Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1(APE 1)is a multifunctional protein that plays important roles in DNA repair and regulation of gene expression.Because APE 1 is overexpressed in various cancers,it can serve as a cancer biomarker for aiding clinical diagnosis,guiding therapy,and monitoring prognosis.On this basis,a label-free fluorescent probe was designed based on the primer exchange reaction(PER)strategy for highly sensitive detection of APE 1 activity.In the absence of APE 1,the structure of catalytic hairpin(HP)was stable and could not form G-quadruplex.Therefore,the background fluorescence of this sensing system was very low due to the dissociation of thioflavin T(ThT).In the presence of APE 1,the apurinic/apyrimidinic(AP)site of HP was cleaved by APE 1 and a short nucleic acid fragment that acted as a primer to initiate PER was generated.After PER reaction,a large number of G-quadruplex were produced,which could specifically bind with ThT and resulted in significant increase of fluorescence signal.The combination of low background design of HP and PER amplification made this biosensor had high sensitivity with a detection limit(3σ)of 0.0008 U/mL.Furthermore,the primer sequence was directly generated by the cleavage of APE 1 without additional addition,which not only increased the specificity of the reaction,but also simplified the experiment procedure.Moreover,the use of label-free fluorescence signal reduced the cost of the experiment,and realized rapid detection of APE 1.Finally,this sensor was used to detect APE 1 in human serum samples with spiked recoveries of 91%-104%,proving great potential in study of biological enzyme.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of food intolerance among children in Zhuzhou area and its relationship with age,gender,systemic diseases,and food allergies,so as to provide a basis for the scientific adjustment of children's dietary structure.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on totally 1 592 children who underwent food intolerance and food allergen testing in the hospital,the positive rate and distri-bution of 14 kinds of food intolerance were assessed,and their correlation with various factors was analyzed.Results Among 14 kinds of food tested,milk and eggs had the highest positive rates of intolerance,at 82.22％and 55.78％,respectively.The majority of children were intolerant to 1 to 2 kinds of food,with a de-creasing trend in the number of children intolerant to multiple kinds of food.Among the 14 types of food,ex-cept for mushrooms and pork,there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of negative,mild,moderate,and severe intolerance in other foods(P＜0.05).Children tended to have moderate or even se-vere intolerance to milk and eggs,while they tended to have mild intolerance to other foods.There was no sta-tistically significant difference in the overall food intolerance rate between boys and girls(P=0.654),but the positive rate of tomato intolerance in girls was slightly higher than that in boys(P=0.043).Except for pork,there were statistically significant differences in the positive rates of intolerance to 14 different foods among different age groups(P＜0.05).The positive rates of intolerance to cod,mushrooms,and crabs increased with age,while the positive rates of intolerance to beef decreased with age.There was a statistically significant difference in the positive rate of milk intolerance between healthy children and children with skin allergies(P＜0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of individuals who were tolerant and not allergic to milk compared to hose who were intolerant and allergic to milk(P＜0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of individuals who were tolerant and not allergic to eggs compared to those who were intolerant and allergic to eggs(P＜0.05).Conclusion The positive rate of food intolerance among children in Zhuzhou area is relatively high,with milk and eggs being the main intolerant foods.There are differences in the positive rate of intolerance among different gender and age groups,and in-tolerance to milk and eggs is associated with food allergies to some extent.

Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) has been a safe and viable alternative to conversion to laparotomy in cases of severe cholecystitis. The objective of this study is to determine the utility of intraoperative choledochoscopy in LSC for the exploration of the gallbladder, cyst duct, and subsequent stone clearance of the cystic duct in cases of severe cholecystitis. A total of 72 patients diagnosed with severe cholecystitis received choledochoscopy-assisted laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (CALSC). A choledochoscopy was performed to explore the gallbladder cavity and/or cystic duct, and to extract stones using a range of techniques. The clinical records, including the operative records and outcomes, were subjected to analysis. No LSC was converted to open surgery, and no bile duct or vascular injuries were sustained. All stones within the cystic duct were removed by a combination of techniques, including high-frequency needle knife electrotomy, basket, and electrohydraulic lithotripsy. A follow-up examination revealed the absence of residual bile duct stones, with the exception of one common bile duct stone, which was extracted via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. In certain special cases, CALSC may prove to be an efficacious treatment for the management of severe cholecystitis. This technique allows for optimal comprehension of the situation within the gallbladder cavity and cystic duct, facilitating the removal of stones from the cystic duct and reducing the residue of the non-functional gallbladder remnant.

