Arctigenin from Forsythia viridissima Fruit Inhibits the Replication of Human Coronavirus.

Coronavirus can cause various diseases, from mild symptoms to the recent severe COVID-19. The coronavirus RNA genome is frequently mutated due to its RNA nature, resulting in many pathogenic and drug-resistant variants. Therefore, many medicines should be prepared to respond to the various coronavirus variants. In this report, we demonstrated that Forsythia viridissima fruit ethanol extract (FVFE) effectively reduces coronavirus replication. We attempted to identify the active compounds and found that actigenin from FVFE effectively reduces human coronavirus replication. Arctigenin treatment can reduce coronavirus protein expression and coronavirus-induced cytotoxicity. These results collectively suggest that arctigenin is a potent natural compound that prevents coronavirus replication.

Eupatin, a Flavonoid, Inhibits Coronavirus 3CL Protease and Replication.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused more than six million deaths worldwide since 2019. Although vaccines are available, novel variants of coronavirus are expected to appear continuously, and there is a need for a more effective remedy for coronavirus disease. In this report, we isolated eupatin from Inula japonica flowers and showed that it inhibits the coronavirus 3 chymotrypsin-like (3CL) protease as well as viral replication. We showed that eupatin treatment inhibits SARS-CoV-2 3CL-protease, and computational modeling demonstrated that it interacts with key residues of 3CL-protease. Further, the treatment decreased the number of plaques formed by human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) infection and decreased viral protein and RNA levels in the media. These results indicate that eupatin inhibits coronavirus replication.

Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment with Giant Retinal Tear: Case Series and Literature Review.

Background/Objectives: This paper reviews three cases of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with giant retinal tear (GRT), focusing on surgical management and outcomes, and synthesizes the current literature on the subject. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed three cases of male patients diagnosed with RRD with GRT at our hospital from April 2022 to November 2023. The patients, aged 57, 66, and 60, underwent surgical interventions, with postoperative follow-up extending up to six months. All patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), endolaser photocoagulation, fluid-air exchange, and intravitreal gas injection (perfluoropropane (C3F8) 14%) in each case. Surgeries were performed within four days of the patients' initial visits. Outcome measures included visual acuity improvement, intraocular pressure stabilization, and retinal reattachment rates. Complications in the patients were also evaluated. Results: The patient who had not previously undergone cataract surgery (Case 1) had it concurrently with the retinal surgery. Four months after the initial surgery, Case 3 developed a secondary epiretinal membrane (ERM) and subsequently underwent ERM removal surgery. Postoperative care involved the tailored use of anti-inflammatory medications and frequent monitoring to mitigate complications such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy, epiretinal membrane formation, and redetachment. Conclusions: While limited by the small sample size, this report underscores the potential benefits of prompt surgical intervention, meticulous postoperative care, and proactive management of complications in RRD with GRT. Insights from these cases, supported by multiple literature reviews, may inform treatment strategies and highlight areas for further research in larger, more diverse patient populations.

Intramuscular Neural Distribution of the Gluteus Maximus Muscle: Diagnostic Electromyography and Injective Treatments.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate neural patterns within the gluteus maximus (Gmax) muscle to identify optimal EMG placement and injection sites for botulinum toxin and other injectable agents. METHODS: This study used 10 fixed and 1 non-fixed adult Korean cadavers. Intramuscular arborization patterns were confirmed in the cranial, middle, and caudal segments of 20 Gmax muscles using Sihler staining. Ultrasound images were obtained from one cadaver, and blue dye was injected using ultrasound guidance to confirm the results. RESULTS: The intramuscular innervation pattern of the Gmax was mostly in the middle part of this muscle. The nerve endings of the Gmax are mainly located in the 40-70% range in the cranial segment, the 30-60% range in the middle segment, and the 40-70% range in the caudal segment. DISCUSSION: Addressing the spasticity of the gluteus maximus requires precise, site-specific botulinum toxin injections. The use of EMG and other injection therapies should be guided by the findings of this study. We propose that these specific sites, which correspond to areas with the densest nerve branches, are the safest and most efficient locations for both botulinum toxin injections and EMG procedures.

Compound C inhibits the replication of feline coronavirus.

Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) is a viral pathogen of cats and a highly contagious virus. Cats in a cattery can be infected by up to 100%, and even household cats are infected by 20-60%. Some strains of FCoV are known to induce a fatal disease in cats named Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). However, no effective treatments are available. We demonstrated that compound C (dorsomorphin) can potentially inhibit feline coronavirus replication. Compound C treatment decreased the FCoV-induced plaque formation and cytopathic effect in FCoV-infected cells. Compound C treatment also significantly reduced the amount of viral RNA and viral protein in the cells in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that compound C is potentially useful for feline coronavirus-related diseases.

Amentoflavone from Selaginella tamariscina inhibits SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic caused millions of deaths due to its prominent infectivity and mortality. Although the vaccines and medicines for SARS-CoV-2 are on the market, new coronavirus variants like influenza are expected to reemerge continuously. Therefore, effective and inexpensive medicines will be required to respond to SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we used herbal plant extracts to search for effective compounds that can interfere with SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and found that Selaginella tamariscina extract (STE) can reduce SARS-CoV-2 RdRp activity. The HCoV-OC43 beta coronavirus model was used to examine whether STE treatment could inhibit coronavirus replication and reduce coronavirus-induced cytotoxicity. Next, we searched the active compound of STE and found that amentoflavone is the main active compound of STE. Finally, we demonstrated that amentoflavone inhibits SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and coronavirus replication. Our results collectively indicate that amentoflavone from STE is possibly beneficial in responding to coronavirus-related diseases, including SARS-CoV-2.

Comparison of germline and somatic structural variants in cancers reveal systematic differences in variant generating and selection processes.

Although several recent studies have characterized structural variants (SVs) in germline and cancer genomes, the features of SVs in these different contexts have not been directly compared. We examined similarities and differences between 2 million germline and 115 thousand tumor SVs from a cohort of 963 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We found significant differences in features related to their genomic sequences and localization that suggest differences between SV-generating processes and selective pressures. For example, we found that transposon-mediated processes shape germline much more than somatic SVs, while somatic SVs more frequently show features characteristic of chromoanagenesis. These differences were extensive enough to enable us to develop a classifier - "the great GaTSV" - that accurately distinguishes between germline and cancer SVs in tumor samples that lack a matched normal sample.

Green Tea Consumption and the COVID-19 Omicron Pandemic Era: Pharmacology and Epidemiology.

In spite of the development of numerous vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19 and the approval of several drugs for its treatment, there is still a great need for effective and inexpensive therapies against this disease. Previously, we showed that green tea and tea catechins interfere with coronavirus replication as well as coronavirus 3CL protease activity, and also showed lower COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in countries with higher green tea consumption. However, it is not clear whether green tea is still effective against the newer SARS-CoV-2 variants including omicron. It is also not known whether higher green tea consumption continues to contribute to lower COVID-19 morbidity and mortality now that vaccination rates in many countries are high. Here, we attempted to update the information regarding green tea in relation to COVID-19. Using pharmacological and ecological approaches, we found that EGCG as well as green tea inhibit the activity of the omicron variant 3CL protease efficiently, and there continues to be pronounced differences in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality between groups of countries with high and low green tea consumption as of December 6, 2022. These results collectively suggest that green tea continues to be effective against COVID-19 despite the new omicron variants and increased vaccination.

Observation of Anatomical Structures in the Human Larynx Using Micro-Computed Tomography with Lugol's Solution Enhancement.

Histological and naked-eye dissections are frequently used to investigate human anatomy. However, limitations of conventional methods include tissue damage and difficulty in observing structures, rendering findings limited. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) allows for a three-dimensional observation with whole-mount staining for contrast enhancement. A precise anatomical understanding of the larynx is essential for both the medical and surgical fields; however, the larynx is difficult to dissect because of its minuscule and complex structures. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the detailed anatomy of the larynx using micro-CT. The study was conducted on twelve specimens of cadavers using Lugol-based-contrast micro-CT. Using Lugol-micro-CT, relevant information on human structures was obtained. Consequently, we successfully employed the Lugol-micro-CT technique in the analysis of specific human soft tissue structures that are challenging to analyze using conventional methods.

AMPK inhibitor, compound C, inhibits coronavirus replication in vitro.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in more than six million deaths by October 2022. Vaccines and antivirals for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 are now available; however, more effective antiviral drugs are required for effective treatment. Here, we report that a potent AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor, compound C/dorsomorphin, inhibits the replication of the human coronavirus OC43 strain (HCoV-OC43). We examined HCoV-OC43 replication in control and AMPK-knockout (KO) cells and found that the virus replication decreased in AMPK-KO cells. Next, we examined the effect of the AMPK inhibitor, compound C on coronavirus replication. Compound C treatment efficiently inhibited the replication and decreased the coronavirus-induced cytotoxicity, further inhibiting autophagy. In addition, treatment with compound C in combination with chloroquine synergistically inhibited coronavirus replication. These results suggest that compound C can be considered as a potential drug candidate for COVID-19.

CTRP1 Knockout Attenuates Tumor Progression in A549 and HCT116 Cancer Cells.

C1q and TNF-related 1 (C1QTNF1/CTRP1) is an adiponectin-associated protein belonging to the C1q/TNF-related protein family. Recent studies have shown that the C1q and TNF-related protein (CTRP) family is involved in cancer progression; however, the specific role of CTRP1 in tumor progression has not yet been elucidated. To examine the role of CTRP1 in tumor progression, we generated CTRP1 knockout A549 and HCT116 cell lines, which reduced the expression levels of nuclear factor (NF)-κB-dependent and metastasis-promoting transcripts. We demonstrated that CTRP1 knockout inhibited the cell proliferation and invasion and tumor growth. Finally, database analysis showed that CTRP1 expression was upregulated in metastatic cancers and elevated levels of CTRP1 were associated with poor prognosis. These results suggest that CTRP1 expression contributes to NF-κB signaling and promotes tumor progression.