ObjectiveTo decipher the mechanism by which Zuoguiwan （ZGW） treat hyperthyroidism in rats with kidney-Yin deficiency based on the dopamine receptor D4 （DRD4）/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） oxidase 4 （NOX4） signaling pathway. MethodsThe rat model of kidney-Yin deficiency was induced by unilateral intramuscular injection of dexamethasone （0.35 mg·kg^-1）. After successful modeling， the rats were randomized into model， methimazole （positive control， 5 mg·kg^-1）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.85， 3.70， 7.40 g·kg^-1， respectively） ZGW， and normal control groups. After 21 days of continuous gavage， the behavioral indexes and body weight changes of rats were evaluated. The pathological changes of the renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The serum levels of thyroid hormones ［triiodothyronine （T₃）， thyroxine （T₄）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）］， renal function indexes ［serum creatine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）］， energy metabolism markers ［cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） and cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）］， and oxidative stress-related factors ［superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and NADPH）］ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was employed to analyze the expression of DRD4， NOX4， mitochondrial respiratory chain complex proteins ［NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit S4 （NDUFS4） and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 4 （COX4）］， and inflammation-related protein ［tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）］ pathway in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed mental malaise， body weight decreases （P<0.01）， inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal tissue， a few residual parotid glands in the thyroid， elevations in serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA， and NADPH （P<0.01）， down-regulation in protein levels of TSH， SOD， and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulation in expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， ZGW increased the body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced the infiltration of renal interstitial inflammatory cells， restored the thyroid structure and follicle size， lowered the serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA and NADPH （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the expression of TSH， SOD and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， high-dose ZGW outperformed methimazole （P<0.05）. ConclusionBy activating DRD4， ZGW can inhibit the expression of NOX4 mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway， reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response， thereby ameliorating the pathological state of hyperthyroidism due to kidney-Yin deficiency. This study provides new molecular mechanism support for the clinical application of ZGW.

ObjectiveTo characterize the quality differences among different germplasm and introduced varieties of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots（BSR）， and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms， providing a basis for high-quality production and quality control. MethodsWild BSR from Yulin（YLW） served as the quality reference， we conducted comparative analysis among YLW， locally domesticated wild germplasm in Yulin（YLC3）， Daqing germplasm introduced and cultivated in Yulin（YLDQC3）， and locally cultivated germplasm in Daqing（DQC3）. A combination of traditional pharmacognostic methods and modern multi-omics analyses was employed， including macroscopic traits（appearance， odor）， microscopic features（proportions of cork， phloem， xylem）， cell wall component contents（hemicellulose， cellulose， lignin）， carbohydrate contents（starch， water-soluble polysaccharides）， marker compound contents（ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， liposoluble extracts， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D）， metabolomics， and transcriptomics， in order to systematically characterize quality differences and investigate molecular mechanisms among these samples. ResultsMacroscopically， Yulin-produced BSR（YLW， YLC3， YLDQC3） exhibited significantly greater weight， length， and upper and middle diameters than Daqing-produced BSR（DQC3）. Odor-wise， YLW and YLC3 had a a fragrance taste， YLDQC3 had a rancid oil odor， and DQC3 had a sweet and fragrant taste. Microscopically， Yulin germplasm（YLW， YLC3） and Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3， DQC3） shared similar structural features， respectively. However， Yulin germplasm showed significantly higher proportions of cork and phloem， as well as stronger xylem vessel staining intensity compared to Daqing germplasm. Regarding various component contents， Yulin germplasm contained significantly higher levels of ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D， while Daqing germplasm had significantly higher levels of hemicellulose， starch， and liposoluble extracts. After introduction to Yulin， the Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3） showed increased starch， water-soluble polysaccharides and liposoluble extracts contents， decreased cell wall component content， but no significant difference in other component contents. Metabolomics revealed that saponins and terpenes accumulated significantly in Yulin germplasm， while alcohols and aldehydes accumulated predominantly in Daqing germplasm. Transcriptomics indicated similar gene expression patterns within the same germplasm but specificity between different germplasms. Integrative metabolomic-transcriptomic analysis identified 145 potential key genes associated with the saikosaponin biosynthesis pathway， including one acetyl-coenzyme A（CoA） acetyltransferase gene（ACAT）， one 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase gene（HMGS）， two hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA（HMG-CoA） reductase genes（HMG）， one phosphomevalonate kinase gene（PMK）， one 1-deoxy-D-xylose-5-phosphate synthase gene（CLA）， one hydroxymethylbuten-1-aldol synthase gene（HDR）， two farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase genes（FPPS）， one squalene synthase gene（SQS）， one β-amyrin synthase gene（BAS）， 102 cytochrome P450（CYP450） gene family members， and 32 uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase（UGT） gene family members. ConclusionAmong the three cultivated types， YLC3 most closely resembles YLW in appearance， microscopic features， contents of major bioactive constituents， metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles. Yulin germplasm exhibits superior saponin synthesis capability compared to Daqing germplasm， and Yulin region is more suitable for the growth of B. scorzonerifolium. Based on these findings， it is recommended that artificial cultivation in northern Shaanxi and similar regions utilize the local Yulin germplasm source cultivated for at least three years.

Objective To establish a HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of artemisinin,arteannuin B,chrysosplenetin and chrysosplenol-D in the water extract of Artemisia annua L.Methods The analysis was performed on Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm)column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile(A)-water(B)and the flow rate of 0.8 mL·min-1 in a gradient elution manner.The column temperature was 30℃.The injection volume was 10 μL,and the detection wavelength was 210 nm.Results Artemisinin,arteannuin B,chrysosplenetin and chrysosplenol-D were correlated well linearly with peak area in their respective ranges 1.608 8-16.088 μg(r=0.999 9),0.014 1-0.141 4 μg(r=1),0.185 1-1.850 9 μg(r=0.999 9),0.144 1-1.441 4 μg(r=0.999 9),the average recovery rate(n=6)were 102.44%,97.82%,95.07%,95.55%,and the RSD values were 1.12%,1.44%,1.29%,1.53%.Conclusion This method is convenient and accurate.It has good stability and repeatability,and can be used to simultaneously determine the content of artemisinin,arteannuin B,chrysosplenetin and chrysosplenol-D in the water extract of Artemisia annua L.

【Objective】 To explore the factors influencing erectile dysfunction (ED) in male patients after renal transplantation, so as to provide basis for the prevention and treatment of this disease. 【Methods】 Kidney transplant recipients followed up in the Kidney Transplant Clinic of Xijing Hospital during Sep.1, 2022 and May 1, 2023 were selected as the study objects.Questionnaires were distributed, and the erectile function was measured with Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM).Factors associated with ED were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. 【Results】 A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed, and 276 valid ones were collected, including 182 cases (65.9%) suffering from ED of varying degrees.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age [(<30 years/>50 years, OR: 0.120, 95%CI: 0.033-0.405, P<0.001), (30-40 years/>50 years, OR: 0.223, 95%CI: 0.102-0.463, P<0.001), (>40-50 years/>50 years, OR: 0.320, 95%CI: 0.139-0.719, P<0.01)], level of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) (OR: 1.95, 95%CI: 1.211-3.248, P<0.01), International Prostate Symptom Score-Quality of Life item (IPSS-QoL) (OR: 1.482, 95%CI: 1.201-1.854, P<0.01), and income [(≥10 000 Yuan/<3 000 Yuan, OR: 0.156, 95%CI: 0.053-0.429, P<0.001), (5 000-<10 000 Yuan/<3 000 Yuan, OR: 0.418, 95%CI: 0.199-0.864, P<0.05), (≥10 000 Yuan/3 000-<5 000 Yuan, OR: 0.205, 95%CI: 0.069-0.573, P<0.01)] were independent and significant factors of ED. 【Conclusion】 The prevalence of ED in renal transplantation recipients is high.Age, income, IPSS and IPSS-QoL are the influencing factors.ED after renal transplantation is not only determined by physical and functional factors, but also closely related to social and psychological factors.

