Exploring the "gene-metabolite" network of ischemic stroke with blood stasis and toxin syndrome by integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics strategy.

A research model combining a disease and syndrome can provide new ideas for the treatment of ischemic stroke. In the field of traditional Chinese medicine, blood stasis and toxin (BST) syndrome is considered an important syndrome seen in patients with ischemic stroke (IS). However, the biological basis of IS-BST syndrome is currently not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the biological mechanism of IS-BST syndrome. This study is divided into two parts: (1) establishment of an animal model of ischemic stroke disease and an animal model of BST syndrome in ischemic stroke; (2) use of omics methods to identify differentially expressed genes and metabolites in the models. We used middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery to establish the disease model, and utilized carrageenan combined with active dry yeast and MCAO surgery to construct the IS-BST syndrome model. Next, we used transcriptomics and metabolomics methods to explore the differential genes and metabolites in the disease model and IS-BST syndrome model. It is found that the IS-BST syndrome model exhibited more prominent characteristics of IS disease and syndrome features. Both the disease model and the IS-BST syndrome model share some common biological processes, such as thrombus formation, inflammatory response, purine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and so on. Results of the "gene-metabolite" network revealed that the IS-BST syndrome model exhibited more pronounced features of complement-coagulation cascade reactions and amino acid metabolism disorders. Additionally, the "F2 (thrombin)-NMDAR/glutamate" pathway was coupled with the formation process of the blood stasis and toxin syndrome. This study reveals the intricate mechanism of IS-BST syndrome, offering a successful model for investigating the combination of disease and syndrome.

Clinical report on 5 cases of advanced malignancies with blood stasis and toxin treated by collateral disease theory.

BACKGROUND: "Collateral disease theory", as an important theory of traditional Chinese medicine, is often used in the clinical treatment of tumors, showing a remarkable effect, especially in advanced malignancies with blood stasis and toxin. METHODS: In this study, we analyzed 5 cases of advanced malignancies, and discussed the efficacy of collateral disease theory in advanced malignancies with blood stasis and toxin. The 5 cases were suffered from right lung squamous cell carcinoma, left lung squamous cell carcinoma, stage IV endometrial carcinoma, right submandibular lymphatic follicular lymphoma and right lower lung cancer, respectively. Combining with the pathogenesis of collateral disease in traditional Chinese medicine dialectically and taking insect medicine as an example, traditional Chinese medicine was prescribed. Furthermore, the application effect of "collateral disease theory" in malignancy with blood stasis and toxin was explored. RESULTS: After treated with traditional Chinese medicine, the tumor lesions in the 5 cases were reduced to varying degrees. CONCLUSION: The treatment based on "collateral disease theory" is effective for advanced malignancy with blood stasis and toxin, but this finding needs to be verified by prospective studies.