Optimization of the Formulation of Curcumin Transethosomes / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To optimize the formulation of Curcumin （CUR）transethosomes（CUR-TEs）. METHODS ：The contents of CUR in CUR-TEs were determined by HPLC. CUR-TEs were prepared by injection method. Using comprehensive score of encapsulation efficiency and drug loading as index ，based on signal factor test ，Box-Behnken design-response surface method was used to optimize and validate the formulation. The property of CUR-TEs prepared by the optimal formulation was investigated. RESULTS：The optimal formulation of CUR-TEs was as follows as lecithin of 4％，CUR of 0.13％，1，2-propylene glycol of 25％，tween-80 of 1％. Results of validation test of optimal formulation showed that comprehensive score of encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of CUR-TEs was 93.04±2.16，relative error of which to predicted value （91.19）was 2.03％. The encapsulation efficiency of CUR-TEs prepared by optimal formulation was （91.17±1.35）％，and its drug loading was （0.94± 0.02）％. The particle size was （190.64±15.97）nm with polydispersity index of 0.086±0.007，and Zeta potential was （－12.74± 1.60）mV. CONCLUSIONS ：The optimized formulation of CUR-TEs is stable ，feasible and repeatable ，with good stability.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is associated with a high risk of mortality in critical COVID-19 patients receiving heparin-involved treatment

BackgroundCoronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) has developed into a global pandemic. It is essential to investigate the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and uncover potential risk factors for severe disease to reduce the overall mortality rate of COVID-19. MethodsSixty-one critical COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 93 severe non-ICU patients at Huoshenshan Hospital (Wuhan, China) were included in this study. Medical records, including demographic, platelet counts, heparin-involved treatments, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia-(HIT) related laboratory tests, and fatal outcomes of COVID-19 patients were analyzed and compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. FindingsSixty-one critical COVID-19 patients treated in ICU included 15 survivors and 46 nonsurvivors. Forty-one percent of them (25/61) had severe thrombocytopenia, with a platelet count (PLT) less than 50x109/L, of whom 76% (19/25) had a platelet decrease of >50% compared to baseline; 96% of these patients (24/25) had a fatal outcome. Among the 46 nonsurvivors, 52{middle dot}2% (24/46) had severe thrombocytopenia, compared to 6{middle dot}7% (1/15) among survivors. Moreover, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) could induce a significant decrease in PLT in 81{middle dot}3% of critical CRRT patients (13/16), resulting in a fatal outcome. In addition, a high level of anti-heparin-PF4 antibodies, a marker of HIT, was observed in most ICU patients. Surprisingly, HIT occurred not only in patients with heparin exposure, such as CRRT, but also in heparin-naive patients, suggesting that spontaneous HIT may occur in COVID-19. InterpretationAnti-heparin-PF4 antibodies are induced in critical COVID-19 patients, resulting in a progressive platelet decrease. Exposure to a high dose of heparin may trigger further severe thrombocytopenia with a fatal outcome. An alternative anticoagulant other than heparin should be used to treat COVID-19 patients in critical condition. FundingThis investigation was supported by grants 2016CB02400 and 2017YFC1201103 from the National Major Research and Development Program of China.

Highly pathogenic coronavirus N protein aggravates lung injury by MASP-2-mediated complement over-activation

An excessive immune response contributes to SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and lethality, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the N proteins of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 were found to bind to MASP-2, the key serine protease in the lectin pathway of complement activation, resulting in aberrant complement activation and aggravated inflammatory lung injury. Either blocking the N protein:MASP-2 interaction or suppressing complement activation can significantly alleviate N protein-induced complement hyper-activation and lung injury in vitro and in vivo. Complement hyper-activation was also observed in COVID-19 patients, and a promising suppressive effect was observed when the deteriorating patients were treated with anti-C5a monoclonal antibody. Complement suppression may represent a common therapeutic approach for pneumonia induced by these highly pathogenic coronaviruses. One Sentence SummaryThe lectin pathway of complement activation is a promising target for the treatment of highly pathogenic coronavirus induced pneumonia.

Determination of chlorogenic acid and mangiferin in Folium Pyrrosiae from different habitats and species by HPLC / 中国中药杂志

An HPLC method for simultaneous determination of chlorogenic acid and mangiferin in original medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Pyrrosiae Folium was developed. The assay was performed on a Diamonsil C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column eluted with a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 0.5% phosphoric acid solution in gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). The column temperature was set at 25 degrees C. The detection wavelength was 320 nm. The results showed that The linear ranges of chlorogenic acid and mangiferin were 5.2-130 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.9999) and 1.2-18 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.9999), and the average recoveries (n=6) were 97.9% (RSD 1.9%) and 99.6% (RSD 2.9%), respectively. The method was simple, reproducible and valid. It can be used for quality evaluation and control of original medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Pyrrosiae Folium.

Determination of Acteoside in Conghuang Bushen Capsule by RP-HPLC / 中药新药与临床药理

Objective To establish a HPLC method to determine the content of acteoside in Conghuang Bushen Capsule. Methods The HPLC method was employed with a column of Hypersil ODS2(4.6 mm? 250 mm,5 ? m) and a mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanol-1 % HOAc(13 ∶ 9 ∶ 78),the detection wavelength being at 334 nm,flow rate being 1.0 mL/min and the column temperature being at 40 ℃ . Results The linear range was 0.108 5 ? g ～ 0.650 7 ? g,r=0.999; 1.The average recovery of acteoside and RSD were 98.42 % and 1.89 %,respectively. Conclusion The present method is simple,rapid and reproducible. It can be used for quality control of Conghuang Bushen Capsule.