ObjectiveThis paper aims to evaluate the intervention effect of Gandou Fumu Decoction （GDFMD） in treating hepatolenticular degeneration with liver fibrosis of liver-kidney deficiency and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome， thereby providing evidence-based medical evidence for the treatment of Wilson's disease （WD）-related liver fibrosis with traditional Chinese medicine through clinical efficacy analysis. MethodsA total of 70 patients with WD-related liver fibrosis of liver-kidney deficiency and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled from Anhui Provincial Hospital of TCM from October 1， 2023， to October 1， 2024. Participants were divided into a control group and an observation group， with 35 cases in each group. The control group received conventional copper chelation therapy with sodium dimercaptopropanesulfonate （DMPS）. On this basis， the observation group was additionally administered GDFMD orally. Each treatment course lasted eight days， for a total of four treatment courses. Efficacy evaluations were performed before treatment and after the second and fourth treatment courses， respectively. The clinical efficacy and safety of GDFMD in the treatment of WD-related liver fibrosis were assessed by comparing the changes in liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， liver serological markers ［alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， type Ⅳ collagen （C-Ⅳ）， laminin （LN）， N-terminal propeptide of type Ⅲ procollagen （PⅢNP）， and hyaluronic acid （HA）］， fibrosis index based on 4 factors （FIB-4）， AST to platelet ratio index （APRI）， unified Wilson's disease rating scale part Ⅱ （UWDRS-Ⅱ）， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， 24-hour urinary copper， and safety indicators between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsCompared with those before treatment， LSM levels decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of LSM levels in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the improvement of LSM levels in the observation group was more obvious after four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the levels of HA， LN， PⅢNP， and C-Ⅳ decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of the C-Ⅳ levels in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the levels of HA， LN， and PⅢNP were more obvious （P<0.05）. After four treatment courses in the observation group， the levels of HA， LN， PⅢNP， and C-Ⅳ were improved more significantly （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， ALT and AST levels decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of ALT and AST levels in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the improvement of ALT and AST levels in the observation group was more obvious after four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， APRI score and FIB-4 index level decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those in control group after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of APRI score and FIB-4 index level in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the APRI score in the observation group was more obvious after four treatment courses （P<0.05）， with no statistically significant improvement in the FIB-4 index difference. Compared with those before treatment， the levels of TCM syndrome scores decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with that of the control group after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of the level of TCM syndrome scores in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the improvement of the level of TCM syndrome scores in the observation group was more obvious after four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the UWDRS-Ⅱ scores in both groups after two treatment courses were not improved obviously， and the UWDRS-Ⅱ scores in both groups decreased after four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those of the control group after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of the UWDRS-Ⅱ scores in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the improvement of the UWDRS-Ⅱ scores in the observation group after four treatment courses was more obvious （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the 24-h urine copper levels were significantly higher in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the control group after treatment， the 24-h urine copper levels in the observation group were significantly higher after two and four treatment courses （P<0.01）. After two treatment courses， the 24-h urine copper level in the observation group showed a gradual decreasing trend， although it was higher than that before treatment. After four treatment courses， the control group had an improvement rate of 91.43%， an effective rate of 34.29%， and an apparent rate of 2.86%. The observation group had an improvement rate of 94.29%， an effective rate of 71.43%， and an apparent rate of 8.57%. The efficacy of the observation group was better than that of the control group （P<0.05）. Conclusion① The efficacy of GDFMD combined with DMPS therapy in patients with WD-related liver fibrosis of liver-kidney deficiency and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome is significantly better than that of single DMPS therapy， and the advantages of the combined therapy are more obvious with the prolongation of the treatment cycle. ② GDFMD combined with the DMPS therapy program in the long-term application exhibits no obvious adverse reactions with good safety， which is worthy of clinical popularization and application.