Association of tumor budding with clinicopathological features and prognostic value in stage III-IV colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tumor budding (TB) has emerged as a promising independent prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC). The prognostic role of TB has been extensively studied and currently affects clinical decision making in patients with stage I and II CRC. However, existing prognostic studies on TB in stage III CRC have been confined to small retrospective cohort studies. Consequently, this study investigated the correlation among TB categories, clinicopathological features, and prognosis in stage III-IV CRC to further enhance the precision and individualization of treatment through refined prognostic risk stratification. AIM: To analyze the relationship between TB categories and clinicopathological characteristics and assess their prognostic value in stage III-IV CRC to further refine the prognostic risk stratification of stage III-IV CRC. METHODS: The clinical data of 547 CRC patients were collected for this retrospective study. Infiltration at the front edge of the tumor buds was counted according to the 2016 International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference guidelines. RESULTS: Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis demonstrated that chemotherapy (P = 0.004), clinical stage IV (P < 0.001), ≥ 4 regional lymph node metastases (P = 0.004), left-sided colonic cancer (P = 0.040), and Bd 2-3 (P = 0.002) were independent prognostic factors in patients with stage III-IV CRC. Moreover, the density of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes was higher in Bd 1 than in Bd 2-3, both in the tumor stroma and its invasive margin. CONCLUSION: TB has an independent predictive prognostic value in patients with stage III-IV CRC. It is recommended to complete the TB report of stage III-IV CRC cases in the standardized pathological report to further refine risk stratification.

Ultra-selective uranium separation by in-situ formation of π-f conjugated 2D uranium-organic framework.

With the rapid development of nuclear energy, problems with uranium supply chain and nuclear waste accumulation have motivated researchers to improve uranium separation methods. Here we show a paradigm for such goal based on the in-situ formation of π-f conjugated two-dimensional uranium-organic framework. After screening five π-conjugated organic ligands, we find that 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol would be the best one to construct uranium-organic framework, thus resulting in 100% uranium removal from both high and low concentration with the residual concentration far below the WHO drinking water standard (15 ppb), and 97% uranium capture from natural seawater (3.3 ppb) with a record uptake efficiency of 0.64 mg·g-1·d-1. We also find that 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol can overcome the ion-interference issue such as the presence of massive interference ions or a 21-ions mixed solution. Our finds confirm the superiority of our separation approach over established ones, and will provide a fundamental molecule design for separation upon metal-organic framework chemistry.

Novel Pyrazole Acyl(thio)urea Derivatives Containing a Biphenyl Scaffold as Potential Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, Fungicidal Activity, and SAR.

As part of a program to discover novel succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides, a series of new pyrazole acyl(thio)urea compounds containing a diphenyl motif were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, HRMS, and single X-ray crystal diffraction analysis. Most of these compounds possessed excellent activity against 10 fungal plant pathogens at 50 µg mL-1, especially against Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea, and Cercospora arachidicola. Interestingly, compounds 3-(difluoromethyl)-1-methyl-N-((3',4',5'-trifluoro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-yl)carbamoyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (9b, EC50 = 0.97 ± 0.18 µg mL-1), 1,3-dimethyl-N-((3',4',5'-trifluoro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-yl)carbamoyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (9a, EC50 = 2.63 ± 0.41 µg mL-1), and N-((4'-chloro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-yl)carbamoyl)-1,3-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (9g, EC50 = 1.31 ± 0.15 µg mL-1) exhibited activities against S. sclerotiorum that were better than the commercial fungicide bixafen (EC50 = 9.15 ± 0.05 µg mL-1) and similar to the positive control fluxapyroxad (EC50 = 0.71 ± 0.11 µg mL-1). These compounds were not significantly phytotoxic to monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Structure-activity relationships (SAR) are discussed by substituent effects/molecular docking, and density functional theory analysis indicated that these compounds are succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors.

Pyruvate maintains and enhances the pro-inflammatory response of microglia caused by glucose deficiency in early stroke.

