[Exploring the mechanisms of Jujing pill on varicocele-associated male infertility via network pharmacology and molecular docking technology].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential mechanism of treating varicocele-associated male infertility with Jujing pill using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. METHODS: The TCMSP and BATMAN databases were used to search for the Chinese medicine components of the Jujing pill and obtain the corresponding targets. The databases GeneCards, DISGENET, OMIM, and HPO were searched for 'varicocele' and 'male infertility' to identify the potential targets of varicocele-associated male infertility. Wayne diagrams were drawn using the jvenn tool to determine the intersection targets of the Chinese medicine targets and disease targets. The intersecting targets were further analyzed to identify the components and Chinese medicine corresponding to them. A Chinese medicine-active ingredient-target network map was constructed in Cytoscape 3.8.2. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the intersecting targets was constructed using the STRING platform. The intersecting targets were imported into the DAVID database for GO enrichment analysis and KEGG-based pathway enrichment analysis. The KEGG database was used to select the most relevant pathway to the topic, and a KEGG pathway map was constructed using the mapper tool. The top 15 pathways with FDR values and their related targets and components were used to draw a core ingredient-target-pathway map. Finally, molecular docking was performed to verify the protein receptors and small molecule ligands of the core genes, and the results were visualized using AutoDock and PyMol software. RESULTS: A total of 207 ingredients and 1103 predicted targets of Jujing pill were screened. Additionally, 285 targets of varicocele were also identified. By using a Venn diagram, 86 common targets were obtained. The analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) results revealed significant enrichment in various biological processes (BP) such as positive regulation of gene expression, positive regulation of transcription, positive and negative regulation of apoptotic processes, response to hypoxia, response to estradiol, and positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthesis processes. Furthermore, significant enrichment in cellular components (CC) was observed in macromolecules, cytoplasm, nucleus, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex. In terms of molecular function (MF), enrichment was found in enzyme binding, identical protein binding, transcriptional co-activator binding, and others. KEGG analysis demonstrated enrichment in pathways related to cancer, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, HIF-1 signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, and more. Molecular docking results indicated that the core ingredients exhibited a strong binding capacity with the key targets. Conclusion： The effective active ingredients of Jujing pill exert their therapeutic effects on varicocele-associated male infertility through multiple targets and pathways. These findings provide a theoretical basis for future cell and animal experiments to verify the mechanism of action of Jujing pill in treating varicocele-associated male infertility.

[Action mechanism of Professor Xu Fusong's Shuilu Erxian Dan in the treatment of premature ejaculation: An exploration based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the potential action mechanism of Shuilu Erxian Dan in the treatment of premature ejaculation based on network pharmacology. METHODS: The TCMSP database was searched for the main chemical constituents of Euryale and golden cherry, the core components of Shuilu Erxian Dan. Oral bioavailability and medicinal properties were set as the parameters for screening active components, premature ejaculation-related disease targets retrieved from the DisGeNET, GeneCards, OMIM and TTD databases, the common targets of drug pairs and diseases identified with the Wayne diagram, and a drug-active ingredient-target-disease network map constructed with the software Cytoscape. A PPI network map designed through the STRING platform, the website Metascape used for GO and KEGG analyses of the common targets, and the protein receptors and small molecular ligands of the core genes employed for molecular docking and PyMOL visualization. RESULTS: A total of 7 chemical constituents and 171 predictive targets, 1 918 premature ejaculation targets and 113 common targets were identified. GO analysis showed significant enrichment of BP in response to toxic substances and inorganic substances, CC in membrane raft and plasma membrane protein complex, and MF in transcription factor binding and kinase binding. KEGG analysis manifested markedly enriched TNF signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway and Cocaine addiction. The results of molecular docking exhibited a good binding energy between the core gene and the component. CONCLUSION: Network pharmacology has revealed the potential action mechanism of Shuilu Erxian Dan in the treatment of premature ejaculation, which has paved the theoretical ground for verification of the effectiveness of Shuilu Erxian Dan in the treatment of premature ejaculation via animals and cells.

[Correlations between resting-state brain functional characteristics and TCM syndrome in premature ejaculation patients with heart-kidney disharmony].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the characteristics of resting-state brain function and the types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome in premature ejaculation (PE) patients with heart-kidney disharmony, and the pathogenesis of abnormal ejaculation of the patients. METHODS: We enrolled 33 PE patients with heart-kidney disharmony and 32 healthy controls matched in general demographic data, evaluated the severity of the main and concurrent symptoms of PE using the PE Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) and TCM Syndrome Scale (TCMSS), and obtained the brain structural and functional MRI data. We processed the collected data and calculated the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF) and regional homogeneity (Reho) of the brain with the DPABI software. Using the REST software package, we compared the significantly different brain areas between the PE and control groups by two-sample t-test and corrected the results for multiple comparisons by AlphaSim, followed by Pearson correlation analysis of ALFF, fALFF and Reho in abnormal brain areas and the PEDT and CMSS scores of the patients. RESULTS: The PE patients showed decreased ALFF values in the bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus and left orbital part of the inferior frontal gyrus, and increased ALFF values in the bilateral hippocampus, thalamus and precuneus, right inferior occipital gyrus, right calcarine and left inferior parietal, with positive correlations of the ALFF values of the left thalamus with the scores on PEDT (r = 0.35, P < 0.05) and TCMSS (r = 0.44, P < 0.05). The fALFF values of the patients were also decreased in the left temporal pole of the middle temporal gyrus and left anterior cingulate gyrus, but increased in the left inferior temporal gyrus. The Reho values of the patients were decreased as well in the right inferior temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus and right precuneus, but increased in the left temporal pole of the middle temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus, with negative correlations between the Reho value of the right superior parietal gyrus and TCMSS scores (r = －0.35, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Abnormal brain regions were found in PE patients with heart-kidney disharmony, with might be the pathologically associated with PE symptoms and heart-kidney disharmony of the patients.

[Personality characteristics of erectile dysfunction patients with different traditional Chinese medicine syndromes].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between personality characteristics and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes in ED patients. METHODS: We collected the general demographic data from 97 ED patients with different types of TCM syndromes, including the syndromes of liver-qi depression, fear-induced kidney injury, vital gate fire declination, heart and spleen deficiency, downward diffusion of damp-heat, yin-deficiency and fire-hyperactivity, and blood vessel stasis and obstruction. Using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), we analyzed the personality types of the patients by comparing their EPQ scores with those of the adult males in the national norm group. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found between the ED patients and the males in the national norm group in the EPQ scores on neuroticism (11.97 ± 5.58 vs 4.61 ± 2.93, P < 0.01) and extraversion-introversion (10.06 ± 3.66 vs 7.38 ± 2.85, P < 0.01). Different personality types were significantly associated with the TCM syndrome types of the ED patients (P < 0.01), choleric temperament and melancholic temperament correlated with the syndrome of liver-qi depression (P < 0.01), and sanguine temperament with that of fear-induced kidney injury (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: TCM syndrome differentiation has underlying correlations with personality characteristics. It is clinically feasible to divide ED into more subtypes based on correlation of the TCM syndrome differentiation with personality characteristics of the patient.

