Dao-di herbs have been recognized as "quality models" with a firmly stable status. The formation of Dao-di herbs quality is involved from the genetic inheritance on the molecular level to the metabolic phenotype of final products, and the full material-based biosynthetic pathway remains unknown. In recent years, an increasing variety of omics technologies has provided new methods and ideas for the analysis of complex life systems and are suitable for explanation of quality formation in Dao-di herbs as well. In order to alleviate the scarcity of natural resources and offer scientific guidance of transplanting varieties, achievements of omics in the aspects of Dao-di herbs from genetics to phenotyping, the biosynthetic pathway of secondary metabolites, the interaction with human body and the new methods of quality evaluation have been summarized. It will be a fundamental work for protection and utilization of Chinese medicine resources.

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation of the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) with age, sperm concentration and sperm motility in infertile men.

METHODSWe collected semen samples from 531 infertile males in our hospital from January 2016 to June 2017. We determined the semen parameters using the computer-assisted semen analysis system, measured the sperm DFI by sperm chromatin structure assay, and analyzed the correlation of the sperm DFI with the age, sperm concentration and sperm motility of the patients.

RESULTSWith the increase of age, the infertile males showed a significantly decreased proportion of the sperm with a DFI ≤15% and elevated proportion of the sperm with a DFI ≥25%, with a positive correlation between age and sperm DFI (r = 0.653, P < 0.01). With the increase of sperm concentration and motility, however, the proportion of the sperm with a DFI ≤15% was remarkably increased while that of the sperm with 15%

CONCLUSIONSThe sperm DFI is significantly correlated with age, sperm concentration and sperm motility, and therefore can be used as an important index for the evaluation of semen quality. A comprehensive analysis of the sperm DFI and semen parameters may contribute to an accurate assessment of male fertility.

Age Factors ; Body Fluids ; DNA Fragmentation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; Male ; Semen ; chemistry ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa

Objective: To investigate the current status of antithrombotic strategy for elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after stent implantation in Beijing area and to study the safety and efficacy of different therapeutic strategy. Methods: A total of 467 relevant patients were enrolled by re-travelling electronic medical records from 12 hospitals in Beijing area. The patients' mean age was (78.70±3.32) years and they were divided into 2 groups by antithrombotic therapy condition: Triple therapy group, n=17 (3.64％), Double therapy group, n=450 (96.36％). The incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) including all-caused death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target vessel revascularization (TVR), stoke and bleeding was compared between Triple therapy group and Double therapy group.Results: The medication in Double therapy group included aspirin+ticagrelor, aspirin+clopidogrel, clopidogrel+warfarin and cilostazol+clopidogrel; in Triple therapy group was aspirin+clopidogrel+warfarin. Patient with HAS-BLED score≥3 was defined as high risk of bleeding and they were all treated by double therapy; HAS-BLED<3 was defined as low risk of bleeding, only 5.03％ patients were treated by triple therapy. 3 patients in Triple therapy group and 33 in Double therapy group suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding, P=0.338; 6 patients in Triple therapy group and 128 in Double therapy group had MACCE, P=0.589; 3 and 80 patients died in Triple therapy group and Double therapy group, P=0.766. Conclusion: Triple therapy was rarely used in elderly AF and ACS patients after stent implantation, double therapy was the main strategy; the incidence of MACCE and mortality were similar between triple and double therapies; patients with triple therapy had the higher incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Objective:To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Jiaji (EX-B 2) points plus hydro-acupuncture with sinomenine hydrochloride for low back pain caused by compression fractures in the elderly.Methods:Ninety-five elderly in-patients with low back pain caused by compression fractures were randomly divided into an observation group and an EA group according to the visit sequence.Both groups received the same basic treatment.In the EA group,48 cases were treated with EA at Jiaji (EX-B 2) points plus the basic therapy;47 cases in the observation group received the basic treatment plus EA and hydro-acupuncture with sinomenine hydroch｜oride at Jiaji (EX-B 2) points.The levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in peripheral blood were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before and at the 21st day of treatment in both groups.Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were used to analyze the clinical efficacy.Results:After treatment,the OPG content in the observation group was higher with statistical significance compared with that before treatment in the observation group and after the treatment in the EA group,respectively (both P＜0.05);the content of IL-1β,ODI and VAS scores were lower than those before treatment in the observation group and after treatment in the EA group with statistical significances (all P＜0.05).Conclusion:The combination of EA and hydro-acupuncture with sinomenine hydrochloride at Jiaji (EX-B 2) points is effective for low back pain caused by compression fractures in the elderly,and is superior to EA at Jiaji (EX-B 2) points alone.

