Platycodonis Radix is the dry root of Platycodon grandiflorum of Campanulaceae, which has a variety of pharmacological effects and is a commonly used bulk Chinese medicine. In this study, the chloroplast genome sequences of six P. grandiflorum from different producing areas has been sequenced with Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform. The specific DNA barcodes were screened, and the germplasm resources and genetic diversity were analyzed according to the specific barcodes. The total length of the chloroplast genome of 6 P. grandiflorum samples was 172 260-172 275 bp, and all chloroplast genomes showed a typical circular tetrad structure and encoded 141 genes. The comparative genomics analysis and results of amplification efficiency demonstrated that trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF were the potential specific DNA barcodes for identification the germplasm resources of P. grandiflorum. A total of 305 P. grandiflorum samples were collected from 15 production areas in 9 provinces, for which the fragments of trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF were amplificated and the sequences were analyzed. The results showed that trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF have 5 and 11 mutation sites, respectively, and 5 and 7 haplotypes were identified, respectively. The combined analysis of the two sequences formed 13 haplotypes (named Hap1-Hap13), and Hap4 is the main genotype, followed by Hap1. The unique haplotypes possessed by the three producing areas can be used as DNA molecular tags in this area to distinguish from the germplasm resources of P. grandiflorum from other areas. The haplotype diversity, nucleotide diversity and genetic distance were 0.94, 4.79×10^-3 and 0.000 0-0.020 3, respectively, suggesting that the genetic diversity was abundant and intraspecific kinship was relatively close. This study laid a foundation for the identification of P. grandiflorum, the protection and utilization of germplasm resources, and molecular breeding.

italic>Acanthopanax senticosus is one of the genuine regional herb in Northeast China. In this study, we identified the germplasm resources of commercial A. senticosus samples based on atpI and atpB_rbcL according to the previous chloroplast genome sequencing results, and determinated the content of syringin by HPLC to evaluated the quality of commercial samples. A total of 80 A. senticosus samples were collected from 47 cities in 24 provinces. DNA was extracted to amplify the products of atpI and atpB_rbcL by PCR. The results showed that 7 haplotypes (H2, H5, H8, H10, H12, H14, H23) were formed by the combined analysis of the two gene fragments. H2 from Yichun in Heilongjiang, Shangzhi in Harbin, Suihua in Heilongjiang, Fushun in Liaoning, Benxi in Liaoning, Changbai in Jilin and Jingyu in Jilin were the dominant genotype, representing 58.75% of the total samples. H14 and H23 were the unique haplotypes of the producing area. It is speculated that the commercial A. senticosus samples with haplotypes of H14 and H23 are from Raohe, Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang and Mingshui, Suihua, Heilongjiang, respectively. HPLC analysis indicated that the content of syringin in 73.96% of the samples met the Pharmacopoeia standards. There was a significant difference in the content of syringin among the samples, ranging from 0.003 7% to 0.524 5%, with a difference of 0.520 8%, indicating that the quality of the samples in the market of A. senticosus was uneven. However, there were no significant differences in the contents of syringin in the commercial A. senticosus among different haplotypes. The content of syringin in the haplotype H23 in the market sample is relatively high, so it may be a germplasm with better quality. This study researched the germplasm resources and medicinal materials quality of commercial A. senticosus samples and will help guide the commercial circulation, reasonable medication of A. senticosus, and the screening of excellent germplasm.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in the treatment of male im-mune infertility(MII)by meta-analysis.Methods:We retrieved randomized controlled trial(RCT)on the treatment of male im-mune infertility with traditional Chinese medicine from the databases of WanFang,Chinese Biomedical Literature,Cochrane Library,Weipu,PubMed and CNKI,and performed methodological quality assessment of the RCTs identified and statistical analysis and evalua-tion of the publication bias using the RevMan5.4 software.Results:Totally,25 RCTs(2 563 cases)were included in this study.Compared with Western medicine alone in the treatment of MII,TCM achieved a significantly higher total effectiveness rate(OR=6.35,95% CI:4.96-8.13,P<0.000 01),negative conversion rate of seminal plasma anti-sperm antibodies(OR=4.52,95% CI:2.72-7.51,P<0.000 01),negative rate of serum anti-sperm antibodies(OR=2.98,95% CI:2.23-3.96,P<0.000 01),sperm concentration(MD=15.56,95% CI:11.32-19.79,P<0.000 01),grade a sperm motility(MD=3.85,95% CI:1.91-5.79,P=0.000 01),grade a+b sperm motility(MD=13.77,95% CI:7.06-20.48,P<0.000 1),sperm viability(MD=10.32,95% CI:6.78-13.86,P<0.000 01)and pregnancy rate(OR=3.53,95% CI:2.68-4.63,P<0.000 01),but a lower rate of adverse reactions(OR=0.06,95% CI:0.01-0.23,P<0.000 01).There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm between TCM and Western medicine alone in the treatment of MII(MD=-7.53,95% CI:-15.50-0.44,P=0.06).Conclusion:TCM has a definite effectiveness and high safe in the treatment of male immune infertility.

This study investigated the neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanism of Liujing Toutong Tablets(LJTT) on a rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion(pMCAO). The pMCAO model was established using the suture method. Eighty-four male SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, a nimodipine group(0.020 g·kg~(-1)), and high-, medium-, and low-dose LJTT groups(2.8, 1.4, and 0.7 g·kg~(-1)). The Longa score, adhesive removal test and laser speckle contrast imaging technique were used to evaluate the degree of neurological functional impairment and changes in local cerebral blood flow. The survival and mortality of rats in each group were recorded daily. After seven days of continuous administration following the model induction, the rats in each group were euthanized, and brain tissue and blood samples were collected for corresponding parameter measurements. Nissl staining was used to examine pathological changes in brain tissue neurons. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), interleukin-6(IL-6), IL-1β, vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP), beta-endorphin(β-EP), and endogenous nitric oxide(NO) in rat serum were measured using specific assay kits. The entropy weight method was used to analyze the weights of various indicators. The protein expression levels of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB), inhibitor kappaB alpha(IκBα), phosphorylated IκBα(p-IκBα), and phosphorylated inhibitor of NF-κB kinase alpha(p-IKKα) in brain tissue were determined using Western blot. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of chemokine-like factor 1(CKLF1) and C-C chemokine receptor 5(CCR5) in rat brain tissue. Compared with the sham operation group, the model group showed significantly higher neurological functional impairment scores, prolonged adhesive removal time, decreased cerebral blood flow, increased neuronal damage, reduced survival rate, significantly increased levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, CGRP, and NO in serum, significantly decreased levels of VEGF and β-EP, significantly increased expression levels of NF-κB p65, p-IκBα/IκBα, and p-IKKα in rat brain tissue, and significantly upregulated protein expression of CKLF1 and CCR5. Compared with the model group, the high-dose LJTT group significantly improved the neurological functional score of pMCAO rats after oral administration for 7 days. LJTT at all doses significantly reduced adhesive removal time and restored cerebral blood flow. The high-and medium-dose LJTT groups significantly improved neuronal damage. The LJTT groups at all doses showed reduced levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, CGRP, and NO in rat serum, increased VEGF and β-EP levels, and significantly decreased expression levels of NF-κB p65, p-IκBα/IκBα, p-IKKα, and CCR5 protein in rat brain tissue. The entropy weight analysis revealed that CGRP and β-EP were significantly affected during the model induction, and LJTT exhibited a strong effect in reducing the release of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-1β. LJTT may exert a neuroprotective effect on rats with permanent cerebral ischemia by reducing neuroinflammatory damage, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway and the regulation of the CKLF1/CCR5 axis. Additionally, LJTT may exert certain analgesic effects by reducing CGRP and NO levels and increasing β-EP levels.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha/metabolism* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics* ; I-kappa B Kinase/pharmacology* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/pharmacology* ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Brain Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Tablets

