This study selected 6 529 plant-based Chinese materia medica(PCMM) from Chinese Materia Medica as research subjects and applied a random permutation test to explore the overall correlation characteristics between nature and flavor, as well as the correlation characteristics after distinguishing different medicinal parts and harvest seasons. The results showed that the overall correlation characteristics between nature and flavor in PCMM were significantly associated in the following pairs: cold and bitter, cool and bitter, cool and astringent, cool and light, neutral and sweet, neutral and astringent, neutral and light, neutral and sour, hot and pungent, and warm and pungent. When analyzing the data by distinguishing medicinal parts and/or harvest seasons, new correlation patterns emerged, characterized by the disappearance of some significant correlations and the emergence of new ones. When analyzing by medicinal parts alone, significant correlations were found in the following cases: cold and light in leaves, cold and salty in barks, cool and sweet in fruits and seeds, neutral and pungent in whole herbs, neutral and salty in stems, and warm and salty in flowers. However, no significant correlations were found between cool and bitter in stems and other types of herbs, cool and astringent in fruits, seeds, flowers, and other types of herbs, cool and light in leaves, fruits, seeds, barks, flowers and other types of herbs, neutral and sweet in barks, neutral and astringent in whole herbs and stems, neutral and light in leaves, fruits, seeds, and flowers, neutral and sour in whole herbs, stems, barks, flowers, and other types of herbs, and hot and pungent in whole herbs, stems, flowers, and other types of herbs. When analyzing by harvest season alone, significant correlations were found in the following cases: cold and salty, and cool and sour in herbs harvested in winter, and neutral and salty in herbs harvested year-round. However, no significant correlation was found between cool and light in herbs harvested in winter. When considering both medicinal parts and harvest seasons, compared to the independent influence of medicinal parts, 14 new significant correlations emerged(e.g., the correlation between cool and bitter in stems harvested in spring), while 53 previously significant correlations disappeared(e.g., the correlation between cool and bitter in barks harvested in summer). Compared to the independent influence of harvest seasons, 11 new significant correlations appeared(e.g., the correlation between cold and light in barks harvested in autumn), while 50 previously significant correlations disappeared(e.g., the correlation between hot and pungent in leaves harvested in winter). This study is the first to reveal the influence of medicinal parts and harvest seasons on the correlation between nature and flavor in PCMM, which highlights that these two factors can interact and jointly affect nature-flavor correlations. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms. This study provides a deeper understanding of the inherent scientific connotations of herbal properties and offers a theoretical foundation for the cultivation and harvesting of PCMM.
Seasons ; Plants, Medicinal/growth & development* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Taste

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical utility of novel of new hematological markers in the preoperative diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a total of 149 patients who underwent revision of total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at a single center between January 2016 and June 2022, including 63 males and 86 females, aged from 47 to 93 years old with an average of (69.5±11.8) years old. Of them, 46 were diagnosed as PJI(PJI group), including 22 males and 24 females. The mean age was (71.3±12.5) years old. The body mass index (BMI) was (26.4±3.1) kg·m^-2. And 103 patients were diagnosed as aseptic prosthesis loosening (aseptic group), including 41 males and 62 females. The mean age was (68.7±11.4) years old. The BMI was (25.8±3.5) kg·m^-2. Preoperatively analyzed clinical parameters included C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), albumin, globulin, albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR), plasma D-dimer, and plasma fibrinogen. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), sensitivity, and specificity analysis were employed to compare the diagnostic value of each blood marker in preoperative PJI diagnosis. RESULTS: In the PJI group, the levels of CRP were 16.6 (7.6, 4.5) mg·L^-1, ESR was 17.0 (12.8, 35.5) mm·h^-1, plasma D-dimer was 1.0 (0.5, 3.1) μg·L^-1, and plasma fibrinogen was 4.2 (3.2, 3.1) mg·L^-1;all of which were higher compared to the aseptic group with CRP at 4.2 (2.6, 7.8) mg·L^-1, ESR at 12.0(8.0, 20.0 )mm·h^-l, D-dimer at 0.4(0.2, 0.7)μg·L^-1, and fibrinogen at 2.8(2.4, 3.3 ) g·L^-1(P<0.05). However, the albumin level of 35.3 (32.3, 37.5) g·L^-1 and the WBC ratio of 1.0(0.9, 1.1) in the PJI group were significantly lower compared to the aseptic group with levels of 39.8 (36.1, 41.8) g·L^-1 and 1.4 (1.3, 1.5), respectively (P<0.05). Only the area under the curve (AUC) of AGR and plasma fibrinogen were greater than 0.8. The optimal predictive cut-1off, AUC, sensitivity and specificity were 3.4 g·L-1, 0.820, 69.57% and 84.47% for plasma fibrinogen; 1.18, 0.813, 82.61% and 78.64% for AGR, respectively. CONCLUSION AGR and plasma fibrinogen are promising blood markers for improving the diagnosis of PJI.
Humans ; Female ; Fibrinogen/metabolism* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Prosthesis-Related Infections/blood* ; Retrospective Studies ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/adverse effects* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/adverse effects* ; Leukocyte Count

