ObjectiveTo elucidate the potential mechanisms by which the classic prescription Anmeidan alleviates cognitive impairment in insomnia model rats through metabolic profiling. MethodsA total of 60 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups： blank group， model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose Anmeidan groups， and the Suvorexant group， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， the insomnia model was established in all other groups via intraperitoneal injection of para-chlorophenylalanine. The Suvorexant group was administered Suvorexant solution （30 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage， while the low-， medium-， and high-dose Anmeidan groups received Anmeidan decoction （4.55， 9.09， 18.18 g·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage. The blank group received an equivalent volume of normal saline. The open field test was used to assess spatial exploration and anxiety/depressive-like behaviors in rats. Serum levels of epidermal growth factor （EGF）， brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）， and vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP） were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Untargeted metabolomics was employed to identify differential metabolites in rat serum， and systematic biological methods were applied to analyze the potential targets and pathways of Anmeidan. ResultsCompared to the blank group， the model group exhibited significant reductions in total distance traveled， average speed， number of entries into the central area， time spent in the central area， and frequency of upright events （P<0.01）， along with significant decreases in VIP， EGF， and BDNF levels （P<0.05，P<0.01）. A total of 100 differential metabolites were identified between the model and blank groups. Compared to the model group， the low-， medium-， and high-dose Anmeidan groups showed significant increases in total distance traveled， average speed， number of entries into the central area， time spent in the central area， and frequency of upright events （P<0.05，P<0.01）， as well as a significant increase in VIP levels （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Anmeidan significantly reversed abnormal changes in 67 metabolites compared to the model group. A combined analysis identified 134 potential targets of Anmeidan， with network topology analysis suggesting that Caspase-3， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-2 （IL-2）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， among others， may serve as key targets of Anmeidan. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway analysis revealed major enriched pathways， including the cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） signaling pathway， hypoxia inducible factor-1 （HIF-1） signaling pathway， and IL-17 signaling pathway. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that Anmeidan can recalibrate abnormal metabolic profiles in insomnia model rats to mitigate cognitive impairment， with its mechanisms of action potentially involving the regulation of immune-inflammatory responses， energy metabolism， and apoptosis-related pathways.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in treating patients with central obesity of phlegm-dampness constitution. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with central obesity of phlegm-dampness constitution were randomly assigned to a moxibustion group (n=33, 3 cases dropped out) and a sham moxibustion group (n=33, 4 cases dropped out). The moxibustion group received mild moxibustion combined with lifestyle intervention; the moxibustion was applied at Shenque (CV8) and bilateral Zusanli (ST36), 30 min per session, maintaining a local skin temperature of (43±1) ℃. The sham moxibustion group received simulated moxibustion combined with lifestyle intervention; the simulated moxibustion was applied at the same acupoints, with the same session length, but with a maintained skin temperature of (37±1) ℃. Both groups were treated once every other day, three times per week for 8 consecutive weeks. Obesity-related physical indicators (waist circumference, hip circumference, body weight, body fat percentage, body mass index [BMI]), constitution evaluation indicators (phlegm-dampness constitution conversion score, symptom score), the impact of weight on quality of life-lite (IWQOL-Lite), the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and the incidence of adverse events were measured before and after treatment, and after 4 weeks of follow-up. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, both groups showed significant reductions in waist circumference, hip circumference, body weight, body fat percentage, BMI, phlegm-dampness constitution conversion score and symptom score, IWQOL-Lite, and both anxiety and depression subscale scores of HADS after treatment and at follow-up (P<0.001). These improvements were significantly greater in the moxibustion group than those in the sham moxibustion group (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05). One patient in the moxibustion group experienced a mild burn that resolved with routine care; the incidence of adverse reactions was 3.0% (1/33) in the moxibustion group and 0% (0/33) in the sham moxibustion group, with no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). CONCLUSION On the basis of lifestyle intervention, moxibustion effectively improves obesity-related physical indicators, enhances quality of life, alleviates anxiety and depression, and improves the phlegm-dampness constitution in patients with central obesity. These benefits persist for at least 4 weeks after treatment.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Obesity, Abdominal/psychology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged ; Quality of Life ; Young Adult ; Body Mass Index

