Allochthonous Trichoderma Isolates Boost Atractylodes lancea Herb Quality at the Cost of Rhizome Growth.

Atractylodes lancea is a perennial herb whose rhizome (AR) is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine with immense market demand. The cultivation of Atractylodes lancea faces outbreaks of root rot and deterioration in herb quality due to complex causes. Here, we investigated the effects of Trichoderma spp., well-known biocontrol agents and plant-growth-promoters, on ARs. We isolated Trichoderma strains from healthy ARs collected in different habitats and selected three T. harzianum strains (Th2, Th3 and Th4) with the strongest antagonizing effects on root rot pathogens (Fusarium spp.). We inoculated geo-authentic A. lancea plantlets with Th2, Th3 and Th4 and measured the biomass and quality of 70-day-old ARs. Th2 and Th3 promoted root rot resistance of A. lancea. Th2, Th3 and Th4 all boosted AR quality: the concentration of the four major medicinal compounds in ARs (atractylon, atractylodin, hinesol and ß-eudesmol) each increased 1.6- to 18.2-fold. Meanwhile, however, the yield of ARs decreased by 0.58- to 0.27-fold. Overall, Th3 dramatically increased the quality of ARs at a relatively low cost, namely lower yield, showing great potential for practical application. Our results showed selectivity between A. lancea and allochthonous Trichoderma isolates, indicating the importance of selecting specific microbial patches for herb cultivation.

Genetic and clinical characterization of familial renal glucosuria.

Background: Familial renal glucosuria (FRG) is a hereditary disorder caused by variants in SLC5A2 encoding sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2). In this study, we aimed to characterize proximal tubule solute transport, glucagon secretion and the genotype-phenotype relationship in FRG patients. Methods: We sequenced SLC5A2 and PDZK1IP1 in 21 FRG patients and measured the renal threshold of glucose (RTG) in 15 patients. We built an open-source online calculator of RTG, evaluated the proximal tubule transport of amino acid, uric acid and phosphate, and explored glucagon secretion after glucose ingestion in FRG patients. Results: We identified 12 novel SLC5A2 variants (G484D, R564W, A212S, c.574+1G>C, W649*, S592Cfs*6, Q579*, Y339*, V39F, G491E, A464E and G360D) in our cohort and yielded 111 SLC5A2 variants from literature review. RTG in our cohort ranged from 1.0 to 9.2 mmol/L. Patients with two SLC5A2 variants had lower RTG (3.9 vs 6.2 mmol/L) and higher 24-h urinary glucose excretion (24hUG) than single-variant carriers (291.0 vs 40.0 mmol/1.73 m2). Patients with homozygous missense or in-frame indels had mean 24hUG of 457.2 mmol/1.73 m2, comparable to those with homozygous truncating variants (445.0 mmol/1.73 m2) and significantly more than those with homozygous splicing variants (196.6 mmol/1.73 m2). Patients with homozygous missense variants involving conservative residues (582.0 mmol/1.73 m2) had more 24hUG than those with variants at non-conservative residues (257.6 mmol/1.73 m2). Four out of 14 tested patients had mild aminoaciduria. The RTG of FRG patients had no significant correlation to phosphate reabsorption but a potential negative correlation to the fractional excretion of uric acid. Postprandial suppression of glucagon secretion was absent in most FRG patients. Conclusions: We built a comprehensive map showing the impact of SLC5A2 variant type and variant location on glucosuria severity. Our results highlighted the role of key residues in maintaining the transport function of SGLT2 and the functional link between glucosuria and reabsorption of amino acid and uric acid in FRG patients.

First Report of Erysiphe astragali Causing Powdery Mildew on Astragalus mongholicus in China.

