Psyllium husk powder increases defecation frequency and faecal score, bulk and moisture in healthy cats.

OBJECTIVES: Constipation is the infrequent or difficult emission of hard, dry faeces and is a common digestive condition in cats. Psyllium is a low-fermentable fibre, with soluble and insoluble components and water-holding properties. It forms a mucilaginous gel with water and is used for the symptomatic treatment of constipation in various species. This study evaluated the effect of dietary psyllium on faecal characteristics in cats. METHODS: Healthy neutered adult cats (six female and three male, aged 3.3-4.4 years) were consecutively fed a dry extruded diet containing either 6% psyllium (test) or 6% cellulose (control) for 10 days each. During the last 3 days (the collection days) of both feeding periods, bowel movements and faecal scores were recorded, and faeces were collected to measure wet weight and moisture. The statistical analysis used linear mixed models with diet, day and their interaction as fixed effects and animal as a random term. RESULTS: The test diet was associated with significantly more bowel movements per day over 3 days (P = 0.0052) and on collection day 2 (P = 0.0229) than the control diet. The mean faecal score was higher (softer faeces) over all three collection days (P <0.0001) and on collection days 1, 2 and 3 (P = 0.0011, P = 0.0349, P = 0.0003, respectively) for the test diet vs the control diet; the total faecal wet weight (P = 0.0003) and faecal moisture (%) were also higher (P = 0.0426) for the test diet. Faeces associated with the test diet often had a dry shell and soft interior, which increased the faecal score. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Psyllium promoted more bowel movements and higher faecal moisture and faecal score in healthy cats, consistent with a previous uncontrolled clinical trial in constipated cats. Together, the studies support the use of dietary psyllium for managing cats with constipation.

Clinical efficacy of crushed prednisolone and hydrocolloid powder in the primary treatment of peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum and correlation to in vitro drug release data.

We evaluated the primary application of crushed prednisolone combined with hydrocolloid powder for clinically diagnosed peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum (PPG). We present our data on this cohort and follow-up of our previous patients. Of the 23 patients who were commenced on this regime, 18 healed (78%). Twenty-two patients commenced on this regime as the primary treatment for their PPG, and for one, it was a rescue remedy after failed conventional therapy. Four patients with significant medical comorbidities failed to heal and one had their stomal reversal surgery before being fully healed. The proposed treatment regime for PPG is demonstrated to be effective, inexpensive and able to be managed in the patient's usual home environment. In vitro drug release analysis was undertaken, and data are presented to provide further insights into the efficacy of this regime.

Synergy of de-walled Ganoderma Lucidum spore powder (GLSP) on targeted therapy in advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant: protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Osimertinib is regarded as a promising third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who developed T790M. However the adverse effects, primarily fatigue, remain an overwhelming deficiency of Osimertinib, hindering it from achieving adequate clinical efficacy for such NSCLC. Ganoderma lucidum has been used for thousands of years in China to combat fatigue, while Ganoderma Lucidum spores powder (GLSP) is the main active ingredient. The aim of this study is to investigate whether GLSP is sufficiently effective and safe in improving fatigue and synergizing with Osimertinib in non-squamous NSCLC patients with EGFR mutant. METHOD/DESIGN: A total of 140 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either de-walled GSLP or placebo for a duration of 56 days. The primary outcome measure is the fatigue score associated with EGFR-TKI adverse reactions at week 8, evaluated by the Chinese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer Patients (QLQ-C30). Secondary outcomes include evaluation of treatment effectiveness, assessment of quality of life (QoL), and exploration of immune indicators and gut microbiota relationships. Following enrollment, visits are scheduled biweekly until week 12. TRIAL REGISTRATION: China Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2300072786. Registrated on June 25, 2023.

Efficacy of prophylactic use of intraoperative vancomycin powder in preventing surgical site infection in neurological surgeries in Irrua, Nigeria: A randomized controlled study.

PURPOSE: The objective was to determine the efficacy of intraoperative vancomycin powder in preventing SSIs in neurological surgeries. METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled study of patients who had clean cranial and non-implant spine surgeries at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria from February 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022. Patients were randomized into two groups. Group A patients had prophylactic intraoperative vancomycin powder applied to the surgical bed before wound closure while group B patients did not. Patients in both groups were followed up for 30 days post-operatively for evidence of SSI. The occurrence of SSIs was determined using clinical and laboratory parameters. Baseline characteristics, operative details, rates of wound infection, and microbiological data for each case were recorded. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Scientific Solution (SPSS) version 23 software. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were randomized into 2 groups of 21 patients each. The age range of the patients was 20 to 80 years. The majority of the patients were males (32 out of 42). The mean age of patients in group A was 48.05 ± 17.03 years, while group B had a mean age of 45.95 ± 19.14 years. The mean Body Mass Index of patients in groups A and B were 23.92 ± 5.21 and 23.21 ± 3.99 respectively. Seven out of 21 patients (33.3 %) in the control group ( group B) had superficial SSIs while no patient in the experimental group had SSI, p-value < 0.05. The organisms cultured were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative vancomycin powder was effective in reducing the rate of SSIs following neurological surgeries and without adverse drug reactions.

Classical prescription Floris Sophorae Powder treat colorectal cancer by regulating KRAS/MEK-ERK signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) belongs to the category of intestinal wind, anal ulcer, abdominal mass and other diseases in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Floris Sophorae Powder (F.S), is a classical prescription is recorded in Puji Benshi Fang for the treatment of intestinal carbuncle. It has been incorporated into the prescriptions for the treatment of intestinal diseases and achieved remarkable results in modern medicine. However, the mechanism of F.S in the treatment of colorectal cancer remains unclear and requires further study. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate F.S in treating CRC and clarify the underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was based on Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt (DSS) combined with Azoxymethane (AOM) induced CRC mouse model to clarify the pharmacological effects of F.S. The serum metabolomics was used to study the mechanism of action, and the chemical composition of F.S was found by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The rationality of serm metabolomics results was verified through the clinical target database of network pharmacology, and the upstream and downstream targets of related pathways were found. The mechanism pathway was verified by Western blot to clarify its mechanism of action. RESULTS: In vivo pharmacological experiments showed that F.S inhibited tumor growth and improved hematochezia. The vital signs of mice in the high-dose F.S group approached to those in the control group. A total of 43 differential metabolites were found to be significantly changed by serum metabolomics. F.S could modulate and recover most of the differential metabolites, which proved to be closely related to the KRAS/MEK-ERK signaling pathway. A total of 46 compounds in F.S were identified, and the rationality of serm metabolic pathway was verified by network pharmacology. Western blot results also verified that the expression of KRAS, E2F1, p-MEK and p-ERK were significantly decreased after F.S treatment. CONCLUSION: Classical prescription Floris Sophorae Powder treat colorectal cancer by regulating KRAS/MEK-ERK signaling pathway.

Zhisou powder suppresses airway inflammation in LPS and CS-induced post-infectious cough model mice via TRPA1/TRPV1 channels.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Zhisou Powder (ZSP), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has been widely used in the clinic for the treatment of post-infectious cough (PIC). However, the exact mechanism is not clear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of ZSP on PIC in mice. The possible mechanisms of action were screened based on network pharmacology, and the potential mechanisms were explored through molecular docking and in vivo experimental validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (80µg/50 µL) was used to induce PIC in mice, followed by daily exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) for 30 min for 30 d to establish PIC model. The effects of ZSP on PIC mice were observed by detecting the number of coughs and cough latency, peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) inflammatory cell counts, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and histological analysis. The core targets and key pathways of ZSP on PIC were analyzed using network pharmacology, and TRPA1 and TRPV1 were validated using RT-qPCR and western blotting assays. RESULTS: ZSP effectively reduced the number of coughs and prolonged the cough latency in PIC mice. Airway inflammation was alleviated by reducing the expression levels of the inflammatory mediators TNF-α and IL-1ß. ZSP modulated the expression of Substance P, Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and nerve growth factor (NGF) in BALF. Based on the results of network pharmacology, the mechanism of action of ZSP may exert anti-neurogenic airway-derived inflammation by regulating the expression of TRPA1 and TRPV1 through the natural active ingredients α-spinastero, shionone and didehydrotuberostemonine. CONCLUSION: ZSP exerts anti-airway inflammatory effects through inhibition of TRPA1/TRPV1 channels regulating neuropeptides to alleviate cough hypersensitivity and has a favorable therapeutic effect on PIC model mice. It provides theoretical evidence for the clinical application of ZSP.

