Evaluation on Common Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease Treated by Integrative Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine

Objective To evaluate the efifcacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with Western medicine in the treatment of patients with common hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) by conducting a prospective, controlled, and randomized trial. Methods A total of 452 patients with common HFMD were randomly assigned to receive Western medicine alone (n=220) or combined with TCM (Reduning or Xiyanping injections) (n=232). The primary outcome was the incidence rate of rash/herpes disappearance within 5 days, while secondary outcomes included the incidence rate for fever, cough, lethargy, agitation, and vomiting clearance within 5 days. Results The rash/herpes disappearance rate was 45.5% (100/220) in Western medicine therapy group, and 67.2% (156/232) in TCM and Western medicine combined therapy group, with significant difference (P<0.001). Moreover, TCM remarkably increased the incidence rate of secondary disappearance, which was 56.4%in Western medicine therapy group and 71.4%in TCM and Western medicine combined therapy group (P=0.001). No drug-related adverse events were observed. Conclusions It’s suggested that the integrative TCM and Western medicine therapy achieved a better therapeutic efficacy. TCM may become an important complementary therapy on relieving the symptoms of HFMD.

Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Alzheimer's Disease: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Acupuncture has reportedly improved memory and cognitive impairment in both animal and clinical studies. It may be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to review the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of AD. Eight databases were searched for articles published up to and including July 2017, and 13 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were identified. The main outcomes assessed were clinical efficacy rate, Mini-Mental State Examination score, Ability of Daily Living Scale score, Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognition score, Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS) score, and adverse events. The methodological quality of the articles was assessed using Cochrane's risk of bias. All the studies compared the efficacy of acupuncture with that of medication, and were published in Chinese journals. Meta-analysis revealed that acupuncture yielded positive results as determined via all the indexes scored except the HDS (95% CI -0.26 to 0.90, Z=0.35, P=0.73). Only one of the studies reported adverse events associated with acupuncture and medication. The rate of adverse events in the medication group was 13%. In most of the studies assessed in the current metaanalysis, acupuncture alone was better than conventional western medicines for the treatment of AD.

Serological Diagnosis of Liver Metastasis in Patients with Breast Cancer

Objective To diagnose and explore the serological diagnostic factors for liver metastasis in patients with breast cancer before symptoms occur. Methods A total of 430 female in-patients with breast cancer of stages 0 to IIIC who came to Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 2003 to January 2004 were studied and followed up until May 2011.Serum levels of biochemical markers for tumor and liver were measured at the time of diagnosis. Results Liver metastasis was more likely to occur in patients with stage III cancer or c-erbB-2-positive expression.Alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,γ-glutamyltransferase(GGT),alkaline phosphatase,lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),and carbohydrate antigen 153(CA153) levels were significantly higher in patients with liver metastasis than those without liver metastasis. Diagnostic indices of LDH,GGT,and CA153 were 174 U/L,32 U/L,and 26.48μg/L,respectively.The areas under the curves of LDH, GGT,and CEA were 0.795,0.784,and 0.661,respectively,and sensitivities of parallel tests for LDH and CA153 and for GGT and CA153 were 88.6%and 85.7%,respectively.The specificity of serial tests for both pairs of enzymes was 97.7%. Conclusions The sensitivity and specificity of combined tumor and biochemical markers could be used as indicators during screening for breast-liver metastasis.

Effect of Muscone on Neuronal Glutamate Transporter EAAC1 Expression in Rats with Acute Cerebral Ischemia

Objective: To investigate muscone's neuroprotective action and it s mechanism in rats with acute cerebral ischemic injury. Methods: Rat focal ischemic model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) was establi shed by thread inserting method. TTC staining, RT PCR and Western blot analys is were used to study the effects of muscone on infracted volume, EAAC1mRNA and protein levels.Results: Infarcted volume in the muscone treated gr oup was significantly lower than that in the model control group. Compared with normal group, EAAC1 mRNA level increased in the model control group at 6 and 24 hrs, and protein level increased at 24 hrs after modelling, muscone could reduc e the increased expression in model rats. Conclusion: Muscone po ssesses the action of neuroprotection, its mechanism may be related to reduction of EAAC1 and protein expressions.