Objective To evaluate the value of Bushen Qianggu Formula(BSQGF)applying in the treatment of patients with postmenopausal osteoporotic lumbar vertebral compression fracture(PM-OLVCF)of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type,and to observe its effects on lumbar function and sex hormone profiles.Methods A total of 162 patients with PM-OLVCF of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type treated at Haikou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from February 2023 to June 2024 were collected.The patients were equally randomized into a control group and an observation group by using a table of random numbers,with 81 cases in each group.Both groups received percutaneous kyphoplasty and conventional western treatment with analgesics and antibiotics after the operation.Moreover,the control group received oral use of Alfacalcidol+Calcium Carbonate D3 Tablets postoperatively,while the observation group received additional BSQGF decoction orally for 12 weeks.Primary outcomes included Cobb angle,Oswestry Disability Index(ODI),traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,bone mineral density(BMD),and serum levels of preadipocyte factor 1(Pref-1),thromboxane B2(TXB2),cyclooxygenase 2(COX-2),interleukin 6(IL-6),prostaglandin E2(PGE2),bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP-2),and relative sex hormones.After treatment,therapeutic effects of patients in both groups were evaluated.Results(1)After 12 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate in the observation group was 93.83%(76/81)and that in the control group was 83.95%(68/81),and the observation group showed significantly better therapeutic efficacy than the control group(χ2=8.134,P＜0.05).(2)After 12 weeks of treatment,both groups showed reductions in Cobb angle,ODI scores,and total TCM syndrome scores compared to those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the observation group demonstrated significantly greater reductions than the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After 6 and 12 weeks of treatment,BMD values were increased in both groups compared to those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the observation group showed significantly greater increase of BMD at both 6 and 12 weeks than the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After 2 weeks of treatment,serum TXB2,COX-2,Pref-1,PGE2,and IL-6 levels were decreased while serum BMP-2 level was increased in both groups compared to those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the observation group showed significantly greater reductions in TXB2,COX-2,Pref-1,PGE2,and IL-6 levels and greater increase of BMP-2 level than the control group(P＜0.05).(5)After 12 weeks of treatment,the control group showed no significant changes in serum levels of luteinizing hormone(LH),estradiol(E2),or follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)(P＞0.05),while the observation group showed decreased serum LH and FSH levels(P＜0.05)and increased serum E2 level(P＜0.05)compared to those before treatment.The intergroup comparison showed that the observation group had more improvements in all these sex hormone indicators than the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion BSQGF combined with conventional western medicine therapy is effective on inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory factors,promoting fracture healing,and improving lumbar function in patients with PM-OLVCF of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type,and enhances the therapeutic efficacy compared to western medicine treatment alone.

Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

The study aims to elucidate the existence forms(original constituents and metabolites) of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in rats and reveal its metabolic pathways. After Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma was administered orally once a day for seven consecutive days to rats, all urine and feces samples were collected for seven days, while the blood samples were obtained 6 h after the last administration. Using the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technique, this study identified 6, 73, and 156 existence forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in the rat plasma, urine, and feces samples, respectively. Among them, 101 compounds were identified as new existence forms, and 13 original constituents were identified by comparing with reference compounds. The metabolic reactions of constituents from Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were mainly deglycosylation, dehydration, hydroxylation, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, acetylation, and amino acid conjugation. Furthermore, the possible in vivo metabolic pathways of protopanaxatriol(PPT) in rats were proposed. Through comprehensive analysis of the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) data, isomeric compounds were discriminated, and the planar chemical structures of 32 metabolites were clearly identified. According to the literature, 48 original constituents possess antitumor and cardiovascular protective bioactivities. Additionally, 32 metabolites were predicted to have similar bioactivities by SuperPred. This research lays the foundation for further exploring the in vivo effective forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma.
Animals ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacokinetics* ; Rhizome/metabolism* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Feces/chemistry*

Metabonomics and proteomics were employed to investigate the mechanism of Yuzhi Zhixue Granules in treating polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance(PCOS-IR). The disease model was established by feeding a high-fat diet and gavage of letrozole solution and it was then treated with different doses of Yuzhi Zhixue Granules. The therapeutic effect of Yuzhi Zhixue Granules was evaluated based on the body mass, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity index, serum levels of adipokines, and histopathological changes of rats. Metabolomics and proteomics were employed to find the action pathways of Yuzhi Zhixue Granules. The results showed that Yuzhi Zhixue Granules reduced the body mass, improved the insulin sensitivity and aromatase activity, improved the levels of leptin, adiponectin and other adipokines, and alleviated insulin resistance, histopathological changes, and metabolic disorders in PCOS-IR rats. Metabolomics results revealed 14 metabolites with altered levels in the ovarian tissue, which were closely related to glutathione metabolism and pyruvate metabolism. Proteomics results showed that the therapeutic effect of Yuzhi Zhixue Granules was mainly related to the adipokine, adenosine 5'-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt), forkhead box protein O(FoxO), and mechanistic target of rapamycin(mTOR) signaling pathways. Western blot results showed that compared with the model group, Yuzhi Zhixue Granules treatment decreased the p-AMPK/AMPK and p-FoxO1/FoxO1 levels, increased the p-mTOR/mTOR level, and up-regulated the expression level of recombinant glucose transporter 4(GLUT4). Yuzhi Zhixue Granules can balance amino acid metabolism and pyruvate metabolism by regulating the AMPK/mTOR/FoxO/GLUT pathway to maintain the homeostasis of the ovarian environment and alleviate insulin resistance, thus treating PCOS-IR.
Animals ; Female ; Insulin Resistance ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Metabolomics ; Proteomics ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Humans ; Ovary/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

The chemical components of Carthami Flos were investigated by using macroporous resin, silica gel column chromatography, reversed-phase octadecylsilane(ODS) column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). The planar structures of the compounds were established based on their physicochemical properties and ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis), infrared(IR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopic technology. The absolute configurations were determined by comparing the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism(ECD). Six flavonoid C-glycosides were isolated from the 30% ethanol elution fraction of macroporous resin obtained from the 95% ethanol extract of Carthami Flos, and identified as saffloquinoside F(1), 5-hydroxysaffloneoside(2), iso-5-hydroxysaffloneoside(3), isosafflomin C(4), safflomin C(5), and vicenin 2(6). Among these, the compounds 1 to 3 were new chalcone C-glycosides. The compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 could significantly increase the viability of H9c2 cardiomyocytes damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) at a concentration of 50 μmol·L~(-1), showing their good cardioprotective activity.
Glycosides/pharmacology* ; Flowers/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Carthamus tinctorius/chemistry* ; Chalcones/pharmacology* ; Animals

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Yishen Tongluo prescription on sperm DNA fragmentation index （DFI） and sperm mitochondrial membrane potential （MMP） in patients with asymptomatic idiopathic asthenospermia infertility. MethodsA total of 128 patients with asymptomatic idiopathic asthenospermia were randomly assigned to an experimental group （64 cases） and a control group （64 cases）. The experimental group received Yishen Tongluo prescription， while the control group was treated with Wuzi Yanzongwan combined with L-carnitine oral solution. One treatment course lasted 12 weeks. Spouse pregnancy rate， sperm progressive motility （PR）， total sperm motility （PR+NP）， sperm function （sperm tail hypotonic swelling rate， sperm acrosin activity）， sperm DFI， and sperm MMP were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Adverse reactions were observed and recorded during the study， and clinical efficacy and safety were systematically evaluated. ResultsA total of 121 patients completed the study， including 61 in the experimental group and 60 in the control group. The spouse pregnancy rate in the experimental group was 14.75% （9/61）， higher than that in the control group at 6.67% （4/60）， though the difference was not statistically significant. Clinical efficacy in the experimental group was superior to that in the control group （P<0.05）. Compared with the results before treatment， sperm PR， PR + NP， sperm tail hypotonic swelling rate， sperm acrosin activity， sperm DFI， and sperm MMP were significantly improved in both groups after treatment （P<0.05）， with greater improvements in the experimental group （P<0.05）. However， there was no significant change in sperm concentration in either group after treatment. During the study， no abnormal safety indicators or significant adverse reactions occurred in either group. ConclusionThe kidney-tonifying and collateral-dredging method shows good clinical efficacy in the treatment of asymptomatic idiopathic asthenospermia infertility. Yishen Tongluo prescription can improve sperm motility， increase spouse pregnancy rate， enhance sperm function， and demonstrates good safety. Its mechanism may be related to reducing sperm DFI and increasing sperm MMP.