Pixel-by-pixel correction of beam hardening artifacts by bowtie filter in fan-beam CT.

Objective. Beam hardening (BH) artifacts in computed tomography (CT) images originate from the polychromatic nature of x-ray photons. In a CT system with a bowtie filter, residual BH artifacts remain when polynomial fits are used. These artifacts lead to worse visuals, reduced contrast, and inaccurate CT numbers. This work proposes a pixel-by-pixel correction (PPC) method to reduce the residual BH artifacts caused by a bowtie filter.Approach. The energy spectrum for each pixel at the detector after the photons pass through the bowtie filter was calculated. Then, the spectrum was filtered through a series of water slabs with different thicknesses. The polychromatic projection corresponding to the thickness of the water slab for each detector pixel could be obtained. Next, we carried out a water slab experiment with a mono energyE= 69 keV to get the monochromatic projection. The polychromatic and monochromatic projections were then fitted with a 2nd-order polynomial. The proposed method was evaluated on digital phantoms in a virtual CT system and phantoms in a real CT machine.Main results. In the case of a virtual CT system, the standard deviation of the line profile was reduced by 23.8%, 37.3%, and 14.3%, respectively, in the water phantom with different shapes. The difference of the linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) in the central and peripheral areas of an image was reduced from 0.010 to 0.003cm-1and 0.007cm-1to 0 in the biological tissue phantom and human phantom, respectively. The method was also validated using CT projection data obtained from Activion16 (Canon Medical Systems, Japan). The difference in the LAC in the central and peripheral areas can be reduced by a factor of two.Significance. The proposed PPC method can successfully remove the cupping artifacts in both virtual and authentic CT images. The scanned object's shapes and materials do not affect the technique.

[Tonglong Kaibi Prescription for the treatment of severe benign prostate hyperplasia: A clinical study].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Tonglong Kaibi Prescription (TKP) in the treatment of severe BPH with kidney deficiency and blood stasis combined with damp heat syndrome. METHODS: We randomly divided 120 cases of severe BPH with kidney deficiency and blood stasis combined with damp heat syndrome into three groups of equal number, treated with TKP, doxazosin mesylate sustained-release tablets (the DM control), and TKP + DM, all for 8 weeks. We obtained the IPSS, TCM symptoms scores, quality of life (QOL) scores, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) from the patients before and after treatment and compared them among the three groups. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment, the effectiveness rate was significantly higher in the TKP + DM than in the DM control group (P < 0.05). The IPSS, TCM symptoms scores, QOL scores and PVR decreased (P < 0.01), while the Qmax increased dramatically (P < 0.01) in all the three groups. Pairwise comparison showed that the IPSS and QOL scores were lower in the TKP + DM than in the TKP and DM control groups (P < 0.05 or 0.01), and so were the TCM syndrome scores in the TKP + DM and TKP groups than in the DM control (P < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in PVR and Qmax among the three groups after treatment (P> 0.05), and no serious adverse events during the treatment. CONCLUSION: TKP is safe and effective in the treatment of severe BPH, which can improve the TCM symptoms, reduce the IPSS, QOL scores and PVR and increase the Qmax of the patients. TKP is evidently superior to DM alone in improving TCM symptoms of BPH and combined medication of TKP and DM produces even better clinical efficacy.

Application of "major scientific issues and engineering technology difficulties in traditional Chinese medicine(2019-2021)" in national science and t echnology layout / 中国中药杂志

In order to judge the future development trend of science and technology, plan ahead and lay out the frontier technology fields and directions, China Association of Chinese Medicine(CACM) has launched consultation projects for collecting "major scienti-fic issues and engineering technology difficulties in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)" for the industry for three consecutive years since 2019. Up to now, 18 projects have been selected as major issues for research, and some experience and achievements have been made. These projects have been applied in important scientific and technological work such as scientific and technological planning and deployment at all levels of national, local, and scientific research institutions, the selection and cultivation of major national scientific and technological projects, and the construction of innovation bases, giving full play to the role of the think tank advisory committee of CACM. This study reviewed the selection of major issues for the first time, systematically combed its application in the national layout of science and technology, and put forward the existing problems and improvement suggestions, aiming to provide new ideas for further improving the selection of major issues and research direction, providing a theoretical basis and decision support for the national scientific and technological layout in the field of TCM, and promoting scientific and technological innovation to facilitate the high quality development of TCM.