Astragalus mongholicus Bge. [A. membranaceus Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao] is a highly valuable perennial medicinal plant mainly distributed in China, whose dry roots are known as Huangqi in traditional Chinese medicine for reinforcing vital energy, strengthening superficial resistance, and promoting tissue regeneration (Lin et al. 2000). A. mongholicus roots of high quality are produced in Northwest and North China. Since July 2021, powdery mildew outbreaks happened annually on the leaves of A. mongholicus in a plantation (123° 56' 40'' E, 47° 22' 20'' N) in Qiqihar city, Heilongjiang Province, China. Disease incidence reached 100% by October (Fig. 1A-C), causing severe impairment of growth. Powdery mildew spots of circular or irregular shapes emerged on upper surface of leaf, resulting in plentiful lesion specks. Dense white hyphae appeared chaotically intertwined. Hyphae were hyaline and highly flexuous, 5.3 - 10.7 µm in diameter (n = 20). Chasmothecia were globose or slightly ovoid-shaped and turned dark brown when matured. Chasmothecia (diameter: 135.2 - 222.9 µm, n = 20) existed abundantly on the diseased leaves in the fields. Conidiophores were 89.0 - 129.9 µm in length (n = 20) and composed of one cylindrical, straight foot cell, followed by two cells and one to three conidia. Conidia were slim ellipsoid-shaped, occasionally ovoid-shaped, measuring 14.6 - 24.7 µm by 6.4 to10.4 µm, length/width ratio was 1.8 - 3.0 (n = 30). Hyphal appressoria were nipple-shaped and appeared in singular, occasionally in pairs. Unbranched germ tube emerged reaching out of the germinating conidia while forming an acute angle with the long axis. Comprehensively, the pathogen exhibited micro-morphology of the genus Erysiphe. For molecular identification, pathogen was carefully scraped off diseased leaves for DNA extraction. We used the DNA samples of three biological replicates for the sequencing of the ITS rDNA fragment (primers by (White et al. 1990). All the samples resulted in an identical ITS sequence (deposited in GenBank as OQ390098.1). It displayed 99.83% identity with OP806835.1 of an E. astragali voucher collected in Iran (Fig. 1D-M, O). Hence, our pathogen was identified as an E. astragali stain. Additionally, we amplified the Mcm7 sequence (using primers by (Ellingham et al. 2019), deposited as OQ397582.1). We propagated 40-day-old A. mongholicus plants via germinating seeds in pot soil and performed pathogenicity tests. Firstly, we incubated detached healthy leaves of propagated plants with severely symptomatic leaves collected from the fields in petri dishes under saturated moisture content and room temperature. Powdery mildew symptoms emerged on each healthy leaf (n = 5) after two weeks. Further, we infected healthy plants (n = 5) by gently pressing and rubbing symptomatic leaves on each healthy leaf, and kept them in a greenhouse (24 ℃, 80% humidity, 16/8-hour light/dark cycle). After a month, symptoms emerged on a number of leaves of each infected plant. We performed micromorphology observation (Fig. 1N-P) and ITS sequencing to confirm that the results fulfilled Koch's postulates. Powdery mildew caused by E. astragali on A. strictus in Tibet (Wang and Jiang 2023) and on A. scaberrimus in Inner Mongolia (Sun et al. 2023) have been reported. Here we report powdery mildew caused by E. astragali on Astragalus mongholicus for the first time. These Astragalus spp. are all acknowledged to have medicinal values in China but their usages are quite different.

[Research progress in microevolutionary process of excellent traits and quality of Dao-di herbs].

Dao-di herbs are the treasure of Chinese materia medica and one of the characteristic research objects of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Probing into the microevolution of Dao-di herbs can help to reveal their biological essence and quality formation mechanisms. The progress in molecular biology and omics provides the possibility to elucidate the phylogenetic and quality forming characteristics of Dao-di herbs at the molecular level. In particular, genomics serves as a powerful tool to decipher the genetic origins of Dao-di herbs, and molecular markers have been widely used in the research on the genetic diversity and population structure of Dao-di herbs. Focusing on the excellent traits and quality of Dao-di herbs, this paper reviews the studies about the microevolution process of quality formation mechanisms of Dao-di herbs with the application of molecular markers and omics, aiming to underpin the protection and utilization of TCM resources.

