Qing court records show that Arecae Semen was extensively applied. The royal medical records of the Qing Dynasty document nine types of Arecae Semen, with the Palace Museum preserving seven kinds, totaling twelve cultural relics. Historical documents and physical artifacts corroborate each other, providing evidence for the study of the supply channels and court processing of Arecae Semen in the Qing court. According to relevant Qing court archival records, the sources of Arecae Semen used in the imperial court were diverse, including tributes from foreign countries such as Vietnam and Gurkha, annual tributes from local governments in Guangdong, gifts from close aides, and commodities purchased by the Imperial Household Department from civilian shops. The imperial physicians of the Qing court placed great emphasis on the specifications of Arecae Semen slices and were extremely meticulous about their processing. The variety of Arecae Semen slices used in the Qing palace exceeded those recorded in the botanical texts of the era. Compared with the commonly used processing methods for Arecae Semen in the Qing Dynasty, the imperial physicians adjusted the properties and efficacy of the herbs through different processing techniques, based on the patient's condition, constitution, and other factors, in order to meet the clinical treatment needs of the court. The slicing of Arecae Semen in the Qing court required strict control of thickness, with an average thickness of 0.44 mm, which is significantly thinner than the Arecae Semen slices found in today's markets. The texture was softer, making them easier to chew and absorb. Both the Qing court Arecae Semen slices and the Muxiang Binglang Pills focused on the use of authentic medicinal materials, ensuring the quality of the medicine and enhancing the efficacy of Arecae Semen through meticulous selection and preparation.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, 19th Century ; History, Ancient ; History, 17th Century ; History, 18th Century

Maidong products are categorized into "Hang Maidong" and "Chuan Maidong". Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, "Hang Maidong" has been regarded as having superior quality, but currently, it remains in name only in the market. This article reviewed historical materia medica and local chronicles from the Ming and Qing Dynasties and analyzed the historical evolution of Maidong production areas. The history of Maidong production in Zhejiang can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, and cultivation had already developed by at least the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was consistently used as a tribute. Ming Dynasty chronicles record "Chuan Maidong", which had already been cultivated on a large scale by the Qing Dynasty. "Hang Maidong" and "Chuan Maidong" share the same origin, with the former identifiable by the "gourd waist" shape of its tuberous root. Based on this, it can be inferred that the "Maimendong" herb illustrated in the Origins of Materia Medica(Ben Cao Yuan Shi) and the Maidong stored in the Qing Palace Imperial Pharmacy were both "Hang Maidong". The protection and development of the authentic "Hang Maidong" medicinal herb are urgently needed.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; History, 17th Century ; History, Ancient ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, Medieval ; History, 16th Century ; History, 18th Century ; History, 15th Century ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry* ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Materia Medica/history* ; History, 21st Century

Bajitian is a commonly used Chinese medicinal material with a long history of medicinal use, and there is controversy over the authentication of its origins. This article combined historical herbal works with local chronicle records to authenticate the origins of Bajitian used in different regions, analyzed the local chronicle records, and illustrated the evolution of the origins of Bajitian in different regions. The results indicate that Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica first included Guizhou Bajitian and Chuzhou Bajitian. By integrating images and texts and local medicinal practices of Bajitian in the Guizhou and Chouzhou regions in ancient and modern times, it was inferred that the original plant of Guizhou Bajitian was likely to be Damnacanthus officinarum or D. giganteus, while the origin of Chuzhou Bajitian remained unclear. The medicinal history of Sichuan Bajitian was first recorded in the Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Based on the inference from herbal documents and local chronicle records, it was inferred that the original plant of Sichuan Bajitian may be Schisandra propinqua subsp. sinensis and so on. Guangdong Bajitian is an emerging variety in modern times, and it could date back to the Xingning County Annals in the 20th year during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty(1681). The original plant of Guangdong Bajitian is Morinda officinalis, and Guangdong province became the true producing area of Bajitian in the late Qing Dynasty. This article clarified the origins of Bajitian in different regions by sorting out historical herbal documents and local chronicle records, providing a basis for the authentication of Bajitian in the field of herbology.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; History, Ancient ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry* ; History, Medieval ; History, 20th Century ; History, 19th Century ; History, 18th Century ; History, 17th Century ; History, 16th Century

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of bone acupuncture in improving pain and function in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) and compare it with Jiaji acupuncture. METHODS: From January to December 2023, 80 DLSS patients were treated with acupuncture and divided into bone acupuncture and Jiaji acupuncture groups. Among them, 40 patients in the bone acupuncture group included 15 males and 25 females, with a mean age of (60.60±6.98) years old;anthor 40 patients in the Jiaji acupuncture group included 16 males and 24 females, with a mean age of (61.48±9.55) years old. The Roland Morris disability questionnaire(RMDQ), walking distance, visual analogue scale(VAS), and the MOS item short from health survey(SF-36) of two groups at baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks post-treatment were compared. RESULTS: Eighty patients were followed up for 3 to 5 months with an average of (3.62±0.59) months. There was no significant differences in general data and the scores before treatment between two groups(P>0.05). The RMDQ scores in both groups decreased significantly at 2, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment compared with before treatment(P<0.05), at each time point after treatment, the decrease was more significant in the bone acupuncture group than in the Jiaji acupuncture group(P<0.05). The VAS of waist and leg in both groups was significantly lower at 2, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment that before treatment(P<0.05). At all time points after treatment, the waist VAS in the bone acupuncture group was reduced more significant than in the Jiaji acupuncture group(P<0.05);there was no significant difference in leg VAS at 2 and 12 weeks after treatment between two groups(P>0.05), the improvement was more significant in the bone acupuncture group in the 4 weeks after treatment than in the Jiaji acupuncture group. The SF-36 scores in both groups were significantly higher at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after treatment than before treatment(P<0.05);the SF-36 score raised more significant in the bone acupuncture group than in the Jiaji acupunture group(P<0.05). No significant difference in the walking distance between two groups at 2 weeks after treatment(P>0.05);the walking distance in the bone acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the Jiaji acupuncture group at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Bone-penetrating acupuncture moderately improves functional impairment, pain, and quality of life in patients with DLSS, showing better efficacy than Jiaji acupuncture.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Spinal Stenosis/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Pain Management

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical effect of arthroscopic double row fixation and single row fixation in treating Ideberg typeⅠA scapular glenoid fracture. METHODS: From June 2018 to December 2022, 26 patients with Ideberg typeⅠA scapular glenoid fracture treated with shoulder arthroscopy were divided into single-row anchor group and double-row anchor group according to the fixation method of fracture block. There were 12 patients in single-row anchor group, including 7 males and 5 females, aged from 25 to 53 years old with an average of (38.42±9.61) years old;the time from injury to operation ranged from 2 to 7 days with an average of (4.75±1.82) days. There were 14 patients in double-row anchor group, including 10 males and 4 females, aged from 21to 53 years old with an average of (37.36±10.19) years old;the time from injury to operation ranged from 1 to 8 days with an average of (4.21±2.01) days. The changes of shoulder joint flexion, abduction, lateral lateral rotation, Constant-Murley shoulder function score and Rowe scores were compared between two groups before operation and 1 year after operation. The percentage of bone mass in pelvis area before operation and the percentage of bone defect in pelvis area at the latest follow-up were compared between two groups. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 12 to 15 months with an average of (13.08±1.17) months in single-row anchor group and 12 to 15 months with an average of (13.29±1.07) months in double-row anchor group, with no statistical significance between two groups (P>0.05). The results of anterior flexion, abduction and lateral lateral rotation in single-row anchor group were(86.67±6.62) °, (79.50±5.68) °, (38.17±1.70) ° before operation, and (162.50±4.52)°, (169.17±3.35)°, (50.67±10.20)° at 1 year after operation; while in double-row anchor group were (84.14±5.48) °, (81.71±5.20) °, (39.29±3.63) ° before operation and (162.29 ± 5.53) °, (167.14±3.61) °, (56.93±9.56) ° at 1 year after operation;the difference between two groups before operation and 1 year after operation was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). Constant-Murley scores and Rowe scores in single-row anchor group were (55.42±3.75), (43.75±18.49) before operation and (94.83±2.21), (95.42±4.50) at 1 year after operation, respectively;while in double-row anchor group were (54.50±7.88), (41.79±18.25) before operation and (94.36±4.73), (95.00±4.80) at 1 year after operation;there was no significant difference in Constant-Murley score and Rowe score between two groups before operation and 1 year after operation (P>0.05). There was significant difference in the percentage of bone mass in pelvis area between two groups before operation (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the percentage of bone defect in the shoulder area between single-row anchor group(4.42±1.51)% and double-row anchor group (2.71±1.44)% at 1 year after operation (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Both single and double row fixation techniques for the treatment of Ideberg typeⅠA scapular glenoid fracture could receive satisfactory functional recovery. However, double-row fixation has more advantages in reducing bone resorption of fracture mass.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthroscopy/methods* ; Adult ; Scapula/surgery* ; Case-Control Studies ; Fractures, Bone/physiopathology* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Shoulder Joint/physiopathology* ; Range of Motion, Articular