Mechanism of Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules in clearing heat and removing food stagnation in suckling rats with fever and food accumulation based on metabolomics / 中国中药杂志

Children's fever is often accompanied by food accumulation. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that removing food stagnation while clearing heat of children can effectively avoid heat damage. To systematically evaluate the efficacy of Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granules(XRCQ) in clearing heat and removing food accumulation and explore its potential mechanism, this study combined suckling SD rats fed with high-sugar and high-fat diet with injection of carrageenan to induce rat model of fever and food accumulation. This study provided references for the study on the pharmacodynamics and mechanism of XRCQ. The results showed that XRCQ effectively reduced the rectal temperature of suckling rats, improved the inflammatory environment such as the content of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-2(IL-2), interferon-γ(IFN-γ), white blood cells, and monocytes. XRCQ also effectively repaired intestinal injury and enhanced intestinal propulsion function. According to the confirmation of its efficacy of clearing heat, the thermolytic mechanism of XRCQ was further explored by non-targeted and targeted metabolomics methods based on LTQ-Orbitrap MS/MS and UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS. Non-target metabolomics analysis of brain tissue samples was performed by QI software combined with SIMCA-P software, and 22 endogenous metabolites that could be significantly regulated were screened out. MetaboAnalyst pathway enrichment results showed that the intervention mechanism was mainly focused on tyrosine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, inositol phosphate metabolism, and other pathways. At the same time, the results of targeted metabolomics of brain tissue samples showed that XRCQ changed the vitality of digestive system, and inhibited abnormal energy metabolism and inflammatory response, playing a role in clearing heat and removing food stagnation from multiple levels.

[Danhong Tongjing Prescription versus microsurgery in the treatment of varicocele-induced infertility: A retrospective multivariate analysis of 218 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To compared the traditional Chinese medicine Danhong Tongjing Prescription (DTP) and microsurgery in the treatment of varicocele (VC)-induced infertility and investigate the factors influencing the recovery of semen parameters of the patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 218 cases of VC-induced infertility with qi-deficiency and blood-stasis treated with DTP (n = 86) or by microsurgery (n = 132) in our hospital from January 2017 to July 2019, and compared the semen parameters between the two groups of patients after treatment. With age, course of disease, degree of VC, change of the testis volume, estrogen/testosterone (E/T) ratio and levels of FSH and LH as independent variables, and increased semen parameters after treatment as dependent variables, we constructed a multivariate linear regression model and identified statistically significant independent variables. RESULTS: After treatment, sperm concentration and the percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and morphologically normal sperm (MNS) were obviously improved in both the DTP and microsurgery groups, with statistically significant difference between the two groups in sperm concentration and MNS, but not in PMS. Linear regression analysis showed that the severity of VC was an influencing factor for the recovery of sperm concentration after treatment in the DTP group (r = －11.599, Ra2 = 0.044 9) and the course of VC infertility was a factor affecting the recovery of sperm count in the microsurgery group (r = －1.837, Ra2 = 0.035 7). CONCLUSION: DTP is comparable to microsurgery in improving sperm motility while microsurgery is more effective in increasing the percentage of MNS in the treatment of VC-induced infertility. Early surgery is recommended for the treatment of infertility induced by severe bilateral VC, and DTP can be selected for infertility caused by mild or moderate bilateral VC if the patient is unwilling to accept surgery or microsurgery is inaccessible in the hospital.

