Aromatic traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has played an important role against epidemics and viruses, and volatile components are the main components that exert the pharmacological effects of aromatic TCM. By screening the related monomer components in aromatic TCM against epidemic and viruses and analyzing and endowing TCM with medicinal properties based on its clinical application and pharmacological research according to the theoretical thinking of TCM, the key technical issues of compatibility of TCM monomer components were solved from a theoretical perspective, providing new ideas and methods for screening raw materials and formulas for the development of new TCM drugs. Based on the conditions of antiviral activity, clinical application foundation, definite therapeutic effect, and high safety, a gradient screening of aromatic TCM was carried out. Firstly, 30 aromatic TCM were screened from anti-epidemic literature and clinical trial formulas, and seven volatile monomers were further screened from them. Then, four monomer components with significant effects, namely patchouli alcohol, carvacrol, p-cymene, and eucalyptol were screened. By adopting the "four-step method for a systematic study of TCM properties", the four monomer components were endowed with medicinal properties, and compatibility and combination studies were conducted to explore the theoretical basis of monomer formulas and form monomer formulas guided by TCM theory. The screening results of volatile monomers in aromatic TCM against viral pneumonia included patchouli alcohol, carvacrol, p-cymene, and eucalyptol. The medicinal properties and compatibility theory of volatile monomer components in TCM were explored. Patchouli alcohol was the main herb, with a cool and pungent nature. It entered the lung meridian to dispel evil Qi and has the effects of aromatization, detoxification, and epidemic prevention. Carvacrol was a minister drug with a cool and pungent taste. It had the effects of aromatizing, moistening, and dissolving the exterior, as well as strengthening the spleen and stomach. p-Cymene was an adjunctive medicine with a mild and pungent nature. It entered the lungs and kidneys and had the effects of aromatic purification, cough relief, and asthma relief. Eucalyptol was also an adjunctive medicine with a pungent and warm taste. It had the functions of aromatic purification, cough relief, phlegm reduction, and pain relief. The combination of the four medicines had the effects of aromatizing, moistening, detoxifying, and epidemic prevention, as well as relieving cough and asthma and strengthening the spleen and stomach. They were used to treat viral pneumonia caused by upper respiratory tract viral infections, with symptoms such as chest tightness, cough, wheezing, fatigue, nasal congestion, runny nose, nausea, and vomiting. This study has laid a literature and theoretical foundation for further drug efficacy verification experiments, compatibility efficacy experiments, and subsequent product development and clinical applications, and it serves as an innovative practice that combines literature research, theoretical research, experimental research, and clinical practice to develop new products.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Antiviral Agents/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Pneumonia, Viral/virology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Volatile Organic Compounds/pharmacology* ; Animals

This paper aims to investigate the influence of eucalyptol on the biological effects of spleen cold and spleen heat syndromes in rats and its regulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1(TRPV1), transient receptor potential melastatin 8(TRPM8), and uncoupling protein 1(UCP1), so as to explore the cold-heat properties of eucalyptol. Rats were randomly divided into groups as follows: blank group, spleen cold syndrome model group, spleen cold syndrome+Atractylodis Rhizoma group, spleen cold syndrome + low-dose eucalyptol group, and spleen cold syndrome+high-dose eucalyptol group, as well as blank group, spleen heat syndrome model group, spleen heat syndrome+Coptidis Rhizoma group, spleen heat syndrome + low-dose eucalyptol group, and spleen heat syndrome + high-dose eucalyptol group. Spleen cold and spleen heat syndromes were induced by disorders of hunger and satiety combined with bitter cold drugs, as well as a high-fat diet combined with liquor. Except for the blank and model groups, the other groups were administered once a day during the modeling process for 14 consecutive days. The general condition and body weight of rats in each group were observed, and the histopathological morphology of the gastric antrum and small intestine was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The contents of cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP), triiodothyronine(T3), thyroxine(T4), Na~+-K~+-ATPase, total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), gastrin(GAS), motilin(MTL), D-xylose, and other related indices were detected in rats. The expression levels of TRPV1, TRPM8, and UCP1 in small intestine tissue of rats with spleen cold syndrome were detected. The results showed that eucalyptol had a certain degree of improvement in the overall state and body weight of rats with spleen cold syndrome. Compared with the spleen cold syndrome model group, high-dose eucalyptol significantly increased the levels of serum cAMP, cAMP/cGMP, TG, and TC in rats with spleen cold syndrome(P<0.05, P<0.01), decreased the content of cGMP, and significantly elevated the levels of gastrointestinal function-related indicators GAS, MTL, and D-xylose(P<0.05, P<0.01). Low-dose eucalyptol significantly increased the level of cAMP/cGMP in the serum and Na~+-K~+-ATPase levels in hepatic tissue(P<0.05, P<0.01), and significantly increased the levels of GAS and D-xylose(P<0.01). Eucalyptol showed similar effects to Atractylodis Rhizoma with a warm nature on rats with spleen cold syndrome. Compared with the spleen heat syndrome model group, the high-dose and low-dose eucalyptol groups showed a trend of increase in gastrointestinal indicators, with no significant changes in other indicators. In addition, high-dose eucalyptol increased the expression of TRPV1 and UCP1 and decreased the expression of TRPM8 in the small intestine tissue of rats with spleen cold syndrome. Eucalyptol could affect the cyclic nucleotide and material energy metabolism levels of rats with spleen cold syndrome and had a certain improvement effect on their gastrointestinal digestion and absorption function, thereby improving spleen cold syndrome. Eucalyptol had no significant improvement effect on rats with spleen heat syndrome, suggesting that eucalyptol may have a warm nature and regulate spleen meridians. It is speculated that eucalyptol may exhibit its medicinal properties by activating the TRPV1 pathway, promoting the expression of UCP1, and inhibiting the TRPM8 channel.
Animals ; Rats ; Spleen/metabolism* ; Male ; TRPV Cation Channels/genetics* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Eucalyptol/administration & dosage* ; TRPM Cation Channels/genetics* ; Uncoupling Protein 1/genetics* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Cold Temperature ; Cyclic GMP/metabolism*

