Mechanism of Huang'e Capsule in treatment of chronic prostatitis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Huang'e capsule in the treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.Methods:The drug ingredients of Huang'e Capsule were screened by searching the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM), and some other literature materials. The drug component targets were predicted using Swiss Target Prediction, and the CP disease targets were obtained using GeneCards, OMIM, and GisGeNET. The intersection targets were obtained by Venny 2.1.0. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were carried out by Metascape. The "drug-ingredient-target-pathway" network was established by Cytoscape software. Molecular docking was carried out with PubChem, PDB, PyMoL, and AutoDock.Results:It was found that 142 active ingredients in Huang'e Capsule acted directly on 286 disease targets through multiple pathways for CP treatment, with cyasterone, morin, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, and isorhamnetin as core ingredients and ESR1, CDK1, APP, SYK, and EGFR as core targets. GO enrichment analysis showed that the most likely related BP of the intersection genes mainly includes cellular reaction to nitrogen-containing compounds, inorganic substances, organic cyclic compounds, etc., CCs mainly involved in membrane rafts, receptor complexes, membrane sides, etc., and MF includes protein kinase activity, nuclear receptor activity, and kinase binding, etc. It can be found in KEGG enrichment analysis that Huang'e Capsule is mainly involved in the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway and the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Molecular docking indicated that the core target had a great affinity with the core active ingredients of the Huang'e Capsule.Conclusions:Huang'e Capsule is mainly used to treat CP by modulating the disease targets such as ESR1, CDK1, APP, SYK, and EGFR of PI3K/Akt, HIF-1 and other signaling pathways, interfering with enzyme activity, inflammatory reactions, and other biological processes.

Efficacy of plasma exchange combined with dual plasma molecular adsorption system in the treatment of patients with hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of plasma exchange combined with dual plasma molecular adsorption system (PE+ DPMAS) in treating patients with hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).Methods:A total of 114 HBV-ACLF patients admitted to The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University in Luzhou City and treated with PE+ DPMAS from June 2014 to January 2018 were included. According to different basis of liver diseases, there were type A, type B and type C. The laboratory data and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) of patients before PE+ DPMAS and 48 h after treatment, and the prognosis of patients at 90 d were retrospectively analyzed. Independent sample t test, paired sample t test, nonparametric test, variance analysis and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results:The clinical stages among patients with type A (22 cases), type B (39 cases) and type C (53 cases) were mainly early (seven, 17, 22 cases) and mid-stages (eight, 14, 20 cases). Before PE+ DPMAS, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), prealbumin (pAlb), albumin (Alb), creatinine (Cr), total bilirubin (TBil), prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin activity (PTA), and MELD were all not statistically different among the patients in the three groups (all P>0.05). After PE+ DPMAS treatment, ALT, TBil, PT, INR, MELD, pAlb, Alb, and PTA in patients with type A were statistically different compared with those before treatment ( Z=5.104, t=5.555, 4.974, 4.481, 7.984, -5.396, -2.784 and -6.752, respectively, all P<0.05). ALT, TBil, PT, INR and MELD in patients with type B were significantly decreased, while pAlb and PTA were significantly increased after treatment ( Z=-5.428, t=4.867, 4.405, 4.179, 6.186, -6.290 and -4.533, respectively, all P<0.01). ALT, pAlb and TBil in patients with type C after PE+ DPMAS treatment were significantly different from those before treatment ( Z=-5.723, t=-2.525 and 2.462, respectively, all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in Cr of the three groups before and after treatment (all P>0.05). The patients with type A had the shortest hospital stay ((17.95±5.92) d), while the patients with type C had the longest stay ((25.77±7.02) d). The hospital stay of patients with type B was (21.79±6.72) d. The difference was statistically significant ( F=11.317, P<0.01). After 90 d follow-up, four patients (18.18%) with type A died, nine patients (23.08%) with type B died, and 25 patients (47.17%)with type C died. The difference was statistically significant ( χ2=8.615, P=0.013). Conclusion:HBV-ACLF patients with type A and type B have better prognosis after PE+ DPMAS treatment compared to patients with type C who are in the decompensated stage of liver cirrhosis.