Pro-inflammatory microglia mainly rely on glycolysis to maintain cytokine production during ischemia, accompanied by an increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1). The role of energy metabolism in the pro-inflammatory response of microglia is currently unclear. In this study, we tested the response of microglia in mice after cerebral ischemia and simulated an energy environment in vitro using low glucose culture medium. The research results indicate that the expression levels of iNOS and arginase 1 (ARG1) increase in the ischemic mouse brain, but the upregulation of MCT1 expression is mainly present in iNOS positive microglia. In microglia exposed to low glucose conditions, iNOS and MCT1 levels increased, while ARG1 levels decreased. Under the same conditions, knocking down MCT1 in microglia leads to a decrease in iNOS levels, while overexpression of MCT1 leads to the opposite result. The use of NF-κB inhibitors reduced the expression levels of iNOS and MCT1 in microglia. In summary, our data indicate that pyruvate maintains and enhances the NF-κB regulated pro-inflammatory response of microglia induced by low glucose.

Gastrodia elata specific miRNA attenuates neuroinflammation via modulating NF-κB signaling pathway.

AIMS: Based on our previous research on the specific miRNAs identified from Gastrodia elata, we selected Gas-miR2-3p to investigate its effects on neuroinflammation via in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: RT-qPCR analysis indicated that G. elata specific Gas-miR2-3p was detected in all murine tissues post-oral administration, suggesting their potential as orally bioavailable miRNA. The analysis of RT-qPCR, Western blotting and ELISA assays consistently demonstrate that the expression of inflammatory factors as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß was decreased and the expression levels of p-p65 and p-IκBα were downregulated after the action of Gas-miR2-3p in both cell and animal experiments. CONCLUSION: Gas-miR2-3p can attenuate neuroinflammation by regulating the inflammation factors and suppressing the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Our findings indicate that G. elata miRNAs, as novel active components, perform a modulatory role in the NF-κB signaling pathway associated with neuroinflammation in a cross-species way.

Nanoclay Drug-Delivery System Loading Potassium Iodide Promotes Endocytosis and Targeted Therapy in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

The rapid proliferative biological behavior of primary foci of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) makes it a lethal tumor. According to the specific iodine uptake capacity of thyroid cells and enhanced endocytosis of ATC cells, we designed a kind of nanoclay drug-loading system and showed a promising treatment strategy for ATC. Introducing potassium iodide (KI) improves the homoaggregation of clay nanoparticles and then affects the distribution of nanoparticles in vivo, which makes KI@DOX-KaolinMeOH enriched almost exclusively in thyroid tissue. Simultaneously, the improvement of dispersibility of KI@DOX-KaolinMeOH changes the target uptake of ATC cells by improving the endocytosis and nanoparticle-induced autophagy, which regulate the production of autolysosomes and autophagy-enhanced chemotherapy, eventually contributing to a tumor inhibition rate of more than 90% in the primary foci of ATC. Therefore, this facile strategy to improve the homoaggregation of nanoclay by introducing KI has the potential to become an advanced drug delivery vehicle in ATC treatment.

Synthesis and Pesticidal Activity of New Niacinamide Derivatives Containing a Flexible, Chiral Chain.

Natural products are a source for pesticide or drug discovery. In order to discover lead compounds with high fungicidal or herbicidal activity, new niacinamide derivatives derived from the natural product niacinamide, containing chiral flexible chains, were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS analysis. The fungicidal and herbicidal activities of these compounds were tested. The fungicidal activity results demonstrated that the compound (S)-2-(2-chloronicotinamido)propyl-2-methylbenzoate (3i) exhibited good fungicidal activity (92.3% inhibition) against the plant pathogen Botryosphaeria berengriana at 50 µg/mL and with an EC50 of 6.68 ± 0.72 µg/mL, which is the same as the positive control (fluxapyroxad). Compound 3i was not phytotoxic and could therefore be used as a fungicide on crops. Structure-activity relationships (SAR) were studied by molecular docking simulations with the succinate dehydrogenase of the fungal mitochondrial respiratory chain.

Genipin Protects High Glucose-injured MIN6 Cells / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Genipin (Gen) is an important antioxidant that plays a crucial role in the process of intracellular resistance to oxidative stress. In order to study the effect of genipin on MIN6 cells injured by high glucose, the CCK-8 method was used to detect the cell survival rate. The cell viability of the high-glucose injury group decreased (P <0. 05). But after genipin acted on the cells injured by high glucose, the cell viability increased (P <0. 05). The mouse insulin detection kit and ATP content detection kit found that the insulin release in the high glucose injury group decreased (P < 0. 001) and the ATP content decreased (P <0. 001). After genipin was given, the insulin release increased (P <0. 01), ATP content increased (P <0. 01). The fluorescent probe DCFH-DA detected the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and found that the ROS content in the high glucose-injury group was significantly increased (P <0. 01). After genipin was administered, ROS content decreased (P < 0. 05). Glutathione(GSH) / oxidized glutathione (GSSG), intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase (CAT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the cell supernatant revealed that the GSH / GSSH ratio, SOD and CAT levels in the high glucose injury group decreased (P <0. 05), and the intracellular MDA and LDH levels were significant increased (P<0. 001) .After administration of genipin, the GSH / GSSH ratio, SOD and CAT levels increased (P <0. 01), MDA and LDH levels were significantly reduced (P <0. 01). Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels decreased in the highglucose injury group (P <0. 01). After genipin acted on the cells injured by high glucose, the MMP level increased (P < 0. 05). Western blot detected uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), antioxidative proteinsglutathione reductase (GR) and glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1) contents. The results showed that UCP2 contents in the high glucose injury group increased (P <0. 01) and the content of oxidized protein decreased (P < 0. 01). After genipin was administered, the expression of UCP2 decreased (P < 0. 05), and the expression of antioxidative protein increased (P < 0. 05). Experiments suggest that genipin has anantioxidant protective effect on MIN6 cells damaged by high glucose and maintains the function of MIN6cells to promote insulin secretion. This experiment provides experimental data for the antioxidation of genipin on MIN6 cells injured by high glucose, and also provides new ideas for the follow-up study of genipin in the treatment and prevention of diabetes.

Monocarboxylate transporter 1 enhancing the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase within M1 phenotype microglia under low-glucose condition / 解剖学报

Objective To testify the link between the increase of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) expression in the M1 phenotype microglia under ischemic condition. Methods Photothrombosic ischemia stroke model was applied in 6 mice. BV2 cells were treated with low glucose medium contained 5mmol/L glucose for 2 hours. Immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting were used to check the responses from microglia in the mouse brains subjected to ischemia and BV2 cells were treated with low-glucose treatment. Application of RNA interference or plasmid transfection were used to regulate the MCT1 expression in BV2 cells. Results The expression levels of iNOS, MCT1 and arginase-1 (ARG1) increased in the ischemic side compared to the non-ischemic side of mice brain(P<0.01). In the BV2 cells exposed to low-glucose condition, iNOS and MCT1 levels increased(P<0.001), whereas ARG1 level decreased(P<0.01). RNA interference interfered the expression of MCT1 and then decreased the iNOS expression(P<0.01), while overexpression of MCT1 through plasmid transfection increased iNOS expression(P<0.01), while the ARG1 expressions in both conditions were not changed significantly. Conclusion After microglia polarized into inflammatory phenotype during ischemia period, iNOS production is related with MCT1 expression, and MCT1 is in the upstream of iNOS pathway.