Inhibitive effect on phagocytosis of Candida albicans induced by pretreatment with quercetin via actin cytoskeleton interference

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of pretreatment with quercetin on macrophages after Candida albicans infection. METHODS: RAW 264.7 macrophages were used as a target cell line. Cell viability after treatment with quercetin at different time points was detected by Carboxyfluorescein diacetate, succinimidyl ester. Phagocytic function of macrophages was determined by a fluorometric assay. Cytokine tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) production was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. F-actin cytoskeleton of L929 cells was stained by Alexa Fluor 488-phalloidin. RESULTS: Pretreatment with quercetin decreased cell viability only at the highest concentration of 37 μg/mL 2, 24, and 48 h after the treatment. The phagocytic efficiency of macrophages pretreated with quercetin was significantly decreased in a timeand dose-dependent manner. F-actin labeling showed that the actin cytoskeleton of the cells started to break down 2 h after treatment. Moreover, it notably inhibited cytokine TNF-α production after Candida albicans infection. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with quercetin induced an anti-inflammatory effect against Candida albicans infection in macrophages.

An-Luo-Hua-Xian Pill Improves the Regression of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Treated with Entecavir

Background and Aims:Chronic hepatitis B(CHB)can cause liver fibrosis and lead to cirrhosis and cancer.As the effectiveness of antiviral therapy to reverse liver fibrosis is limited,We aimed to evaluate the effect of An-Luo-Hua-Xian pill(ALHX)on fibrosis regression in CHB patients treated with entecavir(ETV).Methods:Treatment-naïve patients with CHB were randomly treated with ETV alone or combined with ALHX(ETV+ALHX)between October 1,2013 and December 31,2020.Demographic,laboratory,and liver histology data before and after 78 weeks of treatment were collected.The Ishak fibrosis score(F)was used and fibrosis regression required a decrease in F of≥1 after treatment.Results:A total of 780 patients were enrolled,and 394 with a second liver biopsy after treatment were included in the per-protocol population,132 in ETV group and 262 in ETV+ALHX group.After 78 weeks of treatment,the fibrosis regression rate in the ETV+ALHX group was significantly higher than that of the ETV group at baseline F≥3 patients:124/211(58.8%)vs.45/98(45.9%),p=0.035.The percentage of patients with a decreased liver stiffness measurement(LSM)was higher in the ETV+ALHX group:156/211(73.9%)vs.62/98(63.%),p=0.056.Logistic regression analysis showed that ETV combined with ALHX was associated with fibrosis regression[odds ratio(OR)=1.94,p=0.018],and a family history of hepatocellular carcinoma was on the contrary.(OR=0.41,p=0.031).Conclusions:ETV combined with ALHX increased liver fibrosis regression in CHB patients.

O-GlcNAcylation Coordinates Glutaminolysis by Regulating the Stability and Membrane Trafficking of ASCT2 in Hepatic Stellate Cells

Background and Aims:Recognition of excessive activa-tion of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)in liver fibrosis prompt-ed us to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of HSCs.We aimed to examine the role of O-GlcNAcylation modifica-tion of alanine,serine,cysteine transporter 2(ASCT2)in HSCs and liver fibrosis.Methods:The expression of O-Glc-NAcylation modification in fibrotic mice livers and activated HSCs was analyzed by western blotting.Immunoprecipita-tion was used to assess the interaction of ASCT2 and O-Glc-NAc transferase(OGT).In addition,ASCT2 protein stability was assayed after cycloheximide(CHX)treatment.The O-GlcNAcylation site of ASCT2 was predicted and mutated by site-directed mutagenesis.Real-time PCR,immunofluores-cence,kit determinations and Seahorse assays were used to clarify the effect of ASCT2 O-GlcNAcylation on HSC glu-taminolysis and HSC activation.Western blotting,immuno-chemistry,and immunohistofluorescence were used to ana-lyze the effect of ASCT2 O-GlcNAcylation in vivo.Results:We observed significantly increased O-GlcNAcylation modi-fication of ASCT2.ASCT2 was found to interact with OGT to regulate ASCT2 stability.We predicted and confirmed that O-GlcNAcylation of ASCT2 at Thr122 site resulted in HSCs activation.We found Thr122 O-GlcNAcylation of ASCT2 me-diated membrane trafficking of glutamine transport and attenuated HSC glutaminolysis.Finally,we validated the expression and function of ASCT2 O-GlcNAcylation after in-jection of AAV8-ASCT2 shRNA in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mice in vivo.Conclusions:Thr122 O-GlcNAcylation regu-lation of ASCT2 resulted in stability and membrane traf-ficking-mediated glutaminolysis in HSCs and liver fibrosis.Further studies are required to assess its role as a putative therapeutic target.