Amber and subfossil resins are subjects of interdisciplinary research across multiple fields. However, due to their diverse origins and complex compositions, different disciplines vary in their definitions and functional interpretations. In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), amber has been utilized as a medicinal material since ancient time, with extensive historical documentation. However, its classification, provenance, and nomenclature remain ambiguous, and authentic medicinal amber artifacts are exceedingly rare. This study employed Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) to characterize amber and subfossil resins from various geological sources and commercially "medicinal amber". Additionally, historical literature and market surveys were analyzed to explore their provenance, composition, and functional attributes. The results indicate that amber and subfossil resins from different sources and with different compositions exhibit distinct fingerprint characteristics in the FTIR spectral range of 1 800-700 cm~(-1). "Medicinal amber" available in the market primarily consists of subfossil or modern resins, significantly differing in composition and structure from geological amber. This study highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research on amber identification and resource management. It is essential to establish a systematic database of amber and subfossil resin characteristics and integrate modern analytical techniques to enhance research on their composition, pharmacological mechanisms, and potential therapeutic effects, thereby promoting the standardized utilization of amber resources and advancing the modernization of TCM.
Amber/history* ; Archaeology ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Cinnabar(HgS) was widely used in ancient times for medicinal purposes, religious rituals, and pigments. A group of bright red powdery clumps was excavated from Mawangdui Tomb No.3 of the Han Dynasty. Early studies considered the clumps as evidence of cinnabar's medicinal use during the Qin-Han period. This study employed a range of archaeometric techniques, including extended-depth-of-field stereo imaging, micro-CT, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry FTIR, to systematically analyze the material composition and structural characteristics of these remains. The results revealed that the cinnabar particles were granular, finely ground, and tightly bound to silk matrix, with no detectable excipients typically associated with medicinal formulations. Micro-CT imaging indicated a well-preserved textile structure, with clear signs of sedimentary accumulation and mechanical damage. Based on historical and archaeological studies, this study suggested that these remains were more likely degraded accumulations of cinnabar-colored silk textiles rather than medicinal cinnabar. By clarifying the diversity of ancient cinnabar applications and preservation states, this study provides new insights for the archaeological identification of mineral medicinal materials and contributes to the standardized study of Chinese medicinal materials and understanding of the historical use of cinnabar.
History, Ancient ; China ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; Archaeology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Spectrum Analysis, Raman ; Mercury Compounds

A previous study showed that the length of the foreskin plays a role in the risk of sexually transmitted infections and chronic prostatitis, which can lead to poor quality of sexual life. Here, the association between foreskin length and sexual dysfunction was evaluated. A total of 5700 participants were recruited from the andrology clinic at The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei, China). Clinical characteristics, including foreskin length, were collected, and sexual function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) questionnaires. Men with sexual dysfunction were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men without sexual dysfunction. Among the 2721 erectile dysfunction (ED) patients and 1064 premature ejaculation (PE) patients, 301 (11.1%) ED patients and 135 (12.7%) PE patients had redundant foreskin, respectively. Men in the PE group were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men in the non-PE group ( P = 0.004). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the presence of redundant foreskin was associated with increased odds of moderate/severe ED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.31, adjusted P = 0.04), moderate PE (aOR = 1.38, adjusted P = 0.02), and probable PE (aOR = 1.37, adjusted P = 0.03) after adjusting for confounding variables. Our study revealed a positive correlation between the presence of redundant foreskin and the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in PE patients. Assessment of the length of the foreskin during routine clinical diagnosis may provide information for patients with sexual dysfunction.
Humans ; Male ; Foreskin ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology* ; Premature Ejaculation/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of infants and young children with basal ganglia infarction after minor head trauma (BGIMHT). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and follow-up results of children aged 28 days to 3 years with BGIMHT who were hospitalized at Children's Hospital of Soochow University from January 2011 to January 2022. RESULTS: A total of 45 cases of BGIMHT were included, with the most common symptom being limb movement disorders (96%, 43/45), followed by facioplegia (56%, 25/45). Cerebral imaging showed that 72% (31/43) had infarction accompanied by basal ganglia calcification. After conservative treatment, 42 children (93%) showed significant symptom improvement, while 3 children (7%) experienced recurrent strokes. The median follow-up time was 82 months (range: 17-141 months). At the last follow-up, 97% (29/30) had residual basal ganglia softening lesions. Among 29 cases participating in questionnaire follow-up, 66% (19/29) recovered normally, 17% (5/29) showed significant improvement in symptoms, and 17% (5/29) had poor improvement. According to the grading of the Global Burden of Disease Control Projects, only 1 child (3%) had severe sequelae. There were no significant differences in age at onset, gender, or presence of concomitant basal ganglia calcification between children with and without neurological sequelae (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The most common initial symptom of BGIMHT is limb movement disorder, and imaging results indicate that most children have concurrent intracranial calcifications. Most infarct lesions later transform into softening lesions, resulting in a generally good prognosis.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Craniocerebral Trauma/complications* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Basal Ganglia/pathology* ; Infant, Newborn

