Varicocele is a common disease of the male reproductive system, and the pampiniform plexus in the spermatic cord manifests abnormal dilatation, extension, and circuity, which is a vasculopathy. In this article, we believe that the relevance of the essence chamber collaterals to the spermatic vein in terms of anatomical morphology and physiological function is high and that when pathogenic qi invades the essence chamber, the qi and collaterals of the essence chamber are out of harmony, the fluid collaterals are impassable, and the blood collaterals are obstrcuted, and the essence chamber collaterals are blockaded with several pathological products, and even intermingled phlegm and blood stasis in the blood collaterals and form vascular clusters, resulting in the formation and development of varicocele. Based on this, this article proposes the core treatment principle of healing, harmonizing, activating, and dredging the collaterals, with the basic treatment method of nourishing qi and harmonizing collaterals, activating blood collaterals, and dredging blood stasis to, respectively treat degree Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ varicocele, aiming to prevent the change of the varicocele, dredge the curvature of the varicocele, and dissipate the knots of the varicocele. The proposal of essence chamber collaterals is of great significance to understanding the common law and pathological aspects of the occurrence and development of essence collateral and vascular lesions from the perspective of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Based on the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction (ED) from the meridian-zangfu relationship and the "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis, it proposes that dysfunction of the "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis is closely related to the occurrence of ED. Among these, brain-heart disharmony is the key pathogenic factor, kidney deficiency and essence depletion constitute an important basis, and essence chamber stasis is a critical mechanism. The treatment approach emphasizes harmonizing the brain and heart, regulating the mind, tonifying the kidney and replenishing qi, unblocking qi and blood to harmonize the essence chamber. The primary acupoints include Baihui (GV20)-Neiguan (PC6)-Shenmen (HT7), Taixi (KI3)-Guanyuan (CV4)-Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Zhongji (CV3)-Dahe (KI12)-Gongsun (SP4), with additional acupoints selected based on syndrome differentiation. This approach aims to restore the clarity of the brain and heart, replenish kidney qi, and unblock the essence chamber, thereby facilitating the restoration of normal functions of the brain, heart, kidney, and essence chamber, and alleviating ED symptoms and improving overall clinical efficacy.
Humans ; Male ; Meridians ; Erectile Dysfunction/physiopathology* ; Kidney/physiopathology* ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Heart/physiopathology*

The host-microbe co-metabolism system, generating diverse exogenous and endogenous bioactive molecules that influence the host's immune and metabolic functions, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Recent studies have elucidated the interaction between natural medicines and this co-metabolism system. Upon oral administration, natural medicine ingredients can undergo transformation by gut microbiota, potentially enhancing their bioavailability or anti-atherogenic efficacy. Furthermore, natural medicines can exert anti-atherogenic effects via modulation of endogenous host-microbe co-metabolism. This review presents an updated understanding of the dual association between natural medicines and host-microbe co-metabolites. It explores the critical function of microbial exogenous metabolites derived from natural medicines and uncovers the mechanisms underlying natural medicines' intervention on key nodes of endogenous host-microbe co-metabolism. These insights may offer new perspectives for cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatment and guide future drug discovery efforts.
Humans ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Biological Products/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Host Microbial Interactions/drug effects*

Objective:To investigate the association between triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and all-cause mortality in elderly patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study, a total of 5 640 elderly inpatients (≥65 years) with hypertension and coronary artery disease who were admitted to the Department of Cardiology, Liberation Army General Hospital from August 2008 to July 2018 were enrolled in this study. The baseline clinical data of the patients were collected and the TyG index was calculated. Patients were divided into four groups according to their TyG index quartiles: TyG index<8.31 ( Q1 group, n=1 392), 8.31≤TyG index<8.67 ( Q2 group, n=1 417), 8.67≤TyG index<9.07 ( Q3 group, n=1 427), and TyG index≥9.07 ( Q4 group, n=1 404). All patients were followed up by obtaining outpatient/rehospitalization records or by telephone. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Log-rank test was used to compare the cumulative all-cause mortality among groups. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the risk of all-cause mortality in each group (the Q2 group with the lowest all-cause mortality was used as a reference), after adjusting for confounding factors, Restricted cubic spline analysis (RCS) was used to determine the association between TyG index and risk of all-cause mortality. Results:During a follow-up of 6.44 (4.70, 8.85) years, 1 037 all-cause deaths (18.39 %) were documented. The cumulative all-cause mortality in Q1- Q4 groups was 16.52%, 16.51%, 17.59% and 22.93%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=26.49, P<0.01). In the Cox regression model, compared with Q2 group (reference), the HR (95% CI) for all-cause mortality was 1.06 (0.88-1.28) in the Q1 group, 1.23 (1.02-1.48) in the Q3 group and 1.48 (1.23-1.77) in the Q4 group, respectively ( P for trend<0.01). RCS curve analysis showed that when the TyG index was greater than 8.67, the risk of all-cause mortality increased with the TyG index, and there was a linear relationship between TyG index and all-cause mortality in this patient cohort (non-linearity P=0.31). Conclusion:The elevated TyG index is significantly associated with a higher risk for all-cause mortality in elderly hypertension and coronary artery disease patients.

The SNP loci of ACOX1 gene in 83 China Holstein cows were detected by PCR amplifica-tion and direct sequencing,and the association between the genetic polymorphism loci of ACOX 1 gene and milk quality traits of China Holstein cows was analyzed by SPSS 25.0 software.The re-sults showed that a SNP locus I3-2 267 G→C was found in the third intron of ACOX1 gene,it was moderately polymorphic and in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium in the population.By correlation anal-ysis,it was found that the SNP locus was significantly related to the somatic cell content and cor-rected milk quantity of dairy cows.The I3-2 267 G→C locus of ACOX1 gene can be used as a mo-lecular marker of quality traits of Holstein cows in China,and provide reference for the study of quality traits of Holstein cows in China.

AIM:To investigate the effects of exercise preconditioning(EP)combined with electroacupunc-ture(EA)on learning and memory ability of rats with vascular dementia(VD),and to explore role of hippocampal ferrop-tosis in this process.METHODS:Seventy-two male SD rats were randomly divided into non-EP group and EP group,with 36 rats in each group.The rats were subjected to EP,and subsequently to establish the VD model.The rats from non-EP group were randomly divided into sham group,model group(VD group)and VD-EA group,each with 12 rats,while those in EP group were randomly divided into EP-sham group,EP-VD group and EP-VD-EA group,each with 12 rats.All rats in EP group underwent 4 weeks of swimming exercise training,5 d per week,30 min per day.At the end of the 4th week,the rats in VD,EP-VD,EP-VD-EA and VD-EA groups were used to induce the VD model,and the rats in sham and EP-sham groups received a sham surgery to simulate the VD model.On the 7th day after successful modeling,the rats in EP-VD-EA and VD-EA groups were treated with EA for 4 weeks,6 d per week,30 min per day.At the end of the inter-vention,the learning and memory ability of the rats was evaluated using Morris water maze.Neuron morphology in the CA1 area of rat hippocampus was observed through Nissl staining.Ferrous ion(Fe2+),malondialdehyde(MDA)and re-duced glutathione(GSH)contents in the rat hippocampal tissues were quantified using the colorimetric assay.The expres-sion levels of ferroptosis-related proteins,nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),in the hippocampal tissues were quantified by Western blot method.RESULTS:Compared with sham group,the rats in VD group exhibited longer mean evasion latency and decreased number of traversals across the plateau(P<0.01).The neurons in the CA1 region of the hippocampus were loose and disorganized,exhibiting an irregular cellular morphology.The hippocampal Fe2+and MDA content was elevated,and the GSH content was reduced(P<0.01).The protein levels of hippocampal Nrf2 and GPX4 were decreased(P<0.01).Compared with VD group,the rats in EP-VD,EP-VD-EA and VD-EA groups showed a shorter average escape latency and an increased number of traversals across the plateau(P<0.05).Neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area were more neatly arranged,showing regular cellular morphology.The hip-pocampal Fe2+and MDA contents of the rats in EP-VD group were significantly reduced(P<0.01),while the GSH content was elevated(P<0.05).Hippocampal Fe2+and MDA contents were significantly reduced and GSH contents were signifi-cantly increased in EP-EA and EA groups(P<0.01).The protein levels of hippocampal Nrf2 and GPX4 in EP-VD,EP-VD-EA and VD-EA groups were significantly increased(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Exercise preconditioning combined with EA improves learning and memory ability in VD rats by reducing hippocampal intra-neuronal iron overload,maintain-ing organismal redox homeostasis,and inhibiting ferroptosis.

Male infertility,a common condition in andrology,falls under the category of"no son"in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).Unhealthy eating habits and excessive sexual activity,prevalent due to improved living standards,have contributed to the increasing incidence of male infertility.YE Tianshi proposed the theory of"maintaining with the sweet and restoring the body fluids",which emphasizes the importance of ample body fluid for the nourishment of the male essence chamber.Sufficient body fluid is crucial for normal sperm generation.In TCM,the primary pathogenesis of male infertility involves the loss of body fluids and insufficiency of yin essence.Sweet Chinese herbal medicinal is recommended as it nourishes yin,enriches essence,and replenishes male reproductive essence without producing phlegm and dampness.Therefore,when treating male infertility,attention should be given to the use of sweet Chinese herbal medicinal,adhering to the principle of"abundant body fluids nourish kidney yin,and abundant kidney yin supports semen production".Therapies such as purging fire to preserve body fluids with Zengye Decoction,nourishing yin to enrich essence with Guilu Erxian Decoction,benefiting qi to promote fluid production with Buzhong Yiqi Decoction,and warming yang and transporting fluids with Xianfu Shezi Decoction should be considered.Medication and dosage adjustments should be made based on the specific etiology,pathology,and related symptoms to improve the quality of male sperm and enhance the chances of conception.

Background::The clinical characteristics of patients with the comorbidities of hypertension and coronary artery disease (HT-CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of AF in patients with HT-CAD and clinical characteristics of patients with both HT-CAD and AF.Methods::This cross-sectional study was conducted in Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing, China, and included 20,747 inpatients with HT-CAD with or without AF from August 2008 to July 2018. We examined the overall prevalence, clinical characteristics, comorbidity profiles, treatment patterns, and blood pressure (BP) control of patients with both HT-CAD and AF. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the associations of cardiovascular risk factors with AF in patients with HT-CAD.Results::The overall prevalence of AF in patients with HT-CAD was 4.87% (1011/20,747), and this increased with age; to be specific, the prevalence in women and men increased from 0.78% (2/255) and 1.02% (26/2561) at the age of <50 years to 8.73% (193/2210) and 10.28 % (298/2900) at the age of ≥70 years, respectively. HT-CAD patients who had AF had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular-related comorbidities than those without AF. Multivariate logistic regression showed that age, gender (male), body mass index, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease were independently associated with the risk of AF in patients with HT-CAD. For those with both HT-CAD and AF, 73.49% (743/1011) had a CHA 2DS 2-VASc score of ≥4, and only about half of them had the BP controlled at <140/90 mmHg, which indicated a high risk of thromboembolism and stroke. The use of oral anticoagulation increased during the study period (10.00% [20/200] in 2008 to 2011 vs. 30.06% [159/529] in 2015 to 2018, P < 0.01), but remained at a relatively low level. Conclusions::AF is highly prevalent among patients with HT-CAD. Patients with both HT-CAD and AF have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular-related comorbidities, lower BP control rate, and lower use of oral anticoagulation.

INTRODUCTION: Creatinine has limitations in identifying and predicting acute kidney injury (AKI). Our study examined the utility of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in predicting AKI in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED), and in predicting the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT), occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality at three months post visit. METHODS: This is a single-centre prospective cohort study conducted at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Patients presenting to SGH ED from July 2011 to August 2012 were recruited. They were aged ≥21 years, with an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m², and had congestive cardiac failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome or required hospital admission. AKI was diagnosed by researchers blinded to experimental measurements. Serum NGAL was measured as a point-of-care test. RESULTS: A total of 784 patients were enrolled, of whom 107 (13.6%) had AKI. Mean serum NGAL levels were raised (P < 0.001) in patients with AKI (670.0 ± 431.9 ng/dL) compared with patients without AKI (490.3 ± 391.6 ng/dL). The sensitivity and specificity of NGAL levels >490 ng/dL for AKI were 59% (95% confidence interval [CI] 49%-68%) and 65% (95% CI 61%-68%), respectively. Need for RRT increased 21% per 100 ng/dL increase in NGAL (P < 0.001), whereas odds of death in three months increased 10% per 100 ng/dL increase in NGAL (P = 0.028). No clear relationship was observed between NGAL levels and MACE. CONCLUSION Serum NGAL identifies AKI and predicts three-month mortality.
Humans ; Lipocalin-2 ; Prospective Studies ; Lipocalins ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; Acute-Phase Proteins ; Biomarkers ; Acute Kidney Injury/diagnosis* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Predictive Value of Tests

Objective Based on the comparison and analysis of Raman spectra of liver meridian(including other meridian)and non-liver meridian(other meridian excluding liver meridian)traditional Chinese medicine,the accurate quantitative characterization data of liver meridian was obtained,and the liver meridian identification model was established and analyzed.Methods Taking 120 non-liver meridian(other meridian excluding liver meridian)traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs)as blank control and 120 liver-meridian(including other meridian)TCMs as experimental medicines,Raman spectra of 240 TCMs were obtained after sample pretreatment and Raman spectroscopy detection,and then quantified in units of 1 cm-1.Then combined with Random Forest(Random Forest,RF),Artificial Neural Network(Artificial Neural Network,ANN)and other algorithms,we constructed the identification models of quantized characterization of liver meridian.Results Compared with non-liver meridian(other meridian excluding liver meridian)TCMs,the Raman spectra of the liver meridian TCM were generally lower in the whole detection range,especially in the range of 200-1100 cm-1.The quantized Raman spectrogram data combined with ANN presented the best discrimination results with accuracy,precision>0.871,the receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)was drawn and the area under ROC curve(AUC)was obtained,with AUC>0.921.Conclusion The Raman spectrogram of TCMs has significant correlation with liver meridian,which can be used as a whole quantized characterization of liver meridian.Combined with ANN,Raman spectrogram can carry out identification analysis efficiently and accurately,which is conducive to solving the bottleneck problem of lacking accurate data on medicinal properties and enriching the scientific connotation of attributing meridians.