Prognostic value of tumor markers in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy associated interstitial lung disease / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To explore the correlation between tumor markers and prognosis of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) associated interstitial lung disease (ILD).Methods:A total of 149 patients who were no less than 18 years old and diagnosed with IIM-ILD from July 2017 to September 2019 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were consecutively enrolled in the study. Ten patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining 139 cases were regarded as research objects. Patients were divided into survival group or death group according to their one-year survival status. Then their baseline characteristics were compared. Univariate Cox regression analyses of age, gender, cancer, inflammatory indexes, muscle zymogram, tumor markers, ferritin, melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody and treatment regimens were conducted to identify prognostic risk factors of one-year mortality. Corrected multivariable cox regression was applied to screen the independent risk factors associated with one-year mortality of IIM-ILD. According to the cut-off value of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) (6 μg/L and 28 μg/L, respectively), patients were divided into high-level groups and low-level groups. Kaplan Meier survival curve were generated to compare one-year survival rate of high-level groups and low-level groups. On the basis of qualitative results of MDA5 antibody, patients were split into two groups with positive MDA5 antibody or negative MDA5 antibody. The differences of CEA, NSE levels between the two groups and the correlation between CEA, NSE levels and ferritin were analyzed.Results:Age, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), CEA, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 199, NSE and ferritin in the death group were higher than those in the survival group, while the rate of immunosuppressant administration was lower than that in survival group ( P<0.05). Univariate regression analyses showed that CEA, cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA211) and NSE were risk factors for one-year mortality of IIM-ILD. Adjusted by age, treatment regimens and tumor, multivariate regression analysis showed that CEA [ HR=1.112, 95% CI (1.017-1.214), P=0.019] and NSE [ HR=1.033, 95% CI (1.002-1.064), P=0.034] were independent risk factors for one-year mortality. One-year survival rate of the group with CEA≥6 μg/L was lower than that in the group with CEA<6 μg/L (Logrank test, P<0.001). Similarly, one-year survival rate of the group with NSE≥28 μg/L was lower than that in the group with NSE<28 μg/L (Logrank test, P<0.001). In addition, the CEA level in patients with positive MDA5 antibody was higher than that in patients with negative MDA5 antibody ( P<0.001). However, there was no correlation between NSE and MDA5 antibody. Moreover, serum levels of CEA ( r=0.299, P=0.002) and NSE ( r=0.349, P<0.001) were positively correlated with ferritin. Conclusions:Tumor markers have predictive value for the prognosis of IIM-ILD. Higher CEA and NSE are independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with IIM-ILD.

Assessment of therapeutic effects of low-energy laser for the treatment of burning mouth syndrome in elderly patients / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To assess the clinical efficacy of low-level laser therapy(LLLT)for the treatment of burning mouth syndrome(BMS)in elderly patients.Methods:As a randomized controlled study, 60 elderly BMS patients treated in the department of stomatology of Beijing Hospital from September 2018 to August 2021 were randomly divided into a laser group and a control group, including 7 man and 53 women, with an average age of(68.27±6.38)years.Patients in the laser group were treated with LLLT, and patients in the control group were treated with non-energy red light and oryzanol.The visual analogue scale and self-rating anxiety and depression scale were used to evaluate the two groups of patients.Results:After LLLT, the effectiveness rate of the laser group was 86.67%(26/30)on the 28th and 90th day, which was significantly higher than 63.33%(19/30)of the control group( χ2=4.356, P=0.037). When data for pre-treatment, the 28th day after treatment and the 90th day after treatment for the laser group were compared, results showed that after LLLT, pain symptoms of BMS patients were relieved and it lasted for some time, and anxiety and depression also improved, but there were episodes of relapse as time went on.Visual analogue scale and self-rating anxiety scores and depression scale scores of BMS patients for pre-treatment, the 28th and 90th days after treatment in the two groups were compared.Only self-rating anxiety scale scores of the laser group was lower than those of the control group on the 28th day, with statistical significance( t=2.622, P=0.011), indicating that LLLT could alleviate anxiety for BMS patients in the short term, but had no significant effect on patient depression.However, in the long term, LLLT had no significant effect on relieving anxiety and depression. Conclusions:LLLT has a certain effect on improving pain symptoms and anxiety in elderly BMS patients.

Advances in the bioanalysis of therapeutic oligonucleotides / 药学学报

Oligonucleotides have attracted the widespread attention in disease diagnosis and gene therapy. At present, the nucleic acid drugs are at the forefront of biomedical and pharmaceutical research. The bioanalysis of therapeutic oligonucleotides has been slow, however, due to the requirements for pharmacokinetic/toxicokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies in pharmaceutical development. Conventionally, the hybridization-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (hybridization-ELISA) is widely used in the bioanalysis of therapeutic oligonucleotides. Recentlly, many technologies such as real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based technologies have also showed a broad application prospects in the bioanalysis of therapeutic oligonucleotides. However, each technology has its own advantages and limitations. This review summarizes the currently used techniques in the bioanalysis of oligonucleotide therapeutics and reviews the challenges of regulated bioanalysis.

Biomechanical Characteristics of Lumbar Fusion by Three Internal Fixation Methods / 医用生物力学

Objective To analyze the biomechanical characteristics of lumbar fusion by 3 internal fixation methods using three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) method. Methods The FE fixation models of physiological L4-5, unfixed fusion L4-5, translaminar facet screw (TLFS), lumbar pedical screw+translaminar facet screw (LPS+TLFS), bilateral pedical screw (BPS) with complete osteotomy or partial osteotomy of facet joint were established, respectively. The biomechanical characteristics of L4 centrum and implants under six motion states (spinal flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation) in L4-5 fusion model and three fixation models were compared by FE analysis. Results The average maximal displacements of L4 centrum in L4-5 unfixed fusion model, TLFS model, TLFS+LPS model, BPS model were 1.410 8, 0.629 8, 0.336 9, 0.252 8 mm (complete osteotomy of facet joint) and 1.296 7, 0.844 9, 0.340 9, 0.273 8 mm (partial osteotomy of facet joint); the average maximal displacements of cage were 0.479 9, 0.319 5, 0.167 6, 0.126 4 mm (complete osteotomy of facet joint) and 0.378 7, 0.348 4, 0.183 5, 0.137 2 mm (partial osteotomy of facet joint)；the average maximum stresses of screws and rods during 6 motions in TLFS model, TLFS+LPS model, BPS model were 178.34, 79.55, 56.33 MPa (complete osteotomy of facet joint) and 142.29, 103.02, 59.69 MPa (partial osteotomy of facet joint). Conclusions In percutaneous transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, the fixation effect of BPS model was similar to that of LPS+TLFS model. BPS model could achieve the best spinal stability, and LPS+TLFS model was also a good fixation method. The stability of TLFS model alone was relatively poor, but it was still better than that of cage bone graft without internal fixation. In the absence of internal fixation, preservation of the articular process significantly increased stability of the spine.

Backpropagation With N -D Vector-Valued Neurons Using Arbitrary Bilinear Products.

Vector-valued neural learning has emerged as a promising direction in deep learning recently. Traditionally, training data for neural networks (NNs) are formulated as a vector of scalars; however, its performance may not be optimal since associations among adjacent scalars are not modeled. In this article, we propose a new vector neural architecture called the Arbitrary BIlinear Product NN (ABIPNN), which processes information as vectors in each neuron, and the feedforward projections are defined using arbitrary bilinear products. Such bilinear products can include circular convolution, 7-D vector product, skew circular convolution, reversed-time circular convolution, or other new products that are not seen in the previous work. As a proof-of-concept, we apply our proposed network to multispectral image denoising and singing voice separation. Experimental results show that ABIPNN obtains substantial improvements when compared to conventional NNs, suggesting that associations are learned during training.

Biomechanical Characteristics of Internal Fixation Methods for Treating Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures / 医用生物力学

Objective To analyze the biomechanical characteristics of 3 different posterior internal fixation methods for treating thoracolumbar burst fracture by three-dimensional finite element (FE) method. Methods The FE fixation models of normal thoracolumbar, short-segment posterior fixation (SSPF), short-segment posterior fixation with intermediate screws at fractured level (SSPFI) and long-segment posterior fixation (LSPF) were established, respectively. The biomechanical characteristics of L1 centrum and the adjacent intervertebral disc under 6 kinds of motion states (spinal flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation), in normal thoracolumbar model and 3 fixation models were compared by FE analysis. Results L1 centrum equivalent stress distributions in normal thoracolumbar model, SSPF model, SSPFI model, LSPF model were 31.63, 13.41, 110.35, 13.17 MPa, respectively. The maximum equivalent stress of adjacent intervertebral disc in normal thoracolumbar model was 3.84 MPa, which was located in L1-2 intervertebral disc; the maximum equivalent stress of adjacent intervertebral disc in 3 fixation models was 0.41, 0.36, 0.40 MPa, respectively, which was all located in T12-L1 intervertebral disc. Conclusions Fixation in short segment of the fractured vertebrae could lead to an increase of stress in the centrum. The stress of the adjacent intervertebral disc in 3 fixation models was smaller than that in normal spinal model.