Impact of intelligent information-based perioperative care on postoperative rehabilitation, complications, and quality of life of patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

To investigate the impact of perioperative intelligent information-based care on postoperative rehabilitation, complications, and quality of life of patients in the operating room. Retrospective analysis of information on 84 patients who underwent gastrointestinal surgery in our hospital from May 2021 to May 2022 were divided into to control group (n = 42) and observation group (n = 42) according to different care modalities. The control group received conventional care, while the observation group received intelligent information-based perioperative care. The total postoperative treatment time, length of stay, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, Pain Numerical Rating Scale score, Hamilton Anxiety Scale score, Hamilton Depression Scale score, complication rate, quality of life score, and nursing satisfaction were observed. The total postoperative treatment time and total hospital stay in the observation group were significantly shorter than that of the control group (P < .05). After care, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Numerical Rating Scale scores in the observation group were significantly lower than that of the control group (P < .05). After care, Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale scores were significantly lower in both groups, and the observation group was lower than the control group (P < .05). The complication rate in the observation groups was 11.9% (5/42), which was significantly lower than that of 47.62% (20/42) in the control group (P < .001). The quality of life of patients such as physical ability, pain, mood, sleep, social activity, and physical activity scores in the observation group were significantly lower than that of the control group after care (P < .05). The nursing satisfaction rate of patients in the observation group was 95.27% (40/42), which was significantly higher than that of 78.57% (33/42) in the control group (P = .024). Intelligent information-based perioperative care can promote the postoperative recovery of patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, can successfully improve patients' sleep quality and pain level, alleviate negative emotions, reduce the risk of postoperative complications, and improve patients' quality of life and satisfaction, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Authenticating the geographic origins of Atractylodes lancea rhizome chemotypes in China through metabolite marker identification.

Introduction: Atractylodes lancea is widely distributed in East Asia, ranging from Amur to south-central China. The rhizome of A. lancea is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, however, the quality of products varies across different regions with different geochemical characteristics. Method: This study aimed to identify the chemotypes of A. lancea from different areas and screen for chemical markers by quantifying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using a targeted metabolomics approach based on GC-MS/MS. Results: The A. lancea distributed in Hubei, Anhui, Shaanxi, and a region west of Henan province was classified as the Hubei Chemotype (HBA). HBA is characterized by high content of ß-eudesmol and hinesol with lower levels of atractylodin and atractylon. In contrast, the Maoshan Chemotype (MA) from Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, and other northern regions, exhibited high levels of atractylodin and atractylon. A total of 15 categories of VOCs metabolites were detected and identified, revealing significant differences in the profiles of terpenoid, heterocyclic compound, ester, and ketone among different areas. Multivariate statistics indicated that 6 compounds and 455 metabolites could serve as candidate markers for differentiating A. lancea obtained from the southern, northern, and Maoshan areas. Discussion: This comprehensive analysis provides a chemical fingerprint of selected A. lancea. Our results highlight the potential of metabolite profiling combined with chemometrics for authenticating the geographical origin of A. lancea.

[Advances in research and application of Trichoderma for inducing resistance against root rot diseases in root and rhizome of Chinese medicinal materials].

