Rubi Fructus has a long history of medicinal and edible use in China. It contains chemical components such as terpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, fatty acids, and alkaloids, and possesses various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anti-tumor, anti-osteoporosis, and liver-protective effects. Rubi Fructus is widely applied in medical, health, and food fields. The quality of Rubi Fructus can directly affect the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication. Therefore, this article reviews the research progress on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Rubi Fructus. Based on the concept of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) quality markers(Q-markers), the article explores the screening and determination of Q-markers for Rubi Fructus from various aspects, including plant kinship, traditional efficacy, medicinal properties, measurability of chemical composition, different processing methods, producing areas, harvesting periods, and planting conditions. The components ellagic acid, kaempferol, quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, rutin, astragalin, tiliroside, and hyperoside are preliminarily proposed as Q-markers for Rubi Fructus, providing a reference for the quality control of Rubi Fructus.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Rubus/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Animals

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

PURPOSE: The retear rate of rotator cuff (RC) after surgery is high, and the rapid and functional enthesis regeneration remains a challenge. Whether acellular amniotic membrane (AAM) helps to promote the healing of tendon to bone and which treatment is better are both unclear. The study aims to investigate the effect of AAM on the healing of RC and the best treatment for RC repair. METHODS: Thirty-three Sprague Dawley rats underwent RC transection and repair using microsurgical techniques and were randomly divided into the suturing repair only (SRO) group (n = 11), the AAM overlaying (AOL) group (n = 11), and the AAM interposition (AIP) group (n = 11), respectively. Rats were sacrificed at 4 weeks, then examined by subsequent micro-CT, and evaluated by histologic and biomechanical tests. The statistical analyses of one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test were performed using with SPSS 23.0. A p < 0.05 was considered a significant difference. RESULTS: AAM being intervened between tendon and bone (AIP group) or overlaid over tendon to bone junction (AOL group) in a rat model, promoted enthesis regeneration, increased new bone and cartilage generation, and improved collagen arrangement and biomechanical properties in comparison with suturing repair only (SRO group) (AOL vs. SRO, p < 0.001, p = 0.004, p = 0.003; AIP vs. SRO, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Compared with the AOL group, the AIP group had better results in micro-CT evaluation, histological score, and biomechanical testing (p = 0 0.039, p = 0.011, p = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION In the RC repair model, AAM enhanced regeneration of the tendon to bone junction. This regeneration was more effective when the AAM was intervened at the tendon to bone interface than overlaid above the tendon to bone junction.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rotator Cuff Injuries/surgery* ; Amnion/transplantation* ; Rats ; Wound Healing ; Rotator Cuff/surgery* ; Male ; X-Ray Microtomography ; Tendons/surgery* ; Biomechanical Phenomena

Objective To study the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution and pathogenic factors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS).Methods One hundred patients of AS and their family members who had medical consultation in the Fifth Hospital of Xi'an(i.e.,Shaanxi Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine)in August 2019 and September 2020 were selected as the study subjects.The guidelines of Classification and Determination of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution issued by the China Association of Chinese Medicine were adopted to determine the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution types of the study subjects.The sociodemographic information,living habits,clinical symptoms,and TCM constitution types of the AS patients and their family members were collected by means of questionnaires and clinical investigations,and then the pathogenic factors of the patients with AS were investigated.The binomial Logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between TCM constitution types and pathogenic factors in patients with AS.Results(1)Among the 100 AS patients,the majority of them had the biased constitutions,and the biased constitutions with the occurrence frequency in descending order were yang deficiency constitution,qi deficiency constitution,and damp-heat constitution,which accounted for 33.00%,14.00%,and 18.00%,respectively.(2)The prevalence rates of AS in the first-,second-,and third-degree relatives of AS patients were 56.25%,40.00%and 25.00%,respectively.For the positive rates of human leukocyte antigen B27(HLA-B27)in AS patients and their family members,HLA-B27 in AS patients was all positive,while the positive rates of HLA-B27 in the first-,second-,and third-degree relatives of AS patients were 44.31%,30.67%and 15.63%,respectively.(3)The results of regression analysis showed that the disease duration of AS patients was significantly correlated with qi deficiency constitution,the grading of sacroiliac arthritis was correlated with qi stagnation constitution,and age was correlated with blood stasis constitution(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The results indicated that disease duration and age were the important factors affecting the constitution types of AS patients,and disease duration was closely related to qi deficiency while age was closely related to blood stasis.Conclusion AS is a highly hereditary autoimmune disease,and its onset is associated with HLA-B27.Yang deficiency is the basic constitution type of AS,and damp-heat constitution is the main constitution type in the progression of AS(especially in the active stage of the disease).The prolongation of the disease will exacerbate the illness condition of AS and then the manifestations of qi deficiency will be more obvious.