Modified Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder (MDXP) improves the corneal damage in dry eye disease (DED) mice through phagocytosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Modified Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder (MDXP) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula remedy for treating Dry Eye Disease (DED). It showed the function of dispersing stagnated liver Qi for relieving Qi stagnation and clearing heat, which can be effective in treating conditions such as Dry Eye Disease (DED) and irregular menstruation due to liver depression and fire transformation. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study investigated the mechanism of the effect of MDXP in mice with DED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A DED model was induced in mice using chronic painful stimulation (tail clamping) in combination with Benzalkonium Chloride Solution drops administered in a dry box for 28 days. After modeling, the MDXP groups were given Chinese medicine with different dosages by gavage for 14 days. The following parameters were recorded in each group: body mass, anal temperature, tear secretion, tear film rupture time, and corneal fluorescein staining. Behavioral changes were evaluated by elevating cross-maze and open-field experiments. The levels of inflammatory factors serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), fcγR-mediated phagocytosis pathway cell division control protein 42 homolog (CDC42), actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 2 (ARPC2), and actin-related protein 3 (ACTR3) were measured by using Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), immunohistochemical staining, and real-time fluorescent qualitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: MDXP increased body mass and lowered body temperature, prolonged tear film break-up time, promoted tear secretion, repaired corneal damage, decreased horizontal and vertical scores, elevated percentage of open arm times and boom opening time percentage, and reduced the expression levels of inflammatory factors of TNF-α, IL-1ß and pathway-related proteins CDC42, ARPC2, and ACTR3 in mice. MDXP also reduced the expression levels of inflammatory factors of TNF-α and IL-1ß in human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs), mouse mononuclear macrophage cells (RAW264.7), and human myeloid leukemia mononuclear cells (THP-1). CONCLUSIONS: MDXP can relieve tension and anxiety, inhibit apoptosis, reduce phagocytosis, reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, repair corneal damage, and improve the symptoms in DED mice. The mechanism of action may be through the fcγR-mediated phagocytosis pathway.

p53 dry gene powder enhances anti-cancer effects of chemotherapy against malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Dry gene powder is a novel non-viral gene-delivery system, which is inhalable with high gene expression. Previously, we showed that the transfection of p16INK4a or TP53 by dry gene powder resulted in growth inhibitions of lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report that dry gene powder containing p53- expression-plasmid DNA enhanced the therapeutic effects of cisplatin (CDDP) against MPM even in the presence of endogenous p53. Furthermore, our results indicated that the safe transfection with a higher plasmid DNA (pDNA) concentration suppressed MPM growth independently of chemotherapeutic agents. To develop a new therapeutic alternative for MPM patients without safety concerns over "vector doses", our in vitro data provide basic understandings for dry gene powder.

Biotransformed bear bile powder ameliorates diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice through modulating arginine biosynthesis via FXR/PXR-PI3K-AKT-NOS3 axis.

NASH is a highly prevalent metabolic syndrome that has no specific approved agents up to now. BBBP, which mainly contains bile acids, possess various pharmacological properties and some bile acids are available for NASH treatment. Herein, the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of BBBP against NASH were systemically evaluated. In this study, mice received an HFHS diet over a 20-week period to induce NASH with or without BBBP intervention were used to evaluate the effect and underlying mechanisms of BBBP against NASH. Our results demonstrated that BBBP attenuated hepatic steatosis, reduced body weight gain and lipid concentrations, and improved sensitivity to insulin and tolerance to glucose in mice fed an HFHS diet. Metabolomics and transcriptomic analysis revealed that BBBP suppressed the arginine biosynthesis by up-regulating NOS3 expression and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway was also regulated by BBBP, as indicated by 55 DEGs. Bioinformatic analysis predicted the regulatory effect of the FXR/PXR-PI3K-AKT-NOS3 axis on arginine biosynthesis-related metabolites. These results were further confirmed by the significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of NOS3, PI3K (Pik3r2), and AKT1. And the increased levels of arginine biosynthesis related-metabolites, such as urea, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, citrulline, arginine, and ornithine, were confirmed accurately based on targeted metabolomics analysis. Together, our study uncoded the complicated mechanisms of anti-NASH activities of BBBP, and provided critical evidence inspiring the discovery of innovative therapies based on BBBP in the treatment of NASH.

Bear bile powder alleviates Parkinson's disease-like behavior in mice by inhibiting astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged and elderly people. In particular, increasing evidence has showed that astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of PD. As a precious traditional Chinese medicine, bear bile powder (BBP) has a long history of use in clinical practice. It has numerous activities, such as clearing heat, calming the liver wind and anti-inflammation, and also exhibits good therapeutic effect on convulsive epilepsy. However, whether BBP can prevent the development of PD has not been elucidated. Hence, this study was designed to explore the effect and mechanism of BBP on suppressing astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation in a mouse model of PD. PD-like behavior was induced in the mice by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) (30 mg·kg-1) for five days, followed by BBP (50, 100, and 200 mg·kg-1) treatment daily for ten days. LPS stimulated rat C6 astrocytic cells were used as a cell model of neuroinflammation. THe results indicated that BBP treatment significantly ameliorated dyskinesia, increased the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and inhibited astrocyte hyperactivation in the substantia nigra (SN) of PD mice. Furthermore, BBP decreased the protein levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and up-regulated the protein levels of takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) in the SN. Moreover, BBP significantly activated TGR5 in a dose-dependent manner, and decreased the protein levels of GFAP, iNOS and COX2, as well as the mRNA levels of GFAP, iNOS, COX2, interleukin (IL) -1ß, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in LPS-stimulated C6 cells. Notably, BBP suppressed the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT), inhibitor of NF-κB (IκBα) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) proteins in vivo and in vitro. We also observed that TGR5 inhibitor triamterene attenuated the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of BBP on LPS-stimulated C6 cells. Taken together, BBP alleviates the progression of PD mice by suppressing astrocyte-mediated inflammation via TGR5.

Evaluation of the adjunctive use of Er:YAG laser or erythritol powder air-polishing in the treatment of peri-implant mucositis: A randomized clinical trial.

AIM: To assess the efficacy of Er:YAG laser (ERL) and erythritol powder air-polishing (AP) in addition to the submarginal instrumentation in the non-surgical treatment of peri-implant mucositis (PM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with at least one implant diagnosed with PM were included in the present 6-month randomized clinical trial (RCT). Implants were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment groups after submarginal instrumentation: AP (test 1 group), ERL (test 2 group) or no adjunctive methods (control group). The primary and secondary outcomes were, respectively, bleeding on probing (BoP) reduction and, complete disease resolution (total absence of BoP) and probing pocket depth (PPD) changes. The patient and the implant were considered the statistical unit. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients were enrolled in the study. At each time point, significant BoP and PPD reductions were observed within each group. Intergroup analysis did not show statistically significant differences. Complete disease resolution ranged between 29% and 31%. The logistic regression showed that supramucosal restoration margin, PPD < 4 mm and vestibular keratinized mucosa (KM) significantly influenced the probability to obtain treatment success. CONCLUSION: The adjunctive use of AP and ERL in PM non-surgical therapy does not seem to provide any significant or clinically relevant benefit in terms of BoP and PPD reductions and complete disease resolution, over the use of submarginal instrumentation alone. Baseline PPD < 4 mm, presence of buccal KM and supramucosal restoration margin may play a role in the complete resolution of PM.

