Explore the pharmacological basis of ShengJiYiSui decoction in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.

Neurodegenerative illnesses have long been handled clinically by traditional Chinese medicine. This study is the first time to explore the pharmacological basis of application in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques. In the present investigation, the TCMSP database and HIT2 database were examined for 9 TCM constituents of Sheng Ji Yu Sui Decoction (SJYSD), and the desired sites for the components were searched in the Drugbank database. and the Sjysd-target network was constructed. Associated targets for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were then retrieved and collected in the OMIM, TTD, Genecards and DisGeNET databases. Protein-protein interaction and enrichment analysis were performed for the common targets of drugs and diseases, and molecular anchoring for the chosen core targets and related molecules was carried out. The results showed that SJYSD had 100 active compounds corresponding to 598 targets. ALS has a total of 5,325 genes. SJYSD and ALS share 163 genes, and these targets involve PI3K-AKT signaling, p53 signaling and IL-17 signaling, etc. The core components of luteolin and quercetin were discovered and may be used to treat ALS by regulating PI3K-AKT signaling pathway by HSP90AB1 protein.

Comparison of kinesiology tape and cryotherapy on postoperative reaction following third molar extraction: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of kinesiology tape application after mandibular third molar extraction. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Patients with mandibular third molar extraction indications were divided into three groups. The patients in group 1 had kinesiology tape applied after tooth extraction, the patients in group 2 were given an ice pack and intermittent cryotherapy within 24 h of the operation, and the patients in group 3 were not given any additional intervention. All patients were followed up, and the postoperative swelling, pain, mouth opening limitation, and quality of life were recorded and evaluated. Comments on the intervention methods from patients were also collected. RESULTS: Compared to group 3, groups 1 and 2 showed a significant reduction in postoperative swelling, pain, and limitation of mouth opening, and improvement of quality of life. There was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 in each index, but the patients in group 1 reported fewer problems than those in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: The application of kinesiology tape was helpful in reducing the postoperative inflammatory symptoms of mandibular third molar extraction and improved the patients' postoperative quality of life. These results suggest that kinesiology tape can be used as an auxiliary treatment to cryotherapy or as an alternative intervention after mandibular third molar extraction.

Clinical Effect of Abdominal Massage Therapy on Blood Glucose and Intestinal Microbiota in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical effects of abdominal massage on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its influence on the intestinal microflora. We conducted a randomized, controlled clinical trial. A total of 60 patients with T2DM, who met the inclusion criteria, were randomly allocated to the control group, the routine massage group, and the abdominal massage group. The control group received health education and maintained their hypoglycemic drug treatment plan. The routine massage group and the abdominal massage group received different massage interventions. In addition to glucose and lipid metabolism indicators, we quantitatively analyzed the gut microbiota to assess the effects of massage on the intestinal microflora of patients with T2DM. Compared with the control group, the abdominal massage improved levels of glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, Enterobacter, and Bifidobacteria with significant differences (P = 0.02, P = 0.03, P = 0.03, and P = 0.03). The comparison within group showed that the levels of the four bacterial genera in the abdominal massage group revealed significant differences before and after treatment (P = 0.006, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.002). The comparison between the routine massage group and the abdominal massage group was not significantly different in all levels of test indices. The abdominal massage group regulated levels of Enterobacter and Lactobacilli to a greater extent than the routine massage group. Additionally, abdominal massage decreased Enterococcus levels. The results of this study showed that abdominal massage has clinical advantages over routine massage. Specifically, this intervention may correct microflora disturbances to a certain extent.

Case Report: Torsade de Pointes Induced by the Third-Generation Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Osimertinib Combined With Litsea Cubeba.

Torsades de Pointes (TdP) occurred in a 68-year-old female with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant lung cancer administered osimertinib, the third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded at Tdp showed QT prolongation (QTc = 515 ms), to which a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) named "Litsea Cubeba" may have contributed. After discontinuation of osimertinib and Litsea Cubeba, magnesium supplementation, potassium supplementation, lidocaine infusion, and the pacemaker frequency adjustment, Tdp terminated. However, QT prolongation sustained at discharge (QTc = 528 ms), partly because of the emergency use of amiodarone. Osimertinib may prolong the QT interval leading to TdP, especially when multiple risk factors to lengthen QT interval are incidentally overlapped. Thus, regular monitoring of ECG and appropriate management of concomitant drugs are highly recommended.

Coronary artery calcification and risk of mortality and adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19: a Chinese multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an independent risk factor of major adverse cardiovascular events; however, the impact of CAC on in-hospital death and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear. Objective: To explore the association between CAC and in-hospital mortality and adverse events in patients with COVID-19. Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study enrolled 2067 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients with definitive clinical outcomes (death or discharge) admitted from 22 tertiary hospitals in China between January 3, 2020 and April 2, 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory results, chest CT findings, and CAC on admission were collected. The primary outcome was in-hospital death and the secondary outcome was composed of in-hospital death, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), and requiring mechanical ventilation. Multivariable Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier plots were used to explore the association between CAC and in-hospital death and adverse clinical outcomes. Results: The mean age was 50 years (SD,16) and 1097 (53.1%) were male. A total of 177 patients showed high CAC level, and compared with patients with low CAC, these patients were older (mean age: 49 vs. 69 years, P < 0.001) and more likely to be male (52.0% vs. 65.0%, P = 0.001). Comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) ([33.3%, 59/177] vs. [4.7%, 89/1890], P < 0.001), presented more often among patients with high CAC, compared with patients with low CAC. As for laboratory results, patients with high CAC had higher rates of increased D-dimer, LDH, as well as CK-MB (all P < 0.05). The mean CT severity score in high CAC group was also higher than low CAC group (12.6 vs. 11.1, P = 0.005). In multivariable Cox regression model, patients with high CAC were at a higher risk of in-hospital death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.731; 95% CI 1.010-2.971, P = 0.046) and adverse clinical outcomes (HR, 1.611; 95% CL 1.087-2.387, P = 0.018). Conclusion: High CAC is a risk factor associated with in-hospital death and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with confirmed COVID-19, which highlights the importance of calcium load testing for hospitalized COVID-19 patients and calls for attention to patients with high CAC. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42058-021-00072-4.

[Systematic evaluation and sequential Meta-analysis of modified Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction combined with Western medicine in treatment of leiomyoma].

CNKI, PubMed and other databases were retrieved to extract eligible randomized controlled trial(RCT) about modified Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction(MXZD) combined with Western medicine(trial group) versus Western medicine alone(control group) in the treatment of leiomyoma. Therefore, a total of 25 RCTs were included, involving 2 328 patients. Bias risk evaluation tool in Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 was used for evaluating the quality of these RCTs. Meta-analysis was performed for the reported indicators, including total efficiency, serum hormone level [progesterone(P), luteinizing hormone(LH), estradiol(E_2), follicle stimulating hormone(FSH)], uterine size, fibroids size and adverse reactions by using Stata 14.0 software. Meta-analysis showed that the total efficiency(RR=1.21,95%CI[1.17,1.25],P<0.05) of trial group was better than that of control group. Serum hormone level(WMD_P=-3.86,95%CI[-4.31,-3.41],P<0.05; WMD_(LH)=-3.64,95%CI[-4.47,-2.82],P<0.05; WMD_(E_2)=-39.99,95%CI[-53.45,-26.52],P<0.05; WMD_(FSH)=-3.79,95%CI[-4.86,-2.72],P<0.05), uterine size(WMD=-50.02,95%CI[-55.98,-44.06],P<0.05), fibroids size(WMD=-15.79,95%CI[-18.11,-13.46],P<0.05) and adverse reactions(RR=0.65,95%CI[0.48,0.88],P<0.05) of trial group were all lower than those of control group, with statistical significances. Trial sequential analysis(TSA) was performed by using TSA 0.9 software, and showed a reliable therapeutic effect of the experimental group. In short, our study indicated that modified Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction combined with Western medicine had a better therapeutic effect on leiomyoma than Western medicine alone, but more high-quality studies are needed to verify this conclusion in the future.

Differences in the Composition of Vaginal Microbiota between Women Exhibiting Spleen-Deficiency Syndrome and Women with Damp-Heat Syndrome, Two of the Most Common Syndromes of Vaginitis in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Spleen-deficiency syndrome and damp-heat syndrome are the two most common syndromes of vaginitis in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although it is known that the vaginal microbiota is closely associated with vaginitis, present studies have not fully elucidated the relationship between the composition of the vaginal microbiome and type of TCM syndrome because of the limitations in the present reductionist approaches. Samples of vaginal secretions were collected from patients with bacterial vaginitis and healthy subjects with spleen-deficiency syndrome and damp-heat syndrome, in order to analyze the constitution of the vaginal microflora using 16S rRNA sequencing methods that encompass taxonomic units, alpha diversity rarefaction curves, and principal component analyses. This prospective study indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the composition of the vaginal microbiome between patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome and patients with damp-heat syndrome. Streptococcus was the dominant microbiota in patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome. This can serve as a biomarker for differentiating spleen-deficiency syndrome and damp-heat syndrome. In addition, as indicated by the findings on the samples, patients with bacterial vaginitis of dominant abundance in Pseudomonadaceae might be prone to manifest spleen-deficiency syndrome, while patients with bacterial vaginitis of dominant abundance in Prevotella might be prone to manifest damp-heat syndrome. These present findings can provide a new approach to acquire a scientific understanding of the syndromes of TCM, which in turn would benefit the development of personalized medicine, in terms of ancient medicine and complex biological systems.

Effect of Total Flavones from Cuscuta Chinensis on Anti-Abortion via the MAPK Signaling Pathway.

For centuries, the Chinese herb Cuscuta chinensis has been applied clinically for abortion prevention in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Total flavones extracted from Cuscuta chinensis (TFCC) are one of the active components in the herb and also display anti-abortion effect similar to the unprocessed material. However, how TFCC exerts the anti-abortion effect remains largely unknown. In this study, we aim at characterizing the anti-abortion effects of TFCC and its underlying molecular mechanism in vitro and in vivo using human primary decidua cells and a mifepristone-induced abortion model in rat, respectively. The damage to the decidua caused by mifepristone in vivo was reversed by TFCC treatment in a dosage-dependent manner. High dosage of TFCC significantly upregulated the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and prolactin receptor (PRLR) in decidua tissue but downregulated the expression of p-ERK. Furthermore, we detected higher level of p-ERK and p-p38 in primary decidua cells from spontaneous abortion while treatment by TFCC downregulated their expression. Our results suggest TFCC mediates its anti-abortion effect by interfering with MAPK signaling pathway.

[Advantages and evidences research on Chinese medicine for treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease].

Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infectious disease. At present, Western medicine is mainly treated with antibiotics. However, the situation of antibiotics abuse is so grim that the potential risks such as the imbalance of bacteria, the resistance of bacteria, the production of super bacteria and the increase of adverse reactions are becoming more and more serious. Therefore, it is urgent to find a way to supplement or substitute antibiotics for the treatment of this disease. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment of the disease is effective and has its unique advantages. This paper mainly discusses the advantages and evidences of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease, to further prove the effectiveness and safety of TCM treatment and to provide medical evidence of reducing antibiotics use.

Direct stacking of sequence-specific nuclease-induced mutations to produce high oleic and low linolenic soybean oil.

BACKGROUND: The ability to modulate levels of individual fatty acids within soybean oil has potential to increase shelf-life and frying stability and to improve nutritional characteristics. Commodity soybean oil contains high levels of polyunsaturated linoleic and linolenic acid, which contribute to oxidative instability - a problem that has been addressed through partial hydrogenation. However, partial hydrogenation increases levels of trans-fatty acids, which have been associated with cardiovascular disease. Previously, we generated soybean lines with knockout mutations within fatty acid desaturase 2-1A (FAD2-1A) and FAD2-1B genes, resulting in oil with increased levels of monounsaturated oleic acid (18:1) and decreased levels of linoleic (18:2) and linolenic acid (18:3). Here, we stack mutations within FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B with mutations in fatty acid desaturase 3A (FAD3A) to further decrease levels of linolenic acid. Mutations were introduced into FAD3A by directly delivering TALENs into fad2-1a fad2-1b soybean plants. RESULTS: Oil from fad2-1a fad2-1b fad3a plants had significantly lower levels of linolenic acid (2.5 %), as compared to fad2-1a fad2-1b plants (4.7 %). Furthermore, oil had significantly lower levels of linoleic acid (2.7 % compared to 5.1 %) and significantly higher levels of oleic acid (82.2 % compared to 77.5 %). Transgene-free fad2-1a fad2-1b fad3a soybean lines were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The methods presented here provide an efficient means for using sequence-specific nucleases to stack quality traits in soybean. The resulting product comprised oleic acid levels above 80 % and linoleic and linolenic acid levels below 3 %.

Improving cold storage and processing traits in potato through targeted gene knockout.

Cold storage of potato tubers is commonly used to reduce sprouting and extend postharvest shelf life. However, cold temperature stimulates the accumulation of reducing sugars in potato tubers. Upon high-temperature processing, these reducing sugars react with free amino acids, resulting in brown, bitter-tasting products and elevated levels of acrylamide--a potential carcinogen. To minimize the accumulation of reducing sugars, RNA interference (RNAi) technology was used to silence the vacuolar invertase gene (VInv), which encodes a protein that breaks down sucrose to glucose and fructose. Because RNAi often results in incomplete gene silencing and requires the plant to be transgenic, here we used transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) to knockout VInv within the commercial potato variety, Ranger Russet. We isolated 18 plants containing mutations in at least one VInv allele, and five of these plants had mutations in all VInv alleles. Tubers from full VInv-knockout plants had undetectable levels of reducing sugars, and processed chips contained reduced levels of acrylamide and were lightly coloured. Furthermore, seven of the 18 modified plant lines appeared to contain no TALEN DNA insertions in the potato genome. These results provide a framework for using TALENs to quickly improve traits in commercially relevant autotetraploid potato lines.

[Kidney-tonifying and abortion preventing effects of Shou Tai Wan by different extration methods on rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the Kidney-tonifying and abortion preventing effect of Shou Tai Wan (STW) by different extration methods on the SD Rats' abortion model. METHODS: Applied hydroxycarbamide and mifepristone (RU-486) to establish the abortion model of corpus luteum inhibition due to Kidney deficiency (disease-syndorme combination model) on SD, rats. Treated the model rats with STW formula. Observed the uterus condition and recorded the embryo number and the miscarriage rate of each rat. 4 kinds of extractions including water extract of STW (A liquid), alcohol extract of STW (B liquid), after the ethanol water extract residue of STW (C liquid) and B + C liquid. Visual observed the uterine lesions embryos and calculated obortion rate. Used chemluninescence methed to cheek the serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) level. Used quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) to analyze the different of the PR mRNR between the model group and the treated group. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, the abortion rate of B + C liquid was greatly deduced and the embryo number of B + C liquid group, the E2 and P levels were obviously increased in the treated groups. CONCLUSION: STW (B + C) has the best effect of tonifying the kidney and preventing abortion.

Effect of Chinese herbal treatment on Th1- and Th2-type cytokines, progesterone and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin in early pregnant women of threatened abortion.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effects of Prescription Zhuyun-III (ZYIII) on early pregnant women diagnosed as threatened abortion, and its mechanism in immunity and endocrine by determining serum Th1- and Th2-type cytokines, progesterone, and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG). METHODS: The treatment group comprised 30 early pregnant women diagnosed as threatened abortion of deficiency syndrome of Pi, Shen, or both. The control group consisted of 20 normal early pregnant women of similar gestational age. Patients in the treatment group were administered with ZYIII for 4 weeks. Peripheral blood samples were collected pre- and post-treatment from both the treatment and the control groups. Serum Th1-type cytokine [interleukin-2 (IL-2)] and Th2-type cytokine [interleukin-10 (IL-10)] were determined by flow cytometry, and serum progesterone and beta-HCG were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: (1) The treatment was effective in 26 and ineffective in 4 patients of the treatment group. Therefore, the cure percentage was 86.67%. (2) In the treatment group before the treatment, IL-2 was significantly higher, IL-10 tended to be less, and the Th1/Th2 balance shifted toward Th1 compared with those in the control group. (3) After the treatment, IL-2 was decreased, IL-10 was increased, and IL-2/IL-10 was decreased. Both progesterone and beta-HCG were increased. Changes of progesterone were positively correlated with changes of IL-10, whereas changes of beta-HCG were negatively correlated with changes of IL-2. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that ZYIII has an evident function of protecting the fetus, and one of its mechanisms is inhibiting the secretion of Th1 cytokines, promoting the secretion of Th2 cytokines, and recovering the pathological shift of the Th1/Th2 balance. The other possible mechanism is increasing serum progesterone and beta-HCG concentrations. Moreover, there are some correlations between the above two effects.

Effects of bushen tiaochong recipe containing serum on ovarian granulosa cell proliferation, steroidogenesis and associated gene expression in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of bushen tiaochong recipe (BSTCR) on rats' ovarian granulosa cell (GC) proliferation, steroidogenesis and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression using serum pharmacological method. METHODS: Rats' GCs were incubated with 10% blank serum (as negative control group), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-containing serum (S-FSH, as positive control group), or BSTCR (in different dosages) containing serum (S-BSTCR, as the BSTCR groups) for 48 h. 3H-TdR incorporation was then performed; DNA was measured to analyze the distribution of GCs in the cell cycle and their proliferation index (PI) using a flow cytometer; estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) content in the culture fluid were examined by radioimmunoassay; and levels of FSHR and IGF-1 mRNA expression in GCs were measured by real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: A dose-dependent increase of 3H-TdR incorporation in GC was shown in the BSTCR groups. Cells in G0/G1 phase had markedly less, while those in S phase had a significantly higher increase in the BSTCR groups compared with the negative control group. A high value of PI was also shown in the BSTCR groups, especially in the high dose group where the influence of cell proliferation was stronger than that in the positive control group. The levels of E2 and P in the BSTCR groups of all dosages were significantly higher than those in the negative control group, and did not show any significant difference compared with those in the positive control group. Levels of FSHR and IGF-1 mRNA expression in the BSTCR groups increased in a dose-dependent manner at levels higher than those in the negative control group. CONCLUSION: S-BSTCR can obviously stimulate the proliferation and steroidogenesis of ovarian GCs. It is speculated that BSTCR could play a regulatory action on ovarian function through two different pathways of endocrine and autocrine by promoting FSHR and IGF-1 mRNA expression.

[Neuroprotective effect of electroacupuncture therapy on damaged cholinergic neurons in rats with Alzheimer's disease].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuroprotective effect of electroacupuncture therapy on damaged cholinergic neurons in hippocampus in aged rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Thirty six aged male rats were randomly divided into normal control group, sham-operated group, untreated group and electroacupuncture group. Animal model of AD was established with fimbria-fornix transection. The rats in the electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture on Baihui (DU 20), Yongquan (KI 1), Taixi (KI 3) and Xuehai (SP10). The activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in septal area of brain was detected by radioimmunoassay, and the protein expressions of nerve growth factor (NGF) and c-fos in CA3 region of hippocampus were detected by immunohistochemical assay. RESULTS: The ChAT activity and the expression levels of NGF and c-fos proteins in the electroacupuncture group were significantly higher than those in the untreated group. CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture therapy can protect cholinergic neurons in hippocampus in aged rats with AD by means of promoting synthesis of c-fos protein and increasing the expression level of NGF.

[Protective effect of zuogui pill on ovarian autoimmune injury].

OBJECTIVE: To probe the effect of Zuogui pill (ZGP), a Chinese compound recipe for tonifying Shen, on ovarian function in mice with premature ovarian failure (POF). METHODS: BALB/C female mice model of POF was established by multiple sites subcutaneous injection of ovarian antigen elicited with ovarian tissue of SD female rats, and treated with ZGP at different time points in the modeling, with prednisone as positive control. The levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) in peripheral blood were measured with radioimmunoassay, and ovarian antibody (AoAb) was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The mRNA expression of ovarian growth and differentiation factor-9 was detected with in situ hybridization. RESULTS: POF model mice manifested such abnormalities as increased FSH, decreased E2, and positive AoAb in peripheral blood, with lymphocytes infiltration in ovarian mesanchyma, reduction of GDF-9 mRNA positive oocytes, and decrease of growing and mature follicles. ZGP could reduce the increase of FSH, increase the level of E2, inhibit the production of AoAb, raise the GDF-9 mRNA positive cells of oocytes, increase the number of growing and mature follicles. The clinical efficacy was more significant in early stage than in advanced stage. CONCLUSION: ZGP can improve immune inflammatory injury of ovary, and shows therapeutic effect on POF.