To explore the anti-depression effect of Suanzaoren Decoction(SZRD), the regulatory effects on endogenous metabolites in the liver of rats with depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) were analyzed by using LC-MS metabolomics. The rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, low-dose SZRD group, high-dose SZRD group, and positive drug group. The CUMS depression model was replicated by applying a variety of stimuli, such as fasting and water deprivation, ice water swimming, hot water swimming, day and night reversal, tail clamping, and restraint for rats. Modeling and treatment were conducted for 56 days. The behavioral indexes of rats in each group, including body weight, open field test, sucrose preference test, and tail suspension test, were observed. Plasma samples and liver tissue samples were collected, and the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), dopamine(DA), and norepinephrine(NE) in plasma were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Meanwhile, the regulatory effects of SZRD on the liver metabolic profile of CUMS model rats were analyzed by the LC-MS metabolomics method. The results show that SZRD can significantly improve the depression-like behavior of CUMS model rats and increase the neurotransmitter levels of 5-HT, DA, and NE in plasma. A total of 24 different metabolites in the rats' liver are identified using the LC-MS metabolomics method, and SZRD can reverse 13 of these metabolites. Metabolic pathway analysis indicates that nine metabolic pathways are found to be significantly associated with depression, and in the low-dose SZRD group, four pathways can be regulated, including pentose phosphate pathway, purine metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism. In the high-dose SZRD group, two metabolic pathways can be regulated, including sphingolipid metabolism and glycerol glycerophospholipid metabolism. Sphingolipid metabolism is a metabolic pathway that can be regulated by SZRD at different doses, so it is speculated that it may be the primary pathway through which SZRD can alleviate metabolic disturbances in the liver of CUMS model rats.
Animals ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Metabolomics ; Depression/metabolism* ; Male ; Liver/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Antidepressive Agents/administration & dosage* ; Serotonin/blood* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects*

Three taraxerane nortriterpenoids were isolated from mastic by using various modern chromatographic separation techniques. They were identified as(5R,8R,9R,10S,11S,12R,13S,17R,18R)-28-norlupa-11,12-epoxy-14-taraxerene-3,16-dione(1),(5R,8R,9R,10S,11S,12R,13S,17S,18S)-17-hydroxy-28-norlupa-11,12-epoxy-14-taraxerene-3-one(2), and(5R,8R,9R,10R,11S,12R,13R,14S,17S,18S)-14,17-epoxy-28-norlupa-11,12-oxidotaraxerone(3) through the high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS), infrared(IR), ultraviolet(UV), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques as well as comparison with literature data. Compounds 1-3 were C-28 nortriterpenoids and isolated from mastic for the first time, and compounds 1-2 were new ones. In the model for RAW264.7 cell anti-inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS), compound 1 demonstrates an inhibitory effect on nitric oxide(NO) [IC_(50)=(13.38±0.68) μmol·L~(-1)], comparable to the activity of the positive control dexamethasone [IC_(50)=(14.59±1.49) μmol·L~(-1)]. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibit weaker inhibitory effects, with IC_(50) values of(24.17±2.56) and(22.25±2.84) μmol·L~(-1), respectively.
Animals ; Mice ; Triterpenes/isolation & purification* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Mastic Resin/chemistry* ; Nitric Oxide ; Molecular Structure ; Macrophages/immunology* ; RAW 264.7 Cells