ObjectiveTo investigate the perioperative safety and complications of radical cystectomy （RC）. MethodsThe clinicopathological indexes， postoperative complications and prognosis of patients who underwent RC at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre from January 2001 to August 2020 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Among them， patients from 2011 to 2020 were further analyzed and compared according to the open surgery group （ORC）， laparoscopic group （LRC） and robot-assisted laparoscopic group （RARC）. Independent sample t test， Chi-square test， K-M survival curve and other statistical methods were used to describe the complications and prognosis of patients， and Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of complications of RC. ResultsAmong the 1041 patients who underwent RC surgery from 2001 to 2020， the median age was 63 （55-69） years. In terms of the gender ratio， men were the majority at 86 percent. Compared with that of the first 10 years， the complication rate of the second 10 years decreased significantly （37.4% vs. 26.7%）. Complications of 667 patients who underwent RC surgery were analyzed from 2010 to 2020， with a median follow-up of 34 months. A total of 415 patients were enrolled in the ORC group， 161 in the LRC group， and 91 in the RARC group. Ileal conduit （659 cases， 63.3%） accounted for the highest proportion of all urinary diversion methods， while orthotopic neobladder accounted for the second （343 cases， 32.9%）. The incidence of all grade complications was 30.5%， and the most common complication was urinary complications. The incidence of total complications and grade ≥3 complications in the ORC group was higher than that in the LRC and RARC groups （Total complications： ORC， 30.8%； LRC，21.1%， RARC，24.2%； P=0.047； Grade ≥3 complications： ORC， 14.7%； LRC，9.3%； RARC，6.6%； P=0.043）. ConclusionsWith the improvement of surgical techniques and experience， the incidence of recent postoperative complications after radical resection of bladder cancer in our center has decreased. Compared with open surgery， minimally invasive surgery has some advantages in reducing the complication rate.

Objective To understand the prevalence and influencing factors of hypertension among the elderly aged 60 years and above in Mianyang City,Sichuan Province,so as to provide clues for targeted prevention and control of hypertension. Methods A total of 115 775 permanent residents aged 60 and above screened out from Mianyang demonstration sites from October 2017 to April 2019 were investigated by questionnaire and physical examination,and the data of personal basic information,lifestyle,body height,body weight,waist circumference,and blood pressure were collected.SPSS 22.0 was used for descriptive analysis,single factor analysis,and Logistic regression analysis. Results The prevalence rate of hypertension in the elderly aged 60 years and above in Mianyang was 50.60%.Specifically,the prevalence rates of hypertension in men and women were 50.27% and 50.85%,respectively.The prevalence rate of hypertension increased with the increase in age([Formula: see text]=370.199,P<0001).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors of hypertension included age of 70-79 years(OR=1.327,95%CI=1.292-1.363,P<0.001),the age of 80 years and above(OR=1.455,95%CI=1.386-1.527,P<0.001),widowhood(OR=1.343,95%CI=1.296-1.392,P<0.001),divorce(OR=1.255,95%CI=1.033-1.525,P=0.022),overweight(OR=1.431,95%CI=1.391-1.473,P<0.001),obesity(OR=2.171,95%CI=2.076-2.270,P<0.001),waist-to-height ratio>0.5(OR=1.317,95%CI=1.281-1.354,P<0.001),history of diabetes(OR=1.865,95%CI=1.791-1.941,P<0.001),history of smoking(OR=1.107,95%CI=1.068-1.148,P<0.001),and history of drinking(OR=1.950,95%CI=1.894-2.009,P<0.001).Living in urban-rural fringe areas(OR=0.628,95%CI=0.594-0.664,P<0.001),education background of junior high school and above(OR=0.942,95%CI=0.912-0.974,P<0.001),and low body weight(OR=0.785,95%CI=0.742-0.830,P<0.001) were protective factors for hypertension. Conclusions More than 50% of the elderly aged 60 years and above in Mianyang suffer from hypertension.The elderly with advanced age,widowhood,divorce,overweight,obesity,waist-to-height ratio>0.5,diabetes history,smoking history,and drinking history are the high-risk groups of hypertension.
Aged ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Overweight ; Hypertension/etiology* ; Waist Circumference ; Obesity ; Risk Factors ; Prevalence ; Body Weight ; China/epidemiology* ; Body Mass Index