Root rot is a microbial disease that is difficult to control and can result in serious losses in the planting of most Chinese medicinal materials. As high as 87.6% of roots or rhizomes of Chinese medicinal materials are susceptible to root rot, which seriously affects the cultivation development of Chinese medicinal materials. Trichoderma fungi, possessing biological control functions, can induce plants to improve their resistance to microbial diseases, promote plant growth, and effectively reduce the losses caused by various microbial diseases on cultivation. At present, Trichoderma is rarely used in the cultivation of Chinese medicinal materials, so it has great application potential for the prevention and control of root rot diseases in farmed Chinese medicinal materials. Based on the above situation, after comparison and discussion, it is believed that compared with chemical control and physical control, biological control of root rot diseases of Chinese medicinal materials is more efficient and meets the development needs of Chinese medicinal materials ecological planting in China. This paper reviewed the progress in the research and application of Trichoderma in the control of root rot diseases in the root and rhizome of farmed Chinese medicinal materials in the past 10 years and found that most of the current research on the biological control of root rot diseases in Chinese medicinal materials was mostly limited to the verification of the inhibitory effect of Trichoderma strains on the growth of the pathogenic microbes. Studies on the induction effect of Trichoderma on Chinese medicinal materials are not in depth. Studies on the responding mechanisms of most Chinese medicinal materials to Trichoderma are highly absent. Moreover, there are few reports on field experiments, which indicates that there is a long way to go before Trichoderma is widely applied in the farming practice of Chinese medicinal materials. To sum up, this paper aimed to link the present and the future and advocated further relevant research and more experiments on the application of Trichoderma in the farming of Chinese medicinal materials.

Induction and metabolomic analysis of hairy roots of Atractylodes lancea.

Atractylodes lancea is an important source of traditional Chinese medicines. Sesquiterpenoids are the key active compounds in A. lancea, and their presence determines the quality of the material. Hairy hoot (HR) culture is a potential method to produce medicinally active compounds industrially; however, the induction and metabolic profiling of A. lancea HR have not been reported. We found that optimal induction of A. lancea HR was achieved by Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain C58C1 using the young leaves of tissue culture seedlings in the rooting stage as explants. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric analyses of the chemical compositions of HR and normal root (NR) led to the annotation of 1046 metabolites. Over 200 differentially accumulated metabolites were identified, with 41 found to be up-regulated in HR relative to NR and 179 down-regulated in HR. Specifically, atractylodin levels were higher in HR, while the levels of ß-eudesmol and hinesol were higher in NR. Metabolic pathway analyses showed a significant difference in metabolites of the shikimate acid pathway between HR and NR. Five A. lancea compounds are potential biomarkers for evaluation of HR and NR quality. This study provides an important reference for the application of HR for the production of medicinally active compounds. KEY POINTS: • We established an efficient protocol for the induction of HR in A. lancea • HR was found to have a significantly higher amount of atractylodin than did NRs • Metabolic pathway analyses showed a significant difference in metabolites of the shikimate acid pathway between HR and NR.

[DUS testing guidelines for new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants].

A rich diversity of wild medicinal plant resources is distributed in China, but the breeding of new plant varieties of Chinese medicinal plants started late and the breeding level is relatively weak. Chinese medicinal plant resources are the foundation for new varieties breeding, and the plant variety rights(PVP) are of great significance for the protection and development of germplasm resources. However, most Chinese medicinal plants do not have a distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing guideline. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has put 191 plant species(genera) on protection lists, of which only 30 are medicinal species(genera). At the same time, only 29 of 293 species(genera) plants in the Protection List of New Plant Varieties of the People's Republic of China(Forest and Grass) belong to Chinese medicinal plants. The number of PVP applications and authorization of Chinese medicinal plants is rare, and the composition of variety is unreasonable. Up to now, 29 species(genera) of DUS test guidelines for Chinese medicinal plants have been developed. Some basic problems in the breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants have appeared, such as the small number of new varieties and insufficient utilization of Chinese medicinal plant resources. This paper reviewed the current situation of breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants and the research progress of DUS test guidelines in China and discussed the application of biotechnology in the field of Chinese medicinal plant breeding and the existing problems in DUS testing. This paper guides the further application of DUS to protect and utilize the germplasm resources of Chinese medicinal plants.

[Application of tissue culture technology of medicinal plants in sustainable development of Chinese medicinal resources].