BACKGROUND:Numerous scholars have previously researched certain greater tuberosity fractures and the procedures used to treat them.Few researchers,however,have studied the comminuted split fracture of the greater tuberosity of the humerus(Liu-Gang type IV)with rotator cuff tear in great detail. OBJECTIVE:To compare the clinical therapeutic effect of open repair position modified calcaneal plate combined with suture anchors and proximal humeral internal locking system(PHILOS)plate in the treatment of comminuted fracture of split-type greater tuberosity of humerus combined with rotator cuff tears(Liu-Gang type IV). METHODS:Case data of 30 patients with comminuted fracture of split-type greater tuberosity of humerus combined with rotator cuff tears(Liu-Gang type IV)from May 2012 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.They were divided into the modified calcaneal plate combined with suture anchor group(group A)and the PHILOS with#2 Johnson group(group B),with 15 cases in each group.Intraoperative blood loss,surgical time,and incision length of all patients were recorded.Pain visual analog scale score,Constant-Murley score,as well as shoulder joint abduction,forward flexion,external rotation,and dorsal expansion activities during the last follow-up(>1 year)were evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The surgical incision length and operation time were shorter,and blood loss was less in group A than those in group B(P<0.05).(2)No significant difference in visual analog scale score and Constant-Murley score was detected between the two groups(P>0.05).(3)During the last follow-up,forward flexion in group A was better than that in group B(P<0.05).No significant difference in abduction,external rotation,and dorsal expansion was determined between group A and group B(P>0.05).(4)In terms of complications,there was 1 case of shoulder joint pain and discomfort in group A(7%),2 cases of subacromial impingement syndrome,2 cases of upward movement of nodules,and 2 cases of shoulder joint pain(40%)in group B.There were significant differences in complication rates between the two groups(P=0.031).(5)In summary,the modified calcaneal plate combined with suture anchors in the treatment of comminuted fracture of split-type greater tuberosity of humerus combined with rotator cuff tears(Liu-Gang type IV)could better restore the forward flexion function of the shoulder joint and has a small incision,less blood loss,shorter operation time and fewer complications.

Objective To analyze the differential expressed genes(DEGs)in the lung tissues of rat model of high altitude pulmonary edema(HAPE)by using microarray analysis in order to provide new clues for molecular mechanism of HAPE.Methods Healthy male SD rats(8 weeks old,weighing 200±20 g)were randomized into normoxia control(NC)group,lipopolysaccharide(LPS)group,hypoxia group and hypoxia+low-dose LPS(HL)group.The rats of the LPS group and HL group were injected with 0.1 mL 0.05％LPS per 100 g body weight,and those of the NC group and the hypoxia group were administered with an equivalent volume of normal saline.The rats of the hypoxia group and the HL group were housed in a hypobaric chamber simulating an altitude of 5 000 m,and those of the NC group and the LPS group were raised simultaneously outside of the chamber.The wet/dry mass ratio(WDR)of lung tissue and total protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were measured,and the histopathological changes of lung tissue was observed using HE staining.The total RNA was extracted from the lung tissues,and the mRNA expression profile was obtained with Affymetrix microarray followed by Gene Ontology(GO)analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis with Metascape(http://metascape.org).Results The rats of the HL group showed significant congestion,edema,and widened alveolar septa.Compared with the NC group,the HL group had significantly increased lung WDR(P＜0.01)and total protein content in BALF(P＜0.05).Gene expression analysis revealed that there were 79 genes up-regulated and 59 genes down-regulated in the hypoxia group,473 genes up-regulated and 695 genes down-regulated in the LPS group,and especially,669 genes up-regulated and 1 253 genes down-regulated in the HL group.GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that the upregulated genes in the HL group were mainly enriched in biological processes,such as cytokine mediated signaling pathways,response to IL-1,regulation of inflammatory response,as well as signaling pathways,including cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions,TNF,NF-κB,IL-17,complement and coagulation cascades,etc.The down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in biological processes,such as extracellular matrix organization,regulation of endothelial cell migration,cell substrate adhesion,as well as signaling pathways,such as focal adhesion,Wnt,cGMP-PKG,PI3K-Akt,Rap1,etc.The mRNA expression of NF-κB,TNF-α,IL-1βand IL-6 was significantly up-regulated in the lung tissue of the HL group(P＜0.01).Conclusion Hypoxia+low-dose LPS is an effective procedure to establish a reliable model for HAPE in rats.Hypoxia can significantly aggravate LPS-induced inflammation and immune response,enhance the expression of inflammatory mediators,and thus promote the pathogenesis of HAPE.

Objective To analyze the influence of midazolam and propofol on sedation effect and blood gas indicators in elderly patients undergoing mechanical ventilation after cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB)cardiac surgery.Methods The elderly patients with mechanical ventilation after CPB cardiac surgery were grouped according to cohort method,including midazolam group(group M),propofol group(group P)and midazolam-propofol combined administration group(group M-P).Group M was treated with midazolam(intravenous injection of 0.05-0.10 mg kg-1 midazolam for sedation induction,and then continuously intravenous injection of 0.05-0.15 mg·kg-1·h-1 midazolam by micropump),and group P was treated with propofol(intravenous injection of 0.5 mg·kg-1 propofol for sedation induction,and then continuously intravenous injection of 0.5-2.0 mg·kg-1·h-1 propofol by micropump),and group M-P was given combined administration of midazolam and propofol(intravenous injection of 0.02-0.05 mg·kg-1 midazolam and 0.2-0.5 mg·kg-1 propofol for sedation induction and then continuously intravenous pump of 0.05-0.1 mg·kg-1 midazolam and 0.5-0.8 mg·kg·h-1 propofol).The sedation effect,blood gas indicators,hemodynamic indicators,extubation time,intensive care unit(ICU)stay time and treatment cost were compared among the three groups,and the adverse drug reactions during sedation therapy were recorded.Results There were 43 cases in group M,44 cases in group P,39 cases in group M-P.The drug onset times in groups M,P and M-P were(77.94±12.05),(18.18±5.20)and(21.25±9.36)s;the times to achieve satisfactory sedation effect were(42.57±11.41),(22.63±8.17)and(23.98±10.25)min;the recovery times after withdrawal were(59.30±14.86),(19.83±5.44)and(22.16±6.29)min;the extubation times were(1.61±0.20),(1.45±0.22)and(1.37±0.15)d;the ICU stay times were(2.17±0.29),(1.91±0.36)and(1.84±0.25)d;the treatment costs were(186.59±60.83),(922.97±164.34)and(375.03±71.16)thousand yuan;and the total incidence rates of adverse drug reactions were 34.88％,4.55％and 7.69％respectively,all with significant difference(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),oxygen saturation(SpO2),partial pressure of oxygen(PaO2),partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO2)at T0,T1,T2,T3 and T4 among the three groups(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Combined administration of midazolam and propofol in elderly patients underwent mechanical ventilation after CPB cardiac surgery has a significant sedation effect,and it is conducive to reducing the dosages of sedative drugs,and it has small impact on blood gas indicators and hemodynamic indicators of patients.Compared with midazolam alone,it is more beneficial to shortening the extubation time and ICU stay and reducing the total incidence rate of adverse drug reactions,and compared with propofol alone,it is more beneficial to reducing treatment cost,and is a more ideal sedation administration model.

Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes,promoting the onset and progression of cancer.Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks,tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes,which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy,cancer immunotherapy,and their combinations.Herein,we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes,DNA methylation,histone post-translational modification,and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity,and introduce these epigenetic research methods.We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immuno-therapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.

Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Feasibility Studies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/adverse effects* ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols