Effectiveness of Acupoint Application in Patients with Pharyngeal Pain: Evidence from CHUNBO, A Prospective Real-World Study / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the outcomes after acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain in a real-world settings, and analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application.@*METHODS@#Based on CHUNBO platform, patients with pharyngeal pain who were candidates for acupoint application on the basis of physician-evaluation, were enrolled in a nationwide, prospective, 69-week multicenter observational study from August 2020 to February 2022. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match the confounding factors and the association rules were used to analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application. Outcome assessments included the disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain (within 3, 7, and 14 days), disappearance time of pharyngeal pain, as well as adverse events.@*RESULTS@#Of 7,699 enrolled participants, 6,693 (86.9%) received acupoint application and 1,450 (21.7%) with non-acupoint application. After PSM, there were 1,004 patients each in the application group (AG) and non-application group (NAG). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the AG at 3, 7, and 14 days were all higher than those in the NAG (P<0.05). The disappearance time of pharyngeal pain in the AG were shorter than that in the NAG (logrank P<0.001, hazard ratio=1.51, 95% confidence interval: 1.41-1.63). The median age of effective cases was 4 years, mainly 3-6 years old (40.21%). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the application group with tonsil diseases was 2.19 times higher than that in the NAG (P<0.05). The commonly used acupoints for the effective cases were Tiantu (RN 22), Shenque (RN 8) and Dazhui (DU 14). The commonly used herbs for the effective cases were Natrii sulfas, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Herba Ephedrae. Among them, Natrii sulfas was applied to RN 8 most frequently (support 84.39%). A total of 1,324 (17.2%) patients experienced AEs, and mainly occurred in the AG, with significant difference in the incidence of AEs between goups (P<0.05). All AEs reported were the first grade, and the average regression days of AEs was 2.8 days.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain resulted in improved effective rate and shortened duration, especially children aged 3-6 years old, and those with tonsil diseases. Acupoint of RN 22, RN 8 and DU 14, Natrii sulfas, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and Herba Ephedrae were the most commonly used herbs in the treatment of pharyngeal pain.

Mechanism of tonifying kidney and activating blood therapy for premature ovarian failure:a review / 中国中药杂志

Healthy birth and child development are the prerequisite for improving the overall quality of the population. However, premature ovarian failure(POF) threatens the reproductive health of women. The incidence of this disease has been on the rise, and it tends to occur in the young. The causes are complex, involving genetics, autoimmune, infectious and iatrogenic factors, but most of the causes remain unclear. At the moment, hormone replacement therapy and assisted reproductive technology are the main clinical approaches. According to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), kidney deficiency and blood stasis are one of the major causes of POF, and TCM with the effects of tonifying kidney and activating blood has a definite effect. Through clinical trials, TCM prescriptions for POF have excellent therapeutic effect as a result of multi-target regulation and slight toxicity. In particular, they have no obvious side effects. A large number of studies have shown that the kidney-tonifying and blood-activating TCM can regulate the neuroendocrine function of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, improve ovarian hemodynamics and microcirculation, reduce the apoptosis of granulosa cells, alleviate oxidative stress injury, and modulate immunologic balance. The mechanism is that it regulates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt), vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), transforming growth factor(TGF)-β/Smads, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/antioxidant response element(ARE), and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathways. This article summarized the pathological mechanisms of tonifying kidney and activating blood TCM in the prevention and treatment of POF and explored the biological basis of its multi-pathway and multi-target characteristics in the treatment of this disease. As a result, this study is expected to serve as a reference for the treatment of POF with the tonifying kidney and activating blood therapy.