The aim of this study was to investigate the trend in testicular volume changes after orchiopexy in children with cryptorchidism. The clinical data of 854 children with cryptorchidism who underwent orchiopexy between January 2013 and December 2016 in Shenzhen Children's Hospital (Shenzhen, China) were retrospectively analyzed. The mean (standard deviation) age of the patients was 2.8 (2.5) years, and the duration of follow-up ranged from 1 year to 5 years. Ultrasonography was conducted preoperatively and postoperatively. The variables analyzed included age at the time of surgery, type of surgical procedure, laterality, preoperative testicular position, preoperative and postoperative testicular volumes, and the testicular volume ratio of them. The average testicular volumes preoperatively and at 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years postoperatively were 0.27 ml, 0.38 ml, 0.53 ml, 0.87 ml, and 1.00 ml, respectively ( P < 0.001). The corresponding testicular volume ratios were 0.67, 0.76, 0.80, 0.83, and 0.84 ( P < 0.001). The mean volume of the undescended testes was significantly smaller than the mean normative value ( P < 0.001, lower than the 10 th percentile). The postoperative testicular volumes in children with cryptorchidism were generally lower than those in healthy boys but were still greater than the 10 th percentile and exhibited an increasing trend. The older the child is at the time of surgery, the larger the gap in volume between the affected and normal testes. Although testicular volume tends to gradually increase after orchiopexy for cryptorchidism, it could not normalizes. Earlier surgery results in affected testicular volumes closer to those of healthy boys.
Humans ; Male ; Cryptorchidism/diagnostic imaging* ; Orchiopexy ; Child, Preschool ; Testis/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Organ Size ; Ultrasonography ; Infant ; Child ; Postoperative Period ; Follow-Up Studies

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the Wnt signaling pathway and miRNAs mechanism of extracts of Plastrum Testudinis (PT) in the treatment of osteoporosis (OP). METHODS: Thirty female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups by random number table method, including sham group, ovariectomized group (OVX), ovariectomized groups treated with high-, medium-, and low-dose PT (160, 80, 40 mg/kg per day, respectively), with 6 rats in each group. Except for the sham group, the other rats underwent bilateral ovariectomy to simulate OP and received PT by oral gavage for 10 consecutive weeks. After treatment, bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; bone microstructure was analyzed by micro-computed tomography and hematoxylin and eosin staining; and the expressions of osteogenic differentiation-related factors were detected by immunochemistry, Western blot, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) was used to inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and miRNA overexpression was used to evaluate the effect of miR-214 on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Subsequently, PT extract was used to rescue the effects of Dkk-1 and miR-214, and its impacts on the osteogenic differentiation-related factors of BMSCs were evaluated. RESULTS: PT-M and PT-L significantly reduced the weight gain in OVX rats (P<0.05). PT also regulated the bone mass and bone microarchitecture of the femur in OVX rats, and increased the expressions of bone formation-related factors including alkaline phosphatase, bone morphogenetic protein type 2, collagen type I alpha 1, and runt-related transcription factor 2 when compared with the OVX group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Meanwhile, different doses of PT significantly rescued the inhibition of Wnt signaling pathway-related factors in OVX rats, and increased the mRNA or protein expressions of Wnt3a, β-catenin, glycogen synthase kinase-3β, and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). PT stimulated the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs inhibited by Dkk-1 and activated the Wnt signaling pathway. In addition, the expression of miR-214 was decreased in OVX rats (P<0.01), and it was negatively correlated with the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs (P<0.01). MiR-214 mimic inhibited Wnt signaling pathway in BMSCs (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conversely, PT effectively counteracted the effect of miR-214 mimic, thereby activating the Wnt signaling pathway and stimulating osteogenic differentiation in BMSCs (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION PT stimulates bone formation in OVX rats through β-catenin-mediated Wnt signaling pathway, which may be related to inhibiting miR-214 in BMSCs.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Female ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Wnt Signaling Pathway/genetics* ; Osteogenesis/genetics* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Bone Density/drug effects* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoporosis/drug therapy* ; beta Catenin/metabolism* ; Rats ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

The early response of plant auxin gene family Aux/IAA (auxin/indole-3-acetic acid) and its interaction with auxin response factor (ARF) are important pattern to regulate plant growth and development. This work identified 28 StoIAA and 24 StoARF members based on the whole genome data of the medicinal plant Senna tora L., which were classified into 10 and 8 subfamilies, respectively. Phylogenetic tree and collinearity analysis showed that S. tora has close evolutionary relationship with the IAA and ARF homologous genes of Glycine max, Medicago truncatula, and the segment duplication events dominate the expansion of StoIAA and StoARF. Gene structure analysis showed that the vast majority of StoIAA and StoARF contain characteristic conserved domain. Transcriptome data showed that StoIAAs and StoARFs were expressed in leaves, roots and seeds, some members had tissue specific expression. The StoIAA and StoARF promoter region most contain functional elements related to stress response, growth and development, hormone induction and secondary metabolism. In addition, gene expression analysis showed that many StoIAAs and StoARFs can quickly respond to drought and salt stress and exhibited same expression patterns under both stress condition. The yeast two-hybrid experiment confirmed that StoARF8 and StoARF10 exhibit varying degrees of interaction with multiple StoIAA proteins, respectively. The above results provide a basis for further biological functional analysis of the Aux/IAA and ARF gene family of S. tora.