ObjectiveTo characterize the quality differences among different germplasm and introduced varieties of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots（BSR）， and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms， providing a basis for high-quality production and quality control. MethodsWild BSR from Yulin（YLW） served as the quality reference， we conducted comparative analysis among YLW， locally domesticated wild germplasm in Yulin（YLC3）， Daqing germplasm introduced and cultivated in Yulin（YLDQC3）， and locally cultivated germplasm in Daqing（DQC3）. A combination of traditional pharmacognostic methods and modern multi-omics analyses was employed， including macroscopic traits（appearance， odor）， microscopic features（proportions of cork， phloem， xylem）， cell wall component contents（hemicellulose， cellulose， lignin）， carbohydrate contents（starch， water-soluble polysaccharides）， marker compound contents（ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， liposoluble extracts， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D）， metabolomics， and transcriptomics， in order to systematically characterize quality differences and investigate molecular mechanisms among these samples. ResultsMacroscopically， Yulin-produced BSR（YLW， YLC3， YLDQC3） exhibited significantly greater weight， length， and upper and middle diameters than Daqing-produced BSR（DQC3）. Odor-wise， YLW and YLC3 had a a fragrance taste， YLDQC3 had a rancid oil odor， and DQC3 had a sweet and fragrant taste. Microscopically， Yulin germplasm（YLW， YLC3） and Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3， DQC3） shared similar structural features， respectively. However， Yulin germplasm showed significantly higher proportions of cork and phloem， as well as stronger xylem vessel staining intensity compared to Daqing germplasm. Regarding various component contents， Yulin germplasm contained significantly higher levels of ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D， while Daqing germplasm had significantly higher levels of hemicellulose， starch， and liposoluble extracts. After introduction to Yulin， the Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3） showed increased starch， water-soluble polysaccharides and liposoluble extracts contents， decreased cell wall component content， but no significant difference in other component contents. Metabolomics revealed that saponins and terpenes accumulated significantly in Yulin germplasm， while alcohols and aldehydes accumulated predominantly in Daqing germplasm. Transcriptomics indicated similar gene expression patterns within the same germplasm but specificity between different germplasms. Integrative metabolomic-transcriptomic analysis identified 145 potential key genes associated with the saikosaponin biosynthesis pathway， including one acetyl-coenzyme A（CoA） acetyltransferase gene（ACAT）， one 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase gene（HMGS）， two hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA（HMG-CoA） reductase genes（HMG）， one phosphomevalonate kinase gene（PMK）， one 1-deoxy-D-xylose-5-phosphate synthase gene（CLA）， one hydroxymethylbuten-1-aldol synthase gene（HDR）， two farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase genes（FPPS）， one squalene synthase gene（SQS）， one β-amyrin synthase gene（BAS）， 102 cytochrome P450（CYP450） gene family members， and 32 uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase（UGT） gene family members. ConclusionAmong the three cultivated types， YLC3 most closely resembles YLW in appearance， microscopic features， contents of major bioactive constituents， metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles. Yulin germplasm exhibits superior saponin synthesis capability compared to Daqing germplasm， and Yulin region is more suitable for the growth of B. scorzonerifolium. Based on these findings， it is recommended that artificial cultivation in northern Shaanxi and similar regions utilize the local Yulin germplasm source cultivated for at least three years.

ObjectiveBased on the traditional quality evaluation methods summarized in previous dynasties， this paper systematically contrasted the quality differences between wild Polygalae Radix（WPR） and cultivated Polygalae Radix（CPR） from the aspects of character， microscope and chemical composition by modern scientific and technological means， providing a basis for high-quality production and quality control. MethodsCPR and local WPR in Yulin city， Shaanxi province from 1 to 6 years were collected， and a systematic comparative analysis was conducted using traditional pharmacognosy research methods combined with modern multi-omics analysis techniques， including character traits（length， weight， diameter）， cross-sectional microscopic features（proportions of cork， phloem， xylem， etc）， cell wall component content（hemicellulose， cellulose， lignin）， extracts content（water-soluble extract and alcohol-soluble extract）， carbohydrate content（starch， water-soluble polysaccharides）， contents of total flavonoids， total saponins and specific marker compounds（3，6′-disinapoyl sucrose， polygalaxanthone Ⅲ， tenuifoliside A， tenuifoliside C， sibiricose A₅ and A₆） and other indexes. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was employed to conduct comparative analysis of secondary metabolites in WPR and CPR， and multivariate statistical analysis such as principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were combined to screen the key differential components of them. ResultsIn terms of appearance， there were significant differences between WPR and CPR. The characteristics of WPR conformed to the "thick wrinkles on the epidermis" recorded in ancient books， featuring a wrinkled surface and grayish-brown appearance. However， CPR had a finer texture and a yellowish white appearance， with weight， length， and diameter increasing with longer cultivation periods. In terms of microscopy， WPR exhibited a thick cork layer with fissures in the phloem， whereas CPR had a thinner cork layer with uniformly arranged cork cells. Younger PR specimens showed numerous phloem fissures in cross-sections， while older specimens display progressively denser arrangements of phloem parenchyma cells. In terms of the contents of various major components， the contents of water-soluble extract， starch and total saponins in WPR were inversely proportional to the root diameter， while the contents of water-soluble extract， water-soluble polysaccharides and total saponins in CPR decreased with the increase of planting years. The content of xanthones in WPR was significantly higher than that of CPR， while the contents of other major components showed no significant change pattern. Among the six indicator components， the average content of sibiricose A₅ in WPR was significantly higher than that of CPR， followed by slightly higher content of tenuifoliside A. In CPR， the relative content of 3，6′-disinapoyl sucrose and tenuifoliside A was the highest. The former showed an increase in volatility with increasing cultivation years， while the latter showed a decrease in volatility. The results of differential compound analysis based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS showed that there were significant differences in metabolites between WPR and CPR samples. Among them， the seven compounds with the largest differences among WPR samples of different thicknesses were polygalasaponins， and for CPR with different planting years， the main differential compounds were oligosaccharide esters. ConclusionThere are differences between WPR and CPR in character， microscopic structure and chemical composition， and some components are inversely proportional with the increase of diameter and cultivation duration due to the distribution characteristics. However， the longer the cultivation years of PR， the closer it is to the "thick wrinkles on the epidermis" of WPR， which has been respected by generations. It is suggested that this traditional character combined with modern component contents should be used as the index of artificial cultivation and quality control of PR.

ObjectiveTo investigate the functional role and underlying molecular mechanisms of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase （FAH） in the progression of glioblastoma （GBM）. MethodsDifferential expression analysis was performed on the TCGA-GBM， GSE4290， and GSE116520 datasets. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis （WGCNA） was used to identify key modules， and Cox regression and risk modeling were used to screen prognostic genes. Immune infiltration analysis of prognostic genes was carried out by using single-cell RNA sequencing panels. The clinical expression signature of FAH in GBM was analyzed in the TCGA and HPA databases. The functional role of FAH was validated by in vitro and in vivo experiments， and pathway analysis was performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. ResultsA total of 152 overlapping genes were identified across the three GBM datasets （P<0.05）. WGCNA revealed that the turquoise module was most strongly associated with tumor purity， stromal score， immune score， and ESTIMATE score （P<0.001）. Compared with normal tissues， three prognostic genes （CTSD， FAH， and THBD） were upregulated in GBM and correlated with immune infiltration （P<0.05）. FAH mRNA and protein levels were elevated in GBM tissues relative to normal tissues， and its expression was significantly associated with age stratification and TP53 mutation （P<0.05）. CCK-8 assay results showed that， compared with the shNC group， the proliferative activity of GBM cells in the shFAH group was reduced （P<0.001）. Transwell migration and invasion assays demonstrated that， relative to the shNC group， the numbers of migrated and invaded cells in the shFAH group decreased （P<0.05）. Western blot analysis revealed that the protein expression levels of PI3K， p-AKT， and p-mTOR in the shFAH group decreased compared with those in the shNC group （P<0.05）. In vivo subcutaneous xenograft experiments further confirmed that tumor volume and weight significantly decreased in the shFAH group compared with the shNC group （P<0.001）. ConclusionFAH promotes GBM progression by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for GBM.