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to evaluate the intervention effect of Gandou Fumu Decoction （GDFMD） in treating hepatolenticular degeneration with liver fibrosis of liver-kidney deficiency and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome， thereby providing evidence-based medical evidence for the treatment of Wilson's disease （WD）-related liver fibrosis with traditional Chinese medicine through clinical efficacy analysis. MethodsA total of 70 patients with WD-related liver fibrosis of liver-kidney deficiency and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled from Anhui Provincial Hospital of TCM from October 1， 2023， to October 1， 2024. Participants were divided into a control group and an observation group， with 35 cases in each group. The control group received conventional copper chelation therapy with sodium dimercaptopropanesulfonate （DMPS）. On this basis， the observation group was additionally administered GDFMD orally. Each treatment course lasted eight days， for a total of four treatment courses. Efficacy evaluations were performed before treatment and after the second and fourth treatment courses， respectively. The clinical efficacy and safety of GDFMD in the treatment of WD-related liver fibrosis were assessed by comparing the changes in liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， liver serological markers ［alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， type Ⅳ collagen （C-Ⅳ）， laminin （LN）， N-terminal propeptide of type Ⅲ procollagen （PⅢNP）， and hyaluronic acid （HA）］， fibrosis index based on 4 factors （FIB-4）， AST to platelet ratio index （APRI）， unified Wilson's disease rating scale part Ⅱ （UWDRS-Ⅱ）， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， 24-hour urinary copper， and safety indicators between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsCompared with those before treatment， LSM levels decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of LSM levels in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the improvement of LSM levels in the observation group was more obvious after four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the levels of HA， LN， PⅢNP， and C-Ⅳ decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of the C-Ⅳ levels in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the levels of HA， LN， and PⅢNP were more obvious （P<0.05）. After four treatment courses in the observation group， the levels of HA， LN， PⅢNP， and C-Ⅳ were improved more significantly （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， ALT and AST levels decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of ALT and AST levels in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the improvement of ALT and AST levels in the observation group was more obvious after four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， APRI score and FIB-4 index level decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those in control group after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of APRI score and FIB-4 index level in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the APRI score in the observation group was more obvious after four treatment courses （P<0.05）， with no statistically significant improvement in the FIB-4 index difference. Compared with those before treatment， the levels of TCM syndrome scores decreased in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with that of the control group after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of the level of TCM syndrome scores in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the improvement of the level of TCM syndrome scores in the observation group was more obvious after four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the UWDRS-Ⅱ scores in both groups after two treatment courses were not improved obviously， and the UWDRS-Ⅱ scores in both groups decreased after four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those of the control group after treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of the UWDRS-Ⅱ scores in the observation group after two treatment courses， and the improvement of the UWDRS-Ⅱ scores in the observation group after four treatment courses was more obvious （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the 24-h urine copper levels were significantly higher in both groups after two and four treatment courses （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the control group after treatment， the 24-h urine copper levels in the observation group were significantly higher after two and four treatment courses （P<0.01）. After two treatment courses， the 24-h urine copper level in the observation group showed a gradual decreasing trend， although it was higher than that before treatment. After four treatment courses， the control group had an improvement rate of 91.43%， an effective rate of 34.29%， and an apparent rate of 2.86%. The observation group had an improvement rate of 94.29%， an effective rate of 71.43%， and an apparent rate of 8.57%. The efficacy of the observation group was better than that of the control group （P<0.05）. Conclusion① The efficacy of GDFMD combined with DMPS therapy in patients with WD-related liver fibrosis of liver-kidney deficiency and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome is significantly better than that of single DMPS therapy， and the advantages of the combined therapy are more obvious with the prolongation of the treatment cycle. ② GDFMD combined with the DMPS therapy program in the long-term application exhibits no obvious adverse reactions with good safety， which is worthy of clinical popularization and application.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of schistosomiasis surveillance in Jiangsu Province during the stage moving from transmission control to transmission interruption, and to analyze the current risk and challenges, so as to provide the evidence for achieving the target of schistosomiasis elimination. Methods Schistosomiasis surveillance data were collected from Jiangsu Province from 2012 to 2024, and the endemic areas, Schistosoma japonicum infections in humans and livestock, Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution and implementation of integrated interventions were descriptively analyzed. In addition, the trends in areas with snails, seroprevalence of human S. japonicum infections and numbers of advanced schistosomiasis cases were assessed using a Joinpoint regression model. Results The endemic areas of schistosomiasis continued to shrink in Jiangsu Province from 2012 to 2024, with the number of schistosomiasis-eliminated counties (cities, districts) increasing from 53 (75.71%) to 63 (96.92%), and interruption of schistosomiasis transmission was achieved across the province. A total of 4 600 300 person-times were tested for serum antibodies against S. japonicum, with 28 719 person-times positive detected; and 616 500 person-times were tested S. japonicum infections among local residents in Jiangsu Province from 2012 to 2024, with only 3 egg-positives detected, and no egg-positives found since 2017. A total of 187 600 herd-times were tested for schistosomiasis in livestock, and no S. japonicum infections were found. O. hupensis snail survey was performed covering 1 018 408.97 hm², and a total of 35 556.35 hm² was found with snail-infested habitats, including 174.40 hm2 of emerging snail-infested habitats. A total of 1 102 800 O. hupensis snails were identified for S. japonicum infections, and no infections were found. The areas of snail-infested habitats appeared a tendency towards a rise in Jiangsu Province from 2019 to 2023 (APC = 23.67%, P < 0.05), and the actual areas of snail-infested habitats appeared a tendency towards a decline from 2012 to 2015 (APC = −22.77%, P < 0.05), and towards a rise from 2015 to 2023 (APC = 9.76%, P < 0.01). The seroprevalence of anti-S. japonicum antibodies appeared a tendency towards a decline among residents in Jiangsu Province from 2017 to 2023 (APC = −14.92%, P < 0.01). In addition, the number of newly diagnosed advanced schistosomiasis cases appeared a tendency towards a decline from 2012 to 2024 (APC = −12.02%, P < 0.01), and the numbers of advanced schistosomiasis patients requiring treatment showed a tendency towards a decline from 2012 to 2021 (APC = −10.56%, P < 0.01) and from 2021 to 2023 (APC = −20.06%, P < 0.01). Conclusions Great progresses had been achieved in schistosomiasis control in Jiangsu Province following transmission control, and transmission interruption had been achieved; however, there are still snail-infested habitats. High-intensity surveillance and integrated control are required to be maintained to advance the achievement of the target of schistosomiasis elimination in Jiangsu Province.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of individualized intermittent catheterization (IC) guided by 24-hour dynamic urine volume monitoring on bladder function and urinary tract infection complications in patients with neurogenic bladder (NB). MethodsA total of 50 NB patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from August, 2025 to June, 2026 were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into control group (n = 25) and experimental group (n = 25). The control group received routine timed/empirical IC, and the experimental group adopted dynamic urine volume-guided individualized IC, for a week. Urine leukocyte positive rate, urine bacterial positive rate, frequencies of single catheterized volume > 400 mL, 24-hour catheterization and 24-hour urine leakage were recorded before and after intervention. ResultsAfter intervention, the positive rates of urine leukocytes and urine bacteria were lower in the experimental group than in the control group (χ² > 5.094, P < 0.05), while the frequencies of single catheterized volume > 400 mL, 24-hour catheterization and 24-hour urine leakage were less (t > 2.078, P < 0.05). ConclusionThe individualized IC guided by 24-hour dynamic urine volume monitoring can accurately match individual urine secretion rhythm, reduce over-distension of bladder and unnecessary catheterization, and lower the incidence of urine leakage and urinary tract infection.