[Magnetic resonance and magnetoelectric therapy combined with Danhong Tongjing Prescription for the treatment of CP/CPPS and its effects on secretory IgA, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and interleukin-8].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of magnetic resonance and magnetoelectric therapy (MRMT) combined with oral Danhong Tongjing Prescription (DTP) on chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and the changes in the levels of cytokine-secretory IgA (sIgA), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) after treatment. METHODS: Totally 200 patients with CP/CPPS of the qi stagnation and blood stasis type were randomly divided into three groups to receive MRMT + DTP (n = 68), MRMT (n = 67) and DTP (n = 65), respectively, all for 12 weeks. After treatment, we compared the total effectiveness rate, patients' scores on NIH-CPSI and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome, and the expressions of sIgA, VCAM-1 and IL-8 in the EPS among the three groups of the patients. RESULTS: After treatment, the patients in the MRMT + DTP group, compared with those in the MRMT and DTP groups, showed a significantly higher total effectiveness rate (86.76% vs 79.10% and 78.46%, P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) and lower scores on pain or discomfort (4.61 ± 2.37 vs 5.86 ± 3.26 and 6.94 ± 2.25 P < 0.01), abnormal urination symptoms (2.98 ± 1.75 vs 3.85 ± 2.01 and 3.94 ± 1.95) and quality of life (3.26 ± 1.87 vs 4.54 ± 2.13 and 4.69 ± 1.72). There were statistically significant differences in the total NIH-CPSI scores among the three groups (10.64 ± 5.91 vs 4.59 ± 6.87 vs 15.54 ± 5.76, P < 0.05). The MRMT + DTP group also exhibited a remarkably lower TCM syndrome score than the MRMT and DTP groups (5.56 ± 3.42 vs 7.37 ± 4.57 and 8.16 ± 3.65, P < 0.05). Compared with the baseline, the expressions sIgA, VCAM-1 and IL8 were all markedly decreased after treatment in the MRMT + DTP (Z = －7.170, Z = －7.182, Z = －7.18), MRMT (Z = －6.802, Z = －6.973, Z = －6.768) and DTP groups (Z = －5.963, Z = －6.990 Z = －5.618) (P < 0.05), even more significantly in the former than in the latter two groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Magnetic resonance and magnetoelectric therapy combined with Danhong Tongjing Prescription has a good therapeutic effect on CP/CPPS of the qi stagnation and blood stasis type, probably by regulating sIgA, VCAM-1, IL-8 and other cytokines, activating the function of the immune system, inhibiting inflammation, and promoting the absorption of local inflammatory substances.

Category of Chinese medicine registration:historical evolution,current status,and problems / 中国中药杂志

The development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has always been highly valued and supported since 1949. However, Chinese medicine industry still faces great challenges in view of the current status of the industry and registration and approval of new products in recent years. Related policies also directly influence the development of the industry. The latest version of the Provisions for Drug Registration and Requirement on Registration Classification and Application Information of Traditional Chinese Medicines have been put into practice since 2020. Registration classification is the core content of the Chinese medicine registration management system, as it is closely related to the research, development, and registration of Chinese medicine and the innovative development of the industry. This article aims to systematically review the historical evolution of the category of Chinese medicine registration and analyze the current status and problems, which is expected to provide a reference for the formulation of supporting documents according to related laws and regulations.

Herbal Textual Research on Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix in Famous Classical Formulas / 中国实验方剂学杂志

By referring to the materials of ancient materia medica， prescriptions and medical books， combining with modern literature， this paper made textual research on the name， origin， producing area， quality evaluation， harvesting and processing methods of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix in famous classical formulas， so as to provide a basis for the selection and use of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix in the development of famous classical formulas. Through textual research， it can be seen that Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix is the correct name in all dynasties， but it still has many aliases. The main strain of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix was Ligusticum sinense and L. jeholense， in addition， there are also L. tenuissimum， Sinodielsia yunnanensis， and Conioselinum vaginatum， L. sinense var. hupehense used in different regions. Since modern times， the textual examination of its scientific name is more complicated. Different foreign scholars have given many scientific names from their local observation， but most of them do not match the actual situation of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix in ancient China. It is probably because they did not collect the original plants of Chinese Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix and conduct accurate identification. After the founding of the People's Republic of China， the L. sinense and L. jeholense was identified as the original plants through systematic investigation and arrangement of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix. Since modern times， L. sinense is distributed in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River and the south of the region， a small amount of production in Sichuan， Hubei， Hunan and Jiangxi. L. jeholense is distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the north of the region， mostly produced in Liaoning and Hebei. The ancient harvesting period of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix was concentrated in January and February according to the lunar calendar with thick roots， dry， fragrant， heavy quality as the best. But now the collection of roots and rhizome more than concentrated in spring before seedling emergence and autumn when leaves were gone， and take the large， dry， yellow， strong， fragrant， less roots， residual short as the best. In the past dynasties， raw products were the main processing methods， and there were also roasting， grinding and so on. Based on the research results， it is suggested that the raw roots and rhizomes of L. sinense and L. jeholense should be used in the development of famous classical formulas.

[Danhong Tongjing Prescription improves sperm quality in patients with bilateral varicocele after varicocelectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Danhong Tongjing Prescription (DTP) on sperm quality in patients with bilateral varicocele (VC) after microsurgical varicocelectomy. METHODS: We randomly assigned 68 patients with bilateral VC to receive microsurgical varicocelectomy (the control group, n = 34) or microsurgical varicocelectomy followed by oral administration of DTP for a course of 90 days (the DTP group, n = 34). Before and after treatment, we obtained the sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS), sperm acrosomal enzyme activity, inhibin B (Inh-B) level, and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) from the patients and compared the parameters between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in sperm concentration, PMS, acrosomal enzyme activity or sperm DFI among the patients with different degrees of VC preoperatively. After 3 months of medication, sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, PMS and acrosomal enzyme activity were all increased while DFI decreased in both the control and DTP groups, even more significantly in the DTP group than in the control, and the Inh-B level was also markedly elevated in the DTP group in comparison with the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of bilateral VC is not correlated with the reduction of semen quality. DTP can improve sperm quality by improving total sperm count, PMS and acrosomal enzyme activity and reducing DFI in VC patients after varicocelectomy. The underlying mechanisms of the prescription may be related to its anti-oxidative stress action and abilities of improving reproductive hypoxia, spermatogenic environment and the function of Sertoli cells, but the specific signaling pathway involved is not yet clear.

Neurological Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

In recent years， the incidence of neurological diseases has been increasing year by year. To give full play to the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of neurological disorders， identify the breakthrough point of integrating TCM with western medicine， and further standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of TCM， the China Association of Chinese Medicine organized neurologists in TCM and western medicine to carry out in-depth discussion on the neurological diseases responding specifically to TCM and integrated TCM and western medicine， such as stroke， headache， vertigo， multiple sclerosis， and epilepsy， aiming to formulate a well-recognized and integrated treatment protocol for TCM and western medicine and improve the efficacy of neurological disorders. Furthermore， the treatment suggestions of the corresponding diseases in TCM and western medicine were proposed to provide references for clinical practice and scientific research.