Surgical site infection prophylaxis with intra-wound vancomycin powder for uninstrumented spine surgeries: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: It is unclear if intra-wound vancomycin powder significantly reduces the infection rate for uninstrumented spine surgery. The purpose of this study is to compare the rate of surgical site infection (SSI) in uninstrumented spine surgery that used vancomycin powder against controls. METHODS: A search was performed on PUBMED/MEDLINE, Cochrane Database and Embase on 14 October 2022. Search keywords were "vancomycin, spine surgery, uninstrumented and spinal surgery." Instrumented cases were excluded. Type of surgery, type of treatment and incidence of infection among experimental or control were recorded. RESULTS: 288 articles were obtained from a literature search. 16 studies met inclusion criteria. 6/16 studies that reported on the infection rate using vancomycin were obtained. There were 1376 control cases with 20 cases of post-operative infection (1.45% overall). There were 795 cases that received prophylactic intra-wound vancomycin powder with 10 cases of infection reported (1.26%). There was no significant difference in infections between cases that received vancomycin compared to control. On subgroup analysis, studies that had a high rate of infection (Strom and Cannon) had a significant difference on the rate of infection with the use of vancomycin compared to control. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The current study was unable to conclude that vancomycin decreased the rate of surgical site infections. Vancomycin use may be useful in populations that have a high rate of infection. Limitations in this study include the small number of studies that report on the use of vancomycin on uninstrumented spine surgery.

Tiliacora triandra Leaf Powder Ethanolic Extract in Combination with Cisplatin or Gemcitabine Synergistically Inhibits the Growth of Cholangiocarcinoma Cells In Vitro and in Nude Mouse Xenograft Models.

Background and Objectives: The treatments of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) with Cisplatin (Cis) and Gemcitabine (Gem) often cause side effects and drug resistance. This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of Tiliacora triandra leaf powder ethanolic extract (TLPE) and Cis or Gem on CCA cells in vitro and in nude mouse xenografts. Materials and Methods: Antiproliferative activity was evaluated using MTT assay. Drug interaction was studied by Chou-Talalay method. Apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell cycle and apoptosis regulating proteins were evaluated by western blot analysis. Results:Treatments with Cis or Gem in combination with TLPE significantly inhibited the growth of KKU-M213B and KKU-100 cells compared with single drug treatments. Synergistic drug interactions were observed with the dose reduction of Cis and Gem treatments. The safety of TLPE was demonstrated in vitro by the hemolytic assay. Synergistic combination treatments down-regulated Bcl2 and reduced the ratio of Bcl2/Bax in both CCA cells. TLPE enhanced tumor suppression of both Cis and Gem in nude mouse xenograft models. Combination treatments with Cis and TLPE reduced Cis toxicity, as demonstrated by the enhanced body weight change of the treated mice compared with the treatment with Cis alone. Furthermore, TLPE reduced hepatotoxicity caused by Gem treatment and reduced kidney and spleen toxicities caused by Cis treatment. Conclusion: These findings suggest that TLPE enhances the anticancer activity of Cis and Gem and reduces their toxicity both in vitro and in nude mouse xenograft models.

The effect of aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride topical powder photodynamic therapy versus nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton and observers group in the treatment of cervical low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions with human papillomavirus infection: A non-randomized study, controlled pilot study.

There are insufficient studies comparing the efficacy of aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride topical powder (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) against Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (Nr-CWS) therapy in the treatment of cervical low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) with human papillomavirus (HPV), especially for long-term efficacy. Patients with cervical LSIL and HPV infection were divided into 3 treatment groups based on their own choice. All patients had a follow-up test including HPV testing, cytology and colposcopy at 4 to 6 months and 12 months after the treatment. Among142 patients, patients received 51 ALA PDT and 41 patients received Nr-CWS. Another 50 patients who refused treatment were included in the Observers group. Four to six months or 12 months after treatment, there was significant difference between 3 groups in the clearance rate of HR-HPV infection and the complete remission (CR) rates of cervical LSIL; the CR rates of cervical LSIL in the ALA PDT group was significantly higher than the Nr-CWS group; but there was no significant difference between 2 groups in the clearance rate of HPV infection. The CR rates of cervical LSIL and the clearance rate of HPV infection in the ALA PDT group was significantly higher than the Observers group; the CR rates of cervical LSIL and the clearance rate of HPV infection in the Nr-CWS group was significantly higher than the Observers group; there was no significant difference in the recurrence rates in ALA PDT and Nr-CWS group after 12 months. Both of ALA PDT and Nr-CWS group had lower recurrence rate than the Observers group. The effect of ALA PDT is similar to Nr-CWS in the clearance rate of HR-HPV infection. Compared to the Nr-CWS group, the CR rates of cervical LSIL were considerably greater in the ALA PDT group. The effect of ALA PDT in the clearance rate of HPV infection and CR rates of cervical LSIL was significantly higher than the follow-up group; Both of ALA PDT and Nr-CWS group had lower recurrence rate than the Observers group. For cervical LSIL with HPV infection, ALA PDT is a very successful therapeutic method that is noninvasive.

Efficacy Of Prophylactic Intrawound Application Of Vancomycin Powder In Preventing Surgical Site Infections In Spinal Instrumentation Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection (SSI) is always a matter of utmost concern in cases of spinal instrumentation in low-income countries. This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of local intrawound application of vancomycin powder in reducing postoperative SSI following Thoracolumbar-Sacral spinal instrumentation. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was done in the Department of Neurosurgery, Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad from 1st July 2019 to 31st December 2021. Seventy-eight patients of either gender with an age range from 15 to 65 years, who were planned for posterior spinal instrumentation surgery (transpedicular screw fixation), were included in the study. Patients were divided into two equal groups, A (Vanco group) and B (control group). In addition to standard systemic prophylaxis, 1 gm of Vancomycin powder was applied over the implant in Group A patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in Group A was 36±16.6 while the mean age of patients in the group was 33.7±15.9 years. A statistically significant reduction of surgical site infection was observed in those who received a prophylactic intra-wound application of vancomycin powder (Vanco group) (5.2%) compared to the control group (20.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Intrawound vancomycin powder administration significantly decreases SSI following spinal instrumentation surgeries. Patients at high risk of infection are highly recommended as a candidate for this technique.

Intrawound vancomycin powder in orthopaedic surgery as surgical site wound infection prophylaxis: A meta-analysis.

A meta-analysis research was executed to appraise the consequence of intrawound vancomycin powder (IWVP) in orthopaedic surgery (OPS) as surgical site wound infection (SSWI) prophylaxis. Inclusive literature research till March 2023 was carried out and 2756 interconnected researches were revised. Of the 18 picked researches enclosed 13 214 persons with OPS were in the used researches' starting point, 5798 of them were utilising IWVP, and 7416 were control. Odds ratio (OR) in addition to 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to appraise the consequence of the IWVP in OPS as SSWI prophylaxis by the dichotomous approaches and a fixed or random model. IWVP had significantly lower SSWIs (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.50-0.74, P < .001), deep SSWIs (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.36-0.91, P = .02), and superficial SSWIs (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.46-0.98, P = .04) compared with control in persons with OPS. IWVP had significantly lower SSWIs, deep SSWIs, and superficial SSWIs compared with control in persons with OPS. However, when interacting with its values, caution must be taken and more research is needed to confirm this finding.

Tou Nong powder obstructs ulcerative colitis through the regulation of NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD inflammasome pyroptotic pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tou Nong Powder (TNP), a classical Chinese medicinal formula originated from the Chinese Ming Dynasty, has been applied to treat skin ulcers in patients with deficient constitutions. According to theory of traditional Chinese medicine, colonic ulcers share similar pathological conditions with skin ulcers, and consequently, TNP has been applied to ulcerative colitis (UC) safely and effectively. AIM OF STUDY: To investigate whether TNP obstructs 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) induced enteric inflammation through regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome and attenuating enteric pyroptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Network pharmacology and UPLC-Q-TOF/MS were operated to identify compounds and pharmacological potential targets. The therapeutic effects of TNP were assessed on TNBS induced colitis via general symptoms (disease activity index, colonic weight and length) and histopathological observation. The NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway regulation was investigated by Western blot and real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: TNP ameliorates the disease activity index, reverses the increase of colonic weight increase, alleviates colonic shortening and colonic histopathological injury. A decrease in tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), diamine oxidase (DAO), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and endo-toxin (ET) were investigated in peripheral circulation. Moreover, TNP significantly obstructed the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: TNP displays a promising therapeutic effect on UC via suppressing NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway and reducing the expression of IL-1ß and IL-18.

Manufacture and evaluation of a HER2-positive breast cancer immunotoxin 4D5Fv-PE25.

BACKGROUND: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer is an aggressive subtype, accounting for around 20% of all breast cancers. The development of HER2-targeted therapy has substantially improved patient outcomes. Nevertheless, the increasing rate of side effects and resistance to targeted drugs limit their efficacy in clinical practice. In this study, we designed and synthesized a new immunotoxin, 4D5Fv-PE25, which targets HER2-positive breast cancer, and evaluated its effectiveness in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: The 4D5Fv-PE25 was expressed in high-density Escherichia coli (E. coli.) using the fermentor method and refined via hydrophobicity, ion exchange, and filtration chromatography, achieving a 56.06% recovery rate. Additionally, the semi-manufactured product with 96% purity was prepared into freeze-dried powder by the lyophilized process. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of HER2 in SK-BR-3, BT-474, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cell lines. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was used for cytotoxicity assay, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 4D5Fv-PE25 lyophilized products to HER2-positive cell line SK-BR-3 was 12.53 ng/mL. The 4D5Fv-PE25 was injected into xenograft tumor mice via the tail vein on the 1st, 4th, and 8th day, it indicated that the growth of tumor volume was effectively inhibited for 24 days, although the 4D5Fv-PE25 was metabolized within 60 min by measuring the release of 3 H-Thymidine radiation. CONCLUSION: we succeeded in producing the 4D5Fv-PE25 freeze-dried powder using the prokaryotic expression method, and it could be employed as a potential drug for treating HER2-positive breast cancer.

Effect of green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) supplementation on faecal microbiota, body composition and iron status markers in overweight and obese postmenopausal women: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of whole meat GSM powder on gut microbiota abundance, body composition and iron status markers in healthy overweight or obese postmenopausal women. This was a 3-months trial involving forty-nine healthy postmenopausal women with body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 35 kg/m2 who were randomly assigned to receive 3 g/d of either GSM powder (n 25) or placebo (n 24). The gut microbe abundance, serum iron status markers and body composition were measured at the baseline and the end of the study. The between-group comparison at the baseline showed a lower abundance of Bacteroides and Clostridium XIVa in the GSM group compared with the placebo (P = 0⋅04). At the baseline, the body fat (BF)% and gynoid fat% were higher in the GSM group compared with the placebo (P < 0⋅05). No significant changes were found in any of the outcome measures, except for ferritin levels that showed a significant reduction over time (time effect P = 0⋅01). Some trend was observed in bacteria including Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium which tended to increase in the GSM group while their abundance decreased or remained at their baseline level in the control group. Supplementation with GSM powder did not result in any significant changes in gut microbe abundance, body composition and iron markers compared with placebo. However, some commensal bacteria such as Bacteroides and Bifidobacteria tended to increase following supplementation with GSM powder. Overall, these findings can expand the knowledge surrounding the effects of whole GSM powder on these outcome measures in healthy postmenopausal women.

A New Powder Dressing for Management of Chronic Venous Ulcers.

BACKGROUND: A new powder dressing (TPD) is a methacrylate-based powder formulation that transforms in situ into a shape-retentive matrix upon hydration to create optimum moist wound healing conditions. The following randomized, controlled, clinical study aimed to evaluate the role of TPD in the management of chronic venous ulcers (CVU). METHODS: The randomized controlled prospective study enrolled 60 CVU patients. After randomization, patients in the treatment group ( n = 30) were treated with TPD, whereas those in the control group ( n = 30) received conventional compression dressing therapy. RESULTS: After treatment, patients in the TPD group had significantly higher rates of complete ulcer healing at 12 weeks (43.3% vs 10.0%, p = .004) and 24 weeks (86.7% vs 40.0%, p = .001) when compared with conventional dressing group. Moreover, patients in the TP dressing group had significantly shorter time to complete ulcer healing [mean (95% CI): 16.7 (14.1-19.3) versus 37.0 (30.8-43.2) weeks, p = .001]. In addition, patients in the TPD group had significantly fewer number of dressings, less severe pain after dressing, and lower need for systemic analgesics. CONCLUSION: Use of TPD in management of CVUs was associated with significantly higher healing rates, shorter duration to healing, and lower pain.