Effectiveness and Safety Evaluation of Qixiong Zhongzi Decoction () in Idiopathic Asthenozoospermia Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of the Chinese medicine (CM) Qixiong Zhongzi Decoction (, QZD) in the treatment of patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia.@*METHODS@#A total number of 66 patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia were included and randomly divided into treatment and control groups by SAS-generated code from January 2015 to August 2016, 33 patients in each group. Patients in the treatment group were administered with 150 mL of QZD twice a day, whereas those in the control group were given 1 g of levocarnitine oral liquid twice a day. The two groups received the indicated medication for 12 weeks and were then followed up for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was sperm motility, and the secondary therapeutic indices were sperm volume, density, pregnancy probability, and CM syndrome score. The comparison between groups was carried out at 4, 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. The safety was determined before and after treatment.@*RESULTS@#(1) Drop-off: 5 cases (7.58%) were lost after treatment (2 from the treatment group and 3 from the control group). (2) Primary outcomes: after 8- and 12-week treatment, the progressive sperms in the two groups were significantly higher than the baseline (all P0.05), however, the CM syndrome score of the treatment group significantly declined compared with baseline level at each time points (all P<0.05). (4) Safety: no obvious side reactions were found during the treatment in both groups.@*CONCLUSION@#QZD could improve the progressive and non-progressive grade sperm in the treatment of idiopathic asthenozoospermia. It is safe with no obvious side effects.

Antioxidant Mechanism of Xiaojin Pill () for Treatment of Peyronie's Disease in Rats Based on Matrix Metalloproteinases / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effects of Xiaojin Pill () in the treatment of Peyronie's disease (PD) in a rat model.@*METHODS@#Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with 6 in each: sham operation, PD model, vehicle control and Xiaojin Pill groups. The rats in the sham operation group received penile tunica albsginea (TA) injection with 50 μL vehicle, while the rats in the other 3 groups received 50 μL penile TA injection of 50 μg transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. Forty-two days after the injection, rats in the vehicle control and Xiaojin Pill groups received 0.5 mL water and Xiaojin Pill solution (107 mg/kg of body weight), respectively by gavage for 28 days, while those in the sham operation and PD model groups did not receive any intervention. After intervention, the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP2/9), nitric oxidesynthase (NOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured.@*RESULTS@#Rats in the PD model and vehicle control groups presented obvious fibrosis in corpus cavernosum (CC) and demonstrated a significantly increased expressions of MMP2 and MMP9 in the CC compared with the sham operation group (all P<0.01). In contrast, the expressions of MMP2 and MMP9 in the Xiaojin Pill group were significantly down-regulated (both P<0.01). In addition, the levels of NOS and MDA in CC were significantly increased while the activity of SOD was decreased in the PD model and vehicle control groups compared with the sham operation group (all P<0.01). After Xiaojin Pill treatment, the levels of MDA, NOS and SOD appeared to be corrected (all P<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Xiaojin Pill could reduce fibrosis in the CC by decreasing the expressions of MMPs, NOS and MDA, and by increasing the activity of SOD. Therefore, Xiaojin Pill might be a therapeutic option for PD.

Establishment of a rat model of premature ejaculation with 8-OH-DPAT / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To explore the feasibility and practicability of establishing a rat model of premature ejaculation (PE) by injection of 8-OH-DPAT into the subarachnoid space of the lumbosacral spinal cord segments.@*METHODS@#Twenty-four male Wistar rats were equally randomized into a PE model and a blank control group. The PE model was established by injection of 8-OH-DPAT in 10 ml normal saline at 0.8 mg per kg of the body weight per day into the subarachnoid space of the lumbosacral spinal cord segments and the control rats were injected with the same volume of normal saline only, both for 4 weeks. Another 24 female Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously with benzoic acid estradiol at 20 μg to induce estrus at 36 hours before mated with the male animals. At 2 and 4 weeks, the male rats were mated with the female ones for 30 minutes each time and meanwhile observed for their mating behavior indicators, such as mount latency, intromission latency, ejaculation latency, mount frequency, intromission frequency, and ejaculation frequency.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the controls, the PE model rats showed a significantly lower ejaculation latency (［712.35 ± 36.77］ vs ［502.35 ± 46.72］ s, P0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#A rat model of premature ejaculation was successfully established by injection of 8-OH-DPAT into the subarachnoid space of the lumbosacral spinal cord segments, which is of great significance for further study of the mechanism of premature ejaculation.

Qiaoshao Prescription improves premature ejaculation in male rats by increasing the content of 5-hydroxytryptamine / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To observe the intervention effect of Qiaoshao Prescription (QSP) on premature ejaculation (PE) induced by 8-OH-DPAT in male rats and explore its possible action mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-two male Wistar rats were equally randomized into six groups, blank control, PE model control, low-, medium- and high-dose QSP, and dapoxetine. The PE model was established by injection of 8-OH-DPAT into the subarachnoid space of the lumbosacral spinal cord. Four weeks after modeling, the rats in the blank control and PE model control groups with gavaged with normal saline at 10 ml/kg/d, those in the low-, medium- and high-dose QSP groups with QSP at 5, 10 and 20 g/kg/d respectively once a day, and those in the dapoxetine group with dapoxetine hydrochloride at 300 mg/kg at 3 hours before mating. Forty-five female Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously with 20 μg estradiol benzoate after removal of bilateral ovaries to induce estrous estrus. Two and 4 weeks later, the male rats were mated with the female ones for 30 minutes per time and meanwhile observed for the mating behavior of the males, including mounting latency (ML), intromission latency (IL), ejaculation latency (EL), mounting frequency (MF), intromission frequency (IF), and ejaculation frequency (EF). After the 4th week of mating, the hypothalamus of the animals was isolated and weighed, and the content of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank control group, the PE model controls showed significantly decreased content of 5-HT in the hypothalamus(1 257.1 vs 923.4 ng/g, P<0.05), ML (［11.22 ± 3.60］ vs ［8.69 ± 2.48］ s, P<0.05), IL (［22.33 ± 2.45］ vs ［12.08±1.39］ s, P<0.05), MF (［13.28 ± 3.24］ vs ［7.53 ± 1.84］ times, P<0.05), and EL (［712.35 ± 36.77］ vs ［502.35 ± 46.72］ s, P<0.05). In comparison with the PE model controls, the rats of the QSP and dapoxetine groups exhibited remarkably increased content of 5-HT (P<0.05) and prolonged EL (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Qiaoshao Prescription can prolong EL in PE rats, which might be associated with the increased content of 5-HT in the hypothalamus. Further studies, however, are needed on its underlying mechanisms.</p>

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine combined with sildenafil in the treatment of ED in Chinese men： A real-world study / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To make a real-world study on the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) that failed to respond to TCM medication.@*METHODS@#This study included 1 038 ED patients with the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) scores ≤21 and improvement <30% after 4 weeks of TCM medication, differentially diagnosed with kidney-yang or kidney-yin deficiency syndrome. We administered TCM combined with sildenafil (Viagra, Pfizer Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd) at 100 mg 1 hour before sexual intercourse. After 2 and 4 weeks of medication, we recorded the scores in IIEF-5, erection hardness, Sexual Encounter Profile question 2 (SEP-2: whether vaginal penetration is successful), SEP-3 (whether sexual intercourse is successful), and TCM Syndromes Scale as well as the indexes of routine blood, urine, liver function, and renal function of the patients, and compared them with those obtained before treatment.@*RESULTS@#No serious adverse reactions were observed in any of the patients. Compared with the baseline, the patients achieved significantly increased IIEF-5 scores after 2 and 4 weeks of medication (15.01 ± 2.25 vs 16.96 ± 2.55 and 19.41 ± 2.82, P <0.05), penileelectionhardness remarkably improved at 4 weeks (3.36% vs 44.58%, P<0.05), and the positive answers to SEP-2 and SEP-3 both markedly increased at 2 (38.11% vs 90.49%, P<0.05; 22.01% vs 63.77% , P<0.05) and 4 weeks (38.11% vs 96.95% , P<0.05; 22.01% vs 89.73%, P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#TCM combined with sildenafil is safe and effective in the treatment of ED in Chinese men, which can significantly improve the IIEF-5 score and erection hardness of the patients.

