Distribution patterns and influential factors of pathogenic bacteria in freshwater aquaculture sediments.

Pathogenic bacteria, the major causative agents of aquaculture diseases, are a serious impediment to the aquaculture industry. However, the bioinformatics of pathogenic bacteria and virulence factors (VFs) in sediments, an important component of freshwater aquaculture ecosystems, are not well characterized. In this study, 20 sediment samples were collected from fish pond sediments (FPS), shrimp field sediments (SFS), fish pond sediment control (FPSC), and shrimp field sediment control (SFSC). Molecular biological information was obtained on a total of 173 pathogenic bacteria, 1093 virulence factors (VFs), and 8475 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) from these samples. The results indicated that (1) aquaculture patterns and sediment characteristics can affect the distribution of pathogenic bacteria. According to the results of the Kruskal-Wallis H test, except for Mycobacterium gilvum, there were significant differences (P < 0.05) among the four sediment types in the average abundance of major pathogenic bacteria (top 30 in abundance), and the average abundance of major pathogenic bacteria in the four sediment types followed the following pattern: FPS > SFS > FPSC > SFSC. (2) Pathogenic bacteria are able to implement a variety of complex pathogenic mechanisms such as adhesion, invasion, immune evasion, and metabolic regulation in the host because they carry a variety of VFs such as type IV pili, HSI-I, Alginate, Colibactin, and Capsule. According to the primary classification of the Virulence Factor Database (VFDB), the abundance of VFs in all four types of sediments showed the following pattern: offensive VFs > non-specific VFs > defensive VFs > regulation of virulence-related genes. (3) Total organic carbon (TOC), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), nitrite, and nitrate were mostly only weakly positively correlated with the major pathogenic bacteria and could promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria to some extent, whereas ammonia was significantly positively correlated with most of the major pathogenic bacteria and could play an important role in promoting the growth and reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. (4) Meanwhile, there was also a significant positive correlation between CAZyme genes and major pathogenic bacteria (0.62 ≤ R ≤ 0.89, P < 0.05). This suggests that these pathogenic bacteria could be the main carriers of CAZyme genes and, to some extent, gained a higher level of metabolic activity by degrading organic matter in the sediments to maintain their competitive advantage. (5) Worryingly, the results of correlation analyses indicated that MGEs in aquaculture sediments could play an important role in the spread of VFs (R = 0.82, P < 0.01), and in particular, plasmids (R = 0.75, P < 0.01) and integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs, R = 0.65, P < 0.05) could be these major vectors of VFs. The results of this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the health of freshwater aquaculture sediments and provide a scientific basis for aquaculture management and conservation.

Traditional Chinese medicine for smoking cessation: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may have special advantages in facilitating smoking cessation, but consensus on effectiveness is lacking. We aim to comprehensively review, update, and refine current evidence on TCM effectiveness and safety. METHODS: Nine databases were searched from their inception up to 28 February 2023. Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analysis of TCM for smoking cessation were identified and retrieved. Additional databases and hand searches of RCTs from included SRs were performed for data pooling. Cochrane ROB tools and AMSTAR-2 were used to evaluate the methodological quality of RCTs and SRs, respectively. RCT data are presented as relative risks (RR) or mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using RevMan 5.4. RESULTS: Thirteen SRs involving 265 studies with 33081 participants were included. Among these 265 studies, 157 were duplicates (58.36%) and 52 were non-RCTs (19.62%). Combined with the remaining 56 RCTs identified through hand searches, 88 RCTs involving 12434 participants were finally included for data synthesis. All the SRs focused on acupoint stimulation, and the majority were of low or very low quality. The methodological quality of RCTs was either unclear or high risk. For continuous abstinence rate, TCM external interventions were better than placebo in 6 months to 1 year (RR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.14-2.25; I2=27%; n=5533 participants). Compared with placebo, TCM external application was effective in reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and the effect was gradually stable and obvious in the fourth week (MD= -4.46; 95% CI: -5.43 - -3.49; n=165 participants). Twelve RCTs reported adverse events as outcome indicators for safety evaluation, and no serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the methodological limitations of the original studies, our review suggests that TCM intervention shows potential effectiveness on the continuous abstinence rate. Extending the intervention time can enhance the effect of TCM on nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Referred to adverse events, more data for safety evaluation are required.

Traditional Chinese medicine invigorating the spleen and kidney promotes HBsAg seroclearance in the mouse model.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is often used as an adjuvant or alternative therapy for abnormal liver biochemistry or liver fibrosis associated with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, the role of TCM in HBsAg seroclearance remains unclear. We aimed at exploring the role and possible mechanisms of TCM in HBsAg seroclearance. Fifteen widely used TCM granules invigorating the spleen and kidneys were screened. C57BL/6J mice were administered daily with TCM granules by gavage for 1 week. The effect of TCM on the M1 polarization of macrophages was measured using a CD86 assay. According to the principles of formulating prescriptions, three single TCM with the most noticeable effect on M1 polarization, accompanied by two other TCM granules, were used to develop a TCM formula. The hepatitis B virus-expressing mouse model was constructed by hydrodynamic injection of the pAAV/HBV1.2 plasmid. Hepatitis B virus-expressing mice were gavaged daily with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), TCM formula, or Codonopsis Radix, for 1 week. HBsAg, HBeAg, and hepatitis B virus DNA levels were measured. In addition, gut microbiota was profiled using 16S rDNA sequencing. Several TCM granules showed significant effects on M1 polarization. The TCM formula accelerated HBsAg seroclearance compared with the Codonopsis Radix and PBS groups. Intrahepatic M1 polarization, as indicated by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, was induced in the TCM formula and Codonopsis Radix groups. The abundance of Alloprevotella significantly increased in the TCM formula and Codonopsis Radix groups. These results demonstrate that the TCM formula for invigorating the spleen and kidney can accelerate HBsAg seroclearance. This effect can be attributed, at least in part, to M1 polarization of intrahepatic macrophages.

Clinical Effect of Feining Paidu Decoction on Refractory Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia in Child Patients / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Feining Paidu decoction on refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in child patients. MethodA randomized controlled trial （RCT） was conducted， with 96 child patients randomly divided into a control group and an observation group， each containing 48 cases. The control group received intravenous azithromycin （10 mg·kg-1·d-1） for 7 days， intravenous methylprednisolone （1 mg·kg-1·d-1） for 3 days， along with supportive treatments such as fluid infusion and antipyretics. The observation group received oral administration of Feining Paidu decoction once a day for 7 days. Changes in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， serum soluble B7-H3 （sB7-H3）， serum inflammatory factors， coagulation function， and lung imaging ［computer tomography（CT）］ scores were observed in both groups. Adverse reaction events were also recorded. ResultThe total effective rate in the observation group was 95.74% （45/47）， significantly higher than 80.43% （37/46） in the control group （Z=-3.702， P<0.01）. Compared with the results before treatment， TCM syndrome scores， lung imaging scores， sB7-H3， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， D-dimer （D-D）， and fibrinogen （FIB） levels in both groups all significantly decreased after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After treatment， the observation group showed significantly better results in these indicators than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in thrombin time （TT） in the control group before and after treatment， while the observation group showed a significant prolongation after treatment （P<0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT） and prothrombin time （PT） between the two groups before treatment， and no serious adverse reactions occurred in either group. ConclusionFeining Paidu decoction combined with conventional treatment can alleviate inflammatory responses， improve hypercoagulable states， promote the absorption of pulmonary inflammation， and enhance the clinical efficacy of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children.

Analysis of management efficacy in patients with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with antithrombotic therapy / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective: To evaluate different methods' efficacy of controlling acute bleeding and managing long-term menstruation in patients with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) associated with antithrombotic therapy. Methods: The clinical data of 22 cases with HMB associated with antithrombotic therapy admitted to Peking University People's Hospital from January 2010 to August 2022 were analyzed, aged 39 years old (26-46 years). Changes in menstrual volume, hemoglobin (Hb), and quality of life were collected after control of acute bleeding and long-term menstrual management. Menstrual volume was assessed by pictorial blood assessment chart (PBAC), and quality of life was assessed by menorrhagia multi-attribute scale (MMAS). Results: (1) Treatment of acute bleeding: of the 22 cases with HMB associated with antithrombotic therapy, 16 cases were treated in our hospital and 6 in other hospital for emergency bleeding; of the 16 cases treated in our hospital, 3 underwent emergency intrauterine Foley catheter balloon compression due to severe bleeding (Hb decreased by 20 to 40 g/L within 12 hours). Of the 22 cases with antithrombotic therapy-related HMB, 15 (including 2 cases with severe bleeding) underwent emergency aspiration or endometrial resection, and intraoperative placement of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) followed by a significant reduction in bleeding volume; 3 cases had controlled acute bleeding after rivaroxaban dose reduction and continued observation; 2 cases were given gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists to control acute bleeding in other hospital, of which 1 case was temporarily treated with periodic blood transfusion, and the other one patient underwent total hysterectomy; and 2 cases had temporary amenorrhea with oral mifepristone after intrauterine balloon compression or oral norethindrone. (2) Long-term menstrual management: of the 22 cases with antithrombotic therapy-related HMB, 15 had LNG-IUS placement and 12 had LNG-IUS placement for 6 months, and menstrual volume was significantly reduced [PBAC scores were 365.0 (272.5-460.0) vs 25.0 (12.5-37.5), respectively; Z=4.593, P<0.001], Hb was significantly increased [91.5 g/L (71.8-108.2 g/L) vs 128.5 g/L (121.2-142.5 g/L); Z=4.695, P<0.001], and quality of life was significantly improved [MMAS scores were 415.0 (327.5-472.5) vs 580.0 (570.0-580.0), respectively; Z=-3.062, P=0.002] before placement compared with 6 months after placement. Three rivaroxaban dose reduction patients' PBAC scores decreased by 20 to 35 but remained >100, and perceived quality of life did not change significantly. Two cases with temporary amenorrhea treated with oral mifepristone felt significantly improved quality of life, and the MMAS scores increased by 220 and 180, respectively. Conclusion: Intrauterine Foley catheter balloon compression, aspiration or endometrial ablation could be used to control acute bleeding in patients with antithrombotic therapy-related HMB, and LNG-IUS for long-term management could reduce menstrual volume, increase hemoglobin, and improve the quality of life of patients.

Research on the online teaching practice of Chinese traditional medicine based on the model of "Chaoxing learning platform + live broadcasting" / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Taking the course of Chinese traditional medicine as an example, this paper discusses the construction and implementation effect of online teaching mode from the following four aspects: online teaching curriculum design, teaching implementation, teaching effect evaluation, and teaching reflection, with a view to providing beneficial reference for the follow-up hybrid teaching and promoting the construction of hybrid first-class courses by summarizing the experience of online teaching.

Clinical Efficacy of Huangqin Beimutang in Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Children / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectTo observe the clinical efficacy of Huangqin Beimutang on chronic rhinosinusitis in children. MethodA randomized controlled trial （RCT） was conducted on 70 children who met the criteria for chronic rhinosinusitis， with 35 cases in the Chinese medicine group and 35 cases in the western medicine group. In the western medicine group，children received mometasone furoate nasal spray，one spray per nostril，once a day for two weeks， and also received a small dose of azithromycin suspension at 4 mg·kg-1·d-1，once a day，3 days a week for 2 weeks. The children in the Chinese medicine group were treated with oral Huangqin Beimutang，one dose per day for 2 weeks. Before and after treatment，the scores of primary symptoms and signs of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM），visual analogue scale （VAS） symptom scores，sinus computed tomography （CT） efficacy scores，and clinical efficacy of TCM syndromes in the two groups were evaluated，and the occurrence of adverse events was recorded. ResultThe total effective rate of clinical efficacy of TCM syndrome in the Chinese medicine group was 88.57% （31/35）， which was higher than 71.43% （25/35） in the western medicine group（χ2=8.458，P<0.05）. The VAS scores， scores of TCM primary symptoms of nasal obstruction and runny nose， and physical sign scores in both groups were lower than those after treatment （P<0.01）. The above indicators in the Chinese medicine group were superior to those in the western medicine group after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the conditions before treatment， there was no significant improvement in headache in the western medicine group， while the headache score in the Chinese medicine group decreased after treatment （P<0.01）. The CT scores of the two groups showed a downward trend， but the difference was not statistically significant. There were no adverse reactions during treatment in both groups. ConclusionHuangqin Beimutang can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis， and it is safe and effective.

Phytochemicals as new therapeutic candidates simultaneously stimulate proliferation and counteract senescence of stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for regenerative therapy. However, the research and clinical application of MSCs are greatly hindered by the limited cells proliferation and replicative senescence. Therapeutic agents that can both enhance the proliferative ability and decrease the replicative senescence of MSCs are greatly needed, however, not been reported yet. Herein, for the first time, we identified 11 natural compounds from medicinal plants with both excellent proliferative and anti-senescence abilities in MSCs. The qPCR analysis indicated underlying mechanisms associated with fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factor, Wnt/ß-catenin and leukemia-induced factor in proliferation; the reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial dysfunction autophagy and proteostasis are involved in cells senescence-related mechanism. Phytochemicals are demonstrated as novel therapeutic candidates with promising effects in both stimulating proliferation and retarding replicative senescence of stem cells with high safety.

Chinese patent herbal medicine Huaiqihuang for Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis in children: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) is listed as the most common secondary glomerular diseases among children. Approximately 15 to 20% of children eventually could develop into chronic renal failure. Chinese patent herbal medicine Huaiqihuang (HQH) has been widely used in children with HSPN. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of HQH for HSPN in children, so as to provide evidence for clinical use. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on HQH for HSPN in children were searched in eight Chinese and English databases from their inception to December 2020. We included children with HSPN received HQH combined with conventional medicine. Cochrane "Risk of bias" tool was used to assess methodological quality, and "Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach" to summarize the certainty of evidence for main findings. Effect estimates were presented as risk ratio (RR), mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) in meta-analyses using RevMan 5.3. Data not suitable for statistical pooling were synthesized qualitatively. RESULTS: In total seven RCTs were identified. Compared with conventional medicine alone, HQH plus conventional medicine showed the better effect in improving clinical cure rate (RR 1.58; 95%CI 1.17 to 2.14; n = 6) and total effective rate (RR 1.34; 1.16 to 1.54; n = 6); reducing urine sediment erythrocyte count (MD -9.23; - 10.76 to - 7.69; n = 3) and urine ß2 micro-globulin level (MD -0.09; - 0.12 to - 0.06; n = 2). No serious adverse event was recorded in all included trials. CONCLUSIONS: Limited evidence showed HQH combined with conventional medicine had a beneficial effect for children with HSPN, and the side effects were mild. HQH may be a promising complementary therapy. However, long term follow-up, high quality and multicenter RCTs are required to confirm the findings.

Traditional Chinese medicine for COVID-19 pandemic and emerging challenges: An online cross-sectional survey in China.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate use of infection control behaviours, preventative and therapeutic interventions, and outcomes among respondents to an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. METHODS: The survey was designed by an international team, translated and adapted to simplified Chinese, including 132 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation recommended by guidelines. It was distributed and collected from February to May 2021, with data analysed by WPS spreadsheet and wjx.cn. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographics and clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatments, preventative behaviours and interventions, and their associated outcomes. RESULTS: The survey was accessed 503 times with 341 (67.8%) completions covering 23 provinces and four municipalities in China. Most (282/341, 82.7%) respondents reported no symptoms during the pandemic and the majority (290/341, 85.0%) reported having a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test at some point. Forty-five (13.2%) reported having a respiratory infection, among which 19 (42.2%) took one or more categories of modern medicine, e.g. painkillers, antibiotics; 16 (35.6%) used TCM interventions(s); while seven respondents combined TCM with modern medicine. All respondents reported using at least one behavioural or medical approach to prevention, with 22.3% taking TCM and 5.3% taking modern medicines. No respondents reported having a critical condition related to COVID-19. CONCLUSION: We found evidence of widespread use of infection control behaviours, modern medicines and TCM for treatment and prevention of COVID-19 and other respiratory symptoms. Larger scale studies are warranted, including a more representative sample exploring TCM preparations recommended in clinical guidelines.

Research progresses in the biosynthesis of curcuminoids / 生物工程学报

Curcuminoids are rare diketone compounds in plants and can be found in the rhizome of Curcuma longa as well as other Zingiberaceae and Araceae. Curcuminoids have been widely used in food and medical area owing to the yellow colors, as well as the antioxidant and many other pharmacological activities. Curcuminoids are a mixture of compounds containing curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, which have distinct benzene ring substituents. Currently, curcuminoids are exclusively produced through plant extraction, which do not satisfy the meeting of the market demand. Empowered with new synthetic biology tools and metabolic engineering strategies, there is renewed interest in production of curcuminoids using microorganisms. Heterologous production of curcuminoids has been achieved using Escherichia coli, Yarrowia lipolytica, Pseudomonas putida and Aspergillus oryzae via engineering of curcuminoids biosynthesis pathway. In this review, we first describe the biological activities and various applications of curcuminoids. Next, we summarize the biosynthetic pathway of curcuminoids in Curcuma longa and discuss the catalytic mechanisms of curcumin synthases. Then, we thoroughly explore recent advances in the use of distinct microorganisms for the production of curcuminoids with a special focus on metabolic engineering strategies. Finally, we prospect the microbial production of curcuminoids by highlighting some promising techniques and approaches.

Meta-analysis of effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on vitamins and trace elements in obese patients / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective:To evaluate the changes in vitamins and trace elements in obese patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).Methods:A systematic retrieval of the available literature was performed using Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane library, Web of Science, WanFang data and CNKI databases and studies were selected per predefined eligibility criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 13.0.Results:A total of 22 studies with 5320 individuals with obesity who underwent LSG were identified as eligible for inclusion. A significant increase was observed in serum 25(OH)D ( SMD = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.16 to 1.03, P = 0.007), phosphorus ( SMD = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.47, P = 0.004) and iron ( SMD = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.31 to 0.61, P < 0.01) after LSG. A significant decrease in serum zinc ( SMD = -0.41, 95% CI: -0.81 to -0.01, P = 0.044) was observed after LSG. But no significant changes in serum calcium ( SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: -0.14 to 0.36, P = 0.385), folate ( SMD = 0.27, 95% CI: -0.08 to 0.62, P = 0.133), vitamin B 12 ( SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: -0.25 to 0.47, P = 0.563) and magnesium ( SMD = 0.53, 95% CI: -0.08 to 1.14, P = 0.09) were observed. Conclusions:The changes of serum nutritional measurements in individuals with obesity who underwent LSG are uncertain. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the nutritional laboratory values and add supplements when necessary to prevent postoperative malnutrition.

The complete chloroplast genome of Aloe vera from China as a Chinese herb.

Aloe vera has been used as a Chinese herb and an ingredient in many cosmetic products in China. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of A. vera was determined for more genetic data information. The chloroplast genome was 152,875 bp length as a typical quadripartite structure that contained a large single-copy region (LSC) of 83,505 bp, a small single-copy region (SSC) of 16,178 bp and a pair of inverted-repeat regions (IRs) of 26,596 bp. The overall nucleotide composition of chloroplast genome is: 47,185 bp A (30.8%), 48,123 bp T (31.5%), 29,326 bp C (19.2%), 28,241 bp G (18.5%) and the total G + C content of 37.7%. Then, 131 genes were found that included 85 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 38 transfer RNA (tRNAs) and 8 ribosome RNA (rRNAs). The phylogenetic analysis showed that A. vera closely related to A. maculata in the phylogenetic relationship of the family Asphodelaceae by the Maximum-Likelihood (ML) method.

A systematic review of Tuina for irritable bowel syndrome: Recommendations for future trials.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review assessed whether Tuina (therapeutic massage) is more effective and safer than no treatment or routine medical treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: Eleven databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of IBS diagnosed based on Manning or Rome criteria. Tuina with or without routine treatments (RTs) was tested against RTs. The Cochrane risk of bias was evaluated for each trial. RevMan 5.3 was used to conduct a meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 8 trials (5 IBS-diarrhea and 3 IBS-constipation) with 545 participants using 8 different manipulations were included. All trials were published in Chinese. For overall symptom improving rate (> 30 % improvement in overall symptom scores), it had not been shown that Tuina was significantly better than RTs (RR 1.23, 95 % CI 0.94-1.60, 197 participants, 3 studies, I2 = 65 %) for IBS-diarrhea, and Tuina combined with RTs showed more benefit than RTs alone (RR 1.29, 95 % CI 1.08-1.54, 115 participants, 3 studies) for IBS-diarrhea. All trials did not report adverse effect in relation to Tuina. Risk of bias was generally unclear across all domains. CONCLUSIONS: Tuina combined with RTs may be superior to RTs for improving overall symptom of IBS-diarrhea. Due to the existing methodological issues and the heterogeneity of Tuina manipulation, current findings need to be confirmed in large scale, multicenter, and robust randomized trials (especially on outcome assessing blinding and allocation concealment).

Therapeutic effect of acupuncture on dysphagia in children with severe hand foot and mouth disease / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of acupuncture combined with conventional symptomatic and supportive treatments on swallowing function and nutritional status in children with severe hand foot and mouth disease complicated with dysphagia.@*METHODS@#A total of 68 children with severe hand foot and mouth disease complicated with dysphagia were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 34 cases in each one. Symptomatic and supportive treatments such as lowering temperature, tranquilizing and mechanical ventilation were adopted in the control group. On the basis of the treatments in the control group, acupuncture was applied at Lianquan (CV 23), Jialianquan (Extra), cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2), Fengfu (GV 16), Fengchi (GB 20), Yamen (GV 15), scalp motor and sensory areas in the observation group, once a day, 6 times a week, one month as a course and totally 3 courses were required. Time spent on restoring swallowing function was observed in both groups. Besides, score of dysphagia disorder survey (DDS) and nutritional status were evaluated before and after treatment, and the clinical effects were compared.@*RESULTS@#The total effective rate was 91.2% (31/34) in the observation group, which was superior to 73.5% (25/34) in the control group (<0.05). The time of restoring swallowing function in the observation group was advanced than the control group (<0.05). Compared before treatment, the DDS scores after treatment were decreased in both groups, and the reduction in the observation group was larger than the control group (all <0.05). After the treatment, the normal rate of nutritional status was 61.8% (21/34) in the observation group, which was superior to 32.4% (11/34) in the control group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#On the basis of conventional treatment, acupuncture can effectively treat the severe hand foot and mouth disease complicated with dysphagia, improve the swallowing function and nutritional status.

The crude ethanol extract of Periplaneta americana L. stimulates wound healing in vitro & in vivo.

Periplaneta americana L. is a Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been used in clinic treatment of various diseases for a long history. However, the therapeutic potential and the underlying mechanism of Periplaneta americana L. in the skin wound therapy was not investigated comprehensively yet. This study aims to investigate the influence of the crude ethanol extract of PAL in the different wound stages including: (1) the migration and chemotaxis to skin cells in the first stage; (2) proliferation and cells cycle of skin cells in the second stage; (3) remodeling effect and secretion of growth factors, collagens in the third stage; (4) as well as the influence in the blood vessels regeneration in the late stage. The crude ethanol extract of PAL was shown to (1) promote the keratinocytes proliferation and regulate the cells cycle of fibroblasts significantly; (2) stimulate the migration of keratinocytes and fibroblasts obviously; (3) enhance the EGF and VEGF secretion both in vitro & in vivo; (4) accelerate the wound healing, collagen synthesis and angiogenesis. The crude ethanol extract of KFX was shown a promising therapeutic agent for the wound therapy with great efficacy to accelerate the wound healing with improved quality.

Paricalcitol accelerates BACE1 lysosomal degradation and inhibits calpain-1 dependent neuronal loss in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and vitamin D supplementation may be effective strategy to ameliorate the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer's disease patients. Paricalcitol (PAL), a low-calcemic vitamin D receptor agonist, is clinically used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism. However, the potential application of PAL for treating neurodegenerative disorders remains unexplored. METHODS: The APP/PS1 mice were intraperitoneally injected with PAL or vehicle every other day for 15 weeks. The ß-amyloid (Aß) production was confirmed using immunostaining and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The underlying mechanism was verified by western blot and immunostaining in vivo and in vitro. FINDINGS: Long-term PAL treatment clearly reduced ß-amyloid (Aß) generation and neuronal loss in APP/PS1 transgenic mouse brains. PAL stimulated the expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) possibly through inhibiting sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 (SREBP2); PAL also promoted LRP1-mediated ß-site APP cleavage enzyme 1 (BACE1) transport to late endosomes, thus increasing the lysosomal degradation of BACE1. Furthermore, PAL diminished 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG) generation in neuronal mitochondria via enhancing base excision repair (BER), resulting in the attenuation of calpain-1-mediated neuronal loss. INTERPRETATION: The present data demonstrate that PAL can reduce Aß generation through accelerating BACE1 lysosomal degradation and can inhibit neuronal loss through suppressing mitochondrial 8-OHdG generation. Hence, PAL might be a promising agent for treating Alzheimer's disease. FUND: This study was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (U1608282).

Periplaneta Americana L. as a novel therapeutics accelerates wound repair and regeneration.

Kangfuxin (KFX) is the ethanol extract of Periplaneta Americana L., which has been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of injury in clinic with a long history. However, the biological influence of KFX in the different wound stages was not investigated comprehensively yet. This study aims to investigate the influence of KFX in the various wound healing activities with cellular and animal models, including the influence of KFX in 1) proliferation and cells cycle of kerationcytes and fibroblasts; 2) migration and chemotaxis of these skin cells; 3) secretion of EGF and VEGF; 4) the healing rate; 5) synthesis and deposition of different types of collagen; 6) as well as the pro-angiogenesis effect. KFX was shown to/for 1) promote the kerationcytes proliferation and regulate the cells cycle of skin fibroblasts significantly; 2) obviously stimulate the migration of kerationcytes and chemotaxis of fibroblasts; 3) the trend to promote EGF and VEGF secretion both in vitro & in vivo; 4) accelerate the wound closure, collagen synthesis and angiogenesis. KFX was demonstrated to accelerate wound healing and improve the healing quality by multiple regulation. Results of this study provide the comprehensive evidence for the application of KFX as a novel therapeutics for wound treatment.

Error Matrix Tool to Overview the Validity of Evidence on Radix Sophorae flavescentis for Chronic Hepatitis B.

Objectives: To introduce a conceptualized visual error matrix tool to overview the validity of evidence by taking Radix Sophorae flavescentis for chronic hepatitis B as an example and to propose recommendations for improving clinical trial design and evidence quality. Methods: The randomized clinical trials and reviews were collected during the conduct of a Cochrane systematic review. The authors used a visual error matrix tool to overview the evidence validity by looking at systematic, random, and design error risks. Systematic errors were measured by the type of evidence. Random errors were expressed by the standard error (SE). Design errors were assessed on the priority of outcome measures and the adequacy of nine design components. Three-dimensional error matrix on benefits and harms were then constructed. Results: The authors included 6 meta-analyses and 28 randomized clinical trials. In terms of systematic errors, all reviews were at critically low quality, and all included randomized trials were assessed at high risk of bias. On this systematic error level, they found that there was substantial risk of random errors regarding all-cause mortality (SE 0.36), moderate risk regarding serious adverse events (SE 0.22), substantial risk regarding nonserious adverse events (SE 0.35), and small to moderate risk regarding surrogate outcomes such as detectable hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) and detectable hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA (SE 0.16 and 0.21). No study reported results on quality of life, hepatitis B-related mortality, and morbidity. The design error risks were mainly misuse of outcomes (14/34), inadequate selection of participants (5/34), inadequate description of intervention (11/34) and control (9/34), single-center setting (33/34), and unclear study objective regarding superiority, equivalence, or noninferiority. Conclusion: The current evidence on Radix S. flavescentis for chronic hepatitis B showed high risks of systematic errors, moderate or high risks of random errors, and high risks of design errors. These findings suggest that more randomized trials at minimum risks of all three errors are needed to assess the benefits and harms of Radix S. flavescentis for chronic hepatitis B. The visual error matrix tool provides an overview of the reliability of evidence and may assist in design and conduct of future randomized trials.

Correction to: Complementary and alternative medicine for treatment of atopic eczema in children under 14 years old: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

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