Huocao(a traditional Chinese herbal medicine) moxibustion is a characteristic technology in Yi medicine suitable for cold-dampness diseases. Huocao, as the moxibustion material, is confusedly used in clinical practice and little is known about its quality control. In this study, UPLC method was used to establish the chemical fingerprint of non-volatile components in Huocao, and the contents of eight phenolic acids such as chlorogenic acid were determined. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed to obtain the indicator components of Huocao for quality evaluation, and thus a comprehensive evaluation system for the quality of Huocao was built. The UPLC fingerprints of 49 batches of Huocao were established, and there were 20 common peaks, of which eight phenolic acids including neochlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid were identified. Except for three batches of Huocao, the similarity of the other 46 batches was higher than 0.89, suggesting that the established fingerprint method could be used for quality control of the medicinal herb. The correlation coefficient between entropy weight score of the eight phenolic acids and comprehensive fingerprint score in Huocao was 0.875(P<0.01), which indicated that the eight phenolic acids could be used as indicator components for the quality evaluation of Huocao. Furthermore, in multivariate statistical analysis on the common peaks of fingerprint and the contents of the eight phenolic acids, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A and isochlorogenic acid C were screened to be the indicator components. The results revealed that the proposed method achieved a simple and accurate quality control of Huocao based on UPLC fingerprint and multi-component content determination, which provided useful data for establishing the quality standard of Huocao.
Chlorogenic Acid ; Entropy ; Hydroxybenzoates ; Quality Control

Paeonia veitchii and P. lactiflora are both original plants of the famous Chinese medicinal drug Paeoniae Radix Rubra in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. They have important medicinal value and great potential in the flower market. The selection of stable and reliable reference genes is a necessary prerequisite for molecular research on P. veitchii. In this study, two reference genes, Actin and GAPDH, were selected as candidate genes from the transcriptome data of P. veitchii. The expression levels of the two candidate genes in different tissues(phloem, xylem, stem, leaf, petiole, and ovary) and different growth stages(bud stage, flowering stage, and dormant stage) of P. veitchii were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative technology(qRT-PCR). Then, the stability of the expression of the two reference genes was comprehensively analyzed using geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, ΔCT, and RefFinder. The results showed that the expression patterns of Actin and GAPDH were stable in different tissues and growth stages of P. veitchii. Furthermore, the expression levels of eight genes(Pv-TPS01, Pv-TPS02, Pv-CYP01, Pv-CYP02, Pv-CYP03, Pv-BAHD01, Pv-UGT01, and Pv-UGT02) in different tissues were further detected based on the transcriptome data of P. veitchii. The results showed that when Actin and GAPDH were used as reference genes, the expression trends of the eight genes in different tissues of P. veitchii were consistent, validating the reliability of Actin and GAPDH as reference genes for P. veitchii. In conclusion, this study finds that Actin and GAPDH can be used as reference genes for studying gene expression levels in different tissues and growth stages of P. veitchii.
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Paeonia/genetics* ; Actins/genetics* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Transcriptome ; Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases/genetics* ; Reference Standards ; Gene Expression Profiling/methods*

Humans ; Mitral Valve Stenosis/surgery* ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ; Dilatation ; Catheterization ; Aortic Valve Stenosis/surgery* ; Aortic Valve/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation

Humans ; Mitral Valve Stenosis/surgery* ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ; Dilatation ; Catheterization ; Aortic Valve Stenosis/surgery* ; Aortic Valve/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation

Neuroscientists have emphasized visceral influences on consciousness and attention, but the potential neurophysiological pathways remain under exploration. Here, we found two neurophysiological pathways of heart-brain interaction based on the relationship between oxygen-transport by red blood cells (RBCs) and consciousness/attention. To this end, we collected a dataset based on the routine physical examination, the breaking continuous flash suppression (b-CFS) paradigm, and an attention network test (ANT) in 140 immigrants under the hypoxic Tibetan environment. We combined electroencephalography and multilevel mediation analysis to investigate the relationship between RBC properties and consciousness/attention. The results showed that RBC function, via two independent neurophysiological pathways, not only triggered interoceptive re-representations in the insula and awareness connected to orienting attention but also induced an immune response corresponding to consciousness and executive control. Importantly, consciousness played a fundamental role in executive function which might be associated with the level of perceived stress. These results indicated the important role of oxygen-transport in heart-brain interactions, in which the related stress response affected consciousness and executive control. The findings provide new insights into the neurophysiological schema of heart-brain interactions.
Awareness ; Brain ; Consciousness ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Visual Perception

The fingerprint of Boenninghausenia albiflora var. albiflora was established by ultra performance liquid chromatography(UPLC), and the content of 12 active components including chlorogenic acid was determined. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to explore the indicator components of B. albiflora var. albiflora and a comprehensive evaluation system was created for the quality of B. albiflora var. albiflora. In this study, 33 batches of B. albiflora var. albiflora with different sources were collected and studied, and the UPLC fingerprint of B. albiflora var. albiflora was developed. There were 37 common peaks, of which 12 components were identified, and the content of these 12 components was measured. In combination of the common peaks and the content of chemical components, multivariate statistical analysis was performed, and the results showed that 6 components [daphnoretin, isoimperatorin, astragalin, imperatorin, neochlorogenic acid, and isoquercitrin(weight coefficient>0.1)] were selected as chemical markers for the quality of B. albiflora var. albiflora. Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS) analysis and chemometrics revealed that the quality of S32, S28 and S29 were superior, while that of S12, S7 and S16 were inferior. The quality evaluation method of B. albiflora var. albiflora constructed in this study was accurate and reliable, with simpleness and easiness to operate. It is suggested that the 6 above-mentioned active components could be used as indicator components for quality control of B. albiflora var. al-biflora. The samples were harvested during the flowering and fruiting period, which is from the beginning of July to the end of August.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Quality Control

Objective:To explore the antidepressant mechanism of Yinxing Mihuan oral solution （YMO） by investigating its effect on depression model rats. Method:The depression rats were induced by isolation combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS） and then randomly divided into model group， fluoxetine group （10 mg·kg^-1） and high-dose （618 mg·kg^-1） and low-dose （309 mg·kg^-1） YMO groups. A blank control group was also set up and ten rats were included in each group. Modeling lasted for 21 consecutive days， and rats were administered the 8th day after stimulation at a dose of 10 mL·kg^-1 for 14 days， except those in the blank control and model groups which were given distilled water. Afterward， the sucrose preference test， open field test， tail suspension test were carried out. The pathological changes of hippocampus in depression rats were observed after hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The content of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the hippocampus of rats in each group and the expression of NOD-like receptor 3 （NLRP3） and other proteins in its related activation signaling pathways were detected with multi-factor detection （Luminex） and Western blot. Result:After 14 days of continuous administration， compared with the blank control group， the model group witnessed significantly reduced sugar water consumption rate and the times of rearing and significantly prolonged cumulative time of immobility during tail suspension （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the fluoxetine group and the high-dose YMO group saw increases in the times of rearing， times of crossing and sugar water consumption rate and a significant decrease in the cumulative time of immobility during tail suspension （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results of HE staining showed that the neurons in the hippocampus of rats in the high-dose YMO group were arranged in order and slightly loosened， without obvious microglia infiltration observed. The levels of IL-1β， IL-6 and TNF-α in the hippocampus of the model group increased significantly as compared with the blank control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and their content in the high-dose YMO group was significantly lowered in the comparison with the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Molecular biology experiments demonstrated that compared with the results of blank group， the expression of purinergic receptor P2X7 （P2RX7）， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein （ASC）， Caspase-1 and IL-1β remarkably increased in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， the expression of P2RX7， NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1 and IL-1β was significantly inhibited in the fluoxetine group and the high-dose YMO group compared with the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Conclusion:YMO can improve the depression-like behaviors of rats induced by isolation combined with CUMS， and its mechanism of action is related to the regulation of the P2RX7/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and compare the clinical efficacies of remnant-preserving and remnant-non-preserving, remnant-non-preserving remnant segment preserving and remnant root preserving with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. METHODS: From March 2014 to December 2017, 204 patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries were treated by single-bundle ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon autograft. According to the different methods of remnant preservation, the procedures were divided into remnant segment preserving group (A), remnant root preserving group (B), and remnant-non-preserving group (C). There were 37 males and 39 femalesin group A aged from 16 to 43 years old with an average of (28.80±5.41) years old. The time from injury to operation ranged from 2 to 11 weeks with an average of (3.68±1.04) weeks. In group B, there were 39 males and 25 females aged from 18 to 41 years old with an average of (28.42±5.60) years old. The time from injury to operation ranged from 2 to 10 weeks with an average of (3.36±1.68) weeks. In group C, there were 37 males and 27 females aged from 18 to 43 years old with an average of (29.10±6.11) years old. The time from injury to operation ranged from 3 to 11 weeks with an average of (3.54±1.46) weeks. The range of motion (ROM) of the knee was used to assess the range of extension and flextion of the knee at pre-operation and 24 months after operation. Lysholm score and the international knee documentation committee (IKDC) score were used to assess the knee function. The differences among three procedures were judged by comparing among the three groups at 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively. RESULTS: All incisions got a one stage healing, and no complications, such as vascular injury, nerve damage and articular infect or the like, occurred. All the patients were followed up, and the follow-up duration of group A ranged from 24.00 to 45.96 months with a mean of (35.52±14.40) months;the follow up duration of group B ranged from 27.96 to 48.00 months with a mean of (37.56±10.68) month;and the follow up duration of group C ranged from 24.00 to 66.00 months with a mean of (37.08±13.44) month. There were no significant differences in follow up time among three groups ( CONCLUSION Compared with remnant-non-preserving group, the residual tissue of anterior cruciate ligament is preserved, which is conducive to promote the healing and remodeling of tendon graft and accelerate the recovery of joint function. Proper fixation of residual tissue and restoration of its tension are the key factors affecting the postoperative efficacy.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament/surgery* ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/surgery* ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction ; Arthroscopy ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Male ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

When this paper was first published the following ethical statement was omitted in error: All animal experimental protocols were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, Approval NO: 048483). Further, all methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. NIH mice were purchased from the Guangdong Medical Laboratory Animal Center (Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, Certificate NO.44007200031795). The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

The objective of this study was to investigate the expression profile of the myozenin2 (MYOZ2) gene and elucidate its effect on adipogenic differentiation of C3H10T1 / 2 cells and its possible mechanism∙ The longissimus dorsi‚ subcutaneous fat and liver tissue was collected from 180-day-old Mashen pigs‚ 60-day-old ICR mice‚ 35-day-old Ross broiler and 12-month-old Small tail han sheep‚ and the expression profile of the MYOZ2 gene mRNA was detected∙ The results showed that the MYOZ2 gene has similar patterns of tissue expression in examined species‚ with the highest expression level in longissimus dorsi‚ and a small amount of expression in the subcutaneous fat and liver tissue∙ After the MYOZ2 gene was silenced in C3H10T1 / 2 cells‚ qRT-PCR results showed that the expression levels of key adipogenic genes PPARγ and FABP4 were significantly down-regulated compared with the control group (P < 0∙ 01) ; Western Blotting results showed that the PPARγ protein content was significantly decreased (P < 0∙ 05) ; Oil red O staining showed that the number of lipid droplets and the content of triglyceride were significantly decreased after silencing MYOZ2 (P < 0∙ 05) ∙ The expression of fatty acid metabolism related genes SCD‚ FASN‚ SREBP1‚ NR1H3‚ DGAT1‚ PNPLA2‚ HSL‚ CES1‚ CPT1 after MYOZ2 silencing were detected by qRT-PCR∙ The results showed that SCD‚ FASN‚ SREBP1‚ PNPLA2 and HSL were significantly down-regulated (P < 0∙ 01) ‚ NR1H3 was significantly reduced (P < 0∙ 05) ‚ DGAT1 expression was down-regulated but the difference was not significant‚ CES1 and CPT1 were significantly up-regulated (P < 0∙ 05) ∙ The STRING database was used to construct a MYOZ2-related protein interaction network map‚ and it was found that MYOZ2 may affect the adipogenic differentiation through the interaction of titin-cap (TCAP) and PPARγ∙ After silencing TCAP‚ qRT-PCR results showed that compared with the control group‚ the expression of key adipogenic genes PPARγ and FABP4 were significantly up-regulated (P < 0∙ 01) ; Western Blotting results showed that PPARγ protein was significantly increased (P< 0∙ 05) ; Oil red O staining showed that the number of lipid droplets and the content of triglyceride were significantly increased after TCAP silencing (P < 0∙ 05) ∙ qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of TCAP after silencing MYOZ2‚ and the results showed that the expression of TCAP was significantly increased (P<0∙ 01) ∙ In summary‚ MYOZ2 was highly expressed in longissimus dorsi and lower expressed in subcutaneous fat and liver tissues∙ In addition‚ MYOZ2 may regulate the expression of key adipogenic genes PPARγ and FABP4 through the interaction of MYOZ2-TCAP -PPARγ‚ and to further regulate the expression of fatty acid metabolism related genes SCD‚ FASN‚ SREBP1‚ NR1H3‚ DGAT1‚ PNPLA2‚ HSL‚ CES1 and CPT1‚ thus playing an important role in the process of adipogenic differentiation∙