Agrimoniin is a dual inhibitor of AKT and ERK pathways that inhibit pancreatic cancer cell proliferation.

Molecular-targeted therapy has shown its effectiveness in pancreatic cancer, while single-targeted drug often cannot provide long-term benefit because of drug resistance. Fortunately, multitarget combination therapy can reverse drug resistance and achieve better efficacy. The typical treatment characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine monomer on tumor are multiple targets, with small side effects, low toxicity, and so forth. Agrimoniin has been reported to be effective on some cancers, while the mechanism still needs to be clarified. In this study, we used 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry, and western blot experiments to confirm that agrimoniin can significantly inhibit the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell PANC-1 by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In addition, by using SC79, LY294002 (the agonist or inhibitor of AKT pathway), and U0126 (the inhibitor of ERK pathway), we found that agrimoniin inhibited cell proliferation by simultaneously inhibiting AKT and ERK pathways. Moreover, agrimoniin could significantly increase the inhibitory effect of LY294002 and U0126 on pancreatic cancer cells. Meanwhile, in vivo experiments also supported the above results. In general, agrimoniin is a double-target inhibitor of AKT and ERK pathways in pancreatic cancer cells; it is expected to be used as a resistance reversal agent of targeted drugs or a synergistic drug of the inhibitor of AKT pathway or ERK pathway.

The effects of intensity modulated radiation and the risk factors of radiation pneumonia in elderly patients with esophageal cancer / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of intensity modulated radiation therapy (imRT) and risk factors of radiation pneumonia caused by imRT in elderly patients with esophageal cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 80 elderly patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer and performed imRT in Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Kunshan from February 2018 to February 2020 were analyzed, and the therapeutic effect and the incidence of adverse reactions were counted.Results:In the 80 patients, 13 patients occurred radiation pneumonia.The results of univariate analysis showed that the gender, smoking history, pathological stage and age had no correlation with radiation pneumonia ( P> 0.05), while tumor location, diabetes, concurrent chemotherapy, reradiotherapy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had correlation with the occurrence of radioactive pneumonia ( P<0.05). The levels of V30, V35, V40 between radioactive pneumonia patients and non-radioactive pneumonia patients had no significant differences ( P>0.05), but the levels of V5, V10, V15, V20 and mean lung dose(MLD) between radioactive pneumonia patients and non-radioactive pneumonia patients had significant differences ( P<0.05). The effect of imRT was no remission in 9 cases (11.25%), partial remission in 59 cases (73.75%) and complete remission in 12 cases (15.00%), and the clinical effective rate was 88.75%(71/80). By comparing the adverse reactions caused by imRT, it was found that the incidence of radiation esophagitis, leukopenia, and acute radiation pneumonia were 93.75%(75/80), 12.50%(10/80) and 22.50%(18/80), respectively, with grade 1 and grade 2 adverse reactions. Conclusions:Risk factors for radiation pneumonia in elderly patients with esophageal cancer after imRT include tumor location, diabetes, V5, V10, V15, V20, MLD, concurrent chemotherapy, reradiotherapy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) on Social Interaction and Quality of Life in Patients with Schizophrenia during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Experimental Study

Purpose@#Most patients with schizophrenia exhibit low willingness to return to society because of negative social experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic led to severe social isolation for schizophrenia patients. However, animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can improve individuals' empathy, social functions, and quality of life. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of AAT in improving social interactions and quality of life in patients with chronic schizophrenia during the COVID-19 pandemic. @*Methods@#An experimental study was conducted, with six institutions for psychiatric rehabilitation in Taiwan as the case institutions. Patients in these institutions were randomly allocated to the experimental group, which received 60 minutes of AAT once a week for 12 weeks, or the control group, which engaged in routine discussion groups and watched short films about animals. Comparisons between the two groups were made before and after the intervention on social function, social adaptive function, and quality of life. Data were collected before the intervention (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and 3 months after the intervention (T3). @*Results@#Comparison between groups showed that social functioning was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at T2. However, there was no sign of improvement in social adaptive functions of the experimental group. The experimental group exhibited significantly higher quality of life than the control group at T2 and T3. @*Conclusions@#There was an impact of COVID-19 on the studied effects. AAT improved social functioning and quality of life in patients with chronic schizophrenia. The effect on quality of life lasted only up to 3 months after the intervention. AAT should be promoted for use as a community-based rehabilitation tool in patients with chronic schizophrenia.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2200061715. https://www.chictr.org.cn.

Antiarrhythmic active components in traditional Chinese medicine acting on potassium channels / 中国中药杂志

Arrhythmia is an external manifestation of cardiac electrophysiological disorder. It exists in healthy people and patients with various heart diseases, which is often associated with other cardiovascular diseases. The contraction and diastole of myocardium are inseparable from the movement of ions. There are many ion channels in the membrane and organelle membrane of myocardium. The dynamic balance of myocardial ions is vital in maintaining myocardial electrical homeostasis. Potassium ion channels that have a complex variety and a wide distribution are involved in the whole process of resting potential and action potential of cardiomyocytes. Potassium ion channels play a vital role in maintaining normal electrophysiological activity of myocardium and is one of the pathogenesis of arrhythmia. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has unique advantages in treating arrhythmia for its complex active components and diverse targets. A large number of TCM preparations have definite effect on treating arrhythmia-related diseases, whose antiarrhythmic mechanism may be related to the effect on potassium channel. This article mainly reviewed the relevant studies on the active components in TCM acting on different potassium channels to provide references for clinical drug use and development.

Laser acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure improves low-back pain and quality of life in nurses: A randomized controlled trial / 中西医结合学报

BACKGROUND@#Low-back pain (LBP) in nurses is a major health concern that affects their quality of life and ability to work, with consequences for their economic status.@*OBJECTIVE@#This study evaluates the effect of low-level laser acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure (LAA) on pain intensity, pain interference and quality of life in nurses with LBP.@*DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS@#This randomized controlled trial recruited a convenience sample of hospital-based nurses from one teaching hospital in Taiwan, China. Participants were randomly assigned to the LAA group (n = 38) receiving low-level laser acupuncture and auricular acupressure for 4 weeks, and the control group (n = 38) receiving only sham laser acupuncture treatment without laser energy output.@*MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES@#Data were collected for the primary pain outcome using the Short Form of the Brief Pain Inventory, while the secondary outcome, quality of life, was evaluated using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. Both primary and secondary outcomes were scored before the intervention, and after 2-week and 4-week intervention. The rate of LBP recurrence was evaluated at the 4th week and 8th week after the end of intervention.@*RESULTS@#After controlling for prior pain, the result of linear mixed model analysis showed trends in significant between-group differences in the level of current pain occurring in week 4 (P < 0.001), worst pain in week 2 (P < 0.001) and week 4 (P < 0.001), least pain in week 2 (P = 0.032) and week 4 (P < 0.001), pain interference in week 2 (P = 0.009) and week 4 (P < 0.001), and in the life dysfunction in week 2 (P < 0.001) and week 4 (P < 0.001). Recurrence rates of LBP at the 4th and 8th weeks after the end of intervention were 0% and 36.89% in the LAA group, and 69.44% and 36.11% in the control group.@*CONCLUSION@#This study shows that 4-week LAA intervention reduced pain intensity and pain interference, and improved quality of life for hospital-based nurses with LBP. These effects were maintained continuously for at least 4 weeks after the intervention. The nonpharmacological intervention, LAA, may be another efficacious, feasible, noninvasive, analgesic intervention for LBP.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#This study is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (registration number NCT04423445).

