Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of"Shibao Decoction"in the management of late-onset hypogonadism(LOH)caused by deficiency of kidney essence.Methods:Sixty male patients with late-onset hypogonadism of kidney essence defi-ciency type were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group,each with 30 cases.The patients in treatment group were treated with oral Shibao Decoction,while the control group was treated with oral Testosterone Undecanoate Capsules.The patients in both groups were treated for 12 weeks.The PADAM symptom score,TCM syndrome score,serum total testosterone(TT),serum free testosterone(FT),sex hormone binding globulin(SHBG),body mass index(BMI),total skeletal muscle mass index(SMI),appendicular skeletal muscle mass index(ASMI),FBG,FINS,and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR)levels were compared be-tween the two groups.Results:After treatment,PADAM scores for each item and TCM symptoms score decreased,TT and FT in-creased in both groups,all with statistically significant differences from those of pre-treatment(P＜0.05).The level of SHBG in the control group decreased(P＜0.05),which had not changed significantly in the treatment group(P＞0.05).After treatment,SMI and ASMI increased in both groups significantly(P＜0.05).BMI decreased in the control group(P＜0.05),which had not changed significantly in the treatment group(P＞0.05).The level of FINS decreased in the control group(P＜0.05),which had not changed significantly in the treatment group(P＞0.05).FPG had not changed significantly in both groups(P＞0.05),and the insulin resist-ance index(HOMA-IR)had significantly improved in both groups,all with statistically significant differences from those of pre-treat-ment(P＜0.05).After treatment,the total effective rates of PADAM score and TCM syndrome score in the treatment group were 73.3％and 86.6％respectively,and the total effective rates in the control group were 66.7％and 76.6％respectively.The total ef-fective rates of the two scores in the treatment group were slightly higher than those in the control group(P＞0.05).There was no sig-nificant difference in the indicators between the two groups after treatment,and the treatment group is generally comparable with the control group in the therapeutic effects(P＞0.05).And no adverse reactions occurred during treatment in both groups.Conclu-sion:The"Shibao Decoction"has a remarkable therapeutic effect on late-onset hypogonadism caused by deficiency of kidney essence and has good safety.It can be used as an alternative to testosterone undecanoate and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Glycyrrhizic acid is one of the key bioactive components in licorice,known for its liver-protec-tive and antiviral effects.Squalene epoxidase(SQE)is a crucial enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of glycyrrhizic acid.However,there is limited research on the systematic analysis of the SQE gene family and its function in licorice.This study aims to explore the role of the SQE gene family in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis through bioinformatic analysis,expression specificity,and correlation with glycyrrhizic acid con-tent.The results showed that the three medicinal species of licorice contained a total of 11 SQE genes.Among them,both Glycyrrhiza glabra and Glycyrrhiza inflata had four SQE genes,while Glycyrrhiza ura-lensis had three.Highly homologous SQE genes exhibited similar expression patterns and were located at similar chromosomal positions.Different SQE genes displayed distinct expression characteristics.Specif-ically,GgSQE1,GiSQE1,GuSQE1,and GuSQE3 were primarily expressed in the roots,while GgSQE3 was highly expressed in the whole plant of licorice.Under 15％PEG6000 and 150 mmol/L NaCl treat-ments at different time points during seedling stages of different licorice species,the expression patterns of GgSQE1,GgSQE3,GiSQE1,GiSQE3,and GuSQE1 exhibited trends similar to the changes in glycyr-rhizic acid content.Further analysis revealed that the promoter regions of these genes contained multiple stress-responsive elements,suggesting that SQE1 and SQE3 may be involved in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis following abiotic stress in licorice.The findings of this study provide candidate genes for future breeding programs aimed at improving glycyrrhizic acid content and lay a foundation for further research into the molecular mechanisms by which abiotic stress enhances glycyrrhizic acid production.

