Association between blood manganese levels and depressive symptoms among US adults: A nationally representative cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicated that manganese (Mn) levels were inconsistently associated with the prevalence of depression. We aimed to evaluate whether blood Mn concentrations were associated with the risk of depression among US adults. METHODS: Using the NHANES 2011-2019 datasets, we conducted a cross-sectional study in 16,572 eligible participants with complete data on blood Mn concentrations and depression diagnosis. A weighted multivariable logistic model and restricted cubic spline model were applied to explore the association and dose-response relationship of blood Mn concentrations with depression risk in the total population and subgroups. RESULTS: In the total population, compared with the lowest reference group of blood Mn, participants in the second, third, and fourth quartile had an OR of 0.84 (95%CI: 0.66, 1.07), 0.93 (95%CI: 0.73, 1.19) and 0.91 (95%CI: 0.71, 1.15) for depression (ptrend = 0.640). In subgroup analyses, doubling of blood Mn concentrations was associated with a 0.83-fold (95%CI: 0.67, 1.02), 0.30 -fold (0.14, 0.65) decreased risk of depression in females and other ethnic groups, respectively. Significant modification effects of ethnicity on the association of blood Mn concentrations with depression risk were observed. LIMITATIONS: cross-sectional study design and self-reported depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated blood Mn concentrations were associated with decreased depression risk in females and other specific subgroups. Mn supplementation could be a potential pathway for intervention and prevention of depression.

[CiteSpace knowledge map of research hotspots and frontiers of Polygalae Radix].

In this study, the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) were searched comprehensively for the literature about the research on Polygalae Radix. After manual screening, 1 207 Chinese articles and 263 English articles were included in this study. Excel was used to draw the line chart of the annual number of relevant publications. CiteSpace 6.1.R3 was used for the visual analysis of author cooperation, publishing institutions, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, and bursts in the research on Polygalae Radix. The results showed that the number of articles published in Chinese and English increased linearly, which indicated the rising research popularity of Polygalae Radix. WANG J and LIU X were the authors publishing the most articles in Chinese and English, respectively. Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were the research institutions with the largest number of Chinese and English publications in this field, respectively. The institutions publishing the relevant articles in English formed a system with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences as the core. According to the keywords, the research hotspots of Polygalae Radix included variety selection and breeding, quality standard, extraction and identification of active chemical components, prescription compatibility, processing, clinical medication rules, and pharmacological mechanism. The research frontiers were the molecular mechanisms of Polygalae Radix and its active components in exerting the protective effect on brain nerve, regulating receptor pathways, alleviating anxiety and Alzheimer's disease, as well as data mining and clinical medication summary. This study has reference significance for the topic selection and frontier identification of the future research on Polygalae Radix.

SSR identification and phylogenetic analysis in four plant species based on complete chloroplast genome sequences.

The effective utilization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been challenged by the difficulty to accurately distinguish between similar plant varieties. The stability and conservation of the chloroplast genome can aid in resolving genotypes. Previous studies using nuclear sequences and molecular markers have not effectively differentiated the species from related taxa, such as Machilus leptophylla, Hanceola exserta, Rubus bambusarum, and Rubus henryi. This study aimed to characterize the chloroplast genomes of these four plant species, and analyze their simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and phylogenetic positions. The results demonstrated the four chloroplast genomes consisted of 152.624 kb, 153.296 kb, 156.309 kb, and 158.953 kb in length, involving 124, 130, 129, and 131 genes, respectively. They also contained four specific regions with mononucleotide being the class with the most members. Moreover, these repeating types of SSR were various in individual class. Phylogenetic analysis showed that M. leptophylla was clustered with M. yunnanensis, and H. exserta was confirmed as belonging to the family Ocimeae. Additionally, R. bambusarum and R. henryi were grouped together but differed in their SSR features, indicating that they were not the same species. This research provides evidence for resolving species and contributes new genetic information for further studies.

Clinical efficacy of combination therapy of FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction and anti-viral drugs in the treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia: A prospective interventional study.