Mechanism of Cistanches Herba in treatment of cancer-related fatigue based on network pharmacology and experimental verification / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of Cistanches Herba in the treatment of cancer-induced fatigue(CRF) by network pharmacology combined with in vivo and in vitro experiments to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical medication. The chemical constituents and targets of Cistanches Herba were searched from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). The targets of CRF were screened out by GeneCards and NCBI. The common targets of traditional Chinese medicine and disease were selected to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. A visual signal pathway rela-ted to Chinese medicine and disease targets was constructed. The CRF model was induced by paclitaxel(PTX) in mice. Mice were divided into a control group, a PTX model group, and low-and high-dose Cistanches Herba extract groups(250 and 500 mg·kg~(-1)). The anti-CRF effect in mice was evaluated by open field test, tail suspension test, and exhaustive swimming time, and the pathological morphology of skeletal muscle was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The cancer cachexia model in C2C12 muscle cells was induced by C26 co-culture, and the cells were divided into a control group, a conditioned medium model group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose Cistanches Herba extract groups(62.5, 125, and 250 μg·mL~(-1)). The reactive oxygen species(ROS) content in each group was detected by flow cytometry, and the intracellular mitochondrial status was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. The protein expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α), BNIP3L, and Beclin-1 were detected by Western blot. Six effective constituents were screened out from Cistanches Herba. The core genes of Cistanches Herba in treating CRF were AKT1, IL-6, VEGFA, CASP3, JUN, EGFR, MYC, EGF, MAPK1, PTGS2, MMP9, IL-1B, FOS, and IL10, and the pathways related to CRF were AGE-RAGE and HIF-1α. Through GO enrichment analysis, it was found that the main biological functions involved were lipid peroxidation, nutrient deficiency, chemical stress, oxidative stress, oxygen content, and other biological processes. The results of the in vivo experiment showed that Cistanches Herba extract could significantly improve skeletal muscle atrophy in mice to relieve CRF. The in vitro experiment showed that Cistanches Herba extract could significantly reduce the content of intracellular ROS, the percentage of mitochondrial fragmentation, and the protein expression of Beclin-1 and increase the number of autophagosomes and the protein expression of HIF-1α and BNIP3L. Cistanches Herba showed a good anti-CRF effect, and its mechanism may be related to the key target proteins in the HIF-1α signaling pathway.

Effects of cysteine addition to low-fishmeal diets on the growth, anti-oxidative stress, intestine immunity, and Streptococcus agalactiae resistance in juvenile golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus).

As the precursor of taurine, cysteine serves physiological functions, such as anti-oxidative stress and immune improvement. Investigation of cysteine and its derivatives has made positive progress in avian and mammalian species, yet the study and application of cysteine in aquatic animals are relatively rare. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of supplementing a low-fishmeal diet with various levels of cysteine on the growth, antioxidant capacity, intestine immunity, and resistance against Streptococcus agalactiae of the juvenile golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). According to our study, exogenous supplementation with 0.6-1.2% cysteine greatly increased the final body weight (FBW) and specific growth rate (SGR) of golden pompano compared to the control group. Under the present conditions, the optimum dietary cysteine supplementation level for golden pompano was 0.91% based on the polynomial regression analysis of SGR. Meanwhile, we found that the Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 signaling pathway was notably upregulated with the increase of exogenous cysteine, which increased antioxidant enzyme activity in serum and gene expression in the intestine and reduced the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the serum of golden pompano. In addition, morphological analysis of the midgut demonstrated that exogenous cysteine improved muscle thickness and villi length, which suggested that the physical barrier of the intestine was greatly strengthened by cysteine. Moreover, cysteine increased the diversity and relative abundance of the intestinal flora of golden pompano. Cysteine suppressed intestinal NF-κB/IKK/IκB signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels. Conversely, intestinal anti-inflammatory cytokine gene expression and serum immune parameters were upregulated with the supplementary volume of cysteine and improved intestine immunity. Further, exogenous cysteine supplementation greatly reduced the mortality rate of golden pompano challenged with S. agalactiae. In general, our findings provide more valuable information and new insights into the rational use of cysteine in the culture of healthy aquatic animals.

Artemisinin suppressed tumour growth and induced vascular normalisation in oral squamous cell carcinoma via inhibition of macrophage migration inhibitory factor.

BACKGROUND: Tumour vascular normalisation therapy advocates a balance between pro-angiogenic factors and anti-angiogenic factors in tumours. Artemisinin (ART), which is derived from traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to inhibit tumour growth; however, the relationship between ART and tumour vascular normalisation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been previously reported. METHODS: Different concentrations(0 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg)of ART were used to treat the xenograft nude mice model of OSCC. The effects of ART on migration and proliferation of OSCC and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cells were detected by scratch assay and CCK-8 assay. OSCC cells with macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) silenced were constructed to explore the effect of MIF. RESULTS: Treatment with ART inhibited the growth and angiogenesis of OSCC xenografts in nude mice and downregulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), IL-8, and MIF expression levels. ART reduced the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of HUVEC, as well as the expression of VEGFR1 and VEGFR2. When the dose of ART was 50 mg/kg, vascular normalisation of OSCC xenografts was induced. Moreover, VEGF and IL-8 were needed in rhMIF restoring tumour growth and inhibit vascular normalisation after the addition of rhMIF to ART-treated cells. CONCLUSION: Artemisinin might induce vascular normalisation and inhibit tumour growth in OSCC through the MIF-signalling pathway.

Effects of exogenous taurine supplementation on the growth, antioxidant capacity, intestine immunity, and resistance against Streptococcus agalactiae in juvenile golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) fed with a low-fishmeal diet.

Taurine has various biological functions in fish, playing an essential role in growth, resistance to oxidative stress, and intestine immunity. Here, we evaluated the effects of exogenous taurine added to low-fishmeal diets on the growth, anti-oxidative stress, intestine immunity, and Streptococcus agalactiae resistance in juvenile golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). Our study showed that exogenous taurine supplementation of 1.2% (T3 group) greatly enhanced the weight gain rate and specific growth rate (SGR) of juvenile golden pompano, significantly upregulating growth-related factor expression in the brain and liver, as well as the levels of growth-related parameters in the serum. Polynomial regression analysis using SGR estimated the optimal dietary taurine level for golden pompano at 1.18%. Moderate exogenous taurine also increased the muscular thickness and villus length within the intestine, maintained intestinal physical barrier stability, activated the Nrf2/Keap-1/HO-1 signaling pathway, increased intestinal antioxidant enzyme gene expression and antioxidant enzyme activity in the serum, and upregulated immunoglobulin and complement levels in parallel with declining reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the serum. Antioxidant factor expression was also upregulated in the intestine. Furthermore, supplementation suppressed NF-κB signaling and intestinal pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression, increased anti-inflammatory cytokine gene expression, and improved intestine immunity. Finally, taurine supplementation improved the survival rate of golden pompano challenged with S. agalactiae. Overall, our findings provide additional information and support for the rational use of taurine in healthy aquatic animal farming.

Construction of a magnetic solid-phase extraction method for the analysis of azole pesticides residue in medicinal plants.

In this work, a sensitive and cost-effective method for the quantitative analysis of azole pesticides residues in six medicinal plants was established based on magnetic cyclodextrin crosslinked with tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile (Fe3O4@TFN-CDPs) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Through characterization analysis, the outer shell of Fe3O4@TFN-CDPs has observed coating with a network of the polymer and forming a core-shell structure. Under the optimum conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) and limits of qualification (LOQs) of target pesticides were ranged from 0.011 to 0.106 µg Kg-1 and from 0.036 to 0.354 µg Kg-1, respectively. Finally, the achieved recoveries of pesticides in six medicinal samples fluctuated from 60.1% to 102.3%. Altogether, this method based on Fe3O4@TFN-CDPs composites provided a new idea for the analysis of trace pesticides in complicated matrices.

Berberine alleviates programmed necrosis of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease via activating Nrf2 pathway in mice / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To investigate the effect of berberine on programmed necrosis of hepatocytes induced by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in mice and its related molecular mechanism. Methods: Twenty male C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into four groups (n=5 in each group): control group (S), fatty liver group (H), berberine group(B), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 inhibitor group (Nrf2), and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) group (A). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentrations were detected at the end of week 12 to calculate fatty liver index (liver mass/body mass ratio). Liver tissue was stained with HE, Masson and Oil Red O, and SAF score was used to evaluate the degree of liver injury. The expression levels of hepatic programmed necrosis-related proteins, namely receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), phosphorylated mixed series protease-like domain (p-MLKL) and Nrf2 were detected by Western blot method. One-way ANOVA was used for intragroup comparisons and LSD-t tests were used for intergroup comparisons. Results: Compared with S group, H group serum ALT, AST, LDH, TG, TC, TNF-α, IL-1β levels and fatty liver index were significantly increased. The liver tissue was filled with vacuolar-like changes and inflammatory cell infiltration. Numerous red lipid droplets were observed with oil red O staining. Collagen fiber hyperplasia was evident with Masson staining. SAF scores (6.60 ± 0.55 and 0.80 ± 0.45) were significantly increased. The expressions of RIPK3 and p-MLKL were up-regulated. Nrf2 level was relatively increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with H group, berberine intervention group liver biochemical indexes, lipid levels, pro-inflammatory mediator expression, fatty liver index, and SAF score were significantly reduced, and the expression of RIPK3 and p-MLKL were down-regulated, while Nrf2 levels were further increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with B group, treatment with Nrf2 inhibitor had antagonized the protective effect of berberine on fatty liver. Serum ALT, AST, LDH, TG, TC and TNF-α, IL-1β levels, fatty liver index, and SAF scores were significantly increased and the expressions of RIPK3 and p-MLKL were relatively increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Berberine can significantly improve the metabolic-associated fatty liver disease injury in mice, and its mechanism is related to activation of Nrf2 and inhibition of programmed necrosis of hepatocytes.

Research progress of vitamin D and obstetric maternal and infant outcomes / 中国综合临床

Vitamin D is a fat soluble steroid derivative, which is very important to maintain human normal physiological function. It plays an important role in embryogenesis, bone development and calcium homeostasis. Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in the world, and the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is also significantly increased, accompanied by adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, such as gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, premature delivery, and low birth weight. At present, there is no consensus on whether vitamin D supplementation is helpful to improve the prognosis of mothers and infants, and whether vitamin D is the etiology or marker of adverse pregnancy outcome. This paper reviews the latest research progress on the relationship between vitamin D level during pregnancy and maternal and infant outcomes.

Residual status, toxicity, and analytical method of banned pesticides in traditional Chinese medicines / 中国中药杂志

A total of 33 pesticides have been banned from Chinese medicinal materials and decoction pieces(plants) according to Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). According to the chemical structures, they are mainly divided into seven categories: organophosphorus compounds, organochlorines, carbamates, amidines, sulfonylureas, phenylpyrazoles, and ethers. These banned pesticides exhibit neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, immune system toxicity, teratogenicity, carcinogenesis, and mutagenesis, seriously damaging human and animal health. They affect not only the quality and safety of traditional Chinese medicines and resulting products, but also their competitiveness in the international market. Due to the numerous varieties of traditional Chinese medicines and their complex substrates, it is necessary to establish a universal and highly sensitive method for pesticide residue detection. This review systematically summarized the residual status, toxicity, and analytical methods of banned pesticides in traditional Chinese medicines, and forecasted the prospects of different analytical techniques, so as to provide reference for further safety and risk assessment of banned pesticide residues in traditional Chinese medicines, thus ensuring the safe production of traditional Chinese medicines.

Effect of Fang's scalp acupuncture on perceived stress and sleep structure in insomnia patients: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy on insomnia between Fang 's scalp acupuncture combined with conventional acupuncture and the simple conventional acupuncture.@*METHODS@#A total of 66 patients with insomnia were randomly divided into an observation group (33 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (33 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the control group, the routine acupuncture therapy was applied to Shenmen (HT 7), Baihui (GV 20), Zhaohai (KI 6) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. Based on the treatment as the control group, Fang's scalp acupuncture therapy was supplemented at fuxiang tou, fuzang shangjiao, fuzang zhongjiao, siwei, etc. At these scalp points, the needles were inserted perpendicularly with flying needling technique and manipulated with trembling one. In either group, the treatment was given once daily, continuously for 2 weeks. Before and after treatment, separately, the score of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and the score of Chinese perceived stress scale (CPSS) were observed, as well as the parameters monitored by polysomnography, i.g. total sleep time (TST), sleep onset latency (SOL), wakefulness after the sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE), the percentages of the time of rapid eye movement sleep phase (REM) and non-rapid eye movement sleep phase 1, 2, 3 and 4 in TST (REM%, N1%, N2%, N3%). The efficacy was compared between two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the scores of each factor and the total scores of PSQI, as well as CPSS scores were all lower than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01, P<0.05); except the score for sleep quality, the score of each factor and the total score of PSQI, as well as CPSS score in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). After treatment, TST, SE%, REM% and N3% were increased and SOL, WASO, N1% were decreased as compared with before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01, P<0.05), and N2% in the observation group was decreased (P<0.01); SE%, REM% and N3% in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05) and N1% and N2% were lower than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.8% (30/32) in the observation group, higher than 87.1% (27/31) in the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Fang 's scalp acupuncture, on the base of routine acupuncture, obviously improves the sleep quality and perceived stress and adjusts the sleep structure in the patients with insomnia.

Intervention effect of health management with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine on risk factors in middle-aged and elderly high-risk population of stroke in the community / 中华全科医师杂志

From January to July 2017, 872 high-risk middle-aged and elderly patients of stroke who visited general practice clinics in 10 community health service centers in Shanghai were enrolled in the study. Cluster randomization was used to select 427 patients from 5 community centers as the intervention group, and 445 patients from other 5 community centers as the control group. The intervention group received health education and traditional Chinese exercise training on the basis of conventional treatment;while the control group received conventional treatment only. After 12 months of intervention physical examinations and related laboratory tests were performed,and the risk factors were compared between two groups before and after the intervention. The results showed that there were significant differences in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure,blood urea nitrogen (BUN),creatinine (Cr) and homocysteine before and after the intervention in both groups (all P<0.05); and compared the control group the improvement of above indicators was more marked in the intervention group. There was no significant difference in cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein between the two groups before and after the intervention ( P>0.05). The health management with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine can effectively control some risk factors of stroke for middle-aged and elderly people, which is beneficial for the prevention and control of stroke in the community.

DNA barcoding of Gentiana crassicaulis in Lijiang and evaluation of root processing methods / 药学学报

The key factors for producing the best quality Chinese herbal medicines are high-quality germplasm, suitable cultivation area and the proper processing methods for herbal raw materials. Gentiana crassicaulis in Gentiana (Sect. Cruciata), Gentianaceae is one of the original plants of the Chinese herb Qinjiao (Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix), and its type specimen was collected in Lijiang, Yunnan. There is a long planting history of the herb in this area. In this study a sampling plot was designated in these traditional planting areas. G. crassicaulis was planted and herbal raw materials were harvested from the plot. The raw materials were prepared locally and at a pharmaceutical factory in Shanghai using processing methods such as "sweating" or "no sweating", "slicing" or "no slicing" (whole root), and "stoving" or "no stoving" (air drying). The quality of all processed samples was evaluated. In addition, molecular markers were determined for identifying cultivated and wild samples from Lijiang, Yunnan. The results are as follows: ① Samples from the sampling plot and the field are taxonomically identified as Gentiana crassicaulis. ② A total of 270 sequences of trnC-GCA-petN, atpB-rbcL, psbN, ndhB-rps7 and ycf1 were obtained, and three genotypes were determined from the cultivated samples; the type III was shared by both cultivated and wild plants. Based on the molecular markers, a DNA barcoding method to identify cultivated and wild samples of G. crassicaulis from Lijiang, Yunnan was established. ③ Total content of loganic acid and gentiopicroside in all samples was ≥ 2.5%, and above the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020) limit. ④ In HPLC fingerprinting, 9 common peaks were assigned and similarity between all samples was > 0.999; and ⑤ In a PCA score plot all slice samples were clustered, while whole root samples were scattered. Therefore, our studies could provide basic data for optimizing the processing method, producing best quality Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, and evaluating the quality of different ecotype varieties and the multiple origin of herbal medicines.