Haematitum and Limonitum are two iron-containing mineral medicines included in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. They have similar main components and major differences in their property, flavor, channel tropism, and clinical uses. In this study, we investigated the surface properties, mineral composition, mineral dissociation, elemental composition, and iron state of Haematitum and Limonitum to explore their mineralogical differences. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), specific surface and porosity analyzer, X-ray diffractometer(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer(XPS), and advanced mineral identification and characterization system(AMICS) were used to analyze the mineralogy of Haematitum and Limonitum. The results showed that Haematitum had an angular surface with granular attachments and a specific surface area of 17.04 m~2·g~(-1). In comparison, Limonitum had a smooth and flat surface with a bundled acicular crystal structure and a specific surface area of 46.29 m~2·g~(-1). Haematitum consists of 31 detectable minerals containing 18 elements, with the major element, iron(44.5% Fe~(2+) and 55.5% Fe~(3+)) distributed in 17 minerals, including hematite, iron oxide, knebelite, siderite, and magnesioferrite. Limonitum consists of 32 detectable minerals containing 17 elements, with the major element, iron(14.5% Fe~(2+) and 85.5% Fe~(3+)) distributed in 19 minerals, including limonite, iron oxide, chlorite, and knebelite. In summary, the elemental composition of Haematitum and Limonitum does not differ greatly, but there are large differences in the mineral composition and iron state. The large specific surface area and strong adsorption capacity of Limonitum may be one of the mechanisms of its anti-diarrheal action. The Fe_2O_3 and illite contained in Haematitum and Limonitum may be the key substances for their hemostasis effects. The mineralogical differences are expected to provide a reference for explaining the scientific connotation of mineral medicine and laying a material foundation for studying its mechanism of action.
Iron/analysis* ; Minerals/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; X-Ray Diffraction ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Photoelectron Spectroscopy

This study investigates the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships of different Artemisia argyi germplasm resources to provide a basis for germplasm identification, variety selection, and resource protection. A total of 192 germplasm resources of A. argyi were studied, and EST-based simple sequence repeat(EST-SSR) primers were designed based on transcriptomic data of A. argyi. Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification was performed on these resources, followed by fluorescence capillary electrophoresis to detect genetic diversity and construct DNA fingerprints. From 197 pairs of primers designed, 28 pairs with polymorphic and clear bands were selected. A total of 278 alleles were detected, with an average of 9.900 0 alleles per primer pair and an average effective number of alleles of 1.407 2. The Shannon's diversity index(I) for the A. argyi germplasm resources ranged from 0.148 1 to 0.418 0, with an average of 0.255 7. The polymorphism information content(PIC) ranged from 0.454 5 to 0.878 0, with an average of 0.766 9, showing high polymorphism. Cluster analysis divided the A. argyi germplasm resources into three major groups: Group Ⅰ contained 136 germplasm samples, Group Ⅱ contained 45, and Group Ⅲ contained 11. Principal component analysis also divided the resources into three groups, which was generally consistent with the clustering results. Mantel test results showed that the genetic variation in A. argyi populations was to some extent influenced by geographic distance, but the effect was minimal. Structure analysis showed that 190 germplasm materials had Q≥ 0.6, indicating that these germplasm materials had a relatively homogeneous genetic origin. Furthermore, 8 core primer pairs were selected from the 28 designed primers, which could distinguish various germplasm types. Using these 8 core primers, DNA fingerprints for the 192 A. argyi germplasm resources were successfully constructed. EST-SSR molecular markers can be used to study the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of A. argyi, providing theoretical support for the identification and molecular-assisted breeding of A. argyi germplasm resources.
Artemisia/classification* ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Genetic Variation ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; DNA, Plant/genetics* ; Genetic Markers

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Zuoguiwan on ovarian reserve in the female offspring rat model of prenatal stress （PS） and explore the mechanism based on Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB p65 （TLR4/NF-κB p65） signaling pathway. MethodThirty-two pregnant rats were prepared and randomized into four groups （n=8）： control， model， Zuoguiwan （18.9 mg·kg^-1）， and vitamin E （1.44 mg·kg^-1）. Except the control group， the other three groups were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS） from day 11 of pregnancy， and the modeling was accompanied by gavage with corresponding drugs until delivery. The PS model was evaluated by the sucrose preference test， open field test， and serum corticosterone （CORT） level. The estrous cycle was monitored and the morphological changes in the ovarian tissue were observed. The serum levels of estradiol （E₂）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， and anti-Mullerian hormone （AMH） in the 75-day-old offspring rats were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） to evaluate the ovarian reserve. The ovary and uterus indices were calculated. The serum levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The morphology of the ovarian tissue in the offspring on the day of birth and day 75 after birth was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The transport of NF-κB p65 to the nucleus in the ovaries of the 75-day-old offspring was detected by the immunofluorescence （IF） assay. The expression of TLR4， NF-κB p65 and other related proteins in the ovarian tissue was determined by Western blot. ResultCompared with the control group， the model group showed reduced primordial follicles in the offspring on the day of birth （P<0.01） as well as disturbed estrous cycle， decreased ovary index and uterus index （P<0.01）， reduced corpus luteum， increased atretic follicles （P<0.01）， lowered serum levels of AMH and E₂ （P<0.01）， elevated serum levels of LH， FSH， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein levels of TLR4， NF-κB p65， recombinant myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， and phosphorylated NF-κB inhibitor （p-IκBα） （P<0.01） in the 75-day-old offspring rats. Compared with the model group， Zuoguiwan and vitamin E increased the primordial follicles in the offspring on the day of birth （P<0.01）. Moreover， they resumed the estrous cycle， increased the ovary and uterine indices （P<0.05， P<0.01） and corpus luteum （P<0.01）， reduced atretic follicles （P<0.01）， elevated the serum levels of AMH and E₂ （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lowered the serum levels of LH， FSH， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the expression of TLR4， NF-κB p65， MyD88， and p-IκB-α （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the 75-day-old offspring. ConclusionZuoguiwan can improve the ovarian reserve in the offspring rat model of congenital kidney deficiency by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Youguiwan on the leptin/Janus kinase 2 （JAK2）/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） signaling pathway in the lung tissue of the rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） due to kidney-Yang deficiency. MethodForty rats were modeled for COPD with the syndrome of kidney-Yang deficiency by intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide on day 1 and day 14 and continuous fumigation for 6 weeks， during which hydrocortisone was injected intramuscularly at an interval of 3 days. The modeled rats were randomized into model， high- （11.7 g·kg^-1）， medium- （5.85 g·kg^-1）， and low-dose （2.93 g·kg^-1） Youguiwan， and aminophylline （0.054 g·kg^-1） group. In addition， 8 SD rats were set as the blank group. After the completion of modeling， the rats in each group were administrated with the corresponding drug by gavage for 28 consecutive days. After the last administration， samples were collected. A lung function analyzer was used to evaluate the lung function of rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of interleukin-17A （IL-17A）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF）. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe the pathological changes in the lung tissue， and Masson staining was employed to observe the deposition of blue collagen fibers around bronchi in the lung tissue and calculate the inflammation score. The immunofluorescence assay was employed to measure the protein content of collagen type Ⅰ （ColⅠ） and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in the bronchi. The protein and mRNA levels of leptin， IL-17A， JAK2， and STAT3 in the lung tissue were determined by Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction， respectively. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group showed decreased lung function （P<0.01）， elevated levels of IL-6， IL-17A， and TNF-α in the BALF （P<0.01）， and increased lung inflammation score， deposition of subcutaneous collagen fibers in the airway， and ColⅠ and α-SMA proteins （P<0.01）. Furthermore， the modeling up-regulated the proteins and mRNA levels of leptin， IL-17A， JAK2， and STAT3 in the lung tissue （P<0.01） and enhanced the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， high- and medium-dose Youguiwan improved the lung function， decreased the inflammation score， reduced collagen fiber deposition and ColⅠ and α-SMA proteins， lowered the levels of IL-6， IL-17A， and TNF-α in the BALF， down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of leptin， JAK2， STAT3， and IL-17A， and weakened the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The aminophylline group had higher IL-17A and TNF-α levels than the high-dose Youguiwan group， lower IL-17A level than the medium and low-dose Youguiwan groups， and lower TNF-α level than the low-dose Youguiwan group. Compared with the aminophylline group， the high- and medium-dose Youguiwan groups showed reduced deposition of collagen fibers and protein levels of ColⅠ and α-SMA around the bronchi in the lung tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased inflammation score， and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of leptin， JAK2， STAT3， and IL-17A in the lung tissue. ConclusionYouguiwan can prevent airway remodeling by inhibiting IL-17A to reduce inflammation and collagen deposition in COPD rats， which may be related to the inhibition of the leptin/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of modified Tianwang Buxindan （MTBD） on the skin of sleep-deprived （SD） mice and investigate its mechanism. MethodSixty 2-month-old female Kunming mice were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， a vitamin C （VC， 0.08 g·kg^-1）， and MTBD low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （6.5， 12.5， 25 g·kg^-1）. Except for the blank group， the other groups were subjected to SD mouse model induction （using multiple platform water environment method for 18 hours of sleep deprivation daily from 15：00 to next day 9：00）， continuously for 14 days， and caffeine （CAF， 7.5 mg·kg^-1） was injected intraperitoneally from the 2nd week onwards， continuously for 7 days. While modeling， the blank group and the model group were administered with normal saline （0.01 mL·g^-1）， and the other groups received corresponding drugs for treatment. On the day of the experiment， general observations were recorded （such as body weight， spirit， fur， and skin）. After sampling， skin tissue pathological changes were observed under an optical microscope using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining methods. Skin thickness and skin moisture content were measured. Biochemical assay kits were used to detect skin hydroxyproline （HYP） content， skin and serum superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity， and malondialdehyde （MDA） content. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum interleukin （IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， and IL-1β levels in mice. Western blot was used to detect skin tissue type Ⅰ collagen （ColⅠ）， type Ⅲ collagen （ColⅢ）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， phosphorylated （p）-PI3K， protein kinase B （Akt）， p-Akt， nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， heme oxygenase （HO）-1， and nuclear factor （NF）-κB protein expression. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group showed varying degrees of changes. In general， signs of aging such as reduced body weight （P<0.01）， listlessness， dull fur color， and formation of wrinkles on the skin appeared. Tissue specimen testing revealed skin thinning， flattening of the dermoepidermal junction （DEJ）， and reduced collagen fibers under the optical microscope. Skin thickness and moisture content decreased， skin tissue HYP content significantly decreased （P<0.01）， skin and serum SOD activity significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and MDA content significantly increased （P<0.01）. Serum IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-1β levels significantly increased （P<0.01）. Skin ColⅠ， ColⅢ， p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， Nrf2， and HO-1 protein expression significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and NF-κB expression increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the VC group and the MTBD low-dose group showed increased skin moisture content， HYP content， SOD activity， and ColⅠ， ColⅢ， p-PI3K/PI3K protein expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and decreased serum MDA content （P<0.05）. In addition， a decrease in serum IL-6 and IL-1β levels was detected in the MTBD low-dose group （P<0.05）， while the above indicators in the MTBD medium- and high-dose groups improved （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionSleep deprivation accelerates the aging process of the skin in SD model mice. MTBD can improve this phenomenon， exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects， and its mechanism of action may be related to the activation of the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

italic>Artemisia argyi is a traditional Chinese medicine in China, which is used as medicine with its leaves. The leaves of A. argyi mainly contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, volatile oils and other compounds, and have a variety of pharmacological activities. AP2/ERF transcription factors are abundant in plants and are mainly involved in plant growth and development, abiotic stress response and secondary metabolite biosynthesis regulation. However, there are few reports on the AP2/ERF gene family and its functions in A. argyi. In this study, we systematically identified the AP2/ERF gene family in A. argyi genome, and analyzed its phylogenetic tree, protein physicochemical properties, subcellular localization, conserved motifs, promoter elements, and expression patterns. The results showed that a total of 204 AP2/ERF transcription factors were identified in A. argyi genome, encoding proteins consisting of 88-483 amino acids with a relative molecular mass of 10-52.94 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 4.62-9.88. Subcellular prediction showed that the majority of AP2/ERFs were located in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and the minority of them is located in the membrane and chloroplasts. According to the Arabidopsis AP2/ERF family classification, A. argyi AP2/ERF proteins were divided into four subfamilies: Soloist, AP2, ERF (B3, B4, B5, B6), and DREB (A1, A2, A4, A5, A6), among which DREB family accounted for the largest proportion, and the same subfamily had similar conserved motifs. cis-Acting element analysis showed that AP2/ERF promoters have a large number of elements responding to light and abiotic stress. Expression pattern analysis showed that most of the genes of the AP2/ERF family were dominantly expressed mainly in roots and stems, of which 19 were dominantly expressed in leaves, 77 would be induced to be expressed by methyl jasmonate, of which 16 genes were both dominantly expressed in leaves and induced to be expressed by methyl jasmonate, and these AP2/ERF genes may be the key regulatory genes for the synthesis of active ingredients in A. argyi leaves.This study lays the foundation for the functional study of AP2/ERF family genes and their regulating roles in the active components biosynthesis in A. argyi leaves.

Artemisia argyi is a perennial herbaceous herb of the Artemisia family, with leaves for medical use. However, the germplasm of A. argyi is seriously unclear and mixed during production, and it is urgent to protect new varieties of A. argyi. The distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing of the new varieties of plants is the basis for the protection of new varieties of plants, and the development of the DUS testing guidelines is the technical basis for DUS testing. To develop the DUS testing guidelines of A. argyi, A. argyi of 100 germplasm was used as the research objects, and their agronomic and medicinal quality characters were observed and measured during six growth stages, and each character was graded and described. A total of 53 test characters were determined, including 19 characters that must be tested; there were four plant characters, two rhizome characters, five stem characters, three branching characters, 29 leaf characters, three floral characters, five medicinal quality characters, and two other characters. It also involved 16 quality characters, 22 quantitative characters, and 15 pseudo-quantitative characters. Seven grouping characters were determined from 53 characters, including "emergence period" "plant-plant type" "branching-primary branching site" "stem-color" "middle leaf-number of leaf splits" "budding period", and "plant-height". By searching for standard characters, 16 standard varieties were ultimately determined. The preparation of this guideline was of great significance for the review and protection of new A. argyi varieties, the protection of breeders' rights, and the promotion of the development of A. argyi industry.
Artemisia/chemistry* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Plants, Medicinal/classification* ; Guidelines as Topic

Objective:Based on the theory of demand analysis theory, to build teaching resources of human physiology course and explore its application effect.Methods:The three-year nursing junior college students of Batch 2018 were selected as the research objects. According to the principle of randomization, the students were divided into the observation group (97 cases) and control group (99 cases). Students in the observation group used integrated teaching resources from the perspective of demand analysis, while students in the control group used traditional curriculum resources. After the end of the course, the differences between the two groups of students' theoretical and practical assessment results and teaching experience were compared SPSS 20.0 was used for t test. Results:The results of theoretical [(73.67±8.76) vs. (70.48±8.36)] and practical skills [(84.41±4.83) vs. (83.63±4.27)] in the observation group were significantly different from those in the control group ( P<0.05). The overall scores of 9 teaching effect sub-items, such as learning awareness of inquiry, independent learning ability and critical thinking ability, were significantly higher than those of the control group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:The construction of human physiology teaching resources based on demand analysis theory can improve the effectiveness and pertinence of resource construction, and the effective use of resources in teaching can significantly improve the teaching effect, stimulate students' subjective initiative, cultivate their comprehensive ability and improve classroom efficiency.