Objective: To explore the effects of Polygonatum odoratum on body based on metabonomics. Methods: The ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and principle component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were used to evaluate the changes of endogenous substances in rats after intragastric administration of Polygonatum odoratum. Results: Significant differences between the control group and administration group were observed in PCA and OPLS-DA model. Five potential biomarkers between control group and administration group were identified. The relative content of Alpha-Tocotrienol, PC(14:1(9Z)/14:1(9Z)), Stearic acid, Theasapogenol A, Docosahexaenoic acid increased. Conclusion: The biomarkers had many beneficial activities, so the Mongolian medicine Polygonatum odoratum had the function of health care. Key words: Mongolian drug; Polygonatum odoratum; Biomarkers; UPLC-MS

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of intravascular ultrasound(IVUS) in guiding the treatment of non-left main intermediate coronary lesions for patients of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODSA total of 25 patients with intermediate coronary lesions(stenosis of 40%-70%) confirmed by coronary angiography were performed with IVUS. When MLA≥4 mm, we deferred the PCI treatment and performed optimal medical treatment (OMT). The patient were followed up for 12 month. The primary outcome was target vessel revascularization (TVR) and secondary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs).

RESULTSA total of 25 lesions of 25 patients were examined by IVUS. 19(76%) lesions were attenuated plaque, 4(16%)were echo-lucent plaque, 2(8%) were calcified plaque. Most of the plaque (18/25, 72%) were eccentric. Positive remodeling was found in 20(80%) lesions and negative remodeling in 5(20%) lesions with meanremodeling index of 1.17=0.15. Thrombus was found in 1 case, accounting for 4%. The diameter stenosis, area stenosis, minimal lumen area and the reference diameter mea-sured by IVUS were larger than those measured by quantitative coronary angiography (all P<0.05). One patient with non-ST segment elevated myocardiac infarction was performed revascularization because MI attacked again, and 2 patients with Unstable angina were treated with OMT but they were still rehospitalization because of angina occurred repeatedly. The incidence of TVR was 4.00%, so as 16.00% of MACE.

CONCLUSIONIVUS can be used to guide the treatment of non-left main intermediate coronary lesions for patients of acute coronary syndrome.

Outbreak of trichinellosis belongs to the sudden public health events,with number of hazards and social influence,and is a serious threat to people's health and the social order stability.Through literature search,we collected the global outbreaks of human trichinellosis in recent years,focused on analyzing outbreak areas,cause of the outbreak,kind of infected meat,the number of cases,the genus of Trichinella and migration,diagnostic methods,etc.,in order to further prevent and control trichinellosis and to provide the important theoretical reference basis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of single heat stress treatment on spermatogenic cells in mice.