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To investigate the prevalence of scoliosis and congenital heart disease(CHD)and their correlation among children and adolescents of Drung nationality in Yunnan Province.Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in November 2022 among all Drung school-aged children and adolescents aged 5-18 years in Gongshan Drung and Nu Autonomous County,Yunnan Province.Visual inspection,Adams for-ward flexion test,and trunk rotation angle(ATR)measurement were comprehensively used for school prelim-inary screening of scoliosis.Individuals who tested positive in the school preliminary screening underwent fur-ther X-ray examination for auxiliary diagnosis.Cardiac auscultation and echocardiography were used for school preliminary screening of CHD.The personal information of the screening subjects,the screening results,etc.were recorded.The prevalence of scoliosis and CHD among children and adolescents of the Drung nationality and the relationship between the two diseases were statistically analyzed,and the positive predictive value of school-based scoliosis screening and its influencing factors were also analyzed.Results A total of 1 036 chil-dren and adolescents of Drung nationality were enrolled,with a mean age of(10.72±3.75)years,icluding 542 males and 494 females.A total of 45 subjects tested positive for scoliosis in the school preliminary screening,with a preliminary positive rate of 4.34%.A total of 22 cases were finally diagnosed with scoliosis,with a prevalence rate of 2.12%.Among them,21 cases were idiopathic scoliosis(accounting for 95.45%),and 1 case was congenital scoliosis(accounting for 4.55%).The prevalence rate was higher in females(2.83%)than that in males(1.48%),higher in the 10 to 18-year-old group(2.30%)than that in the 5 to<10-year-old group(1.87%),and higher in the secondary school group(2.78%)than that in the primary school group(1.78%),hut there were no statistically significant differences(P>0.05).Most idiopathic scoliosis cases were mild(Cobb angle 10° to<20°,90.48%)and classified as Lenke type Ⅴ(57.14%).Two cases of CHD were confirmed,both of which were atrial septal defects,with a prevalence rate of 0.19%.The co-occurrence rate of idiopathic scoliosis and CHD was 4.76%(1/21).The positive predictive value of school-based scoliosis pre-liminary screening was only 48.89%.When the BMI was<18.5 kg/m2,the positive predictive value was sig-nificantly higher than that for BMI≥18.5 kg/m2(P<0.05).Conclusion The prevalence rate of scoliosis a-mong adolescents of the Drung ethnic group in Yunnan Province is 2.12%,predominantly idiopathic scoliosis,with Lenke type V being the most common classification.The prevalence rate of congenital heart disease is 0.19%.BMI is a significant influencing factor for the positive predictive value of school-based scoliosis prelimi-nary screening.

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

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role and mechanism of copper overload-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in vascular endothelial injury in Kawasaki disease (KD). METHODS: Four-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, KD, KD plus copper chelator tetrathiomolybdate (TTM), and KD plus ERS inhibitor AMG PERK 44 (AMG) (n=20 per group). A KD mouse model was established using Candida albicans extract. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were divided into control (intervention with healthy children's serum), KD (intervention with KD patients' serum), and KD+TTM (intervention with KD patients' serum plus 20 µmol/L TTM). Copper deposition in mouse heart tissue was assessed using rubeanic acid staining. Vascular pathological changes were observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining and measurement of abdominal aortic diameter and area. ERS activation was detected by transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. HUVEC viability, apoptosis, and functional changes were evaluated using CCK8, flow cytometry, cell scratch assay, and angiogenesis experiments. ERS marker protein expression levels were measured by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared to the KD group, the KD+TTM and KD+AMG groups showed reduced copper deposition in the vascular wall, decreased swelling of coronary endothelial cells and endoplasmic reticulum, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, and less abdominal aortic lesion expansion. The abdominal aortic diameter and area, and the fluorescence intensity of ERS marker proteins (GRP78 and CHOP) were significantly lower (P<0.05). Compared to the KD group, the KD+TTM group exhibited increased cell viability, tube number, and scratch healing rate, along with decreased apoptosis rate and expression of ERS marker proteins (GRP78, CHOP, ATF6, and p-PERK) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Copper overload aggravates vascular endothelial injury in KD by activating the ERS pathway. TTM can exert protective effects on the endothelium by regulating copper metabolism and inhibiting the ERS pathway.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; Copper/toxicity* ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/metabolism* ; Animals ; Humans ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Apoptosis ; Endothelium, Vascular/injuries*

