Chinese Herbal Medicines Intervene in Signaling Pathways Associated with Diabetic Neuropathic Pain： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diabetic neuropathic pain （DNP） is one of the common complications of diabetic peripheral neuropathy， which is difficult to be cured. The clinical manifestations of DNP include reduced pain threshold， neuropathic pain in extremities， and abnormal pain. Studies have demonstrated that nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB）， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathways are involved in the treatment of DNP by inhibiting the activation and release of inflammatory cytokines ［e.g.， tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α） and interleukin （IL）］， regulating inflammation-mediating factors ［e.g.， reactive oxygen （ROS）， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， cyclooxygenase （COX-2）， and NF-κB inhibitor （IκB）］， suppressing neurogenic inflammation， destroying the persistent damage of peripheral nerves， and repairing damaged peripheral nerves. The literature of modern medical research has demonstrated that the treatment of DNP with Chinese herbal medicines is associated with the signaling pathways above. They can treat DNP by regulating the expression of key proteins in the signaling pathways to control neurogenic inflammation and repair diabetic peripheral neuropathic damage. By summarizing the available studies， this review aims to provide a reference for the in-depth research on Chinese herbal medicines in the treatment of DNP and give new insights into the protection of diabetic peripheral nerves and the treatment of DNP with Chinese herbal medicines.

Comparative study of antimicrobial action of aloe vera and antibiotics against different bacterial isolates from skin infection.

Aloe vera is reputed to have medicinal properties. For centuries, it has been used for an array of ailments such as mild fever, wounds and burns, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, sexual vitality and fertility problems to cancer, immune modulation, AIDS and various skin infections. In present study, antibacterial activity of aloe vera gel extracts was tested against some common skin infection pathogens, that is, Escherichia coli, Shigella, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus all were recorded positive. Antibiotic resistance and susceptibility pattern of above isolates were also studied against 10 clinically significant antibiotics (ampicillin [AMC], amoxicillin, augmentin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime [CAZ], cefuroxime [CXM], ciprofloxaci, tetracycline, cefpodoxime and imipenem). AMC and CXM were found to be most effective antibiotic followed by CXM with highest efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria. In case of CAZ showed highest efficacy was showed against Gram-positive bacteria. Aloe vera leave gel was extracted with four different solvent-like aloe vera leaf extract, root extract, leaf ethanol extract and root ethanol extract; however, Gram-negative as well Gram-positive isolates was found highest susceptibility with aloe leaf and aloe root ethanol extract. Moderate sensitivity observed with aloe leaf extract and aloe root extract against both Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacterial isolates. This result showed that ethanol extracts of aloe vera both leaf and root can be used alongside conventional antibiotics to fight agents of infections that are so prevalent in the skin infection.

Efficacy of moxifloxacin combined with levofloxacin in the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a clinically common respiratory-borne chronic infectious disease. Fluoroquinolone drugs can inhibit the replication and transcription of bacterial DNA and cause bacteria to die, and the antibacterial spectrum of such drugs is broad, especially for Mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced diseases. This article observes and compares the clinical efficacy of levofloxacin and moxifloxacin in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). At the end of the course of treatment, the treatment success rate was 76.4% in the control group and 68.2% in the treatment group. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P<0.05). The cavity reduction rate was 70.1% in the control group and 62.5% in the treatment group. Adverse reaction rate, the control group was 14.7% and the treatment group was 18.1%. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P >0.05). For multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, levofloxacin tablets and moxifloxacin tablets have similar effects in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, adverse drug reactions, and economically difficult multidrug-resistant patients. Drug sensitivity indicates that they are sensitive to levofloxacin.