Wogonin inhibits latent HIV-1 reactivation by downregulating histone crotonylation.

BACKGROUND: Wogonin, a flavone isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is a commonly used phytochemical with anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties. However, the antiviral activity of wogonin against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has not been reported. PURPOSE: The current study aimed to explore whether wogonin can suppress latent HIV-1 reactivation and the mechanism of wogonin in inhibiting proviral HIV-1 transcription. METHODS: We assessed the effects of wogonin on HIV-1 reactivation using flow cytometry, cytotoxicity assay, quantitative PCR (qPCR), viral quality assurance (VQA), and western blot analysis. RESULTS: Wogonin, a flavone isolated from S. baicalensis, significantly inhibited the reactivation of latent HIV-1 in cellular models and in primary CD4+ T cells from antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed individuals ex vivo. Wogonin exhibited low cytotoxicity and long-lasting inhibition of HIV-1 transcription. Triptolide is a latency-promoting agent (LPA) that inhibits HIV-1 transcription and replication; wogonin had a stronger ability to inhibit HIV-1 latent reactivation than triptolide. Mechanistically, wogonin inhibited the reactivation of latent HIV-1 by inhibiting the expression of p300, a histone acetyltransferase, and decreasing the crotonylation of histone H3/H4 in the HIV-1 promoter region. CONCLUSION: Our study found that wogonin is a novel LPA that can inhibit HIV-1 transcription by HIV-1 epigenetic silencing, which could bear promising significance for future applications of HIV-1 functional cure.

Hospitalization, interpersonal and personal factors of social anxiety among COVID-19 survivors at the six-month follow-up after hospital treatment: the minority stress model.

Background: As a highly infectious disease with human-to-human transmission characteristics, COVID-19 has caused panic in the general public. Those who have recovered from COVID-19 may experience discrimination and internalized stigma. They may be more likely to worry about social interaction and develop social anxiety. Objectives: This study investigated the associations among hospitalization factors, social/interpersonal factors, personal factors, and social anxiety to reveal the mechanism of social anxiety in COVID-19 survivors. Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter telephone survey was conducted from July to September 2020 in five Chinese cities (i.e. Wuhan, Nanning, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Dongguan); adult COVID-19 survivors were recruited 6 months after they were discharged from the hospital. Linear regressions and path analysis based on the minority stress model were conducted to test the relationships among hospitalization, social/interpersonal factors, personal factors, and social anxiety. Results: The response rate was 74.5% (N = 199, 55.3% females). Linear regression analyses showed that various hospitalization, social/interpersonal, and personal factors were statistically significantly associated with social anxiety. Path analysis showed that the proposed model fit the data well (χ2(df) = 3.196(3), p = .362, CFI = .999, NNFI = .996, RMSEA = .018). Internalized stigma fully mediated the association between perceived discrimination/social support and social anxiety, while it partially mediated the association between perceived affiliate stigma and social anxiety. Conclusions: The results suggest that social/interpersonal and personal factors have a stronger association with social anxiety than hospitalization factors and highlight the importance of internalized stigma in understanding the mechanisms of these relationships. Clinical psychologists can refer to these modifiable psychosocial factors to develop efficient interventions for mental health promotion.

Antecedentes: Como una enfermedad altamente infecciosa con características de transmisión de persona a persona, el COVID-19 ha causado pánico en el público en general. Aquellos que se han recuperado del COVID-19 pueden experimentar discriminación y estigma internalizado. Es más probable que se preocupen por la interacción social y desarrollen ansiedad social.Objetivos: Este estudio investigó las asociaciones entre factores de hospitalización, factores sociales /interpersonales, factores personales y ansiedad social para revelar el mecanismo de ansiedad social en sobrevivientes de COVID-19.Métodos: Se realizó una encuesta telefónica transversal multicentro de julio a septiembre de 2020 en cinco ciudades chinas (es decir, Wuhan, Nanning, Shenzhen, Zhuhai y Dongguan). Se reclutaron sobrevivientes adultos de COVID-19 seis meses después de ser dados de alta del hospital. Se realizaron regresiones lineales y análisis de ruta basados en el modelo de estrés de minoría para probar las relaciones entre la hospitalización, los factores sociales/interpersonales, los factores personales y la ansiedad social.Resultados: La tasa de respuesta fue del 74,5% (N = 199, 55,3% mujeres). Los análisis de regresión lineal mostraron que varios factores de hospitalización, sociales/interpersonales y personales se asociaron de manera estadísticamente significativa con la ansiedad social. El análisis de ruta mostró que el modelo propuesto se ajustaba bien a los datos (χ2 (df) = 3.196 (3), p = .362, CFI = .999, NNFI = .996, RMSEA = .018). El estigma internalizado medió completamente la asociación entre discriminación/apoyo social percibido y ansiedad social, mientras que medió parcialmente la asociación entre el estigma percibido de afiliados y ansiedad social.Conclusiones: Los resultados sugieren que los factores sociales/interpersonales y personales tienen una asociación más fuerte con la ansiedad social que los factores de hospitalización y resaltan la importancia del estigma internalizado en la comprensión de los mecanismos de estas relaciones. Los psicólogos clínicos pueden referirse a estos factores psicosociales modificables para desarrollar intervenciones eficientes para la promoción de la salud mental.

Evaluation of the Adjuvant Efficacy of Natural Herbal Medicine on COVID-19: A Retrospective Matched Case-Control Study.

Since the outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei province, the epidemic scale has increased rapidly, and no effective antiviral drug therapy has been identified yet. This study aimed to evaluate the adjuvant efficacy of Natural Herbal Medicine (NHM) combined with Western medicine in the treatment of COVID-19. We performed a retrospective, 1:1 matched, case-control study of the first cohort of hospitalized COVID-19-confirmed cases (January 17, 2020 to January 28, 2020). A total of 22 of the 36 confirmed patients were included in this study, split into two groups of 11: the NHM group (NHM combined standard Western medicine treatment) and control group (standard Western medicine treatment alone). All patients received appropriate supportive care and regular clinical and laboratory monitoring. Main evaluation indicators included improvement of clinical symptoms such as fever, cough and diarrhea after hospitalization; pathogen nucleic acid test result of respiratory tract and fecal specimens of the patient after hospitalization, and change of chest CT examination after hospitalization. The duration of fever in the NHM group ([Formula: see text] days) was significantly shorter than that in the control group ([Formula: see text] days) ([Formula: see text]). During the whole hospitalization period, the number of cases with diarrhea in the NHM group (two cases) was less than that in the control group (eight cases) ([Formula: see text]). Compared with the control group ([Formula: see text]), the duration for improvement (DI) of chest CT in the NHM group ([Formula: see text]) was significantly shorter ([Formula: see text]). Our results suggest that NHM could improve the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients and may be effective in treating COVID-19; thus, a larger, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial should be conducted to further evaluate the adjuvant efficacy of NHM in the treatment of COVID-19.

Non-invasive treatment to grade 1 essential hypertension by percutaneous laser and electric pulse to acupoint with music: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To study a non-drug therapy for hypertension disease by combining percutaneous laser and electric pulse stimulation to acupoint with music, and to test the efficiency of the combining treatment to grade 1 essential hypertension. METHODS: A total of 174 patients with grade 1 essential hypertension were randomly assigned to 3 groups with a random number table after Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome differentiation: the photoelectric and musical treatment group (Group 1, with a self-developed multi-mode audio frequency pulse photoelectric therapeutic apparatus), acupuncture group (Group 2), and oral placebo group (Group 3), 58 cases per group. The curative effect of each group was evaluated by the changes of blood pressure and CM syndrome integral before and after treatment. RESULTS: Compared with Group 3, there were significant decrease of blood pressure and CM syndrome integral in Group 1 and Group 2 (P<0.01). Compared with Group 2, Group 1 showed the highest decrease in systolic pressure (P<0.017). The total effective rate of anti-hypertension in Group 1 (91.38%, 53/58) was significantly higher than that in Group 2 (74.13%, 43/58) and Group 3 (18.97%, 11/58, P<0.05 or P<0.01); and that in Group 2 was also significantly higher than that in Group 3 (P<0.01). There were significant difference in the total effective rate of CM syndrome integral in both Group 1 (93.10%, 54/58) and Group 2 (84.48%, 49/58) as compared with Group 3 (17.24%, 10/58, P<0.01), while there was no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The multi-mode audio frequency pulse photoelectric therapeutic apparatus, combining music, laser and electric pulse stimulation, is clinically useful for grade 1 essential hypertension. This "three in one" therapy method is non-invasive, easy and simple to handle. It is expected to be popularized as a new alternative treatment.

[Clinical research on electrode and laser stimulating on acupoint combined with music therapy for grade 1 essential hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To explore safe, effective, simple and easy non-drug treatments for grade 1 essential hypertension. METHODS: According to TCM syndrome differentiation, 126 cases of grade 1 essential hypertension were classified into 4 types: liver-fire hyperactivity syndrome, yin-deficiency and yang-hyperactivity syndrome, excessive phlegm-dampness syndrome, yin-yang deficiency syndrome, and then the patients were randomly divided into a photoelectric combined with musical treatment group (group A), an acupuncture group(group B) and a placebo group (group C). The acupoints were selected according to TCM syndrome differentiation in group A and group B, and multi-mode audio frequency pulse photoelectric therapeutic apparatus and acupuncture were used in the two groups respectively, once daily. Taichong (LR 3) and Quchi (LI 11) were selected in liver-fire hyperactivity syndrome, Taixi (KI 3) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) were selected yi yin-deficiency and yang-hyperactivity syndrome, Zusanli (ST 36) and Fenglong (ST 40) were selected in excessive phlegm-dampness syndrome, while Taixi (KI 3) and Guanyuan (CV 4) were selected yi yirryang deficiency syndrome. The group C was treated with oral administration of starch tablet (25 mg), one tablet each time,three times everyday. Ten days were considered as one course, totally three courses were required in the three groups. The blood pressure and scores of TCM syndromes before and after treatment were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: The blood pressure decreased significantly after treatment in group A and group B (all P<0.01), and the decrease in systolic blood pressure was more significant in group A (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 90.5 / (38/42) in group A, which was superior to 71. 4 (30/42, P < 0.05) in group B and 19.1% (18/34, P<0. 01) in group C. The scores of TCM syndromes were both improved in group A and group B, but without significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The clinical effect of multi-mode audio frequency pulse photoelectric therapeutic apparatus for treatment of grade 1 essential hypertension is reliable. Meanwhile, it has the advantages of a non-invasive and simple operation.