Expression of heparanase in serum and tissues of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective To investigate the expression of heparanase (Hpa) in serum and tissue of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and its clinical significance.Methods Immunohistochemical method (SP) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the expression of Hpa protein in serum and tissues of 38 cases of PTC,37 cases of patients with benign thyroid nodules,and 30 normal controls.Results Expression of Hpa in PTC was higher than that of benign thyroid nodules (P＜0.01).Expression of Hpa in lymph node metastasis group was higher than that in group without lymph node metastasis (P＜0.05).Compared with the normal control group,the content of serum Hpa in patients with benign thyroid nodules had no significant difference (P＞0.05).Hpa content in serum of patients with PTC was higher than that of benign thyroid nodules group and the normal control group (P＜0.01).There was no statistically significant difference of the level of serum Hpa between groups with and without lymph node metastasis.Conclusions Detecting tissue and preoperative serum Hpa concentration is valuable for diagnosis of PTC.Hpa detection in tissues can be used to determine whether there was lymph node metastasis in PTC patients,while Hpa detection in preoperative serum can not judge whether there is lymph node metastasis.

Longjintonglin Capsules for type IIIA prostatitis accompanied by abnormal semen liquefaction: A clinical observation / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Longjintonglin Capsules on type IIIA prostatitis accompanied by abnormal semen liquefaction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We selected 140 patients with type IIIA prostatitis accompanied by abnormal semen liquefaction according to the diagnostic standards of the American Institutes of Health (NIH) and treated them with Longjintonglin Capsules orally 3 capsules once tid for 12 weeks. We obtained the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Indexes (NIH-CPSI), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, leukocyte count in the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS), semen liquefaction time, and the results of semen analysis and compared these indicators before and after the treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 140 cases, 132 were included in this study, excluding 8 due to their incomplete case histories. Before and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of medication, the total NIH-CPSI scores were 24.52 ± 5.43, 21.28 ± 4.85, 18.01 ± 4.28, and 14.49 ± 3.65 (P < 0.01), the TCM syndrome scores were 35.63 ± 6.07, 26.66 ± 5.03, 17.37 ± 4.18, and 11.11 ± 3.96 (P < 0.01), and the leukocyte counts (/HP) were 27.50 ± 7.01, 22.38 ± 5.22, 16:76 ± 4.10, and 11.40 ± 4.74 (P < 0.01), respectively. After 12 weeks of treatment, 31 of the patients with type IIIA prostatitis were cured and another 72 well responded, with an overall response rate of 78.0%. Of those with abnormal semen liquefaction, 61 were cured, 39 well responded, and 32 failed to respond, with an overall effectiveness rate of 75.8%. Semen analysis showed significantly increased percentage of progressively motile sperm after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of medication as compared with the baseline (P < 0.01). No abnormal liver or renal function or other adverse reactions were observed during the treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Longjintonglin Capsules, with its advantages of safety, effectiveness and no obvious adverse effects, deserve to be recommended for the treatment of type IIIA prostatitis accompanied by abnormal semen liquefaction.</p>

Efficacy and safety of Qiaoshao Formula () on patients with lifelong premature ejaculation of Gan (Liver) depression and Shen (Kidney) deficiency syndrome: A randomized controlled trial / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effificacy and safety of Qiaoshao Formula (, QSF) on patients with lifelong premature ejaculation (LPE) of Gan (Liver) depression and Shen (Kidney) defificiency syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 60 LPE patients were randomly divided into treatment (QSF) and control (dapoxetine) groups. The treatment group received QSF twice a day and the control group received dapoxetine 1 to 2 h prior to planned sexual intercourse for 4 weeks. The outcomes included intra-vaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT), premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT), clinical global impression of change (CGIC), scores of Chinese medicine symptoms (CMSS), sex life satisfaction (SLS) and adverse events (AEs).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the treated group, the median IELT was 3 min vs. 1.5 min before and after treatment (P<0.05). PEDT in the treated group was reduced to 11.76±1.68 from 15.83±2.30 after treatment (P<0.05). Besides, patient's SLS was improved from 1.30±0.05 to 6.30±0.04 (P<0.05), and spouse's SLS was increased from 1.30±0.to 6.10±0.06 (P<0.05); CMSS was decrease from 14.86±3.02 to 9.62±2.87 (P<0.05). In addition, no significant AE was observed in both groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>QSF may be effective and safe on LPE patients with Gan depression and Shen defificiency syndrome.</p>