Introduction: The National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China (NATCM) and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) advocated a combination therapy of TCM and anti-viral drugs for novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) to improve the efficacy of clinical treatment. Methods: Forty-six patients diagnosed with NCP were sequentially divided into intent-to-treat population: the experimental group (combination of FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction and anti-viral drugs; n = 23) and the control group (anti-viral drugs only) (n = 23). The two groups were compared in terms of duration of fever, cough symptom score, fatigue, appetite, dyspnea, out-of-bed activities, chest computer tomography (CT) recovery, virological clearance, average length of hospital stay, and clinical effective rate of drug. After 6 days of observation, patients from the control group were divided into as-treated population: experimental subgroup (n = 14) to obtain clinical benefit and control subgroup (n = 9). Results: There was a significant improvement in the duration of fever (1.087 ± 0.288 vs 4.304 ± 2.490), cough (0.437 ± 0.589 vs 2.435 ± 0.662; P < 0.05), chest CT evaluation (82.6% vs 43.4%; P < 0.05), and virological clearance (60.8% vs 8.7%; P < 0.05) in patients of the experimental group compared with patients in the control group. Further observation in as-treated population reported that cough (0.742 ± 0.463 vs 1.862 ± 0.347; P < 0.05) and fatigue (78.5% vs 33.3%; P < 0.05) were significantly relieved after adding FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction to the existing treatment. Conclusion: An early treatment with combination therapy of FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction and anti-viral drugs significantly relieves the clinical symptoms of NCP, shows improvement in chest CT scan, improves virological clearance, shortens average length of hospital stay, and reduces the risk of severe illness. The effect of FuXi-Tiandi-Wuxing Decoction in NCP may be clinically important and require further consideration.

Hair Selenium of Residents in Keshan Disease Endemic and Non-endemic Regions in China.

Few nationwide investigations on hair selenium (Se) and Keshan disease (KD) have been conducted. KD is closely associated with Se deficiency. Hair Se is an important biomarker for selenium nutrition. This research aimed to provide evidence for assessment of KD prevention, control, and elimination at the molecular level from the etiological perspective of selenium nutrition. The hair Se of the residents living in the KD endemic and non-endemic areas were determined through atomic fluorescence spectrometer. The median of the hair Se levels of the inhabitants living in KD endemic counties was significantly lower than that in KD non-endemic counties (0.34 vs 0.39 mg/kg, U = -10.03, P < 0.0001). The proportion of Se-deficient or Se-marginal residents in KD endemic counties was significantly higher than that in KD non-endemic counties (56.9% vs 36.6%, U = -9.57, P < 0.0001). The medians of the hair Se levels in KD endemic provinces of Shannxi, Heilongjiang, and Gansu were the lowest (0.35mg/kg), and in the category of Se-marginal status. The hair Se level featured a positive Spearman correlation with per capita disposable income (rs = 0.20, P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the median of the hair Se contents of residents living in KD endemic counties was significantly lower than that in KD non-endemic counties. The hair Se contents of nearly 57% of inhabitants living in KD endemic regions were in Se-deficient or Se-marginal status. The KD endemic provinces of Shannxi, Heilongjiang, and Gansu should be given high priority in KD prevention and control.

