Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Herbs combined with bioelectrical stimulation on patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type thin endometrium: a retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Herbs (TCH) combined with bioelectrical stimulation (BES) on patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type thin endometrium. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 83 patients diagnosed with thin endometrium, treated in our hospital from August 2019 to August 2021. The clinical data of the patients were reviewed, and 60 eligible patients were categorized into two groups based on the treatment they received: the TCH-BES group (n=30, patients received Femoston, TCH and BES treatment) and the control group (n=30, patients received Femoston only). The endometrial thickness (EMT), uterine artery resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI), serum reproductive hormone levels, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, and clinical pregnancy outcomes between the two groups were compared. Continuous data were described as mean ± standard deviation (X- ± S). Student's t-test was used for comparison between the two groups and paired-sample t-test was used for comparison within the same group before and after the treatment. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients with thin endometrium, aged 20-35 years (average, 31.67±3.19 years), were included in this study. After the treatment, the EMT, E2 and progesterone (P) levels of the TCH-BES group were higher than that of the control group (p<0.001, p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively), the PI, RI level and TCM syndrome scores of the TCH-BES group were lower than those of the control group (p<0.001). The clinical efficacy and pregnancy rate in the TCH-BES group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TCH combined with EBS has a satisfactory efficacy on patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type thin endometrium, and improves EMT, E2 and P levels, reduces PI, RI and TCM syndrome, and eventually leads to a favorable clinical pregnancy outcome.

Modular characteristics and mechanism of action of herbs for vascular calcification treatment in Chinese medicine: a data mining and network pharmacology-based identification.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the modular characteristics and mechanism of action of Chinese herbs for vascular calcification (VC) treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Network pharmacology coupled with literature data mining was utilized to assess the Chinese herbal clinical performance as well as its similarity, characteristics, ingredient, target, and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment, and network construction. RESULTS: The top 15 medications from the literature, according to the usage, and 190 active chemicals, 183 common targets between medication and VC-related targets were weeded out. Analysis of the relationships between the active ingredients, pharmacological targets, and signaling pathways helped to clearly define the therapeutic effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Importantly, we discovered seven most hub proteins (AKT1, CTNNB1, TNF, EGFR, TP53, JUN and IL-6) and two of the herbs' most fundamental ingredients (Formononetin and Luteolin) in TCM-mediated VC suppression. Mechanistically, the metabolic pathways [AGE-RAGE pathway, interleukin-17 (IL-17) pathway, and p53 pathway] as well as smooth muscle adaptation (functional remodeling) and oxidoreductase activity (redox homeostasis modulating) are also crucially implicated. CONCLUSIONS: Our work, accomplished by network pharmacology and data mining, increases our understanding of TCM in VC therapy and may offer insightful information for future drug discovery investigations.

Clinical efficacy of targeted therapy, immunotherapy combined with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (FOLFOX), and lipiodol embolization in the treatment of unresectable hepatocarcinoma.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of targeted therapy and immunotherapy combined with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) of FOLFOX and lipiodol embolization in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients included in the study were those who received targeted therapy and immunotherapy combined with HAIC of FOLFOX and lipiodol embolization in Zhongshan People's Hospital from December 2020 to June 2021 for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Evaluation indicators included objective response rate (ORR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), median duration of response (mDOR), 1-year overall survival rate (OS), surgical conversion rate, and adverse events. Treatment response was assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST and RECIST v1.1). A total of 35 patients were included in this study, 30 of whom completed treatment evaluation. According to mRECIST evaluation criteria, the objective response rate (ORR) was 83.3% (25/30); the complete response (CR) was 60% (18/30); the partial response (PR) was 23.3% (7/30), and stable disease (SD) was 16.7% (5/30). The mDOR was 10.3 months (95% Cl: 8.27-NE), and the mPFS was 13.2 months (95% CI: 10.3-NE); the surgical conversion rate was 30.0% (9/30). The 1-year OS was 96.7%. There were no serious surgical complications and grade 4 or 5 adverse events of targeted therapy, immunotherapy and HAIC. Some patients had grade 3 adverse reactions in gastrointestinal toxicity or hepatotoxicity, and the adverse reactions were improved after corresponding symptomatic treatment. We concluded that HAIC of FOLFOX and lipiodol embolization combined with targeted therapy and immunotherapy had a significant curative effect in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, with no serious adverse reactions and a high rate of surgical conversion rate.

