Objective To explore the effect of Xiongcan Yishen Formula on ferroptosis in testicular tissue of male rats with late-onset hypogonadism(LOH).Methods A total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 6 months were randomly divided into model group,low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups and propionate testosterone group,with 12 rats in each group.An additional 6 male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were set as the normal group.Except for the normal group,the rats were intraperitoneally injected with Cyclophosphamide at a dose of 20 mg/(kg·d)for 5 consecutive days to establish the LOH model,while the normal group received an equal volume of physiological saline for 5 days.The normal group and model group were given equal volumes of distilled water by gavage,while the low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups were administered concentrated decoction at doses of 10.4 g and 41.6 g/kg/d respectively,and the propionate testosterone group received intramuscular injections of 5.21 mg/kg/d propionate testosterone,all for 28 consecutive days.ELISA was used to detect serum testosterone levels in rats,HE staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the gross morphology of testicular tissue and the ultrastructure of Leydig cells,and RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related genes and proteins in testicular tissue.Results The LOH model rats exhibited pathological changes such as atrophy of seminiferous tubules,structural disorder,and reduced spermatocytes in the lumen,as well as ultrastructural changes in Leydig cells including altered nuclear morphology,increased mitochondrial density,and reduced cristae.After intervention with Xiongcan Yishen Formula and propionate testosterone,the pathological changes in testis and the ultrastructure of Leydig cells were improved.Compared with the normal group,serum testosterone levels in the model group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the expression of ROS,ACSL4 mRNA and protein in testicular tissue was significantly increased,while the expression of FTH1,GPX4,and SLC7A11 mRNA and protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,ser-um testosterone levels in the low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups and the propionate testosterone group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the expression of ROS,ACSL4 mRNA and protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula group showed significantly increased expression of FTH1,GPX4,and SLC7A11 mRNA and protein(P＜0.05).Conclusion Ferroptosis in testicular tissue is increased in LOH rats,and Xiongcan Yishen For-mula can elevate serum testosterone levels and improve pathological changes and ultrastructure in testicular tissue of LOH rats,possibly related to the inhibition of ferroptosis in testicular tissue of LOH rats.