Objective To analyze the changes of serum inhibin B(INHB),anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)and sex hormone levels in patients with infertility caused by polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS).Methods A total of 302 patients with infertility caused by PCOS admitted to the hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were selected as the experimental group,and 300 healthy women of childbearing age with normal menstrual cycle were selected as the control group.The levels of serum INHB,AMH and sex hormone indexes[serum luteinizing hormone(LH),follicle stimulating hormone(FSH),prolactin(PRL),progesterone(P),testoster-one(T),estradiol(E2)]and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)were observed and compared between the two groups.Results The serum levels of AMH,INHB and HOMA-IR in test group were significantly higher than those in control group,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).Serum levels of LH/FSH,PRL,T and P in experimental groups were significantly higher than those in control group,and serum E2 levels were significantly lower than those in control group,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).With the passage of treatment time,serum AMH,INHB,LH/FSH,PRL,T and P levels gradually decreased,and E2 levels gradually increased(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of AMH and INHB combined detection in the diagnosis of infertility caused by PCOS was 0.905,which was higher than the AUC of AMH or INHB detection alone(P＜0.05).Serum AMH and INHB levels were positively correlated with FSH,LH,T and HOMA-IR,PRL,P(P＜0.05),and negatively correlated with serum E2 levels(P＜0.05).Conclusion The levels of AMH and INHB in serum of infertility patients caused by PCOS are significantly increased,and AMH and INHB are correlated with sex hormone levels.Detection of serum AMH,INHB and sex hormone levels is helpful for the diagnosis of infertility caused by PCOS.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of endovascular therapy (EVT) guided by noncontrast CT (NCCT) in patients with large vessel occlusive stroke within a late window (6-24 hours after onset).Methods:Consecutive patients with acute large vessel occlusive stroke within a late window admitted to the General Hospital of Wanbei Coal-electricity Group Co., Ltd from July 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024 were included retrospectively. All patients completed CT angiography or magnetic resonance angiography to confirm the presence of anterior circulation large vessel occlusion and rule out intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) ≥4 as assessed by NCCT images was used as the EVT screening criteria. The main outcome measure was the functional outcome assessed by the modified Rankin Scale at 90 days after onset, 0-2 was defined as good outcome. The secondary outcome measures were symptomatic ICH (sICH) and death within 90 days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent influencing factors of functional outcome. Results:A total of 74 patients with large vessel occlusive stroke within the late window were enrolled, including 42 males (56.8%), aged 68.69±11.62 years (range, 47-89 years), with a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 11.20±5.12 and a median baseline ASPECTS 7 (interquartile range, 6-8). Ten (13.5%) and 7 patients (9.5%) respectively experienced any ICH and sICH, and 7 (9.5%) died within 90 days after onset. Twenty-seven patients (36.5%) received EVT, 47 (63.5%) only received conventional drug treatment; 20 (27.0%) had good outcome, and 54 (73.0%) had poor outcome. Univariate analysis showed that the good outcome rate in the EVT group at 90 days was significantly higher than that in the non-EVT group (40.7% vs. 19.1%; χ2=4.054, P=0.044), and there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients in sICH (11.1% vs. 8.5%; χ2=0.701, P=0.505) and who died within 90 days (7.4% vs. 10.6%; χ2=1.000, P=0.495) compared to the non-EVT group. The proportion of patients receiving EVT in the good outcome group was significantly higher than that in the poor outcome group (60.0% vs. 27.8%; χ2=6.539, P=0.011). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that EVT was an independent influencing factor of good outcome (odds ratio 0.440, 95% confidence interval 0.144-0.987; P=0.041). Conclusion:Compared with the conventional drug treatment alone, EVT guided by NCCT evaluation can achieve better outcome in patients with large vessel occlusion stroke within late window, and does not increase the risk of sICH and death within 90 days.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided acupuncture at myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) on treating post-stroke foot drop. METHODS: Sixty patients with post-stroke foot drop were randomly assigned to an observation group 1 (20 cases, 1 case dropped out), an observation group 2 (20 cases, 2 casses dropped out), and a control group (20 cases). The control group received conventional acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB34), Jiexi (ST41), Taichong (LR3), Zusanli (ST36), Xuanzhong (GB39), and Qiuxu (GB40) on the affected side, once daily. In addition to the treatment of the control group , the observation group 1 received acupuncture at the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius MTrPs, once every other day, while the observation group 2 received ultrasound-guided acupuncture at the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius MTrPs, once every other day. All groups were treated for two weeks. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed using an infrared motion capture system, and the Holden walking scale was used to evaluate walking ability before and after treatment in the three groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the patients in the observation groups 1 and 2 showed increased walking speed (P<0.05, P<0.01), and improved Holden walking scale grades (P<0.05, P<0.01) after treatment; the patients in the observation group 2 also showed increased ankle dorsiflexion angles (P<0.05). The walking speeds of the observation groups 1 and 2 were faster than those of the control group after treatment (P<0.05), the Holden walking scale grade in the observation group 2 was superior to that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The ultrasound-guided acupuncture at MTrPs could effectively improve gait function in post-stroke foot drop patients.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Stroke/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Trigger Points/physiopathology* ; Gait ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Ultrasonography ; Treatment Outcome ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic/etiology*

BACKGROUND: Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is indicated as a broad-spectrum medicine for a variety of diseases, including cancer and cardiac disease. While the role of ATO in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (HIRI) has not been reported. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the effects of ATO on HIRI. METHODS: In the present study, we established a 70% hepatic warm I/R injury and partial hepatectomy (30% resection) animal models in vivo and hepatocytes anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) models in vitro with ATO pretreatment and further assessed liver function by histopathologic changes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cell counting kit-8, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 was transfected to evaluate the role of ERK1/2 pathway during HIRI, followed by ATO pretreatment. The dynamic process of autophagic flux and numbers of autophagosomes were detected by green fluorescent protein-monomeric red fluorescent protein-LC3 (GFP-mRFP-LC3) staining and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: A low dose of ATO (0.75 μmol/L in vitro and 1 mg/kg in vivo ) significantly reduced tissue necrosis, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatocyte apoptosis during the process of hepatic I/R. Meanwhile, ATO obviously promoted the ability of cell proliferation and liver regeneration. Mechanistically, in vitro  studies have shown that nontoxic concentrations of ATO can activate both ERK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase (PI3K-AKT) pathways and further induce autophagy. The hepatoprotective mechanism of ATO, at least in part, relies on the effects of ATO on the activation of autophagy, which is ERK-dependent. CONCLUSION Low, non-toxic doses of ATO can activate ERK/PI3K-AKT pathways and induce ERK-dependent autophagy in hepatocytes, protecting liver against I/R injury and accelerating hepatocyte regeneration after partial hepatectomy.