This study aims to comprehensively analyze the material basis of toad visceral oil(hereafter referred to as toad oil), and explore the pharmacological effect of toad oil on atopic dermatitis(AD). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) were employed to comprehensively identify the chemical components in toad oil. The animal model of AD was prepared by the hapten stimulation method. The modeled animals were respectively administrated with positive drug(0.1% hydrocortisone butyrate cream) and low-and high-doses(1%, 10%) of toad oil by gavage. The effect of toad oil on AD was evaluated with the AD score, ear swelling rate, spleen index, and pathological section results as indicators. A total of 99 components were identified by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS, including 14 bufadienolides, 7 fatty acids, 6 alkaloids, 10 ketones, 18 amides, and other compounds. After methylation of toad oil samples, a total of 20 compounds were identified by GC-MS. Compared with the model group, the low-and high-dose toad oil groups showed declined AD score, ear swelling rate, and spleen index, alleviated skin lesions, and reduced infiltrating mast cells. This study comprehensively analyzes the chemical composition and clarifies the material basis of toad oil. Meanwhile, this study proves that toad oil has a good therapeutic effect on AD and is a reserve resource of traditional Chinese medicine for external use in the treatment of AD.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic/immunology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Male ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Bufonidae ; Oils/administration & dosage* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical and genetic characteristics of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). METHODS: Clinical data, laboratory findings, and genetic test results of 63 children diagnosed with CAH at Henan Children's Hospital from January 2017 to December 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 63 patients, the mean age at the first visit was (21 ± 14) days; 29 (46%) were of male sex and 34 (54%) were of female sex. The predominant clinical manifestations were poor weight gain or weight loss (92%, 58/63), poor feeding (84%, 53/63), skin hyperpigmentation (83%, 52/63), and female external genital anomalies (100%, 34/34). Laboratory abnormalities included hyponatremia (87%, 55/63), hyperkalemia (68%, 43/63), metabolic acidosis (68%, 43/63), and markedly elevated 17-hydroxyprogesterone (92%, 58/63), testosterone (89%, 56/63), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (81%, 51/63). Among 49 patients who underwent genetic testing, CYP21A2 variants were identified in 90% (44/49), with c.293-13A/C>G (33%, 30/91) and large deletions/gene conversions (29%, 26/91) being the most frequent; STAR (8%, 4/49) and HSD3B2 (2%, 1/49) variants were also detected. Following hormone replacement therapy, electrolyte disturbances were corrected in 57 cases, with significant reductions in 17-hydroxyprogesterone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and testosterone levels (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS CAH presenting in neonates or young infants is characterized by electrolyte imbalance, external genital anomalies, and abnormal hormone levels. Genetic testing enables definitive subtype classification; in CYP21A2-related CAH, c.293-13A/C>G is a hotspot variant. These findings underscore the clinical value of genetic testing for early diagnosis and genetic counseling in CAH. Citation:Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 2025, 27(11): 1367-1372.
Humans ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn

OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively evaluate the effect of icariin in alleviating reproductive function damage (RFD) in male mice via in vitro and in vivo experiments. METHODS: We isolated Leydig cells from 60 KM male mice in vitro, and examined the toxic effect of icariin on the Leydig cells using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). We equally randomized the mice into six groups: normal control, RFD model control (made by intraperitoneal injection of busulfan at 10 mg/kg combined with cyclophosphamide (CP) at 120 mg/kg), positive control, and low-, medium- and high-dose icariin. After modeling, we treated the mice in the positive control group with Wuziyanzong Pills and those in the low-, medium- and high-dose icariin groups by intragastrical administration of icariin at 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg-1, respectively, for 30 successive days. Then we obtained the weight and visceral coefficients of the reproductive organs, calculated the sperm count, observed the pathological changes in the testis tissue by HE staining, measured the serum testosterone (T) level by ELISA, determined the indexes of testicular oxidative stress and nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway by colorimetric assay, and detected the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic genes Fas and Bax by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: CCK-8 assay confirmed that icariin had no toxic effect on the isolated Leydig cells of the mice, and could effectively reduce busulfan- and CP-induced cytotoxicity and promote the secretion of serum T. Icariin at 80 mg/kg significantly increased the visceral coefficient of the testis and promoted spermatogenesis (P<0.05), but had little effect on the visceral coefficient of the epididymis in the RFD model mice. Testicular histomorphometric observation revealed significantly improved testis structure, intact boundary membrane of seminiferous tubules and increased numbers of various types of spermatogenic cells of the model mice after treated with icariin. Compared with the mice in the model control group, those treated with high-dose icariin showed a significantly reduced content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (by 35.3%, P<0.01), elevated total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) and superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity (P<0.05), and decreased NO content and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in the testis tissue (P<0.01). In addition, icariin exhibited an evident inhibitory effect on the expressions of the pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Fas. CONCLUSION Icariin can ameliorate oxidative stress-induced damage to the testicular function and protect spermatogenesis of male mice by elevating TAOC, decreasing NOS activity, inhibiting the NO level in the testis, and suppressing busulfan- and CP-induced apoptosis of testicular cells.