This paper aims to study the effect of p-cymene on mice with deficiency-cold syndrome induced by hydrocortisone and deficiency-heat syndrome induced by dexamethasone and explore the medicinal properties and mechanism of p-cymene with mild and warm nature based on the dominant characteristics of the two-way applicable conditions of mild drugs. A total of 80 KM mice were randomly divided into blank group, deficiency-cold syndrome model group, deficiency-cold syndrome + ginseng group, and deficiency-cold syndrome + low-dose and high-dose p-cymene groups, as well as blank group, deficiency-heat syndrome model group, deficiency-heat syndrome + American ginseng group, and deficiency-heat syndrome + low-dose and high-dose p-cymene groups. Hydrocortisone and dexamethasone solution were intragastrically administered for 14 consecutive days to prepare deficiency-cold syndrome and deficiency-heat syndrome models. Except for the blank group and the model group intragastrically administered with normal saline, the other groups were intragastrically administrated with drugs for 14 days. The levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP), triiodothyronine(T3), thyroxine(T4), total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), immunoglobin G(IgG), and immunoglobin M(IgM) in serum, as well as the activity of Na~+-K~+-ATPase in liver tissue were detected. The expression of transient receptor potential melastatin 8(TRPM8), transient receptor potential vanilloid 1(TRPV1), and uncoupling protein 1(UCP1) in brown adipose tissue of deficiency-cold syndrome model after intervention with p-cymene was studied. The results showed that p-cymene could effectively improve the levels of cAMP, cAMP/cGMP, TC, IgM, and IgG in serum and the activity of Na~+-K~+-ATPase in liver tissue of mice with deficiency-cold syndrome and reduce the content of cGMP. The effects on T3, T4, and TG were not statistically significant. At the same time, p-cymene could reduce the levels of cAMP, cAMP/cGMP, and T4 in serum and the activity of Na~+-K~+-ATPase in liver tissue of mice with deficiency-cold syndrome and increase the levels of cGMP, IgM, and IgG, and it had no effect on T3, TC, and TG. In addition, p-cymene could up-regulate the expression of TRPV1 and UCP1 in brown fat of mice with deficiency-cold syndrome and down-regulate the expression of TRPM8. In summary, p-cymene could significantly regulate the syndrome indexes of mice with deficiency-cold syndrome, and some indexes of mice with deficiency-heat syndrome could be improved, but the effects on lipid metabolism and energy metabolism indexes were not obvious, indicating that the regulation effect of p-cymene on deficiency-cold syndrome model was more prominent and that the medicinal properties of p-cymene were mild and warm. The regulation of TRPV1/TRPM8/UCP1 channel expression may be the molecular biological mechanism of p-cymene with mild and warm nature affecting the energy metabolism of the body.
Animals ; Cymenes ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Cyclic AMP/metabolism* ; Monoterpenes/administration & dosage* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Cyclic GMP/metabolism* ; TRPV Cation Channels/genetics* ; Uncoupling Protein 1/genetics*