[Changes in the functional connectivity of the thalamus in insomniac ED patients with yin deficiency and fire syndrome: An exploration based on functional MRI findings].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of nocturnal erectile function and functional connectivity (FC) of bilateral thalami in insomniac ED patients with yin deficiency and fire syndrome. METHODS: We enrolled 30 healthy controls and 87 ED patients with yin deficiency and fire syndrome, 41 with and the other 46 without insomnia. Using IIEF-5 and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), we evaluated the nocturnal erectile function and sleep quality of the patients and compared the clinical indicators between the two groups. Then we collected and preprocessed the MRI data on the cerebral function of the 15 ED patients with insomnia, another 15 without insomnia and the 30 healthy controls. With the thalamus as the region of interest (ROI), we calculated and compared the FC values of brain regions between the ED patients (with or without insomnia) and healthy controls, and corrected the results for multiple comparisons using the AlphaSim method. RESULTS: Compared with the patients without insomnia, those with insomnia had a lower duration of erectile episode and tumescence and rigidity activity units in the tip of the penis. With the left thalamus as the ROI, the right middle frontal gyrus and inferior parietal were shown to be the differential brain regions among the three groups. Compared with the healthy controls, the patients without insomnia showed decreased FC values between the left thalamus and left orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus, insula, putamen and right thalamus, while those with insomnia exhibited decreased FC values between the left thalamus and bilateral middle frontal gyri, inferior parietal, calcarine fissure, parahippocampal gyrus, left superior parietal gyrus, right precuneus and inferior temporal gyrus, and they also exhibited decreased FC values between the left thalamus and middle frontal gyrus in comparison with those without insomnia. With the right thalamus as the ROI, the left medial superior frontal gyrus, bilateral calcarine fissure and right thalamus were found to be the differential brain regions among the three groups. Compared with the healthy controls, the patients without insomnia showed decreased FC values between the right thalamus (including the right thalamus itself) and left medial orbital superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus (temporal pole), middle temporal gyrus, insula and right orbital part of the inferior frontal gyrus, while those with insomnia manifested decreased FC values between the right thalamus and middle frontal gyrus, inferior parietal, left superior parietal gyrus and calcarine fissure, and they also manifested increased FC values between the right thalamus and medial superior frontal gyrus, and decreased FC values between the right thalamus and left calcarine fissure in comparison with those without insomnia. CONCLUSION: ED patients with insomnia have more serious clinical symptoms, with FC changes in the thalamocortical loop, which might be the pathological mechanisms of ED with insomnia.

[Pressing acupuncture therapy combined with auricular pressure beans for the treatment of chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of the pressing acupuncture therapy (PAT) combined with auricular pressure beans in the treatment of chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). METHODS: We selected 50 cases of CP/CPPS confirmed in our Department of Andrology from January to December 2019 and randomly divided them into an observation (n = 25) and a control group (n = 25), the former treated by PAT combined with auricular pressure beans in addition to medication, and the latter with auricular pressure beans in combination with drug therapy, both for 14 successive days. We compared the scores on NIH-CPSI and General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ) between the two groups of patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the patients in the observation group, compared with the controls, showed a significantly higher total effectiveness rate (92% vs 68%, P < 0.05) and GCQ score (ï¼»95.00 ± 9.39ï¼½ vs ï¼»80.16 ± 9.96ï¼½, P < 0.05), and a lower pain symptom score ( ï¼»6.92 ± 2.34ï¼½ vs ï¼»10.08 ± 2.22ï¼½, P < 0.05), urination symptom score (ï¼»3.16 ± 1.46ï¼½ vs ï¼»4.80 ± 1.19ï¼½, P < 0.05), quality of life score (ï¼»4.68 ± 1.35ï¼½ vs ï¼»6.80 ± 1.71ï¼½, P < 0.05) and total NIH-CPSI score (ï¼»14.76 ± 3.31ï¼½ vs ï¼»23.68 ± 3.05ï¼½, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The pressing acupuncture therapy, with the advantage of dynamic needle retention with good compliance, can relieve the clinical symptoms of CP/CPPS and improve the life comfort of the patients, and is therefore worthy of further clinical research and application.

[Acupoint application combined with virtual reality technology to relieve pain after circumcision in children].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of acupoint application combined with virtual reality (VR) technology in relieving pain after circumcision in children. METHODS: Using a random number table, we divided 106 children undergoing circumcision into a control and an intervention group of an equal number, the former receiving routine nursing care, and the latter acupoint application combined with VR technology. We compared between the two groups the postoperative pain scores with the Changhai pain ruler, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) scores, and the satisfaction of the patients and their families. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, the patients in the intervention group showed a significantly lower HAMA score (ï¼»2.94 ± 0.98ï¼½ vs ï¼»1.06 ± 0.92ï¼½, P < 0.05) and postoperative pain score (ï¼»5.96 ± 1.24ï¼½ vs ï¼»3.66 ± 1.18ï¼½, P < 0.05), but higher satisfaction in the patients and their families (86.79% vs 98.11%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acupoint application combined with VR technology for children after circumcision has the advantages of effectively relieving the anxiety of the patients, distracting their attention, increasing the pain perception threshold, reducing the perception of pain, improving the satisfaction of the patients and their family members.