In this study, the reductive amination method was used to label IR783 on Astragalus polysaccharides(APS) for the first time, which was verified by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Quantitative analysis methods of APS-IR783 in plasma and various tissue were established using a multifunctional microplate reader. The pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of APS-IR783 in mice were investigated after a single intravenous injection of 30 mg·kg~(-1) APS-IR783, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using DAS 2.0 software. The results showed that the APS used had a mass fraction of 93.69%, a relative molecular weight of 1.55×10~5, and a polydispersity index(PDI, M_w/M_n) of 1.73, close to a homogeneous polysaccharide. The IR783 labeling yield reached 86.50%, and the content of IR783 in APS-IR783 was 0.72%. After a single intravenous injection of 30 mg·kg~(-1), the pharmacokinetic parameters of APS in mouse plasma were as follows: T_(max) was(0.67±0.26) h; C_(max) was(1 599.29±159.30) mg·L~(-1); T_(1/2α) and T_(1/2β) were(2.29±3.06) h and(0.44±0.05) h, respectively; AUC_(0-t) was(23 398.91±2 907.03) mg·h·L~(-1); AUC_(0-∞) was(27 710.55±3 506.55) mg·h·L~(-1); MRT_(0-∞) was(34.38±12.59) h; CL was 0.001 L·h~(-1)·kg~(-1); V_z was(0.042±0.017) L·kg~(-1). The in vivo biodistribution study demonstrated that the in vivo exposure ratios of APS in different tissue were in the following order: spleen > liver > kidney > lung > heart > small intestine > muscle > large intestine > brain > stomach, where the top five tissue accounted for 87.54% of the total area under the curve(AUC). This study successfully labeled APS with a water-soluble near-infrared fluorescent probe of IR783 for the first time and revealed the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of APS in mice. The paper provides detailed in vivo behavior of APS after intravenous injection, which lays the foundation for the development and utilization of APS and related natural medicines.
Animals ; Mice ; Polysaccharides/chemistry* ; Tissue Distribution ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Fluorescent Dyes/pharmacokinetics* ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To explore early curative effect of upper joint capsule reconstruction combined with biceps tendon transposition in treating irreparable rotator cuff tears. METHODS: From October 2019 to March 2021, 16 patients with irreparable rotator cuff tear were underwent arthroscopic autogenous semitendinosus tendon transplantation for upper articular capsule reconstruction combined with biceps tendon transposition, included 12 males and 4 females, aged from 53 to 72 years old with an average of (62.13±5.35) years old; 3 patients on the left side and 13 patients on the right side. All patients had preoperatively limited joint mobility, resting pain, and mobility pain, and had a history of failure to respond to conservative treatment for more than 8 months. The duration of preoperative symptoms ranged from 45 to 144 months with an average of (85.25±32.08) months. Visual analogue scale (VAS) of shoulder pain, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, Constant-Murley score, active and passive motion of shoulder joint were compared before operation and 2 years after operation, complications were recorded. RESULTS: All 16 patients were followed up for 21 to 32 months with an average of (24.25±3.57) months. There were no complications such as incision infection, vascular and nerve injury, retear occurred. VAS, UCLA and Constant-Murley scores were improved from (5.75±1.18), (11.88±3.38) and (33.38±9.34) before operation to (1.13±0.89), (32.56±2.71), (89.06±6.25) at 2 years after operation (P<0.05). Anterior flexion, abduction, lateral external rotation and lateral internal rotation of shoulder joint were improved from (79.75±21.36) °, (62.06±10.49) °, (19.19±5.41) °, (3.04±0.21) °, respectively to (156.94±13.18) °, (116.19±12.59) °, (42.63±6.07) °, (8.16±0.64) ° at 2 years after operation. Anterior flexion, abduction, lateral lateral rotation and lateral internal rotation of shoulder joint were improved from (116.28±21.47) °, (107.12±9.67) °, (27.62±4.70) °, (4.21±0.41) °, respectively to (165.28±7.15) °, (153.34±4.69) °, (52.46±4.46) °, (9.68±0.68) ° at 2 years after operation, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Arthroscopic autograft of semitendinosus tendon combined with transposition of biceps tendon could achieve satisfactory early clinical results in treating patients with irreparable rotator cuff tear, which is a reliable and effective surgical method.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Arthroscopy/methods* ; Rotator Cuff Injuries/physiopathology* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Shoulder Joint/surgery* ; Tendon Transfer

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) in the treatment of recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder joint with glenoid cartilage defect in rabbits by establishing a model of recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder joint with < 20% glenoid cartilage defect in rabbits. METHODS: Twenty-four male New Zealand white rabbits, aged 6-month-old, weighed (2.69±0.17) kg were selected. The labrum of shoulder joint of rabbits was artificially destroyed to establish a model of recurrent anterior dislocation of shoulder joint with cartilage defect. They were divided into AOT surgery group and simple suture group, with 12 rabbits in each group. AOT group were underwent AOT surgery, while simple suture group was treated with simple Bankart suture for recurrent shoulder joint dislocation. At 6 and 12 weeks after operation, 6 rabbits between two groups were sacrificed for sampling. The dietary conditions, activity conditions, mental states of rabbits and healing conditions of grafts in the specimens were observed and compared between two groups. HE staining was used to observe cell creep, cell morphology, inflammatory cell infiltration, fibrochondrocytes and their arrangement. Masson staining was used to observe the formation and arrangement of collagen fibers; Safrane-green staining was used to observe the regeneration of articular cartilage, subchondral bone and bone tissue. Bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume (BV) and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) between two groups were measured by Micro-CT to evaluate the remodeling of shoulder glenoid bone defects by autologous osteochondral cartilage. RESULTS: After different surgical interventions were carried out in both groups of rabbits, at 6 weeks after the operation, the abduction, extension, internal rotation and external rotation of the shoulder joint on the operated side showed limited range of motion compared with the contralateral side, while adduction and forward flexion showed no obvious abnormalities compared with the contralateral side. At 12 weeks after operation, the range motion of tshoulder joints in both groups of rabbits had returned to the state before modeling. The effects of HE staining, Masson staining and safrane-green staining at 12 weeks after operation in both groups were stronger than the staining results at 6 weeks after operation. Moreover, the results of HE staining, Masson staining and safranin fixation green staining in AOT group at 6 and 12 weeks after operation were all higher than those in simple suture group. Micro-CT scan results at 6 and 12 weeks after operation showed that BMD (0.427±0.014), (0.466±0.032) g·cm-3, BV(116.171±3.527), (159.327±3.500) mm3, and Tb.Th (0.230±0.006), (0.285±0.009) mm in AOT group, which were higher than those of simple suture group in BMD(0.358±0.011), (0.384±0.096) g·cm-3, BV(72.657±3.903), (118.713±3.860) mm3, and Tb.Th(0.204±0.009), (0.243±0.007) mm;and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION AOT procedure could effectively promote osteogenesis and fibrocartilage regeneration in the cartilage defect area of the shoulder glenoid <20%, which is conducive to reshaping the structure of the shoulder glenoid.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Male ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Cartilage, Articular/injuries* ; Shoulder Dislocation/physiopathology* ; Bone Transplantation ; Shoulder Joint/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement using 3D-printed auxiliary guides in scoliosis correction surgery for adolescents. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 51 patients who underwent posterior scoliosis correction surgery from January 2020 to March 2023. Among them, there were 35 cases of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and 16 cases of congenital scoliosis. The patients were divided into two groups based on the auxiliary tool used:the 3D-printed auxiliary guide screw placement group (3D printing group) and the free-hand screw placement group (free-hand group, without auxiliary tools). The 3D printing group included 32 patients (12 males and 20 females) with an average age of (12.59±2.60) years;the free-hand group included 19 patients (7 males and 12 females) with an average age of (14.58±3.53) years. The two groups were compared in terms of screw placement accuracy and safety, spinal correction rate, intraoperative blood loss, number of intraoperative fluoroscopies, operation time, hospital stay, and preoperative and last follow-up scores of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 707 pedicle screws were placed in the two groups, with 441 screws in the 3D printing group and 266 screws in the free-hand group. All patients in both groups successfully completed the surgery. There was a statistically significant difference in operation time between the two groups (P<0.05). The screw placement accuracy rate of the 3D printing group was 95.46% (421/441), among which the Grade A placement rate was 89.34% (394/441);the screw placement accuracy rate of the free-hand group was 86.47% (230/266), with a Grade A placement rate of 73.31% (195/266). There were statistically significant differences in the accuracy of Grade A, B, and C screw placements between the two groups (P<0.05), while no statistically significant differences were observed in intraoperative blood loss, number of fluoroscopies, correction rate, or hospital stay (P>0.05). In the SRS-22 questionnaire scores, the scores of functional status and activity ability, self-image, mental status, and pain of patients in each group at the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences in all scores between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION In scoliosis correction surgery, compared with traditional free-hand screw placement, the use of 3D-printed auxiliary guides for screw placement significantly improves the accuracy and safety of screw placement and shortens the operation time.