Objective To explore the effect of Xiongcan Yishen Formula on ferroptosis in testicular tissue of male rats with late-onset hypogonadism(LOH).Methods A total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 6 months were randomly divided into model group,low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups and propionate testosterone group,with 12 rats in each group.An additional 6 male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were set as the normal group.Except for the normal group,the rats were intraperitoneally injected with Cyclophosphamide at a dose of 20 mg/(kg·d)for 5 consecutive days to establish the LOH model,while the normal group received an equal volume of physiological saline for 5 days.The normal group and model group were given equal volumes of distilled water by gavage,while the low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups were administered concentrated decoction at doses of 10.4 g and 41.6 g/kg/d respectively,and the propionate testosterone group received intramuscular injections of 5.21 mg/kg/d propionate testosterone,all for 28 consecutive days.ELISA was used to detect serum testosterone levels in rats,HE staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the gross morphology of testicular tissue and the ultrastructure of Leydig cells,and RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related genes and proteins in testicular tissue.Results The LOH model rats exhibited pathological changes such as atrophy of seminiferous tubules,structural disorder,and reduced spermatocytes in the lumen,as well as ultrastructural changes in Leydig cells including altered nuclear morphology,increased mitochondrial density,and reduced cristae.After intervention with Xiongcan Yishen Formula and propionate testosterone,the pathological changes in testis and the ultrastructure of Leydig cells were improved.Compared with the normal group,serum testosterone levels in the model group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the expression of ROS,ACSL4 mRNA and protein in testicular tissue was significantly increased,while the expression of FTH1,GPX4,and SLC7A11 mRNA and protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,ser-um testosterone levels in the low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups and the propionate testosterone group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the expression of ROS,ACSL4 mRNA and protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula group showed significantly increased expression of FTH1,GPX4,and SLC7A11 mRNA and protein(P＜0.05).Conclusion Ferroptosis in testicular tissue is increased in LOH rats,and Xiongcan Yishen For-mula can elevate serum testosterone levels and improve pathological changes and ultrastructure in testicular tissue of LOH rats,possibly related to the inhibition of ferroptosis in testicular tissue of LOH rats.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks,and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020.According to their conditions,they were divided into group A(both twins had BPD),group B(only one twin had BPD),and group C(neither twin had BPD).The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed.Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins.Results A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of<34 weeks were included in this study.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C,birth weight discordance of>25%between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins(OR=3.370,95%CI:1.500-7.568,P<0.05),and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD(P<0.05).The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age(SGA)birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins(OR=5.017,95%CI:1.040-24.190,P<0.05).Conclusions The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age,birth weight discordance between the twins,and SGA birth.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the mid-term clinical effect of arthroscopic surgery versus conservative treatment on the middle aged early knee osteoarthritis (EKOA) patients, with the hope to provide clinical evidence for their individual therapy. METHODS: A total of 145 middle aged EKOA patients(182 knees) who received arthroscopic surgery or conservative treatment from January 2015 to December 2016 were retrospectively enrolled, including 35 males and 110 females, aged from 47 to 79 years old with an average of (57.6±6.9) years old, and the duration of disease ranged from 6 to 48 months with an average of(14.6±8.9) months. According to treatment method, patients were divided into arthroscopic surgery group (47 patients, 58 knees) and conservative treatment group(98 patients, 124 knees). Before treatment, patients presented with symptoms of knee joint, such as pain, swelling, locking, limited flexion and extension, and weakness, as well as abnormal findings in knee X-ray (without or suspicious joint space narrow, and a few of osteophyte formation) or in knee MRI (injury or degeneration of articular cartilage or meniscus, loose body in the joint cavity and synovial hyperemia edema, etc). Related data were collected, including duration of knee symptoms, presence of meniscus injury, loose body in the joint cavity or mechanical symptoms such as locking, and visual analogue scale (VAS) and Lysholm knee function score before treatment and at the latest follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the differences in VAS or Lyshilm score before or after treatment between the low groups and within each group. RESULTS: Patients in the two groups were followed up from 60 to 76 months. In the arthroscopic surgery group, the incision healing was good and no surgical complications occurred. There were no significant differences in age, gender, BMI and follow-up time between the two groups(P>0.05). Before treatment, compared with conservative group, duration of symptoms in the arthroscopic group was longer (P<0.001), comorbidity rates of meniscus injury (P<0.001), free body (P=0.001) and mechanical symptoms (P<0.001) were higher, VAS (P<0.001) and Lysholm score (P<0.001) were worse. At the final follow-up, VAS and Lysholm score in either the conservative group or the arthroscopic group were significantly better than before treatment (P<0.05), while no significant differences between the two groups were found. The VAS was (1.5±1.2) scores in the arthroscopic group and (1.6±1.0)scores in the conservative group(P=0.549), and the Lysholm score was (84.9±12.5) scores in the arthroscopic group and (84.2±9.9) scores in the conservative group (P=0.676). CONCLUSION Both arthroscopic surgery and conservative treatment have satisfactory intermediate clinical effect middle- aged patients with EKOA, without statistically differences. However, most of the patients before surgery in the arthroscopic treatment group had mechanical locking symptoms caused by meniscus injury or loose body. Therefore, for the middle-aged EKOA patients with mechanical locking symptoms or without obtaining satisfactory outcome after conservative treatment, arthroscopic surgery may be considered.
Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Arthroscopy/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Knee Joint/surgery*

The application of new-generation information technologies such as big data, the internet of things(IoT), and cloud computing in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)manufacturing industry is gradually deepening, driving the intelligent transformation and upgrading of the TCM industry. At the current stage, there are challenges in understanding the extraction process and its mechanisms in TCM. Online detection technology faces difficulties in making breakthroughs, and data throughout the entire production process is scattered, lacking valuable mining and utilization, which significantly hinders the intelligent upgrading of the TCM industry. Applying data-driven technologies in the process of TCM extraction can enhance the understanding of the extraction process, achieve precise control, and effectively improve the quality of TCM products. This article analyzed the technological bottlenecks in the production process of TCM extraction, summarized commonly used data-driven algorithms in the research and production control of extraction processes, and reviewed the progress in the application of data-driven technologies in the following five aspects: mechanism analysis of the extraction process, process development and optimization, online detection, process control, and production management. This article is expected to provide references for optimizing the extraction process and intelligent production of TCM.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Quality Control ; Big Data ; Algorithms

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of Woven EndoBridge (WEB) in the treatment of wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms. Methods: The clinical and imaging data of 11 patients with intracranial wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms treated by WEB alone at Department of Neurosurgery of the Northern Theater General Hospital from September 2017 to May 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were 7 males and 4 females, aged (54±11) years (ranged from 31 to 66 years). The aneurysms of 5 patients were located in the anterior communicating artery, 3 in the top of the basilar artery, and 3 in the bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery. The intraoperative and postoperative conditions of the patients were recorded, and the degree of aneurysm embolization was evaluated by WEB embolization aneurysm occlusion scale (WOS). Results: The intraoperative WEB release of all the 11 patients was good, with 3 cases of WOS grade A, 1 of grade B and 7 of grade C, with no intraoperative acute complications occurring. The imaging follow-up was not carried out in 1 patient due to economic reason, and the clinical follow-up was good until 3 years after the operation; 10 patients were followed up by imaging for 6 months to 3 years, and no postoperative complications occurred in the target treatment area. Among the 2 patients with WOS grade A and 1 patient with grade B during operation, according to the postoperative follow-up, all were WOS grade A; among the 7 patients with WOS grade C during operation, 4 were still of grade C and 3 were of grade D according to the follow-up. Among the 3 patients with WOS grade D, 1 patient received secondary embolization due to poor recurrence morphology, unstable hemodynamics and high possibility of rupture of aneurysm, stent assisted coil embolization was adopted, with good immediate effect; the other 2 cases had recurrent aneurysms, but the aneurysms had good morphology and stable hemodynamics, therefore, clinical follow-up was continued and no secondary surgery was performed. No complications occurred in all these 11 patients. Conclusions: The operation of treating unruptured intracranial wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms with WEB device alone is simple, and there is no need for anticoagulation and antiplatelet treatment before and after the operation, the clinical effect is being good. WEB device provides a new treatment option for intracranial wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms.
Embolization, Therapeutic ; Endovascular Procedures/methods* ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm/surgery* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

ObjectiveTo investigate the compatibility rule of traditional Chinese patent medicines （TCPMs） against liver diseases through network analysis. MethodWith “liver” as the search term， TCPMs against liver diseases were retrieved from volume Ⅰ of Chinese Pharmacopoeia （2020 edition）， and the basic information of them was collected. TCPMs with same Chinese medicinal materials （CMMs）， usage， and indications， but different dosage forms， were unified as one formula. Mutual information entropy （MIE） of CMM couples was calculated to quantify the relationship between them， and the top 25% CMM pairs in MIE were used to construct the compatibility network， with CMM as node and the relationship between CMM pairs as the edge. Key CMM and frequently used CMM combinations were identified based on node centrality and cluster analysis， respectively. The indications of TCPMs related to the CMMs in clusters were recorded. Cytoscape 3.6.1 was employed for visualization and topology analysis of the compatibility network. ResultA total of 179 TCPMs， involving 428 CMMs， were retrieved. Angelicae Sinensis Radix， Paeoniae Radix Alba， and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma were identified as key CMMs with high frequency， and Cuscutae Semen-Lycii Fructus， Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium-Cyperi Rhizoma， and Ecliptae Herba-Ligustri Lucidi Fructus combinations had high MIE. Furthermore， the CMMs were clustered into ten groups corresponding to different diseases which， however， all belonged to digestive diseases. ConclusionThis study unveils potential CMM pairs and common CMM combinations against liver diseases， which can serve as a reference for revealing compatibility rules of CMMs and research and development of Chinese medicine.

Objective:To compare the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy.Methods:The clinical data of 989 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at Hunan People's Hospital from January 2015 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 349 patients in the laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) group and 640 patients in the open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match the baseline data of the two groups at a 1: 1 ratio. Data including operation time, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative hospital stay, bile leakage, pancreatic fistula and wound infection were compared between the two groups.Results:After PSM, there were 345 patients in each of the 2 groups. When the LPD group was compared with the OPD group, there were no significant differences in postoperative mortality, reoperation, intraoperative blood transfusion, pancreatic fistula, bile leakage, abdominal hemorrhage, abdominal abscess, severe complications, and pulmonary complication rates. The number of lymph node dissected, R 0 resection and overall survival rates between the two groups were also not significantly different ( P>0.05). However, the operation time of the LPD group (478.2±91.3) min was significantly longer than that of the OPD group (410.8±62.0) min ( P<0.05). On the other hand, the postoperative hospitalization time (10.8±4.3) d, intraoperative bleeding (322.0±362.6) ml, wound infection rate 1.2% (4/345) in the LPD group were significantly better than those in the OPD group [postoperative hospitalization time (12.5±7.9) d, intraoperative bleeding (478.8±570.2) ml, and wound infection rate 5.8% (20/345)] ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:LPD was safe and feasible, and it achieved similar curative effect as OPD.

Objective:To compare between laparoscopic and open pancreaticoduodenectomy in the treatment of distal cholangiocarcinoma.Methods:The clinical data of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD group, n=101) and open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD group, n=99) in patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at Hunan people's Hospital from Jan 2015 to Dec 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph node dissection, R 0 resection rate, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications and overall survival rate were compared between the two groups. Results:The operation time was (475.0±90.7) min and (444.8±63.3) min, the intraoperative blood loss was (350.9±397.9) ml and (546.7±642.9) ml, the postoperative hospital stay was (11.5±4.7) d and (13.3±5.1) d, the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05).The number of lymph node dissection was 14.8±3.0 and 15.4±2.4, the R 0 resection rate was 93.1% and 96.0%, respectively, and there was no significant difference ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of residual complications ( P>0.05). During the follow-up of 5-64 months, the OS of 1, 3 and 5 years in the two groups were 90.4%, 41.3%, 20.6% and 94.3%, 50.8% and 24.7%, respectively. ( P>0.05). Conclusions:LPD is safe and feasible in the treatment of distal cholangiocarcinoma, and its short-term curative effect, curative effect and long-term overall survival rate are similar to those of OPD.

Textual research on Chinese herbs is the preliminary work for the preparation of famous classical prescriptions. Through literature review，it was found that the researches of Persicae Semen focused on chemical compositions，pharmacological mechanism and medical record analysis in the recent years，and few researches based on the ancient literature were about the origin，concocting methods，flavor，meridian tropism，effects and indications. Textual research shows that the most commonly used names are Taoren and Taoheren，with a wide range of producing areas. The plant origin of Persicae Semen has not changed much since ancient times. Before the Qing dynasty，the plant origin of Persicae Semen was from the seeds of a kind of fruit named Shantao or Maotao，and in modern times，the seeds of Amygdalus persica or A. davidiana have become the major source. While different books have different views on Latin names for the origin of the Persicae Semen. We suggest that the Latin names of A. persica and A. davidiana should be more reasonable for Tao and Shantao respectively .In the concocting methods of Persicae Semen for activating vital energy and blood circulation，raw Persicae Semen should be used with peel and tip，while for moisturizing dryness，it should be fried into yellow without peel. Therefore，in the concocting methods of Persicae Semen for Taohe Chengqitang and Taohong Siwutang，the raw materials should be fried into yellow without peel or tip，while for Shentong Zhuyutang，raw Persicae Semen materials should be used with peel and tip. The indications of Persicae Semen include amenorrhea，lump，parasite，obstruction of chest，cough and asthma，constipation，etc.，and the people with blood deficiency，blood dryness and the pregnant women should use it with caution or should not use it. The modern clinical application of Persicae Semen is only a partial inheritance of ancient literature，which means that the Persicae Semen still has many effects to be verified and studied，and it is worthwhile for further exploration in order to expand its clinical application. The records of ancient literature on flavor，meridian tropism，and quality evaluation of Persicae Semen were consistent with those in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Because of the similar appearance，it is especially difficult to distinguish Persicae Semen and Armeniacae Semenis Amarum after crushing ，requiring much time and money for identification. It is recommended that medical institutions should purchase Persicae Semen without crushing as far as possible，then decide the best concocting methods according to the clinical requirement.