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

A previous study showed that the length of the foreskin plays a role in the risk of sexually transmitted infections and chronic prostatitis, which can lead to poor quality of sexual life. Here, the association between foreskin length and sexual dysfunction was evaluated. A total of 5700 participants were recruited from the andrology clinic at The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei, China). Clinical characteristics, including foreskin length, were collected, and sexual function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) questionnaires. Men with sexual dysfunction were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men without sexual dysfunction. Among the 2721 erectile dysfunction (ED) patients and 1064 premature ejaculation (PE) patients, 301 (11.1%) ED patients and 135 (12.7%) PE patients had redundant foreskin, respectively. Men in the PE group were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men in the non-PE group ( P = 0.004). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the presence of redundant foreskin was associated with increased odds of moderate/severe ED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.31, adjusted P = 0.04), moderate PE (aOR = 1.38, adjusted P = 0.02), and probable PE (aOR = 1.37, adjusted P = 0.03) after adjusting for confounding variables. Our study revealed a positive correlation between the presence of redundant foreskin and the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in PE patients. Assessment of the length of the foreskin during routine clinical diagnosis may provide information for patients with sexual dysfunction.
Humans ; Male ; Foreskin ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology* ; Premature Ejaculation/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mediating role of sleep duration in the relationship between depression symptoms and myopia among middle school students. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional research conducted using a stratified cluster random sampling method. A total of 1 728 middle school students were selected from two junior high schools and two senior high schools in certain urban areas and farms of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Questionnaire surveys and vision tests were conducted among the students. Spearman analysis was used to analyze the correlation between depression symptoms, sleep duration, and myopia. The Bootstrap method was employed to investigate the mediating effect of sleep duration between depression symptoms and myopia. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia in the overall population was 74.02% (1 279/1 728), with an average sleep duration of (7.6±1.0) hours. The rate of insufficient sleep was 83.62% (1 445/1 728), and the proportion of students exhibiting depression symptoms was 25.29% (437/1 728). Correlation analysis showed significant negative correlations between visual acuity in both eyes and sleep duration with depressive emotions as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (with correlation coefficients of -0.064, -0.084, and -0.199 respectively; P<0.01), as well as with somatic symptoms and activities (with correlation coefficients of -0.104, -0.124, and -0.233 respectively; P<0.01) and interpersonal relationships (with correlation coefficients of -0.052, -0.059, and -0.071 respectively; P<0.05). The correlation coefficients for left and right eye visual acuity and sleep duration were 0.206 and 0.211 respectively (P<0.001). Sleep duration exhibited a mediating effect between depression symptoms and myopia (indirect effect=0.056, 95%CI: 0.029-0.088), with the mediating effect value for females (indirect effect=0.066, 95%CI: 0.024-0.119) being higher than that for males (indirect effect=0.042, 95%CI: 0.011-0.081). CONCLUSIONS Sleep duration serves as a partial mediator between depression symptoms and myopia in middle school students.
Humans ; Myopia/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; Depression/physiopathology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sleep ; Adolescent ; Students ; Child ; Time Factors ; Sleep Duration

The PA-PB1 interface of the influenza polymerase is an attractive site for antiviral drug design. In this study, we designed and synthesized a mini-library of indazole-containing compounds based on rational structure-based design to target the PB1-binding interface on PA. Biological evaluation of these compounds through a viral yield reduction assay revealed that compounds 27 and 31 both had a low micromolar range of the half maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) values against A/WSN/33 (H1N1) (8.03 μmol/L for 27; 14.6 μmol/L for 31), while the most potent candidate 24 had an EC₅₀ value of 690 nM. Compound 24 was effective against different influenza strains including a pandemic H1N1 strain and an influenza B strain. Mechanistic studies confirmed that compound 24 bound PA with a K _d which equals to 1.88 μmol/L and disrupted the binding of PB1 to PA. The compound also decreased the lung viral titre in mice. In summary, we have identified a potent anti-influenza candidate with potency comparable to existing drugs and is effective against different viral strains. The therapeutic options for influenza infection have been limited by the occurrence of antiviral resistance, owing to the high mutation rate of viral proteins targeted by available drugs. To alleviate the public health burden of this issue, novel anti-influenza drugs are desired. In this study, we present our discovery of a novel class of indazole-containing compounds which exhibited favourable potency against both influenza A and B viruses. The EC₅₀ of the most potent compounds were within low micromolar to nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, we show that the mouse lung viral titre decreased due to treatment with compound 24. Thus our findings identify promising candidates for further development of anti-influenza drugs suitable for clinical use.

Objective:To investigate the anti-heart failure mechanism of N-acetylcysteine(NAC)in diabetic cardiomyop-athy independent from coronary artery factors.Methods:A total of 40 diabetic mice after heart failure model construction were randomly divided into two groups,NAC group(n=20,NAC 100mg·kg-1·d-1)and control group(n=20,Saline 100 mg·kg-1·d-1).Echocardiography was performed to detect left ventricular end-diastolic volume(LVEDV),left ventricular end-systolic volume(LVESV),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),mitral left ventricular early-dias-tolic peak flow velocity/left ventricular late-diastolic peak flow velocity(E/A),isovolumic relaxation time(IVRT)and cardiac output(CO)after 4 weeks.Terminal uridine nick-end labeling(TUNEL)was performed to detect apoptosis in-dex,and Western Blot was performed to detect the expression of extracellular regulated protein kinases(ERK)1/2 after 6 weeks in two groups.Results:Compared to those in control group,mice in NAC group had significant higher LVEF[(40.5±3.4)％vs.(36.9±3.2)％],E/A[(1.5±0.1)vs.(1.4±0.1)]and CO[(10.3±0.6)ml/min vs.(9.9±0.5)ml/min](P＜0.05 or＜0.01);and significant lower LVESV[(23.1±1.3)μl vs.(24.7±1.5)μl],apoptosis index[(31.2±0.5)％vs.(45.1±0.9)％]and the expression of ERK1/2[(2.2±0.2)vs.(3.9±0.1)](P＜0.001 all).Conclusion:NAC exerts anti-heart failure effect by attenuating apoptosis of cardiomyocytes via regulating ERK1/2 pathway.

Objective:To explore the association between pre-diabetes and glomerular hyperfiltration status in residents in China.Methods:The study subjects were the non-diabetes population in China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance in 2018. According to the definition of prediabetes, the study subjects were divided into normoglycemic and pre-diabetes groups, and multivariate factorial logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between prediabetes and the risk for glomerular hyperfiltration and glomerular filtration rate decline, respectively. Restricted cubic spline was used to explore the dose-response relationship between different glycemic indexes and the risk for glomerular hyperfiltration.Results:A total of 129 735 eligible study subjects aged 18 to 74 years were included, including 45 336 persons with prediabetes. After adjusting for confounders, the OR for glomerular hyperfiltration in the prediabetes group was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.20-1.32) compared with the normoglycemic group, and prediabetes was not associated with decreased glomerular filtration rate ( OR=1.03, 95% CI: 0.96-1.12). Age-stratified results showed a 28% increase of risk for glomerular hyperfiltration in prediabetes group compared with normoglycemic group in those aged 18-59 year ( OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.21-1.35), and a 15% increase of risk in old adults aged 60-74 years ( OR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.05-1.25); the risk for glomerular hyperfiltration in women with prediabetes ( OR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.29-1.47) was higher than that in men with prediabetes ( OR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.06-1.22); and the risk for prediabetes glomerular hyperfiltration was higher in those with insufficient physical activity ( OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.22-1.36) than in those who were physically active ( OR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.04-1.29). Restricted cubic spline results showed that fasting plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and glomerular hyperfiltration risk all showed U-shaped associations, and 2 hours blood glucose glomerular hyperfiltration risk after taking sugar showed an approximate J-shaped association. Conclusions:The risk for glomerular hyperfiltration exists in the prediabetes population, and prediabetes is not associated with the decrease in glomerular filtration rate. Hyperglycemia control at an early and reversible stage is important to prevent glomerular hyperfiltration developing to hypofiltration and renal impairment.

Curcumae Rhizoma, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma phaeocaulis, Curcuma kwangsiensis and Curcuma wenyujin, was called Ezhu in China. In the past, Curcumae Rhizoma extracts were obtained through water decoction or alternative methods, which showed significant anti-cancer effects. However, the mixed extracts contain various compound components of Curcumae Rhizoma, leading to an ambiguous mechanism of action for Curcumae Rhizoma extracts anti-cancer. Contemporary researchers have extracted the chemical components of Curcumae Rhizoma separately for experimental verification of its active ingredients in the anti-cancer field. Numerous studies demonstrated that curcumol, germacrone, β-elemene, and curcumin in Curcumae Rhizoma extracts have significant governing effects in anti-cancer activities. Pharmacological studies have shown that Curcumae Rhizoma suppresses cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, triggering apoptosis and regulating cellular autophagy to achieve anticancer effects. Here, we summarized the research progress of Curcumae Rhizoma on anti-cancer effects from 2013 to 2022, aiming to explore the deeper molecular mechanisms of Curcumae Rhizoma's active components in cancer treatment.