By reviewing the research history on quality comparison between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs， this paper systematically combed the relevant research reports since the 1950s， and summarized and analyzed the results of existing comparative studies， and found that the existing comparative research on the quality of wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs were mainly focused on several aspects， including characteristics， microstructures， chemical compositions， pharmacodynamic effects， and genetic diversity. Among these， comparative studies of chemical compositions have been the dominant approach， with a particular emphasis on comparing the contents of index components. However， research on pharmacodynamic effects remained relatively limited. Due to various factors such as sample quantity， sample origin， growth period and cultivation methods， the differences in quality between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs vary significantly. In general， most wild Chinese crude drugs exhibited higher quality than cultivated products， with significant differences in their characteristics. The contents and proportions of some chemical components underwent noticeable changes， particularly with a marked increase in the proportion of primary metabolites after cultivation. The quality of cultivated Chinese crude drugs is closely related to the cultivation practices employed. Chinese crude drugs produced through wild nurturing， simulated wild planting， ecological cultivation， and other similar methods demonstrate quality levels comparable to those of wild Chinese crude drugs. Based on the analysis results， it is recommended to explicitly specify the cultivation practices and cultivation period of cultivated Chinese crude drugs in comparative studies of the quality between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs. Multiple technical approaches， including characteristics， microscopy， non-targeted metabolomics combined with quantitative analysis of differential components， and bioefficacy evaluation， should be employed to comprehensively assess the quality disparities between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs. Moreover， research efforts should be intensified to investigate the changes in pharmacodynamic effects resulting from differences in plant cell wall composition， primary metabolites， and secondary metabolites， in order to guide the production of high-quality Chinese crude drugs.

As a new clinical trial mode,decentralized & digitalized clinical trial(DCT)is based on digital health equipment and uses internet and artificial intelligence technologies to complete the screening,registration,randomization,intervention,evaluation and follow-up of subjects,which is helpful to improve efficiency and reduce trial costs.The DCT mode has been applied to evaluate the treatment and management effects of cardiovascular diseases such as atrial fibrilla-tion,heart failure,coronary heart disease,and hypertension,showing broad development prospects and application space.This article will provide a brief introduction to representative DCT in the global cardiovascular disease field,and look for-ward to the application prospects of this model,providing reference and guidance for accelerating the development of cardio-vascular DCT in China.

Objectives:To evaluate the value of electromagnetic navigation assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement in unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(UBE-TLIF).Methods:The clinical data of 34 patients with single-level lumbar degenerative diseases treated with UBE-TLIF assist-ed with electromagnetic navigation for percutaneous pedicle screw placement between August 2020 and August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed,and there were 18 males and 16 females,aged 43-73 years(58.4±9.4 years)with body mass index of 24.7±2.9kg/m2;1 case was of L2/3,5 cases were of L3/4,17 cases were of L4/5 and 11 cases were of L5/S1(electromagnetic navigation group).A total of 20 patients treated with UBE-TLIF assisted with C-arm X-ray machine fluoroscopy for percutaneous pedicle screw placement during the same period were selected as the control group,which consisted of 11 males and 9 females,aged 35-73 years(58.1±10.2 years),with body mass index of 26.5±3.8kg/m2;1 case was of L1/2,1 case was of L2/3,3 cases were of L3/4,12 cases were of L4/5 and 3 cases were of L5/S1(C-arm fluoroscopy group).The opera-tive time,fluoroscopy times,screw placement time,screw placement accuracy rate,and complications of the two groups were analyzed.Visual analogue scale(VAS)and Oswestry disability index(ODI)were evaluated be-fore and after surgery.The modified MacNab criteria were used to evaluate the clinical effect at final follow-up.Results:All the patients successfully completed operation.The screw placement time,number of fluo-roscopy times and operative time were 30.4±3.3min,3.6±1.0,173.8±23.9min in electromagnetic navigation group and 44.1±6.lmin,22.8±4.9,190.2±12.5min in C-arm fluoroscopy group,which were significantly lower in the electromagnetic navigation group(P＜0.05).The accuracy of pedicle screw placement was comparable be-tween the two groups(97.1％vs 95％,P＞0.05).There were no serious complications and revision surgery.With a mean follow-up of 17.6(6-27)months,the VAS back pain,VAS leg pain and ODI in both groups were significantly improved compared with those before surgery at all time points after operation(P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference between the two groups at the same time point(P＞0.05).According to MacNab criteria,there was no significant difference between the two groups in the rate of excellent and good results at final follow-up(97.1％vs 95％,P＞0.05).Conclusions:UBE-TLIF assisted with electromagnetic navigation for percutaneous pedicle screw placement is feasible and safety in the treatment of single-level lumbar de-generative disease,with few intraoperative fluoroscopy times,high safety,and satisfactory early results.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of circLPAR3 on the radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer cells and investigate its mechanism.Methods:The cancer tissues and and adjacent tissues of 37 patients with esophageal cancer were collected, and esophageal cancer cell lines Eca-109, EC9706 and KYSE30 and esophageal epithelial cells HET-1A were cultured in vitro. The expression levels of circLPAR3 and miR-1238 in the tissues and cells were measured by RT-qPCR. Eca-109 cells were transfected with circLPAR3 siRNA and miR-1238 mimics or co-transfected with circLPAR3 siRNA and miR-1238 inhibitor. Cell cloning experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of silencing circLPAR3, overexpressing miR-1238, or silencing both circLPAR3 and miR-1238 on the radiosensitivity of Eca-109 cells. After Eca-109 cells that silenced circLPAR3, overexpressed miR-1238 or silenced both circLPAR3 and miR-1238 were exposed to 4 Gy irradiation, CCK-8 assay (A value), flow cytometry and Western blot were employed to assess the effects of silencing circLPAR3, overexpressing miR-1238, or silencing both circLPAR3 and miR-1238 combined with 4 Gy irradiation on the proliferation and apoptosis of Eca-109 cells and the expression levels of CyclinD1, p21, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins. Dual luciferase reporter gene experiment and RNA pull down experiment were performed to verify the regulatory relationship between circLPAR3 and miR-1238. Results:Compared with adjacent tissues, the expression level of circLPAR3 was up-regulated in the esophageal cancer tissues ( P<0.05), while that of miR-1238 was down-regulated ( P<0.05). Compared with HET-1A cells, the expression levels of circLPAR3 were up-regulated in the esophageal cancer cell lines Eca-109, EC9706 and KYSE30(all P<0.05), whereas those of miR-1238 were down-regulated (all P<0.05). Silencing circLPAR3 or overexpressing miR-1238 reduced the survival fraction of Eca-109 cells (all P<0.05), and the sensitization ratio was 1.21 and 1.75, respectively. Silencing circLPAR3 or overexpressing miR-1238 decreased the A value of Eca-109 cells and the expression levels of CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 proteins (all P<0.05), while increased the apoptosis rate of Eca-109 cells and the expression levels of p21 and Bax proteins (all P<0.05). After silencing circLPAR3 or overexpressing miR-1238 combined with 4 Gy irradiation, the A value of Eca-109 cells and the expression levels of CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 proteins were decreased (all P<0.05), while Eca-109 cell apoptosis rate and the expression levels of p21 and Bax proteins were increased (all P<0.05). circLPAR3 targeted and negatively regulated the expression level of miR-1238 in Eca-109 cells. After silencing miR-1238 and circLPAR3 simultaneously, the survival fraction of Eca-109 cells was higher than that when only silencing circLPAR3, and the sensitization ratio was 0.59. Silencing miR-1238 reversed the effects of silencing circLPAR3 combined with 4 Gy irradiation on the proliferation and apoptosis of Eca-109 cells. Conclusion:circLPAR3 is highly expressed in esophageal cancer tissues and cell lines, and silencing the expression of circLPAR3 can inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cancer Eca-109 cells, promote their apoptosis, and enhance cell radiosensitivity by up-regulating miR-1238.

Objective:To understand the current situation of anxiety and depression in patients with atrial fibrillation who are going to undergo radiofrequency ablation and their family members and analyze the influencing factors.Methods:Using the convenient sampling method, a total of 197 patients with atrial fibrillation and their family members who were admitted to Arrhythmia Center of Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University and planned to undergo radiofrequency ablation from October to December 2020 were selected as the research objects. The general information questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionaire-9 items (PHQ-9) were used to investigate them. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors of anxiety and depression in patients with atrial fibrillation who were going to undergo radiofrequency ablation and their family members.Results:The PHQ-9 score of 197 patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing radiofrequency ablation was (3.9±3.8) , the GAD-7 score was (2.7±3.1) , the detection rate of depressive symptom was 34.5% (68/197) and the detection rate of anxiety symptom was 20.3% (40/197) . The PHQ-9 score of family members of patients was (1.9±3.0) , the GAD-7 score was (1.8±2.9) , the detection rate of anxiety symptom was 15.2% (30/197) and the detection rate of depressive symptoms was 16.2% (32/197) . Binomial Logistic regression analysis showed that the number of attacks in the past 1 month was greater than or equal to 4 times and the duration of atrial fibrillation episodes in the past 1 month was greater than or equal to 6 hours as the influencing factors of depressive symptoms ( P<0.05) . The number of seizures more than or equal to 4 in the past month was the influencing factor of anxiety symptoms of patients ( P<0.05) . The anxiety state of patients was the influencing factor of anxiety symptoms of family members ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The current situation of anxiety and depression in patients with atrial fibrillation who are going to undergo radiofrequency ablation and their family members is not optimistic. The recent frequent attack of atrial fibrillation is the influencing factor of anxiety and depression symptoms of patients and the anxiety state of patients is the influencing factor of anxiety symptoms of family members. Medical staff should also pay attention to the anxiety and depression of patients with atrial fibrillation who are going to undergo radiofrequency ablation and their family members and give effective interventions as soon as possible.

Objective:To investigate the effect of circ-PRKDC on lung cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and radiosensitivity and its molecular mechanism.Methods:Normal lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B and lung cancer cell lines NCI-H1299, NCI-H2170, NCI-H1975 were cultured. NCI-H1299 cells were divided into the si-NC, si-PRKDC, pcDNA-NC, pcDNA-PRKDC, miR-NC, miR-505-3p, anti-miR-NC, anti-miR-505-3p, si-PRKDC+ anti-miR-NC and si-PRKDC+ anti-miR-505-3p groups. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression levels of circ-PRKDC and miR-505-3p. Western blot was employed to measure the protein expression. MTT was used to detect cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was utilized to detect cell apoptosis. Plate clone formation assay was conducted to detect the cell radiosensitivity. Dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to analyze the targeting relationship between circ-PRKDC and miR-505-3p.Results:Compared with normal lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B, the expression levels of circ-PRKDC in the lung cancer cell lines NCI-H1299, NCI-H2170 and NCI-H1975 were significantly up-regulated (3.65, 3.10, 2.67 vs. 1.00, all P<0.05), whereas those of miR-505-3p were significantly down-regulated (0.42, 0.50, 0.54 vs. 1.02, all P<0.05). After low expression of circ-PRKDC, the expression level of CyclinD1 was significantly down-regulated (0.42 vs. 0.81, P<0.05), whereas those of Cleaved-caspase-3(0.71 vs. 0.33, P<0.05) and γ-H 2AX (0.89 vs. 0.46, P<0.05) were significantly up-regulated, the cell A value was significantly decreased (0.413 vs. 0.839, P<0.05), cell apoptosis rate was significantly increased (20.35 vs. 6.21, P<0.05), cell survival fraction was significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and β-catenin expression was significantly down-regulated (0.35 vs. 0.73, P<0.05). After high expression of miR-505-3p, the expression level of CyclinD1 was significantly down-regulated (0.34 vs. 0.83, P<0.05), those of Cleaved-caspase-3(0.65 vs. 0.32, P<0.05) and γ-H 2AX (0.96 vs. 0.45, P<0.05) were significantly up-regulated, the cell A value was significantly decreased (0.386 vs. 0.851, P<0.05), the apoptosis rate was significantly increased (16.38 vs. 6.20, P<0.05), and the cell survival fraction was significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Compared with miR-NC, the luciferase activity of miR-505-3p group transfected with circ-PRKDC wild-type reporter plasmid was significantly decreased (0.44 vs. 1.00, P<0.05). Down-regulation of miR-505-3p could reverse the effect of low expression of circ-PRKDC on the proliferation, apoptosis, radiosensitivity and β-catenin expression of NCI-H1299 cells. Conclusion:Low expression of circ-PRKDC may inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation, promote cell apoptosis and enhance cell radiosensitivity by up-regulating miR-505-3p, which is probably associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.