Effect of Mashao Pingchuan Decoction on Traditional Chinese Medicine Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients with Cold Asthma of Bronchial Asthma / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of Mashao Pingchuan decoction on traditional Chinese medicine <bold>（</bold>TCM<bold>）</bold> symptoms， quality of life， peripheral blood eosinophils （Eos） and serum inflammatory factors interleukin-6 （IL-6） and interleukin-8 （IL-8） in patients with cold asthma syndrome of bronchial asthma. Method:A total of 67 patients with cold asthma who attended the Respiratory Clinic of Anhui Provincial Hospital of TCM from January 2018 to December 2019 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group. The control group was given basic treatments such as budesonide formoterol powder inhalation， and the observation group was given Mashao Pingchuan decoction on the basis of the control group. Both groups intervened for 7 consecutive days. Observe and record the general condition， TCM symptom score， asthma control questionnaire （ACQ）-7 score， Marks-asthma quality of life questionnaire （Marks-AQLQ） score of the two groups of asthma patients， the peripheral blood Eos count was measured by hematology analyzer， and the serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels of the subjects were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Result:The total effective rate of TCM symptoms in the two groups was 100%（30/30）， and the effect in the observation group was more obvious （<italic>Z</italic>=-2.169，<italic>P</italic><0.05<italic>）</italic>. After treatment， the scores of TCM symptoms in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The scores of phlegm in the throat， expectoration， cough， and chills in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. After treatment， the ACQ-7 scores and Marks-AQLQ scores of the two groups were significantly lower than before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference between the observation group and the ACQ-7 scores and Marks-AQLQ scores. After treatment， the peripheral blood Eos counts and serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels in the two groups were significantly lower than before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Peripheral blood Eos count and serum IL-6 and IL-8 contents in observation group were lower than those in control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:Mashao Pingchuan decoction combined with budesonide formoterol powder inhalation can effectively improve the clinical effectiveness of asthma （cold asthma）， improve the symptoms of asthma in TCM， ACQ-7 score， Marks-AQLQ score， peripheral blood Eos count， serum inflammatory factor content.

Changes of serum sex hormones, 25 (OH) D3 levels, islet function and their internal relationship in patients with gestational diabetes / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the changes of serum sex hormones, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, 25 (OH) D3] levels and islet function in patients with gestational diabetes mdlitus (GDM) , and to analyze their intrinsic relationships.Methods:50 GDM patients admitted to the Department of Clinical Medicine of Wuhan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from Mar. 2018 to Sep. 2019 were selected as the study group, and 50 healthy pregnant women were selected as the control group. Serum level of sex hormones, 25 (OH) D3 level, islet function [Fasting insulin (FINS) , Insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) , Islet β cell function index (HOMA-β) ], the correlations between serum sex hormones, 25 (OH) D3 levels, and islet function changes were analyzed using Person, and the influencing factors of GDM were analyzed using binary logistic.Results:The estrogen level, progesterone level, FINS level and HOMA-IR of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group[ (6525.28±2095.51) vs (2259.02±717.75) pg/ml, (554.34±32.85) vs (385.34±24.59) ng/ml, (12.69±3.93) vs (9.68±3.19) mU/L, (3.06±1.06) vs (2.01±0.63) ]. 25 (OH) D3 and HOMA-β in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group[ (17.46±5.59) vs (21.51±7.14) ng/ml, (137.31±32.11) vs (281.76±54.02) ], the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . According to Pearson analysis, sex hormones were positively correlated with FINS and HOMA-IR ( P<0.05) and negatively correlated with HOMA-β ( P<0.05) ; 25 (OH) D3 was positively correlated with HOMA-β ( P<0.05) and progestin was negatively correlated ( P<0.05) ; FINS was positively correlated with HOMA-IR ( P<0.05) , and HOMA-IR was negatively correlated with HOMA-β ( P<0.05) . 25 (OH) D3 and HOMA-β were risk factors for GDM ( P<0.05) , and FINS and HOMA-IR were protective factors for GDM ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:GDM patients have higher levels of sex hormones, lower levels of25 (OH) D3, HOMA-β, vitamin D deficiency or deficiency, and decreased insulin secretion. There is a correlation between 25 (OH) D3 and HOMA-β.

Construction of model for multidimensional evaluation of value and risk of Chinese patent medicine / 中国中药杂志

It is the core of the development for Chinese patent medicine enterprises to cultivate large varieties of Chinese patent medicine, and the selection of potential "seed" products is the prerequisite for the cultivation strategy. By constructing the evaluation model from multiple dimensions of value and risk, we can conduct specialized evaluation of Chinese patent medicines to effectively, professionally and objectively select the "seed" products with large variety cultivation potential. In this paper, the establishment of a multidimensional evaluation system would be discussed from the aspects of drug naming and prescription composition, safety risk and supply guarantee of raw materials and medicinal materials, competition situation, access to policy catalogue, scientific and technological support, clinical evidence and recognition, systematical and standardized collection of information on product instructions, quality standards, policy catalogue, scientific and technological literature, market competition and clinical application of Chinese patent medicines. Through the objective evaluation index and the range of objective index, the multi-dimensional evaluation model on values and risks of Chinese patent medicine products was discussed. Based on this model, a batch of Chinese patent medicine products can be quickly and comprehensively analyzed, and quantitative comparison can be formed among different types and fields of products. According to the evaluation results of the model and the comprehensive evaluation of experts, high-quality "seed" products can be selec-ted, laying a solid foundation for the next step of large variety cultivation. With use of this model, we can further clarify the external competitive advantages and internal priority levels of each product, and provide support for enterprises to optimize product structure and improve product strategic layout.

[A comparative analysis of the efficacy of two vitamin D supplementation regimens in preterm infants: a prospective randomized controlled study].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of different vitamin D supplementation regimens on the nutritional status of vitamin D on day 28 after birth in preterm infants with a gestational age of <34 weeks. METHODS: A total of 59 preterm infants with a gestational age of <34 weeks who were born from October 2018 to October 2019 were enrolled and divided into an observation group with 30 infants and a control group with 29 infants. The infants in the observation group received a single-dose intramuscular injection of vitamin D3 (10 000 IU/kg), while those in the control group received oral vitamin D3 drops (900 IU/d) for 25 days. Venous blood samples were collected within 48 hours after birth (before vitamin D3 supplementation) and on day 28 after birth to measure the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level. RESULTS: Within 48 hours after birth, the prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency (≤15 ng/mL) was 78% among the 59 preterm infants. There were no significant differences in the serum 25(OH)D level and the prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control group on day 28 after birth, the observation group had a significantly higher serum 25(OH)D level (P<0.05) and a significantly lower prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency (P<0.05). There were no cases of vitamin D overdose or poisoning. CONCLUSIONS: In preterm infants with a gestational age of <34 weeks, single-dose intramuscular injection of 10 000 IU/kg vitamin D3 can significantly increase serum 25(OH)D level on day 28 after birth and safely and effectively reduce the prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency.

Untargeted liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry reveals metabolic changes in nitrogen-deficient Isatis indigotica Fortune.

Isatis indigotica Fortune is a popular herb in traditional Chinese medicine, and various types of metabolites are the basis for its pharmacological efficacy. The biosynthesis and accumulation of these metabolites are closely linked to nitrogen availability; the benefits of low nitrogen application on the environment and herb quality are increasingly prominent. To analyze metabolic changes in the leaves and roots of I.indigotica in nitrogen deficiency conditions, and to identify the pathways and metabolites induced by low nitrogen availability, we used untargeted liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TripleTOF) to obtain metabolomics profiling of I.indigotica under two N-deficiency treatments (0 kg/hm2; 337.5 kg/hm2) and normal nitrogen treatment (675 kg/hm2). A total of 447 metabolites were annotated. Principal component analysis separated the three nitrogen treatments. A greater diversity of metabolites was observed in roots than in leaves under N-deficiency treatments, suggesting that roots have a more important function in low N tolerance. Differential metabolites were mainly enriched in purine metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, the shikimate pathway, tryptophan metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis that notably induced only in leaves in low nitrogen stress. Moderate N-deficiency benefits carbohydrate accumulation, whereas accumulation of most amino acids decreases. Uniquely, L-tryptophan was maintained at a high concentration in N-deficiency conditions. Low nitrogen stress induced the accumulation of some specialized metabolites (matairesinol, dictamnine, 5-hydroxyindoleacetate (serotonin) in roots and vitexin, xanthohumol, sinapyl alcohol in leaves). N-deficiency also increased the accumulation of adenosine and quality indicators of I.indigotica (indirubin-indigo, epigoitrin and anthranilic acid) in a certain degree. Our findings showed that nitrogen deficiency modified roots and leaves conditions of I.indigotica, affecting both the primary and secondary metabolism. Moderate nitrogen reduction was beneficial to the accumulation of active ingredients. Our methods and analysis are expected to provide an insight regarding the diversity of metabolites and regulation of their synthesis in low nitrogen application, and better investigate the nitrogen deficiency effect on I.indigotica.