Gill oxidative damage caused by acute ammonia stress was reduced through the HIF-1α/NF-κb signaling pathway in golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus).

This study aimed to investigate the intoxication mechanism of golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) exposed to high ammonia levels and the effects on the immune and antioxidant mechanisms of gills. Juvenile golden pompano was exposed to ammonia (total ammonia: 26.9 mg/L) to induce 96 h of ammonia stress, and a 96 h recovery experiment was performed after poisoning. Then, we evaluated hematological parameters, the histological structure and the expression of related genes. In this experiment, continuous exposure to high levels of ammonia led to a significant increase in plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (P < 0.05), and the levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression of antioxidant genes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) increased (P < 0.05). These results indicate that ammonia activates the active osmotic regulatory mechanism of fish gills and participates in defense and immune responses. However, with prolonged exposure to ammonia, the balance of the defense system is disrupted, leading to oxidative damage and inflammation of the gill tissue. This research not only helps elucidate the intoxication mechanism of golden pompano by ammonia at the molecular level but also provides a theoretical basis for further research on detoxification mechanisms.

The Safety and Efficacy of Rivaroxaban Compared with Warfarin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

AIMS: This meta-analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and diabetes mellitus. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched from the establishment of databases up to 15 October 2019. Studies on efficacy and safety outcomes of rivaroxaban and warfarin were included. Efficacy and safety outcomes, including stroke, ischemic stroke, stroke or systemic embolism, myocardial infarction, major adverse cardiac events, major bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage, and major gastrointestinal bleeding were collected for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Compared with warfarin, rivaroxaban could significantly reduce stroke (risk ratio [RR] 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63-0.95; P = 0.01), ischemic stroke (RR 0.74; 95% CI 0.63-0.87; P = 0.0004), stroke or systemic embolism (RR 0.73; 95% CI 0.60-0.89; P = 0.002), myocardial infarction (RR 0.68; 95% CI 0.56-0.82; P < 0.0001), and major adverse cardiac events (RR 0.71; 95% CI 0.53-0.94; P = 0.02) in patients with AF and diabetes. Moreover, rivaroxaban was associated with a lower risk of major bleeding (RR 0.79; 95% CI 0.65-0.96; P = 0.02), intracranial hemorrhage (RR 0.52; 95% CI 0.39-0.69; P < 0.00001), and major gastrointestinal bleeding (RR 0.74; 95% CI 0.56-0.98; P = 0.04). Similar results were obtained in stratified meta-analysis of cohort studies. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests a favorable risk-benefit profile of rivaroxaban, with superior efficacy and safety over warfarin in patients with AF and diabetes.

Overview of quality standards of Eucommiae Cortex in China and overseas / 中国中药杂志

Eucommiae Cortex is an authentic medicinal material with broad growing areas( such as Hunan and Sichuan provinces in China. It is well-known for its efficacy in tonifying liver and kidney,strengthening muscles and bones,and stabilizing fetus. It has also been proven in pharmacology to possess the functions such as lowering blood pressure and lipids. Hence,Eucommiae Cortex has attracted increasing attention. The current quality standards of Eucommiae Cortex vary in different countries or regions. The quality of Eucommiae Cortex products on the market is affected by mix-ups of non-medicinal parts and insufficient growth years. In view of these problems,this paper summarizes the current quality standards and research progress of Eucommiae Cortex in China and overseas,aiming to provide a reference for the establishment of the quality standards of Eucommiae Cortex.