Accurate methods for identifying pelvic lymph node metastasis (LNM) of prostate cancer (PCa) prior to surgery are still lacking. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of peripheral monocyte count (PMC) for LNM of PCa in this study. Two hundred and ninety-eight patients from three centers were divided into a training set (n = 125) and a validation set (n = 173). In the training set, the independent predictors of LNM were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and the optimal cutoff value was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The sensitivity and specificity of the optimal cutoff were authenticated in the validation cohort. Finally, a nomogram based on the PMC was constructed for predicting LNM. Multivariate analyses of the training cohort demonstrated that clinical T stage, preoperative Gleason score, and PMC were independent risk factors for LNM. The subsequent ROC analysis showed that the optimal cutoff value of PMC for diagnosing LNM was 0.405 × 109 l

Aim To investigate the effect of CPD1 , a novel phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, on contractile ten- sion of pulmonary artery and aorta in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH ) .Methods MCT- induced PAH was generated by a single intraperitoneal injection of MCT(50 mg • kg"1) in rats.Seven days after MCT injection, the rats were treated with CPD1 ( 10 mg • kg-1 • d"1) for 14 days.The tension of vascular rings was examined in MCT-induced PAH rats.Results MCT treated rats exhibited profound PAH when examined 3 weeks after injection.In contrast, gavage administration of CPD1 led to significant decrease in the right ventricle systolic pressure ( RVSP) and right ventricular mass index (RVMI), as well as MCT-induced pulmonary arterial wall thinning and enlarged lumen, indicating that CPD1 inhibited the de- velopment of PAH.Cavage administration of CPD1 also reduced phenylephrine and endothelin-1-induced pulmonary artery contraction and aorta contraction in MCT-treated rats.Conclusions Treatment with CPD1 attenuates vascular reactivity, lessens vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and remodeling, and inhibits PAH via inhibition of non-voltage dependent Ca2∗ channels in normal and PAH rats.

Objective:To explore the mechanism of modified Guipitang in the treatment of Yin-Fire insomnia with anxiety with the help of network pharmacological analysis technology. Method:Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) was used to screen the main components and target genes of modified Guipitang. GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) were used to establish the target gene sets of insomnia and anxiety. STRING 11.0 software was used to analyze the interaction between the overlapping genes, and Cytoscape_3.6.1 software analysis and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) algorithm were used to screen the core genes. Based on the results of network analysis, 48 SD female rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, eszopiclone tablets group (0.2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1), modified Guipitang low，medium，and high-dose groups (0.31，1.25，5 g·kg^-1·d^-1). The model of insomnia with anxiety was established by intraperitoneal injection of Para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) and these rats were treated with corresponding drugs for 7 days. Then the frequency, time and distance of the activities were observed in the experiment of autonomic activity. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expressions of proactivated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8), RAC-alpha serine/threonine protein kinase (Akt1), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in rat hippocampus. Result:A total of 228 active compounds were screened from TCMSP database and 181 intersecting genes of diseases and drugs were obtained by comparing with GeneCards and OMIM comprehensive database. 9 core genes, including MAPK3, MAPK8, Akt1 and IL-6 were identified by STRING software and MCC algorithm. Animal experiments showed that the number of activity times, time and distance of modified Guipitang in high and medium dose groups were significantly lower than those in the model group. The high and middle dose groups of modified Guipitang could significantly inhibit the mRNA expression of MAPK3, MAPK8, Akt1 and IL-6 in hippocampus（P<0.01）, while the low dose group had no significant effect. Conclusion:The mechanism of modified Guipitang in treating Yin-fire insomnia with anxiety may be related to the regulation of MAPK3, MAPK8, Akt1 and IL-6 genes.