SNX17 (Sorting Nexin 17) Mediates Atrial Fibrillation Onset Through Endocytic Trafficking of the Kv1.5 (Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily A Member 5) Channel.

BACKGROUND: Kv1.5 (Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily A member 5) has been regarded as a promising target of interventions for atrial fibrillation (AF). SNX17 (sorting nexin 17), a member of the SNXs (sorting nexin family), regulates the intracellular trafficking of membrane proteins through its FERM (four-point-one, ezrin, radixin, moesin) domain. However, whether SNX17 regulates the trafficking process of Kv1.5 remains unknown. METHODS: A SNX17 knockout rat line was generated to test the role of SNX17 in atrial electrophysiology. The protein expression of SNX17 and membrane ion channels was detected by Western blotting. Electrophysiology changes in the atrial tissue and myocytes were analyzed by optical mapping and patch clamp, respectively. Acetylcholine and electrical stimulation were used to induce AF, and ECG recording was adopted to assess the influence of SNX17 deficiency on AF susceptibility. The spatial relationship between Kv1.5 and SNX17 was evaluated by immunostaining and confocal scanning, and the functional region of SNX17 regulating Kv1.5 trafficking was identified using plasmids with truncated SNX17 domains. RESULTS: Embryonic death occurred in homozygous SNX17 knockout rats. SNX17 heterozygous rats survived, and the level of the SNX17 protein in the atrium was decreased by ≈50%. SNX17 deficiency increased the membrane expression of Kv1.5 and atria-specific ultrarapid delayed rectifier outward potassium current ( IKur) density, resulting in a shortened action potential duration, and eventually contributing to AF susceptibility. Mechanistically, SNX17 facilitated the endocytic sorting of Kv1.5 from the plasma membrane to early endosomes via the FERM domain. CONCLUSIONS: SNX17 mediates susceptibility to AF by regulating endocytic sorting of the Kv1.5 channel through the FERM domain. SNX17 could be a potential target for the development of new drugs for AF.

Research on Treatment of Chronic Cough Based on Cluster Analysis and Factor Analysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To summarize medication law of prescription and clinical experience on the treatment of chronic cough through data mining technology. Method:The formula information of 650 cases of chronic cough cases diagnosed and treated by professor HAN Ming-xiang was processed with data mining technology, and system cluster analysis and factor analysis were conducted by SPSS Statistics 22.0. Result:High-frequency medicines of professor HAN Ming-xiang for treating chronic cough were Stemonae Radix, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Asteris Radix et Rhizoma and other 37 herbs, their frequency of occurrence accounted for 80.52%. According to the efficacy, the medicines could be classified into 10 categories, such as expectorant cough antiasthmatic drugs, tonifying deficiency drugs, and diaphoretic drugs. Cluster analysis showed 5 combinations of drugs. Factor analysis yielded 13 common factors, such as Stemonae Radix-Asteris Radix et Rhizoma-Farfarae Flos-Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizoma et Radix, Asari Radix et Rhizoma-Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus-Zingiberis Rhizoma-Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus. Conclusion:Combined with clinical experience, it can be concluded that clinical treatment of professor HAN Ming-xiang for chronic cough attaches great importance to the pathogenesis of wind-evil, Yang deficiency and cold phlegm underlying lung, phlegm and blood stasis and Qi stagnation. The treatment mainly starts from the lung and spleen, with the method of warm and moist, or with some traditional Chinese medicines with the function of removing phlegm by warming the lung, dispersing cold by thinning the surface, strengthening the spleen and resolving phlegm, strengthening the lung and fixing the surface, and relieving spasmolysis by wind.

Identification of Artemisiae Annuae Herba Based on Algorithm for Diversity of XML Tree Map / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To study and create the algorithm for the diversity (AD) of extensible markup language (XML) tree map, and provide a new tool for the identification of Artemisiae Annuae Herba. Method: According to the literature research, the key information of Artemisiae Annuae Herba was selected from the macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic information, etc. Based on the key information, the relevant upper standards of domestic and foreign professional fields were cited to assign the unique identification independent of language for each data element, and the coding rules of relevant data elements were established. The digital coding technology was applied to the flexible structure editor, and the tree map was created, which could be returned as the 5th version of hypertext markup language (HTML5) or XML format. Based on the diversity related algorithms, the authors innovatively developed the AD of XML tree map of Artemisiae Annuae Herba, which took into account both of topology and semantics, and the expression model of related mathematical functions of Artemisiae Annuae Herba was established. By comparing the calculation results with the reality, the algorithm model was debugged continuously until the convergence of the core-culvert algorithm model. Result: Through the research on AD, the diversity between two XML tree maps could be calculated, and the discrimination or identification model of Artemisiae Annuae Herba also could be finally optimized and established. After calculation and analysis of the tested tree maps, the effective rate of the model was 100%. Conclusion: In this study, the establishment of the AD of XML tree map can effectively assist in the identification of Artemisiae Annuae Herba, which provides certain technical support and theoretical guidance for the research on intelligent application of traditional Chinese medicine.

Evaluation on Effectiveness and Safety of Chinese Herbs in Treatment of Sub-health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbs in the treatment of sub-health systematically.@*METHODS@#Nine databases were systematically and extensively searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about Chinese herbs in the treatment of sub-health. The outcomes included overall effective rate, main symptoms, quality of life, etc. Literature screening, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted according to Cochrane Handbook 5.1. Meta-analysis was conducted to the included literature with Review Manager Software.@*RESULTS@#Seventy-two studies involving 9,296 patients with sub-health were included with 4,908 patients in experimental groups and 4,387 patients in control groups. The overall quality of included clinical research was not high. In the aspect of improving overall effective rate, relieving main symptoms, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score, Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) score, Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14), Cornell Medical Index (CMI) score and discontinuation rate, the effects of experimental groups were better than that of control groups. According to available research reports, adverse reactions in Chinese herb groups were mainly mild gastrointestinal symptoms, which did not affect the treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#Chinese herbs have a curative effect in the treatment of sub-health. However, there are no clear criteria for diagnosis and curative effectiveness judgment globally, which would affect the accuracy of curative effect evaluation.

Protective effect of electro-acupuncture on liver ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury is an important clinical complication in which excessive inflammation is a key factor; however, few studies have provided effective means of its regulation. As previous studies suggested that electro-acupuncture (EA) is able control excessive inflammation, the present study aimed to explore its effects on liver ischemia-reperfusion injury in experimental rats. The animals were randomly divided into surgery and sham groups, which were further divided into four sub-groups, including a non-treatment (NT), a non-point acupuncture (NPA), the non-selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl L-pioperazinium iodide (DMPPI) and an EA group. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum cytokine and myeloperoxidase (MP) levels and the tissue pathology were evaluated after 90 min of ischemia followed by a 4, 8 or 24 h reperfusion. The results demonstrated that EA and DMPPI suppressed serum ALT elevation at 4 and 8 h reperfusion, whereas NPA did not. I/R induced hepatocellular necrosis, and cytoplasmic vacuolization and sinusoidal congestion was ameliorated by EA treatment after an 8 and 24 h reperfusion. In addition, EA also inhibited liver neutrophil accumulation, evidenced by a decreased MPO level at 8 h reperfusion. EA also suppressed the release of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 for the duration of reperfusion. However, little influence on IL-10 was observed. Mechanistically, vagus block by subphrenic vagotomy or mecamylamine hydrochloride abolished EA effect on liver damage, neutrophil accumulation and inflammatory factor release. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that EA protects the liver against I/R induced injury by inhibiting the inflammatory response, which is associated with the vagus.