Expert Consensus on Clinical Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine：Fibromyalgia Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Fibromyalgia syndrome （FMS） is a refractory， chronic non-articular rheumatic disease characterized by widespread pain throughout the body， for which there are no satisfactory therapeutic drugs or options. There are rich Chinese medical therapies， and some non-drug therapies， such as acupuncture， Tai Chi， and Ba-Duan-Jin， have shown satisfactory efficacy and safety and definite advantages of simultaneously adjusting mind and body. FMS is taken as a disease responding specifically to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2018. In order to clarify the research progress in FMS and the clinical advantages of TCM/integrated Chinese and Western medicine， the China Academy of Chinese Medicine organized a seminar for nearly 20 experts in Chinese and Western medicine， including rheumatology， psychology， acupuncture and moxibustion， and encephalopathy， with the topic of difficulties in clinical diagnosis and treatment of FMS and advantages of TCM and Western medicine. The recommendations were reached on the difficulties in early diagnosis and solutions of FMS， mitigation of common non-specific symptoms， preferential analgesic therapy， TCM pathogenesis and treatment advantages， and direction of treatment with integrated Chinese and Western medicine. FMS is currently facing the triple dilemma of low early correct diagnosis， poor patient participation， and unsatisfactory benefit from pure Western medicine treatment. To solve the above problems， this paper suggests that rheumatologists should serve as the main diagnostic force of this disease， and they should improve patient participation in treatment decision-making， implement exercise therapy， and fully utilize the holistic and multidimensional features of TCM， which is effective in alleviating pain， improving mood， and decreasing adverse events. In addition， it is suggested that FMS treatment should rely on both TCM and Western medicine and adopt multidisciplinary joint treatment， which is expected to improve the standard of diagnosis and treatment of FMS in China.

Methodological Evaluation of Advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Sjögren's Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Screening and evaluating the diseases responding specifically to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） will help to highlight the advantages of TCM treatment， and the evaluation method should be standardized with consideration to the unique characteristics of the diseases. The incidence of Sjögren's Syndrome （SS） is increasing year by year， while the pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear. Modern therapies for this disease include biological agents and immunosuppressants， which generally have unsatisfactory efficacy. The TCM treatment of SS focuses on the harmony of the physical and mental health. The Rheumatology Branch of the China Association of Chinese Medicine organizes experts in TCM， Western medicine， and evidence-based medicine to form working groups. Delphi method and bibliometric method were used for analysis， and SS was selected as a disease responding specifically to TCM. Furthermore， the evaluation system was established for this disease， and the consensus regarding this disease was reached after seminar discussion. This paper summarized the whole process of the evaluation of the advantages of TCM treatment of SS. First， because TCM atomization is widely used in clinical practice and enriches TCM administration methods， this therapy is included after other non-drug therapies were taken as characteristic therapies. Second， the evaluation indicators of therapeutic effect should be determined with consideration to international acceptance and the current research status. Third， the expression method should be accurate， standardized， and objective， highlight the natural advantages of TCM， and avoid arbitrary extension. This paper provides a reference for clinicians to explore other diseases responding specifically to TCM.

[Clinical efficacy of fire needling combined with cupping therapy on herpes zoster of acute stage and the effect on Th17/Treg cellular immune balance].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy between the combined therapy of fire needling and cupping, and western medication on herpes zoster of acute stage, as well as the effects on Th17 and Treg cells and inflammatory factors, i.e. IL-10 and IL-17 in the peripheral blood. METHODS: Eighty patients with herpes zoster of acute stage were randomly divided into a combined therapy (fire needling plus cupping) group and a western medication group, 40 cases in each one. In the combined therapy group, the pricking and scattering techniques with fire needle were used at ashi points and Jiaji (EX-B 2) corresponding to the affected spinal segments; afterwards, cupping therapy was delivered. The combined treatment was given once daily. In the western medication group, valaciclovir hydrochloride tablet and vitamin B1 tablet were administered orally. The duration of treatment in each group was 10 days. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11 , the score of symptoms and physical signs was observed in the two groups separately. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11, 30, 60, the score of visual analogue scale (VAS) and skin lesion indexes were observed in the two groups. On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia was recorded in the two groups. The levels of Th17 and Treg cells, Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: From day 6 to day 10 during treatment and on day 11, the scores of symptoms and physical signs in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 3, day 6 to day 10 during treatment and day 11, day 30, VAS scores in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia in the combined therapy group was lower compared with that in the western medication group (P<0.05). The blister arresting time and scabbing time in the combined therapy group were shorter than those of the western medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the level of Th17, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were all lower in comparison with those in the western medication group (P<0.05). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 82.5% (33/40) in the combined therapy group, higher than 62.5% (25/40) in the western medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The early application of fire needling combined with cupping therapy can effectively treat herpes zoster of acute stage, relieve pain, and reduce the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, which may be related to reducing the levels of Th17 and Treg cells, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 so that the cellular immune balance is modulated.