Humans ; Male ; Scoliosis/surgery* ; Female ; Adolescent ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Retrospective Studies ; Pedicle Screws ; Child

Compounds isolated from Epimedium include the total flavonoids of Epimedium , icariin, and its metabolites (icaritin, icariside I, and icariside II), which have similar molecular structures. Modern pharmacological research and clinical practice have proved that Epimedium and its active components have a wide range of pharmacological effects, especially in improving sexual function, hormone regulation, anti-osteoporosis, immune function regulation, anti-oxidation, and anti-tumor activity. To date, we still need a comprehensive source of knowledge about the pharmacological effects of Epimedium and its bioactive compounds on the male reproductive system. However, their actions in other tissues have been reviewed in recent years. This review critically focuses on the Epimedium , its bioactive compounds, and the biochemical and molecular mechanisms that modulate vital pathways associated with the male reproductive system. Such intrinsic knowledge will significantly further studies on the Epimedium and its bioactive compounds that protect the male reproductive system and provide some guidances for clinical treatment of related male reproductive disorders.
Male ; Epimedium/chemistry* ; Humans ; Genitalia, Male/drug effects* ; Flavonoids/therapeutic use* ; Animals

The relationship between hyperuricemia (HUA) and erectile dysfunction (ED) remains inadequately understood. Given that HUA is often associated with various metabolic disorders, this study aims to explore the multivariate linear impacts of metabolic parameters on erectile function in ED patients with HUA. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted involving 514 ED patients with HUA in the Department of Andrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine (Nanjing, China), aged 18 to 60 years. General demographic information, medical history, and laboratory results were collected to assess metabolic disturbances. Sexual function was evaluated using the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire. Based on univariate analysis, variables associated with IIEF-5 scores were identified, and the correlations between them were evaluated. The effects of these variables on IIEF-5 scores were further explored by multiple linear regression models. Fasting plasma glucose ( β = -0.628, P < 0.001), uric acid ( β = -0.552, P < 0.001), triglycerides ( β = -0.088, P = 0.047), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( β = -0.164, P = 0.027), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c; β = -0.562, P = 0.012), and smoking history ( β = -0.074, P = 0.037) exhibited significant negative impacts on erectile function. The coefficient of determination ( R ²) for the model was 0.239, and the adjusted R ² was 0.230, indicating overall statistical significance ( F -statistic = 26.52, P < 0.001). Metabolic parameters play a crucial role in the development of ED. Maintaining normal metabolic indices may aid in the prevention and improvement of erectile function in ED patients with HUA.
Humans ; Male ; Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism* ; Hyperuricemia/metabolism* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism* ; Blood Glucose/metabolism* ; Uric Acid/blood* ; Young Adult ; Triglycerides/blood* ; Adolescent ; Cholesterol, LDL/blood* ; Penile Erection/physiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires