Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease accompanied by various complications, and the exact etiology remains unclear. Treatments for SLE encompass hormone therapy, plasma exchange and immunoadsorption, and targeted biological therapies. Berbamine (BBM), a cellular immunopotentiator with diverse biological functions, has not been reported to have immunomodulatory and therapeutic effects on SLE. The mice were divided into control group, model group, positive control group, low, medium and high BBM groups. In control group, C57BL/6J wild mice received intraperitoneal injection of saline. In model group, MRL/lpr lupus mice were treated with intraperitoneal injection of saline. In positive control group, MRL/lpr lupus mice received intragastric administration of hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets [Plaquenil, 150 mg/(kg·d)]. In BBM groups, MRL/lpr lupus mice received intragastric administration of different concentration of BBM respectively [20 mg/(kg·d), 50 mg/(kg·d), 100 mg/(kg·d)]. After 8 weeks of treatment, blood was collected from the retro-orbital venous plexus, and ELISA was used to detect the levels of anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and anti-small nuclear ribonucleoprotein/Sm (snRNP/Sm) antibodies. Spleen tissues were collected for analysis of Th1/Th2 ratio by flow cytometry. The RNA and protein of spleen were extracted, and the levels of T-box transcription factor T-bet and GATA3 (GATA binding protein 3) mRNA and protein were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The proliferation of white blood cells in the blood was tested by blood routine test. The histopathological changes of kidneys of each group were detected by HE staining. Compared with the model group, the levels of ANA, anti-dsDNA, and anti-snRNP/Sm antibodies were significantly reduced in the BBM-treated groups. The Th1/Th2 ratio was significantly decreased in the model group, but reversed by BBM. Compared with the control group, T-bet expression was significantly downregulated, while GATA3 expression was significantly upregulated in the model group. After BBM intervention, T-bet expression significantly increased, while GATA3 expression decreased compared with the model group. The number of white blood cells significantly decreased in the model group, and increased in the BBM-treated groups. In the model group, the glomerular mesangial and endothelial cells showed significant hyperplasia, clear thrombus was observed in the dilated capillaries, and inflammatory cells infiltrated in the renal interstitium. In medium and high BBM groups, the infiltration of inflammatory cells and capillary thrombosis were significantly decreased. In conclusion, BBM exhibits certain immunomodulatory effects on SLE and promotes the proliferation of white blood cells.
Animals ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/immunology* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred MRL lpr ; Female ; Benzylisoquinolines/pharmacology*

Sophorae Flavescentis Radix is one of the commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in China, and a large amount of pharmaceutical residue generated during its processing and production is discarded as waste, which not only wastes resources but also pollutes the environment. Therefore, elucidating the chemical composition of the residue of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and the differences between the residue and Sophorae Flavescentis Radix itself is of great significance for the comprehensive utilization of the residue. This study, based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) technology combined with multivariate statistical methods, provides a thorough characterization, identification, and differential analysis of the overall components of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue. Firstly, 61 compounds in Sophorae Flavescentis Radix were rapidly identified based on their precise molecular weight, fragment ions, and compound abundance, using a self-constructed compound database. Among them, 41 compounds were found in the residue, mainly alkaloids and flavonoids. Secondly, through principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), 15 key compounds differentiating Sophorae Flavescentis Radix from its residue were identified. These included highly polar alkaloids, such as oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine, which showed significantly reduced content in the residue, and less polar flavonoids, such as kurarinone and kuraridin, which were more abundant in the residue. In summary, this paper clarifies the overall composition, structure, and content differences between Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue, suggesting that the residue of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix can be used as a raw material for the extraction of its high-activity components, with promising potential for development and application in cosmetics and daily care. This research provides a scientific basis for the future comprehensive utilization of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and its residue.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Sophora/chemistry* ; Flavonoids/chemistry* ; Alkaloids/chemistry*

Pogostemon cablin is a famous southern medicine.As the important raw material for modern medicine and industry,Pogostemon cablin becomes required with a large marketing demand.However,due to the serious continuous cropping obstacles in the growth process of Pogostemon cablin,the aggravation of diseases of Pogostemon cablin and the degradation of its quality arose.This paper outlined the ecological factors such as climate factors,soil factors and topographic factors suitable for the growth of Pogostemon cablin,analyzed the continuous cropping obstacles and diseases arising in the cultivation,reviewed the current ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin such as crop rotation,intercropping,relay-cropping and under-forest planting,and also made a comprehensive evaluation of the economic benefits,ecological benefits and social benefits of the ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin,aiming to provide a theoretical basis and a reference for the promotion of the ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin.

Objective:To investigate the accuracy of next-generation sequencing technology(NGS)in detecting the polymorphisms of HLA-DRB1,DQB1,DQA1,DRB3,DRB4,DRB5,DPA1 and DPB1 alleles in randomly-selected unrelated healthy individuals from Shenzhen Han population,investigate the potential reason for HLA-DRB1 allele dropout in routine NGS,and establish an internal quality control system.Methods:NGS-based HLA class Ⅱ genotyping was performed on 1 012 samples using the MiSeqDxTM platform.The suspected missed alleles indicated by the quality control software and HLA-DRB1 homozygotes were confirmed by PCR-SSOP or PCR-SBT methods.Results:A total of 139 alleles were detected,including HLA-DRB1(45),DRB3(7),DRB4(5),DRB5(7),DQA1(17),DQB1(21),DPA1(10)and DPB1(27).HLA-DRB 1*09:01(17.09％),15:01(10.72％);DRB3*02:02(25.99％),03:01(10.18％);DRB4*01:03(36.46％);DRB5*01:01(15.42％);DQA1*01:02(20.01％),03:02(17.19％);DQB1*03:01(19.47％),03:03(17.98％),05:02(11.66％),06:01(10.67％);DPA1*02:02(54.45％),01:03(31.18％)and DPB1*05:01(39.13％),02:01(16.90％)alleles were the most common alleles in Shenzhen Han population(frequencies＞10％).There was no statistical difference between the gene frequencies of HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 loci in our study.The HLA Common and Well-Documented Alleles in China(CWD2.4)(x2=12.68,P＞0.05).94 cases of HLA-DRB1 homozygous samples detected by NGS were retested by PCR-SSOP or SBT method,and one case of allele dropout at HLA-DRB1 locus was found.SBT method confirmed that the allele of DRB1*04:03 was missed.The laboratory internal quality control system was established.Two cases of new alleles were detected and named by WHO Nomenclature Committee for Factors of the HLA System.Conclusion:The HLA genotyping results based on NGS showed a significantly lower ambiguity rate.The HLA class Ⅱ alleles exhibit genetic polymorphism in the Han population of unrelated healthy individuals in Shenzhen.The independent method based on NGS in clinical histocompatibility testing has limitations and requires internal quality control strategies to avoid allele-dropout events.

Child ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Primary Myelofibrosis/therapy* ; Thiotepa ; Transplantation Conditioning

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread throughout the world. In this study, we aimed to identify the risk factors for severe COVID-19 to improve treatment guidelines. METHODS: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted on 313 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Patients were classified into two groups based on disease severity (nonsevere and severe) according to initial clinical presentation. Laboratory test results and epidemiological and clinical characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to detect potential risk factors associated with severe COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 289 patients (197 nonsevere and 92 severe cases) with a median age of 45.0 (33.0, 61.0) years were included in this study, and 53.3% (154/289) were male. Fever (192/286, 67.1%) and cough (170/289, 58.8%) were commonly observed, followed by sore throat (49/289, 17.0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that patients who were aged ≥ 65 years (OR: 2.725, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.317-5.636; P = 0.007), were male (OR: 1.878, 95% CI: 1.002-3.520, P = 0.049), had comorbid diabetes (OR: 3.314, 95% CI: 1.126-9.758, P = 0.030), cough (OR: 3.427, 95% CI: 1.752-6.706, P < 0.001), and/or diarrhea (OR: 2.629, 95% CI: 1.109-6.231, P = 0.028) on admission had a higher risk of severe disease. Moreover, stratification analysis indicated that male patients with diabetes were more likely to have severe COVID-19 (71.4% vs. 28.6%, χ2 = 8.183, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS The clinical characteristics of those with severe and nonsevere COVID-19 were significantly different. The elderly, male patients with COVID-19, diabetes, and presenting with cough and/or diarrhea on admission may require close monitoring to prevent deterioration.
Adult ; COVID-19/pathology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Cough ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Shenyankangfu Tablet (SYKFT) is a Chinese patent medicine that has been used widely to decrease proteinuria and the progression of chronic kidney disease. OBJECTIVE: This trial compared the efficacy and safety of SYKFT, for the control of proteinuria in primary glomerulonephritis patients, against the standard drug, losartan potassium. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION: This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Primary glomerulonephritis patients, aged 18-70 years, with blood pressure ≤ 140/90 mmHg, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 45 mL/min per 1.73 m MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was change in the 24-hour proteinuria level, after 48 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 735 participants were enrolled. The percent decline of urine protein quantification in the SYKFT group after 48 weeks was 8.78% ± 2.56% (P = 0.006) more than that in the losartan 50 mg group, which was 0.51% ± 2.54% (P = 1.000) less than that in the losartan 100 mg group. Compared with the losartan potassium 50 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 50 mg group had a 13.39% ± 2.49% (P < 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein level. Compared with the losartan potassium 100 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 100 mg group had a 9.77% ± 2.52% (P = 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein. With a superiority threshold of 15%, neither was statistically significant. eGFR, serum creatinine and serum albumin from the baseline did not change statistically significant. The average change in TCM syndrome score between the patients who took SYKFT (-3.00 [-6.00, -2.00]) and who did not take SYKFT (-2.00 [-5.00, 0]) was statistically significant (P = 0.003). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in any group. CONCLUSION: SYKFT decreased the proteinuria and improved the TCM syndrome scores of primary glomerulonephritis patients, with no change in the rate of decrease in the eGFR. SYKFT plus losartan potassium therapy decreased proteinuria more than losartan potassium therapy alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02063100 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Objective:To explore the effects of Huatan Tongluo Decoction （HTTLD） on the morphology and function of brain tissues and intestine in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion based on the gut-brain axis. Method:Sixty SPF male rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group， a model group， high- （28.66 g·kg^-1）， medium- （14.33 g·kg^-1）， and low-dose （7.16 g·kg^-1） HTTLD groups， and an edaravone （4 g·kg^-1）+Clostridium butyricum （5.0×10⁸ cfu·mL^-1） group. The model was established by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats. The drugs were administered by gavage. The brain tissue injury was determined by neurological deficit score and 2，3，5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. The effect of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion on intestinal motility was assessed by the propulsion rate of small intestine. The intestinal mucosal cell damage was evaluated by the pathomorphological examination of the duodenal mucosa. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine the content of D-lactate （D-LAC）， diamine oxidase （DAO）， and bacterial endotoxin （lipopolysaccharide， LPS） in serum. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Occludin， Claudin-5， and zonula occludens 1 （ZO-1） in the duodenum. Result:After cerebral ischemia/reperfusion， rats developed neurological deficit symptoms. The neurological deficit score in the model group was higher than that in the sham operation group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high- and medium-dose HTTLD groups could relieve the symptoms of neurological deficits and lower neurological deficit scores （P<0.01）. The results of TTC staining showed that the model group presented obvious infarcts in brain tissues compared with the sham operation group （P<0.01）. The cerebral infarction volumes of HTTLD groups were reduced compared with that in the model group （P<0.01）， especially the high-dose HTTLD group， and the effect was dose-dependent. Furthermore， the propulsion rate of small intestine in the model group was significantly reduced compared with that in the sham operation group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， HTTLD groups could increase propulsion rates of small intestine （P<0.01）， especially the high-dose HTTLD group， and the effect was dose-dependent. After cerebral ischemia/reperfusion， obvious duodenal mucosal damage could be observed， which was relieved after the administration of HTTLD. Western blot results showed that the protein expression of ZO-1， Occludin， and Claudin-5 in the model group was reduced compared with that in the sham operation group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the HTTLD groups could up-regulate the expression of ZO-1， Occludin， and Claudin-5 to varying degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）， especially the high-dose HTTLD group. ELISA showed that the serum D-LAC， DAO， and LPS of the model group were elevated compared with those in the sham operation group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the HTTLD groups showed reduced D-LAC and DAO （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the medium- and high-dose HTTLD groups showed reduced LPS （P<0.05， P<0.01）， especially the high-dose HTTLD group. Conclusion:After cerebral ischemia/reperfusion， the rats showed damaged brain tissues， neurological dysfunction， intestinal mucosal injury， weakened intestinal motility， and destroyed the intestinal mucosal barrier. HTTLD can protect against brain-gut axis injury after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion by reducing the damage on brain tissues and gastrointestinal mucosa， relieving the symptoms of neurological deficits， promoting gastrointestinal motility， improving intestinal barrier function， and reducing the release of intestinal bacterial metabolites or poisons.