The effect of the CPP size on the nonlinear optical properties of the new necklace-type molecules formed by carborane and [n]Cycloparaphenylenes(n = 8-11).

The new necklace-type molecules were formed by [8-13]CPP and carborane, which further manipulated the size of the macroring, revealing the effect of size on its luminescence behavior. In this work, the effects of ring size on the absorption spectrum, electron excitation and nonlinear optical properties of the compounds were investigated in detail, aiming to reveal an effective way to improve the optical properties of these necklace-type compounds. The absorption spectra of the compounds showed that the size of the CPP ring had little effect on the spectral shape and position, but the electron transition information showed that there were the significant charge transfer within the CPP ring and a gradual enhancement of interfragment charge transfer from the CPP ring to carborane. The increasing order of polarizability, first and second hyperpolarizability values of these compounds with the increase of CPP size indicated that increasing the size of the CPP ring was an effective way to increase the nonlinear optical properties of necklace-type molecules. Among the frequency dependent hyperpolarizability values, the γ(-ω;ω,0,0) value increased by a factor of 4 from complex 1 to 6 with the increase of CPP ring size, which indicated that increasing the size of the CPP ring was an effective way to increase the optical Kerr effect of necklace-type molecules. Therefore, these the new necklace-type nolecules formed by carborane and [n]Cycloparaphenylenes would be excellent nonlinear optical materials in the field of the all-optical switch.

Evaluation of polygenic risk score for risk prediction of gastric cancer.

Genetic variations are associated with individual susceptibility to gastric cancer. Recently, polygenic risk score (PRS) models have been established based on genetic variants to predict the risk of gastric cancer. To assess the accuracy of current PRS models in the risk prediction, a systematic review was conducted. A total of eight eligible studies consisted of 544842 participants were included for evaluation of the performance of PRS models. The overall accuracy was moderate with Area under the curve values ranging from 0.5600 to 0.7823. Incorporation of epidemiological factors or Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) status increased the accuracy for risk prediction, while selection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and number of SNPs appeared to have little impact on the model performance. To further improve the accuracy of PRS models for risk prediction of gastric cancer, we summarized the association between gastric cancer risk and H. pylori genomic variations, cancer associated bacteria members in the gastric microbiome, discussed the potentials for performance improvement of PRS models with these microbial factors. Future studies on comprehensive PRS models established with human SNPs, epidemiological factors and microbial factors are indicated.

Effect of intermolecular interaction of the charge-transfer complex between molecular "tweezers" and C60/C70 on second-order nonlinear optical properties.

To enhance understanding of the correlation between the intermolecular interaction and second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, we studied a "molecular tweezer" with two corannulene substituents linked by a tetrahydro[5]helicene imide, which enabled highly sensitive and selective complexation of C60/C70 through convex-concave π-π interactions. The geometric structure, molecular orbitals, intermolecular interactions, electron absorption spectra and second-order NLO properties of the charge-transfer (CT) complexes formed by molecular tweezers and C60/C70 were studied by density functional theory. Larger fullerenes helped to increase the intermolecular interaction and CT, thereby increasing the first hyperpolarizabilities of CT complexes. Embedding of lithium ions helped to enhance the electron-absorption ability of fullerenes, thereby increasing the intermolecular interaction and intermolecular CT and, thus, enhancing their first hyperpolarizability significantly. Our data indicated that, through structure adjustment (including increasing the volume of fullerene and embedding alkali metal ions), we could enhance intermolecular interactions and improve intermolecular CT significantly. These actions could improve the second-order NLO properties of CT complexes.

Clinical outcomes of an olive wire and external fixator versus a metallic screw in the treatment of inferior tibiofibular syndesmosis injuries in ankle fractures.

BACKGROUND: Metal screws are the most widely used in treating syndesmotic injuries, but failure and the rigidity of the screws can threaten the success of the treatment and increase the cost of care. We have provided an alternative with an olive wire and external fixator(OWEF) used for syndesmotic fixation. METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal follow-up study was conducted. From February 2011 to January 2018, 58 of 72 patients with ankle fractures and associated syndesmotic disruption were treated with either screw or OWEF fixation. The costs, complications, and clinical outcomes using Olerud-Molander score and Visual Analog score in screw and OWEF fixation group were compared. RESULTS: We found the severity of the injury, BMI of the patients and the different fixation methods were determinants of the complications and clinical outcomes. But if no malreduction of the syndesmosis was present, no difference in clinical result was detected. CONCLUSION: The OWEF method appeared to be at least equally functional and effective to screw fixation while maintaining possible lower complication rate. LEVELS OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE: Level 3.

Exploring biological connotation of blood stasis syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis and establishment of improved animal models based on syndrome-symptom mapping / 药学学报

Blood stasis syndrome is one of the core clinical syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the biological connotation of this syndrome is not clear, and there is a lack of disease improved animal models that match the characteristics of this disease and syndrome. The aim of this study was to screen the candidate biomarker gene set of blood stasis syndrome of RA, reveal the biological connotation of this syndrome, and explore and evaluate the preparation method of the improved animal model based on the characteristics of "disease-syndrome-symptom". The study was approved by the ethics committee of Guang'anmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. 2019-073-KY-01) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. TYLL2021[K]018), and the study subjects gave their informed consent. Animal welfare and experimental procedures followed the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. IBTCMCACMS21-2207-01). The whole blood samples were collected clinically from RA patients with blood stasis syndrome (3 cases) or other syndromes (7 types, 3 cases/type), and healthy volunteers (4 cases), and then transcriptome sequencing, KEGG, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) analysis were performed. 126 pivotal genes were screened, and their functional annotation results were significantly enriched in "immune-inflammation" related pathways and lipid metabolism regulation (sphingolipids, ether lipid metabolism and steroid biosynthesis). Syndrome-symptom mapping of hub gene set to the TCM primary and secondary symptoms, Western phenotypic symptoms and pathological links showed that joint tingling, abnormal joint morphology, petechiae and abnormal blood circulation are representative of blood stasis syndrome of RA. The results of the improved animal model showed that the rats in the collagen-induced arthritis + adrenaline hydrochloride (CIA+Adr) 3 model group had increased blood rheology, coagulation, platelet function and endothelial function abnormalities compared with the CIA-alone model group, suggesting that the rats with blood stasis syndrome of RA may be in a state of "blood stasis". The results of the study can help to advance the objective study of the evidence of blood stasis syndrome in RA, and provide new ideas for the establishment of an animal model that reflects the clinical characteristics of the disease and syndrome.

Clinical efficacy of fire needling combined with cupping therapy on herpes zoster of acute stage and the effect on Th17/Treg cellular immune balance / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical efficacy between the combined therapy of fire needling and cupping, and western medication on herpes zoster of acute stage, as well as the effects on Th17 and Treg cells and inflammatory factors, i.e. IL-10 and IL-17 in the peripheral blood.@*METHODS@#Eighty patients with herpes zoster of acute stage were randomly divided into a combined therapy (fire needling plus cupping) group and a western medication group, 40 cases in each one. In the combined therapy group, the pricking and scattering techniques with fire needle were used at ashi points and Jiaji (EX-B 2) corresponding to the affected spinal segments; afterwards, cupping therapy was delivered. The combined treatment was given once daily. In the western medication group, valaciclovir hydrochloride tablet and vitamin B1 tablet were administered orally. The duration of treatment in each group was 10 days. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11 , the score of symptoms and physical signs was observed in the two groups separately. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11, 30, 60, the score of visual analogue scale (VAS) and skin lesion indexes were observed in the two groups. On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia was recorded in the two groups. The levels of Th17 and Treg cells, Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#From day 6 to day 10 during treatment and on day 11, the scores of symptoms and physical signs in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 3, day 6 to day 10 during treatment and day 11, day 30, VAS scores in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia in the combined therapy group was lower compared with that in the western medication group (P<0.05). The blister arresting time and scabbing time in the combined therapy group were shorter than those of the western medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the level of Th17, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were all lower in comparison with those in the western medication group (P<0.05). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 82.5% (33/40) in the combined therapy group, higher than 62.5% (25/40) in the western medication group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The early application of fire needling combined with cupping therapy can effectively treat herpes zoster of acute stage, relieve pain, and reduce the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, which may be related to reducing the levels of Th17 and Treg cells, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 so that the cellular immune balance is modulated.

A Multicenter Cross-sectional Survey on the Clinical Characteristics of Patients of Ankylosing Spondylitis with Kidney Deficiency and Stasis Obstruction Syndrome and Damp-heat Stasis Obstruction Syndrome / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo compare the differences in clinical characteristics between kidney deficiency and stasis obstruction syndrome and damp-heat stasis obstruction syndrome in patients with ankylosing spondylitis （AS）， thereby providing reference for clinical differentiation and treatment. MethodsThe clinical data of 2339 patients with AS were collected， including 1075 cases of kidney deficiency and stasis obstruction syndrome and 1264 cases of damp-heat stasis obstruction syndrome. The basic information including age， gender， course of disease， history of ophthalmia， family history and human leukocyte antigen B27 （HLA-B27） positive history， Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index （BASDAI） score， Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index （BASFI） score， Bath ankylosing spondylitis measurement index （BASMI） score， Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 （DASS-21） score， single symptom score in terms of spinal pain， peripheral joint pain， tendon tenderness， morning stiffness degree and morning stiffness time， patient-reported outcomes including patient global assessment （PGA） score， chronic disease therapy function-fatigue scale （FACIT-F） score and night pain visual analog scale （VAS） score， laboratory indicators including serum C-reactive protein （CRP） and erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， and CT grading of sacroiliitis were measured and compared between groups. ResultsPatients with kidney deficiency and stasis obstruction syndrome were older and had a longer course of disease （P＜0.01）. The BASDAI， BASFI and BASMI scores of the patients with kidney deficiency and stasis obstruction syndrome were 3.84±1.79， 2.78±2.00 and 3.42±2.36， respectively， while those in patients with damp-heat stasis obstruction syndrome were 4.30±1.99， 3.43±2.12， and 2.92±1.76. The BASDAI score， BASFI score， PGA score， FACIT-F score， spinal pain score， peripheral arthralgia score， tendon tenderness score， morning stiffness degree score， depression score， anxiety score， and stress score in patients with damp-heat stasis obstruction syndrome were all higher than those with kidney deficiency and stasis obstruction syndrome， with longer duration of morning stiffness and higher CRP （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. BASMI score and night pain VAS score were more higher in patients with kidney deficiency and stasis obstruction syndrome （P＜0.01）. There was no significant difference in the ESR level and CT grading of the sacroiliac joint between the two groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionAS patients with kidney deficiency and stasis obstruction syndrome have poorer spinal mobility， while those with damp-heat stasis obstruction syndrome have higher disease activity， poorer physical function， and are more prone to adverse psychological reactions.

Prediction of gastric cancer risk by a polygenic risk score of Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variants of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are involved in gastric cancer occurrence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of H. pylori that are associated with gastric cancer have been reported. The combined effect of H. pylori SNPs on the risk of gastric cancer remains unclear. AIM: To assess the performance of a polygenic risk score (PRS) based on H. pylori SNPs in predicting the risk of gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 15 gastric cancer-associated H. pylori SNPs were selected. The associations between these SNPs and gastric cancer were further validated in 1022 global strains with publicly available genome sequences. The PRS model was established based on the validated SNPs. The performance of the PRS for predicting the risk of gastric cancer was assessed in global strains using quintiles and random forest (RF) methods. The variation in the performance of the PRS among different populations of H. pylori was further examined. RESULTS: Analyses of the association between selected SNPs and gastric cancer in the global dataset revealed that the risk allele frequencies of six SNPs were significantly higher in gastric cancer cases than non-gastric cancer cases. The PRS model constructed subsequently with these validated SNPs produced significantly higher scores in gastric cancer. The odds ratio (OR) value for gastric cancer gradually increased from the first to the fifth quintile of PRS, with the fifth quintile having an OR value as high as 9.76 (95% confidence interval: 5.84-16.29). The results of RF analyses indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) value for classifying gastric cancer and non-gastric cancer was 0.75, suggesting that the PRS based on H. pylori SNPs was capable of predicting the risk of gastric cancer. Assessing the performance of the PRS among different H. pylori populations demonstrated that it had good predictive power for cancer risk for hpEurope strains, with an AUC value of 0.78. CONCLUSION: The PRS model based on H. pylori SNPs had a good performance for assessment of gastric cancer risk. It would be useful in the prediction of final consequences of the H. pylori infection and beneficial for the management of the infection in clinical settings.

Assembling of Perylene, Naphthalene, and Pyromellitic Diimide-Based Materials and Their Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties.

π-conjugated aromatic diimides with chemical stability, heat resistance, and redox activity have attracted more attention due to their excellent fluorescence quantum yield in solution. The planar perylene diimide (PDI) derivatives generally have aggregation-induced emission quenching in the solid state, while the cyclic trimers based on pyromellitic diimides (PMDIs), naphthalene diimides (NDIs), and PDIs can increase the fluorescence quantum yield in the solid state and have large two-photon absorption cross section, which can be used as excellent nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. Therefore, this paper will study the effects of multiple assembly modes of the three monomers on the NLO responses of materials. It was found that the assembly modes of 2PMDI-1NDI and 2NDI-1PDI exhibit larger third-order NLO response (γ) values, which was due to the larger conjugate surface of PDI effectively reducing the energy gap between the HOMO and LUMO. Compared with other assembly methods, 2PMDI-1NDI and 2NDI-1PDI were conducive to causing redshifts (150 nm) in the absorption spectrum. Therefore, the larger conjugate surface of PDI and the assembly mode of the isosceles triangle were more favorable for intramolecular charge transfer, thus improving its NLO properties.

Biological connotation of four traditional Chinese medicine syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis based on "disease-syndrome-symptom" association network / 中国中药杂志

The present study explored the biological connotation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) from the "disease-syndrome-symptom" association network. RA patients with four TCM syndromes(dampness-heat obstruction, phlegm-stasis obstruction, Qi-blood deficiency, and liver and kidney deficiency), three for each type, were assigned as the RA TCM syndrome group, and three healthy volunteers as the normal control group. The differential gene sets of four syndromes were screened out through transcriptome expression profiling and bioinformatics mining. The relevant gene sets of syndrome-related clinical symptoms were collected from TCMIP v2.0(http://www.tcmip.cn/). The "disease-syndrome-symptom" association networks of four RA syndromes were established by using the intersection genes of syndrome-related differential genes and symptom-related genes, and the key network target genes of each syndrome were screened out and the corresponding biological functions were mined through topological feature calculation and enrichment analysis. The genes associated with clinical symptoms such as vasculitis, joint pain, and fever in the damp-heat obstruction syndrome ranked the top, and the key network target genes of this syndrome were most significantly enriched in the pathways related to material and energy metabolism and thermal reaction biological processes. The clinical symptom-related genes of the phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome were most significantly enriched in the pathways related to "immunity-inflammation", nervous system regulation, and sensory response. The clinical symptoms such as hypoglycemia, hypotension, weight loss, palpitation, and arrhythmia in Qi-blood deficiency syndrome were predominant, and its key network target genes were most significantly enriched in the pathways related to the nervous system and "immunity-inflammation" response. The abnormal symptoms in the liver and kidney in the liver and kidney deficiency syndrome were commonly seen, and its key network target genes were most significantly enriched in the "immunity-inflammation" regulatory pathways, and liver and kidney development and metabolic response. In conclusion, the differences and connections of the biological basis between different TCM syndromes of RA are in line with the theoretical interpretation of TCM on the etiology and pathogenesis of RA. This study summarized the objective essence of syndromes to a certain extent from the "disease-syndrome-symptom" association network and is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the discovery of serum biomarkers of RA syndromes.

Overgrowth of Lactobacillus in gastric cancer.

Dysbiosis of the gastric microbiome is involved in the development of gastric cancer (GC). A number of studies have demonstrated an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in GC. In this review, we present data that support the overgrowth of Lactobacillus in GC from studies on molecular and bacterial culture of the gastric microbiome, discuss the heterogenic effects of Lactobacillus on the health of human stomach, and explore the potential roles of the overgrowth of Lactobacillus in gastric carcinogenesis. Further studies are required to examine the association between Lactobacillus and GC at strain and species levels, which would facilitate to elucidate its role in the carcinogenic process.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of cultivated peach (Prunus persica var. nectarina cv. 'Rui Guang 18').

Peach (Prunus persica) is one of the most important economic fruit crops in the current society. In this study, we reported the complete chloroplast genome sequence of peach cultivar 'Rui Guang 18' (Prunus persica var. nectarina cv. 'Rui Guang 18') using whole genome sequencing data. The complete chloroplast genome size was 157,494 bp as a circle, which contained a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,848 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,983 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) region of 52,663 bp. The total GC content of the chloroplast genome is 36.8%. The chloroplast genome contains 116 genes, including 76 protein coding genes (PCG), 6 ribosome RNA (rRNA) genes, and 35 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The complete chloroplast genome will be a potential genetic resource for peach breeding.

The shape selectivity of corannulene dimers based on concave-convex and convex-convex shape complementarity as hosts for C60 and C70.

In the formation of noncovalent complexes, the stacking arrangements of corannulene and fullerene are diverse, most of which are combinations of multiple corannulenes and fullerene. Here, a composition ratio of 2 : 1 was selected for the complex between corannulene and fullerene (C60 and C70) to investigate the effects of different superposition modes, including concave-convex and convex-convex interactions, on the stability and third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the composite materials. It was found that the concave-convex interaction was stronger and it was reported to stabilize the charge-transfer (CT) complex more effectively than the convex-convex interaction. The dispersion range of the concave-convex interaction was larger than that of the convex-convex interaction, which is consistent with the interaction energy results. The packing design with the double convex-convex interactions exhibited the largest linear optical response and third-order NLO response, which showed that the convex-convex interaction was more likely to be excited and cause intermolecular CT as compared to the concave-convex interaction. This work confirmed that the packing arrangement significantly affected the NLO response and will advance the development of NLO crystals.

Cytotoxic xanthones from the plant endophytic fungus Paecilamyces sp. TE-540.

One new xanthone, chryxanthone C (1), together with four known analogues (2-5), were isolated from the cultures of Paecilamyces sp. TE-540, an endophytic fungus obtained from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum L. The structure of 1 was elucidated by comprehensive spectral analysis including HRESIMS and 1D/2D NMR, which were confirmed by Cu Kα X-ray crystallography. Compound 1 featured an unusual dihydropyran ring fused to an aromatic ring, rather than the commonly occurring prenyl moiety. The cytotoxicity of compounds 1-5 were evaluated against five human tumour cell lines and 4 exhibited moderate to strong cytotoxicities with IC50 values ranging from 5.6 to 14.2 µM.

Simulation Analysis of Occupancy Rates of Baicalein， Quercetin and Galangin on Target Sites of Xanthine Oxidase / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To simulate the occupancy rates of baicalein， quercetin and galangin on the target sites of xanthine oxidase <italic>in vivo</italic>. Method:In this experiment， the half inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） of febuxostat， baicalein， quercetin and galangin against xanthine oxidase were determined by <italic>in vitro</italic> enzymatic reaction. Binding free energy was predicted by molecular docking technology and their association rate constant （k_on） and dissociation rate constant （k_off） were determined by surface plasmon resonance technology. Based on measured binding kinetic parameters （k_on and k_off） and extracted pharmacokinetic data， the target occupancy model <italic>in vivo</italic> was established. Result:The IC₅₀values of febuxostat， baicalein， quercetin and galangin were 0.002 7， 1.63， 0.38， 1.59 µmol·L^-1， respectively. The IC₅₀ of febuxostat was very close to that reported in the literature. The predicted curve of target occupancy rate <italic>in vivo</italic> of febuxostat was consistent with its duration of clinical efficacy. When single intragastric administration of long-circulating liposomes of quercetin with dose of 100 mg·kg^-1 in rats， the time of target occupancy rate >70% <italic>in vivo</italic> lasted for about 3.9 h. When rats were orally administered baicalein and galangin with dose of 200 mg·kg^-1， the time of target occupancy rate >50% <italic>in vivo </italic>lasted for about 10 h and 1.7 h， respectively. Conclusion:The prediction model of xanthine oxidase target occupancy constructed by drug target binding kinetics and <italic>in vivo</italic> pharmacokinetic curves can effectively evaluate the <italic>in vivo</italic> inhibitory activity of compounds against the target.

Research progress and prospect of endophytes from medicinal plant Atractylodes lancea / 中国中药杂志

The endophytes of medicinal plants play an important role in promoting the quality formation of the host. Therefore, this paper made a review of endophytes of medicinal plant Atractylodes lancea. According to previous studies, A. lancea boasts endophytes, such as fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes, among which the beneficial microorganisms help the growth and development of A. lancea. There is a close interaction between the volatile oil of A. lancea and endophytes. Different endophytes vary in regulating the composition and content of the volatile oil of A. lancea, which might contribute to the quality formation of A. lancea. However, the information of the endophytic flora of A. lancea obtained by traditional culture and isolation is not enough to reflect the real situation of the endophytes of A. lancea. Little is known about the endophytes of A. lancea from different chemical types and different habitats, which is not conducive to the study of the ecological relationship between A. lancea and endophytes and limits the development and utilization of the endophytes. Therefore, at the end of this paper, the authors put forward suggestions for future research on endophytes in A. lancea, including:(1)mining the core endophyte resources of A. lancea by combining high-throughput sequencing with traditional culture and isolation;(2)exploring the relationship between the diversity of endophytes and chemical types of A. lancea;(3)strengthening the application of endophytes in A. lancea cultivation, in order to facilitate the cultivation efficiency and quality of A. lancea.

Mechanism of intermittent and persistent noise exposure-induced anxiety and depression-like behavior in rats / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intermittent and persistent noise exposure-induced anxiety and depression-like behavior in rats. METHODS: The specific pathogen free male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, four times/day intermittent noise exposure group, two times/day intermittent noise exposure group and persistent noise exposure group, with 15 rats in each group. The rats in the control group were housed in natural environment(background noise ≤50 dB), and the rats in other three exposure groups were exposed to noise with intensity of(95±2) dB of 20 to 20 000 Hz noise for four hours per day for 14 days; rats in the four times/day intermittent noise exposure group entered a five-hour quiet period every one hours of noise exposure, four times/day; rats in the two times/day intermittent noise exposure group entered a 10-hour quiet period every two hours of noise exposure, two times/day; rats in the persistent noise exposure group entered a 20-hour quiet period every four hours of noise exposure. After exposure, anxiety like behavior was evaluated by open field test and elevated cross maze test. The depression like behavior was evaluated by sugar preference test and forced swimming test. The pathological changes of neurons in the hippocampus were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, and the ultrastructural changes of hippocampal tissues were observed by transmission electron microscope. Chemiluminescence and colorimetry were used to detect the levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS), malondialdehyde, glutathione(GSH) and the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD). RESULTS: In the behavioral experiment, the percentage of exercise time in the central area decreased in the three noise exposure groups(all P<0.01). The exercise distance in the central area and sugar preference index decreased in the persistent noise exposure group(both P<0.01). The percentage of open arm exercise time and open arm exercise distance decreased in the two times/day intermittent noise exposure group and persistent noise exposure group compared with the control group(all P<0.01). The open arm distance of rats in the persistent noise exposure group were lower than those in the four times/day intermittent noise exposure group(P<0.05), while the immobility time was longer than in control group and the four times/day intermittent noise exposure group(both P<0.05). The HE staining showed that the neuronal spacing in CA1 area of the hippocampus of rats was significantly widened, and the pyramidal cells showed degeneration and necrosis in the persistent noise exposure group. There was no obvious necrosis found in the neurons of the other three groups. The ultrastructure of neurons showed that most mitochondria of cells in the hippocampus of rats in the two times/day intermittent noise exposure group were swollen. In the persistent noise exposure group, some neurons of the hippocampus of rats were necrotic, the cell membrane was discontinuous, the mitochondria were swollen, and the cristae were broken, dissolved or even disappeared. The mitochondrial structure of the hippocampus of rats in the other two groups was normal. The activity of SOD in the hippocampus of rats decreased in the four times/day intermittent noise exposure group(P<0.05), and the activity of SOD and the level of GSH in the hippocampus of rats decreased in the two times/day intermittent noise exposure group(both P<0.05), compared with the control group. The level of ROS and malondialdehyde in the hippocampus of rats in the persistent noise exposure group increased(all P<0.05), while the SOD activity and GSH level decreased(all P<0.05), compared with the other three groups. CONCLUSION: Intermittent noise exposure causes less anxiety and depression-like changes in rats than persistent noise exposure. Noise may cause anxiety and depression in rats through oxidative stress pathways.