OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody (AT1-AA) and semen parameters. Methods： The semen samples of 820 male patients who were treated in the Reproductive Medicine Center of Taiyuan Central Hospital from August 2022 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The levels of AT1-AA and Ang Ⅱ of semen were detected by ELISA, and the function of AT1-AA was detected by cardiomyocyte beating assay in suckling rats. The patients were divided into low group, median group and high group according to the OD values of AT1-AA. The differences in general data and semen parameters between different groups were analyzed. And the correlation between AT1-AA level and semen parameters in semen of all study subjects was analyzed by the method of Spearman analysis. And the relationships between AT1-AA OD value, Ang Ⅱ level and semen parameters in the AT1-AA high value group were analyzed as well. RESULTS: AT1-AA was present in semen with good function. There was no significant difference in the general data of patients in different AT1-AA levels (P>0.05). In the comparison of semen parameters among the groups with different levels of AT1-AA, there were differences in sperm concentration, PR concentration, NP％, and ALH among the three groups (P<0.05). And AT1-AA OD value was positively correlated with total sperm count, sperm concentration, PR concentration, and NP％, and negatively correlated with semen volume (P<0.05). In the AT1-AA high value group, the OD value of AT1-AA in semen was negatively correlated with inactive sperm, and positively correlated with total motility (［PR+NP］％), curve rate, mean path rate, and ALH. However, there was no correlation between the level of Ang Ⅱ in semen and semen parameters (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The presence of AT1-AA in semen may be associated with the promotion of sperm motility.
Male ; Humans ; Autoantibodies ; Sperm Motility ; Semen ; Retrospective Studies ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1/immunology* ; Animals ; Rats ; Angiotensin II ; Adult ; Sperm Count ; Semen Analysis ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2/immunology*

Atractylodes lancea is a perennial herbaceous plant of Asteraceae, with rhizomes for medical use. However, A. lancea plants from different habitats have great variability, and the germplasm resources of A. lancea are unclear and mixed during production. Therefore, it is urgent to protect new varieties of A. lancea. The distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing of new plant varieties is the foundation of plant variety protection, and the DUS testing guidelines are the technical basis for variety approval agencies to conduct DUS testing. In this study, the phenotypic traits of 94 germplasm accessions of A. lancea were investigated considering the breeding and variety characteristics of A. lancea in China. The traits were classified and described, and 24 traits were preliminarily determined, including 20 basic traits that must be tested and four traits selected to be tested. The 20 basic traits included 3 quality traits, 5 false quality traits, and 12 quantitative traits, corresponding to 1 plant traits, 2 stem traits, 8 leaf traits, 6 flower traits, and 3 seed traits. The measurement ranges and coefficients of variation of eight quantitative traits were determined, on the basis of which the grading criteria and codes of the traits were determined and assigned. The guidelines has guiding significance for the trait evaluation, utilization, and breeding of new varieties of A. lancea.
Atractylodes/growth & development* ; China ; Phenotype ; Guidelines as Topic ; Plant Breeding

In this study, fluvoxamine maleate sustained-release pellet system tablets were prepared and were used to evaluate their release behaviors in vitro. Fluvoxamine maleate pellets were prepared using centrifugal-spherization method and coated by fluidized bed as bottom-spray. The multi-unit sustained-release pellets and appropriate excipients for prescription volumes were mixed uniformly and then compressed to tablets. Screening and determining the optimal formulation of drug loaded pellets through L8 (2⁴) Taguchi experiment. Using Minitab software to design a DOE experiment with 2⁴ partial factors, including material temperature, fan speed, atomization pressure, and spray rate to optimize the bottom spray coating process. Taking monostearate glycerol ester with a particle size of 24-40 mesh as the main diluent for tableting to relieve the delamination phenomenon between pellets and excipients during tablet pressing and reduce mechanical damage to the coating film. By examining the powder fluidity indexes such as angle of repose, bulk density, tapped density, and Hausner ratio of mixed particles, it was found that the flowability and compressibility are good and suitable for direct compression. Evaluate the basic properties of the sustained-release tablets, investigate the in vitro release behavior and study the release mechanism. The results of in vitro release test showed that the self-made sustained-release tablets could disintegrate into independent pellet units in phosphate buffer at pH 6.8 and release slowly within 24 h, which conformed to the first-order drug release model. The fluvoxamine maleate sustained-release pellet system tablets meet the requirements of preparation design and has a great commercial prospect.

Objective:To explore the correlation between peripheral blood B cell count and clinical features and prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL).Methods:The relationship of peripheral blood B cell count with clinical features,laboratory indexes and prognosis in 67 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL was retrospectively analyzed.Results:Patients were divided into low B-cell count group(B cell＜0.1 × 109/L,n=34)and high B-cell count group(B cell≥0.1 × 109/L,n=33)according to the median B cell count values.Compared with the high B cell count group,the low B cell count group had a higher proportion of patients with Lugano stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ,elevated LDH,elevated β2-MG and IPI score 3-5 and increased CRP(P=0.033,0.000,0.023,0.001,0.033).The peripheral CD3+and CD4+cell counts of patients in the low B cell count group were significantly lower than those in the high B cell count group(P=0.010,0.017).After initial treatment,overall response rate(ORR)and complete remission(CR)rate in high B cell count group were significantly higher than those in low B cell count group(P=0.032,0.013).The median follow-up time of patients was 23(2-77)months,progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS)of patients in the high B cell count group were significantly better than those in the low B cell count group(P=0.001,0.002).Univariate analysis showed that pretreatment low B cell count in the peripheral blood was associated with shortened PFS and OS(HR=4.108,P=0.002;HR=8.218,P=0.006).Multivariate analysis showed that low B cell count was an independent prognostic factor for shortened PFS(HR=3.116,P=0.037).Conclusion:Decreased peripheral blood B cell count in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients is associated with high-risk clinical features and may affect the efficacy of immunochemotherapy,which is associated with poor clinical prognosis.

In this study, visual-near infrared(VNIR), short-wave infrared(SWIR), and VNIR + SWIR fusion hyperspectral data of Polygonatum cyrtonema from different geographical origins were collected and preprocessed by first derivative(FD), second derivative(SD), Savitzky-Golay smoothing(S-G), standard normalized variate(SNV), multiplicative scatter correction(MSC), FD+S-G, and SD+S-G. Three algorithms, namely random forest(RF), linear support vector classification(LinearSVC), and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), were used to establish the identification models of P. cyrtonema origin from three spatial scales, i.e., province, county, and township, respectively. Successive projection algorithm(SPA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling(CARS) were used to screen the characteristic bands, and the P. cyrtonema origin identification models were established according to the selected characteristic bands. The results showed that(1)after FD preprocessing of VNIR+SWIR fusion hyperspectral data, the accuracy of recognition models established using LinearSVC was the highest, reaching 99.97% and 99.82% in the province origin identification model, 100.00% and 99.46% in the county origin identification model, and 99.62% and 98.39% in the township origin identification model. The accuracy of province, county, and township origin identification models reached more than 98.00%.(2)Among the 26 characteristic bands selected by CARS, after FD pretreatment, the accuracy of origin identification models of different spatial scales was the highest using LinearSVC, reaching 98.59% and 97.05% in the province origin identification model, 97.79% and 94.75% in the county origin identification model, and 90.13% and 87.95% in the township origin identification model. The accuracy of identification models of different spatial scales established by 26 characteristic bands reached more than 87.00%. The results show that hyperspectral imaging technology can realize accurate identification of P. cyrtonema origin from different spatial scales.
Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; Polygonatum ; Algorithms ; Random Forest ; Least-Squares Analysis

Chinese medicinal resources are the cornerstone of the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. However, due to the fecundity of species, over-exploitation, and limitations of artificial cultivation, some medicinal plants are depleted and even endangered. Tissue culture, a breakthrough technology in the breeding of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, is not limited by time and space, and can allow the production on an annual basis, which plays an important role in the protection of Chinese medicinal resources. The present study reviewed the applications of tissue culture of medicinal plants in the field of Chinese medicinal resources, including rapid propagation of medicinal plant seedlings, breeding of novel high-yield and high-quality cultivars, construction of a genetic transformation system, and production of secondary metabolites. Meanwhile, the current challenges and suggestions for the future development of this field were also proposed.
Sustainable Development ; Plants, Medicinal/genetics* ; Plant Breeding ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Technology

This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effect of alcohol extract of root and root bark of Toddalia asiatica(TAAE) on collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) in rats through phosphatidylinoinosidine-3 kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway. To be specific, CIA was induced in rats, and then the rats were treated(oral, daily) with TAAE and Tripterygium Glycoside Tablets(TGT), respectively. The swelling degree of the hind leg joints was scored weekly. After 35 days of administration, the histopathological changes were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to detect the levels of cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-6)]. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) staining was performed to detect the apoptosis of synoviocytes in rats. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2)-associated X(Bax), Bcl-2, and caspase-3 and pathway-related proteins phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K), phosphorylated(p)-PI3K, protein kinase B(Akt), and p-Akt. RT-qPCR was conducted to examine the mRNA levels of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β and pathway-related proteins PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, and p-Akt. TAAE can alleviate the joint swelling in CIA rats, reduce serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, improve synovial histopathological changes, promote apoptosis of synoviocytes, and inhibit synovial inflammation. In addition, RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed that TAAE up-regulated the level of Bax, down-regulated the level of Bcl-2, and activated caspase-3 to promote apoptosis in synoviocytes. TAAE effectively down-regulated the protein levels of p-PI3K and p-Akt. In this study, TAAE shows therapeutic effect on CIA in rats and reduces the inflammation. The mechanism is that it suppresses PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and promotes synoviocyte apoptosis. Overall, this study provides a new clue for the research on the anti-inflammatory mechanism of TAAE and lays a theoretical basis for the better clinical application of TAAE in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Rats ; Animals ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Caspase 3/genetics* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism* ; Plant Bark ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use* ; Arthritis, Experimental/chemically induced* ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; Apoptosis