Objective:To summarize and analyze the clinical data of Chinese patients with colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R)-related leukoencephalopathy, and clarify the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of Chinese patients.Methods:Medical history of patients with CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy diagnosed from April 1, 2018 to January 31, 2021 in the department of neurology of 22 hospitals in China was collected, and scores of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), magnetic resonance severity scale were evaluated. Group comparison was performed between male and female patients.Results:A total of 62 patients were included, and the male-female ratio was 1∶1.95. The age of onset was (40.35±8.42) years. Cognitive impairment (82.3%, 51/62) and motor symptoms (77.4%,48/62) were the most common symptoms. The MMSE and MoCA scores were 18.79±7.16 and 13.96±7.23, respectively, and the scores of two scales in male patients (22.06±5.31 and 18.08±5.60) were significantly higher than those in females (15.53±7.41 , t=2.954, P=0.006; 10.15±6.26, t=3.328 , P=0.003). The most common radiographic feature was bilateral asymmetric white matter changes (100.0%), and the magnetic resonance imaging severity scale score was 27.42±11.40, while the white matter lesion score of females (22.94±8.39) was significantly higher than that of males (17.62±8.74 , t=-2.221, P<0.05). A total of 36 CSF1R gene mutations were found in this study, among which c.2381T>C/p.I794T was the hotspot mutation that carried by 17.9% (10/56) of the probands. Conclusions:The core phenotypic characteristics of CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy in China are progressive motor and cognitive impairment, with bilateral asymmetrical white matter changes. In addition, there exist gender differences clinically, with severer cognitive impairment and imaging changes in female patients. Thirty-six CSF1R gene mutations were found in this study, and c.2381T>C/p. I794T was the hotspot mutation.

Drynariae Rhizoma is warm in nature and bitter in taste, mainly acting on liver and kidney systems. It is a common Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of fracture and bone injury. The chemical compositions of Drynariae Rhizoma mainly include flavonoids, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoids and lignans. At present, modern pharmacological and clinical studies have shown that Drynariae Rhizoma has the effects of anti osteoporosis, promoting fracture healing, kidney protection, anti-inflammatory, promoting tooth growth, preventing and treating aminoglycoside ototoxicity and lowering blood lipid. In addition, the toxicity evaluation experiment of Drynariae Rhizoma has also shown that it has no obvious toxic and side effects. Naringin is a kind of dihydroflavone in Drynariae Rhizoma. Many studies have shown that naringin and other total flavonoids play an important role in anti-osteoporosis, promoting fracture healing, anti-inflammation, promoting tooth growth and lowering blood lipid. In this study, the research progresses on chemical consti-tuents and pharmacological activities of Drynariae Rhizoma in recent years were reviewed, and some mechanisms of action were summarized, to provide references for the further research and development of Drynariae Rhizoma.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Flavonoids ; Humans ; Osteoporosis/drug therapy* ; Polypodiaceae ; Rhizome