Animals ; Male ; Cyclophosphamide/adverse effects* ; Mice ; Busulfan/adverse effects* ; Flavonoids/pharmacology* ; Leydig Cells/drug effects* ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Testis/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Testosterone/blood*

Glycyrrhizic acid is one of the key bioactive components in licorice,known for its liver-protec-tive and antiviral effects.Squalene epoxidase(SQE)is a crucial enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of glycyrrhizic acid.However,there is limited research on the systematic analysis of the SQE gene family and its function in licorice.This study aims to explore the role of the SQE gene family in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis through bioinformatic analysis,expression specificity,and correlation with glycyrrhizic acid con-tent.The results showed that the three medicinal species of licorice contained a total of 11 SQE genes.Among them,both Glycyrrhiza glabra and Glycyrrhiza inflata had four SQE genes,while Glycyrrhiza ura-lensis had three.Highly homologous SQE genes exhibited similar expression patterns and were located at similar chromosomal positions.Different SQE genes displayed distinct expression characteristics.Specif-ically,GgSQE1,GiSQE1,GuSQE1,and GuSQE3 were primarily expressed in the roots,while GgSQE3 was highly expressed in the whole plant of licorice.Under 15％PEG6000 and 150 mmol/L NaCl treat-ments at different time points during seedling stages of different licorice species,the expression patterns of GgSQE1,GgSQE3,GiSQE1,GiSQE3,and GuSQE1 exhibited trends similar to the changes in glycyr-rhizic acid content.Further analysis revealed that the promoter regions of these genes contained multiple stress-responsive elements,suggesting that SQE1 and SQE3 may be involved in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis following abiotic stress in licorice.The findings of this study provide candidate genes for future breeding programs aimed at improving glycyrrhizic acid content and lay a foundation for further research into the molecular mechanisms by which abiotic stress enhances glycyrrhizic acid production.

Objective To explore the effect of Shexiang Baoxin pill on cardiac tissue angiogenesis in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR).Method Twenty 12 week old male SHR were randomly divided into experimental group and model group,with 12 week old male SD rats as the normal control group.The experimental group rats were orally administered with Shexiang Baoxin pill(45 mg·kg-1)daily,and their blood pressure was monitored using a non-invasive tail artery blood pressure gauge every four weeks.Eight weeks later,cardiac tissue was taken for platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1(PECAM-1/CD31)immunofluorescence staining to observe CD31 expression level.Use protein blotting to detect the expression levels of myocardial endothelial growth factor(VEGF),myocardial endothelial growth factor receptor 2(VEGF-R2),basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)and phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-Akt)/protein kinase B(Akt)proteins.Result There was significant increase in blood pressure between the experimental group,model group and normal group at the same time point(all P＜0.01),but there was no statistically significant difference in blood pressure changes between the experimental group and model group at the same time point(all P＞0.05).The CD31 expression rates of the normal group,model group and experimental group were(3.79±0.84)％,(2.54±0.42)％and(3.56±0.49)％;VEGF levels were 0.95±0.10,0.73±0.08 and 0.94±0.15;VEGF-R2 levels were 0.85±0.10,0.61±0.14 and 0.80±0.10;bFGF levels were 0.84±0.04,0.51±0.21 and 0.74±0.14;p-Akt/Akt levels were 0.85±0.15,0.57±0.13 and 0.80±0.20,respectively.The differences between the normal group and the model group,as well as the experimental group and the model group,were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Shexiang Baoxin pill can promote the neovascularization of microvessels in the heart tissue of spontaneously hypertensive rats,and its mechanism may be related to the activation of PI3K/Akt phosphorylation,upregulation of bFGF,VEGF and their receptor VEGF-R2 in myocardial tissue.

AIM To establish the HPLC-CAD characteristic chromatograms of Qingzhi Huayu Formula,and to determine the contents of rhamnose,fructose,mannitol,D-anhydrous glucose,sucrose and raffinose.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 35 ℃ thermostatic Dikma Polyamino HILIC column (4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-water flowing at 0.8 mL/min in a gradient elution manner.RESULTS There were 14 common peaks in the characteristic chromatograms of 15 batches of samples with the similarities of more than 0.90.Six carbohydrates showed good linear relationships within their own ranges ( r>0.9950 ),whose average recoveries were 93.34％-105.64％ with the RSDs of 0.5％-2.6％.CONCLUSION This accurate,reliable,sensitive and reproducible method can be used for the quality control of carbohydrates in Qingzhi Huayu Formula.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of ixazomib combined with thalidomide and dexamethasone in the treatment of multiple myeloma(MM).Methods:The clinical data of 60 MM patients admitted to our center from January 2019 to June 2022 were analyzed retrospectively,including 43 newly diagnosed patients and 17 patients with recurrence and progression.All patients were treated with ixazomib combined with thalidomide and dexamethasone,and completed 2 to 7 treatment cycles.Results:The overall response rate(ORR)of all patients was 98.3％.Among them,53 patients completed 4 treatment cycles,and the ORR was 86.8％.Seventeen patients completed the whole treatment cycle,with curative effect reaching 88.2％achieving very good partial response and above,and 52.9％achieving complete response and above.Albumin and β2-microglobulin of all patients had been improved rapidly after treatment.The deadline was August 31,2022.The median follow-up time was 14(3-24)months,and overall survival(OS)rate was 86.67％.The OS rate of patients with recurrence and progression was significantly lower than that of newly diagnosed patients(P＜0.05).The most common adverse reaction of hematology was lymphopenia(53.3％),followed by anemia(33.3％).The most common non-hematological adverse reaction was fatigue(68.33％),followed by peripheral neuropathy(31.67％).Conclusion:Ixazomib combined with thalidomide and dexamethasone is effective in the treatment of MM,with good short-term efficacy,survival and safety.However,its long-term efficacy needs further observation.

Traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome (TSOFS) is a symptom complex caused by nerve entrapment in the supraorbital fissure after skull base trauma. If the compressed cranial nerve in the supraorbital fissure is not decompressed surgically, ptosis, diplopia and eye movement disorder may exist for a long time and seriously affect the patients′ quality of life. Since its overall incidence is not high, it is not familiarized with the majority of neurosurgeons and some TSOFS may be complicated with skull base vascular injury. If the supraorbital fissure surgery is performed without treatment of vascular injury, it may cause massive hemorrhage, and disability and even life-threatening in severe cases. At present, there is no consensus or guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS that can be referred to both domestically and internationally. To improve the understanding of TSOFS among clinical physicians and establish standardized diagnosis and treatment plans, the Skull Base Trauma Group of the Neurorepair Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Neurosurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Traumatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized relevant experts to formulate Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome ( version 2024) based on evidence of evidence-based medicine and clinical experience of diagnosis and treatment. This consensus puts forward 12 recommendations on the diagnosis, classification, treatment, efficacy evaluation and follow-up of TSOFS, aiming to provide references for neurosurgeons from hospitals of all levels to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS.