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 assess the efficacy and safety of mulberry twig alkaloids (Sangzhi alkaloids, SZ-A) for treatment of type 2 diabetes in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial. METHODS: A total of 200 patients were randomized to receive SZ-A (n=100) or placebo (n=100) for 16 weeks. The data analysis system for electronic data capture clinical trial central randomization system was used for randomization and dispensing of drugs. The primary outcome was the change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level. The secondary outcome included the proportions of cases with HbA1c <7.0% and HbA1c <6.5%, fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), area under curve for the PBG (AUC_0-2h), body weight, and body mass index (BMI). Adverse events (AEs), severe adverse events (SAEs), treatment-related adverse events (TAEs), gastrointestinal disorders (GDs), blood pressure, routine blood tests, and liver and kidney function were monitored. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, the change of HbA1c at week 16 was -0.80% (95% CI: -0.98% to -0.62%) and -0.09% (95% CI: -0.27% to 0.09%) in SZ-A group and placebo group, respectively. The proportion of patients with HbA1c <7% and <6.5% was higher in the SZ-A group than in the placebo group (46.8% vs. 21.6% and 29.9% vs. 10.8%). The observed values and changes in FBG, 1 h-PBG, 2 h-PBG, and AUC_0-2h differed significantly between groups (P<0.001), but differences were not significant in body weight and BMI (P>0.05). The incidence rates of AEs, TAEs, and GDs differed significantly between groups (P=0.010, P=0.005, and P=0.006, respectively), whereas the incidence rates of SAEs showed no significant differences between groups (P=1.000). CONCLUSION SZ-A are effective and safe for treatment of type 2 diabetes. The protocol was registered in http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=60117 (ChiCTR2000038550).
Alkaloids ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy* ; Double-Blind Method ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Morus ; Tablets/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to analyze the applicability of the World Health Organization's exclusionary guidelines for Urinary creatinine (Ucr) in the general Chinese population, and to identify Ucr related factors. METHODS: We conduct a cross-sectional study using baseline data from 21,167 participants in the China National Human Biomonitoring Program. Mixed linear models and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were used to analyze the associations between explanatory variables and Ucr concentration. RESULTS: The geometric mean and median concentrations of Ucr in the general Chinese population were 0.90 g/L and 1.01 g/L, respectively. And 9.36% samples were outside 0.3-3.0 g/L, including 7.83% below the lower limit and 1.53% above the upper limit. Middle age, male, obesity, smoking, higher frequency of red meat consumption and chronic kidney disease were associated significantly with higher concentrations of Ucr. Results of the RCS showed Ucr was positively and linearly associated with body mass index, inversely and linearly associated with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides level, and glomerular filtration rate, and were non-linearly associated with triiodothyronine. CONCLUSION The age- and gender-specific cut-off values of Ucr that determine the validity of urine samples in the general Chinese population were recommended. To avoid introducing bias into epidemiologic associations, the potential predictors of Ucr observed in the current study should be considered when using Ucr to adjust for variations in urine dilution.
Middle Aged ; Male ; Humans ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Asian People ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; China

OBJECTIVES: To study the efficiency of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor for positioning the catheter tip in the placement of peripherally inserted central venous catheterization (PICC) via lower extremity veins in neonates. METHODS: A total of 120 neonates who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from January 2020 to January 2022 and received PICC via lower extremity veins were enrolled and divided into a control group and an observation group using a random number table (n=60 each). The neonates in the control group were given body surface measurement and postoperative chest X-ray localization, and those in the observation group were given body surface measurement, ECG-guided positioning, and postoperative chest X-ray localization. The two groups were compared in terms of general information, one-time success rate of PICC placement, and time spent on PICC placement, and the efficiency of ECG-guided positioning was evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the observation group had a higher one-time success rate of PICC placement (92% vs 75%; P<0.05) and a shorter time spent on PICC placement [(26.5±3.0) min vs (31.8±2.8) min; P<0.05]. ECG-guided positioning had a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 100% in the PICC placement via lower extremity veins in neonates. CONCLUSIONS ECG monitor helps to determine the position of catheter tip in the PICC placement via lower extremity veins in neonates and can improve the one-time success rate of PICC placement and reduce the time spent on PICC placement, with a good positioning efficiency.
Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Catheterization, Peripheral ; Catheterization, Central Venous ; Electrocardiography ; Lower Extremity ; Catheters ; Central Venous Catheters

As a traditional Chinese medicinal material， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma has been extensively used in various formulae. According to modern pharmacological research， it has anti-tumor， anti-inflammatory， anti-viral， liver-protecting， anti-heart failure， immunoregulatory， and anti-fibrosis effects. Caused by the interaction of various factors， cancer features complex pathogenesis. It is a global challenge and one of the main causes of death in China. Statistics show that the morbidity and mortality of malignant tumors have been on the rise， particularly for the young， which threaten the health of human beings. At the moment， radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the main countermeasures. Most clinical anti-tumor drugs demonstrate non-selective toxicity. To be specific， they damage normal cells while killing tumor cells， thus injuring vital organs. In addition， long-term medication will reduce the sensitivity of tumor cells. However， traditional Chinese medicine， which is characterized by treatment based on syndrome differentiation， multiple components， and multiple targets， is superior in the treatment of tumor. Studies have shown that the combination of anti-tumor drugs with Chinese medicine can not only enhance the anti-tumor effect but also alleviate toxicity. Therefore， it has been a research hotspot to develop anti-tumor drugs based on traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years， major headway has been made in the research on active ingreddients of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in anti-liver cancer， anti-breast cancer， anti-lung cancer， and anti-colon cancer and the combination with other drugs for anti-tumor. On this basis， we summarized the mechanisms of active ingredients of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in inducing apoptosis， interfering with cell cycle， inducing autophagy， inhibiting glycolysis， regulating immunity， and modulating miRNA and signaling pathways， as well as the combination with other drugs in anti-tumor efficiency， toxicity reduction， and sensitivity enhancement， hoping to lay a theoretical basis for the further development and clinical application of active ingredients of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.

OBJECTIVES: To construct a Felis catus STR loci multiplex amplification system and to evaluate its application value by testing the technical performance. METHODS: The published Felis catus STR loci data were reviewed and analyzed to select the STR loci and sex identification loci that could be used for Felis catus individual identification and genetic identification. The fluorescent labeling primers were designed to construct the multiplex amplification system. The system was validated for sensitivity, accuracy, balance, stability, species specificity, tissue identity and mixture analysis, and investigated the genetic polymorphisms in 145 unrelated Felis catus samples. RESULTS: Sixteen Felis catus autosomal STR loci and one sex determining region of Y (SRY) were successfully selected, and constructed a multiplex amplification system containing the above loci. The complete profile of all alleles could still be obtained when the amount of DNA template was as low as 0.25 ng. There was no specific amplification peak in other common animal samples. Population genetic surveys showed that total discrimination power (TDP) of the 16 STR loci was 1-3.57×10^-20, the cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) was 1-6.35×10^-5 and the cumulative probability of matching was 3.61×10^-20. CONCLUSIONS The Felis catus STR multiplex amplification system constructed in this study is highly sensitive, species-specific, and accurate in typing results, which can provide an effective solution for Felis catus species identification, individual identification and kinship identification in the field of forensic science.
Alleles ; Animals ; Cats/genetics* ; Chromosomes, Human, Y ; DNA Fingerprinting/methods* ; DNA Primers ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVES: To study the genetic polymorphism and population genetic parameters of 16 X-STR loci in Xinjiang Uygur population. METHODS: The Goldeneye^® DNA identification system 17X was used to amplify 16 X-STR loci in 502 unrelated individuals (251 females and 251 males). The amplified products were detected by 3130xl genetic analyzer. Allele frequencies and population genetic parameters were analyzed statistically. The genetic distances between Uygur and other 8 populations were calculated. Multidimensional scaling and phylogenetic tree were constructed based on genetic distance. RESULTS: In the 16 X-STR loci, a total of 67 alleles were detected in 502 Xinjiang Uygur unrelated individuals. The allele frequencies ranged from 0.001 3 to 0.572 4. PIC ranged from 0.568 8 to 0.855 3. The cumulative discrimination power in females and males were 0.999 999 999 999 999 and 0.999 999 999 743 071, respectively. The cumulative mean paternity exclusion chance in trios and in duos were 0.999 999 997 791 859 and 0.999 998 989 000 730, respectively. The genetic distance between Uygur population and Kazakh population was closer, and the genetic distance between Uygur and Han population was farther. CONCLUSIONS The 16 X-STR loci are highly polymorphic and suitable for identification in Uygur population, which can provide a powerful supplement for the study of individual identification, paternity identification and population genetics.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Ethnicity/genetics* ; Gene Frequency ; Paternity ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Chromosomes, Human, X/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influencing factors of low back pain and the relationship of the influence of bad working posture, weight load and frequency of load and the dose-response relationship among the occupational workers of key industries in China. METHODS: A total of 57 501 employees from 15 key industries in China were selected as research subjects using stratified cluster sampling method. The occurrence of low back pain in the past one year, as well as occupational factors such as job type, labor organization and work posture were investigated by using the Chinese version Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of low back pain in the occupational population of key industries in China was 16.4%(9 448/57 501). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of low back pain in females was higher than that in males(P<0.01). Married, obese, occasional and frequent smokers, and a history of lower back disease were associated with increased risk of low back pain(all P<0.05). The risk of low back pain was associated with older age, higher education level, and lower frequency of physical exercise(all P<0.01). The risk of low back pain was higher with longer working time, greater back curvature, and the high frequency of long standing and sitting position work, uncomfortable working posture, repeated operation per minute, and lifting>5 kg weight(all P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The influencing factors of low back pain in the occupational population of key industries in China include bad working posture, high frequency load, weight load and other individual factors. There is a dose-response relationship with low back posture load and frequency of load.

Objective To assess the feasibility of the rbcL sequence of chloroplast DNA as a genetic marker to identify Cannabis sativa L. Methods The rbcL sequences in 62 Cannabis sativa L. samples, 10 Humulus lupulus samples and 10 Humulus scandens DNA samples were detected, and 96 rbcL sequences of the Cannabaceae family were downloaded from Genbank. Sequence alignment was performed by MEGA X software, the intraspecific and interspecific Kimura-2-Parameter （K2P） genetic distances were calculated, and the system clustering tree was constructed. Results The rbcL sequence length acquired by sequencing of Cannabis sativa L. and Humulus scandens were 617 bp and 649 bp, respectively, and two haplotypes of Cannabis sativa L. were observed in the samples. The BLAST similarity search results showed that the highest similarity between the sequences acquired by sequencing and Cannabis sativa L. rbcL sequences available from Genbank was 100%. The genetic distance analysis showed that the maximum intraspecific genetic distance （0.004 9） of Cannabis sativa L. was less than the minimum interspecific genetic distance （0.012 9）. The results of median-joining network and system clustering tree analysis showed that Cannabis sativa L. and other members of the Cannabaceae family were located in different branches. Conclusion The rbcL sequence could be used as a DNA barcode for identifying Cannabis sativa L., and combined with comparative analysis of the rbcL sequence and system cluster analysis could be a reliable and effective detection method for Cannabis sativa L. identification in forensic investigation.
Cannabis/genetics* ; Genetic Markers ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Objective To study the genetic polymorphism of whole mitochondrial DNA （mtDNA） genomes in She population in Zhejiang and to explore the maternal genetic structure of the She population. Methods Whole mtDNA genomes of 231 unrelated individuals from She population in Zhejiang Province were sequenced. The number of mutations and population genetics parameters such as, the haplotype diversity （HD）, discrimination power （DP）, and random match probabilities （RMP） were analyzed. The mtDNA haplogroups of Zhejiang She population were classified, and the maternal genetic relationships between She and nine other Chinese populations were estimated. Results In 231 Zhejiang She samples, 8 507 mutations （702 types） were observed and the samples were classified into 94 haplogroups. The HD, DP and RMP values were 0.998 6, 0.994 2 and 0.005 8, respectively. The lowest genetic differentiation degree （F_st=0.006 89） was detected between Zhejiang She population and southern Han population. Principal component analysis （PCA） and median-joining network analysis showed that the genetic distance of Zhejiang She population with Guangxi Yao, Yunnan Dai and Southern Han populations was relatively close, but the population still had some unique genetic characteristics. Conclusion The whole mtDNA genomes are highly polymorphic in Zhejiang She population. The Zhejiang She population contains complex and diverse genetic components and has a relatively close maternal genetic relationship with Guangxi Yao, Yunnan Dai and Southern Han populations. Meanwhile, Zhejiang She population has kept its unique maternal genetic components.
Asian People/genetics* ; China ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics* ; Ethnicity/genetics* ; Genetics, Population ; Haplotypes ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic