Objective To make an epidemiological investigation on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)dampness syndrome manifestations in the population at risk of cerebrovascular diseases in Guangdong area.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze the clinical data related to the risk of cerebrovascular diseases in 330 Guangdong permanent residents.The diagnosis of dampness syndrome,quantitative scoring of dampness syndrome and rating of the risk of stroke were performed for the investigation of the distribution pattern of dampness syndrome and its influencing factors.Results(1)A total of 306(92.73%)study subjects were diagnosed as dampness syndrome.The percentage of dampness syndrome in the risk group was 93.82%(258/275),which was slightly higher than that of the healthy group(48/55,87.27%),but the difference was not statistically significant(χ2 = 2.91,P = 0.112).The quantitative score of dampness syndrome in the risk group was higher than that of the healthy group,and the difference was statistically significance(Z =-2.24,P = 0.025).(2)Among the study subjects at risk of cerebrovascular disease,evaluation time(χ2 = 26.11,P = 0.001),stroke risk grading(χ2= 8.85,P = 0.031),and history of stroke or transient ischemic attack(TIA)(χ2 = 9.28,P = 0.015)were the factors influencing the grading of dampness syndrome in the population at risk of cerebrovascular disease.Conclusion Dampness syndrome is the common TCM syndrome in the population of Guangdong area.The manifestations of dampness syndrome are more obvious in the population with risk factors of cerebrovascular disease,especially in the population at high risk of stroke,and in the population with a history of stroke or TIA.The assessment and intervention of dampness syndrome should be taken into account for future project of stroke prevention in Guangdong.

AIM To rapidly screen xanthine oxidase(XOD)inhibitors from Smilax glabra Roxb.by enzyme-immobilized magnetic microspheres and LC-MS/MS,and to confirm the anti-uric acid constituents from S.glabra Roxb.METHODS The immobilized xanthine oxidase was prepared by covalent coupling with carboxyl magnetic beads as a carrier.The xanthine oxidase inhibitors in S.glabra were screened by the specific adsorption of immobilized enzyme.LC-MS/MS and standard substances were used for analysis and comparison,and the inhibitory activity and inhibition type of the screened and identified components were investigated.RESULTS The successful synthesis of immobilized xanthine oxidase was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy.The enzyme loading was 70.50 μg/mg and the relative activity was 79.44%.Thirteen active compounds were screened from the extract of S.glabra,and eleven compounds were identified.The enzyme activity test showed that the inhibitory activites of engeletin and isoengeletin were the strongest,which was close to the positive control allopurinol.The IC50 value and inhibition type were 32.25 μg/mL,mixed inhibition,35.12 μg/mL,competitive inhibition.CONCLUSION The method is simple,rapid,accurate and suitable for directly screened active ingredients which can inhibit XOD from complex extract of traditional Chinese medicines.

Objective To investigate the distribution patterns of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution in 959 patients with endometriosis(EMs).Methods From January 2019 to November 2019,959 EMs patients were selected from Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences,Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University,Beijing Hospital,Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University,and Fuxing Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University.The general clinical information of the patients was recorded and then the TCM constitution was identified.After that,the correlation of TCM constitution distribution with concurrent constitution and the relationship of TCM constitution distribution with age and the complication of dysmenorrhea were analyzed.Results(1)The constitution types of EMs patients listed in descending order of the proportion were yang deficiency constitution(65.1％,624/959),qi stagnation constitution(58.4％,560/959),qi deficiency constitution(52.8％,506/959),blood stasis constitution(44.2％,424/959),phlegm-damp constitution(42.5％,408/959),damp-heat constitution(41.9％,402/959),yin deficiency constitution(39.6％,380/959),balanced constitution(26.8％,257/959),and inherited special constitution(16.6％,159/959).Among the patients,there were fewer patients with single constitution,accounting for 20.2％(194/959),and most of them had concurrent constitution types,accounting for 79.8％(765/959).(2)The association rule mining based on Apriori algorithm obtained 33 related rules.The concurrent constitution types of qi deficiency-yang deficiency,blood stasis-yang deficiency,and blood stasis-qi stagnation were the association rules with high confidence.(3)Compared with patients aged 35 years and below,the patients over 35 years old were predominated by high proportion of blood stasis constitution(P＜0.05).Compared with patients without dysmenorrhea,the patients with dysmenorrhea had the increased proportion of biased constitutions and the decreased proportion of balanced constitution(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusion Yang deficiency constitution,qi stagnation constitution,qi deficiency constitution and blood stasis constitution are the high-risk constitution types of EMs patients.The concurrent constitution types are commonly seen in EMs patients,which are more common than single biased constitution.Management of EMs patients with the methods of warming yang,relieving stagnation,benefiting qi and activating blood will be helpful for correcting the biased constitutions in time and preventing disease progression,which will achieve the preventive treatment efficacy through TCM constitution correction.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Xingnao Kaiqiao (regaining consciousness and opening orifices) acupuncture therapy on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats, and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: Seventy-two male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, an acupuncture group and a non-point acupuncture group, with 18 rats in each one. Using modified Longa thread embolization method, the rat model of acute focal cerebral ischemia was prepared; and after 2 h ischemia, the reperfusion was performed to prepared the model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Immediately after reperfusion, Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture method was applied to bilateral "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Shuigou" (GV 26) in the acupuncture group, while in the non-point acupuncture group, acupuncture was delivered at non-points and all of the needles were retained for 30 min in these two groups. The samples were collected 24 h after reperfusion in the rats of each group. Zea-Longa neurological deficit score was used to evaluate the degree of cerebral neurological impairment, TTC staining was adopted to observe the volume percentage of cerebral infarction, HE staining was provided to observe the morphological changes of brain, and Western blot was applied for detecting the expression of HIF-1α and NLRP3 proteins in the cerebral cortex on the right side. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, neurological deficit score and volume percentage of cerebral infarction were increased in the model group (P<0.01), and HIF-1α and NLRP3 protein expression was elevated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, neurological deficit score and volume percentage of cerebral infarction were decreased (P<0.01), and HIF-1α and NLRP3 protein expression was lower (P<0.01) in the acupuncture group. There was no significant difference in above indexes in the non-point acupuncture group compared with the model group (P>0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, the brain tissue of the rats in the model group and the non-point acupuncture group was loose and edema, and the nuclei were shriveled. The brain tissue morphology in the acupuncture group was similar to that of the sham-operation group. CONCLUSION Acupuncture can alleviate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of HIF-1α/NLRP3 signaling pathway to attenuate inflammatory response.
Male ; Animals ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Reperfusion Injury/therapy* ; Brain Ischemia/therapy* ; Cerebral Infarction/therapy* ; NLR Proteins

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors related to pregnancy of endometriosis and whether Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) can improve pregnancy outcomes in patients with endometriosis in long-term management. METHODS: This multicenter cohort study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of endometriosis patients with fertility needs from January 2019 to November 2019. A total of 252 patients with endometriosis from 5 level-III Grade A hospitals in Beijing were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed for the relevant factors. The propensity score matching (PSM) function of SPSS software was used to match the CHMs group with the non-CHMs group. The pregnancy rate and live birth rate were analyzed. RESULTS: The results of univariate analysis showed that age, disease course, presence of infertility, presence of adenomyosis, time after surgery or use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a), use of CHMs and follow-up time were influencing factors of pregnancy in endometriosis patients (P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that age, presence of adenomyosis, time after surgery or use of GnRH-a, use of CHMs and follow-up time were independent factors affecting pregnancy in endometriosis patients, among which, age ⩾35 years old, presence of adenomyosis and follow-up time >6 months were independent risk factors (OR=0.445, 0.348, 0.140, respectively, P<0.05), time after surgery or use of GnRH-a ⩽6 months and use of CHMs were independent protective factors (OR=3.839, 3.842, respectively, P<0.05). After PSM, 99 pairs of two groups were matched successfully. The pregnancy rate of the CHMs group was higher than that of the non-CHMs group [55.56% (55/99) vs. 36.36% (36/99), P<0.05]. The live birth rate of the CHMs group was higher than that of the non-CHMs group [49.49% (49/99) vs. 35.35% (35/99), P<0.05]. CONCLUSION CHMs can effectively improve clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate of patients with endometriosis in the chronic disease management.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Endometriosis/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Cohort Studies ; Adenomyosis ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Plant Extracts ; Fertilization in Vitro

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

Objective:To investigate the safety of minimally invasive liver resection for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated with portal hypertension.Methods:The propensity score matching and retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 807 patients with resectable HCC who underwent minimally invasive liver resection in 8 medical centers, including Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Affiliated with the Zhejiang University School of Medicine et al, from June 2011 to November 2022 were collected. There were 670 males and 137 females, aged 58(50,66)years. Of the 807 patients, 173 cases with portal hypertension were divided into the portal hypertension group, and 634 cases without portal hypertension were divided into the non-portal hypertension group. Observation indicators: (1) propensity score matching and comparison of general data of patients between the two groups after matching; (2) intraoperative and post-operative situations; (3) subgroup analysis. Propensity score matching was done by the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method, with the caliper setting as 0.001. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the rank sum test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Comparison of ordinal data was constructed using the non-parameter rank sun test. Results:(1) Propensity score matching and comparison of general data of patients between the two groups after matching. Of the 807 patients, 268 cases were successfully matched, including 134 cases in the portal hypertension group and 134 cases in the non-portal hypertension group. The elimination of the tumor diameter and robot-assisted surgery confounding bias ensured comparability between the two groups after propensity score matching. (2) Intraoperative and postoperative situations. The occlusion time of porta hepatis, cases with intraoperative blood transfusion, cases with postoperative complication, cases with complication >Ⅱ grade of Clavien-Dindo classification, cases of Clavien-Dindo classification as Ⅰ grade, Ⅱ grade, Ⅲ grade, Ⅳ grade, cases with liver related complication were 27.0(15.0,43.0)minutes, 33, 55, 15, 13, 29, 14, 1, 37 in the portal hypertension group, versus 35.0(22.0,60.0)minutes, 17, 25, 5, 14, 9, 4, 1, 13 in the non-portal hypertension group, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=-2.15, χ2=6.30, 16.39, 4.38, 20.72, 14.16, P<0.05). (3) Subgroup analysis. Results of subgroups analysis showed that in cases with major live resection, the operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, duration of postoperative hospital stay were 243.5(174.6,296.3)minutes, 200.0(150.0,600.0)mL, 7.5(6.0,13.0)days in the portal hypertension group, versus 270.0(180.0,314.5)minutes, 200.0 (75.0,450.0)mL, 7.0(5.5,10.0)days in the non-portal hypertension group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=-0.54, -1.73, -0.92, P>0.05). In cases with non-major live resection, the operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, duration of postoperative hospital stay were 170.0(120.0,227.5)minutes, 100.0(50.0,200.0)mL, 8.0(5.0,10.0)days in the portal hypertension group, versus 170.0(120.0,227.5)minutes, 100.0(50.0,200.0)mL, 7.0(5.5,9.0)days in the non-portal hypertension group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=-1.39, -0.10, 1.05, P>0.05). In cases with anatomical liver resection, the operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, duration of postoperative hospital stay were 210.0(150.0,285.0)minutes, 150.0(50.0,200.0)mL, 8.0(6.0,9.3)days in the portal hypertension group, versus 225.5(146.3,306.8)minutes, 100.0(50.0,250.0)mL, 7.0(6.0,9.0)days in the non-portal hypertension group, showing no significant difference in the above indica-tors between the two groups ( Z=-0.75, -0.26, -0.91, P>0.05). In cases with non-anatomical liver resection, the operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, duration of postoperative hospital stay were 173.5(120.0,231.5)minutes, 175.0(50.0,300.0)mL, 7.0(5.0,11.0)days in the portal hyper-tension group, versus 186.0(123.0,262.5)minutes, 100.0(50.0,200.0)mL, 7.0(5.0,9.5)days in the non-portal hypertension group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=-0.97, -1.12, -0.98, P>0.05). Conclusion:Minimally invasive liver resection or even major liver resection is safe and feasible for screened HCC patients complicated with portal hyper-tension, but attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of postoperative complications.

Background/Aims: We aimed to investigate the comfort, safety, and endoscopic visibility during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) afforded by a modified 4-hour semifluid and 2-hour water (“4+2”) fasting protocol. Methods: In this parallel group, endoscopist-blinded, randomized controlled trial, outpatients undergoing unsedated diagnostic EGD from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM were randomly assigned to either a “4+2” protocol group or a conventional fasting group. The participants’ comfort during the fasting period and procedure was measured using the visual analog scale, and mucosal visibility was measured by endoscopists using the total visibility score. Satisfaction was defined as a visual analog scale score of ≤3. The primary outcome was the participants’ comfort during fasting. Results: One hundred and six and 108 participants were randomized to the “4+2” protocol and control groups, respectively. Participants’ comfort before EGD was significantly higher in the “4+2” protocol group measured by both the proportion of satisfaction (86.8% vs 63.9%, p=0.002) and the visual analog scale score (median [interquartile range]: 1.0 [1.0–2.0] vs 3.0 [1.0–4.0], p<0.001). The proportion of satisfaction during EGD also significantly improved (59.4% vs 45.4%, p=0.039) in the “4+2” protocol group. The total visibility score was unaffected by the fasting protocol (5.0 [4.0–5.0] vs 4.0 [4.0–5.0], p=0.266). No adverse events were observed during the study. Conclusions The “4+2” protocol was more comfortable and provided equal mucosal visibility and safety compared with conventional fasting for unsedated EGD.

Objective: To understand the population structure of food-borne Staphylococcus (S.) aureus in China. Methods: Whole genome sequencing was used to analyze 763 food-borne S. aureus strains from 16 provinces in China from 2006 to 2020. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), staphylococcal protein A gene (spa) typing, and staphylococcal chromosome cassettemec (SCCmec) typing were conducted, and minimum spanning tree based on ST types (STs) was constructed by BioNumerics 7.5 software. Thirty-one S. aureus strains isolated from imported food products were also included in constructing the genome phylogenetic tree. Results: A total of 90 STs (20 novel types) and 160 spa types were detected in the 763 S. aureus isolates. The 72 STs (72/90, 80.0%) were related to 22 clone complexes. The predominant clone complexes were CC7, CC1, CC5, CC398, CC188, CC59, CC6, CC88, CC15, and CC25, accounting for 82.44% (629/763) of the total. The STs and spa types in the predominant clone complexes changed over the years. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) detection rate was 7.60%, and 7 SCCmec types were identified. The ST59-t437-Ⅳa (17.24%, 10/58), ST239-t030-Ⅲ (12.07%, 7/58), ST59-t437-Ⅴb (8.62%, 5/58), ST338-t437-Ⅴb (6.90%, 4/58) and ST338-t441-Ⅴb (6.90%, 4/58) were the main types in MRSA strains. The genome phylogenetic tree had two clades, and the strains with the same CC, ST, and spa types clustered together. All CC7 methicillin sensitive S. aureus strains were included in Clade1, while 21 clone complexes and all MRSA strains were in Clade2. The MRSA strains clustered according to the SCCmec and STs. The strains from imported food products in CC398, CC7, CC30, CC12, and CC188 had far distances from Chinese strains in the tree. Conclusions: In this study, the predominant clone complexes of food-borne strains were CC7, CC1, CC5, CC398, CC188, CC59, CC6, CC88, CC15, and CC25, which overlapped with the previously reported clone complexes of hospital and community-associated strains in China, suggesting that close attention needs to be paid to food, a vehicle of pathogen transmission in community and food poisoning.
Humans ; Staphylococcus aureus/genetics* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/genetics* ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; Staphylococcal Infections/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology*

A quantitative analysis method for six principal active constituents (acubin, geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, pinoresinol di-O-glucopyranoside, geniposide, and pinoresinol 4-O-glucopyranoside) of crude Eucommiae Cortex (EC) and its salt-processed product extracts was developed to investigate and compare their pharmacokinetic behaviors in adenine-induced renal fibrotic rats in vivo. UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS technology was employed. Scan was conducted in negative ion mode and quantitative determination was carried out by MRM paired ion. The established method was fully validated by specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, recovery, and matrix effect, and the results of methodological investigation met the requirements of biological sample analysis. Then, a quick, sensitive, and accurate method was successfully established, which could simultaneously measure the contents of six active constituents of crude and salt-processed EC extracts in rat plasma. After a single administration to renal fibrotic rats of crude EC and its salt-processed product extracts, the plasma concentration of each constituent at different time points was measured, the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and the concentration time curves were structured. The experiment was approved by the experimental animal ethics committee from Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (No. 202103A008). The results showed that compared to the crude Eucommiae Cortex group, the t_max of aucubin, pinoresinol di-O-glucopyranoside, geniposide, and pinoresinol 4-O-glucopyranoside in the salt-processed Eucommiae Cortex group rat plasma were significantly lower than those in the crude group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the C_max and AUC_{0-48 h} of chlorogenic acid, the C_max, AUC_{0-48 h} and AUC_0-∞ of pinoresinol di-O-glucopyranoside, and the C_max of geniposide and pinoresinol 4-O-glucopyranoside were significantly higher than those in the crude group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Our investigation found that compared to crude Eucommiae Cortex, a variety of active ingredients could play a role of quick effect with higher peak blood concentration and bioavailability after oral administration of salt-processed Eucommiae Cortex, which were consistent with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of "salt-processing enhancing drug into kidney meridian", providing an experimental basis for the selection of quality control indexes and the in-depth study of processing mechanisms and metabolic rules in vivo of Eucommiae Cortex and its salt-processed product.