Preparation and property evaluation of a self-setting calcium phosphate cement / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Preliminary studies have found that poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) can improve the compressive strength and degradability of calcium phosphate cement. OBJECTIVE: To prepare a self-setting calcium phosphate cement which has better mechanical properties, biocompatibility and degradability on the basis of the previous findings. METHODS: Beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), pure calcium phosphate cement (CPC) and PLGA powder were mixed at different mixing ratios for preparation of PLGA/β-TCP/CPC. Setting time, compressive strength, elastic modulus and degradation properties of the composite bone cement were evaluated to screen the optimal level of β-TCP. MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in CPC extract (control), PLGA/β-TCP/CPC extract (experimental), α-MEM containing 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin-streptomycin double antibody (negative control), and 6.4% phenol liquid (positive control). MTT method was used to detect cell proliferation at 1, 3, 5 days after culture, and lactate dehydrogenase activity in culture media was detected at 1 and 3 days after culture. MC3T3-E1 cells were seeded on the surface of PLGA/β-TCP/CPC and pure CPC respectively, and were then observed by scanning electron microscopy after 3 days. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Initial setting time and final setting time among of the composite bone cement were increased with the increasing of β-TCP content, but had no significant difference from those of the CPC (P ＞ 0.05). The compressive strength and elastic modulus of the composite bone cement were higher than those of the CPC, and moreover, the composite bone cement with 20% β-TCP exhibited the highest compressive strength and higher elastic modulus as compared with the other groups. Therefore, PLGA/20% β-TCP/CPC was selected in the cell test. Moreover, the degradation properties of the composite bone cement were also better than those of the CPC. (3) With the growth of culture time, cell absorbance value and lactate dehydrogenase activity were gradually increased in the experimental group, and no difference existed between the experimental group and the negative control group. The cells in the experimental group also grew well. (4) MC3T3-E1 cells grew well and fully extended on the surface of PLGA/β-TCP/CPC, and cell pseudopodia on the material surface were tightly adhered to the material. To conclude, PLGA/20% β-TCP/CPC has better compressive strength, elastic modulus, degradation properties and cytocompatibility relative to the CPC, and moreover, the composite bone cement has no obvious cytotoxicity.

