Tetramethylpyrazine and paeoniflorin combination(TMP-PF)alleviates atherosclerosis progress by reducing hyperlipemia and inhibiting plaque angiogenesis via the NR4A1/VEGFR2 pathway

Atherosclerosis remains a great threat to human health worldwide.Previous studies found that tetramethylpyrazine(TMP)and paeonifl orin(PF)combination(TMP-PF)exerts anti-atherosclerotic effects in vitro.However,whether TMP-PF improves atherosclerosis in vivo needs further exploration.The present study aims to assess the anti-atherosclerotic properties of TMP-PF in ApoE^(-/-)mice and explore the related molecule mechanisms.Results showed that TMP and high-dose TMP-PF decreased serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels,suppressed vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2)and nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1(NR4A1)expression in aortic tissues,inhibited plaque angiogenesis,reduced plaque areas,and alleviated atherosclerosis in ApoE^(-/-)mice.Also,TMP-PF exhibited a better modulation effect than TMP or PF alone.However,NR4A1 agonist abolished the anti-atherosclerotic effects of TMP-PF.In conclusion,TMP-PF was first found to alleviate atherosclerosis progression by reducing hyperlipemia and inhibiting plaque angiogenesis via the NR4A1/VEGFR2 pathway,indicating that TMP-PF had a positive effect on reducing hyperlipemia and attenuating atherosclerosis development.

Protective effects of oleic acid and polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil on cardiovascular diseases

The Mediterranean diet has long been recognized as one of the most effective ways to prevent and improve cardiovascular disease.Extra virgin olive oil(EVOO)is the typical sources of fat in the Mediterranean diet which have been shown to have noteworthy nutritional value and positive impact on human health.It is worth noting that EVOO owes its superior nutritional value to its bioactive composition.The main component of EVOO is monounsaturated fatty acids(MUFAs)in the form of oleic acid.Oleic acid accounts for up to 70%-80%of EVOO.Secondly,EVOO contains approximately more than 30 phenolic compounds,of which HT is essential for the protection against cardiovascular diseases.In this review,we focused on the potential mechanisms of oleic acid and polyphenols combat cardiovascular diseases risk in terms of oxidative stress,inflammation,blood pressure,endothelial function and cholesterol.This review might provide a reference for the studies on cardiovascular protective effects of EVOO.

Diabetic vascular diseases:molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies

Vascular complications of diabetes pose a severe threat to human health.Prevention and treatment protocols based on a single vascular complication are no longer suitable for the long-term management of patients with diabetes.Diabetic panvascular disease(DPD)is a clinical syndrome in which vessels of various sizes,including macrovessels and microvessels in the cardiac,cerebral,renal,ophthalmic,and peripheral systems of patients with diabetes,develop atherosclerosis as a common pathology.Pathological manifestations of DPDs usually manifest macrovascular atherosclerosis,as well as microvascular endothelial function impairment,basement membrane thickening,and microthrombosis.Cardiac,cerebral,and peripheral microangiopathy coexist with microangiopathy,while renal and retinal are predominantly microangiopathic.The following associations exist between DPDs:numerous similar molecular mechanisms,and risk-predictive relationships between diseases.Aggressive glycemic control combined with early comprehensive vascular intervention is the key to prevention and treatment.In addition to the widely recommended metformin,glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist,and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors,for the latest molecular mechanisms,aldose reductase inhibitors,peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γagonizts,glucokinases agonizts,mitochondrial energy modulators,etc.are under active development.DPDs are proposed for patients to obtain more systematic clinical care requires a comprehensive diabetes care center focusing on panvascular diseases.This would leverage the advantages of a cross-disciplinary approach to achieve better integration of the pathogenesis and therapeutic evidence.Such a strategy would confer more clinical benefits to patients and promote the comprehensive development of DPD as a discipline.

新型冠状病毒肺炎的中医药临床研究:基于文献计量学分析的解读与思考

新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19,简称“新冠肺炎”)疫情在全球范围内蔓延,对人类健康造成巨大威胁.目前已有疫苗问世,但仍没有可靠的治愈办法.中医药的临床应用在国内疫情防控中发挥了重要作用,并已涌现出若干临床研究,其中中医药治疗新冠肺炎的临床研究文献信息、治疗现状及规律值得系统归纳与解读,为未来的临床与科研提供基础.检索2020年1月1日至2021年3月1日期间PubMed、Embase、Web of Science、medRxiv、中国知网、万方数据库及中国生物医学文献数据库,纳入中医药治疗COVID-19的临床研究文献,获取文献的基本信息及治疗内容信息,评价文献质量,进行文献计量学分析.共纳入47篇文献,绝大多数以中文发表(42篇,占全部文献的89.36%);从临床试验注册的文献量(12篇)、被引量(单篇最高被引62次)及相关质量评价量表(改良Chalmers评分平均61.40分)的结果来看,整体研究质量仍有待提高.共涉及中药复方66个,其中苦杏仁、甘草、石膏、麻黄、茯苓、藿香等中药使用频次较高.结局指标中临床症状(发热、咳嗽、乏力等)缓解率、普通型转为重型率,实验室指标中的白细胞总数、淋巴细胞总数及C反应蛋白、肺CT影像学变化及不良反应受到关注.目前中医药治疗新冠肺炎的临床研究质量亟待提高,未来需进一步规范中医药临床循证研究的设计与实施.中医药主流治法为清热解表化湿,麻杏石甘汤为最常用的经典祖方,“三药三方”在临床得到广泛应用.经中医药治疗后临床症状显著缓解,常见实验室指标、肺部影像学改善明显,安全性良好.中医药通过多机制、多途径防治COVID-19,其规律值得进一步探讨.

Bile acid coordinates microbiota homeostasis and systemic immunometabolism in cardiometabolic diseases

Cardiometabolic disease(CMD), characterized with metabolic disorder triggered cardiovascular events, is a leading cause of death and disability. Metabolic disorders trigger chronic low-grade inflammation, and actually, a new concept of metaflammation has been proposed to define the state of metabolism connected with immunological adaptations. Amongst the continuously increased list of systemic metabolites in regulation of immune system, bile acids(BAs) represent a distinct class of metabolites implicated in the whole process of CMD development because of its multifaceted roles in shaping systemic immunometabolism. BAs can directly modulate the immune system by either boosting or inhibiting inflammatory responses via diverse mechanisms. Moreover, BAs are key determinants in maintaining the dynamic communication between the host and microbiota. Importantly, BAs via targeting Farnesoid X receptor(FXR) and diverse other nuclear receptors play key roles in regulating metabolic homeostasis of lipids, glucose, and amino acids. Moreover, BAs axis per se is susceptible to inflammatory and metabolic intervention, and thereby BAs axis may constitute a reciprocal regulatory loop in metaflammation. We thus propose that BAs axis represents a core coordinator in integrating systemic immunometabolism implicated in the process of CMD. We provide an updated summary and an intensive discussion about how BAs shape both the innate and adaptive immune system, and how BAs axis function as a core coordinator in integrating metabolic disorder to chronic inflammation in conditions of CMD.

Roles and mechanisms of ginsenoside in cardiovascular diseases: progress and perspectives

Ginseng is among the oldest traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and is widely used in China and Southeast Asia. Over the past 50 years, considerable research has focused on the chemical constituents, pharmacological action, and clinical applications of ginseng. In this review, we examine the current state of research on ginseng, including the main active ingredient ginsenoside, its pharmacological effects on the cardiovascular system, and mechanisms of action. We focus on what is known of the effects of ginseng against atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia, and its inhibition of ventricular remodeling, providing a basis for expanding the clinical applications of ginseng.

An efficient approach to representing and mining knowledge from Qing court medical records

Research on Qing Court Medical Records （RQCMR） is a large-volume book which was edited and annotated by the sixth co-author Keji, Chen and his colleagues, and consists of all the medical records of imperial families and aristocrats of the Qing dynasty. To reveal and utilize their high value both in traditional Chinese medicine research and modem clinical practice, we have developed a method of transforming the Qing Court Medical Records （QCMR） into a computer-read- able, structured representation, so that statistical analysis and data mining can be accurately performed. The method consists of a frame ontology based medical language, called MedL, for representing QCMR, a parser for compiling MedL frames into a database, and an explorative pattem mining technique. With this method the entire RQCMR volume is transformed into a database and medical patterns may be mined from the database.

Harmonically trapped quasi-two-dimensional Fermi gases with synthetic spin-orbit coupling

We study the properties of spin-orbit coupled and harmonically trapped quasi-two-dimensional Fermi gas with tunable s-wave interaction between the two spin species. We adapt an effective two-channel model which takes the excited states occupation in the strongly confined axial direction into consideration by introducing dressed molecules in the closed channel, and use a Bogoliubovde Gennes(BdG) formalism to go beyond local density approximation. We find that both the in-trap phase structure and density distribution can be significantly modified near a wide Feshbach resonance compared with the single-channel model without the dressed molecules. Our findings will be helpful for the experimental search for the topological superfluid phase in ultracold Fermi gases.