Safety and efficacy of the early administration of levosimendan in patients with acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and elevated NT-proBNP levels: An Early Management Strategy of Acute Heart Failure (EMS-AHF) / 中华内科杂志

Objectives: To investigated the safety and efficacy of treating patients with acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and elevated levels of N-terminal pro-hormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with levosimendan within 24 hours of first medical contact (FMC). Methods: This multicenter, open-label, block-randomized controlled trial (NCT03189901) investigated the safety and efficacy of levosimendan as an early management strategy of acute heart failure (EMS-AHF) for patients with NSTEMI and high NT-proBNP levels. This study included 255 patients with NSTEMI and elevated NT-proBNP levels, including 142 males and 113 females with a median age of 65 (58-70) years, and were admitted in the emergency or outpatient departments at 14 medical centers in China between October 2017 and October 2021. The patients were randomly divided into a levosimendan group (n=129) and a control group (n=126). The primary outcome measure was NT-proBNP levels on day 3 of treatment and changes in the NT-proBNP levels from baseline on day 5 after randomization. The secondary outcome measures included the proportion of patients with more than 30% reduction in NT-proBNP levels from baseline, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during hospitalization and at 6 months after hospitalization, safety during the treatment, and health economics indices. The measurement data parameters between groups were compared using the t-test or the non-parametric test. The count data parameters were compared between groups using the χ² test. Results: On day 3, the NT-proBNP levels in the levosimendan group were lower than the control group but were statistically insignificant [866 (455, 1 960) vs. 1 118 (459, 2 417) ng/L, Z=-1.25,P=0.21]. However, on day 5, changes in the NT-proBNP levels from baseline in the levosimendan group were significantly higher than the control group [67.6% (33.8%,82.5%)vs.54.8% (7.3%,77.9%), Z=-2.14, P=0.03]. There were no significant differences in the proportion of patients with more than 30% reduction in the NT-proBNP levels on day 5 between the levosimendan and the control groups [77.5% (100/129) vs. 69.0% (87/126), χ²=2.34, P=0.13]. Furthermore, incidences of MACE did not show any significant differences between the two groups during hospitalization [4.7% (6/129) vs. 7.1% (9/126), χ²=0.72, P=0.40] and at 6 months [14.7% (19/129) vs. 12.7% (16/126), χ²=0.22, P=0.64]. Four cardiac deaths were reported in the control group during hospitalization [0 (0/129) vs. 3.2% (4/126), P=0.06]. However, 6-month survival rates were comparable between the two groups (log-rank test, P=0.18). Moreover, adverse events or serious adverse events such as shock, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia were not reported in both the groups during levosimendan treatment (days 0-1). The total cost of hospitalization [34 591.00(15 527.46,59 324.80) vs. 37 144.65(16 066.90,63 919.00)yuan, Z=-0.26, P=0.80] and the total length of hospitalization [9 (8, 12) vs. 10 (7, 13) days, Z=0.72, P=0.72] were lower for patients in the levosimendan group compared to those in the control group, but did not show statistically significant differences. Conclusions: Early administration of levosimendan reduced NT-proBNP levels in NSTEMI patients with elevated NT-proBNP and did not increase the total cost and length of hospitalization, but did not significantly improve MACE during hospitalization or at 6 months.

Substitution mode of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials and research strategy of multi-component replacement / 中国中药杂志

Rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials are the material basis for innovation and development of Chinese medicinal materials and their curative effects are remarkable. However, the resources are in shortage due to various man-made or natural factors such as rising demand, overexploitation and environmental degradation. Therefore, finding alternatives is a feasible and effective solution. This study systematically sorted out the list of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials, and combed relevant policies and regulations. According to existing research, the substitution model of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials was constructed from the theoretical level. In view of the slow search for substitutes, the failure to follow the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine in the process of research and development, the difficulty in breaking through technologies and the incomplete guarantee of the clinical efficacy of substitutes, a multi-component replacement was proposed to replace the originals with more effective components from a wide range of sources. This study was expected to promote the study on the substitutes of rare and endangered Chinese medicinal materials to step into a new stage.