Expression and clinical significance of Hpa and uPA in thyroid carcinoma / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective To study the relationship between heparanase( Hpa) , urokinase type plasminogen activator( uPA) expression and lymph node metastasis in thyroid carcinoma.Methods Immunohistochemieal SP method was used to analyze the expression of Hpa and uPA in 113 cases of thyroid carcinoma and 134 cases of be-nign thyroid nodules.The expression of Hpa and uPA in thyroid carcinoma and its clinical significance were ana-lyzed.Results The positive expression rate of Hpa and uPA in thyroid carcinoma and benign nodular thyroid tis-sue were 82.30%,16.42%and 89.38%, 11.19%.The positive expression rate of Hpa and uPA in carcinoma tissues with lymph metastasis and without metastasis were 93.94%,100% and 65.96%,74.47%.Expression of Hpa and uPA in thyroid carcinoma group was significantly higher than that of benign thyroid nodules group( P<0.001) .The rate of positive expression in lymph metastatic tissues were significantly higher than those in tissue without metastasis( P<0.001) .Hpa and uPA expression in thyroid carcinoma tissues was positively correlated( r=0.437, P=0.021).Conclusion The expression of Hpa and uPA is closely related with the occurrence and metastasis of thyroid carcinoma.

Current situation and development of HER-2 testing in breast cancer / 中国肿瘤临床

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2/neu) is an important prognostic predictor and the key predictor of anti-HER-2 therapy of breast cancer. Accurate testing of HER-2 status for breast cancer patients is important in clinical practice. As of this writing, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the College of American Pathologists recommend three methods for HER-2 detection, namely, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and bright-field in situ hybridization. The abovementioned methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. New methods, such as multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and RNA in situ hybridization, are currently applied to detect HER-2 status. New technologies not only make up for the shortcomings of routine methods but also have unique benefits that can meet the demands for HER-2 testing of some breast cancer patients. Thus, these methods are promising for clinical applications and can improve clinical diagnosis and treatment. The characteristics, advantages, and drawbacks of these technologies are introduced and reviewed in this paper.

Efficacy and safety of Longjintonglin Capsule for the treatment of type III prostatitis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the therapeutic effect and safety of Longjintonglin Capsule in the treatment of type III prostatitis (chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, CP/CPPS).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>We selected 240 patients with type III prostatitis according to the diagnostic standards of the American National Institute of Health (NIH) and treated them with Longjintonglin Capsule orally 3 capsules once tid for 12 weeks. Based on the NIH chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score, and leukocyte count in the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS), we evaluated the results of treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 238 patients completed the treatment, including 108 IIIA and 120 III B prostatitis cases. Before and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment, the total NIH-CPSI scores were 23.12 ± 6.99, 18.22 ± 6.39, 14.12 ± 5.88, and 12.36 ± 6.04 (P < 0.01) in the IIIA prostatitis patients and 22.01 ± 6.28, 17.56 ± 5.89, 13.67 ± 5.18, and 11.45 ± 5.22 in the III prostatitis patients (P < 0.01), the TCM syndrome scores were 52.12 ± 13.08, 48.13 ± 12.11, 43.05 ± 11.19, and 40.78 ± 10. 59 in the former (P < 0.01) and 53.02 ± 12.12, 49.32 ± 12.78, 44.01 ± 11.79, and 39.67 ± 10.26 in the latter (P < 0.01), and the leukocyte counts were 26.09 ± 21.55, 23.02 ± 18.61, 18.25 ± 17.79, and 15.36 ± 16.38 in the IIIA cases (P < 0.01). Neither abnormalities in liver and renal function nor obvious adverse events were observed during the experiment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Longjintonglin Capsule, with its advantages of safety, effectiveness, and no obvious adverse reactions in the treatment of type III prostatitis, deserves to be recommended for clinical application.</p>

Inflammation induced-endothelial cells release angiogenesis associated-microRNAs into circulation by microparticles / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Endothelial cells derived microRNAs can be detected in plasma and serum and there is evidence that inflammatory disease states may affect the levels of circulating microRNAs. However, there is no direct proof that inflammation induces endothelial cells to release microRNAs into circulation. This study aimed to explore whether inflammation could induce endothelial cells to release microRNAs into circulation and to investigate whether these released microRNAs derived from endothelial cells were transported in microparticles.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Microparticles were isolated from human atherosclerotic plaques with an active inflammatory phenotype and normal vascular tissue. Flow cytometry and real-time PCR were used to detect the levels of microparticles and microRNAs. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was treated with tumour necrosis factor a (TNF-α, 10 ng/ml) for 24 hours, and then HUVEC and the culture medium were respectively collected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>By comparing microparticles isolated from human atherosclerotic plaques with an active inflammatory phenotype (n = 9) and those from normal vascular tissues (n = 9), we found levels of annexin V(+) microparticles and annexin V(+) CD144(+) microparticles were significantly increased in plaques and angiogenesis associated microRNAs (106b, 25, 92a and 21) were also significantly increased in microparticles from plaques. After exposure to TNF-α at a concentration of 10 ng/ml (TNF-α group, n = 3) or DMEM (control group, n = 3) for 24 hours, counts of microparticles and expressions of microRNAs 106b, 25, 92a and 21 in microparticles isolated from medium significantly increased. However, there were no differences in the intracellular levels of microRNAs 25, 92a or 21 isolated from HUVEC between TNF-α group and control group, while microRNA 106b decreased in TNF-α group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Inflammation could induce endothelial cells to release angiogenesis associated microRNAs into circulation, causing higher levels of circulating endothelial cells derived microRNAs in atherosclerosis.</p>

Treatment of oligospermia/asthenozoospermia patients by three different Chinese medical principles: a randomized control clinical study / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the efficacy and safety of three different Chinese medical principles in treating patients with male infertility (oligospermia/asthenozoospermia).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 128 patients with male infertility were classified into 3 groups, i.e., Shen-essence deficiency syndrome, Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome, Shen-deficiency blood-stasis syndrome. They were assigned to the Chinese medical treatment group (96 cases) and the Western medical treatment group (32 cases) by stratified randomization in the ratio of 3: 1. Those in the Chinese medical treatment group were treated with Chinese drugs for Shen invigorating and blood activating, Shen invigorating and Pi supplementing, Shen-qi benefiting. Those in the Western medical treatment group were treated with Clomifene (at the daily dose of 25 mg per day, once daily). Three months consisted of one therapeutic course. The parameters of semen, the pregnancy rate, and adverse reactions were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 24 patients dropped out in the two group, 17 in the Chinese medical treatment group (9 patients of Shen deficiency blood stasis syndrome, 5 of Shen-Pi deficiency syndrome, and 3 of Shen-essence deficiency syndrome) and 7 in the Western medical treatment group. Compared with before treatment, there was no statistical difference in the improvement of semen amount at 3 months after treatment between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was statistical difference in the improvement of semen density, class A semen, class A +B semen, and 1-h activity ratio (P < 0.05). The improvement was most obvious in Shen deficiency blood stasis syndrome, followed by Shen-Pi deficiency syndrome and Shen-essence deficiency syndrome. The improvement was the weakest in the Western medical treatment group. There was no statistical difference in the improvement of semen amount, semen density, class A semen, or 1-h activity ratio at 3 months after treatment between the two groups (P > 0.05). Best effect was obtained in improving class A + B semen quality in patients of Shen deficiency blood stasis syndrome, showing statistical difference when compared with the other two syndrome types and the Western medical treatment group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No obvious adverse reaction occurred in the two groups during the treatment course.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Shen invigorating and blood activating method could improve the semen density and semen activities, and it was superior to other therapeutic methods.</p>

A meta-analysis on the safety of combination therapy with fenofibrate and statins / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this study was to assess the safety of fenofibrate-statin combination therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Knowledge and CNKI were searched for 2184 randomized controlled trials. Finally, twenty-six studies with a total of 9494 participants were included in this analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with statins group, the fenofibrate-statin group had significantly higher incidence of aminotransferase elevations (OR 1.67, 95%CI 1.22-2.30, P < 0.05) . The two groups had identical incidence of creatin kinase elevations (OR 0.86, 95%CI 0.62-1.20, P > 0.05) , muscle-associated adverse events (OR 0.98, 95%CI 0.88-1.09, P > 0.05) and withdrawals due to hepatotoxicity or muscle toxicity. The safety of fenofibrate + standard-dose statin regimens were similar to those in fenofibrate-statin group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Combined fenofibrate-statin treatment is generally safe and well tolerated, liver function should be monitored before and during and after therapy.</p>

Efficacy of citalopram on premature ejaculation: a clinical observation / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical efficacy and reliability of citalopram in the treatment of premature ejaculation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We included in this study 80 patients who came to our andrological clinic for premature ejaculation from May 2011 to May 2012, and randomly assigned them to a treatment and a control group of equal number to receive citalopram (20 mg/d) and placebo, respectively. We recorded the intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) and sexual intercourse satisfaction scores before and at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment, and compared them between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the treatment group, IELT was significantly longer at 2 and 4 weeks than before treatment ([5.64 +/- 1.31] and [7.12 +/- 1.56] min vs [0.91 +/- 0.18] min, P < 0.01), so was it at 4 than at 2 weeks (P < 0.01), and the sexual intercourse satisfaction scores were remarkably higher at 2 and 4 weeks than before treatment (6.1 +/- 1.3 and 6.3 +/- 1.1 vs 2.5 +/- 0.8, P < 0.01), but with no significant difference between 2 and 4 weeks (P > 0.05). The control group showed no significant differences in the mean IELT and sexual intercourse satisfaction scores between pre- and posttreatment ([1.01 +/- 0.21] vs [0.95 +/- 0.17 min; 3.1 +/- 1.3 vs 3.0 +/- 1.1, P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Oral medication of citalopram at 20 mg/d can significantly prolong IELT and improve sexual intercourse satisfaction in patients with premature ejaculation.</p>

Hypoxia induces fibrosis of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle in SD rats / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of hypoxia on the fibrosis of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMC) in SD rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CCSMCs were cultured in vitro, identified by immunohistochemistry, and then exposed to hypoxia at the concentration of 1% O2 for 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours. Those exposed to normal oxygen concentration for the corresponding lengths of time were used as the control. The relative expressions of TGF-131, type I collagen and type DI collagen were determined by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The in vitro cultured CCSMCs grew well, and the anti-a-smooth muscle actin monoclonal antibodies were positive on immunohistochemical staining. The relative expression levels of TGF-beta1, type I collagen and type mI collagen were positively correlated with the time of hypoxia interference within 48 hours, and did not increase further with prolonged exposure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>When exposed to hypoxia, the relative expressions of TGF-beta1, type I collagen and type mI collagen in the CCSMCs of SD rats increased with the length of time, and reached the peak at 48 hours. Hypoxia can cause fibrosis of CCSMCs in SD rats.</p>

Qilin pills for oligoasthenospermia: a multi-centered clinical trial / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the efficacy of Qilin Pills in the treatment of oligoasthenospermia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We conducted a multi-centered open controlled clinical trial by including 220 oligoasthenospermia patients in a trial group and another 110 as controls. The patients in the trial group were treated with Qilin Pills at the dose of 6 g tid, and the controls given Wuziyanzong Pills at 6 g bid, both for a course of 12 weeks. Then we evaluated the clinical effects of Qilin Pills with sperm concentration, the numbers of grade a and grade a + b sperm, and sperm motility as the primary, and the pregnancy rate of the patients'spouses as the secondary therapeutic indexes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 310 patients accomplished the clinical trial, 208 in the trial and 102 in the control group. Compared with the baseline, significant improvement was observed in the semen parameters after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment in both the trial and control groups except sperm density and the number of grade a sperm in the control after 4 weeks (P < 0.01), and the improvement was even more significant in all the semen parameters at the same time points in the trial than in the control group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Qilin Pills can evidently improve the seminal quality of oligoasthenospermia patients with no obvious adverse events.</p>

Effect of modified tianxiong powder in treating oligospermia and asthenospermia / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of modified Tianxiong Powder (MTP) in treating oligospermia and asthenospermia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty patients were equally randomized into two groups, the treated group administered with MTP, and the controlled group administered with Wuzi Yanzong Pill (WYP), all for 3 months. The comprehensive efficacy was observed; and parameters of patients' semen and figure of sperm were analyzed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The observation was completed in 70 patients. The total effective rate and markedly effective rate were 91.43% and 65.71%, respectively in the treated group, 85.71% and 54.29%, respectively in the control group, the pregnancy rate in their wives was 8.57% and 5.71%, respectively. Comparisons showed no statistical significance between groups (P > 0.05). Significant elevated perm count in semen and more active sperms with significantly better spermic figure, were found in both groups. However, the improvements in the treatment group were superior to those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MTP shows good efficacy and high safety in treating oligospermia and asthenospermia, and it could improve the spermic count, motility and figure, and reduce the head deformity rate.</p>