ObjectiveTo characterize the changes in the overall chemical profile and key index components during nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying processing of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， and to reveal the change law of its material basis. MethodsHigh performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to analyze the changes in the overall chemical profile of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma decoction pieces， and the contents of 15 main active components such as chrysophanol-8-O-β-D-glucoside， chrysophanol and gallic acid in the process of nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying were determined. Combined with chemometrics， the contents and quantity ratio relationships of the glycosides， aglycones and tannins during the processing of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma were analyzed， and the partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） and cluster analysis of the main components in different steaming times were conducted， the statistically significant differential markers were selected with the variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1. ResultsIn the nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying process of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma， there were certain regularity in the number and peak area of characteristic peaks and the steaming and sun-drying times， the anthraquinone glycosides and aglycones could be roughly divided into three stages， including rapid change stage， fluctuation change stage and stable stage， and the total amount of tannins showed a decreasing trend. However， the ratios between the three components mentioned above tended to stabilize after five rounds of steaming and sun-drying. The results of PLS-DA and cluster heatmap showed that the content of each component in Rhei Radix et Rhizoma fluctuated greatly during the 1-4 steaming and sun-drying processes， while the content of each component was relatively close during the 5-9 steaming and sun-drying processes. After screening， it was found that chrysophanol， emodin， chrysophanol-8-O-β-D-glucoside， rhein， physcion and emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside could be used as the index components for distinguishing the processed products of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma with different steaming and sun-drying times. ConclusionThe changes in the properties and efficacy of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma caused by the processing of nine-time repeating steaming and sun-drying are due to the changes in the composition and ratio of various glycosides and complex tannins in this herb， which is also the key to the formation of its characteristic of "purgation with supplement". This study can provide a basis for the research on the processing mechanism of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and the establishment of processing specifications.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of Tiaozhou Ziyin (TZZY) recipe for treatment of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and explore the possible mechanisms. METHODS: We used bioinformatics analyses and network pharmacology to identify the main active ingredients in TZZY recipe and their core targets, which were verified by Western blotting. We tested the efficacy and safety of the recipe in 60 POI patients, who were randomized into control group (n=30) with Femoston treatment and TZZY group (n=30) with additional TZZY recipe treatment for 3 menstrual cycles. RESULTS: The core active ingredients of TZZY recipe included kaempferol, β-sitosterol, luteolin, and quercetin. The core targets included SRC, TP53, STAT3, PIK3CA, and MAPK3, which were involved in positive regulation of cell movement and protein phosphorylation, the cancer pathways and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that the core active ingredients had good binding ability with the core targets. In female rat models of POI, TZZY recipe treatment significantly up-regulated ovarian expressions of p-PI3K and p-Akt proteins. In the clinical trial, treatment with Femoston and Femoston plus TZZY recipe both significantly increased E₂ levels and reduced FSH and LH levels and Kupperman scores of the patients, and the combined treatment produced significantly stronger effects. Both treatments increased the number of antral follicles of the patients, but the combined treatment also significantly increased the levels of AMH. CONCLUSIONS The therapeutic mechanism of TZZY recipe for POI involves multiple active ingredients, multiple therapeutic targets and multiple pathways, and activating the PI3K /Akt pathway is one of its main mechanisms of action, to improve ovarian reserve function, alleviate clinical symptoms, and enhance clinical efficacy in POI patients.
Female ; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Rats ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Signal Transduction ; Sitosterols/therapeutic use* ; Kaempferols/therapeutic use*

Objective To analyze the influencing factors of survival of patients with airway stenosis requiring clinical interventions after lung transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 66 patients with airway stenosis requiring clinical interventions after lung transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Cox’s regression models were adopted to analyze the influencing factors of survival of all patients with airway stenosis and those with early airway stenosis. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the overall survival and delineate the survival curve. Results For 66 patients with airway stenosis, the median airway stenosis-free time was 72 (52,102) d, 27% (18/66) for central airway stenosis and 73% (48/66) for distal airway stenosis. Postoperative mechanical ventilation time [hazard ratio (HR) 1.037, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.005-1.070, P=0.024] and type of surgery (HR 0.400, 95%CI 0.177-0.903, P=0.027) were correlated with the survival of patients with airway stenosis after lung transplantation. The longer the postoperative mechanical ventilation time, the higher the risk of mortality of the recipients. The overall survival of airway stenosis recipients undergoing bilateral lung transplantation was better than that of their counterparts after single lung transplantation. Subgroup analysis showed that grade 3 primary graft dysfunction (PGD) (HR 4.577, 95%CI 1.439-14.555, P=0.010) and immunosuppressive drugs (HR 0.079, 95%CI 0.022-0.287, P<0.001) were associated with the survival of patients with early airway stenosis after lung transplantation. The overall survival of patients with early airway stenosis after lung transplantation without grade 3 PGD was better compared with that of those with grade 3 PGD. The overall survival of patients with early airway stenosis after lung transplantation treated with tacrolimus was superior to that of their counterparts treated with cyclosporine. Conclusions Long postoperative mechanical ventilation time, single lung transplantation, grade 3 PGD and use of cyclosporine may affect the survival of patients with airway stenosis after lung transplantation.

Objective: To explore the prevalence and risk factors of mitral regurgitation (MR) in the population ≥35 years in China in order to provide prevention reference for high risk crowd. Methods: The residents ≥35 years were taken by a stratified multistage sampling method. General information of crowd was collected by predesigned questionnaire and physical examination including life style, disease history, body weight and height. Echocardiography was conducted, fasting blood glucose and blood lipid levels were measured. Results: A total of 28814 subjects were enrolled. The overall MR detection rate was 18.4%, the detection rate in male and female were both 18.4%. The detection rates of moderate and severe MR were 0.3% in the paticipants at (35-50) years, 0.9% at (51-64) years and 2.2% at ≥65 years. MR prevalence showed an increasing trend with aging. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that age, systolic blood pressure, urban and rural, district, left atrial front and back diameter, left ventricular end diastolic front and back diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction, stroke, atrial fibrillation and heart failure were the risk factors for MR occurrence. Conclusion: MR detection rate was rather high in China. Specific prevention action should be taken for those with theabove risk factors.

Objective To investigate the association between types of obesity and the 10-year-coronary heart disease risk in Tibet and Xinjiang of China.Methods Using the multi-stage random sampling method,7 631 participants aged 35 or older were examined under the International Standardized Examination process but with only 5 802 were eligible for analysis,in the 2015-2016 season.Results The prevalence rates of general obesity,central obesity,visceral obesity and compound obesity were 0.53％,12.62％,10.08％ and 42.35％,respectively.Out of all the compound obesity cases,58.65％ (1 441/2 457) of them appeared as having all types of obesity in our study.Risk related to the 10-year-coronary heart disease was higher in men than in women [(3.05 ± 4.14)％ vs.(1.42-2.37) ％,P＜0.000 1.Compound obesity (30.16％) showed the highest proportion on the risk of 10-year-coronary heart disease than central obesity (28.01％),visceral obesity (18.46％) or the general obesity (19.35％).After adjustment for confounding factors,results from the multivariate analysis showed the risk in compound obesity was higher than central obesity,visceral obesity or general obesity and was associated with the highest risk on the 10-year-coronary heart disease (OR=2.889,95％CI:2.525-3.305).People with anomalous BMI and WC seemed to have had the higher risk (OR=3.168,95％CI:2.730-3.677).Conclusions Obesity was popular in the residents of Tibet and Xinjiang areas of China.Men and people with compound obesity (especially both BMI and WC were abnormal) seemed to carry greater risk on the 10-year-coronary heart disease.