METHODSWe randomly divided 36 C57 male mice into a control and a heat stress treatment group and submerged the lower part of the torso in water at 25 °C and 43 °C, respectively, both for 15 minutes. At 1, 7, and 14 days after treatment, we obtained the testicular organ indexes, observed the changes in testicular morphology by HE staining, and determined the location and expression levels of the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) and synaptonemal comlex protein-3 (SCP-3) in the testis tissue by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

RESULTSThe testicular organ index was significantly lower in the heat stress treatment than in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the controls, the heat shock-treated mice showed loosely arranged spermatogenic cells scattered in the seminiferous tubules at 1 day after heat stress treatment, atrophied, loosely arranged and obviously reduced number of spermatogenic cells at 7 days, and relatively closely arranged seminiferous tubules and increased number and layers of spermatogenic cells at 14 days. The number of SCP-3 labelled spermatocytes obviously decreased in the heat stress-treated animals at 1 and 7 days and began to increase at 14 days. The PLZF protein expression was significantly reduced in the heat stress treatment group at 1 day as compared with that in the control (0.19 ± 0.12 vs 0.64 ± 0.03, P < 0.01), but elevated to 0.77 ± 0.02 at 7 and 14 days, even remarkably higher than in the control animals (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONHeat stress treatment can induce short-term dyszoospermia in mice, which can be recovered with the prolonged time after treatment.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Hot Temperature ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Nuclear Proteins ; metabolism ; Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein ; Seminiferous Tubules ; cytology ; Spermatocytes ; cytology ; pathology ; Testis ; metabolism ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the molecular genetic mechanism and genetic diagnosis of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency (PHD), and to provide a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal genetic diagnosis of PHD.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the 11 exons and exon junction of the PDHA1 gene from a child who was diagnosed with PHD based on clinical characteristics and laboratory examination results. The PCR products were sequenced to determine the mutation. An analysis of amino acid conservation and prediction of protein secondary and tertiary structure were performed using bioinformatic approaches to identify the pathogenicity of the novel mutation.

RESULTSOne novel duplication mutation, c.1111_1158dup48bp, was found in the exon 11 of the PDHA1 gene of the patient. No c.1111_1158dup48bp mutation was detected in the sequencing results from 50 normal controls. The results of protein secondary and tertiary structure prediction showed that the novel mutation c.1111 _1158dup48bp led to the duplication of 16 amino acids residues, serine371 to phenylalanine386, which induced a substantial change in protein secondary and tertiary structure. The conformational change was not detected in the normal controls.

CONCLUSIONSThe novel duplication mutation c.1111_1158dup48bp in the PDHA1 gene is not due to gene polymorphisms but a possible novel pathogenic mutation for PHD.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Protein Conformation ; Pyruvate Dehydrogenase (Lipoamide) ; chemistry ; genetics ; Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency Disease ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo objectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yimusake Tablet in the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) through a multi-centered large-sample trial.

METHODSWe conducted a multi-centered, open, fixed-dose, and self-compared clinical trial among 300 patients with diagnosed PE. The trial lasted 12 weeks, including 4 weeks without any medication and 8 weeks of treatment with Yimusake Tablet, 2 pills (1 g) per night. We observed the intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) before and after treatment, evaluated the safety of medication, and performed a questionnaire investigation on the patients' satisfaction.

RESULTSOf the 300 PE patients, 288 accomplished the clinical trial. The patients ranged in age from 22 to 60 years, averaging at 31.6 years. The mean IELT of the patient was 62.5 seconds at baseline, 168.9 seconds after 4 weeks of treatment with Yimusake Tablet, and 222.2 seconds after 8 weeks of medication. Among the 157 patients with normal erectile function (IIEF >21), the mean IELT was 71.4 seconds before treatment, 147.4 seconds after 4 weeks of medication, and 172.5 seconds after 8 weeks of medication. The patients' satisfaction was significantly increased after treatment. Those complicated by mild to moderate erectile dysfunction achieved different degrees of improvement in the IIEF-5 score, with a mean increase of 3.8. Only a few patients experienced mild adverse events, including constipation, dry mouth, nose bleeding, abdominal pain, and lumbosacral pain, which were all relieved without drug withdrawal.

CONCLUSIONYimusake Tablet is a safe and effective medicine for the treatment of PE.

Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Ejaculation ; drug effects ; physiology ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Satisfaction ; Penile Erection ; Phytotherapy ; Premature Ejaculation ; drug therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tablets ; Time Factors