OBJECTIVE: By analyzing the hormone secretion of the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads, and adrenal cortex in patients with hematological diseases before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), this study aims to preliminarily explore the effect of HSCT on patients' hormone secretion and glandular damage. METHODS: The baseline data of 209 hematological disease patients who underwent HSCT in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2023, as well as the data on the levels of hormones secreted by the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads and adrenal cortex before and after HSCT were collected, and the changes in hormone levels before and after transplantation were analyzed. RESULTS: After allogeneic HSCT, the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and estradiol (E2) decreased, while the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) increased. The T3 level of patients with decreased TSH after transplantation was lower than that of those with increased TSH after transplantation. In female patients, the levels of prolactin (PRL), progesterone (Prog), and testosterone (Testo) decreased after HSCT. Testo and PRL decreased when there was a donor-recipient sex mismatch, and the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (COR) decreased when the HLA matching was haploidentical. The levels of T3, FT3, and PRL decreased after autologous HSCT. In allogeneic HSCT patients, the levels of TSH, T4, T3, FT3, and ACTH in the group with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were significantly lower than those in the group without GVHD. Logistic regression analysis showed the changes in hormone levels after transplantation were not correlated with factors such as the patient's sex, age, or whether the blood types of the donor and the recipient are the same. CONCLUSION HSCT can affect the endocrine function of patients with hematological diseases, mainly affecting target glandular organs such as the thyroid, gonads, and adrenal glands, while the secretory function of the adenohypophysis is less affected.
Humans ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Female ; Male ; Hematologic Diseases/blood* ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood* ; Triiodothyronine/blood* ; Luteinizing Hormone/blood* ; Thyroid Gland/metabolism* ; Estradiol/blood* ; Thyrotropin/blood* ; Gonads/metabolism* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood* ; Hormones/metabolism* ; Adrenal Cortex/metabolism* ; Prolactin

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of moxibustion (Mox) combined with low-dose tadalafil (TAD) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) with the syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis. METHODS: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected 90 patients with DMED for this trial and equally randomized them into a Mox, a TAD, and a Mox combined with TAD (Mox+TAD) group to be treated by mild Mox applied to the acupoints Zusanli, Sanyinjiao and Yinlingquan qd alt, oral medication with low-dose TAD at 5 mg per dose qd, and combination of the above two therapies, respectively, all for 4 weeks. We obtained from the patients their IIEF-5 scores, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms scores, Erectile Hardness Scale (EHS) scores, corpus cavernosal hemodynamic indexes, and the peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI) of the corpus cavernosal arteries before and after treatment, and compared them among the three groups. RESULTS: The total effectiveness rate was significantly higher in the Mox+TAD (90.0%) than in the Mox (46.7%) and TAD groups (60.0%) (P< 0.05). Compared with the baseline, the IIEF-5 and EHS scores were increased, while the TCM symptoms scores decreased in all the three groups after treatment, more significantly in the Mox+TAD group than in the other two (P< 0.05). And the PSV and RI were remarkably increased, while the EDV decreased (P< 0.05) in all the three groups (P< 0.05) after treatment, with PSV even higher in the Mox+TAD than in the Mox and TAD groups (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION Moxibustion combined with tadalafil has a definite efficacy and safety for the treatment of DMED, which can effectively improve the erectile function of the patients by increasing penile blood supply, benefiting qi and activating blood circulation.
Humans ; Male ; Tadalafil ; Erectile Dysfunction/etiology* ; Moxibustion ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Adult ; Carbolines/administration & dosage* ; Diabetes Complications/therapy* ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Combined Modality Therapy

The ventral anterior (VA) nucleus of the thalamus is a major target of the basal ganglia and is closely associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Notably, the VA receives direct innervation from the hypothalamic histaminergic system. However, its role in PD remains unknown. Here, we assessed the contribution of histamine to VA neuronal activity and PD motor deficits. Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed reduced VA activity in PD patients. Optogenetic activation of VA neurons or histaminergic afferents significantly alleviated motor deficits in 6-OHDA-induced PD rats. Furthermore, histamine excited VA neurons via H1 and H2 receptors and their coupled hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, inward-rectifier K⁺ channels, or Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels. These results demonstrate that histaminergic afferents actively compensate for Parkinsonian motor deficits by biasing VA activity. These findings suggest that targeting VA histamine receptors and downstream ion channels may be a potential therapeutic strategy for PD motor dysfunction.
Animals ; Histamine/metabolism* ; Male ; Oxidopamine/toxicity* ; Rats ; Ventral Thalamic Nuclei/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Disease Models, Animal ; Parkinson Disease/metabolism* ; Neurons/physiology* ; Humans ; Optogenetics