Compounds isolated from Epimedium include the total flavonoids of Epimedium , icariin, and its metabolites (icaritin, icariside I, and icariside II), which have similar molecular structures. Modern pharmacological research and clinical practice have proved that Epimedium and its active components have a wide range of pharmacological effects, especially in improving sexual function, hormone regulation, anti-osteoporosis, immune function regulation, anti-oxidation, and anti-tumor activity. To date, we still need a comprehensive source of knowledge about the pharmacological effects of Epimedium and its bioactive compounds on the male reproductive system. However, their actions in other tissues have been reviewed in recent years. This review critically focuses on the Epimedium , its bioactive compounds, and the biochemical and molecular mechanisms that modulate vital pathways associated with the male reproductive system. Such intrinsic knowledge will significantly further studies on the Epimedium and its bioactive compounds that protect the male reproductive system and provide some guidances for clinical treatment of related male reproductive disorders.
Male ; Epimedium/chemistry* ; Humans ; Genitalia, Male/drug effects* ; Flavonoids/therapeutic use* ; Animals

OBJECTIVE: To explore the improvement effect of rehabilitation nursing based on information-knowledge-belief-behavior (IKAP) theory on urinary incontinence patients after radical prostatectomy. METHODS Sixty-six patients with urinary incontinence who received robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected and divided into control group (n=33) and observation group (n=33) according to random number table method. The patients in the control group were treated with rehabilitation nursing. The patients in the observation group were treated with rehabilitation nursing guided by IKAP theory. The recovery of urinary incontinence, duration of urinary incontinence, subjective well-being, quality of life, psychological and emotional indexes of patients in the two groups were compared. Results： The total effective rate of urinary incontinence recovery in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (90.91% vs 60.61%，P<0.05). The duration of urinary incontinence in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (［3.36±1.54］d vs ［4.15±1.36］d，P<0.05). And the subjective well-being score in observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (［19.36±2.69］points vs ［11.65±2.65］points， P<0.05). There was no significant difference in preoperative physical function, social function，and mental health scores between the two groups (P>0.05). And all scores in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group after surgery (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the preoperative SAS and SDS scores between the two groups of patients (P>0.05). And the scores of SAS and SDS in observation group were lower than those of the control group after the operation (P<0.05). Conclusion： Rehabilitation nursing based on IKAP theory can significantly improve urinary incontinence in patients with prostate cancer after surgery, which promotes the recovery of urinary incontinence, shortens the time of urinary incontinence, and improves the subjective well-being and quality of life, as well as reduces the negative impact of negative emotions. Therefore, it can be widely promoted and implemented in clinical practice.
Humans ; Prostatectomy/adverse effects* ; Urinary Incontinence/etiology* ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Rehabilitation Nursing ; Middle Aged ; Aged

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia in the elderly. This study aimed to evaluate urban-rural disparities in its prevalence and management in elderly Chinese. METHODS: Consecutive participants aged ≥ 65 years attending outpatient clinics were enrolled for AF screening using handheld single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) from April 2017 to December 2022. Each ECG rhythm strip was reviewed from the research team. AF or uninterpretable single-lead ECGs were referred for 12-lead ECG. Primary study outcome comparison was between rural and urban areas for the prevalence of AF. The Student's t-test was used to compare mean values of clinical characteristics between rural and urban participants, while the Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare between-group proportions. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between AF and various patient characteristics. RESULTS: The 29,166 study participants included 13,253 men (45.4%) and had a mean age of 72.2 years. The 7073 rural participants differed significantly (P ≤ 0.02) from the 22,093 urban participants in several major characteristics, such as older age, greater body mass index, and so on. The overall prevalence of AF was 4.6% (n = 1347). AF was more prevalent in 7073 rural participants than 22,093 urban participants (5.6% vs. 4.3%, P < 0.01), before and after adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, pulse rate, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and prior medical history. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified overweight/obesity (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17-1.54) in urban areas and cigarette smoking (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.20-2.17) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.04-1.93) in rural areas as specific risk factors for prevalent AF. In patients with known AF in urban areas (n = 781) and rural areas (n = 338), 60.6% and 45.9%, respectively, received AF treatment (P < 0.01), and only 22.4% and 17.2%, respectively, received anticoagulation therapy (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In China, there are urban-rural disparities in AF in the elderly, with a higher prevalence and worse management in rural areas than urban areas. Our study findings provide insight for health policymakers to consider urban-rural disparity in the prevention and treatment of AF.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a hospital-made resuscitation pack, a Chinese medicinal herbal compound formula designed to enhance recovery in post-bronchoscopy patients. METHODS: In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to either the treatment or control groups. The patients in the treatment group applied the resuscitation pack, which contained aromatic compounded Chinese herbs. The patients in the control group applied a hospital-made, single herb placebo pack. Packs were placed on the Tiantu (CV 22) acupuncture point for 4 h as soon as the bronchoscopy finished. Efficacy indicators, such as recovery time, patients' symptoms including nausea and dizziness, and adverse events (AEs) were observed and compared. The outcome indices were evaluated at baseline, 1 and 24 h after the bronchoscopy. Subgroup analysis was further performed by patients' age and depth of sedation. RESULTS: When applying generalized estimating equations (GEE) to evaluate the intensity of post-bronchoscopy nausea and vomiting, the intensity was lower in the treatment group (163 cases) compared with the control group (162 cases; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.099, P=0.03]. Also, significantly lower intensity of nausea was observed in the 60-70 years of age subgroup (95% CI: 0.029, 0.169, P=0.006) and deep sedation subgroup (95% CI: 0.002, 0.124; P=0.04). There was no significant difference in dizziness between two groups by GEE (95% CI: -0.134, 0.297; P=0.459). In addition, no serious AEs were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that the resuscitation pack markedly improved patients' symptoms by reducing nausea and vomiting after bronchoscopy without AEs, compared with placebo in the perioperative period. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2000038299).
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Bronchoscopy/adverse effects* ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Resuscitation ; Adult ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to reexplore minimum iodine excretion and to build a dietary iodine recommendation for Chinese adults using the obligatory iodine loss hypothesis. METHODS: Data from 171 Chinese adults (19-21 years old) were collected and analyzed based on three balance studies in Shenzhen, Yinchuan, and Changzhi. The single exponential equation was accordingly used to simulate the trajectory of 24 h urinary iodine excretion as the low iodine experimental diets offered (iodine intake: 11-26 μg/day) and to further deduce the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for iodine, including estimated average requirement (EAR) and recommended nutrient intake (RNI). RESULTS: The minimum iodine excretion was estimated as 57, 58, and 51 μg/day in three balance studies, respectively. Moreover, it was further suggested as 57, 58, and 51 μg/day for iodine EAR, and 80, 81, and 71 μg/day for iodine RNI or expressed as 1.42, 1.41, and 1.20 μg/(day·kg) of body weight. CONCLUSION The iodine DRIs for Chinese adults were established based on the obligatory iodine loss hypothesis, which provides scientific support for the amendment of nutrient requirements.
Humans ; Iodine/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; China ; Young Adult ; Diet ; Adult ; Nutritional Requirements ; East Asian People

Objective:To investigate serum levels of retinol-binding protein 4(RBP4)and cystatin C(CysC)in pa-tients with coronary heart disease(CHD)and their association with intestinal flora.Methods:A total of 97 CHD patients admitted in our Department of Critical Care Medicine from December 2019 to December 2020 were treated as CHD group,another 99 healthy subjects undergoing physical examination simultaneously were regarded as control group.Serum levels of RBP4 and CysC,positive rates and number of intestinal flora were compared between two groups.With serum mean levels of RBP4 and CysC in CHD patients as critical value,they were divided into serum RBP4 high level group(RBP4≥35.97 ng/ml,n=53)and low level group(RBP4＜35.97 ng/ml,n=44),serum CysC high level group(CysC≥ 1.49 ng/ml,n=49)and low level group(CysC＜1.49 ng/ml,n=48).Number of intestinal flora were compared between different level subgroups,and Pearson method was used to analyze the asso-ciation of RBP4,CysC levels with flora number.Results:Compared with control group,there were significant rise in RBP4 and CysC levels,and significant reductions in culture positive rates and flora numbers of Bifidobacterium,Firmicutes,Lactobacillus and Proteus(P＜0.001 all),and significant rise in culture positive rates and flora numbers of Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli in CHD group(P＜0.001 all).Compared with RBP4 low level group,there were significant reductions in flora numbers of Bifidobacterium,Firmicutes,Lactobacillus and Proteus,and signifi-cant rise in flora numbers of Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli in RBP4 high level group(P＜0.001 all);com-pared with CysC low level group,there were significant reductions in flora numbers of Bifidobacterium,Firmicutes,Lactobacillus and Proteus,and significant rise in flora numbers of Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli in CysC high level group(P＜0.001 all).Pearson correlation analysis indicated that RBP4 level was significant inversely correla-ted with flora numbers of Bifidobacterium,Firmicutes,Lactobacillus and Proteus(r=-0.626～-0.482,P＜0.001 all),and significant positively correlated with flora numbers of Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli(r=0.302,0.337,P＜0.01 both);CysC level was significant inversely correlated with flora numbers of Bifidobacteri-um,Firmicutes,Lactobacillus and Proteus(r=-0.621～-0.502,P＜0.001 all),and significant positively corre-lated with flora numbers of Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli(r=0.308,0.340,P＜0.01 both).Conclusion:Se-rum levels of RBP4 and CysC increase in CHD patients,and they are closely related to the composition of intestinal flora.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of retinal injury in rats caused by light-emitting diodes(LEDs)with different color rendering indexes(CRIs).Methods Totally 20 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into nor-mal control(NC)group(sunlight),low CRI(CRI-L)group(blue light),medium CRI(CRI-M)group(conventional LED),and high CRI(CRI-H)group(full-spectrum LED),with 5 rats in each group,exposed to light for 12 hours daily for 4 consecutive weeks.Hematoxylin & eosin staining was used to assess morphological changes in the retina.Dihydroethidi-um staining was employed to detect the levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in retinal tissues.The messenger ribonu-cleic acid(mRNA)expressions of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing protein 3(NLRP3),Gasdermin D(GSDMD)and Caspase-1 were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR),and their protein expressions were measured through immunohistochemical staining.Environmental light spectra were measured using a spectroradiometer.Results Rats in the CRI-L group showed the thinnest retina,followed by the CRI-M group and CRI-H group.The fluorescence intensity of ROS in the NC group,CRI-L group,CRI-M group and CRI-H group was 1.000±0.046,25.060±1.732,14.530±3.776 and 1.821±0.587,respectively.The ROS level in the CRI-H group was significantly lower than that in the CRI-L group and CRI-M group(both P＜0.05).RT-qPCR showed that the relative mRNA expression of NL-RP3 in the NC group,CRI-L group,CRI-M group and CRI-H group was 1.004±0.005,4.004±0.716,2.027±0.303 and 0.741±0.069,respectively;the relative mRNA expression of Caspase-1 was 1.010±0.006,4.337±0.345,2.268±0.058 and 0.713±0.021,respectively;the relative mRNA expression of GSDMD was 1.000±0.000,2.938±0.559,1.955±0.166 and 1.213±0.051,respectively.Compared with the NC group,the relative expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD in the CRI-L group and CRI-M group significantly increased(all P＜0.05).The immunohistochemical staining results showed that the fluorescence intensity of NLRP3 in the retina of rats in the NC group,CRI-L group,CRI-M group and CRI-H group was 0.379 4±0.002 2,0.400 7±0.011 4,0.379 0±0.006 9 and 0.377 0±0.007 5,respectively;the fluorescence intensity of Caspase-1 was 0.367 2±0.005 8,0.442 6±0.041 1,0.382 4±0.011 9 and 0.380 6±0.006 5,respectively;the fluorescence intensity of GSDMD was 0.159 5±0.013 4,0.167 5±0.011 9,0.397 6±0.014 3 and 0.377 2±0.022 8,respec-tively.Compared with the NC group,rats in the CRI-L group showed increased fluorescence intensity of NLRP3 and Caspase-1,and rats in the CRI-M and CRI-H showed increased fluorescence intensity of GSDMD(all P＜0.05).The spec-tral comparison revealed that the CRI-H group had a broader spectral coverage and a distribution closer to natural light spectra.Conclusion Conventional LED exposure can induce a decrease in retinal thickness,upregulate the ROS expres-sion in retinal tissues,and increase the expression levels of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD.High CRI full-spectrum LEDs can mitigate pyroptosis through the ROS/NLRP3 pathway by optimizing their spectral distribution,offering better biosafety.

Taking Kunming Medical University as an example, we explore the mechanism for the separation and coordination of supervision, management, and evaluation, establish and implement a course quality rating system, and strengthen the course quality evaluation. The course quality rating system mainly consists of merit evaluation for courses of grades A and B and admittance evaluation for courses of grades C and D. Through the course quality rating, courses are diagnosed and compared, with the aim to improve course connotation construction (labeling, setting an example, promoting excellent courses, and removing inferior courses), achieve "good pay for good courses", encourage the faculty to strengthen curriculum quality, and measure ourselves with our own ruler. We discussed the problems about the difference in evaluation indicators, the professionality of evaluators, and the incentive effect of evaluation results, and also proposed strategies for improving course quality rating in medical colleges from the perspectives of deepening the content of evaluation indices, ensuring the effectiveness after evaluation, and ascertaining the main body of course construction in daily work.

Objective To observe the changes of expression of lysyl oxidase family(LOXs)on the retina in acute ocular hypertension(AOH)rats.Methods The SD adult male rats were randomly divided into the control group(CON group)and the AOH group.The rats in the CON group were fed normally without any treatment,and the rats in the AOH group were established AOH model by anterior chamber perfusion.All rats were sacrificed after 2 weeks and retinal tissues were collected.The expression of LOXs[including lysyl oxidase(LOX)and lysyl oxidase-like proteins of LOXL1,LOXL2,LOXL3,LOXL4],and the expression of extracellular matrix(ECM)proteins of Collagen 1/3/4 a1(Col1/3/4 a1),Elastin(Eln),and Fibulin1/4(Fbn 1/4)in the retinal tissues were detected by qRT-PCR.The localiza-tion of LOXs in rat retina was detected by immunohistochemistry.The expression of LOX in retina was detected by Western blot.Results LOXs were expressed to varying degrees in all layers of the rat retina,LOX was mainly expressed in the retinal ganglion cell layer,nerve fiber layer,inner plexiform layer and outer plexiform layer;LOXL1 was mainly expressed in the inner plexiform layer,outer plexiform layer and vascular wall;LOXL2 was mainly expressed in retinal ganglion cell layer,inner plexiform layer and inner nuclear layer;LOXL4 was mainly expressed in the inner plexiform layer and inner nuclear layer;while LOXL3 was only expressed in the vascular wall.Compared with the CON group,the expression of LOX,Col1a1 and Eln in the retina of rats in the AOH group were significantly increased(P<0.05),and there was no significantly significant difference in the expression of LOXL1,LOXL2,LOXL3,LOXL4,Col3a1,Col4a1,Fbn1,Fbn4 mRNAs in the retina of rats between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion LOX is highly expressed in the retina of AOH rats,which may be involved in the pathological process of retinal injury caused by high intraocular pressure through ECM remodeling.

Objective:To explore the effect of TP53 mutation variant allele frequency(VAF)on the prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)patients.Methods:This study included 155 patients with DLBCL who were first diagnosed in the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from March 2009 to March 2022. Complete clinical data and paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples were obtained,and DNA was extracted from tumor tissues.The gene mutation profile of DLBCL patients was detected and analyzed by second-generation sequencing technology.Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the mutation status of TP53 gene and the relationship between mutation VAF and OS.Cox regression univariate and multivariate analysis was use to analyze the independent factors affecting OS.A nornogram model for predicting 1,3,and 5 years OS in DLBCL patients were established to evaluated the performance of the model based on C-index and calibration curves.Results:The average value of TP53 mutation VAF in male DLBCL patients was significantly higher than that in female patients (P<0.05 ).Patients with TP53 mutantion had shorter OS than those with wild-type patients (P=0.030).The optimal VAF threshold for TP53 mutation based on OS stratification was 33.61％(P<0.001),and patients with TP53 mutation VAF≥34％had shorter OS than those with TP53 mutation VAF<34％and wild-type patients (P<0.001).Multivariate Cox analysis showed that TP53 mutation VAF≥34％ was an independent poor predictor of OS (HR=4.05,P<0.001),and IPI score ≥3 was an independent predictor of OS poor (HR=2.27,P=0.008).In combination with factors with independent prognostic significance obtained from multi-factor analysis,we constructed a nomogram model for predicting 1-year,3-year,5-year OS in DLBCL patients.The results showed that the C index of TP53-mutated VAF combined with IPI model was 0.743,which predicted the value of 1-year,3-year,and 5-year OS in DLBCL patients.Calibration curves show that the model has good agreement between predicted and actual survival of DLBCL patients at 1-year,3-year,and 5-year. Conclusion:TP53 mutant VAF has prognostic value in DLBCL patients,and TP53 mutant VAF≥34％ is an independent risk factor for OS in DLBCL patients.The prognosis model of TP53 mutation VAF combined with IPI nomogram constructed in this study has good predictive performance for DLBCL patients.