Statin-Associated Liver Dysfunction and Muscle Injury: epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Management Strategies.

Surveillance of drug safety is an important aspect in the routine medical care. Adverse events caused by real-world drug utilization has become one of the leading causes of death and an urgent issue in the field of toxicology. Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of fatal diseases in most countries, especially in the elderly population who often suffer from multiple diseases and need long-term multidrug therapy. Among which, statins have been widely used to lower bad cholesterol and regress coronary plaque mainly in patients with hyperlipidemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). Although the real-world benefits of statins are significant, different degrees and types of adverse drug reactions (ADR) such as liver dysfunction and muscle injury, have a great impact on the original treatment regimens as well as the quality of life. This review describes the epidemiology, mechanisms, early identification and post-intervention of statin-associated liver dysfunction and muscle injury based on the updated clinical evidence. It provides systematic and comprehensive guidance and necessary supplement for the clinical safety of statin use in cardiovascular diseases.

[Pollution Characteristics of Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFASs) in Seawater, Sediments, and Biological Samples from Jiaozhou Bay, China].

In order to explore the pollution levels and characteristics of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs), seawater, sediment, and Ruditapes philippinarum samples were collected near the Jiaozhou Bay coast in April 2018. All samples were analyzed by using the high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method to determine the content of 35 types of PFASs. The results showed that 12 different PFASs were tested in the seawater with ∑PFASs concentrations of 21.1-38.0 ng·L-1; 10 types of PFASs were detected in sediments, with ∑PFASs content (dry weight) ranging from 0.459 to 1.20 µg·kg-1; 19 types of PFASs were measured in Ruditapes philippinarum, with ∑PFASs content (dry weight) of 15.5-27.5 µg·kg-1. Compared with other areas reported in the literature, the total pollution of Jiaozhou Bay was at medium or high levels. In addition, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the dominant PFAS in the seawater, sediments, and Ruditapes philippinarum with a detection rate of 100%. 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester (6:2 diPAP) was observed for the first time in seawater and sediments from Jiaozhou Bay and had the highest detection frequency and concentration of the precursor. Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) was the main precursor in Ruditapes philippinarum, of which the detection rate was 93.8%. Moreover, the organic carbon normalized sediment-water distribution coefficient (lg KOC) values were 5.24-6.37 and increased with an increase in carbon chain length. The bioaccumulation factors (lg BAF) and field-based biota-sediment accumulation factors (lg BSAF) were 2.53-4.32 and 1.30-2.50, respectively. The lg BAF values positively correlated with the carbon chain length, whereas the lg BSAF values decreased with an increase in the carbon chain length (C8-C13).

Astragaloside IV Improves Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats by Attenuating Extracellular Matrix Deposition.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating lung disorder with mysterious pathogenesis and limited treatment options. It is well-recognized that the uncontrolled proliferation of lung fibroblasts and differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts excessively produce extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins which contribute to the fibrosis change of the lungs. Thus, blocking ECM accumulation would delay fibrosis progression. In this study, we observed the effects of astragaloside IV (ASV) (10 mg/kg/d) on ECM proteins in bleomycin (BLM, 5 mg/kg)-treated rats. Our results showed that ASV not only ameliorated BLM-induced body weight loss, lung coefficient increase, histological changes and collagen secretion, but also reduced the levels of type III collagen (Col-III) in lung homogenate, laminin (LN) and hyaluronic acid (HA) in serum, as well as hydroxyproline (HYP) in lung tissue. Besides, ASV significantly down-regulated the levels of high-mobility group box1 (HMGB1) in serum and lung tissue, and inhibited the up-regulated expression of α-SMA (marker of myofibroblasts) in the lungs. Taken together, these findings indicate that ASV attenuates BLM-induced ECM deposition, supporting its use as a promising candidate to treat lung fibrosis.