Four Birds with One Stone: A Bandgap-Regulated Multifunctional Schottky Heterojunction for Robust Synergistic Antitumor Therapy upon Endo-/Exogenous Stimuli.

Considering the profound impact of structure on heterojunction catalysts, the rational design of emerging catalysts with optimized energy band structures is required for antitumor efficiency. Herein, we select titanium nitride (TiN) and Pt to develop a multifunctional Schottky heterojunction named Pt/H-TiN&SRF (PHTS) nanoparticles (NPs) with a narrowed bandgap to accomplish "four birds with one stone" involving enzyo/sono/photo three modals and additional ferroptosis. The in situ-grown Pt NPs acted as electron traps that can cause the energy band to bend upward and form a Schottky barrier, thereby facilitating the separation of electron/hole pairs in exogenous stimulation catalytic therapy. In addition, endogenous catalytic reactions based on peroxidase (POD)- and catalase (CAT)-mimicking activities can also be amplified, triggering intense oxidative stress, in which CAT-like activity decomposes endogenous H2O2 into O2 alleviating hypoxia and provides reactants for sonodynamic therapy. Moreover, PHTS NPs can elicit mild photothermal therapy with boosted photothermal properties as well as ferroptosis with loaded ferroptosis inducer sorafenib for effective tumor ablation and apoptosis-ferroptosis synergistic tumor inhibitory effect. In summary, this paper proposes an attractive design for antitumor strategies and highlights findings for heterojunction catalytic therapy with potential in tumor theranostics.

Oxygen Vacancy Piezoelectric Nanosheets Constructed by a Photoetching Strategy for Ultrasound "Unlocked" Tumor Synergistic Therapy.

Piezoelectric dynamic therapy (PzDT) is an effective method of tumor treatment by using piezoelectric polarization to generate reactive oxygen species. In this paper, two-dimensional Cu-doped BiOCl nanosheets with surface vacancies are produced by the photoetching strategy. Under ultrasound, a built-in electric field is generated to promote the electron and hole separation. The separated carriers achieve O2 reduction and GSH oxidation, inducing oxidative stress. The bandgap of BiOCl is narrowed by introducing surface oxygen vacancies, which act as charge traps and facilitate the electron and hole separation. Meanwhile, Cu doping induces chemodynamic therapy and depletes GSH via the transformation from Cu(II) to Cu(I). Both in vivo and in vitro results confirmed that oxidative stress can be enhanced by exogenous ultrasound stimulation, which can cause severe damage to tumor cells. This work emphasizes the efficient strategy of doping engineering and defect engineering for US-activated PzDT under exogenous stimulation.

Methacrylated Carboxymethyl Chitosan Scaffold Containing Icariin-Loaded Short Fibers for Antibacterial, Hemostasis, and Bone Regeneration.

Bone defects typically result in bone nonunion, delayed or nonhealing, and localized dysfunction, and commonly used clinical treatments (i.e., autologous and allogeneic grafts) have limited results. The multifunctional bone tissue engineering scaffold provides a new treatment for the repair of bone defects. Herein, a three-dimensional porous composite scaffold with stable mechanical support, effective antibacterial and hemostasis properties, and the ability to promote the rapid repair of bone defects was synthesized using methacrylated carboxymethyl chitosan and icariin-loaded poly-l-lactide/gelatin short fibers (M-CMCS-SFs). Icariin-loaded SFs in the M-CMCS scaffold resulted in the sustained release of osteogenic agents, which was beneficial for mechanical reinforcement. Both the porous structure and the use of chitosan facilitate the effective absorption of blood and fluid exudates. Moreover, its superior antibacterial properties could prevent the occurrence of inflammation and infection. When cultured with bone mesenchymal stem cells, the composite scaffold showed a promotion in osteogenic differentiation. Taken together, such a multifunctional composite scaffold showed comprehensive performance in antibacterial, hemostasis, and bone regeneration, thus holding promising potential in the repair of bone defects and related medical treatments.

Morroniside promotes skin wound re-epithelialization by facilitating epidermal stem cell proliferation through GLP-1R-mediated upregulation of ß-catenin expression.

Epidermal stem cells (EpSCs) play a vital role in skin wound healing through re-epithelialization. Identifying chemicals that can promote EpSC proliferation is helpful for treating skin wounds. This study investigates the effect of morroniside on cutaneous wound healing in mice and explores the underlying mechanisms. Application of 10‒50 µg/mL of morroniside to the skin wound promotes wound healing in mice. In vitro studies demonstrate that morroniside stimulates the proliferation of mouse and human EpSCs in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Mechanistic studies reveal that morroniside promotes the proliferation of EpSCs by facilitating the cell cycle transition from the G1 to S phase. Morroniside increases the expression of ß-catenin via the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R)-mediated PKA, PKA/PI3K/AKT and PKA/ERK signaling pathways, resulting in an increase in cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 expression, either directly or by upregulating c-Myc expression. This process ultimately leads to EpSC proliferation. Administration of morroniside to mouse skin wounds increases the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK, the expressions of ß-catenin, c-Myc, cyclin D1, and cyclin E1, as well as the proliferation of EpSCs, in periwound skin tissue, and accelerates wound re-epithelialization. These effects of morroniside are mediated by the GLP-1R. Overall, these results indicate that morroniside promotes skin wound healing by stimulating the proliferation of EpSCs via increasing ß-catenin expression and subsequently upregulating c-Myc, cyclin D1, and cyclin E1 expressions through GLP-1R signaling pathways. Morroniside has clinical potential for treating skin wounds.

Revealing the Optimization Route of Piezoelectric Sonosensitizers: From Mechanism to Engineering Methods.

Piezoelectric catalysis is a novel catalytic technology that has developed rapidly in recent years and has attracted extensive interest among researchers in the field of tumor therapy for its acoustic-sensitizing properties. Nevertheless, researchers are still controversial about the key technical difficulties in the modulation of piezoelectric sonosensitizers for tumor therapy applications, which is undoubtedly a major obstacle to the performance modulation of piezoelectric sonosensitizers. Clarification of this challenge will be beneficial to the design and optimization of piezoelectric sonosensitizers in the future. Here, the authors start from the mechanism of piezoelectric catalysis and elaborate the mechanism and methods of defect engineering and phase engineering for the performance modulation of piezoelectric sonosensitizers based on the energy band theory. The combined therapeutic strategy of piezoelectric sonosensitizers with enzyme catalysis and immunotherapy is introduced. Finally, the challenges and prospects of piezoelectric sonosensitizers are highlighted. Hopefully, the explorations can guide researchers toward the optimization of piezoelectric sonosensitizers and can be applied in their own research.

A Functional "Key" Amplified Piezoelectric Effect Modulates ROS Storm with an Open Source for Multimodal Synergistic Cancer Therapy.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is a non-invasive strategy for generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and is promising for cancer treatment. However, increasing ROS in tumor therapy remains challenging. Therefore, exogenous excitation and inhibition of electron-hole pair recombination are attractive for modulating ROS storms in tumors. Herein, a Ce-doped BiFeO3 (CBFO) piezoelectric sonosensitizer to modulate ROS generation and realize a synergistic mechanism of CDT/sonodynamic therapy and piezodynamic therapy (PzDT) is proposed. The mixed Fe2+ and Ce3+ can implement a circular Fenton/Fenton-like reaction in the tumor microenvironment. Abundant ·OH can be generated by ultrasound (US) stimulation to enhance CDT efficacy. As a typical piezoelectric sonosensitizer, CBFO can produce O2 - owing to the enhanced polarization by the US, resulting in the motion of charge carriers. In addition, CBFO can produce a piezoresponse irradiated upon US, which accelerates the migration rate of electrons/holes in opposite directions and results in energy band bending, further achieving toxic ROS production and realizing PzDT. Density functional theory calculations confirmed that Ce doping shortens the diffusion of electrons and improves the conductivity and catalytic activity of CBFO. This distinct US-enhanced strategy emphasizes the effects of doping engineering and piezoelectric-optimized therapy and shows great potential for the treatment of malignant tumors.

Natural products' antiangiogenic roles in gynecological cancer.

Gynecological cancers pose a significant threat to women's health. Although the pathogenesis of gynecological cancer remains incompletely understood, angiogenesis is widely acknowledged as a fundamental pathological mechanism driving tumor cell growth, invasion, and metastasis. Targeting angiogenesis through natural products has emerged as a crucial strategy for treating gynecological cancer. In this review, we conducted comprehensive searches in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Science Direct, and CNKI databases from the first publication until May 2023 to identify natural products that target angiogenesis in gynecologic tumors. Our findings revealed 63 natural products with anti-angiogenic activity against gynecological cancer. These results underscore the significance of these natural products in augmenting their anticancer effects by modulating other factors within the tumor microenvironment via their impact on angiogenesis. This article focuses on exploring the potential of natural products in targeting blood vessels within gynecological cancer to provide novel research perspectives for targeted vascular therapy while laying a solid theoretical foundation for new drug development.

Osteotomy Correction Angle Cut-off Points Can Guide the Operation to Prevent a Significant Decrease in Patella Height.

OBJECTIVE: Patients who undergo a biplanar ascending medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy with an excessive correction angle might experience patella infera and even knee pain after surgery. The purpose of this study was to identify the cut-off points for the degree of knee varus correction of open-wedge high tibial osteotomy, which is related to the symptomatic patellar position change. METHODS: This retrospective study included 124 patients (mean age 61.69 ± 6.28 years; 78 women, 46 men) with varying degrees of varus knee osteoarthritis. All patients had undergone standard biplanar medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy. They were divided into nine groups according to the change in hip-knee-ankle angle. Plain radiographs and three-dimensional CT images were obtained preoperatively and 18 months postoperatively. Patellar height was assessed using the Caton-Deschamps index, the Insall-Salvati index, and the Blackburne-Peel index. The patellofemoral index and patellar tilt were used to evaluate the degree of horizontal displacement of the patella. The varus correction, medial-proximal tibial angles, joint line convergence angles, and hip-knee-ankle angles were also measured. The subjective score was evaluated using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC). RESULTS: There were significant changes in patella indexes in each group after surgery, among which there was no significant difference in patellar height changes for Groups A to F (p > 0.05), which were significantly lower than those in Group G, H, and I (p < 0.001). The patellar tilt and patellofemoral index also followed the same trend. The improvement in WOMAC scores for Groups G, H, and I was also significantly less for Groups A to F (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The patellar height, patellar tilt, and patellofemoral index all changed significantly in parallel with increasing degrees of osteotomy correction. The cut-off points for correction angle are 12.5° to 13.4°. When the correction angle is larger than this range, the patellar position can be significantly affected. Postoperative patellofemoral joint pain may be related to the changes in patella position.

Phase Engineered CuxS-Ag2S with Photothermoelectric Activity for Enhanced Multienzyme Activity and Dynamic Therapy.

The insufficient exposure sites and active site competition of multienzyme are the two main factors to hinder its therapeutic effect. Here, a phase-junction nanomaterial (amorphous-crystalline CuxS-Ag2S) is designed and prepared through a simple room temperature ion-exchange process. A small amount of Ag+ is added into Cu7S4 nanocrystals, which transforms Cu7S4 into amorphous phased CuxS and produces crystalline Ag2S simultaneously. In this structure, the overhanging bonds on the amorphous CuxS surface provide abundant active sites for optimizing the therapeutic activity. Meanwhile, the amorphous state enhances the photothermal effect through non-radiative relaxation, and due to its low thermal resistance, phase-junction CuxS-Ag2S forms a significant temperature gradient to unlock the optimized thermo-electrodynamic therapy. Furthermore, benefiting from the high asymmetry of the amorphous state, the material forms a spin-polarized state that can effectively inhibit electron-hole recombination. In this way, the thermoelectric effect can facilitate the enzyme-catalyzed cycle by providing electrons and holes, enabling an enhanced coupling of thermoelectric therapy with multienzyme activity, which induces excellent anti-tumor performance. More importantly, the catalytic process simulated by density-functional theory proves that Ag+ alleviates the burden on the Cu sites through favorable adsorption of O2 and prevents active site competition.

Mitochondria-targeting Cu3VS4 nanostructure with high copper ionic mobility for photothermoelectric therapy.

Thermoelectric therapy has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for oncology, but it is still limited by the low thermoelectric catalytic efficiency at human body temperature and the inevitable tumor thermotolerance. We present a photothermoelectric therapy (PTET) strategy based on triphenylphosphine-functionalized Cu3VS4 nanoparticles (CVS NPs) with high copper ionic mobility at room temperature. Under near-infrared laser irradiation, CVS NPs not only generate hyperthermia to ablate tumor cells but also catalytically yield superoxide radicals and induce endogenous NADH oxidation through the Seebeck effect. Notably, CVS NPs can accumulate inside mitochondria and deplete NADH, reducing ATP synthesis by competitively inhibiting the function of complex I, thereby down-regulating the expression of heat shock proteins to relieve tumor thermotolerance. Both in vitro and in vivo results show notable tumor suppression efficacy, indicating that the concept of integrating PTET and mitochondrial metabolism modulation is highly feasible and offers a translational promise for realizing precise and efficient cancer treatment.

Potential mechanism of Taohong Siwu Decoction in uterine fibroid treatment based on integrated strategy of network pharmacology and experimental verification.

BACKGROUND: Taohong Siwu Decoction (THSWD) is a widely prescribed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating gynecological diseases. It is used to treat uterine fibroids (UF) in China, while its potential therapeutic effects and mechanism are unknown. METHODS: The present study used network pharmacology to identify PI3K/AKT as one of the main THSWD signaling pathways that can be targeted to treat UF. The potential binding sites of miR-21-5p to PTEN were predicted using online databases. We were able to establish a UF rat model successfully. We selected the 15% THSWD serum after preparing THSWD drug-containing serum to culture tumor tissue-derived cells. These studies enabled us to assess the role of THSWD in UF improvement. RESULTS: In vivo, we observed that low, medium, and high doses of THSWD improved histological changes in UF rats by increasing the expression levels of PTEN and miR-21-5p in their uterus while decreasing the expression levels of p-PI3K, p-AKT, and miR-21-5p. Treatment with THSWD medicated serum (15%) effectively inhibited the proliferation of cells derived from human UF and promoted apoptosis in vitro. PI3K phosphorylation, Akt phosphorylation, and miR-21-5p expression were decreased, while PTEN and cleaved caspase-3 were increased. These findings were reversed by administering 740 Y-P (a PI3K/Akt pathway agonist) and a miR-21-5p mimic. In addition, the double luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed the targeted binding relationship between miR-21-5p and PTEN. CONCLUSIONS: THSWD inhibited the expression and activation of the PI3K/AKT and miR-21-5p/PTEN pathways, resulting in anti-UF activity in leiomyoma cell models. Our findings suggest that THSWD could be used to treat UF.

2D Piezoelectric BiVO4 Artificial Nanozyme with Adjustable Vanadium Vacancy for Ultrasound Enhanced Piezoelectric/Sonodynamic Therapy.