[Genetic and clinical analysis of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets].

Objective: To investigate the clinical and genetic features, and treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH). Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of 25 pediatric patients with XLH who were admitted to Department of Endocrinology Genetics and Metabolism,Beijing Children's Hospital from January 2010 to January 2020. The clinical characteristics, PHEX gene variants, as well as clinical outcome of the patients were summarized. To analyze the correlation between genotype and phenotype, the patients were divided into different subgroups according to the location of the variants, including N-terminal-located vs. C-terminal-located variant, and Zn-binding domain exon 17 or 19 variant vs. non-exon 17 or 19 variant. The age at onset, height standard deviation score (HtSDS), intercondylar or intermalleolar distance, fasting serum phosphorus, and HtSDS and intercondylar or intermalleolar distance at the final follow-up were compared by rank sum test or t text. Results: Among the 25 children with XLH, 8 were boys and 17 were girls. The median age of onset was 1.2 (1.0, 1.8) years, and the median age of diagnosis was 2.5 (1.5, 4.3) years. The main clinical manifestations were abnormal gait and lower limb deformity. The HtSDS was -2.0(-3.2, -0.8), and the intercondylar or intermalleolar distance was 4.5 (3.0, 6.0) cm. The fasting serum phosphorus level was 0.8 (0.7, 0.9) mmol/L, while the serum alkaline phosphatase level was (721±41) U/L and the serum calcium level was (2.5±0.1) mmol/L. Three patients (12%) had parathyroid hormone levels above the upper limit of the normal range. Twenty-five patients (100%) showed radiographic changes of active rickets. Nephrocalcinosis was found in 2 cases (9%). Twenty-four different PHEX variations were detected in 25 patients, among whom 11 (44%) had not been reported previously. No hot spot variation was found. No statistical differences (all P>0.05) were identified in clinical features and outcomes either in comparing patients with N-terminal (21 cases) and C-terminal (4 cases) variants, or in comparing patients with variant located in exon 17 or 19 (4 cases) or not (21 cases). Twenty-four cases (96%) were treated regularly with phosphate supplements and active vitamin D. After 2.7 (1.6, 5.0) years of follow-up, clinical symptoms were relieved in 96% (24/25) of the patients. The HtSDS after treatment had no significant difference compared to that before treatment (-2.0(-3.2, -0.8) vs.-2.0(-2.8, -1.1),Z =-0.156, P>0.05), while the intercondylar or intermalleolar distance after treatment was significantly reduced compared to that before treatment (4.5(3.0, 6.0) vs. 1.5(0, 3.3) cm, Z =-3.043, P<0.05). Bone X-rays were reexamined in 17 cases after treatment, and radiographic signs of rickets were improved. Eighteen cases had secondary hyperparathyroidism and 7 cases had nephrocalcinosis. Conclusions: The main clinical manifestations of XLH are abnormal gait, lower limb deformity and short stature. A high proportion of novel variations of PHEX gene but no hot spot variation neither genotype-phenotype correlation are found. Regular treatment with phosphate supplements and active vitamin D can significantly improve the symptoms except for the height. However, the rate of adverse events including secondary hyperparathyroidism and nephrocalcinosis seems to be high.

How accentuation influences semantic short-term memory representations during on-line speech processing: an event-related potential study.

In the present study, the ERP (event-related brain potentials) technique was used to investigate how accentuation influences the semantic short-term memory representations during on-line speech processing, and how this accentuation effect interacts with the distance of accentuation in the speech signal. Chinese spoken sentences were used as stimuli. The sentences included two critical words: Noun1 and Noun2, with the ERP time-locked to Noun2. During sentence comprehension, when the listener hears Noun2, he needs to retrieve Noun1 from the working memory and integrate it with Noun2. We manipulated the (de-)accentuation of Noun1 and the semantic relationship between Noun1 and Noun2 by changing Noun1 in the sentence context. Moreover, we manipulated the distance of accentuation (distance between Noun1 and Noun2) by changing the syntactic structure of the sentences. The results revealed a significant main effect of semantic relatedness, indicating that the low semantic relatedness condition elicited a larger N400 than the high semantic relatedness condition. Importantly, there was a significant two-way interaction between semantic relatedness and accentuation and a significant three-way interaction between semantic relatedness, accentuation, and distance. Further analysis demonstrated that, the semantic relatedness effect was modulated by accentuation in the long-distance sentences, but not in the short-distance sentences. That is, in the long-distance sentences, the semantic relatedness effect reached significance only when the to-be-integrated expression in the preceding sentence context was accented; however, in the short-distance sentences, the semantic relatedness effects reached significance regardless of the presence or absence of accentuation. The results indicated that, during on-line speech processing, accentuation can enhance the corresponding information's semantic short-term memory representation, and that the effect of accentuation on semantic short-term memory is somewhat flexible and shows up only when the words in the speech signal were far apart.

A novel polysaccharide, isolated from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels induces the apoptosis of cervical cancer HeLa cells through an intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

A novel polysaccharide isolated from Angelica sinensis, named APS-1d showed cytotoxic activity towards several cancer cell lines in vitro. However, the precise antitumor mechanisms of this compound are unknown. In this study, we investigated the pro-apoptotic effects of APS-1d in human cervical cancer HeLa cells both in vitro and in vivo, and further elucidated the mechanisms of this action. Inhibition of HeLa cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay and the therapeutic efficacy of APS-1d was evaluated by human cancer xenografts in nude mice. Cell apoptosis was examined with flow cytometry and TUNEL assay. The mechanism of action of APS-1d was investigated by Western blot analysis. APS-1d decreased HeLa cell proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in vitro. In addition, APS-1d significantly inhibited tumor growth in athymic nude mice. Characteristic manifestations of apoptosis including apoptotic morphological features and the sub- G(0)/G(1) peaks were observed when the cells were treated with APS-1d. Further analysis showed that APS-1d-induced apoptosis was associated with the regulation of Bcl-2 family protein expression, a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and an increase in the cytosolic cytochrome c levels. Sequentially, APS-1d increased the activities of caspase-9, -3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase in a concentration-dependent manner, however, no obvious activation of Bid and caspase-8 was observed. Pretreatment with Z-LEHD-FMK, a specific inhibitor of caspase-9, significantly attenuated APS-1d-induced cell apoptosis, and activation of caspase-3. Taken together, our studies indicate that APS-1d is capable of inhibiting HeLa cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis in these cells which primarily involves the activation of the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway.

[Study on reference laboratory diagnostic index of liver-fire ascending syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the binding point of Syndrome Differentiation of TCM and disease differentiation by western medicine. METHODS: Selected laboratory diagnostic indexes were tested in 59 cases of Liver-Fire Ascending Syndrome (LFAS). Referring to clinical typing and staging, the data obtained were analysed by same syndrome with different diseases and same disease with different syndrome as well as the values determined in related syndrome-types were compared. RESULTS: The levels of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in patients of LFAS were higher than those in patients with Liver-Kidney Yin-Deficiency Syndrome and Liver-Yang Hyperactivity Syndrome. As for linking between Syndrome-type and stage of disease, most cases (70%) of herpes simplex viral keratitis of LFAS were deep matrix layer type; and 100% hypertension patients with LFAS belonged to stage II. CONCLUSION: PGF2 alpha and AVP could be used as the reference laboratory diagnostic indexes of LFAS.

[Effects of nao-yi-an on expressions of nerve growth factor and interleukin-1 beta following injury induced by hemoglobin in cultured hippocampal neurons].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Nao-yi-an (NYA) on protecting the cultured hippocampal neurons against the injury induced by hemoglobin (Hb) and modulating the expressions of nerve growth factor (NGF) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) following Hb injury. METHODS: The experimental techniques of neuronal culture, alive cells count, Northern blotting, and enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were employed to detect the survival rate of cultured neurons, the expression level of NGF and IL-1 beta following Hb injury in cultured hippocampal neurons. RESULTS: 1. The hippocampal neurons survived for more than 5 months in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM) containing 2% bovine serum. 2. 38.5% cultured neurons were dead in Lock' s solution with 5 mmol.L-1 glucose containing 50 mumol.L-1 Hb. The rate of survival neurons was significantly increased by addition of decoction of NYA. 3. The expression of IL-1 beta was markedly increased at 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, and 12 h after Hb injury. The expression of NGF was temporarily increased. 4. The levels of IL-1 beta mRNA and protein were significantly decreased in NYA treated group, while the expression of NGF mRNA and protein was not reduced. CONCLUSION: NYA has the effects on increasing the neuronal survival, decreasing the expression of IL-1 beta, and maintaining the expression of NGF following Hb injury in cultured neurons.

[Analysis of corneal pathologic changes and laboratory parameters in herpes simplex karatitis patients with ganhuo-shangyanzheng or ganshengyinxuzheng].

In order to investigate the relationship between Ganhuo shangyanzheng and Can-shengyin xuzheng in herpes simplex karatitis patients, we observed corneal pathologic changes and examined blood levels of prostaglandin F2 (PGF2), prostaglandin E2 (PGF2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), arginine vasopressin (AVP), norepinephrine (NR), epinephrine (E) in sixty herpes simplex karatitis patients with Ganhou shangyanzheng or Gan-shengyinxuzheng. The results showed that the corneal pathologic changes were corneal ulcer infiltrating to stroma of cornea in Ganhuo shangyanzheng patients, and refractary corneal ulcer with large amount of corneal neovascularizaton and infiltration of corneal stroma in Gan-shengyinxuzheng patients, the blood levels of PGF2, PGE2, TNF, AVP, NE, E in Ganhuo shangyanzheng patients were higher than those in Gan-shengyinxuzheng patients or healthy persons. The results suggest that these parameters may be objective parameters for differential diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine Zheng types in patients with herpes simplex karatitis.

A new phytoecdysone from the roots of Rhaponticum uniflorum.

A new ecdysteroid named rhapontisterone R1 (1) together with two known phytoecdysones, rhapontisterone (2) and ecdysterone (3) were isolated from the roots of Rhaponticum uniflorum (L.) DC. The new compound was shown to be 2beta,3beta,11alpha,14alpha,20xi,22xi-hexahydroxy-stigma-7,24(28)-dien-6-oxo-28,25-carbolactone. The structure has been determined primarily on the basis of physico-chemical properties and spectral analysis.

[Protective effect of traditional Chinese medicine nao-yi-an granule in experimental rats with hemorrhagic stroke].

In order to establish a model of intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH), 0.4 U bacterial collagenase was injected stereotaxically into globus pallidus in rats. Neurological deficit score was investigated, and inducible nitric oxide syntahse(iNOS) mRNA was detected in 72 rats. The results showed that: in the group treated by nao-yi-an granule(NYA), the recovery time was shorter than that in other groups, and low concentration nitrite and weak signal of iNOS mRNA were found. It suggests that inhibition of iNOS induction is one of the pharmacological effects of NYA.

[Effects of Nao-Yi-An granule on activity of cytochrome c oxidase in hippocampus of experimental intracerebral hemorrhagic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuronal protective effects of a traditional Chinese medicine complex Nao-Yi-An granule(NYA) on experimental intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) in rats. METHODS: Eighty collagenase-induced ICH rats were used. At 12 h, 24 h, 2 d, 4 d, 7 d, cytochrome c oxidase(CO) activity was measured with histochemistry combined with gray scale scanning. Pyramidal cell(PC) counting was also employed following Nissl's staining. RESULTS: The CO activities in NYA-treated group were less than those in model control group, and the neuronal loss was less in NYA-treated group than that in model control group. CONCLUSIONS: The neuronal protective mechanism of NYA following ICH may be related with its maintaining activity of cytochrome c oxidase, which contributes to improving cellular aerobic metabolism and increasing energy supply for cells.

[Effect and mechanism of active fraction A guizhi decoction on dual-directional thermoregulation: effect on heat shock protein in hypothalamus of rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of active fraction A in Guizhi Decoction (Fr.A) on dual-directional thermoregulation and its mechanism of influencing heat shock protein (HSP) in hypothalamus. METHOD: Using Western blot method to measure HSP of hypothalamus in febrile and hypothermal rats. RESULTS: Regulating the body temperature in dual-direction, Fr.A could antagonize the decrease of HSP contents of hypothalamus in hypothermal rats induced by aminopyrine, and abate the HSP content in febrile rats induced by yeast. CONCLUSION: Fr.A adjusts the body temperature through regulating the contents of HSP of hypothalamus in febrile and hypothermal rats.

Induction of NADPH-diaphorase activity in the forebrain in a model of intracerebral hemorrhage and its inhibition by the traditional Chinese medicine complex Nao Yi An.

Induction of NADPH-diaphorase (NDP) activity in the rat cerebral cortex was studied after autologous blood injection into the internal capsule as experimental model of intracerebral hemorrhage. The potential inhibitory effect on NDP induction by Nao Yi An (NYA), a complex derived from materials of animal and plant origin used in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage in traditional Chinese medicine, was also investigated. In animals without therapeutic treatment 2 and 4 days after injection of autologous blood, NDP activity was highly induced in pyramidal neurons in the neocortex, piriform, and entorhinal cortices, in astrocytes and in phagocytes in the hematoma and the area surrounding it, as well as in the subcortical white matter, and in endothelial cells in both the cortex and subcortical white matter bilaterally. Oral administration of NYA failed to inhibit NDP induction in endothelial cells but demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect on NDP activity induced in pyramidal neurons and astrocytes. NDP induction in phagocytes was also inhibited by the administration of NYA. Altogether the present results suggest that intracerebral hemorrhage in the internal capsule may induce nitric oxide synthase activity in different cell populations in the cortex and that administration of NYA can selectively inhibit such induction and, thus, potentially play a neuroprotective role.

[Pathophysiological basis of 3 subtypes in ganfeng neidong syndrome].

The multiple parameters of 3 Subtypes: Ganyang Huafeng Syndrome (GYHFS), Xuexu Shengfeng Syndrome and Yinxu Fengdong Syndrome of Ganfeng Neidong Syndrome were determined for the 1st time. It was found that there were several characteristics in GYHFS. (1) Disturbance of the cerebral blood flow and the damage of brain tissue was manifested by the abnormality of the bulbar conjunctival microcirculation, carotid Doppler ultrasonic determination and brainstem auditory and visual pathway, high blood viscosity, dysmnesia, free radical and lipid peroxidation injury and the changes of Zn, Cu, K and Mg after brain damage. (2) Stress status were expressed by the high plasma levels of cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine, decreased serum triiodothyronine level and hyperfunction of sympathetic nerve. (3) The marked changes of the regulating substance of the vessel smooth muscle function including the increased plasma levels of TXB2, TXB2/6-k-PGF1 alpha, and calmodulin, as well as decreased SP, ANP, CGRP. Other 2 subtypes had about the same changes of these parameters, but of milder disorders.

[Experimental study on the treatment of hypertension with combined traditional Chinese and Western medicine].

In order to study the connection of diastolic activity of smooth muscles of blood vessels with development of hypertension, plasma cAMP, cGMP, TXB2, 6-K-PGF1 alpha, ANP, SP were determined with radioimmunoassay, of 173 hypertension patients with Liver Yang exuberance (LYE) 91 cases, and Yin deficiency and Yang exuberance (YDYE) 82 cases. In addition, 228 health subjects served as control. The results showed that the levels of cAMP, cGMP and TXB2 in both LYE and YDYE groups were higher than those in the control group, but the levels of ANP, SP and cAMP/cGMP ratio in LYE and YDYE groups were lower than those in the control. As to the level of 6-K-PGF1 alpha, no significant variance was found between these groups. After TCM-WM treatment, the levels of cAMP, cGMP and TXB2 in LYE and YDYE groups got down, as compared with those in the control, adversely the levels of ANP, SP and 6-K-PGF1 alpha in LYE and YDYE groups turned up significantly. However the cAMP/cGMP ratio had no remarkable change between these groups. The linear regression analyses between the diastolic pressure and ANP or SP both proved negative correlation (r = -0.36, P less than 0.05; r = -0.35, P less than 0.05). The findings indicated that the TCM-WM treatment was the most effective among the therapies employed in the study, and that this therapy affected the diastolic activity of smooth muscles by modulating the above factors existing in the nervous and endocrine systems of the patients with hypertension.