A rich diversity of wild medicinal plant resources is distributed in China, but the breeding of new plant varieties of Chinese medicinal plants started late and the breeding level is relatively weak. Chinese medicinal plant resources are the foundation for new varieties breeding, and the plant variety rights(PVP) are of great significance for the protection and development of germplasm resources. However, most Chinese medicinal plants do not have a distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing guideline. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has put 191 plant species(genera) on protection lists, of which only 30 are medicinal species(genera). At the same time, only 29 of 293 species(genera) plants in the Protection List of New Plant Varieties of the People's Republic of China(Forest and Grass) belong to Chinese medicinal plants. The number of PVP applications and authorization of Chinese medicinal plants is rare, and the composition of variety is unreasonable. Up to now, 29 species(genera) of DUS test guidelines for Chinese medicinal plants have been developed. Some basic problems in the breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants have appeared, such as the small number of new varieties and insufficient utilization of Chinese medicinal plant resources. This paper reviewed the current situation of breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants and the research progress of DUS test guidelines in China and discussed the application of biotechnology in the field of Chinese medicinal plant breeding and the existing problems in DUS testing. This paper guides the further application of DUS to protect and utilize the germplasm resources of Chinese medicinal plants.
Agriculture ; Biotechnology ; Plant Breeding ; Plants, Medicinal/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the regulatory effect of chidamide on CD8⁺ T cells in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. METHODS: The expression levels of CXCL9 and CXCL3 mRNA in Jurkat cells, lymphocytes treated with chidamide and lymphocytes co-cultured with chidamide-treated Jurkat cells were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. The proportion of CD8⁺ T cells in lymphocytes treated with chidamide and lymphocytes co-cultured with chidamide-treated Jurkat cells was determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Chidamide upregulated CXCL9 mRNA expression in Jurkat cell line in a dose-dependent manner (r=0.950). The mRNA expression of CXCL9 in chidamide 5 μmol/L group was 164 times higher than that in control group. Chidamide upregulated CXCL9 mRNA expression in lymphocytes, but the up-regulated level was significantly lower than that in Jurkat cell line treated with the same concentration of chidamide. Co-culture with chidamide treated Jurkat cells upregulated the proportion of CD8⁺ T cells in lymphocytes. CONCLUSION In T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chidamide may increase the concentration of CXCL9 in the tumor microenvironment by up-regulating the expression of CXCL9 in tumor cells, leading to an increase in the number of CD8⁺ T cells.
Humans ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Aminopyridines/pharmacology* ; Jurkat Cells ; RNA, Messenger ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis ; Tumor Microenvironment

Carbon dioxide peaking and carbon neutrality have become hot issues of political and economic activities in China and abroad. The structure and development of various industries in China will be profoundly affected in the process of accomplishing "Dual Carbon" goals. Eco-agriculture of Chinese medicine(EACM) highlights the balance and sustainable development of the ecosystem while producing high-quality medicinal materials. With chemically synthesized fertilizers, pesticides, and growth regulators prohibited, EACM emphasizes the recycling of agricultural and sideline products and the reduction of waste output, which results in the minimal negative impact on the ecological environment. Therefore, it is typical agriculture with low-carbon sources and high-carbon sinks. This study reviewed the mechanism and potential of EACM in carbon dioxide peaking and carbon neutrality, analyzed the specific ways of EACM in reducing carbon sources and increasing carbon sinks based on the typical ecological planting pattern, and proposed the point of view to strengthen EACM as well as the "Dual Carbon" theory and research methods, so as to direct low-carbon and efficient deve-lopment. Furthermore, this study advocated to comprehensively promote the transformation of Chinese medicine production from chemical agriculture to eco-agriculture to improve the comprehensive benefits of contribution rate of carbon neutrality, explore and establish carbon sink compensation mechanism to ensure the sustainable and healthy development of EACM, and strengthen the training of EACM and "Dual Carbon" theory and technologies to continuously improve the capacity of EACM in sustainable development. This study is expected to provide a reference for the development of ecological functions in EACM and the development of economic functions through ecological functions.
Agriculture ; Carbon Dioxide ; China ; Ecosystem ; Fertilizers ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional