The Therapeutic Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Inflammatory Diseases Caused by Virus, Especially on Those Caused by COVID-19.

Inflammasomes are large multimolecular complexes best recognized because of their ability to control activation of caspase-1, which in turn regulates the maturation of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and interleukin-1 ß (IL-1ß). IL-1ß was originally identified as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, capable of inducing local and systemic inflammation as well as a fever response reaction in response to infection or injury. Excessive production of IL-1ß is related to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Both coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are characterized by excessive inflammatory response. For SARS, there is no correlation between viral load and worsening symptoms. However, there is no specific medicine which is available to treat the disease. As an important part of medical practice, TCM showed an obvious therapeutic effect in SARS-CoV-infected patients. In this article, we summarize the current applications of TCM in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Herein, we also offer an insight into the underlying mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of TCM, as well as introduce new naturally occurring compounds with anti-coronavirus activity, in order to provide a new and potential drug development strategy for the treatment of COVID-19.

[Input Characteristics and Pollution Assessment of Nutrients Pollution in the Primary Pollution Source of the Daliao River].

A total of 13 surface water samples were collected from sewage outfalls and 3 main tributaries ( Hunhe River, Taizi River and Haicheng River) of the Daliao River to clarify the pollution characteristics of various species of nitrogen and phosphorus in July 2013, respectively. The results showed that the concentrations of DON in the Hunhe River, NO3(-)-N in the Taizi River, NH4(+) -N, PO4(3-) -P and DOP in the Haicheng River were higher than others. In water samples from the 3 main tributaries of the Daliao River, the TN and TP contents were above the national environmental quality standards for surface water (GB 3838-2002, grade V) except for the TP that was classified as grade IV in the Taizi River. The percentages of various N species showed that NO3(-) -N was the major N species in the Taizi River and Haicheng River, meanwhile DON was the major N species in the Hunhe River. The percentages of various P species showed that TPP was the major P species in the Hunhe River and Taizi River, and DOP was the major P species in the Haicheng River. TN content was above the national environmental quality standards for surface water (GB 3838-2002, grade V) in sewage outfalls. But TP content was classified as grade IV to above grade V. And the concentrations of NH4(+) -N, TN and TP in sewage outfalls of Shachang and Gangjian were higher than those in other sewage outfalls. The percentages of various N species in sewage outfalls showed that DIN was the major N species in sewage outfalls. There were higher level of TN and TP content in the Daliao River than those of tribtaries, and NO3(-) -N and TPP were the major N and P species, respectively. In general, the nutrients analysis of tributaries, sewage outfalls and the Daliao River showed that nutrients of the Daliao River were affected by sewage outfalls. And the effect was significant and non-ignorable.

The impact of transurethral procedures for benign prostate hyperplasia on male sexual function: a meta-analysis.

The effect of transurethral procedures for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) on male sexual function is still controversial, and we conducted this meta-analysis to compare the effects of different transurethral surgical procedures for the treatment of symptomatic BPH on male erectile function (EF) and ejaculatory function (EJF). Databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register, were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) that compared watchful waiting, transurethral electrovaporization (TUEVP) or holmium laser treatment (HLT) with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Trials were included if they were RCTs, contained fully available data, compared with conventional TURP for BPH, and referred to male EF and EJF. A total of 12 RCTs involving a total of 1889 subjects were selected for analysis, including 2 trials comparing TURP and watchful waiting, 6 comparing TURP with TUEVP, and 4 comparing TURP with HLT. TURP was associated with a higher occurrence of retrograde ejaculation compared with watchful waiting but not to TUEVP (P = .95) or HLT (P = .37) and associated with a lower incidence of male erectile dysfunction compared with TUEVP (P = .04) but not HLT. According to the analysis, TURP lead to a higher prevalence of retrograde ejaculation compared with watchful waiting but had less of an effect on EF than TUEVP. TURP did not have a significantly different effect on EF or EJF compared with HLT.