Activation of NR1H3 signaling pathways by psoralidin attenuates septic myocardial injury.

Sepsis can cause various organ dysfunction, which heart failure may be associated with significant mortality. Recently, natural plant extracts have gradually attracted people's attention in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Psoralidin (PSO) is one of the main bioactive compounds from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L and exhibits remarkable protective effects in diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, and depression. Recently, NR1H3 is one of the emerging nuclear receptors targets for the various drugs. This study first reported the porotective role of PSO in septic myocardial injury, which was mainly attributed to the NR1H3-dependent manner. NR1H3 knockout mice subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) were used to investigate the involvement of NR1H3 in PSO protection. Our results showed that PSO prominently improved cardiac function, attenuated inflammation, inhibited oxidative stress, improved mitochondrial function, regulated ERS, suppressed apoptosis, and particularly increased NR1H3 and p-AMPK levels. However, NR1H3 knockout reversed the positive role of PSO in septic mice. Furthermore, activation of NR1H3 by T0901317 also increased the activity of AMPK and ACC in the HL-1 cardiomyocytes, indicating the regulatory relationship between NR1H3 and AMPK signaling. Together, this study demonstrated the beneficial effect of PSO in septic myocardial injury through activation of NR1H3/AMPK pathway.

Evaluation method of ex vivo porcine liver reduced scattering coefficient during microwave ablation based on temperature.

The principle of microwave ablation (MWA) is to cause irreversible damage (protein coagulation, necrosis, etc.) to tumor cells at a certain temperature by heating, thereby destroying the tumor. We have long used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs) to monitor clinical thermal ablation efficacy. After a lot of experimental verification, it can be found that there is a clear correlation between the reduced scattering coefficient and the degree of tissue damage. During the MWA process, the reduced scattering coefficient has a stable change. Therefore, both temperature (T) and reduced scattering coefficient ( µ s ' ) are related to the thermal damage of the tissue. This paper mainly studies the changing law of T and µ s ' during MWA and establishes a relationship model. The two-parameter simultaneous acquisition system was designed and used to obtain the T and µ s ' of the ex vivo porcine liver during MWA. The correlation model between T and µ s ' is established, enabling the quantitative estimation of µ s ' of porcine liver based on T. The maximum and the minimum relative errors of µ s ' are 79.01 and 0.39%, respectively. Through the electromagnetic simulation of the temperature field during MWA, 2D and 3D fields of reduced scattering coefficient can also be obtained using this correlation model. This study contributes to realize the preoperative simulation of the optical parameter field of microwave ablation and provide 2D/3D therapeutic effect for clinic.

The Characteristics of Fear of Recurrence and the Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Intervention in Patients after Radiofrequency Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation.

The aim of this study was to grasp the current situation of fear of recurrence in patients after radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation and to explore the application effect of cognitive-behavioral stress management in patients with fear of recurrence after radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation. From July 2020 to July 2021, 150 patients with fear of recurrence of atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency ablation in our hospital were divided into a control group and an intervention group, with 75 cases in each group. Both groups received conventional nursing methods, and the intervention group received 8 weeks of cognitive-behavioral stress management. Before the intervention and after the intervention, the general situation questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Fear Disease Progression Simplified Scale (FoP-Q-SF), the Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), and the Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PPQ) were used for evaluation. Before the intervention, there were no significant differences in general data, degree of fear of recurrence, stress perception, and psychological capital scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). After 8 weeks of cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention, the fear recurrence, the total score of stress perception, and the scores of each dimension in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the psychological capital score was significantly higher than that in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Cognitive-behavioral stress management method can significantly reduce the fear of recurrence and stress level of patients after radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation, and improve their psychological capital level.

PCycDB: a comprehensive and accurate database for fast analysis of phosphorus cycling genes.

BACKGROUND: Phosphorus (P) is one of the most essential macronutrients on the planet, and microorganisms (including bacteria and archaea) play a key role in P cycling in all living things and ecosystems. However, our comprehensive understanding of key P cycling genes (PCGs) and microorganisms (PCMs) as well as their ecological functions remains elusive even with the rapid advancement of metagenome sequencing technologies. One of major challenges is a lack of a comprehensive and accurately annotated P cycling functional gene database. RESULTS: In this study, we constructed a well-curated P cycling database (PCycDB) covering 139 gene families and 10 P metabolic processes, including several previously ignored PCGs such as pafA encoding phosphate-insensitive phosphatase, ptxABCD (phosphite-related genes), and novel aepXVWPS genes for 2-aminoethylphosphonate transporters. We achieved an annotation accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.8%, 96.1%, 99.9%, 99.8%, and 99.9%, respectively, for simulated gene datasets. Compared to other orthology databases, PCycDB is more accurate, more comprehensive, and faster to profile the PCGs. We used PCycDB to analyze P cycling microbial communities from representative natural and engineered environments and showed that PCycDB could apply to different environments. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that PCycDB is a powerful tool for advancing our understanding of microbially driven P cycling in the environment with high coverage, high accuracy, and rapid analysis of metagenome sequencing data. The PCycDB is available at https://github.com/ZengJiaxiong/Phosphorus-cycling-database . Video Abstract.

Vapor heat treatment against Planococcus lilacinus Cockerell (Hemiptera:Pseudococcidae) on dragon fruit.

BACKGROUND: The coffee mealybug Planococcus lilacinus Cockerell, is an invasive pest that infests dragon fruit [Selenicereus undatus (Haworth) D.R. Hunt], that may require a phytosanitary treatment to meet quarantine requirements. In this study, vapor heat treatment was conducted to disinfest P. lilacinus on dragon fruit and the quality of dragon fruit was evaluated thereafter. RESULTS: Adult female P. lilacinus was the most heat-tolerant stage at 47, 48 and 49 °C. The death kinetic model and probit model were used to predict LT99.9968 at the three temperatures. The treatment times predicted by the kinetic model that could effectively disinfest adult female P. lilacinus females were 120.84, 78.06 and 67.96 min at 47, 48 and 49 °C, respectively. In a confirmatory test of vapor heat treatment at 49 °C for 70 min, complete mortality was recorded for 33 195 adult females infesting 148 dragon fruits; thus, the efficacy level of disinfestation was 99.9910% at 95% confidence level. The quality of dragon fruit generally was not affected by heat treatment, fruit firmness was increased remarkably and respiration rate was significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: Our result indicates that vapor heat treatment at 49 °C for a duration of 70 min is an effective phytosanitary treatment for control of P. lilacinus on dragon fruit that minimally impacts fruit quality. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

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

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

Balneotherapy for Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

(1) Background: The efficiency of balneotherapy (BT) for fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) remains elusive. (2) Methods: Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov, and PsycINFO were searched from inception to 31 May 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with at least one indicator were included, i.e., pain, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Tender Points Count (TPC), and Beck's Depression Index (BDI). The outcome was reported as a standardized mean difference (SMD), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and I2 for heterogeneity at three observational time points. GRADE was used to evaluate the strength of evidence. (3) Results: Amongst 884 citations, 11 RCTs were included (n = 672). Various BT regimens were reported (water types, duration, temperature, and ingredients). BT can benefit FMS with statistically significant improvement at different time points (pain of two weeks, three and six months: SMD = -0.92, -0.45, -0.70; 95% CI (-1.31 to -0.53, -0.73 to -0.16, -1.34 to -0.05); I2 = 54%, 51%, 87%; GRADE: very low, moderate, low; FIQ: SMD = -1.04, -0.64, -0.94; 95% CI (-1.51 to -0.57, -0.95 to -0.33, -1.55 to -0.34); I2 = 76%, 62%, 85%; GRADE: low, low, very low; TPC at two weeks and three months: SMD = -0.94, -0.47; 95% CI (-1.69 to -0.18, -0.71 to -0.22); I2 = 81%, 0; GRADE: very low, moderate; BDI at six months: SMD = -0.45; 95% CI (-0.73 to -0.17); I2 = 0; GRADE: moderate). There was no statistically significant effect for the TPC and BDI at the remaining time points (TPC at six months: SMD = -0.89; 95% CI (-1.85 to 0.07); I2 = 91%; GRADE: very low; BDI at two weeks and three months: SMD = -0.35, -0.23; 95% CI (-0.73 to 0.04, -0.64 to 0.17); I2 = 24%, 60%; GRADE: moderate, low). (4) Conclusions: Very low to moderate evidence indicates that BT can benefit FMS in pain and quality-of-life improvement, whereas tenderness and depression improvement varies at time phases. Established BT regimens with a large sample size and longer observation are needed.

