Objective: To investigate the objective characteristics of tongue manifestation in different stages of damp-heat syndrome in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 134 patients with DKD G3-5 stages who met the diagnostic criteria for damp-heat syndrome in DKD. The patients were treated at Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from May 2023 to January 2024. The patients were divided into three groups: DKD G3, DKD G4, and DKD G5 stage, with 53, 33, and 48 patients in each group, respectively. Clinical general data (gender, age, and body mass index) and damp-heat syndrome scores were collected from the patients. The YZAI-02 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) AI Tongue Image Acquisition Device was used to capture tongue images from these patients. The accompanying AI Open Platform for TCM Tongue Diagnosis of the device was used to analyze and extract tongue manifestation features, including objective data on tongue color, tongue quality, coating color, and coating texture. Clinical data and objective tongue manifestation characteristics were compared among patients with DKD G3-5 based on their DKD damp-heat syndrome status. Results: No statistically significant difference in gender or body mass index was observed among the three patient groups. The DKD G3 stage group had the highest age (P<0.05). The DKD G3 stage group had a lower score for symptoms of poor appetite and anorexia(P<0.05) than the DKD G5 group. No statistically significant difference was observed in damp-heat syndrome scores among the three groups. Compared with the DKD G5 stage group, the DKD G3 stage group showed a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue (P<0.05). The DKD G4 stage group exhibited an increased proportion of crimson at the root of the tongue, a decreased proportion of thick white tongue coating at the root, a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue, an increased hue value (indicating color tone) of the tongue color in the middle, an increased brightness value (indicating color lightness) of the tongue coating color in the middle, and an increased thickness of the tongue coating (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in other tongue color proportions, color chroma values, body characteristics, coating color proportions, coating color chroma values, and coating texture characteristics among the three groups. Conclusion Tongue features differ in different stages of DKD damp-heat syndrome in multiple dimensions, enabling the inference that during the DKD G5 stage, the degree of qi and blood deficiency in the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, gallbladder, spleen, and stomach is prominent. Dampness is more likely to accumulate in the lower jiao, particularly in the kidneys, whereas heat evil in the spleen and stomach is the most severe. These insights provide novel ideas for the clinical treatment of DKD.

Two new ursane triterpenoids along with twelve known compounds were isolated from 80% ethanol extract of Agastache rugosa (Fisch. et. Mey.) O. Kuntze by using silica gel column, MCI column, ODS column and HPLC. The structures of the new compounds were identified as 2α,3α-dihydroxy-24-nor-urs-4(23),12(13)-dien-28-oic acid (1) and 2α,3α-dihydroxy-24-nor-urs-4(23),12(13),20(30) -trien-28-oic acid (2) by HR-ESI-MS, NMR and ECD spectral data, named agasursacid A and agasursacid B. In addition, compounds 3, 4, 6, 8 showed anti-coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) activities with a IC₅₀ as 4.77, 1.59, 11.11 and 25.87 μmol·L^-1, resepectively.

Objective: To investigate the associations between the numbers of healthy lifestyles and overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity in adult twins in Shanghai. Methods: Based on the Shanghai Twin Registry System Phase Ⅱ survey data in 2017-2018, a case-control study was conducted to analyze the association between healthy lifestyles and obesity and further adjusted for confounders by a co-twin control study. Results: A total of 7 864 adult twins (3 932 pairs) were included. In the co-twin case-control analysis for monozygotic twins, compared with participants with 0 to 2 healthy lifestyles, those with 3 and 4 to 5 healthy lifestyles had a 49% (OR=0.51, 95%CI: 0.28-0.93) and 70% (OR=0.30, 95%CI: 0.13-0.69) lower risk of overweight/obesity, respectively, and a 17% (OR=0.83, 95%CI: 0.44-1.57) and 66% (OR=0.34, 95%CI: 0.14-0.80) lower risk of abdominal obesity, respectively. For each additional healthy lifestyle, the risk of developing overweight/obesity was reduced by 41% (OR=0.59, 95%CI: 0.42-0.85), and the risk of developing abdominal obesity was reduced by 37% (OR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.44-0.90). Conclusion: An increasing number of healthy lifestyles was associated with a marked decreased risk for both overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity.
Adult ; Humans ; Case-Control Studies ; China/epidemiology* ; Healthy Lifestyle ; Obesity/epidemiology* ; Obesity, Abdominal/epidemiology* ; Overweight/epidemiology* ; Twins, Monozygotic

Recent studies revealed the relationship among homologous recombination repair (HRR), androgen receptor (AR), and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP); however, the synergy between anti-androgen enzalutamide (ENZ) and PARP inhibitor olaparib (OLA) remains unclear. Here, we showed that the synergistic effect of ENZ and OLA significantly reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis in AR-positive prostate cancer cell lines. Next-generation sequencing followed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses revealed the significant effects of ENZ plus OLA on nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and apoptosis pathways. ENZ combined with OLA synergistically inhibited the NHEJ pathway by repressing DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and X-ray repair cross complementing 4 (XRCC4). Moreover, our data showed that ENZ could enhance the response of prostate cancer cells to the combination therapy by reversing the anti-apoptotic effect of OLA through the downregulation of anti-apoptotic gene insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor ( IGF1R ) and the upregulation of pro-apoptotic gene death-associated protein kinase 1 ( DAPK1 ). Collectively, our results suggested that ENZ combined with OLA can promote prostate cancer cell apoptosis by multiple pathways other than inducing HRR defects, providing evidence for the combined use of ENZ and OLA in prostate cancer regardless of HRR gene mutation status.
Male ; Humans ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/genetics* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Receptors, Androgen/genetics* ; Nitriles ; Apoptosis

Two new labdane diterpenoids were isolated from 95% ethanol extract of the leaves of Callicarpa formosana Rolfe by using silica gel column, MCI column, ODS column and HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by HR-ESI-MS, NMR and ECD spectral data. All of them are new compounds, named 13E-6β-hydroxylabda-8(17),13-dien-15-oic acid (1) and 13E-7α-hydroxylabda-8(17),13-dien-15-oic acid (2). Compounds 1 and 2 were tested for antioxidant activity, and none of them had obvious activity.

Obiective:To investigate the design, the key points of surgery and the outcome of short-term follow-up of hemi-elbow-arthroplastic bionic total humeral prosthesis by using 3D-print.Methods:The clinical data of 8 patients with humerus malignant tumor who underwent total humerus resection and a 3D-printed auxiliary hemi-elbow-arthroplastic total humeral prosthesis replacement from March 2018 to March 2020 at Peking University People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The operative data, oncological outcome, complication profiles of prosthesis and functional status of all 8 patients were also analyzed. There were 3 males and 5 females with a mean age of 5-37 years. Histological diagnosis included 5 cases of osteosarcoma, 2 cases of Ewing's sarcoma and 1 case of chondrosarcoma.Results:The time for production of the prosthesis was (9.8±2.7) d, the operation time was (209±23) min and intraoperative hemorrhage was (569±173) ml. All the prostheses were implanted successfully and no patients experienced intraoperative complications. While 2 patients had postoperative complications, 1 case of temporary palsy of radial nerve and 1 case of local recurrence. LARS artificial ligament or hernia patch was used to reconstruct joint capsule and tendon-ligament attached around the elbow and shoulder joint. The flexion and extension of the elbow was (118±15)° (100-140°) and (11±9)° (0-25°), and the abduction and anteflexion of the shoulder was (28±12)° (15-50°) and (26±9)° (15-40°), respectively. The postoperative Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS)-93 scale score was (24.1±1.5) scores. The median follow-up time was 17 months (12-32 months), 7 patients had disease-free survival and 1 patient survived with tumor.Conclusions:The novel 3D-printed total humeral prosthesis with hemi-elbow-arthroplasty has a good perioperative safety, which is effective in restoring the function of elbow joint, solving the problem of stress concentration of ulnar marrow lever of total elbow joint prosthesis and lowering long-term wear rate and loosening rate of prosthesis.

Objective:To establish an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （UPLC-MS/MS） for determining the plasma concentrations of 10 active ingredients in Wujiwan at different time points after oral administration， and to compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics between normal rats and rats with chronic visceral hypersensitive irritable bowel syndrome （CVH-IBS）. Method:CVH-IBS rat model was prepared by the neonatal rat colon percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty （PTCA） balloon stimulation method. After intragastric administration of Wujiwan （0.245 g·kg^-1）， blood was collected from the jugular vein at different time points， and the plasma concentrations of 10 active ingredients （berberine hydrochloride， palmatine hydrochloride， coptisine hydrochloride， jatrorrhizine hydrochloride， epiberberine， dihydroberberine， evodiamine， evodine， paeoniflorin， albiflorin） in Wujiwan was detected simultaneously by UPLC-MS/MS， the pharmacokinetic parameters of each component in normal rats and CVH-IBS rats were calculated. Result:The established UPLC-MS/MS could sensitively and accurately detect the plasma concentrations of 10 active ingredients of Wujiwan in rats. Compared with the normal group， the absorption rates of these 10 active ingredients of Wujiwan in the blood of CVH-IBS rats all decreased to a certain extent， and the peak time （t_max） was prolonged. Among them， the t_max of berberine hydrochloride and jatrorrhizine hydrochloride were significantly prolonged from 54 minute and 39 minute to 90 minute， respectively （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Area under the plasma concentration-time curve （AUC_0-t） of each component increased， and evodiamine and paeoniflorin were significantly different （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The clearance rates （CL/F） of these 10 active ingredients were all decreased， among which berberine hydrochloride， palmatine hydrochloride and evodiamine had significant differences （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Conclusion:There are significant differences in the pharmacokinetic behavior of the active ingredients in Wujiwan between normal rats and CVH-IBS rats， which may be related to the destruction of microstructure of intestinal epithelial cells and the change of activity of liver enzymes under the pathological state of IBS.

Pancreatic lipase (PL), a crucial enzyme in the digestive system of mammals, has been proven as a therapeutic target to prevent and treat obesity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and characterize the PL inhibition activities of the major constituents from Fructus Psoraleae (FP), one of the most frequently used Chinese herbs with lipid-lowering activity. To this end, a total of eleven major constituents isolated from Fructus Psoraleae have been obtained and their inhibition potentials against PL have been assayed by a fluorescence-based assay. Among all tested compounds, isobavachalcone, bavachalcone and corylifol A displayed strong inhibition on PL (IC < 10 μmol·L). Inhibition kinetic analyses demonstrated that isobavachalcone, bavachalcone and corylifol A acted as mixed inhibitors against PL-mediated 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate (4-MUO) hydrolysis, with the K values of 1.61, 3.77 and 10.16 μmol·L, respectively. Furthermore, docking simulations indicated that two chalcones (isobavachalcone and bavachalcone) could interact with the key residues located in the catalytic cavity of PL via hydrogen binding and hydrophobic interactions. Collectively, these finding provided solid evidence to support that Fructus Psoraleae contained bioactive compounds with lipid-lowering effects via targeting PL, and also suggested that the chalcones in Fructus Psoraleae could be used as ideal leading compounds to develop novel PL inhibitors.

A new carbazole alkaloid was isolated from the aqueous extract of the stems of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels by various chromatographic methods, including HPD-100, PRP-512A, silica gel, and reverse phase C18. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods, including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D/2DNMR and ECD. Compound 1, named as Claulamine F, showed no antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition, compound 1 exhibited no cytotoxicity on five kinds of cancer cells through MTT methods.

Objective To determine the association between plasma concentrations of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and S100β, and the occurrence of delirium in critically ill patients. Methods Totally 65 patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between June 2015 and February 2016 were included in the present study. Delirium diagnosis was used by confusion assessment method for the ICU (CAM-ICU). Plasma BDNF, NSE, and S100β concentrations were determined on day 1(T1), 3(T3), and 10(T10) after ICU admission. The day of ICU admission was defined as T0. Results Compared with the plasma BDNF level on T1 (0.23±0.22) μg/L, the plasma BDNF level on T3 (0.59±0.34) μg/L and T10 (0.24±0.21) μg/L were higher, especially for that on T3 with a significant difference (F=21.58, P=0.018). Plasma NSE level on T3 (1.68±0.25) μg/L was significantly higher than that on T1 (1.22±0.32) μg/L (F=10.24, P=0.042). Compared with those without delirium, the delirious patients had lower BDNF, higher NSE and S100β on T1, T3 and T10, of which the difference of BDNF [T1: (0.23±0.22) μg/L vs. (1.02±0.24) μg/L, F=116.25,P<0.01; T3: (0.59±0.34) μg/L vs. (1.55±0.36) μg/L, F=82.39, P<0.01; T10: (0.24±0.21) μg/L vs. (1.09±0.55)μg/L, F=50.93, P=0.003, and NSE (T1: (1.22±0.32) μg/L vs. (0.47±0.23) μg/L, F=94.30, P<0.01;T3:(1.68±0.25) μg/L vs. (0.79±0.28) μg/L, F=78.63, P=0.017; T10: (0.98±0.37) μg/L vs. (0.51±0.22) μg/L, F=70.95, P=0.026) reached significant differences. Conclusions Plasma BDNF and NSE are closely related to the occurrence of delirium in critically ill patients, especially for BDNF. Clinical monitoring of plasma levels of BDNF can help to predict the outcome of brain function in critically ill patients.