HbA1c comparison and diagnostic efficacy analysis of multi center different glycosylated hemoglobin detection systems / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: Compare and analyze the results of the domestic Lanyi AH600 glycated hemoglobin analyzer and other different detection systems to understand the comparability of the detection results of different detectors, and establish the best cut point of Lanyi AH600 determination of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the diagnosis of diabetes. Methods: Multi center cohort study was adopted. The clinical laboratory departments of 18 medical institutions independently collected test samples from their respective hospitals from March to April 2022, and independently completed comparative analysis of the evaluated instrument (Lanyi AH600) and the reference instrument HbA1c. The reference instruments include four different brands of glycosylated hemoglobin meters, including Arkray, Bio-Rad, DOSOH, and Huizhong. Scatter plot was used to calculate the correlation between the results of different detection systems, and the regression equation was calculated. The consistency analysis between the results of different detection systems was evaluated by Bland Altman method. Consistency judgment principles: (1) When the 95% limits of agreement (95% LoA) of the measurement difference was within 0.4% HbA1c and the measurement score was≥80 points, the comparison consistency was good; (2) When the measurement difference of 95% LoA exceeded 0.4% HbA1c, and the measurement score was≥80 points, the comparison consistency was relatively good; (3) The measurement score was less than 80 points, the comparison consistency was poor. The difference between the results of different detection systems was tested by paired sample T test or Wilcoxon paired sign rank sum test; The best cut-off point of diabetes was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results: The correlation coefficient R2 of results between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument in 16 hospitals is≥0.99; The Bland Altman consistency analysis showed that the difference of 95% LoA in Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Jiangsu Province (reference instrument: Arkray HA8180) was -0.486%-0.325%, and the measurement score was 94.6 points (473/500); The difference of 95% LoA in the Tibetan Traditional Medical Hospital of TAR (reference instrument: Bio-Rad Variant II) was -0.727%-0.612%, and the measurement score was 89.8 points; The difference of 95% LoA in the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT) was -0.231%-0.461%, and the measurement score was 96.6 points; The difference of 95% LoA in the Taihe Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT) was -0.469%-0.479%, and the measurement score was 91.9 points. The other 14 hospitals, Lanyi AH600, were compared with 4 reference instrument brands, the difference of 95% LoA was less than 0.4% HbA1c, and the scores were all greater than 95 points. The results of paired sample T test or Wilcoxon paired sign rank sum test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument Arkray HA8180 (Z=1.665,P=0.096), with no statistical difference. The mean difference between the measured values of the two instruments was 0.004%. The comparison data of Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument of all other institutions had significant differences (all P<0.001), however, it was necessary to consider whether it was within the clinical acceptable range in combination with the results of the Bland-Altman consistency analysis. The ROC curve of HbA1c detected by Lanyi AH600 in 985 patients with diabetes and 3 423 patients with non-diabetes was analyzed, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.877, the standard error was 0.007, and the 95% confidence interval 95%CI was (0.864, 0.891), which was statistically significant (P<0.001). The maximum value of Youden index was 0.634, and the corresponding HbA1c cut point was 6.235%. The sensitivity and specificity of diabetes diagnosis were 76.2% and 87.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Among the hospitals and instruments currently included in this study, among these four hospitals included Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Jiangsu Province (reference instrument: Arkray HA8180), Tibetan Traditional Medical Hospital of TAR (reference instrument: Bio-Rad Variant Ⅱ), the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT), and the Taihe Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT), the comparison between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instruments showed relatively good consistency, while the other 14 hospitals involved four different brands of reference instruments: Arkray, Bio-Rad, DOSOH, and Huizhong, Lanyi AH600 had good consistency with its comparison. The best cut point of the domestic Lanyi AH600 for detecting HbA1c in the diagnosis of diabetes is 6.235%.