Objective To investigate the association between body fat percentage (BFP),visceral fat index (VFI) and Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Clustering (CRFC),among population aged 35 or older in Tibet and Xinjiang areas.Methods Using the stratified multi-stage random sampling method,7 571 residents aged 35 or above were examined with international standardized examination between 2015 and 2016.Of the eligible 5 643 participants,association of BFP and VFI with CRFC was defined as having two or more of the four risk factors:hypertension,diabetes mellitus,high TG and low HDL-C,at the same time.Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were employed to further explore the relationships.Results The overall prevalence of CRFC among aged 35 and older population in Tibet and Xinjiang areas was 9.78％.BFP and VFI were divided into four groups by quartile.After adjustment for age,gender,race,cigarette smoking,alcohol consumption,education attainments,and altitude of residence,ORs of CRFC seemed to have increased with BFP and VFI.Compared with people having BFP of 5.0％-27.0％,the OR(95％CI) were 1.15(0.86-1.54),1.48(1.05-2.07) and 1.72(1.10-2.68) for the ones who presented 27.1％-31.7％,31.8％-36.6％ and 36.7％-50.0％ of BFP.Compared to people of having 1-6 of VFI,with OR (95％CI) as 1.20(0.81-1.79),1.91(1.30-2.80) and 3.91(2.64-5.77) for the ones having 7-9,10-13 and 14-30 of VFI.Areas under the curve (AUC) of CRFC appeared as 0.55 for BFP and 0.70 for VFI,respectively,with statistically significant difference (P＜0.01).Conclusion Both BFP and VFI levels were closely associated with CRFC while VFI seemed to have a better predictive value than the BFP.

To study the transactivation of a novel thyroid hormone receptor isoform, TR?. pcDNA3. 1-TR? and pGL3-Promoter/thyroid hormone responsive element were co-transfected into COS-7 cells. The expression of reporter gene was detected. It could be increased up to 45 times by T3. TR? and showed the characteristics of a transcription factor.

To establish a method for radioligand binding assay of thyroid hormone receptors(TR)in human osteoblast-like osteosarcoma cell line MG-63 and to estimate the kinetic parameters of putative receptors. The MG-63cell was cultured in Ham's F12, the soluble TR was prepared from the intact nuclear extracts. The binding properties between TR and T3 were performed by using the traditional Scatchard analysis. The apparent Ka of TR in MG-63 is 7.68× 109 L/mol, and MBC(111. 25+ 10.77)fmol/mg protein. The study indicated that MG-63 cells possessed high affinity and limited-capacity of TR in its nuclear extracts. This may serve as the starting and basic work about TR in bone cell.

Objective To examine the expression of thyroid hormone receptor isoforms (TR α1, α2, β1, and β2) in human osteoblast-like cell line MG-63 at the mRNA level and the effect of thyroid hormone (T3 or T4 ) on the expression. Methods Realtime quantitative PCR was performed. Results The expression of TRα1 mRNA was the highest, that was 10. 70± 0.45, TRβ1 was 5.75 ± 0. 10, TRβ2 was 3.34 ± 0. 08, and TRα2 was very low, only (3.66 ±0. 59) × 10-2. Only the expression of TRαl and TRα2 mRNA was down regulated significantly by the treatment of 10-10 ～ 10-6 mol/L T3, and there was a negative correlation between the expression of TRα1 or TRα2 mRNA and the concentration of T3. Conclusion TRα1 plays a primary role in mediating the effects of thyroid hormones in skeletal development.

Objective:To construct an E.coli expressing system of human interferon-?(IFN-?).Methods:Extracted DNA from human blood and PCR human IFN-?, cloned the human IFN-? gene into plasmid T-easy and pBV-220. Expressed human IFN-? in E.coli DH5?, the expressing product was analysed by SDS-PAGE, Western blot and anti-virus capacity test.Results:DNA sequence analysis showed the recombinant plasmid pBV- IFN-? contained human IFN-?. SDS-PAGE and Western blot proved that there were hIFN-? in E.coli DH5? after temperature inducing and the expressing product has anti-virus activity.Conclusion:A human IFN-? E.coli expressing system was constructed successfully, and the recombination human IFN-? has anti-virus activity.