review. Our work aimed to summarize the effects and potential mechanisms of TCM formulas for the prevention and treatment of CAC, point out the issues and limitations of the current research, and provide recommendations for the advancement of CAC research in the future. We discovered that TCM formulas regulated many malignant biological processes, such as inflammation-mediated oxidative stress, apoptosis, tumor microenvironment, and intestinal microecology imbalance in CAC, through a review of the articles published in databases such as PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Embase, and CNKI . Several major signal transduction pathways, including NF-κB, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin, HIF-1α, and Nrf2, were engaged. TCM formula may be a promising treatment candidate to control the colitis-cancer transformation, however further high-quality research is required., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wei, Leng, Li, Wang, Chi and Sun.)

Pulmonary inflammation caused by respiratory tract viral infections is usually associated with acute exacerbation of respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, maintaining the pulmonary immune homeostasis is particular important for prevention of the acute exacerbation. Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang (BZYQT), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been broadly used to improve respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders in China for over 700 years. Previously, we have found the regulatory activity of BZYQT on the lower respiratory immune system, while its potential effects during pulmonary inflammation remain unknown. Thus, the current study focused on deciphering its immunomodulatory effect and potential mechanism against pulmonary inflammation by using a viral RNA analogue, poly (I:C), induced murine pulmonary inflammation model and BEAS-2B cell model coupled with network pharmacology. Inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were counted through microscope examination according to the cell's morphology and staining characteristics; protein and gene levels of inflammatory mediators were determined with Elisa and quantitative PCR, respectively; network pharmacology was conducted based on 46 BZYQT-related potential bioactive components, pulmonary inflammation and immune-related targets. Our results indicated that the recruitment of neutrophils and the expression of Adgre1 (encoding the F4/80, which is a macrophage marker) in the lung induced by poly (I:C) were significantly reduced after BZYQT treatment, and these effects were further demonstrated to be related to the interference of leukocyte transendothelial migration from the decreased levels of CXCL10, IL-6, TNF-α, CXCL2, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E/P-selectins. Furthermore, BZYQT inhibited the CXCL10, TNF-α, and IFN-β expression of poly (I:C)-challenged BEAS-2B cells in a dose-dependent manner. Through integrating results from network pharmacology, experiments, and the published literature, isoliquiritigenin, Z -ligustilide, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide III, formononetin, ferulic acid, hesperidin, and cimigenoside were presumed as the bioactive components of BZYQT against pulmonary inflammation. Overall, our findings demonstrated that BZYQT possesses a pronounced immunomodulatory effect on poly (I:C)-induced pulmonary inflammation, which provides a pharmacological basis for BZYQT in the treatment of respiratory disorders., Competing Interests: Author JD was employed by Tong Ren Tang Technologies Co. Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Hu, Yamamoto, Chen, Duan, Du, He, Shi, Yao, Nagai, Kiyohara and Yao.)

Paclitaxel is a prescribed anticancer drug used to treat various cancers. It is a substrate of cytochrome P-450 (CYP-450) enzymes. Despite its efficacy, paclitaxel has severe side effects. Herbal medicines are commonly used to treat the side effects of chemotherapy. They can be administered before, during, and after chemotherapy. Xiang-Sha-Liu-Jun-Zi Tang (XSLJZT) is a herbal formula commonly used in breast cancer patients. The main purpose of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) influence of XSLJZT on paclitaxel PK parameters, determine its effect on CYP-450 enzyme expression, and evaluate its effect on enzyme activity. Sprague Dawley rats were classified into pretreatment and co-treatment groups, where XSLJZT was pre-administered for 3, 5, and 7 days and co-administered 2 h before paclitaxel administration. The rat liver tissues and Hep-G2 cells were used to determine the effects of XSLJZT on CYP3A1/2 and CYP3A4 enzymes respectively. Western blot analysis was used to detect changes in the CYP3A1/2 and CYP3A4 enzymes expression. The influence of XSLJZT on enzyme activity was evaluated using human liver microsomes, and a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric system was developed to monitor paclitaxel levels in rat plasma. Results demonstrated that XSLJZT increased the area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) for paclitaxel in pretreatment groups by 2-, 3-, and 4-fold after 3, 5, and 7 days, respectively. In contrast, no significant change in the AUC was observed in the co-treatment group. However, the half-life was prolonged in all groups from 17.11 min to a maximum of 37.56 min. XSLJZT inhibited CYP3A1/2 expression in the rat liver tissues and CYP3A4 enzymes in Hep-G2 cells in a time-dependent manner, with the highest inhibition observed after 7 days of pretreatment in rat liver tissues. In the enzyme kinetics study, XSLJZT inhibited enzyme activity in a competitive dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, there is a potential interaction between XSLJZT and paclitaxel at different co-treatment and pretreatment time points., Competing Interests: Author LT is employed by Rosetta Pharmamate Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Kapelemera, Uang, Wang, Wu, Lee, Tai, Wang and Lee.)

Myocardial ischemia (MI) is an escalating public health care burden worldwide. Baoyuan decoction (BYD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula with cardioprotective activity; however, its pharmacological characteristics and mechanisms are obscured. Herein, a multi-omics strategy via incorporating the metabonomics, transcriptomics, and pharmacodynamics was adopted to investigate the effects and molecular mechanisms of BYD for treating MI in a rat model of left anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) ligation. The results indicated that BYD has a significantly cardioprotective role against MI by decreasing the infarct size, converting the echocardiographic abnormalities and myocardial enzyme markers, and reversing the serum metabolic disorders and myocardial transcriptional perturbations resulting from MI. Integrated bioinformatics analysis and literature reports constructed the interaction network based on the changes of the key MI targeted-metabolites and transcripts after BYD treatment and disclosed that the cardioprotection of BYD is mainly involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis, oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, cardiac contractile dysfunction, and extracellular matrix remodeling. The results of histopathological examination, quantitative RT-PCR assay, cardiac energy synthesis, and serum antioxidant assessment complemented the multi-omics findings, and indicated the multi-pathway modulation mechanisms of BYD. Our investigation demonstrated that the multi-omics approach could achieve a complementary and verified view for the comprehensive evaluation of therapeutic effects and complex mechanisms of TCMF like BYD.