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) expresses abundant glycolytic enzymes and displays comprehensive glucose metabolism reprogramming. Aldolase A (ALDOA) plays a prominent role in glycolysis; however, little is known about its role in HCC development. In the present study, we aim to explore how ALDOA is involved in HCC proliferation. HCC proliferation was markedly suppressed both in vitro and in vivo following ALDOA knockout, which is consistent with ALDOA overexpression encouraging HCC proliferation. Mechanistically, ALDOA knockout partially limits the glycolytic flux in HCC cells. Meanwhile, ALDOA translocated to nuclei and directly interacted with c-Jun to facilitate its Thr93 phosphorylation by P21-activated protein kinase; ALDOA knockout markedly diminished c-Jun Thr93 phosphorylation and then dampened c-Jun transcription function. A crucial site Y364 mutation in ALDOA disrupted its interaction with c-Jun, and Y364S ALDOA expression failed to rescue cell proliferation in ALDOA deletion cells. In HCC patients, the expression level of ALDOA was correlated with the phosphorylation level of c-Jun (Thr93) and poor prognosis. Remarkably, hepatic ALDOA was significantly upregulated in the promotion and progression stages of diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC models, and the knockdown of A ldoa strikingly decreased HCC development in vivo. Our study demonstrated that ALDOA is a vital driver for HCC development by activating c-Jun-mediated oncogene transcription, opening additional avenues for anti-cancer therapies.

italic>Lamiophlomis rotata is an important medicinal plant species endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, which is prone to strong climate change impacts on its habitable range due to the high sensitivity of the Tibetan Plateau to climate change. Accurate quantification of species vulnerability to climate change is essential for assessing species extinction risk and developing effective conservation strategies. Therefore, we carried out the α-shape analysis to determine the habitat of L. rotata. We then carried out the climate-niche factor analysis (CNFA) to assess the vulnerability of L. rotata to climate change based on five climate variables (i.e., mean diurnal range, temperature seasonality, mean temperature of warmest quarter, precipitation of driest month and precipitation of warmest quarter) in the context of two shared socioeconomic pathways (i.e., SSP126 and SSP585) and three global climate models (CMCC-ESM2: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici-Earth System Model version 2; HadGEM3-GC31-LL: Hadley Global Environment Model version 3-Global Coupled configuration 3.1; IPSL-CM6A-LR: Institut Pierre Simon Laplace-Climate Model version 6) during two different periods (2041-2060 and 2081-2100). The vulnerability of L. rotata to climate change was calculated by integrating the sensitivity and exposure indices of L. rotata to five climate variables. The results showed that L. rotata had the highest vulnerability to the precipitation of warmest quarter. Its vulnerability within its habitat range generally showed a spatial pattern of high value in the southern region and low in the northern region, high in the western region and low in the eastern region. In general, the vulnerability of L. rotata under the SSP585 scenario was higher than that under the SSP126 scenario. The climate data of different global climate models have some influence on the results, while the resulted uncertainty can be reduced by data integration methods. As a result of climate change, the pressure on the survival of L. rotata in the future will be intensified in the low-altitude areas such as the Yarlung Zangbo River, Yigongzangbu River, Zayu River, and Jiaomuzu River, etc., while the highly weathered scree flats or stony alpine meadows in the high-altitude zones, such as the eastern Tanggula Mountain Range, the northern part of Hengduan Mountain Range, and the western part of the Qinling Mountains, may become its refuge. It is necessary to focus on and strengthen the protection and management of L. rotata resources in these vulnerble and critical areas.

Natural product bufotenine (5) which could be isolated from Venenum Bufonis, has been widely used as a tool in central nervous system (CNS) studies. We present here its quaternary ammonium salt (6) which was synthesized with high yields using 5-benzyloxyindole as raw materials, and we firstly discover its analgesic effects in vivo. The analgesic evaluation showed that compounds 5 and 6 had stronger effects on the behavior of formalin induced pain in mice. Moreover, the combination of compound 6 and morphine has a synergistic effect. We intended to explain the molecular mechanism of this effect. Therefore, 36 analgesic-related targets (including 15 G protein-coupled receptors, 6 enzymes, 13 ion channels, and 2 others) were systemically evaluated using reverse docking. The results indicate that bufotenine and its derivatives are closely related to acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) or α

Objective: To determine the impact of inflammatory reaction levels and the culprit plaque characteristics on preprocedural Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: The is a retrospective study. A total of 1 268 STEMI patients who underwent pre-intervention optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination of culprit lesion during emergency PCI were divided into 2 groups by preprocedural TIMI flow grade (TIMI 0-1 group (n =964, 76.0%) and TIMI 2-3 group (n =304, 24.0%)). Baseline clinical data of the 2 groups were collected; blood samples were collected for the detection of inflammatory markers such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), myocardial injury marker, blood lipid, etc.; echocardiography was used to determine left ventricular ejection fraction; coronary angiography and OCT were performed to define the lesion length, diameter stenosis degree of the infarct-related arteries, presence or absence of complex lesions, culprit lesion type, area stenosis degree and vulnerability of culprit plaques. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent correlation factors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of continuous independent correlation factors was analyzed, and the best cut-off value of TIMI 0-1 was respectively determined according to the maximum value of Youden index. Results: The mean age of 1 268 STEMI patients were (57.6±11.4) years old and 923 cases were males (72.8%). Compared with TIMI 2-3 group, the patients in TIMI 0-1 group were older and had higher N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level, lower cardiac troponin I (cTnI) level, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and higher hsCRP level (5.16(2.06, 11.78) mg/L vs. 3.73(1.51, 10.46) mg/L). Moreover, the hsCRP level of patients in TIMI 0-1 group was higher in the plaque rupture subgroup (all P<0.05). Coronary angiography results showed that compared with TIMI 2-3 group, the proportion of right coronary artery (RCA) as the infarct-related artery was higher, the angiographical lesion length was longer, minimal lumen diameter was smaller, and diameter stenosis was larger in TIMI 0-1 group (all P<0.05). The prevalence of plaque rupture was higher (75.8% vs. 61.2%) in TIMI 0-1 group. Plaque vulnerability was significantly higher in TIMI 0-1 group than that in TIMI 2-3 group with larger mean lipid arc (241.27°±46.78° vs. 228.30°±46.32°), more thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA, 72.4% vs. 57.9%), more frequent appearance of macrophage accumulation (84.4% vs. 70.7%) and cholesterol crystals (39.1% vs. 25.7%). Minimal flow area was smaller [1.3(1.1-1.7)mm² vs. 1.4(1.1-1.9)mm², all P<0.05] and flow area stenosis was higher (78.2%±10.6% vs. 76.3%±12.3%) in TIMI 0-1 group. Multivariable analysis showed that mean lipid arc>255.55°, cholesterol crystals, angiographical lesion length>16.14 mm, and hsCRP>3.29 mg/L were the independent correlation factors of reduced preprocedural TIMI flow grade in STEMI patients. Conclusions: Plaque vulnerability and inflammation are closely related to reduced preprocedural TIMI flow grade in STEMI patients.
Aged ; Coronary Angiography ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/diagnostic imaging* ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/diagnostic imaging* ; Retrospective Studies ; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/surgery* ; Stroke Volume ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Ventricular Function, Left

