Eucommiae Cortex, the dried bark of Eucommia ulmoides( Eucommiaceae), has both medicinal and edible values.Modern research has shown that Eucommiae Cortex contains various components such as flavonoids, lignans, iridoids, phenolic acids,terpenoids, and steroids, which have anti-osteoporosis, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, blood glucose-lowering, and gastrointestinal tract-protecting effects. Eucommiae Cortex has applications in multiple fields such as healthcare, industry, and animal husbandry,demonstrating broad development prospects. This article reviews the chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, and quality control status of Eucommiae Cortex. Furthermore, according to the concept of quality marker(Q-marker), this article predicts the Q-markers of Eucommiae Cortex from traditional medicinal properties, traditional medicinal effects, new medicinal effects, measurability of chemical components, compatibility, harvesting periods, and geographical origins. The components such as pinoresinol diglucoside,chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, baicalein, baicalin, olivil, coniferyl ferulate, and kaempferol can be used as Q-markers for Eucommiae Cortex, which provide reference for establishing a systematic quality control system for Eucommiae Cortex.
Eucommiaceae/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Quality Control ; Humans ; Animals

Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective This essay excavates the contents of urinary diagnosis in the Four Tantras and visualize the invisible experience knowledge of urinary diagnosis of Jenesake disease(type II diabetes)based on clinical medical records.It also explores the digitization and visualization of original thinking of Tibetan medicine,clinical diagnosis and treatment and modern science and technology,and clinical invisible experience and knowledge.Methods The contents of urinary diagnosis in the Four Tantras were deeply explored by literature method.And 355 cases of Jenesake disease c were analyzed by Gephi,Spsspro,traditional Chinese medicine inheritance computing platform and other software.Results Urology in Tibetan medicine has a long history,with a development period of one thousand years and has a systematic and complete theoretical system.The three-times and nine-diagnosis method of urinary in Tibetan medicine recorded in the Four Tantras is unique and plays an important role in the diagnosis of clinical diseases.According to the analysis of 355 clinical cases of Jenesake disease,urine diagnosis was slightly different according to different syndrome types,the overall color was light yellow,cyan,yellow,relatively bright,close to normal urine color.Steam and smell are big;The foam is bluish and large or dissipates quickly;Few or hairy suspensions;The float is thin;Change time for the hot gas is not finished began to change;The pattern of change from the thin middle to the edge;Cyclotron condition from thin to thick and other characteristics.The frequency analysis of urinary diagnosis syndromes showed that 139 cases of Chiba type,91 cases of lung type,88 cases of bacon type and 34 cases of Pechi type.Conclusion Urology in Tibetan medicine has a complete theoretical system and rich experience in clinical practice.Through the method of combining literature mining and clinical medical cases,this paper expands the contents of the three-time and nine-time urine diagnosis of Jenesake disease in Tibetan medicine and combines the original thinking of Tibetan medicine with modern information technology to realize the visualization of the invisible experience knowledge of Jenesake disease urine diagnosis in Tibetan medicine.

Objective To make an epidemiological investigation on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)dampness syndrome manifestations in the population at risk of cerebrovascular diseases in Guangdong area.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze the clinical data related to the risk of cerebrovascular diseases in 330 Guangdong permanent residents.The diagnosis of dampness syndrome,quantitative scoring of dampness syndrome and rating of the risk of stroke were performed for the investigation of the distribution pattern of dampness syndrome and its influencing factors.Results(1)A total of 306(92.73%)study subjects were diagnosed as dampness syndrome.The percentage of dampness syndrome in the risk group was 93.82%(258/275),which was slightly higher than that of the healthy group(48/55,87.27%),but the difference was not statistically significant(χ2 = 2.91,P = 0.112).The quantitative score of dampness syndrome in the risk group was higher than that of the healthy group,and the difference was statistically significance(Z =-2.24,P = 0.025).(2)Among the study subjects at risk of cerebrovascular disease,evaluation time(χ2 = 26.11,P = 0.001),stroke risk grading(χ2= 8.85,P = 0.031),and history of stroke or transient ischemic attack(TIA)(χ2 = 9.28,P = 0.015)were the factors influencing the grading of dampness syndrome in the population at risk of cerebrovascular disease.Conclusion Dampness syndrome is the common TCM syndrome in the population of Guangdong area.The manifestations of dampness syndrome are more obvious in the population with risk factors of cerebrovascular disease,especially in the population at high risk of stroke,and in the population with a history of stroke or TIA.The assessment and intervention of dampness syndrome should be taken into account for future project of stroke prevention in Guangdong.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2(anti-SARS-CoV-2)monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)combined with renal damage.Methods Patients with COVID-19 and renal damage who visited the PLA General Hospital from January to February 2023 were selected.Subjects were randomly divided into two groups.Control group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy,while trial group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy combined with F61 injection.A 15-day follow-up was conducted after drug administration.Clinical symptoms,laboratory tests,electrocardiogram,and chest CT of pa-tients were performed to analyze the efficacy and safety of F61 injection.Results Twelve subjects(7 in trial group and 5 in control group)were included in study.Neither group had any clinical progression or death cases.The ave-rage time for negative conversion of nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 in control group and trial group were 3.2 days and 1.57 days(P=0.046),respectively.The scores of COVID-19 related target symptom in the trial group on the 3rd and 5th day after medication were both lower than those of the control group(both P＜0.05).According to the clinical staging and World Health Organization 10-point graded disease progression scale,both groups of subjects improved but didn't show statistical differences(P＞0.05).For safety,trial group didn't present any infusion-re-lated adverse event.Subjects in both groups demonstrated varying degrees of elevated blood glucose,elevated urine glucose,elevated urobilinogen,positive urine casts,and cardiac arrhythmia,but the differences were not statistica-lly significant(all P＞0.05).Conclusion F61 injection has initially demonstrated safety and clinical benefit in trea-ting patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage.As the domestically produced drug,it has good clinical accessibility and may provide more options for clinical practice.

Objective To design a punching and positioning device for training Da Vinci surgical robots to improve the efficiency and accuracy of operation training.Methods The punching and positioning device mainly consisted of an abdominal girth,a connecting plate,a punching plate,a positioning disk and a punching cartridge.The abdominal girth had a long-strip shape and was made of stretch nylon elastic band;the connecting plate had a rectangular shape with its length direction perpendicular to the abdominal girth;the punching plate also had a rectangular shape and was made of hard silicone;the positioning plate was made of hard silicone and privided with a plated through hole;the punching cartridge were equipped with anti-fog components composed of heating wires and support strips,which had scale bars inside.Ten physicians were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group,with 5 ones in each group.The two groups carried out positioning and punching respectively,with the traditional method for the control group and the device designed for the experimental group,which were compared in terms of the time consumption,ratio for lens fogging and number of collisions with the robotic arm.Results The experimental group had the time consumption and ratio for lens fogging lower significantly when compared with the control group(P＜0.05),while had no obvious difference in number of collisions with the robotic arm(P＞0.05),and the requirements of the training specifications were met.Conclusion The punching and positioning device has high efficiency and accuracy,and thus is worthy promoting for the operation training of surgical robots.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(7):35-39]

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been reported to be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The amygdala may have an important role in regulating cardiovascular function. This study aims to explore the effect of amygdala glutamate receptors (GluRs) on cardiovascular activity in a rat model of PTSD. A compound stress method combining electrical stimulation and single prolonged stress was used to prepare the PTSD model, and the difference of weight gain before and after modeling and the elevated plus maze were used to assess the PTSD model. In addition, the distribution of retrogradely labeled neurons was observed using the FluoroGold (FG) retrograde tracking technique. Western blot was used to analyze the changes of amygdala GluRs content. To further investigate the effects, artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF), non-selective GluR blocker kynurenic acid (KYN) and AMPA receptor blocker CNQX were microinjected into the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in the PTSD rats, respectively. The changes in various indices following the injection were observed using in vivo multi-channel synchronous recording technology. The results indicated that, compared with the control group, the PTSD group exhibited significantly lower weight gain (P < 0.01) and significantly decreased ratio of open arm time (OT%) (P < 0.05). Retrograde labeling of neurons was observed in the CeA after microinjection of 0.5 µL FG in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). The content of AMPA receptor in the PTSD group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05), while there was no significant differences in RVLM neuron firing frequency and heart rate (P > 0.05) following ACSF injection. However, increases in RVLM neuron firing frequency and heart rate were observed after the injection of KYN or CNQX into the CeA (P < 0.05) in the PTSD group. These findings suggest that AMPA receptors in the amygdala are engaged in the regulation of cardiovascular activity in PTSD rats, possibly by acting on inhibitory pathways.
Rats ; Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Receptors, AMPA ; 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione/pharmacology* ; Receptors, Glutamate/metabolism* ; Amygdala ; Weight Gain ; Medulla Oblongata/physiology* ; Blood Pressure

The chemical constituents from the stems and leaves of Cratoxylum cochinchinense were isolated and purified using silica gel, ODS gel, and Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, as well as preparative HPLC. The chemical structures of all isolated compounds were identified on the basis of their physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analyses, and the comparison of their physicochemical and spectroscopic data with the reported data in literature. As a result, 21 compounds were isolated from the 90% ethanol extract of the stems and leaves of C. cochinchinense, which were identified as cratocochine(1), 1-hydroxy-3,7-dimethoxyxanthone(2), 1-hydroxy-5,6,7-trimethoxyxanthone(3), ferrxanthone(4), 3,6-dihydroxy-1,5-dimethoxyxanthone(5), 3,6-dihydroxy-1,7-dimethoxyxanthone(6), 1,2,5-trihydroxy-6,8-dimethoxyxanthone(7), securixanthone G(8), gentisein(9), 3,7-dihydroxy-1-methoxyxanthone(10), pancixanthone B(11), garcimangosxanthone A(12), pruniflorone L(13), 9-hydroxy alabaxanthone(14), cochinchinone A(15), luteolin(16), 3,5'-dimethoxy-4',7-epoxy-8,3'-neolignane-5,9,9'-triol(17), N-benzyl-9-oxo-10E,12E-octadecadienamide(18), 15-hydroxy-7,13E-labdadiene(19), stigmasta-4,22-dien-3-one(20), and stigmast-5-en-3β-ol(21). Among these isolates, compound 1 was a new xanthone, compounds 2-5, 7, 8, 12, and 16-21 were isolated from the Cratoxylum plant for the first time, and compounds 11 and 13 were obtained from C. cochinchinense for the first time. Furthermore, all isolated compounds 1-21 were appraised for their anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities by MTS method through measuring their anti-proliferative effect on synoviocytes in vitro. As a result, xanthones 1-15 displayed notable anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, which showed inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MH7A synoviocytes with the IC_(50) values ranging from(8.98±0.12) to(228.68±0.32) μmol·L~(-1).
Synoviocytes ; Clusiaceae/chemistry* ; Xanthones/analysis* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Cell Proliferation ; Arthritis

Background/Aims: We aimed to investigate the comfort, safety, and endoscopic visibility during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) afforded by a modified 4-hour semifluid and 2-hour water (“4+2”) fasting protocol. Methods: In this parallel group, endoscopist-blinded, randomized controlled trial, outpatients undergoing unsedated diagnostic EGD from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM were randomly assigned to either a “4+2” protocol group or a conventional fasting group. The participants’ comfort during the fasting period and procedure was measured using the visual analog scale, and mucosal visibility was measured by endoscopists using the total visibility score. Satisfaction was defined as a visual analog scale score of ≤3. The primary outcome was the participants’ comfort during fasting. Results: One hundred and six and 108 participants were randomized to the “4+2” protocol and control groups, respectively. Participants’ comfort before EGD was significantly higher in the “4+2” protocol group measured by both the proportion of satisfaction (86.8% vs 63.9%, p=0.002) and the visual analog scale score (median [interquartile range]: 1.0 [1.0–2.0] vs 3.0 [1.0–4.0], p<0.001). The proportion of satisfaction during EGD also significantly improved (59.4% vs 45.4%, p=0.039) in the “4+2” protocol group. The total visibility score was unaffected by the fasting protocol (5.0 [4.0–5.0] vs 4.0 [4.0–5.0], p=0.266). No adverse events were observed during the study. Conclusions The “4+2” protocol was more comfortable and provided equal mucosal visibility and safety compared with conventional fasting for unsedated EGD.

This study aims to characterize the cell atlas of the epididymis derived from a 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) patient with a novel heterozygous mutation of the nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 (NR5A1) gene. Next-generation sequencing found a heterozygous c.124C>G mutation in NR5A1 that resulted in a p.Q42E missense mutation in the conserved DNA-binding domain of NR5A1. The patient demonstrated feminization of external genitalia and Tanner stage 1 breast development. The surgical procedure revealed a morphologically normal epididymis and vas deferens but a dysplastic testis. Microfluidic-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis found that the fibroblast cells were significantly increased (approximately 46.5%), whereas the number of main epididymal epithelial cells (approximately 9.2%), such as principal cells and basal cells, was dramatically decreased. Bioinformatics analysis of cell-cell communications and gene regulatory networks at the single-cell level inferred that epididymal epithelial cell loss and fibroblast occupation are associated with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. The present study provides a cell atlas of the epididymis of a patient with 46,XY DSD and serves as an important resource for understanding the pathophysiology of DSD.
Male ; Humans ; Epididymis ; Disorder of Sex Development, 46,XY/genetics* ; Disorders of Sex Development ; Mutation ; Mutation, Missense ; Steroidogenic Factor 1/genetics*