Increasing the yield of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to enhance oxidative stress in cells is an eternal goal in cancer therapy. In this study, BiVO4 artificial nanozyme is developed with adjustable vanadium vacancy for ultrasound (US) enhanced piezoelectric/sonodynamic therapy. Under US excitation, the vanadium vacancy-rich BiVO4 nanosheets (abbreviated Vv -r BiVO4 NSs) facilitate the generation of a large number of electrons to improve the ROS yield. Meanwhile, the mechanical strain imposed by US irradiation makes the Vv -r BiVO4 NSs display a typical piezoelectric response, which tilts the conduction band to be more negative and the valance band more positive than the redox potentials of O2 /O2 •- and H2 O/·OH, boosting the efficiency of ROS generation. Both density functional theory calculations and experiments confirm that the introduction of cationic vacancy can improve the sonodynamic effect. As expected, Vv -r BiVO4 NSs have better peroxidase enzyme catalytic and glutathione depletion activities, resulting in increased intracellular oxidative stress. This triple amplification strategy of oxidative stress induced by US substantially inhibits the growth of cancer cells. The work may open an avenue to achieve a synergetic therapy by introducing cationic vacancy, broadening the biomedical use of piezoelectric materials.

Therapeutic potential of Curcuma oil and its terpenoids in gynecological cancers.

BACKGROUND: Gynecological cancers encompass all uncontrolled and aberrant cell growth in the female reproductive system, therapeutic interventions are constantly evolving, but there is still a high death rate, significant side effects and medication resistance, making the task of treatment challenging and complex. The essential oil extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa is a promising natural drug, which has excellent biological activity on cancer cells and is to be developed as a new type of anti-gynecological tumor therapeutic agent. PURPOSE: To systematically summarize the available evidence for the efficacy of Curcuma oil and its terpenoids (ß-elemene, curcumol, furanodiene, and germacrone) in gynecological cancers, primarily malignancies of the reproductive system, involving ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers, explain the underlying mechanisms of preventing and treating gynecological cancers, and assess the shortcomings of existing work. RESULTS: Through several signaling channels, Curcuma oil and its terpenoids can not only stop the growth of ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer cells, limit the formation of tumors, but also raise the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs and improve the quality of life for patients. CONCLUSION: It provides a preclinical basis for the efficacy of Curcuma oil as a broad-spectrum anti-tumor agent for the prevention and treatment of gynecological cancers. Even so, further efforts are still needed to improve the bioavailability of Curcuma oil and upgrade related experiments.

The Anti-Colon Cancer Effects of Essential Oil of Curcuma phaeocaulis Through Tumour Vessel Normalisation.

BACKGROUND: Normalising tumour vessels had become a significant research focus in tumour treatment research in recent years. Curcumae rhizoma (CR) is an essential plant in traditional Chinese medicine as it promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis. Similarly, CR improves local blood circulation. PURPOSE: We explored the anti-colon cancer effects of essential oil from CR (OCR) by investigating its role in normalising tumour vessels. We also provided a basis for research and development into new anti-cancer drugs. METHODS: We used colon cancer as a research focus to investigate OCR. We established an in vitro co-culture model of colon cancer cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We also established an in vivo subcutaneous implant colon cancer model in nude mice. These studies allowed us to evaluate the comprehensive effects of OCR in in vivo and in vitro colon cancer and its role in normalising tumour blood vessels. RESULTS: In vitro, we found that OCR inhibited Human colon cancer cells (HCT116) and HUVEC cell proliferation and inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor-a (VEGFa) mRNA and protein expression in HUVECs in a co-culture system. Our in vivo studies showed that OCR inhibited colon cancer tumour growth, reduced angiogenesis in tumours and increased vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin and pericyte coverage in tumour vessels. CONCLUSIONS: OCR inhibited colon cancer growth both in in vivo and in vitro models, reduced angiogenesis in tumours, improved tumour vessel structures and normalised tumour vessels.

2D Piezoelectric Bi2 MoO6 Nanoribbons for GSH-Enhanced Sonodynamic Therapy.

Reducing the scavenging capacity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevating ROS production are two primary goals of developing novel sonosensitizers for sonodynamic therapy (SDT). Hence, ultrathin 2D Bi2 MoO6 -poly(ethylene glycol) nanoribbons (BMO NRs) are designed as piezoelectric sonosensitizers for glutathione (GSH)-enhanced SDT. In cancer cells, BMO NRs can consume endogenous GSH to disrupt redox homeostasis, and the GSH-activated BMO NRs (GBMO) exhibit an oxygen-deficient structure, which can promote the separation of electron-hole pairs, thereby enhancing the efficiency of ROS production in SDT. The ultrathin GBMO NRs are piezoelectric, in which ultrasonic waves introduce mechanical strain to the nanoribbons, resulting in piezoelectric polarization and band tilting, thus accelerating toxic ROS production. The as-synthesized BMO NRs enable excellent computed tomography imaging of tumors and significant tumor suppression in vitro and in vivo. A piezoelectric Bi2 MoO6 sonosensitizer-mediated two-step enhancement SDT process, which is activated by endogenous GSH and amplified by exogenous ultrasound, is proposed. This process not only provides new options for improving SDT but also broadens the application of 2D piezoelectric materials as sonosensitizers in SDT.

The efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction combined with Mifepristone in the treatment of uterine leiomyoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Uterine leiomyoma (UL) is a common severe gynecological issue. In China, Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (XFZYD), combined with Mifepristone, is widely used in the treatment of UL. However, their combined effectiveness and safety for this purpose have not yet been explored. AIM OF THE STUDY: This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of XFZYD combined with Mifepristone as a method of treatment for UL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched the following 7 databases: 3 English medical databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library), and 4 Chinese medical databases (Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and the Wanfang database). The primary outcome was the effect of XFZYD combined with Mifepristone on the effective rate, uterine leiomyoma volume (ULV), and uterine volume (UV) of uterine leiomyoma. Bias risk was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The software RevMan5 was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies and process the data. RESULTS: The 11 studies included in this systematic review were all undertaken in China, with a total of 902 participants. The meta-analysis of XFZYD combined with Mifepristone compared with Mifepristone alone showed that the effective rate (RR 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-1.27, P < 0.00001), ULV (SMD -1.60, 95% CI: 2.11 to -1.08, P < 0.00001), and UV (SMD -1.65, 95% CI: 1.85 to -1.44, P < 0.00001) in the primary outcomes, and estradiol (E2) (MD -51.81, 95% CI: 69.68 to -33.94, P < 0.00001), luteinizing hormone (LH) (MD -3.09, 95% CI: 3.58 to -2.60, P < 0.00001), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (MD -1.09, 95% CI: 1.86 to -0.31, P = 0.006), progesterone (P) (MD -3.55, 95% CI: 4.54 to -2.55, P < 0.00001), and adverse events (RR 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34-0.89), P = 0.01) in the secondary outcomes were significantly reduced, and the data were statistically significant. The subgroups of ULV, E2, and FSH showed that the treatment time might not have been the heterogeneous source of ULV and FSH, but was the heterogeneous source of E2. Sensitivity analysis was carried out on the 3 outcome indicators, and the results were relatively stable after excluding one reference for each indicator. CONCLUSION: There is some encouraging evidence that the combination of XFZYD and Mifepristone can benefit patients by treating UL. However, because of research shortcomings such as lacking allocation concealment and blindness, this study's results should be treated with caution. In order to verify the advantages of this method, it is necessary to carry out further large-scale randomized controlled trials.

Ameliorative Effects of Component Chinese Medicine From Curcumae Rhizoma and Sparganii Rhizoma, a Traditional Herb Pair, on Uterine Leiomyoma in a Rat Model.

Uterine leiomyoma (UL), common benign tumors in women of child-bearing age, are believed to be caused mainly by Qi stagnation and blood stasis, according to a theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Curcumae Rhizoma and Sparganii Rhizoma (CRSR) is a classical herb pair that activates blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevention and treatment effects of CRSR component compatibility on UL in rats. We randomly assigned adult female non-pregnant rats into three groups: a normal control (NC) group, a UL model group, and a CRSR treatment group. We administered to the UL and CRSR groups oral gavage diethylstilbestrol and injected them with progesterone (P) to establish UL for 5 weeks. The CRSR group received a CRSR medicinal solution after daily modeling. The uterus morphology of the UL group showed significantly more swelling than did that of the NC group, and we found no significant abnormalities in the morphology of the CRSR group. The pathological changes associated with UL were relieved in the CRSR group. CRSR improved the related parameters of the uterus and ovarian coefficients, significantly reducing the concentrations of P in the serum and the concentrations of estradiol, P, estrogen receptor, and P receptor in the uterus and ovary. In addition, CRSR significantly improved the abnormal blood conditions of UL, shown by decreases in plasma viscosity, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate equation K value, and erythrocyte aggregation index. Therefore, CRSR component compatibility may prevent and cure UL through the above ways.

Inhibition of Fibroblast Activation in Uterine Leiomyoma by Components of Rhizoma Curcumae and Rhizoma Sparganii.

Background: The herbs Rhizoma Curcumae and Rhizoma Sparganii (RCRS) are often used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of uterine leiomyoma (UL). The effectiveness of RCRS for the treatment of UL has been confirmed in our previous studies. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which RCRS inhibits the activation of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and prevents UL in rats. Study Design and Methods: A Sprague Dawley (SD) rat model of UL was established via estrogen and progesterone load combined with external stimulation. Histological analyses, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and western blotting were performed to evaluate the effect of RCRS on UL and elucidate its mechanism of action. Results: Our data showed that the treatment of SD rats with RCRS significantly reduced the expression of extracellular matrix component collagen, FAP, and transforming growth factor beta (a FAP-activating factor) and the phosphorylation of the cell proliferation pathway-related signaling factors AKT/MEK/ERK. Conclusion: Our results suggest that RCRS is effective in the prevention and treatment of UL in rats, and RCRS may exert its functions by inhibiting the activation of tumor-associated fibroblasts and cell proliferation and by improving the tumor extracellular matrix.

The efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction combined Mifepristone in the treatment of Uterine leiomyoma: A protocol systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyoma (UL) is a common severe gynecological issue. In China, Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (XFZYD), combined with Mifepristone, is widely used in the treatment of UL. However, their combined effectiveness and safety for this purpose have not yet been explored. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of XFZYD combined with Mifepristone as a method of treatment for UL. METHODS: We searched the following 7 databases: 3 English medical databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library), and 4 Chinese medical databases (Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and the Wanfang database). The primary outcome was the effect of XFZYD combined with Mifepristone on the effective rate, uterine leiomyoma volume (ULV), and uterine volume (UV) of uterine leiomyoma. Bias risk was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The software RevMan5 was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies and process the data. RESULTS: This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of XFZYD combined with Mifepristone in the treatment of uterine fibroids by evaluating the effective rate, Uterine Leiomyoma volume, and uterine volume, the incidence of estradiol, luteinizing hormone, and other indicators. CONCLUSION: This study will provide reliable evidence-based evidence for Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction Combined with Mifepristone in the treatment of uterine fibroids. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also does not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval will not be required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated at relevant conferences. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/YADN3.

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal formula combined with western medicine for uterine fibroid: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies found that the combination of traditional Chinese herbal formula, and western medicine therapy are better in shrinking fibroids and improve other symptoms. This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety traditional Chinese herbal formula combined with western medicine in the treatment of uterine fibroids. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials of traditional Chinese herbal formula combined with western medicine for uterine fibroids patients will be searched in PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Chinese Biological and Medical database (CMB), and Wanfang database from inception to August 2020. Two researchers will perform data extraction and risk of bias assessment independently. Statistical analysis will be conducted in RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: This study will summarize the present evidence by exploring the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal formula combined with western medicine in the treatment of uterine fibroids CONCLUSIONS:: The findings of the study will help to determine potential benefits of traditional Chinese herbal formula combined with western medicine in the treatment of uterine fibroids. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also will not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval is not required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated in relevant conferences. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/XUA8V.