[Yijingfang for the treatment of asthenospermia: A randomized controlled clinical trial].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical therapeutic effects of Yijingfang, a Chinese medicinal liquid, on asthenospermia. METHODS: We randomly divided 450 asthenospermia patients into a treatment group (n = 300) and a control group (n = 150), the former treated with Yijingfang once half a dose, bid, and the latter with Wuziyanzong Pills (9 g, bid) + L-carnitine oral liquid (10 ml, bid), both for 3 months. Before and at 1, 2, and 3 months after medication, we compared the semen volume, sperm concentration, percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and total motile sperm (TMS), and semen liquefaction time between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed in the semen parameters between the treatment and control groups before medication (P >0.05). In comparison with the baseline, the treatment group showed significant differences at 1, 2, and 3 months after medication in sperm concentration (ï¼»35.96 ± 8.50ï¼½ vs ï¼»49.66 ± 10.91ï¼½, ï¼»55.21 ± 11.46ï¼½, ï¼»74.90 ± 13.07ï¼½ ×106/ml, P <0.01), PMS (ï¼»19.72 ± 2.06ï¼½ vs ï¼»23.81 ± 2.56ï¼½, ï¼»26.12 ± 2.34ï¼½, and ï¼»32.17 ± 1.62ï¼½ %, P <0.01) and TMS (ï¼»28.86 ± 2.70ï¼½ vs ï¼»34.17 ± 3.43ï¼½, ï¼»36.59 ± 3.36ï¼½, and ï¼»47.08 ± 2.97ï¼½ %, P <0.01), but not in the semen volume (ï¼»3.35 ± 0.99ï¼½ vs ï¼»3.15 ± 1.06ï¼½, ï¼»3.12 ± 0.90ï¼½, and ï¼»3.27 ± 0.78ï¼½ ml, P >0.05) or semen liquefaction time (ï¼»32.31 ± 8.15ï¼½ vs ï¼»31.68 ± 3.14ï¼½, ï¼»30.38 ± 3.44ï¼½, and ï¼»30.86 ± 2.42ï¼½ min, P >0.05); the control group exhibited similar results at the three time points in sperm concentration (ï¼»36.85 ± 6.88ï¼½ vs ï¼»40.53 ± 8.32ï¼½, ï¼»47.51 ± 12.73ï¼½, and ï¼»56.14 ± 11.98ï¼½ ×106/ml, P <0.01), PMS (ï¼»20.26 ± 2.73ï¼½ vs ï¼»25.17 ± 2.64ï¼½, ï¼»27.23 ± 2.25ï¼½, and ï¼»31.89±2.27ï¼½ %, P <0.01), and TMS (ï¼»30.03 ± 2.67ï¼½ vs ï¼»33.89±2.26ï¼½, ï¼»37.38±4.79ï¼½, and ï¼»40.35±3.06ï¼½ %, P <0.01), but not in the semen volume (ï¼»3.03 ± 1.09ï¼½ vs ï¼»3.16±1.78ï¼½, ï¼»3.15±0.96ï¼½, and ï¼»3.12±0.65ï¼½ ml, P >0.05) or semen liquefaction time (ï¼»30.25 ± 5.20ï¼½ vs ï¼»29.36±4.25ï¼½, ï¼»28.21±3.26ï¼½, and ï¼»28.33±3.59ï¼½ min, P >0.05). There were statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups in the increase rates of sperm concentration and TMS after medication (P <0.01) but not in that of PMS (P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Yijingfang is an effective drug for the treatment of asthenospermia, which can regulate the spermatogenesis, increase the percentage of PMS, and improve the total sperm motility of the patients.

[Triple acupuncture at the Qugu acupoint as an adjunctive therapy for type-â ¢ chronic prostatitis: Analysis of short- and long-term clinical effects].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short- and long-term effects of triple acupuncture at the Qugu acupoint as an adjunctive therapy on type-Ⅲ chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). METHODS: We equally randomized 90 CP/CPPS patients into a control and a treatment group, both treated with Levofloxacin Mesylate Tablets (0.5 g, tid) + Terazosin Hydrochloride Capsules (2 mg qd) for 4 weeks, while the latter group by triple acupuncture at the Qugu acupoint as an adjunctive therapy twice a week at the same time. Then, we followed up all the patients for 4 weeks, recorded the cases, time and rate of recurrence, obtained the scores in National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), quality of life (QoL) and Zung Depression Scale (ZDS), and compared them between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, the patients of the treatment group showed significantly decreased NIH-CPSI scores in pain (8.6 ± 2.12 vs 6.2 ± 2.25, P <0.05), micturition (5.8 ± 1.22 vs 3.1 ± 1.10, P <0.05), and QoL (6.0 ± 1.33 vs 3.4 ± 1.71, P <0.05) and ZDS score as well (43.9 ± 4.53 vs 33.6 ± 3.20, P <0.01). The recurrence rate was markedly lower while the recurrence time remarkably longer in the treatment than in the control group (15.56 vs 35.56% and ï¼»20.0 ± 2.72ï¼½ vs ï¼»12.5 ± 3.47ï¼½ d, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: As an adjunctive therapy, triple acupuncture at the Qugu acupoint can evidently ameliorate the clinical symptoms, enhance the curative effect of antibacterials, reduce the recurrence rate, and prolong the recurrence time in the treatment of CP/CPPS.