Human iPSC-Based Modeling of Central Nerve System Disorders for Drug Discovery.

A high-throughput drug screen identifies potentially promising therapeutics for clinical trials. However, limitations that persist in current disease modeling with limited physiological relevancy of human patients skew drug responses, hamper translation of clinical efficacy, and contribute to high clinical attritions. The emergence of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology revolutionizes the paradigm of drug discovery. In particular, iPSC-based three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering that appears as a promising vehicle of in vitro disease modeling provides more sophisticated tissue architectures and micro-environmental cues than a traditional two-dimensional (2D) culture. Here we discuss 3D based organoids/spheroids that construct the advanced modeling with evolved structural complexity, which propels drug discovery by exhibiting more human specific and diverse pathologies that are not perceived in 2D or animal models. We will then focus on various central nerve system (CNS) disease modeling using human iPSCs, leading to uncovering disease pathogenesis that guides the development of therapeutic strategies. Finally, we will address new opportunities of iPSC-assisted drug discovery with multi-disciplinary approaches from bioengineering to Omics technology. Despite technological challenges, iPSC-derived cytoarchitectures through interactions of diverse cell types mimic patients' CNS and serve as a platform for therapeutic development and personalized precision medicine.

Clinical Efficacy of Didangtang Combined with Gemcitabine in Postoperative Patients with Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of Didangtang combined with gemcitabine chemotherapy in postoperative patients with non-muscle invasive bladder ctraditional chinese medicineancer （NMIBC）. Method:A total of 100 patients with NMIBC in Jiangsu Provincial Second Chinese Medicine Hospital and Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2015 to September 2020 were randomly divided into control group and treatment group. 50 cases in the treatment group received Didangtang combined with intravesical infusion of gemcitabine， and 50 cases in the control group received placebo combined with intravesical infusion of gemcitabine. Before and after the treatment cycle， the blood biochemistry， immune cell subsets（CD3⁺，CD4⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺） were detected to assess the safety and immune function changes in treatment group. Quality of life scale for patients with bladder cancer prepared by European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer （EORTC QLQ-C30） and Specificity scale for patients with superficial bladder cancer （EORTC QLQ-BLS24） were scored to assess the changes in physical， role， emotional and social functioning of the patients， symptomatic conditions such as fatigue， pain， nausea and vomiting， shortness of breath， insomnia， loss of appetite， diarrhea and constipation， as well as bladder cancer-specific symptoms such as treatment-generated problems， future concerns， bowel symptoms and urinary tract symptoms. Result:There were no differences in terms of age， sex， disease duration and tumor states. During the treatment period， both groups had no recurrence or adverse events. The traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） efficacy in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group（<italic>χ²</italic>= 7.23，<italic>P </italic>= 0.02）. After treatment， the number of CD3⁺，CD4⁺ ，CD8⁺ cells and the CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in control group（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Both groups showed significant improvements in the domains of role functioning， social functioning， and general health after treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. In addition， fatigue， diarrhea， constipation， intestinal symptoms， and urinary tract symptoms in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group after treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:Didangtang can reduce adverse clinical symptoms during postoperative gemcitabine infusion chemotherapy in patients with NMIBC， reduce urethral and intestinal discomfort reactions， improve immune function and enhance quality of life for patients.

Protective Effect of Compound Formula Rehmannia against Neurotoxicity and Apoptosis Induced by α-Syn in In Vivo and In Vitro Models of Parkinson's Disease.

The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of compound formula Rehmannia (CFR) against the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). After the in vivo and in vitro models of PD were established with overexpression α-syn induced, CFR was administrated into the PD model rats for 6 weeks or SK-N-SH cells with coincubation for 48 h. Apomorphine-induced rotation test, CCK8 assay, TUNEL assay, immunofluorescence staining, and western blot assay were performed to evaluate the behavioral changes, cell viability, cell apoptosis, α-syn, GSK-3ß, P-GSK-3ß (Ser9), P-GSK-3ß (Tyr216), and ß-catenin expression in PD rats or SK-N-SH cells. PD rat behavior results showed that the rotation numbers were significantly decreased in the CFR treatment group comparing with the AAV-α-syn PD model group. The cell viability suppressed by H2O2 and α-syn in SK-N-SH model cells was also significantly improved with CFR administration. Cell apoptosis and α-syn overexpression observed in PD rats and SK-N-SH cells were also inhibited by CFR treatment. Furthermore, the protein expression of α-syn, GSK-3ß, P-GSK-3ß (Ser9), P-GSK-3ß (Tyr216), and ß-catenin in in vivo and in vitro was also significantly regulated by CFR. The present study suggested that CFR may be considered as a potential neuroprotective agent against PD, and this application will require further investigation.

Mechanism of Didangtang in Treatment of Bladder Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the targets and possible mechanism of Didangtang in the treatment of bladder cancer. Method:Based on multiple traditional Chinese medicine and disease databases, the network pharmacology was used to screen potential targets, analyze the biological functions of potential targets, and construct a network of "Chinese medicine-target-path-disease". Bioinformatics analysis was applied in population and gene databases, in order to explore the differential expressions of core targets in tissues, distribution in the population and the correlation with prognosis. The in vitro experiment was used to verify the biological function of Didangtang. The underlying mechanism of Didangtang on the candidate target was detected. Result:A total of 21 core target genes and 16 highly enriched pathways were screened out. A functional network of Didangtang was constructed systematically. At the same time, six targets, namely cadherin 1 (CDH1), CAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1), colony stimulating factor 2 (CSF2), AP-1 transcription factor (JUN), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (PTGS2), were differentially expressed in bladder cancer tissues (P<0.05). Furthermore, JUN and MMP2 were also differentially distributed in population (P<0.05). At the same time, the expression level of JUN was correlated with the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer (P<0.05). The in vitro experiment revealed that Didangtang inhibited the proliferation of bladder cancer cells and decreased the expression of candidate target JUN (P<0.01). Conclusion:Didangtang has the characteristics of multiple targets and multiple pathways in treatment of bladder cancer. It is initially confirmed that Didangtang can affect the expression of target JUN and inhibit the proliferation of bladder cancer, which lays a good foundation for further studies on mechanism.

Mild Mechanic Stimulate on Acupoints Regulation of CGRP-Positive Cells and Microglia Morphology in Spinal Cord of Sciatic Nerve Injured Rats.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to observe the effects of mild mechanical stimulation on acupuncture points of spinal motor neurons and active substances of sciatic nerve injury in rats, and to explore the morphological basis for the recovery of motor function in rats with sciatic nerve injury, using mild acupuncture. Acupuncture in the local area of injury may cause further damage to the peripheral nerve injury. We believe that mild mechanical stimulation on the surface, using some specific acupuncture points can also have a positive effect on nerve repair. This method, called Chinese tuina, has existed for more than 2,000 years in China. METHODS: This study establishes a rat model using sciatic nerve crush injury. Rats received Chinese tuina in accordance with the principle of the three methods and three points, once a day, for 20 days. The rats' status of hindlimb recovery was detected by a sciatic functional index. The labeled neuronal cell body was used to evaluate the fiber recovery after the rats' sciatic nerve injury, using a neural tracing technique. Our team studied motor neuronal cell bodies, CGRP-positive cells, and the microglia of damaged sciatic nerves which were stained with fluorescent triple staining, adopting a confocal multi-layer scanning technique, and then the changes in neuronal activity distribution and expression, and changes of time and treatment were described, using the method of morphological description. RESULTS: Sciatic nerve injury decreased the survival rate of motor neurons, affected CGRP-positive cells, and activated microglia in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. Compared with the model group, the survival of spinal ventral horn motor neurons was increased through tuina intervention. The swelling of CGRP-positive cells was alleviated, and the degree of microglia activation was less than that of the model group. CONCLUSION: This study used visual morphological findings to assess changes in neurons and active substances with time after injury of the peripheral nerve, and demonstrated that peripheral mild acupuncture intervention improved the capacity of neurofibrillary axoplasmic transport, regulated microglia activation, and significantly promoted the recovery of sciatic nerve injury.