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak occurred during the flu season around the world. This study aimed to analyze the impact of influenza A virus (IAV) exposure on COVID-19. METHODS: Seventy COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital during January and February 2020 in Wuhan, China were included in this retrospective study. Serum tests including respiratory pathogen immunoglobulin M (IgM) and inflammation biomarkers were performed upon admission. Patients were divided into common, severe, and critical types according to disease severity. Symptoms, inflammation indices, disease severity, and fatality rate were compared between anti-IAV IgM-positive and anti-IAV IgM-negative groups. The effects of the empirical use of oseltamivir were also analyzed in both groups. For comparison between groups, t tests and the Mann-Whitney U test were used according to data distribution. The Chi-squared test was used to compare disease severity and fatality between groups. RESULTS: Thirty-two (45.71%) of the 70 patients had positive anti-IAV IgM. Compared with the IAV-negative group, the positive group showed significantly higher proportions of female patients (59.38% vs. 34.21%, χ = 4.43, P = 0.035) and patients with fatigue (59.38% vs. 34.21%, χ = 4.43, P = 0.035). The levels of soluble interleukin 2 receptor (median 791.00 vs. 1075.50 IU/mL, Z = -2.70, P = 0.007) and tumor necrosis factor α (median 10.75 vs. 11.50 pg/mL, Z = -2.18, P = 0.029) were significantly lower in the IAV-positive group. Furthermore, this group tended to have a higher proportion of critical patients (31.25% vs. 15.79%, P = 0.066) and a higher fatality rate (21.88% vs. 7.89%, P = 0.169). Notably, in the IAV-positive group, patients who received oseltamivir had a significantly lower fatality rate (0 vs. 36.84%, P = 0.025) compared with those not receiving oseltamivir. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that during the flu season, close attention should be paid to the probability of IAV exposure in COVID-19 patients. Prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to clarify whether IAV increases the fatality rate of COVID-19 and to elucidate any benefits of empirical usage of oseltamivir.
Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Viral/blood* ; Betacoronavirus ; COVID-19 ; Coronavirus Infections/mortality* ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M/blood* ; Influenza A virus/immunology* ; Influenza, Human/complications* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral/mortality* ; Retrospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Severity of Illness Index

Adolescent ; Adult ; Beijing/epidemiology* ; Contact Tracing ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Tuberculosis/transmission* ; Universities ; Young Adult

Objective: The effect of triptolide (TP) on endogenous metabolites in mice with ulcerative colitis (UC) was analyzed by means of metabolomics, and the metabolic pathway and possible mechanism of TP in UC were discussed. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, and triptolide group. Dextran sulfate (DSS) was used to induce UC mice model. The serum samples of mice were detected by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and characterized by principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) to identify the potential biomarkers and possible metabolic pathways. Results: Compared with the blank control group, a total of 15 potential biomarkers, such as cholic acid, bezoar cholic acid, goose-deoxycholic acid, citrulline, guanidine butyric acid, aminoacetic acid, and cis-aconitic acid, were found and identified in serum. Compared with the model group, the potential biomarkers showed a tendency of callback to normal level after TP intervention. Conclusion: Metabolomics analysis reveals that TP had certain therapeutic effects on UC mice, and its mechanism may be related to regulating primary bile acid biosynthesis, arginine, and proline metabolism.

Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; methods ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; isolation & purification ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; diagnosis ; microbiology