Atractylodes lancea is a perennial herbaceous plant of Asteraceae, with rhizomes for medical use. However, A. lancea plants from different habitats have great variability, and the germplasm resources of A. lancea are unclear and mixed during production. Therefore, it is urgent to protect new varieties of A. lancea. The distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing of new plant varieties is the foundation of plant variety protection, and the DUS testing guidelines are the technical basis for variety approval agencies to conduct DUS testing. In this study, the phenotypic traits of 94 germplasm accessions of A. lancea were investigated considering the breeding and variety characteristics of A. lancea in China. The traits were classified and described, and 24 traits were preliminarily determined, including 20 basic traits that must be tested and four traits selected to be tested. The 20 basic traits included 3 quality traits, 5 false quality traits, and 12 quantitative traits, corresponding to 1 plant traits, 2 stem traits, 8 leaf traits, 6 flower traits, and 3 seed traits. The measurement ranges and coefficients of variation of eight quantitative traits were determined, on the basis of which the grading criteria and codes of the traits were determined and assigned. The guidelines has guiding significance for the trait evaluation, utilization, and breeding of new varieties of A. lancea.
Atractylodes/growth & development* ; China ; Phenotype ; Guidelines as Topic ; Plant Breeding

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Guiyuan Shujin Mixture in the treatment of patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH)and to explore its possible therapeutic mechanism.Methods Sixty-eight patients with LDH of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome were randomly divided into trial group and control group,with 34 cases in each group.The control group was treated with Celecoxib Tablets and Mecobalamin Tablets orally,and the trial group was treated with Guiyuan Shujin Mixture on the basis of treatment for the control group.The course of treatment lasted for 4 weeks.Before and after treatment,the two groups were observed in the changes of the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)score of low back pain and lower limb pain,Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)score,modified Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)score,serum levels of inflammatory factors of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),interleukin 6(IL-6)and interleukin 1β(IL-1β),and serum nuclear factor-κB p65(NF-κB p65)level.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,one case fell off in the trial group and 3 cases fell off in the control group.Eventually,33 cases in the trial group and 31 cases in the control group were included for the efficacy statistics.(2)After 4 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the trial group was 96.97%(32/33),and that of the control group was 87.10%(27/31).The intergroup comparison(tested by rank sum test)showed that the curative effect of the trial group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the VAS score and ODI score of low back pain and lower limb pain in the two groups were lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and the modified JOA score was higher than that before treatment(P＜0.01).The decrease of VAS score and ODI score of low back pain and lower limb pain and the increase of modified JOA score in the trial group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the serum levels of inflammation-related indicators of TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β and NF-κB p65 in the two groups were lower than those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the decrease in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(5)During the treatment,the incidence of adverse events in the trial group was 2.94%(1/34)and that in the control group was 8.82%(3/34),and the difference between the two groups was not significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion Guiyuan Shujin Mixture exerts certain effect in the treatment of LDH patients with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome.It can effectively relieve the pain symptoms of patients,improve the lumbar function of patients,and reduce the expression levels of serum inflammatory factors and NF-κB p65.The mechanism may be related with the decrease of the level of inflammatory factors and with the inhibition of the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To analyse the clinical efficacy of low-frequency of midnight-noon ebb-flow acupuncture-opening method(also called Ziwu Liuzhu Acupuncture,referring to the needling method based on acupoints selection according to qi and blood movement following heavenly-stems and earthly-branches cycle)in treating low myopia in children.Methods A retrospective study was conducted to collect the clinical data of 84 cases(168 eyes)of children with low myopia who received treatment at the Outpatient Department of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2021 to December 2022.The children were divided into two groups according to the different treatment protocols:42 cases(84 eyes)treated with acupuncture combined with conventional optometry as the control group,and 42 cases(84 eyes)treated with low-frequency of midnight-noon ebb-flow acupuncture-opening method combined with conventional optometry as the observation group,and the treatment course of both groups was 24 weeks.The changes of refractive error and axial length before and after treatment were observed,and the clinical efficacy in the two groups of children were evaluated.Results(1)After treatment,there being statistically significant differences in the refractive error between the two groups of the children(P＜0.05),and the differential value of the refractive error of the children between the two groups before and after treatment was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,there being statistically significant differences in the axial length of the children in both groups(P＜0.05).The differential value of axial lengths of the children between the two groups before and after treatment was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)The total effective rate of the observation group was 84.52%(71/84),and which of the control group was 63.10%(53/84),the efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion The low-frequency of midnight-noon ebb-flow acupuncture-opening method in treating low myopia in children can effectively postpone the degree of myopia,and decrease the growth of the axis,with exact therapeutic effect.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Angelica Sinensis polysaccharide(ASP)promoting donor bone marrow transplantation(BMT)to reconstruct hematopoietic function of receptor mice by regulating bone marrow stromalcells(BMSCs).Methods Bone marrow mononuclear cells(BMMNCs)of male C57BL/6J mice aged 8-10 weeks were separated,purified and transplanted into female receptor mice of the same age.On the ninth day,receptor mice BMMNCs were separated,purified and transplanted again into female receptor mice.The transplanted receptor mice were divided into control group:sham irradiation;Irradiation(IR)group:a whole-body irradiation with a total dose of 8.0 Gy X-ray;BMT group:the receptor mice treated in the same way as the IR group and transplanted BMMNCs(5×106 cells)from male donor via the tail vein;BMT+ASP group:the receptor mice treated in the same way as the BMT group,and injected ASP[100 mg/(kg·d)×9]by intraperitoneal route from the first day of transplantation.Changes in body weight and survival rate of mice were recorded during modeling,receptor mice BMMNCs were collected to detect sex-determining region of Y(SRY)gene after building model,peripheral blood indexes,the number of BMMNCs in femur and histopathology of bone marrow were detected;BMSCs in receptor mice was separated and purified,BMSCs adhesion ability was observed,proliferation ability was detected by 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine(EdU);The level of reactive oxygen species(ROS),the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and the content of malondialdehyde(MDA)in BMSCs were detected;The levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF),stem cell factor(SCF),insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1)in culture supernatant of BMSCs were determined,CFU-Mix was counted after BMMNCs co-cultured with receptor BMSCs in each group for 48 hours;The expression of Notch signaling pathway related genes(Notch1,Jagged1,Hes1)in BMMNCs were measured by Real-time PCR.Results All mice in IR group were died,the body weight loss in BMT+ASP group was not obvious.The SRY gene was detected in the receptor female mice BMMNCs.Peripheral blood indexes and the number of BMMNCs were not significantly decreased in BMT+ASP group receptor mice,and bone marrow histopathological injury was reduced.ASP promoted the proliferation of BMSCs,decreased the contents of ROS and MDA,and increased the activity of SOD in BMSCs.ASP promoted the secretion of SCF,GM-CSF and IGF-1 in BMSCs,and increased CFU-Mix yield of BMMNCs co-cultured with receptor BMSCs.ASP increased the expression of Notch1,Jagged1 and Hes1 mRNA in BMMNCs.Conclusion The mechanism of ASP promoting receptor hematopoietic function reconstruction is related to reducing the oxidative stress damage of hematopoietic microenvironment,improving the secretion of hematopoietic growth factors in BMSCs,and regulating Notch signaling pathway.

To solve the serious problem of stem and leaf shading in the middle and late stage of traditional flat planting of Codonopsis pilosula, this study analyzed the effects of different stereoscopic traction heights on the photosynthetic characteristics and growth of C. pilosula and explored the optimal traction height to improve the yield and quality of C. pilosula. The experiment designed three stereo-scopic traction heights [H1(60 cm), H2(90 cm), and H3(120 cm)] with natural growth without traction as the control(CK). The results showed that the increase in stereoscopic traction heights broadened the growth space of stems and leaves of C. pilosula, enhanced the ventilation effect, significantly increased the average daily net photosynthetic rate of C. pilosula, promoted the absorption of intercellular CO_2, decreased the transpiration rate, and reduced the evaporation of water. Moreover, it effectively avoided the problem of weakened photosynthesis, maintained the carbon balance of individual plants, and promoted the growth and development of the C. pilosula roots. In terms of the seed yield of C. pilosula, it was ranked as H2>H1>H3>CK. To be specific, H1 increased by 213.41% compared with CK, H2 increased by 282.43% compared with CK, and H3 increased by 133.95% compared with CK. The yield and quality of C. pilosula were the highest in the H3 treatment group, with the fresh yield of 6 858.33 kg·hm~(-2), 50.59% higher than CK, dry yield of 2 398.33 kg·hm~(-2), 76.54% higher than CK, and lobetyolin content of 0.56 mg·g~(-1), 45.22% higher than CK. Therefore, the stereoscopic traction height has a great influence on the photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and quality of C. pilosula. Particularly, the yield and quality of C. pilosula can be optimized and improved in the traction height treatment of H3(120 cm). This planting method is worth popularizing and applying in the cultivated management of C. pilosula.
Codonopsis ; Traction ; Photosynthesis ; Plant Leaves ; Plant Roots

A rich diversity of wild medicinal plant resources is distributed in China, but the breeding of new plant varieties of Chinese medicinal plants started late and the breeding level is relatively weak. Chinese medicinal plant resources are the foundation for new varieties breeding, and the plant variety rights(PVP) are of great significance for the protection and development of germplasm resources. However, most Chinese medicinal plants do not have a distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing guideline. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has put 191 plant species(genera) on protection lists, of which only 30 are medicinal species(genera). At the same time, only 29 of 293 species(genera) plants in the Protection List of New Plant Varieties of the People's Republic of China(Forest and Grass) belong to Chinese medicinal plants. The number of PVP applications and authorization of Chinese medicinal plants is rare, and the composition of variety is unreasonable. Up to now, 29 species(genera) of DUS test guidelines for Chinese medicinal plants have been developed. Some basic problems in the breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants have appeared, such as the small number of new varieties and insufficient utilization of Chinese medicinal plant resources. This paper reviewed the current situation of breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants and the research progress of DUS test guidelines in China and discussed the application of biotechnology in the field of Chinese medicinal plant breeding and the existing problems in DUS testing. This paper guides the further application of DUS to protect and utilize the germplasm resources of Chinese medicinal plants.
Agriculture ; Biotechnology ; Plant Breeding ; Plants, Medicinal/genetics*

To study the residue and dietary risk of propiconazole in Panax notoginseng and the effects on physiological and bioche-mical properties of P. notoginseng, we conducted foliar spraying of propiconazole on P. notoginseng in pot experiments. The physiolo-gical and biochemical properties studied included leaf damage, osmoregulatory substance content, antioxidant enzyme system, non-enzymatic system, and saponin content in the main root. The results showed that at the same application concentration, the residual amount of propiconazole in each part of P. notoginseng increased with the increase in the times of application and decreased with the extension of harvest interval. After one-time application of propiconazole according to the recommended dose(132 g·hm~(-2)) for P. ginseng, the half-life was 11.37-13.67 days. After 1-2 times of application in P. notoginseng, propiconazole had a low risk of dietary intake and safety threat to the population. The propiconazole treatment at the recommended concentration and above significantly increased the malondialdehyde(MDA) content, relative conductivity, and osmoregulatory substances and caused the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in P. notoginseng leaves. The propiconazole treatment at half(66 g·hm~(-2)) of the recommended dose for P. ginseng significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD), peroxidase(POD), and catalase(CAT) in P. notoginseng leaves. The propiconazole treatment at 132 g·hm~(-2) above inhibited the activities of glutathione reductase(GR) and glutathione S-transferase(GST), thereby reducing glutathione(GSH) content. Proconazole treatment changed the proportion of 5 main saponins in the main root of P. notoginseng. The treatment with 66 g·hm~(-2) propiconazole promoted the accumulation of saponins, while that with 132 g·hm~(-2) and above propiconazole significantly inhibited the accumulation of saponins. In summary, using propiconazole at 132 g·hm~(-2) to prevent and treat P. notoginseng diseases will cause stress on P. notoginseng, while propiconazole treatment at 66 g·hm~(-2) will not cause stress on P. notoginseng but promote the accumulation of saponins. The effect of propiconazole on P. notoginseng diseases remains to be studied.
Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Panax ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Glutathione ; Risk Assessment

Aim To investigate the mechanism by which ginsenoside Rgl regulates autophagy anrl delays brain aging in mice through AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.Methods C57BL/6J male mice were ran¬domly divided into four groups, namely brain aging model group ,control group, Rgl anti-aging group,auto¬phagy activator Rapamycin anti-aging group.After the modeling was completed, the test of each experimental index would be carried out on the next day.Morris wa¬ter maze experiment was used to detect the learning and memory ability of mice.Paraffin sections of the hippocampus were prepared, HE , Nissl and immunohis- tochemical staining were used to observe the morpholo¬gy of hippocampal neurons, the number of neurons and Nissl bodies was counted, and autophagy-related proteins p62 , ATG5 , ULK1 were detected.Brain tissue homogenates were prepared to detect the aetivity of brain tissue acetylcholinesterase ( AChE ).Western blot was userl to detect brain tissue autophagy-related proteins LC3II, P62, beclinl, P-AMPK/AMPK, P- mTOR/mTOR and apoptosis protein P53.Results Water maze test showed that Rgl and Hap significantly improved the learning and memory abilities of brain-ag¬ing mice.HE and Nissl staining showed that Rgl and Rap decreased necrotic cells and increased the number of Nissl bodies in the hippocampus of brain-aging mice.Immunohistochemistry staining showed that Rgl and Rap decreased the expression of neuronal autoph- agv protein P62 in hippocampus and increased the ex-pression of ATG5 and ULK1.Rgl and Rap decreased the activity of AhcE in brain-aging mice.Western blot showed that Rgl and Rap increased autophagy-related proteins LC3II, Beclinl , P-AMPK/AMPK, but de¬creased the expression of P-mTOR/mTOR, P62, P53.Conclusions Ginsenoside Rgl can effectively antago¬nize the aging effect of D-gal on mouse brain.The pos¬sible mechanism is related to the regulation of autoph- agv by Rgl through AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of IKZF1 gene deletion in patients with acute B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) . Methods: The clinical data of 142 patients with B-ALL diagnosed in Nanfang Hospital between March 2016 and September 2019 were analyzed. Results: IKZF1 deletion was found in 36.0% of the 142 patients with B-ALL, whereas exon 4-7 deletion was found in 44.0% . White blood cell counts were higher in patients with the IKZF1 deletion (52.0% and 28.3% , P=0.005) ; these patients also experienced worse effects of mid-term induction therapy (40.0% and 70.7% , P<0.001) and had a higher proportion of Philadelphia chromosome-positive (52.0% and 21.7% , respectively, P<0.001) . Univariate analysis revealed that the 3-year overall survival rate (OS) and event-free survival rate (EFS) in the IKZF1 deletion group were significantly lower than the IKZF1 wild-type group [ (37.1±7.3) % vs (54.7±5.4) % , (51.8±7.9) % vs (73.9±4.7) % ; P=0.025, 0.013, respectively]. Multivariable analysis showed that harboring IKZF1 deletion was an adverse factor of EFS and OS (HR=1.744, 2.036; P=0.022, 0.020, respectively) . Furthermore, the IKZF1 deletion/chemotherapy group had significantly lower 3-year OS, EFS, and disease-free survival rates than other subgroups. In the IKZF1 deletion cohort, allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) significantly improved OS and EFS compared to non-allo-HSCT[ (67.9±10.4) % vs (31.9±11.0) % , (46.6±10.5) % vs (26.7±9.7) % ; P=0.005, 0.026, respectively]. Conclusion: Pediatric-inspired chemotherapy was unable to completely reverse the negative effect of IKZF1 deletion on prognosis. Pediatric-inspired regimen therapy combined with allo-HSCT, in contrast, significantly improved the overall prognosis of IKZF1 deletion B-ALL.
Acute Disease ; Burkitt Lymphoma ; Child ; Gene Deletion ; Humans ; Ikaros Transcription Factor/genetics* ; Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/therapy* ; Prognosis

Objective To investigate the effect of Angelica Sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) on proliferation, differentiation and transplantation of human leukemia stem cells (LSCs) . Methods 1. Effect of angelica sinensis polysaccharides on proliferation of CD34