Transurethral resection of the prostate versus prostatic artery embolization in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To compare the clinical efficiency and safety of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and prostatic artery embolization (PAE) for the treatment of Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: We searched PUBMED, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register for studies from May 1998 to May 2018 for studies comparing the efficiency and safety of TURP with PAE. Four studies met the inclusion criteria for our meta-analysis. After data extraction and quality assessment, we used RevMan 5.2 to pool the data. RESULTS: A total of four studies involving 506 patients were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled data showed that the Qmax was higher in TURP group than PAE with a significant difference (WMD:4.66, 95%CI 2.54 to 6.79, P < 0.05). The postoperative QOL was lower in the TURP than PAE group (WMD: -0.53, 95%CI -0.88 to - 0.18, P < 0.05). The postoperative prostate volume was significantly smaller in the TURP than PAE group (WMD: -8.26, 95%CI -12.64 to - 3.88, P < 0.05). The operative time was significantly shorter in the TURP than PAE group (WMD: -10.55, 95%CI -16.92 to - 4.18, P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the postoperative IPSS and complications between TURP and PAE (P > 0.05, WMD:1.56, 95%CI -0.67 to 3.78, p = 0,05, OR:1.54, 95%CI 1.00 to2.38, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: TURP could achieve improved Qmax and QoL compared to PAE. Therefore, for patients with BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), TURP was superior to PAE.

Famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctors' medication rules in treating spermatorrhea / 中国中药杂志

To explore famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) doctors' medication rules in treating spermatorrhea based on the medical cases about spermatorrhea collected from Hundred TCM Clinical Doctors of Hundred Years in China and Proven Cases and National Medical Master Test Case. Researchers extracted such data as medicinal and therapies from these cases according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then,Excle 2010,SPSS Clementine 12. 0 and SPSS 22. 0 were adopted respectively for frequency analysis,association rules analysis,cluster analysis and factor analysis. Cluster analysis was carried out by Ochiai algorithm of binary variable data,one of the systematic clustering methods. And principal component analysis was used for factor analysis. Finally,27 medical cases and 41 prescriptions were included in total. The frequency analysis showed that the most common therapy was the astringent therapy( n = 28),which was followed by the tonifying method,tranquilizing method,heat-clearing method,damp-dispelling method and Qiregulating method. The top three kinds of high-frequency traditional Chinese medicines were Poria,Ostreae Concha and Dioscoreae Rhizoma. The association rules analysis found out 11 association rules of medicine pairs,23 association rules of medicine combinations of the three kinds of herbs and 6 association rules of medicine combinations of five kinds of herbs. Among them,the representatives were Rubi Fructus→Fossilia Ossis Mastodi,Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata + Corni Fructus→Dioscoreae Rhizoma,and Pinelliae Rhizoma→Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,which showed the therapeutic characteristics of astringing,tonifying the kidney and replenishing essence,fortifying the spleen and dispelling dampness. Moreover,7 medicine groups with relevance were extracted from the tree map generated by cluster analysis,including " Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex and Anemarrhenae Rhizoma" and " Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Rehmanniae Radix,Bupleuri Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma",which demonstrated the effects of nourishing Yin and purging fire,tonifying and soothing the liver. Besides,totally 12 common factors were obtained according to factor analysis,including 14 drug combinations,like " Amomi Fructus,Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex" and " Nelumbinis Stamen,Moutan Cortex,Poria and Scrophulariae Radix",which indicated the compatibility characteristics of tonifying the spleen and purging fire,dispelling dampness and clearing heat. In conclusion,data mining techniques( including frequency analysis,association rules analysis,cluster analysis and factor analysis) were used to comprehensively analyze the famous veteran TCM doctors' medication rules in treating spermatorrhea,which was helpful for guiding the clinical practice of treating spermatorrhea in TCM.

Research rules of famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in treating infertility / 中国中药杂志

To explore the medication rules of famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in treating infertility based on medical cases of infertility collected from book series of Hundred Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinicians of Hundred Years in China and Prescription Proven by Traditional Chinese Medicine Masters. Researchers extracted the information of prescriptions from these cases according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then, Excel 2010, SPSS Clementine(ver.12.0) and SPSS(ver. 22.0) were adopted respectively for frequency analysis, association rules analysis, cluster analysis and factor analysis. Cluster analysis was carried out by Ochiai algorithm of binary variable data, which was a systematic clustering method. And principal component analysis was used for factor analysis. Besides, KMO test and Bartlett spherical test were used for factor adaptation test. Finally, 151 medical cases and 396 prescriptions were included in total. A total of 60 kinds of frequently used herbs were identified according to the results of frequency analysis for medication, they were mainly used for activating blood and resolving stasis, tonifying and clearing heat respectively. The association rules analysis found out 25 drug pair association rules and 14 3-drug combination association rules. A total of 15 medicine groups were extracted by cluster analysis. KMO test and Bartlett spherical test indicated that the method was suitable for factor analysis, and 21 common factors were respectively extracted by factor analysis. Association rules indicated the characteristics of the therapeutic methods, like tonifying Qi and replenishing blood. The famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine practitioners utilized modified Siwu Decoction for tonifying blood and preferred Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma(Baizhu) for tonifying Qi. The results of both cluster analysis and factor analysis demonstrated the characteristics of the therapies for tonifying kidney, activating blood, tonifying spleen and dispelling dampness. In addition, factor analysis could reflect the therapies for nourishing Yin, tonifying kidney, warming the meridian, dissipating cold, nourishing blood and dispelling blood stasis. These results of analysis comprehensively showed out the medication characteristics of famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine practitioners of strictly following the pathogenesis, making good use of classical formulas and providing proper compatibility. In conclusion, data mining techniques(including frequency analysis, association rules analysis, cluster analysis and factor analysis) were used to comprehensively analyze the medication rules of famous veteran traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in treating infertility, which is helpful for guiding the clinical practice of treating infertility with traditional Chinese medicine.

Study on mechanism of action of Blattidae compound PB against chronic ulcerative colitis induced by alloantigen and acetic acid in rats / 中国药理学通报

To study the effect of Blattidae compound PB on chronic UC induced by alloantigen combined with acetic acid in rats, and to preliminarily explore its mechanism. Methods Chronic UC model was established using alloantigen combined with acetic acid. Normal group and model group were given sodium chloride solution by enema, while the other groups were given respectively to the SASP, the Changyanning and PB low, medium and high doses. The experiment was determined by evaluating DAI, CMDI, HS and the visceral index. Serum IL-4, IL-8, IL-17, CRP, IgG and colonic mucosa TNF-MPO EGF were detected by ELISA. Results Compared with normal group, the levels of IL-8, IL-17, INF-7, CRP, IgG, TNF-a, MPO in model group significantly increased, while the levels of 1L-4, EGF decreased significantly (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). But the levels of DAI,CMDI, HS, IL-8, IL-17, INF-7, CRP, IgG, TNF-ot, MPO in each dose of PB groups were significantly lower than those of model group, and the levels of IL-4, EGF were significantly higher than those of model group (P <0. 01, P < 0. 05). Conclusions Blattidae compound PB can effectively relieve chronic ulcerative colitis induced by alloantigen combined with acetic acid in rats, and its mechanism may be related to promoting Th2 cell activation, changing Thl-prone Thl/Th2 balance to Th2, which regulated cell immunity and humoral immunity to achieve the steady state immune balance.

