Factors influencing clinical symptoms and treatment of patients with traffic accident injuries: A retrospective chart review with a questionnaire survey.

This study analyzed factors influencing clinical symptoms and treatment of patients with traffic accident injuries. It used a retrospective chart review and questionnaire survey obtained from 560 patients (266 men and 294 women). It also conducted follow-up observations of progress after car insurance settlements and investigated the usefulness of and patient satisfaction with integrative Korean medicine treatment for traffic accident injuries. Retrospective data of patients admitted for traffic accident injury were obtained. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data regarding the degree of traffic accident damage, severity of pain at settlement, any treatment after settlement and duration and cost of such treatment, and patient satisfaction with car insurance services and Korean medicine treatment for traffic accident injury. The results showed no significant association between pain and the degree of damage to the car at the time of traffic accident (P = 0.662), although the degree of damage to the car was more significantly associated with time to reach a car insurance settlement than severity of pain in the patient (P = 0.003). There was no significant association between the degree of damage to the car in a traffic accident and pain after a traffic accident. Greater severity of pain at the time of the car insurance settlement was associated with greater cost and longer time spent in treatment after the car insurance settlement.

Chrysanthemum indicum extract inhibits NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation via regulating ASC phosphorylation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Chrysanthemum indicum (C. indicum), a perennial plant, has long been used to treat inflammation-related disorders, such as pneumonia, hypertension, gastritis, and gastroenteritis. AIM OF THE STUDY: The inhibitory effect of C. indicum extract (C.I) on inflammasome activation was investigated to validate its potential in treating inflammation related disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: LPS-primed bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were used to confirm the inhibitory effect of C.I on selective inflammasome activation in vitro. A monosodium urate (MSU)-induced murine peritonitis model was employed to study the effect of C.I in vivo. RESULTS: C.I inhibited activation of NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes, leading to suppression of interleukin-1ß secretion in vitro. Further, C.I regulates the phosphorylation of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), which could be the main contribution to attenuate these inflammasomes activation. C.I also suppressed secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and neutrophils recruitment in MSU-induced murine peritonitis model. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides scientific evidence substantiating the traditional use of C. indicum in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including gout, which is induced by physiologically analogous cause to MSU-induced peritonitis.

Multimodal Cancer Theranosis Using Hyaluronate-Conjugated Molybdenum Disulfide.

Among various 2D nanomaterials, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) exhibits unique visible photoluminescence with high absorption at the near-infrared (NIR) range. Despite these optical properties, the efforts to use MoS2 nanomaterials for optical imaging and photothermal therapy are hampered by their instability and low intracellular delivery efficiency. Multifunctional MoS2 conjugated with hyaluronate (HA) for cancer theranosis is reported herein. HA facilitates the delivery of MoS2 to tumor cells by the HA-receptor mediated endocytosis. In BALB/c nude mice inoculated with a colorectal cancer cell line of HCT116, HA-MoS2 conjugates appear to be accumulated in the primary tumor at a content more than that in the liver and kidney. The disulfide bonding between MoS2 and thiolated HA seems to degrade in the cytoplasm, releasing MoS2 sheets in stacks and enhancing luminescence efficiency. The HA-MoS2 conjugates are readily detected via photoacoustic imaging as well as upconversion and downconversion fluorescence imaging. With NIR light illumination, HA-MoS2 conjugates enable highly effective photothermal tumor ablation. All these results confirm the promising potential of HA-MoS2 conjugates for cancer theranosis.

Fermentation-Mediated Enhancement of Ginseng's Anti-Allergic Activity against IgE-Mediated Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis In Vivo and In Vitro.

Ginseng (the root of Panax ginseng Meyer) fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum has been found to attenuate allergic responses in in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Ginseng has been reported to also possess various biological functions including anti-inflammatory activity. The present study was aimed at comparing the anti-allergic effect of ginseng and fermented ginseng extracts on IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in vitro in a murine cell line and in vivo in mice. Fermented ginseng extract (FPG) showed higher inhibitory effect against in vitro and in vivo allergic responses when compared with ginseng extract (PG). The secretion of ß-hexosaminidase and interleukin (IL)-4 from the IgE-DNP-stimulated RBH-2H3 mast cells were significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited by FPG treatment, and this effect was concentration-dependent. Further, MKK4 activation and subsequent JNK phosphorylation were attenuated by FPG treatment. The inhibitory effect of FPG on the in vitro allergic response was verified in vivo against IgE-DNP-induced passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in a mouse model. These data indicated that the fermentation of ginseng with L. plantarum enhanced its anti-allergic effects both in vitro and in vivo. We predict that compositional changes in the ginsenosides caused by the fermentation may contribute to the change in the anti-allergic effects of ginseng. The results of our study highlight the potential of the use of FPG as a potential anti-allergic agent.

Coffee consumption and risk of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between coffee consumption and the risk of prostate cancer. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the bibliographies of relevant articles in August 2009. Two evaluators independently reviewed and selected articles based on predetermined selection criteria. RESULTS: Twelve epidemiological studies (eight case-control studies and four cohort studies) were included in the final analysis. In a meta-analysis of all included studies, when compared with the lowest level of coffee consumption, the overall relative risk (RR) of prostate cancer for the highest level of coffee consumption was 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.33). In subgroup meta-analyses by study design, there was a significant positive (harmful) association between coffee consumption and prostate cancer risk in seven case-control studies using both crude and adjusted data (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02-1.40; and RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.03-1.43, respectively), whereas there was no significant association in four cohort studies using crude or adjusted data (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.68-1.38; and RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.83-1.35, respectively). CONCLUSION: Given that a cohort study gives a higher level of evidence than a case-control study, there is no evidence to support a harmful effect of coffee consumption on prostate cancer risk. Further prospective cohort studies are required.

Ethyl alcohol extracts of Hizikia fusiforme sensitize AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-mediated apoptosis.

Resistance to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis has been reported in some cancer cells, including AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Hizikia fusiforme is a commonly used brown seaweed species in Korea that possesses potent antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we demonstrated that treatment with TRAIL in combination with subtoxic concentrations of ethyl alcohol extract of H. fusiforme (EAHF) sensitized TRAIL-resistant AGS cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. Combined treatment with EAHF and TRAIL increased chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and sub-G1-phase DNA content. The restored sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis appeared to be correlated with the modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins and activation of caspases, which resulted in the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase. Taken together, the use of EAHF in combination with TRAIL may be an effective and selective anticancer strategy via suppressing the resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in some tumor cell lines, including AGS cells.