Effect of Bazi Bushen Capsules on Delaying Aging Process of Naturally Aging Mice Based on Immune-inflammation-aging / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the effect of Bazi Bushen capsules on delaying the aging process of naturally aging mice and its mechanism. MethodThe mice were randomly divided into four groups according to their body weight， namely， aging group， low-dose Bazi Bushen capsules group （1 g·kg-1）， high-dose Bazi Bushen capsules group （2 g·kg-1）， and rapamycin group （0.002 g·kg-1）. The debilitating signs were detected by behavioral tests and the weakness index was measured. The percentages of spleen T and B lymphocytes， effector T cells （TE）， memory T cells （TM）， naive T cells （TN）， helper T cells （Th）， cytotoxic T cells （Tc） ，Th1 cells， Th2 cells， and regulatory T cells （Treg） were determined by flow cytometry. Cell proliferation and the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to detect the proliferation of lymphocytes in mice. The hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the mouse spleen. The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A （p16） and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A （p21） was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The mRNA expression of senescence-related proteins p16 and p21 was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the inflammatory cytokines， including tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-2， IL-4， IL-10， and IL-12 p70， in peripheral blood of mice were detected by Luminex. ResultAs compared with the aging group， mice in the Bazi Bushen capsules and rapamycin groups showed significantly improved debilitating signs and reduced weakness index scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased proportions of T cells， TN cells， Tc cells， Th2 cells， and Treg cells in the spleen， decreased proportions of TE cells， TM cells， Th cells， Th1 cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and increased proliferation of splenic lymphocytes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the Bazi Bushen capsules and rapamycin groups， clear structure of the red and white marrow marginal zone was observed in the spleen of mice， the area of the white marrow was increased， and the area of the red marrow was correspondingly decreased. The protein and mRNA expression of aging-related proteins p16 and p21 in the spleen was decreased （P<0.01）， the levels of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β， IL-2， IL-12 p70， IFN-γ， and TNF-α levels were decreased， and the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were increased （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the Bazi Bushen capsules and rapamycin groups as compared with the aging group. ConclusionBazi Bushen capsules have the effect of regulating the debilitating signs of natural aging mice， regulating the immune homeostasis and inflammation level of the body， and reducing cell aging.

Research progress on the biological effects of HIF-1α on follicle development and ovulation / 生理学报

Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), as a hypoxia inducible factor, affects women's reproductive function by regulating the development and excretion of follicles. HIF-1α induces glycolysis and autophagy in the granule cells by promoting oocyte development, regulating the secretion of related angiogenic factors, and improving follicle maturity. In addition, HIF-1α promotes the process of luteinization of follicular vesicles, maintains luteal function, and finally completes physiological luteal atrophy through cumulative oxidative stress. Dysfunction of HIF-1α will cause a series of pathological consequences, such as angiogenesis defect, energy metabolism abnormality, excessive oxidative stress and dysregulated autophagy and apoptosis, resulting in ovulation problem and infertility. This article summarizes the previous studies on the regulation of follicle development and excretion and maintenance of luteal function and structural atrophy by HIF-1α. We also describe the effective intervention mechanism of related drugs or bioactive ingredients on follicular dysplasia and ovulation disorders through HIF-1α, in order to provide a systematic and in-depth insights for solving ovulation disorder infertility.

Discussion on Current National Standards for Traditional Chinese Medicine Dispensing Granules / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Strengthening the standard formulation and quality management of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） dispensing granules is an important part of the strategic planning for the development of TCM in China. In order to examine the clinical application and overall quality control of the existing national standards for TCM dispensing granules， this study classified and summarized the varieties in the existing standards， analyzed their clinical applicability， and discussed the characteristics of the test methods for identification， content determination and specific chromatogram/fingerprint. It was found that the coverage of the existing standards was inadequate in terms of quantity， and it was even weaker in the aspects of therapeutic efficacy， herb family， processing method and preparation method of TCM dispensing granules. It was concluded that the characteristics of national standards in test methods were summarized as follows：guided by clinical application， based on the reference system， taking specific chromatogram as a breakthrough， so as to improve the overall quality control of TCM dispensing granules. It is suggested that the coverage of national standards should be subsequently expanded to meet the needs of market development. In order to enhance clinical applicability， the content of national quality standards should be increased， including increasing variety diversity to meet the needs of clinical application， raising the standard requirements to improve the clinical medication experience， and strengthening effectiveness research to highlight clinical efficacy. At the same time， the accessibility of regulatory inspection is enhanced， the rules for the management of varieties without national standards are promulgated to lay the foundation for the healthy and orderly development of TCM dispening granule industry.

Guiding significance of "disease-syndrome-symptom" mode in FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology (FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) for dealing with ovulation disorder infertility caused by hyperprolactinemia / 中国中药杂志

This paper discussed the guiding significance of "disease-syndrome-symptom" mode in FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology(FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) for dealing with ovulation disorder infertility caused by hyperprolactinemia(HPRL). FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology(FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) concentrates on the disease entities, main symptoms, pathogenesis, and syndrome differentiation, based on which the prescriptions are prescribed. This reflects the "disease-syndrome-symptom" mode, with the core lying in the "combination of disease with syndrome". The contained Discussion on Menstruation Regulation(Tiao Jing Pian) and Discussion on Getting Pregnant(Zhong Zi Pian) have important reference significance for later doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of inferti-lity, and many prescriptions are still in use due to good effects. It is believed in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) that HPRL results from kidney deficiency and liver depression, among which kidney deficiency is the main cause. Liver depression accelerates the onset of HPRL, so the kidney-tonifying and liver-soothing herbs were mainly selected. The "disease-syndrome-symptom" mode in FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology(FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) sheds enlightenment on the diagnosis and treatment of ovulation infertility caused by HPRL, in that it is not confined to disease entity and syndrome type. The integration of "disease-syndrome-symptom" highlights the main complaint of patients and emphasizes the main pathogenesis, thus giving full play to the overall advantage of syndrome differentiation. For multiple diseases in FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology(FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) such as infertility due to liver depression, infertility due to obesity, delayed menstruation, and irregular menstruation, although the typical lactation symptom of HPRL is not mentioned, the medication can still be determined according to the chief complaint, syndrome type, and symptoms and signs, making up for the defects of excessive reliance on serum biochemical indicators in modern Chinese medicine. We should learn its diagnosis and treatment thoughts of paying attention to liver, spleen, kidney, and heart, holism, and strengthening body resistance to eliminate pathogenic factors.

Effect of Electro-acupuncture on Vasomotor Symptoms in Rats with Acute Cerebral Infarction Based on Phosphatidylinositol System / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on vasomotor symptoms in rats with acute cerebral infarction, by observing the changes in the expression of factors related to the phosphatidylinositol (PI) system.@*METHODS@#Forty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups by a random number table: the control group (n=6), the model group (n=18) and the EA group (n=18). The EA group was given EA treatment at Shuigou (GV 26) instantly after modeling with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method, while the model and control groups were not given any treatment. The degrees of neurological deficiency were evaluated using neurological severity scores (NSS) and the brain blood flow was evaluated by a laser scanning confocal microscope. Western blot analysis was conducted to detect the expression levels of G-protein subtype (Gq) and calmodulin (CaM). Competition for protein binding was conducted to detect the expression level of inositol triphosphate (IP3). Thin layer quantitative analysis was conducted to detect the expression level of diacylglycerol (DAG). The expression level of intracellular concentration of free calcium ion ([Ca@*RESULTS@#The NSS of the model group was significantly higher than the control group at 3 and 6 h after MCAO (P<0.01), while the EA group was significantly lower than the model group at 6 h (P<0.01). The cerebral blood flow in the model group was significantly lower than the control group at 1, 3 and 6 h after MCAO (P<0.01), while for the EA group it was remarkably higher than the model group at the same time points (P<0.01). The expressions of Gq, CaM, IP3, DAG and [Ca@*CONCLUSION@#EA treatment at GV 26 can effectively decrease the over-expression of related factors of PI system in rats with acute cerebral infarction, improve cerebral autonomy movement, and alleviate cerebral vascular spasm.

Bazi Bushen Capsules on Anti-aging： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The decline of body function and senile diseases caused by aging seriously affect human health and life span， which is an important topic in the field of life science. Bazi Bushen capsules is a representative Chinese patent medicine for tonifying essence， invigorating Qi and anti-aging， guided by Qiluo doctrine， and essence， Qi and spirit theory. Previous pharmacological and clinical studies have confirmed that this preparation has the comprehensive advantages of anti-aging， and prevention and treatment of aging-related diseases. Among them， pharmacological studies showed that Bazi Bushen capsules had the effect of improving the appearance status of mice， improving the level of sex hormones， inhibiting the formation of atherosclerosis， improving cardiac function， improving learning and memory cognitive ability， improving neurological function， improving osteoporosis and muscle function， improving sperm count and quality. The mechanism was related to the up-regulation of the recombinant sirtuin （SIRT6） level， down-regulation of the levels of aging-related proteins p53 and p16， up-regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase level， and alleviation of inflammation and oxidative response. Clinical studies have proved that it can improve the symptoms of patients with kidney essence deficiency， improve exercise ability， and improve the sexual function of impotence patients. Anti-aging research of Bazi Bushen capsules based on Qiluo doctrine fully embodies the new mode of academic innovation and transformation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） with the combination of "theory-new drug-experiment-clinic"， which has made a demonstration for the anti-aging research of TCM.

Effect of Jinlida Granules on Visceral Fat Accumulation in Prediabetic Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the effect of Jinlida granules on visceral fat accumulation and its induced inflammatory response in prediabetic rats. MethodMale SD rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， Jinlida low-dose group （1.5 g·kg-1）， Jinlida high-dose group （3.0 g·kg-1） and atorvastatin group （10 mg·kg-1）. Prediabetic rat model was established using high-carbohydrate， high-fat diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin （STZ） by multiple small-dose intraperitoneal injections. After 8 weeks of modeling and drug intervention for 13 consecutive weeks， body weight， oral glucose tolerance test（OGTT）， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， fasting insulin （FINS）， insulin resistance index （HOMA-IR）， total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） were measured in each group of rats. The content of visceral fat was quantified by micro-computed tomography （Micro-CT）. Hematoxylin-eosin staining （HE） was used to observe the pathological changes of fat cells. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin- 6 （IL-6） in rat visceral fat and serum were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expression of macrophage marker CD68 in visceral fat was detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot. ResultCompared with normal group， model group had increased oral glucose tolerance， FBG， FINS， HOMA-IR， TC， LDL-C （P<0.01）， elevated body weight and visceral fat accumulation （P<0.05， P<0.01）， enhanced CD68 protein expression and TNF-α and IL-6 levels （P<0.01）， decreased HDL-C （P<0.01）， and abnormal hypertrophy of adipocytes. Compared with model group， Jinlida high- and low-dose groups lowered oral glucose tolerance， HOMA-IR， TC and LDL-C （P<0.05， P<0.01）， body weight and visceral fat accumulation （P<0.05）， and CD68 protein expression and TNF-α and IL-6 levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） and lessened hypertrophy of fat cells. ConclusionJinlida can improve the insulin resistance in prediabetic rats by reducing visceral fat accumulation and its induced inflammatory response， which provides a new pharmacological basis for clinical treatment of prediabetes by Jinlida granules.

Research on Anti-aging Guided by Qiluo Doctrine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Along with increasing degree of population aging globally， senility， good health and long life have become the focus of the world. Guided by Qiluo doctrine， an essence， Qi and spirit theory is proposed as below， essence is the origin of life， Qi is the impetus of life and spirit is the embodiment of life. Based on holistic view of kidney deficiency involving the five internal organs and injuries of the five internal organs definitely affecting the kidney， a mechanism of aging is proposed as below， deficiency of kidney essence is the foundation of aging， deficiency of promordial Qi is the key of aging and physical and spiritual loss is the manifestation of aging. It provides a theoretical guidance for anti-aging study of rejuvenating the elderly and making the strong person stronger. By virtue of the experiences in kidney-tonifying medication accumulated for more than two thousand years， Bazi Bushen capsules has been developed， which has anti-aging efficacy， including tonifying kidney， replenishing essence， coordinating Yin and Yang， supplementing primordial Qi and nourishing body and spirit. Experimental researches have demonstrated that Bazi Bushen capsules can improve overall aging and systemic aging， as well as prevent and treat aging related diseases. Preliminary clinical studies demonstrate that this capsules can enhance athletic ability and improve sexual function， and is expected to become a representative Chinese patent medicine of anti-aging. This paper addresses aging and anti-aging on the basis of Qiluo doctrine， in the hope of helping prevention and treatment of aging related diseases.

Panax notoginseng saponins regulates hematopoietic function of bone marrow in aplastic anemia mice via TLR4/TLR2-NF-kB pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the effects of Panax notog- inseng saponins( PNS) on hematopoietic functions anrl regulation on the TLR4/TLR2-NF-kB signaling path¬way in immune-mediated aplastic anemia ( AA ) C57 mice.Methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly divid¬ed into control group, total body irradiation group ( TBI) , model group, cyclosporine treatment group, PNS low-dose group, medium-dose group and high-dose group.The immune-mediated A A mice model was es¬tablished by total body irradiation with 5.0 Gy X-ray and mixed lymphocyte infusion.The body weight was measured, the spleen and thymus index was calculated , bone marrow pathology, the levels of peripheral blood triline cells,bone marrow nucleated cells( BMCs) and the levels of serum TNF-cx , 1L-2 , 1L-10 were detected, and the expression of CD1 lc and proteins related to the TLR4/TLR2-N F- k B pathway were detected 15 days later.Results Compared with control group, body weight, thymus index, the number of peripheral blood triline cells, BMCs and serum 1L-10 levels of the mice in model group significantly decreased ( P < 0.05 ) , while spleen index, the serum TNF-a, IL-2 levels and the protein expression of CD 11 c, TLR4, TLR2 , MvD88 , Akt and NF-kB in hone marrow significantly increased ( P <0.05).Compared with model group, after PNS treatment, hodv weight, thymus index, the number of peripheral blood triline cells, BMCs and serum IL-10 levels increased.Spleen index,serum TNF-cx,lL-2 lev¬els and the expression of CD11 c, TLR4, TLR2, NF-kB and Akt in bone marrow decreased, and the therapeutic effect was not dose-dependent.There was no signifi¬cant change in the expression of MvD88 and MAPK proteins.Conclusions PNS can improve AA bone marrow injury, regulate immune disoders and promote hematopoiesis, which may be related to the regulation of the number of DCs and the TLH4/TLH2 - Akt- NF-kB pathway in bone marrow.

Comparison of PC-12 cells’ apoptosis induced by triazine herbicides atrazine, simazine and cyanazine / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To compare PC-12 cells’ apoptosis caused by the serotonin herbicides atrazine （ATR）， simazine （SIM） and cyanazine （CYA）. 【Methods】 The rat adrenal medullary pheochromoma PC-12 cell line was selected for routine culture. At the cell logarithmic growth phase， ATR， SIM and CYA were used at a concentration of 200 μmol/L for 24 h， respectively， and the same solvent was added in the control group. The CCK-8 method was used to detect the cell survival rate； the content of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in PC-12 cells was detected； the Real-time PCR and Western blotting methods were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax， p53， Bcl-2 and Caspase-3. 【Results】 Compared with that in the control group， the survival rate of the cells in ATR group， SIM group and CYA group was significantly decreased. The intracellular ROS activity of the three groups was significantly increased， and the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax， p53 and Caspase-3 were increased. mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2 were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with that in ATR group， the cell survival rate of SIM group and CYA group was significantly increased， the intracellular ROS activity of the two groups was significantly decreased， the expressions of Bax， p53 and Caspase-3 mRNA and protein were significantly reduced， and the expressions of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with that of SIM group， the cell survival rate of CYA group was significantly increased， while the intracellular ROS activity was significantly decreased； the Bax， p53 and Caspase-3 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly reduced， and Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly increased （P<0.01）. 【Conclusion】 ATR， SIM and CYA can all promote PC-12 cells’ apoptosis； ATR has the strongest effect while CYA has the weakest effect.

Relationship between nutrients intake during pregnancy and the glycemic control effect in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the relationship between nutrients intake during pregnancy and the glycemic control effect in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).@*METHODS@#Pregnant women for 25-35 gestational weeks who underwent prenatal examination and completed GDM diagnostic test in two third-class hospitals in Beijing from October 2015 to October 2017 were recruited to participate in the cohort study, and were investigated at enrollment, 2 weeks after enrollment, and delivery. The cross-sectional survey data 2 weeks after enrollment was used for this study. Among them, dietary survey used the 24 h dietary records to collect the food intake of the subjects for the past day, and the intake of energy, macronutrients and micronutrients, was calculated according to the Chinese Food Composition Table. Using the data of fasting blood glucose (FBG) collected by clinical information system and referring to the Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pregnancy Diabetes (2014), the GDM patients with FBG ≤5.3 mmol/L were divided into the well-control group, those with FBG >5.3 mmol/L were divided into poorly-control group, and pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance were consi-dered as the normal group. Binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the nutrients intake and glycemic control effect in pregnant women with GDM.@*RESULTS@#A total of 227 pregnant women were enrolled, including 104 GDM patients and 123 normal pregnancy women. Among them, 76 subjects in the well-control group (73.1%, 76/104) and 28 subjects in the poorly-control group (26.9%, 28/104). Compared with the well-control group and the normal group, the protein intake and its energy ratio of the poorly-control group were significantly higher, while carbohydrate energy ratio was significantly lower. In terms of micronutrients, there was no significant difference between the well-control group and the poorly-control group. After adjusting for age, gestational age and physical activity level, with the well-control group as the control group, binary Logistic regression model showed that higher protein energy ratio was positively correlated with poorly glycemic control effect in pregnant women with GDM (OR=6.12, 95%CI: 1.44-25.98), while higher carbohydrate energy ratio was negatively correlated with poorly glycemic control (OR=0.54, 95%CI: 0.32-0.91).@*CONCLUSION@#Reduced protein intake and increased carbohydrate intake were associated with better glycemic control in pregnant women with GDM. It is suggested that GDM patients should adjust their dietary pattern further to achieve good glycemic control effect.

Study on mechanism of Bushen Culuan Formula in treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome based on network pharmacology and molecular docking / 中国中药杂志

This study used network pharmacology and molecular docking to study the mechanism of Bushen Culuan Formula in the treatment of infertility caused by polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS). The active ingredients and potential drug targets of Bushen Cu-luan Decoction were obtained by searching the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology(TCMSP) database, and the targets of PCOS by searching GeneCards. After the drug targets and disease targets were corrected by Uniprot, the intersection genes were obtained. STRING database and Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used for protein-protein interaction(PPI) analysis of the intersection genes. The ClueGO plug-in of Cytoscape 3.7.2 was employed to perform gene ontology(GO) enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment for the intersection genes. Finally, molecular docking of the key active ingredients with the targets of Bushen Culuan Formula was performed using AutoDockVina and MGLtools. A total of 136 active ingredients and 314 drug targets of the decoction were obtained from TCMSP, and 136 disease targets from GeneCards. Finally, 49 drug-disease intersection genes were obtained. GO enrichment found that the genes were mainly involved in the regulation of muscle cell apoptosis, positive regulation of small molecule metabolism, core promoter binding, RNA polymerase Ⅱ regulation of pri-miRNA transcription, negative regulation of transmembrane transport and other biological functions. The enriched KEGG pathways mainly included MAPK, PI3 K-Akt, p53, and HIF-1 signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking showed that quercetin and PTGS2 can bind stably and interact through amino acid residues THR206, TRP387, ASN382, etc. This study preliminarily reveals the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanism of Bushen Culuan Formula in the treatment of PCOS-related infertility, which provides a basis for further research.

Clinical efficacy of Bushen Huoxue Culuan Formula in treatment of infertility caused by diminished ovarian reserve due to kidney deficiency and blood stasis / 中国中药杂志

To study the clinical efficacy and safety of Bushen Huoxue Culuan Formula in treating infertility caused by diminished ovarian reserve(DOR) with kidney deficiency and blood stasis. A total of 100 DOR patients treated at Xiyuan Hospital, Acupuncture Hospital and Clinic of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from 2017 to 2020 in line with the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly divided into experimental group and control group at the ratio of 1∶1. The experimental group was treated with Bushen Huoxue Culuan Formular, while the control group was treated with Climen and Clomiphene for 3 menstrual cycles. The ovulation rate, pregnancy rate, pregnancy success rate, serum hormone levels, and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) symptom scores were observed in the 2 groups. The total effective rate was 92.00% in the experimental group and 72.00% in the control group, with a statistical difference between the two groups(P<0.01); the experimental group was superior to the control group in reducing FSH level, increasing AMH level, improving TCM symptoms, increasing pregnancy rate and pregnancy success rate, with a significant difference(P<0.05). There was no abnormal safety indicator and adverse reaction. Bushen Huoxue Culuan Formular is effective in treating infertility caused by DOR due to kidney deficiency and blood stasis, with a safety and reliability.

Kidney-tonifying and blood-activating in treatment of infertility due to pelvic inflammatory disease:clinical experience of Professor MA Kun / 中国中药杂志

Pelvic inflammatory disease(PID) has become one of the leading causes of female infertility, with an increasing incidence in recent years. Modern medicine believes that risk factors of PID will affect the formation of eggs and embryo implantation, especially on the encounter of gametes, fertilization, and transport of fertilized eggs to the uterine cavity. Therapies for infertility due to PID include medication, sonographic hydrotubation, surgery, and assisted reproductive technology. Professor Ma Kun believes that the disease is located in the uterus with appendages with the main pathogenesis of kidney deficiency and blood stasis. Blood stasis is the pathological basis, and kidney deficiency is the fundamental pathogenesis, which exhibits deficiency-excess in complexity. Kidney deficiency will cause blood stasis over time, while blood stasis will aggravate kidney deficiency in turn, making PID-induced infertility refractory. In clinical practice, basic therapies follow the principles of kidney-tonifying and blood-activating, removing blood stasis, dredging collaterals, and coordinating thoroughfare and conception vessels. The oral administration of Chinese medicine combined with enema, external application, and external washing displays better efficacy in improving the pelvic microenvironment and increasing the pregnancy rate and pregnancy success rate in the treatment of PID-induced infertility.

Effect of therapies for kidney-tonifying and blood-activating in treatment of anovulatory infertility in eugenics / 中国中药杂志

In the context of the new era, paying attention to maternal and child health and advocating prenatal and postnatal care can effectively improve the quality of the birth population. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of prenatal and postnatal healthcare with rich content, which is the theoretical basis of modern related services. With the social development and the improvement of people's awareness of prenatal and postnatal healthcare, people have gradually shifted the focus of prenatal and postnatal healthcare to the peri-pregnancy stage at present, namely that couples of childbearing age are guided to prepare for pregnancy under the premise of solving their basic diseases. Infertility is a common and refractory disease for women of childbearing age. Ovulation disorder is one of its common pathological mechanisms. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that kidney deficiency is the main cause and pa-thogenesis of anovulation infertility and blood stasis is an important factor throughout the disease course. In clinical practice, therapies for invigorating kidney and activating blood are safe and reliable to treat anovulatory infertility mainly by adjusting the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis, improving ovarian function, uterine environment and gamete quality and increasing endometrial volume. Under the guidance of the thought of prenatal and postnatal healthcare, the authors tried to explore the effect of therapies for kidney-tonifying and blood-activating in the treatment of anovulatory infertility in eugenics, with the purpose of providing ideas and basis for subsequent relevant clinical studies and contributing to prenatal and postnatal healthcare services.

Examples of Professor MA Kun's treatment of infertility caused by hyperprolactinemia with kidney deficiency and blood stasis / 中国中药杂志

Hyperprolactinemia(HPRL) is one of the diseases leading to anovulatory infertility, which is a refractory gynecological disease and seriously affects female reproductive function. Professor MA Kun has summarized his experience in clinical and scientific studies for many years. And believes that kidney deficiency is the pathogenesis of HPRL and blood stasis is the dominant pathological manifestation of HPRL and can promote the progress of the disease. In view of this, Professor MA Kun took the therapy of kidney-tonifying and blood-activating as the principle for treating anovulatory infertility caused by HPRL, with soothing the liver and promoting Qi as adjuvant therapies. She has also summarized and refined the prescriptions for tonifying kidney and inducing ovulation, which have a remarkable clinical efficacy.