Red yeast rice induces less muscle fatigue symptom than simvastatin in dyslipidemic patients: a single center randomized pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: About 10-15% patients who take statins experience skeletal muscle problems. Red yeast rice has a good safety profile could provide a compromise therapeutic strategy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of red yeast rice, when compared to simvastatin, on the muscle fatigue symptom and the serum lipid level in dyslipidemic patients with low to moderate cardiovascular risk. METHODS: A total of 60 dyslipidemic patients with low to moderate cardiovascular risk were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either simvastatin (n = 33) or red yeast rice (n = 27) for 4 weeks. The muscle fatigue score, the physical activity, the serum lipid profile and the safety profile were then evaluated. RESULTS: At the end of study, the fatigue score was significantly increased in patients treated with simvastatin, whereas no significant change was observed in patients receiving red yeast rice. In addition, the physical activity level was significantly decreased in patients from simvastatin group when compared to those from red yeast rice group. Similar lipid-lowering effects were observed in two groups. The safety profile was not affected after the treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Among dyslipidemic patients with low to moderate cardiovascular risk, red yeast rice induced less fatigue side effect and exerted comparable lipid-lowering effects when compared to simvastatin in this pilot primary prevention study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01686451 .

Nasal irrigation for the treatment of vasomotor rhinitis: a pilot study / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective@#To observe the therapeutic effect of simple 3.0% saline nasal irrigation and combined treatment of 3.0% saline nasal irrigation and budesonide nasal spray for vasomotor rhinitis (VMR), and explore the long-term effect for VMR. Through examination of levels of substance P (SP) and mucin (MUC)5B in nasal lavage fluid, the mechanisms of nasal irrigation treatment for VMR was discussed.@*Methods@#One hundred and one patients from Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University with VMR were randomly divided into 4 groups. The number of patients was 24 in control group, 25 in budesonide nasal spray treatment group (budesonide group), 25 in nasal irrigation treatment group (nasal irrigation group) and 27 in budesonide nasal spray + nasal irrigation group (combined treatment group). Control patients were left untreated. Budesonide group was under budesonide nasal spray treatment, nasal irrigation group was treated using 3.0% saline with a temperature of 40℃ and combined treatment group was given both treatments. The duration of the intervention period was 3 months (90 days). Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate nasal symptoms, and the health-related quality of life was assessed using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey version 2.0 (SF-12v2). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess the contents of SP and MUC5B in nasal lavage fluid before and after 3-month treatments in budesonide and nasal irrigation group in the study. MUC5B in nasal lavage fluid after the SP challenge and anticholinergic drug intervention in control group were also evaluated with ELISA.@*Results@#Nighty out of 101 patients completed the study. In the budesonide and combined treatment group after relevant interventions, the total VAS score of nasal symptoms decreased (5.91±0.21 vs 3.82±0.15, 6.18±0.17 vs 3.92±0.15, t value was 8.193, 10.060, respectively, all P<0.05) and SF-12v2 score increased (146.00±1.23 vs 152.30±0.97, 146.00±1.08 vs 155.40±0.90, t value was 3.982, 6.697, respectively, all P<0.05), with both scores showed no significant differences in the nasal irrigation group (5.96±0.17 vs 5.72±0.15, 146.10±1.17 vs 147.00±0.94, t value was 1.038, 0.607, respectively, all P>0.05) after the first month. In the budesonide and combined treatment group after relevant interventions, the total VAS score of nasal symptoms decreased (5.91±0.21 vs 5.05±0.15, 6.18±0.17 vs 5.10±0.12, t value was 3.374, 5.351, respectively, all P<0.05) and SF-12v2 score increased (146.00±1.23 vs 150.90±0.76, 146.00±1.08 vs 153.60±0.94, t value was 3.373, 5.343, respectively, all P<0.05), with both scores showed no significant differences in the nasal irrigation group (5.96±0.17 vs 5.78±0.17, 146.10±1.17 vs 148.10±0.80, t value was 0.716, 1.438, respectively, all P>0.05) after the second month. By the end of the third month, in nasal irrigation and combined treatment group, the VAS score was diminished (5.96±0.17 vs 4.80±0.12, 6.18±0.17 vs 4.44±0.13, t value was 5.485, 8.264, respectively, all P<0.05) and SF-12v2 score was elevated (146.10±1.17 vs 150.80±0.96, 146.00±1.08 vs 152.90±0.85, t value was 3.163, 5.008, respectively, all P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in budesonide group (5.91±0.21 vs 5.68±0.18, 146.00±1.23 vs 148.40±0.85, t value was 0.819, 1.587, respectively, all P>0.05). Additionally, SP in nasal lavage fluid decreased and MUC5B showed no statistical changes in budesonide group after three months, however, SP showed no any changes and MUC5B reduced significantly in nasal lavage fluid in nasal irrigation group. Furthermore, the anticholinergic drug could not decrease the concentration of MUC5B after the SP challenge in nasal cavity in control group.@*Conclusions@#The therapeutic effect of simple nasal irrigation with 3.0% saline or combined treatment of 3.0% saline nasal irrigation and nasal corticosteroids is superior to simple nasal corticosteroids. Nasal corticosteroids plays a role in the inhibition of sensory nerve endings in nasal mucosa, but neurotransmitter plays a limited role in the pathogenesis of VMR.

Exploring correlation between molecular state and nanofiltration mass transfer process of synephrine from Citrus aurantium / 中国中药杂志

Based on the solution-diffusion effect and the charge effect theory in nanofiltration separation, the correlation between initial concentration and mass transfer coefficient was constructed to establish a mathematic model of synephrine in mass transfer process and verify its applicability. The experimental results showed that there was a linear relationship between operation pressure and membrane flux. Meanwhile, the membrane flux was gradually decayed with the increase of solute concentration. Besides, mass transfer coefficient and initial concentration of synephrine showed power function correlation with each other by solution-diffusion effect and the charge effect, and the regression coefficients were greater than 0.9. The mass transfer coefficient of dissociation synephrine was less than that in the state of free and free-dissociation. Moreover, on the basis of power function relationship between mass transfer coefficient and initial concentration, the results showed that the predicted rejections of synephrine from Citrus aurantium water extract by use of the mathematical model approximated well to real ones, verifying that the model was practical and feasible. The unclear separation mechanism of nanofiltration for alkaloids was clarified preliminary by the predicted model of nanofiltration separation with synephrine as the example, providing theoretical and technical support for nanofiltration separation, especially for traditional Chinese medicine with alkaloids.

Chinese tuina downregulates the elevated levels of tissue plasminogen activator in sciatic nerve injured Sprague-Dawley rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To elucidate the mechanism of Chinese tuina in treating sciatic nerve crush injury, and to detect the levels of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which is thought to play an important role in nerve regeneration.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to sciatic nerve crush injury and 16 rats (sham-operated group) went through a sham operation. Control group was given no treatment while tuina group received tuina therapy since day 7 post-surgery. Tuina treatment was performed once a day and lasted for 20 days. The sciatic functional index was examined every 5 days during the treatment session. The rats' gastrocnemius muscles were evaluated for changes in mass and immunohistochemistry techniques were performed to detect the levels of tPA and PAI-1.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Tuina therapy improved the motor function of sciatic nerve injured rats (P<0.05), however, it did not increase muscle volume (P<0.05). Tuina downregulated the levels of tPA and PAI-1 (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The present study implies that tuina treatment could accelerate rehabilitation of peripheral nerve injury.</p>