Animals ; Arsenic Trioxide ; Autophagy/physiology* ; Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/physiology* ; Arsenicals/therapeutic use* ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective:To evaluate the application effect of improved problem-based learning (PBL) based on 5W2H thinking in the course of "massage therapy".Methods:The undergraduate students in Class 1 and Class 2 of Acupuncture and Massage in the first semester of the 2023-2024 academic year at Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine were selected as the research subjects. The "massage therapy" was taught in Class 1 with the traditional method (control group, n=66) and in Class 2 with the method of improved PBL with 5W2H thinking (observation group, n=68). The two groups of students were compared in terms of theoretical knowledge of massage therapy, the assessment of massage skills, comprehensive ability, innovation ability, and practical ability, as well as the procedural evaluation indicators of massage. SPSS 25.0 was used for normality test and t test χ2 test. Results:After the completion of the study, the observation group showed higher scores in theoretical knowledge (90.56±11.73), massage skill proficiency [(87.22±11.57) vs. (78.23±9.45)], massage skill demonstration [(84.56±11.20) vs. (74.69±9.13)], mannequin usage [(82.98±10.75) vs. (72.66±8.89)], and massage skill mechanics [(86.38±11.45) vs. (73.35±8.94)] compared to the control group. The observation group also outperformed the control group in medical humanities [(85.53±10.64) vs. (64.86±7.33)], teacher-student and student-student interaction [(85.35±8.67) vs. (80.15±7.46)], clinical thinking and operation [(90.05±12.13) vs. (74.26±8.94)], and team coordination and cooperation [(85.60±10.06) vs. (81.53±9.33)]. In addition, the observation group scored higher than the control group in learning participation rate [(18.20±3.75) vs. (13.15±2.93)], error correction rate [(27.56±5.85) vs. (22.11±4.62)], operational stability [(48.43±7.79) vs. (42.06±6.60)], and total score [(94.19±7.56) vs. (77.32±6.78)].Conclusions:The application of improved PBL based on 5W2H thinking in the course of "massage therapy" has significant clinical implications. It can not only improve the teaching quality and effect, but also cultivate students' clinical thinking, teamwork, learning interest, and innovation ability, making it suitable for further promotion and application.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang (BZYQT) combined with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after fracture fixation in aged rabbits.Methods:Thirty-two elderly New Zealand rabbits of either sex, aged 36 months, weighing 3.5-4.0 kg, were divided into 4 groups ( n=8 each) using the random number table method: control group (C group), fracture fixation group (F group), low molecular weight heparin group (L group) and BZYQT combined with LMWH group (BL group). A model of fixation surgery for right femoral shaft fracture was established in anesthetized rabbits in F, L and BL groups. Starting from postoperative day 1, BL group received BZYQT at 3.6 ml/kg via gavage, F and L groups received normal saline at 3.6 ml/kg via gavage, L and BL groups received subcutaneous injection of LMWH at 200 IU/kg, and all the administrations were performed daily at 08: 00 for 7 consecutive days. On postoperative day 7, ultrasound examination was performed to assess lower limb DVT. Blood samples were collected from the marginal ear vein for determination of the serum concentrations of cortisol (COR), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Femoral vein specimens were obtained under anesthesia for microscopic examination of the pathological changes of the femoral vein lumen and endothelial tissues (by HE staining) and of the morphology of vascular endothelial cells (by the transmission electron microscopy). Results:Compared with C group, the concentrations of serum COR, TNF-α, IL-6 and ET-1 were significantly increased in F, L and BL groups, and the incidence of lower limb DVT within 7 days after surgery was significantly increased in F and L groups ( P<0.05). Compared with F group, the incidence of lower limb DVT within 7 days after surgery was significantly decreased in L and BL groups, and the concentrations of serum COR, TNF-α, IL-6 and ET-1 were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and the pathological damage was significantly reduced in BL group. Compared with L group, the incidence of lower limb DVT and concentration of IL-6 were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and pathological damage was significantly alleviated in BL group. Conclusions:BZYQT combined with LMWH can prevent the occurrence of lower limb DVT after fracture fixation in aged rabbits.