Study on the fingerprint of total saponins from Mussaenda pubescens and the spectrum-effect relationship of its hepatoprotective activity / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To establish the fingerprint of total saponins from Mussaenda pubescens， and to study the spectrum- effect relationship of its hepatoprotective activity. METHODS Ten batches of total saponins from M. pubescens from different origins were prepared using 75% ethanol as solvent. High-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） and the Similarity Evaluation System for Traditional Chinese Medicine Chromatographic Fingerprints （2012 edition） were used to draw the fingerprints of 10 batches of total saponins from M. pubescens. The similarity evaluation and identification of common peaks were conducted. The same HPLC method was adopted to determine the contents of five triterpenoid saponins （mussaendoside H， mussaendoside U， mussaglaoside C， mussaendoside G and mussaendoside O）. The hepatoprotective effect of total saponins from M. pubescens was investigated by establishing carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury model mice， and the spectrum-effect relationship was studied by using grey correlation analysis. RESULTS There were 11 common peaks in 10 batches of total saponins from M. pubescens， 5 of which were identified， i.e. mussaendoside H （peak 3）， mussaendoside U （peak 7）， mussaglaoside C （peak 8）， mussaendoside G （peak 9） and mussaendoside O （peak 11）； the similarities of 10 batches of samples ranged 0.940- 0.991. Average contents of mussaendoside H， mussaendoside U， mussaglaoside C， mussaendoside G， mussaendoside O were 0.01- 0.05， 0.10-0.21， 0.10-0.18， 0.03-0.08， 0.20-0.40 mg/g， respectively. Ten batches of total saponins from M. pubescens could generally reduce the contents of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） in serum， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-1β in liver tissue of model mice （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The E-mail：13878195336@139.com correlation between the common peak areas and the contents of ALT， AST， TNF-α， IL-6 and IL-1β were 0.602-0.757， 0.585-0.833， 0.593-0.795， 0.618-0.820， 0.607-0.804， respectively； the peaks with high correlation were peaks 11， 9 and 8 in order. CONCLUSIONS Ten batches of total saponins from M. pubescens have similar components， and the average contents of mussaendoside H， mussaendoside U， mussaglaoside C， mussaendoside G and mussaendoside O are different. The batches of samples have a certain degree of hepatoprotective effect； mussaendoside O， mussaendoside G and mussaglaoside C may be its main active components.

Study on low-temperature plasma γ-Al2O3 catalytic viscosity reduction of polyacrylamide solution.

The wide use of polyacrylamide (PAM) in enhanced oil recovery generates a large amount of polymer-bearing wastewater featuring high viscosity and difficult viscosity reduction, making the treatment of wastewater increasingly difficult. In this paper, the experimental study on reducing the viscosity of wastewater containing polyacrylamide by using the plasma generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and the synergistic effect of catalyst γ-Al2O3 is carried out. The law of plasma reducing the viscosity of wastewater containing polyacrylamide is studied under the different conditions of amounts of γ-Al2O3 catalyst, discharge voltages, and initial concentrations of polyacrylamide-containing wastewater. The mechanism of viscosity reduction of polyacrylamide is studied through environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the catalytic viscosity reduction is the best when the discharge voltage is 18 kV and the discharge time is 15 min. With the increase in the input of the γ-Al2O3 catalyst, the viscosity of the PAM solution decreases gradually. When the amount of γ-Al2O3 is 375 mg, the shear rate changes from 0.5 1/sec to 28 1/sec, and the viscosity of the solution containing polyacrylamide changes from 434.5 mPa·s to 40.2 mPa·s. The viscosity reduction rate of the PAM solution is 90.7%. After the catalytic viscosity reduction, the functional groups of polyacrylamide do not change much. The elemental composition of the catalyst has not changed, which is still Al, C, and O.

Amygdalin Ameliorates Liver Fibrosis through Inhibiting Activation of TGF-β/Smad Signaling / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of amygdalin on liver fibrosis in a liver fibrosis mouse model, and the underlying mechanisms were partly dissected in vivo and in vitro.@*METHODS@#Thirty-two male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, including control, model, low- and high-dose amygdalin-treated groups, 8 mice in each group. Except the control group, mice in the other groups were injected intraperitoneally with 10% carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-olive oil solution 3 times a week for 6 weeks to induce liver fibrosis. At the first 3 weeks, amygdalin (1.35 and 2.7 mg/kg body weight) were administered by gavage once a day. Mice in the control group received equal quantities of subcutaneous olive oil and intragastric water from the fourth week. At the end of 6 weeks, liver tissue samples were harvested to detect the content of hydroxyproline (Hyp). Hematoxylin and eosin and Sirius red staining were used to observe the inflammation and fibrosis of liver tissue. The expressions of collagen I (Col-I), alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CD31 and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway were observed by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. The activation models of hepatic stellate cells, JS-1 and LX-2 cells induced by TGF-β1 were used in vitro with or without different concentrations of amygdalin (0.1, 1, 10 µmol/L). LSECs. The effect of different concentrations of amygdalin on the expressions of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) dedifferentiation markers CD31 and CD44 were observed.@*RESULTS@#High-dose of amygdalin significantly reduced the Hyp content and percentage of collagen positive area, and decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of Col-I, α-SMA, CD31 and p-Smad2/3 in liver tissues of mice compared to the model group (P<0.01). Amygdalin down-regulated the expressions of Col-I and α-SMA in JS-1 and LX-2 cells, and TGFβ R1, TGFβ R2 and p-Smad2/3 in LX-2 cells compared to the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, 1 and 10 µmol/L amygdalin inhibited the mRNA and protein expressions of CD31 in LSECs and increased CD44 expression compared to the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Amygdalin can dramatically alleviate liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 in mice and inhibit TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, consequently suppressing HSCs activation and LSECs dedifferentiation to improve angiogenesis.