Chinese medicinal resources are the cornerstone of the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. However, due to the fecundity of species, over-exploitation, and limitations of artificial cultivation, some medicinal plants are depleted and even endangered. Tissue culture, a breakthrough technology in the breeding of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, is not limited by time and space, and can allow the production on an annual basis, which plays an important role in the protection of Chinese medicinal resources. The present study reviewed the applications of tissue culture of medicinal plants in the field of Chinese medicinal resources, including rapid propagation of medicinal plant seedlings, breeding of novel high-yield and high-quality cultivars, construction of a genetic transformation system, and production of secondary metabolites. Meanwhile, the current challenges and suggestions for the future development of this field were also proposed.

Mild shading promotes sesquiterpenoid synthesis and accumulation in Atractylodes lancea by regulating photosynthesis and phytohormones.

Atractylodes lancea rhizome (AR) has high medicinal and economic value. A previous study has reported that the accumulation of sesquiterpenoids in AR has obvious advantages under bamboo canopy. A concrete shade value to promote the cultivation of high-quality AR has not been established. In this study, 80% shading was screened at six different light intensities (100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, 7%), and the mechanism was explored in terms of photosynthetic efficiency and phytohormones levels. The results indicated that the total sesquiterpenoid content of 80% mild shading increased by 58%, 52%, and 35%, respectively, compared to 100% strong light in seedling, expansion, and harvest stages and increased by 144%, 178%, and 94%, respectively, compared with 7% low light. The sesquiterpenoids hinesol and ß-eudesmol contributed approximately 70% to the differential contribution ratio between mild shading and strong light (100%) or between mild shading and low light (7%). Furthermore, HMGR, DXR, and FPPS genes, which regulate sesquiterpenoid synthesis, were significantly upregulated in 80% mild shading. Transpiration rate; the intercellular CO2 concentration; net photosynthetic rate; and levels of jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, and gibberellin were strongly correlated (r > 0.85) with sesquiterpenoid accumulation. Cis-acting elements responding to light and phytohormones were present within the promoter regions of HMGR, DXR, and FPPS. Therefore, 80% shading promotes the synthesis and accumulation of sesquiterpenoids in AR by regulating photosynthetic efficiency and phytohormone production, thereby promoting transcriptional expression.

Maize intercropping enriches plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and promotes both the growth and volatile oil concentration of Atractylodes lancea.

In the Atractylodes lancea (A. lancea)-maize intercropping system, maize can promote the growth of A. lancea, but it is unclear whether this constitutes an aboveground or belowground process. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of the root system interaction between A. lancea and maize using three different barrier conditions: no barrier (AI), nylon barrier (AN), and plastic barrier (AP) systems. The biomass, volatile oil concentration, physicochemical properties of the soil, and rhizosphere microorganisms of the A. lancea plant were determined. The results showed that (1) the A. lancea - maize intercropping system could promote the growth of A. lancea and its accumulation of volatile oils; (2) a comparison of the CK, AI, and AP treatments revealed that it was the above-ground effect of maize specifically that promoted the accumulation of both atractylon and atractylodin within the volatile oils of A. lancea, but inhibited the accumulation of hinesol and ß-eudesmol; (3) in comparing the soil physicochemical properties of each treatment group, intercropping maize acidified the root soil of A. lancea, changed its root soil physicochemical properties, and increased the abundance of the acidic rhizosphere microbes of A. lancea at the phylum level; (4) in an analysis of rhizosphere microbial communities of A. lancea under different barrier systems, intercropping was found to promote plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enrichment, including Streptomyces, Bradyrhizobium, Candidatus Solibacter, Gemmatirosa, and Pseudolabrys, and the biomass of A. lancea was significantly influenced by PGPR. In summary, we found that the rhizosphere soil of A. lancea was acidified in intercropping with maize, causing the accumulation of PGPR, which was beneficial to the growth of A. lancea.

An automated magnetic bead extraction method for measuring plasma metanephrines and 3-methoxytyramine using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is used routinely in clinical diagnostics; however, automating the sample pretreatment is challenging. We established and evaluated an automated method based on the magnetic bead extraction principle (MBE) to measure normetanephrine (NMN), metanephrine (MN), and 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT). The target analytes were extracted, purified, and concentrated using different solvents and chemical bond-modified magnetic beads transferred via a magnetic bar. The linearity, recovery, matrix effect, and precision of MBE were evaluated thoroughly, and compared with traditional solid-phase extraction (SPE) using 131 plasma samples. The chromatography peaks of metanephrines and 3-MT, extracted via MBE, are symmetrical, without interfering peaks. The linearity was excellent with correlation coefficient (r) > 0.99. The MBE exhibited good reproducibility with within-run coefficient variations (CVs) of 1.96-2.00%, 4.06-5.75%, and 3.89-4.90% for MN, NMN, and 3-MT, respectively. The total CVs for MN, NMN, and 3-MT were 1.96-2.80%, 5.12-5.75%, and 5.44-6.27%, respectively. The relative recoveries for MN, NMN, and 3-MT varied between 93.5 and 107.4%, whereas their biases were all within 10%. The results for MN, NMN, and 3-MT extracted via MBE compared with SPE exhibited excellent correlation, with r > 0.99; the mean bias% for MN, NMN, and 3-MT were small (-2.9%, -3.2%, and -3.2%, respectively). In conclusion, the automated MBE method for measuring plasma metanephrines and 3-MT can be applied in future routine clinical diagnostics, and the MBE principle may indicate a new era for LC-MS/MS in clinical application.

A robust method for simultaneous measurement of serum 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2 D, and 24,25(OH)2 D by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with efficient separation of 3-epi analogs, 23R,25(OH)2 D3 , and 4ß,25(OH)2 D3.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to establish a robust, simple method to detect 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3 ), 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (25(OH)D2 ), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2 D3 ), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 (1,25(OH)2 D2 ), 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25(OH)2 D3 ), and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 (24,25(OH)2 D2 ) simultaneously with efficient separation of 3-epi 25(OH)D3 , 3-epi 24,25(OH)2 D3 , 23R,25(OH)2 D3 , and 4ß,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (4ß,25(OH)2 D3 ) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). METHOD: This method was validated according to procedures established by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and then applied in healthy population to determine the distribution of the vitamin D metabolites by LC-MS/MS. RESULTS: The total-run CV% of 25(OH)D3 , 25(OH)D2 , 24,25(OH)2 D3 , 24,25(OH)2 D2 , 1,25(OH)2 D3 , and 1,25(OH)2 D2 were 6.30%-8.40%, 5.00%-8.40%, 5.90%-9.00%, 5.60%-9.00%, 5.60%-8.00%, and 7.00%-9.70%, respectively. The linearity correlation coefficients r of these six vitamin D metabolites were >0.99. The matrix effects of 25(OH)D3 , 25(OH)D2 , 24,25(OH)2 D3 , 24,25(OH)2 D2 , 1,25(OH)2 D3 , and 1,25(OH)2 D2 were 90.6%-103.3%, 97.3%-106.3%, 90.7%-106.3%, 100.7%-114.5%, 97.9%-104.6%, and 97.0%-111.0%. The trueness values of 25(OH)D3 , 25(OH)D2 , and 24,25(OH)2 D3 were 93.8%-103.0%, 101.0%, and 96.3%-100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study successfully established an efficient, accurate, robust method for simultaneous measurement of serum 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2 D, and 24,25(OH)2 D by LC-MS/MS with efficient separation of 3-epi analogs, 23R,25(OH)2 D3 , and 4ß,25(OH)2 D3 .

Evaluation of bone metabolism-associated biomarkers in Tibet, China.

AIM: To measure and evaluate the distribution and possible contributing factors of seven bone metabolism-associated biomarkers in Tibet, a plateau province of China. METHODS: A total of 1615 individuals were recruited from Tibet at three different altitudes. The levels and possible contributing factors of serum calcium, serum phosphorus, ALP, 25OHD, PINP, CTX, and PTH were evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 1246 Tibetan adults (males: n = 543) were eventually enrolled in this study. Multiple linear regression recognized age, sex, altitude, and BMI as the major effect factors. The levels of ALP, PINP, and CTX in males continuously decreased with age; however, those in females increased after approximately 39 years of age. Males had higher 25OHD levels (23.9 vs. 15.4 ng/ml) but lower levels of serum phosphorus (1.12 vs. 1.19 mmol/L) and PTH (41.3 vs. 47.4 pg/ml) than females. Before the age of 50, males had higher levels of calcium, ALP, PINP, and CTX than females, and the opposite trend was observed after the age of 50. The highest levels of serum calcium and phosphorus and the lowest levels of PINP and CTX were found in the Shigatse/Lhasa region, suggesting a better bone metabolism status. Compared with reports from plain areas of China, significantly higher levels of PINP (65.3 vs. 49.36 ng/ml) and CTX (0.46 vs. 0.37 ng/ml) were recorded in Tibetan adults. CONCLUSION: A more active bone turnover status was found in Tibetan adults than in individuals from the plain areas of China.

Diverse Intercropping Patterns Enhance the Productivity and Volatile Oil Yield of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC.

Commercial cultivation of the medicinal plant Atractylodes lancea is significantly restricted by low survival rates and reduced yields. Intercropping can reasonably coordinate interspecific interactions, effectively utilize environmental resources, and increase survival and yield. We conducted a field experiment from 2014 to 2016 to analyze the advantages and effects of intercropping on A. lancea survival, growth traits, individual volatile oil content, and total volatile oil content. In addition to A. lancea monoculture (AL), five intercropping combinations were planted: Zea mays L. (ZM) + A. lancea, Tagetes erecta L. (TE) + A. lancea, Calendula officinalis L. (CO) + A. lancea, Glycine max (Linn.) Merr. (GM) + A. lancea, and Polygonum hydropiper L. (PH) + A. lancea. The survival and average rhizome weight of A. lancea was higher in the ZM, CO, and TE treatments than in the monoculture treatment, and the average plant height was higher in all intercropping treatments than in the monoculture. The volatile oil content of A. lancea from the ZM and CO treatments was significantly improved relative to that of monoculture plants. The volatile oil harvest was higher in the ZM, CO, and TE treatments than in the monoculture. We conclude that intercropping is an effective way to increase the survival and yield of A. lancea. Furthermore, intercropping with ZM, CO, and TE increases the harvest of four volatile oils from A. lancea.

Heterophilic antibody interference with TSH measurement on different immunoassay platforms.

INTRODUCTION: Interference due to the presence of heterophilic antibodies may lead to falsely low or high analyte concentrations, but falsely elevated values are more common in most immunoassay platforms. We report a case of a 53-y old female patient underwent radical thyroidectomy for thyroid papillary carcinoma and the results of TSH in the Siemens Advia Centaur XP after surgery were not suppressed, ranging from 5.73 and 6.61 µIU/ml. METHODS: The status of the thyroid was then assessed using 4 assay platforms from Siemens, Abbott, Roche and Beckman. RESULTS: The results of TSH were 5.52, 0.54, 0.12, and <0.015 µIU/ml, respectively. After the samples were pretreated with the heterophilic antibody blocker, results given by Siemens, Abbott, and Roche showed significant decreases of 0.003, 0.001, and 0.005 µIU/ml, respectively. Therefore, it was confirmed that the presence of heterophilic antibodies in the patient samples interfered with the TSH measurements in multiple assay systems. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians must be aware of the possible assay interference, including the measurements of FT4, FT3 and TSH, results may be misleading in the presence of heterophilic antibodies, in particular when the results of thyroid function tests do not fit the patient clinical presentation.

An evaluation of urine and serum iodine status in the population of Tibet, China: No longer an iodine-deficient region.

OBJECTIVES: Iodine is a critical trace element for the synthesis of thyroid-related hormones, and either low or high iodine status can lead to thyroid dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate the iodine status of the Tibetan population. METHODS: From September 2016 to August 2018, we enrolled 1499 healthy adults from three areas of varying altitudes in Tibet. Urine iodine concentrations (UICs), adjusted UICs, and serum iodine concentrations (SICs) were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The median UIC, adjusted UIC, and SIC was 137.9 µg/L, 118.4 µg/gCr, and 58.3 µg/L, respectively. Of the participants, 30.4% had UICs <100 µg/L, 63.0% had UICs ranging from 100 to 300 µg/L, and 9.6% had UICs >300 µg/L. The correlation between UIC, adjusted UIC, and SIC was good (r > 0.65, P < 0.01). The SICs were more stable than the UICs, and were not associated with age or sex. The prevalence of clinical hyperthyroidism, clinical hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, positive thyroid peroxide antibody, positive thyroglobulin antibody, either positive and both positive was 0.5%, 1.3%, 1.7% and 17.9%, 9.3%, 6.5%, 12.5%, and 2.5%, respectively. The prevalence of almost all thyroid disorders was higher in women than in men. CONCLUSION: This multicenter cross-sectional study found that the human iodine status of adults in Tibet was considered adequate, based on the World Health Organization's criteria.

Clinical efficacy of acetylcysteine combined with tetrandrine tablets on patients with silicosis and its effect on exercise tolerance and pulmonary function.

Clinical efficacy of acetylcysteine combined with tetrandrine tablets in the treatment of silicosis was investigated to observe the exercise tolerance and pulmonary function of the patients. The clinical data of 248 cases of silicosis patients treated in Branch of Tai'an City Central Hospital were retrospectively analyzed in this study, including 116 cases with conventional therapy (control group), and 132 cases treated with acetylcysteine and tetrandrine tablets on the basis of conventional therapy (observation group). The chest tightness, chest pain, cough and sputum production were evaluated by the St. George Respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ); and side effects after treatment were recorded. Exercise tolerance was measured by 6-min walk test (6MWT) and pulmonary function was measured by pulmonary function instrument. The symptoms of chest tightness, chest pain, cough and sputum production in the observation group and the control group after 8 months of treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and that in the observation group after treatment was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of side effects of the drug in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The 6MWT, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) in the observation group and the control group after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment (P<0.001); the 6MWT in the observation group after treatment was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.001). In conclusion, acetylcysteine combined with tetrandrine tablets on the basis of conventional therapy in treatment of silicosis is more effective than conventional therapy alone, which can also improve exercise tolerance, pulmonary function and clinical symptoms such as chest tightness, chest pain, cough, sputum production of silicosis patients, and is helpful for clinical application.

Establishment of variation source and age-related reference interval models for 22 common biochemical analytes in older people using real-world big data mining.

BACKGROUND: the ageing population has increased in many countries, including China. However, reference intervals (RIs) for older people are rarely established because of difficulties in selecting reference individuals. Here, we aimed to analyse the factors affecting biochemical analytes and establish RI and age-related RI models for biochemical analytes through mining real-world big data. METHODS: data for 97,220 individuals downloaded from electronic health records were included. Three derived databases were established. The first database included 97,220 individuals and was used to build age-related RI models after identifying outliers by the Tukey method. The second database consisted of older people and was used to establish variation source models and RIs for biochemical analytes. Differences between older and younger people were compared using the third database. RESULTS: sex was the main source of variation of biochemical analytes for older people in the variation source models. The distributions of creatinine and uric acid were significantly different in the RIs of biochemical analytes for older people established according to sex. Age-related RI models for biochemical analytes that were most affected by age were built and visualized, revealing various patterns of changes from the younger to older people. CONCLUSION: the study analysed the factors affecting biochemical analytes in older people. Moreover, RI and age-related RI models of biochemical analytes for older people were established to provide important insight into biological processes and to assist clinical use of various biochemical analytes to monitor the status of various diseases for older people.