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the whole-genome differential methylation profile of patients with high-altitude polycythemia (HAPC). METHODS: In this study, a total of 20 adult male patients with HAPC were included, including 10 Tibetan and 10 Han patients. The control group consisted of 20 healthy adult males, including 10 Tibetan and 10 Han patients. Peripheral blood was collected from each group for DNA extraction and quality inspection, and DNA libraries were constructed. The differential methylation regions (DMRs) between groups were detected using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, with enriched regions compared to those of the control group. The differential enrichment regions were selected, and the intersection of the enriched regions was associated with genes. The methylation enrichment regions that differed significantly between groups were filtered based on the number of enriched samples in the enriched regions between the groups. GO, KEGG functional, and pathway analysis were performed on the differentially associated gene sets to reveal significant differences between the patients and control groups at the functional and pathway levels. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, 17 152 sites with more than 25% difference and 15 558 sites with less than -25% difference were identified in Tibetan patients. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were MCCC2, RP3-399L15.3, ZNF621, RP11-394A14.2 and SLC39A10. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway was serotonergic synapse. In comparison with the control group, 2 687 CpG sites with a greater than 25% difference and 2 602 CpG sites with a less than -25% difference were identified in Han patients. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were NAA25, CORO2B, PDC, ZNF853, and MLLT10. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway were glutamatergic synapse, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, Rap1 signaling pathway and cholinergic synapse. In comparison with the control group, 3 895 CpG sites with a greater than 25% difference and 3 969 CpG sites with a less than -25% difference were identified in HAPC patients. The maximum methylation difference between the two groups could reach 78.1%, while the minimum was -42.6%. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were MCCC2, ARSJ, CTNNA3, SLC39A10, and SWAP70. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway was signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells. CONCLUSION The occurrence of HAPC may be related to abnormal changes in DNA methylation, and methylation sites may be helpful for the early diagnosis of HAPC.
Humans ; DNA Methylation ; Altitude ; Polycythemia/genetics* ; Male ; Adult ; CpG Islands

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of Chinese medicine (CM) Lianhua Qingwen Granule (LHQW) and Jingyin Gubiao Prescription (JYGB) in asymptomatic or mild patients with Omicron infection in the shelter hospital. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in the largest shelter hospital in Shanghai, China, from April 10, 2022 to May 30, 2022. A total of 56,244 asymptomatic and mild Omicron cases were included and divided into 4 groups, i.e., non-administration group (23,702 cases), LHQW group (11,576 cases), JYGB group (12,112 cases), and dual combination of LHQW and JYGB group (8,854 cases). The length of stay (LOS) in the hospital was used to assess the effectiveness of LHQW and JYGB treatment on Omicron infection. RESULTS: Patients aged 41-60 years, with nadir threshold cycle (C_T) value of N gene <25, or those fully vaccinated preferred to receive CM therapy. Before or after propensity score matching (PSM), the multiple linear regression showed that LHQW and JYGB treatment were independent influence factors of LOS (both P<0.001). After PSM, there were significant differences in LOS between the LHQW/JYGB combination and the other groups (P<0.01). The results of factorial design ANOVA proved that the LHQW/JYGB combination therapy synergistically shortened LOS (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS Patients with a nadir C_T value <25 were more likely to accept CM. The LHQW/JYGB combination therapy could shorten the LOS of Omicron-infected individuals in an isolated environment.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Hospitalization ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Length of Stay ; Young Adult ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Qingda Granule (QDG) in ameliorating hypertension-induced cardiac damage and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: Twenty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used to develope a hypertension-induced cardiac damage model. Another 10 Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as normotension group. Rats were administrated intragastrically QDG [0.9 g/(kg•d)] or an equivalent volume of pure water for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, histopathological changes, cardiac function, levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers were measured. Furthermore, to gain insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of QDG against hypertension-induced cardiac injury, a network pharmacology study was conducted. Predicted results were validated by Western blot, radioimmunoassay immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: The administration of QDG resulted in a significant decrease in blood pressure levels in SHRs (P<0.01). Histological examinations, including hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson trichrome staining revealed that QDG effectively attenuated hypertension-induced cardiac damage. Furthermore, echocardiography demonstrated that QDG improved hypertension-associated cardiac dysfunction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric method indicated that QDG significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response levels in both myocardial tissue and serum (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Both network pharmacology and experimental investigations confirmed that QDG exerted its beneficial effects in decreasing hypertension-induced cardiac damage by regulating the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)/angiotensin II (Ang II)/Ang II receptor type 1 axis and ACE/Ang II/Ang II receptor type 2 axis.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Hypertension/pathology* ; Renin-Angiotensin System/drug effects* ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Rats ; Inflammation/pathology*

Objective:To explore the value of serum P-selectin,Interleukin-18(IL-18),and Homocysteine(Hcy)levels in predicting the adverse outcomes of interventional therapy in elderly patients with deep vein thrombosis(DVT)in the lower extremities.Methods:A total of 165 elderly patients with DVT from January 2020 to August 2023 were se-lected.All patients underwent transcatheter intervention thrombolysis therapy.Patients were divided into good outcome group and poor outcome group according to the clinical treatment outcome.Serum P-selectin,IL-18,and Hcy levels were compared between the two groups.The correlation between serum P-selectin,IL-18,and Hcy levels and disease indicators,as well as the outcomes of interventional therapy was analyzed.The predictive value of serum P-selectin,IL-18,and Hcy levels for the outcomes of interventional therapy was evaluated.Results:The total effective rate of catheter-based interventional thrombolysis in 165 patients was 81.82%(135/165).The patients with good outcomes were included in the good outcome group,and the patients with poor outcomes were included in the poor outcome group.The difference in circumference between the affected side and the healthy side of the thigh and the difference in circumference between the affected side and the healthy side of the calf in the poor outcome group were greater than those in the good outcome group(P<0.05).The levels of serum P-selectin,IL-18,and Hcy in the poor outcome group were higher than those in the good outcome group(P<0.05).The levels of serum P-selectin,IL-18,and Hcy were posi-tively correlated with the difference in circumference between the affected and healthy thighs and the difference in cir-cumference between the affected and healthy calves,and negatively correlated with the outcome of interventional therapy(P<0.05).Before and after correcting other factors,serum P-selectin,IL-18,and Hcy were all independent risk factors for the outcome of interventional therapy in elderly patients with DVT(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum P-selectin,IL-18,and Hcy for predicting the outcome of interventional therapy for elderly DVT was 0.789(95%CI:0.718-0.848),0.812(95%CI:0.744-0.868),and 0.792(95%CI:0.722-0.851),respectively.The cutoff values were 44.21 ng/mL,185.73 ng/L,and 23.60 μmol/L,with sensitivities of 70.00%,70.00%,and 80.00%,and specificities of 82.22%,82.96%,and 68.15%,respectively.The AUC of the combined prediction of the outcomes of interventional therapy for elderly DVT was 0.935(95%CI:0.886-0.967),with a cutoff value of 44.08 ng/mL,185.16 ng/L,and 23.37 μmol/L for the three variables,with a sensitivity of 86.67%and a specificity of 88.15%.This was significantly better than the individual prediction values of the three variables(Z=5.817,4.753,5.206,all P<0.001).Conclusion:Serum P-selectin,IL-18,and Hcy are significantly correlated with disease indicators and interventional treatment outcomes in el-derly patients with DVT,and can effectively predict the outcome of interventional treatment,with a high combined pre-dictive value.

AIM To establish LC-MS and GC-MS method and analyze the chemical constituents of Dendrobium huoshanense C.Z.Tang & S.J.Cheng flowers.METHODS LC-MS was performed on a Zorbax Eclipse C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.8 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of water(containing 0.1％formic acid)-acetonitrile flowing at 0.3 mL/min,and electrospray ionization was operated in both positive and negative ion modes.The GC-MS employed headspace solid-phase microextraction for sample preparation,and the analysis was performed on an HP-5MS column(30 m×0.25 mm,0.25 μm),with the following temperature program:initial temperature 50 ℃(held for 2 min),increased at 5 ℃/min to 180 ℃(held for 5 min),then raised at 10 ℃/min to 250 ℃(held for 5 min),and electron impact ion source was employed.RESULTS A total of 62 compounds were identified by LC-MS,including 35 flavonoids,4 coumarins,6 alkaloids,6 terpenoids,3 amino acids,2 polyphenols,2 ketones and 4 others.A total of 101 volatile components were identified by GC-MS,including ketones,aldehydes,alcohols,esters,ethers,and acid.CONCLUSION This method can comprehensively analyze the chemical constituents of D.huoshanense flowers,and provide a scientific basis for elucidating its pharmacodynamic material basis.

Eleven sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracted fraction of 95% ethanol extract of fresh Centipeda minima by using modern chromatographic separation techniques such as silica gel, MCI, gel, and semi-preparative liquid chromatography. Their structures were identified using spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) calculation as minimin A(1), brevilin A(2), minimolide L(3), minimolide A(4), minimolide B(5), arnicolide D(6), microhelenin C(7), 2β-hydroxyl-2,3-dihydrogen-6-O-angeloylplenolin(8), 11α,13-dihydroarnifolin(9),(1S,2R,5R,6S,7S,8S,10R)-6-hydroxy-2-ethoxy-4-oxopseudoguai-11(13)-en-12,8-olide(10), and pulchellin-2-O-isovalerate(11), among which compound 1 was a new compound, and compounds 9-11 were isolated from Centipeda for the first time. The evaluation results of in vitro anti-inflammatory activity showed that compounds 1-11 possessed significant anti-inflammatory activity, with IC_(50) values ranging from(0.13±0.03) to(13.11±0.17) μmol·L~(-1).
Sesquiterpenes/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Asteraceae/chemistry* ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Molecular Structure ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Macrophages/immunology*