Analysis of the Amine Submetabolome Using Novel Isotope-Coded Pyrylium Salt Derivatization and LC-MS: Herbs and Cancer Tissues as Cases.

The amine submetabolome, including amino acids (AAs) and biogenic amines (BAs), is a class of small molecular compounds exhibiting important physiological activities. Here, a new pyrylium salt named 6,7-dimethoxy-3-methyl isochromenylium tetrafluoroborate ([d0]-DMMIC) with stable isotope-labeled reagents ([d3]-/[d6]-DMMIC) was designed and synthesized for amino compounds. [d0]-/[d3]-/[d6]-DMMIC-derivatized had a charged tag and formed a set of molecular ions with an increase of 3.02 m/z and the characteristic fragment ions of m/z 204.1:207.1:210.1. When DMMIC coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), a systematic methodology evaluation for quantitation proved to have good linearity (R2 between 0.9904 and 0.9998), precision (interday: 2.2-21.9%; intraday: 1.0-19.7%), and accuracy (recovery: 71.8-108.8%) through the test AAs. Finally, the methods based on DMMIC and LC-MS demonstrated the advantaged application by the nontargeted screening of BAs in a common medicinal herb Senecio scandens and an analysis of metabolic differences among the amine submetabolomes between the carcinoma and paracarcinoma tissues of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A total of 20 BA candidates were discovered in S. scandens as well as the finding of 13 amine metabolites might be the highest-potential differential metabolites in ESCC. The results showed the ability of DMMIC coupled with LC-MS to analyze the amine submetabolome in herbs and clinical tissues.

Sodium selenite inhibits cervical cancer growth via ROS mediated AMPK/FOXO3a /GADD45a axis.

Selenium is a trace element that has been shown to inhibit the growth of various cancer cell types. However, its role in cervical cancer and its underlying mechanisms remains largely unknown. Herein, we explored the anti-cervical cancer effect of selenium and its potential mechanisms through xenograft and in vitro experiments. HeLa cell xenografts in female nude mice showed tumor growth retardation, with no obvious liver and kidney toxicity, after being intraperitoneally injected with 3 mg/kg sodium selenite (SS) for 14 days. Compared to the control group, selenium levels in the tumor tissue increased significantly after SS treatment. In vitro experiments, SS inhibited the viability of HeLa and SiHa cells, blocked the cell cycle at the S phase, and enhanced apoptosis. RNA-sequencing, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis showed that forkhead box protein O (FOXO) was a key regulatory signaling pathway for SS to exhibit anticancer effects. Gene Ontology analysis filtered multiple terms associated with apoptosis, anti-proliferation, and cell cycle arrest. Further research revealed that SS increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impaired mitochondrial function, which activated adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) via phosphorylation at Thr172, resulting in activation of FOXO3a and its downstream growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible alpha (GADD45a). In summary, SS exhibited anti-cervical cancer effects, and their mechanisms may be that SS is involved in inducing cell cycle arrest and potentiating cell apoptosis caused by ROS-dependent activation of the AMPK/FOXO3a/GADD45a axis.

Protective Mechanism of Electroacupuncture on Peripheral Neurotoxicity Induced by Oxaliplatin in Rats.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) in rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into 3 groups using a random number table: the control group, the OIPN group, and the EA (OIPN + EA) group, with 10 rats in each. The time courses of mechanical, cold sensitivity, and microcirculation blood flow intensity were determined. The morphology of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was observed by electron microscopic examination. The protein levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and the transient receptor potential (TRP) protein family in DRGs were assayed by Western blot. RESULTS: EA treatment significantly reduced mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia in OIPN rats (P<0.01). Notably, oxaliplatin treatment resulted in impaired microcirculatory blood flow and pathomorphological defects in DRGs (P<0.01). EA treatment increased the microcirculation blood flow and attenuated the pathological changes induced by oxaliplatin (P<0.01). In addition, the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were down-regulated, and the TRP protein family was over-expressed in the DRGs of OIPN rats (P<0.01). EA increased the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and decreased the level of TRP protein family in DRG (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA may be a potential alternative therapy for OIPN, and its mechanism may be mainly mediated by restoring the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

[Therapeutic effect of Fanzhen Jieci needling on discogenic sciatica: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effect between Fanzhen Jieci (warming acupuncture plus fast needling) combined with conventional acupuncture and simple conventional acupuncture on discogenic sciatica. METHODS: A total of 76 patients with discogenic sciatica were randomized into a Fanzhen Jieci group and a conventional acupuncture group, 38 cases in each one. Conventional acupuncture was applied at Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25), L1-L5 Jiaji (EX-B 2) and Huantiao (GB 30) on the affected side, etc. in the conventional acupuncture group. On the basis of the treatment in the conventional acupuncture group, Fanzhen Jieci was applied at L1-L5 Jiaji (EX-B 2) and Huantiao (GB 30) on the affected side in the Fanzhen Jieci group, i.e. warming acupuncture was applied at L1-L5 Jiaji (EX-B 2), and fast needling was applied at Huantiao (GB 30) on the affected side for a depth of 40-60 mm, so as to introduce a sensation of electric shock transmitting to lower limb, and then the needle was immediately withdrawn. The treatment was given once every other day, 3 times a week for 3 weeks in both groups. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score of leg and low back pain, the Oswestry disability index (ODI) score and the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) score before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the VAS scores of leg and low back pain and the ODI scores after treatment were decreased in both groups (P<0.001), the changes of the VAS scores of leg and low back pain in the Fanzhen Jieci group were larger than those in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, except for the role emotional and health transition scores, the various scores of SF-36 were increased compared before treatment in the Fanzhen Jieci group (P<0.01); except for the role physical, role emotional and health transition scores, the various scores of SF-36 were increased compared before treatment in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.01). After treatment, the physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, mental health and general health scores of SF-36 in the Fanzhen Jieci group were higher than those in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Fanzhen Jieci combined with conventional acupuncture can effectively relieve the pain and improve the mental state in patients with discogenic sciatica, its therapeutic effect is superior to simple conventional acupuncture.

Pathogenesis of Gouty Arthritis and Intervention with Chinese Medicines： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Gouty arthritis （GA） is the metabolic rheumatism caused by purine metabolism disorder， which can be acute or chronic. The main manifestations of GA include recurrent redness， swelling， heat pain， and dysfunction of the affected joints. According to the theory of modern medicine， GA is closely associated with the increase in uric acid， the participation of inflammatory cytokines， the weakening of antioxidant response， apoptosis， and the imbalance of intestinal flora and bone metabolism， whereas the specific pathogenesis remains unclear. GA is characterized by easy diagnosis， difficult treatment， and high recurrence rate， which seriously affects the life quality of patients. Colchicine， corticosteroids， non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs， and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors are the commonly used western medicines for this disease， which demonstrate remarkable short-term therapeutic effect. However， long-term use of these medicines will bring serious adverse reactions. Chinese medicines， with high safety and causing few adverse reactions， have a variety of active components which can act on multiple pathways and targets to exert synergistic effects， thus attracting wide attention. This paper systematically reviews the literature reporting the Chinese medicines in improving antioxidant response， reducing chondrocyte apoptosis， and regulating intestinal flora and bone metabolism， aiming to further clarify the pathogenesis of GA and provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Chinese medicines in the prevention and treatment of GA.

Action Mechanism of Chinese Medicine Polysaccharides in Prevention and Treatment Diabetes and Its Complications：A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diabetes is a metabolic disease mainly characterized by hyperglycemia due to inadequate insulin secretion. And persistent hyperglycemia can cause chronic damage or dysfunction of eyes， kidneys， heart， blood vessels and nerves. Polysaccharides are high molecular carbohydrates polymerized by glycosidic bonds from more than 10 monosaccharide molecules of the same or different types. They have the advantages of wide sources， high safety and low toxic and so on. As one of the important effective components of traditional Chinese medicine， polysaccharides have biological activities such as immune regulation， anti-oxidation， anti-tumor， lowering blood sugar and so on. The structure is directly related to biological activities， and the advanced structure of polysaccharides is based on the primary structure. Exploring the primary structure of polysaccharides is the key task of lowering blood sugar and improving diabetic complications. This paper summarizes the monosaccharide composition of the primary structure of Chinese medicine polysaccharides， and the mechanism of Chinese medicine polysaccharides improving diabetes is emphasized by increasing the secretion and release of insulin， increasing the islet β cell number， upregulating insulin receptor level， improving glucose and lipid metabolism， inhibiting inflammatory response， improving oxidative stress and regulating phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， mitogen activated protein kinase， cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP）/protein kinase A（PKA） and adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase（AMPK） signaling pathways. At the same time， we also summarized the prevention and treatment of Chinese medicine polysaccharides in diabetic nephropathy， diabetic cardiomyopathy， diabetic ophthalmopathy and diabetic peripheral neuropathy， in order to provide a theoretical basis for new drug development and clinical application of Chinese medicine polysaccharides in the intervention of diabetes and its complications.

Electroacupuncture Attenuates Neuropathic Pain and Comorbid Negative Behavior: The Involvement of the Dopamine System in the Amygdala.

Neuropathic pain (NeuP) is an important clinical problem accompanying negative mood symptoms. Neuroinflammation in the amygdala is critically involved in NeuP, and the dopamine (DA) system acts as an important endogenous anti-inflammatory pathway. Electroacupuncture (EA) can improve the clinical outcomes in NeuP, but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of EA on pain and pain-related depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors and explore the role of the DA system in the effects of EA. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to the chronic constrictive injury (CCI) model to induce NeuP. EA treatment was carried out for 30 min once every other day for 3 weeks. The results showed that CCI caused mechanical hyperalgesia and depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in rats and neuroinflammation in the amygdala, such as an increased protein level of TNFα and IL-1ß and activation of astrocytes. EA treatment significantly improved mechanical allodynia and the emotional dysfunction induced by CCI. The effects of EA were accompanied by markedly decreased expression of TNFα, IL-1ß, and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) in the amygdala. Moreover, EA treatment reversed CCI-induced down-regulation of DA concentration, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression, and DRD1 and DRD2 receptors. These results suggest that EA-ameliorated NeuP may possibly be associated with the DA system to inhibit the neuroinflammation in the amygdala.

Molecular Mechanism of Modified Guizhi Fulingwan Intervention on Uterine Fibroids in Rats Based on micRNA Expression Profiling / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism of modified Guizhi Fulingwan in rats with uterine fibroids. Method:Seventy-two female adult SD rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into a model group， a normal group， and a preventive administration group. The model group and preventive administration group were established by estrogen and progestin loading method. After successful modeling， the rats in the model group were randomly divided into a western medicine group （mifepristone）， the high-dose traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） group， and a low-dose TCM group. All the rats were dosing as required once a day for 28 consecutive days. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the uterus. The micRNA gene chip was used to detect the expression profile of uterine micRNA gene. Differential expressions of micRNA were screened by bioinformatics methods. Gene function enrichment was used to predict the possible signaling pathways in rats with uterine fibroids by modified Guizhi Fulingwan. Result:Compared with the normal group， microRNA of the model group was 1 up-regulated and 9 down-regulated. Compared with the model group， microRNA of the high-dose group of TCM group was 2 up-regulated and 1 down-regulated， in the preventive administration group， 9 was up-regulated and 2 was down-regulated. Gene function enrichment analysis indicated that four signaling pathways were closely related to uterine fibroids. They were mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway， Wnt signaling pathway， mammalian rapamycin target protein （mTOR） signaling pathway and vascular endothelial cell growth factor （VEGF） signaling pathway. Conclusion:Modified Guizhi Fulingwan affected the expression profile of micRNA in rat model of uterine fibroids induced by estrogen and progesterone， suggesting that modified Guizhi Fulingwan may involve in a variety of biological processes such as signal transduction and gene regulation in the treatment of uterine fibroids.

Effect of electrothermal acupuncture on moderate to severe cancer pain with / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effectiveness and safety of electrothermal acupuncture therapy for patients of moderate to severe cancer pain with @*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients of moderate to severe cancer pain with @*RESULTS@#The variation of NRS scores in the observation group were larger than the control group 3, 5 days into treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#On the basis of the conventional western medication for analgesia, electrothermal acupuncture could relieve pain, reduce the dose of opioid painkillers and improve the quality of life in patients of moderate to severe cancer pain with

"Fan-zhen Jie-ci" acupuncture therapy for treatment of discogenic sciatica: protocol for a single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Curative medical treatment for patients with discogenic sciatica is limited. Acupuncture is an important non-pharmacological therapy reported to have positive therapeutic effects on discogenic sciatica. According to traditional Chinese acupuncture theory, discogenic sciatica is a channel tendon disease which can be treated by a special "Fan-zhen Jie-ci (FZJC)" method. Our recent preliminary clinical evidence indicated that the FZJC method had a positive treatment effect on the disease. This study will further evaluate the efficacy and safety of FZJC on patients with discogenic sciatica. METHODS: A single-blind randomized controlled clinical trial will be conducted, assigning 76 participants with discogenic sciatica to a randomly assigned FZJC group or a control group. Acupuncture treatment combined with the FZJC method will be applied in the FZJC group while routine acupuncture treatment only will be applied in the control group. Treatments will be administered three times a week for a total of 3 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome of this trial is change in the visual analogue scale of leg pain (VAS-LP), and the secondary outcomes are changes in the visual analogue scale of back pain (VAS-BP), the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and serum concentrations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP). DISCUSSION: The results of this study will provide insight into the efficacy and safety of FZJC acupuncture as a treatment for discogenic sciatica. TRIAL REGISTRAION: The trial has been registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900026272) and the Acupuncture-Moxibustion Clinical Trial Registry (AMCTR-IOR-19000275).

Supportive psychological intervention on psychological disorders in clinical medicine students with English Learning Difficulties: A protocol of systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to examine the effect of supportive psychological intervention (SPI) on psychological disorders (PD) in clinical medicine students (CMS) with English Learning Difficulties (ELD). METHODS: We will perform a comprehensive literature search from the following databases: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. All databases will be performed from their inception to the present without language limitation by 2 independent reviewers. We will also look for grey literature, such as conference proceedings, dissertations or theses. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale will be used to assess study quality, and RevMan 5.3 software will be applied to carry out statistical analysis. RESULTS: This study will summarize the most recent evidence to assess the effect of SPI on PD in CMS with ELD. CONCLUSION: This study may provide helpful evidence of SPI on PD in CMS with ELD. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER:: osf.io/tah2s.