[Application and development of electronic sensing technologies represented by electronic nose in modern traditional Chinese medicine preparations].

Odor is one of the important indicators evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicines. Research data has shown that there are increasing methods available for evaluating the odors of traditional Chinese medicines. Compared with conventional odor sensing techniques, electronic noses stand out for their convenience, high speed, and objectivity. The progress in the pharmaceutical technology of traditional Chinese medicines has provided new formulas and dosage forms for the innovative development in this field. The electronic nose with versatility can be customized to be equipped with a variety of cross-sensors, which can well satisfy the needs of the traditional Chinese medicine preparation technology. This study summarizes the characteristics, application status, and representative products of the current electronic nose, and analyzes the application and feasibility of electronic nose in the production of traditional Chinese medicine preparations based on the current status of odor evaluation. This review is expected to provide new methods, techno-logies, and ideas for electronic nose to play its unique role in the whole-process quality control and pharmaceutical process of traditional Chinese medicine preparations.

Phytoestrogen-derived multifunctional ligands for targeted therapy of breast cancer.

Nano-targeted delivery systems have been widely used for breast tumor drug delivery. Estrogen receptors are considered to be significant drug delivery target receptors due to their overexpression in a variety of tumor cells. However, targeted ligands have a significant impact on the safety and effectiveness of active delivery systems, limiting the clinical transformation of nanoparticles. Phytoestrogens have shown good biosafety characteristics and some affinity with the estrogen receptor. In the present study, molecular docking was used to select tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) among phytoestrogens as a target ligand to be used in nanodelivery systems with some modifications. Modified Tan IIA (Tan-NH2) showed a good biosafety profile and demonstrated tumor-targeting, anti-tumor and anti-tumor metastasis effects. Moreover, the ligand was utilized with the anti-tumor drug Dox-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles via chemical modification to generate a nanocomposite Tan-Dox-MSN. Tan-Dox-MSN had a uniform particle size, good dispersibility and high drug loading capacity. Validation experiments in vivo and in vitro showed that it also had a better targeting ability, anti-tumor effect and lower toxicity in normal organs. These results supported the idea that phytoestrogens with high affinity for the estrogen receptor could improve the therapeutic efficacy of nano-targeted delivery systems in breast tumors.

Baicalin/ambroxol hydrochloride combined dry powder inhalation formulation targeting lung delivery for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Fabrication, characterization, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and often fatal lung disease caused by multiple factors. Currently, safe, and effective drugs for the treatment of IPF have been extremely scarce. Baicalin (BA) is used to treat pulmonary fibrosis, IPF, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other lung diseases. Ambroxol hydrochloride (AH), a respiratory tract lubricant and expectorant, is often used to treat chronic respiratory diseases, such as bronchial asthma, emphysema, tuberculosis, and cough. The combination of BA and AH can relieve cough and phlegm, improve lung function, and potentially treat IPF and its symptoms. However, given the extremely low solubility of BA, its bioavailability for oral absorptions is also low. AH, on the other hand, has been associated with certain side effects, such as gastrointestinal tract and acute allergic reactions, which limit its applicability. Therefore, an efficient drug delivery system is urgently needed to address the mentioned problems. This study combined BA and AH as model drugs with L-leucine (L-leu) as the excipient to prepare BA/AH dry powder inhalations (BA/AH DPIs) using the co-spray drying method. We the performed modern pharmaceutical evaluation, which includes particle size, differential scanning calorimetry analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, hygroscopicity, in vitro aerodynamic analysis, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Notably, BA/AH DPIs were found to be advantageous over BA and AH in treating IPF and had better efficacy in improving lung function than did the positive drug pirfenidone. The BA/AH DPI is a promising preparation for the treatment of IPF given its lung targeting, rapid efficacy, and high lung bioavailability.

The anti-tumor and renoprotection study of E-[c(RGDfK)2]/folic acid co-modified nanostructured lipid carrier loaded with doxorubicin hydrochloride/salvianolic acid A.

BACKGROUND: Poor in vivo targeting of tumors by chemotherapeutic drugs reduces their anti-cancer efficacy in the clinic. The discovery of over-expressed components on the tumor cell surface and their specific ligands provide a basis for targeting tumor cells. However, the differences in the expression levels of these receptors on the tumor cell surface limit the clinical application of anti-tumor preparations modified by a single ligand. Meanwhile, toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs leads to poor tolerance to anti-tumor therapy. The discovery of natural active products antagonizing these toxic side effects offers an avenue for relieving cancer patients' pain during the treatment process. Since the advent of nanotechnology, interventions, such as loading appropriate drug combinations into nano-sized carriers and multiple tumor-targeting functional modifications on the carrier surface to enhance the anti-tumor effect and reduce toxic and side effects, have been widely used for treating tumors. RESULTS: Nanocarriers containing doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) and salvianolic acid A (Sal A) are spherical with a diameter of about 18 nm; the encapsulation efficiency of both DOX and salvianolic acid A is greater than 80%. E-[c(RGDfK)2]/folic acid (FA) co-modification enabled nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) to efficiently target a variety of tumor cells, including 4T1, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and A549 cells in vitro. Compared with other preparations (Sal A solution, NLC-Sal A, DOX solution, DOX injection, Sal A/DOX solution, NLC-DOX, NLC-Sal A/DOX, and E-[c(RGDfK)2]/FA-NLC-Sal A/DOX) in this experiment, the prepared E-[c(RGDfK)2]/FA-NLC-Sal A/DOX had the best anti-tumor effect. Compared with the normal saline group, it had the highest tumor volume inhibition rate (90.72%), the highest tumor weight inhibition rate (83.94%), led to the highest proportion of apoptosis among the tumor cells (61.30%) and the lowest fluorescence intensity of proliferation among the tumor cells (0.0083 ± 0.0011). Moreover, E-[c(RGDfK)2]/FA-NLC-Sal A/DOX had a low level of nephrotoxicity, with a low creatinine (Cre) concentration of 52.58 µmoL/L in the blood of mice, and no abnormalities were seen on pathological examination of the isolated kidneys at the end of the study. Sal A can antagonize the nephrotoxic effect of DOX. Free Sal A reduced the Cre concentration of the free DOX group by 61.64%. In NLC groups, Sal A reduced the Cre concentration of the DOX group by 42.47%. The E-[c(RGDfK)2]/FA modification reduced the side effects of the drug on the kidney, and the Cre concentration was reduced by 46.35% compared with the NLC-Sal A/DOX group. These interventions can potentially improve the tolerance of cancer patients to chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The E-[c(RGDfK)2]/FA co-modified DOX/Sal A multifunctional nano-drug delivery system has a good therapeutic effect on tumors and low nephrotoxicity and is a promising anti-cancer strategy.

Evaluation of a lung cancer screening programme attracting a cohort to actively participate in screening: Honghe Lung Cancer Medical Center Programme.

Background: A lung cancer screening project was conducted by attracting active participation to evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness in areas with poor basic medical education. Methods: This project entailed a prospective, single-arm study which was conducted by means of delivering a lecture on lung cancer at the Honghe Lung Cancer Medical Center to attract public attention and attendance from 28 November 2020 to 21 December 2021. A questionnaire comprising 7 high-risk factors was completed by participants to identify high-risk individuals for further chest low-dose computed tomography examination. Non calcified nodules with a diameter ≥5 mm were deemed positive nodules. The positive nodules were discussed by a multidisciplinary team and treatment suggestions were given. Finally, we analyzed participant information, examination adherence, lung cancer detection rate, and staging. Results: A total of 6,121 individuals were attracted to the project, and 5,925 (96.8%) agreed to participate. Of these, 5,889 (99.4%) completed the survey, with 4,627 (78.6%) in the high-risk group and 1,262 (21.4%) in the non-high-risk group. The proportion of males in the high-risk group was higher than that in the non-high-risk group, and the difference was statistically significant among those aged 40-49 years, 50-59, years and 60-69 years; P<0.01. In the high-risk population, 4,536 (98.0%) of participants adhered to examination, among whom 2,007 (44.2%) with positive nodules, 1,220 (26.9%) with negative nodules, and 1,309 (28.9%) without nodules showed statistical differences in age; P<0.01. The detection rate of lung cancer was 2.2% (99/4,536); 94.0% (93/99) of whom were stage 0-I patients. Conclusions: A health lecture-based approach to improving public participation in regions with poor health education is likely to be effective in promoting the early detection of lung cancer.

Axillary uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for bullae is a cosmetically superior approach to primary spontaneous pneumothorax: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Bulla is a common cause of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) through the lateral chest wall is a common surgical approach and an effective treatment for this condition, but postoperative incision scars affect the aesthetic outcome. VATS via axillary approach can hide the scar in the axilla, and the wound in its natural state is invisible; this greatly improves the cosmetic appearance. To our knowledge, this is the first report of VATS-based bullectomy via the axillary approach in a patient with spontaneous pneumothorax. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital with a 2-day history of chest tightness and chest pain. Plain chest computed tomography showed right spontaneous pneumothorax, lung compression of 75%, and right pulmonary bulla. After complete preoperative examination, VATS bullectomy via right axillary approach was performed. During the operation, a bulla measuring about 4 × 4 cm was found at the apex of the right lung and resected. The incision healed well, and the patient was discharged after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: VATS bullectomy via axillary approach is safe and feasible, with the incision hidden in the axilla and not visible in the natural state. This method leaves no scar on the chest wall and has good cosmetic outcome.

Quantification of Nineteen Bioactive Components in the Ancient Classical Chinese Medicine Formula of Wen-Dan Decoction and Its Commercial Preparations by UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS.

A UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS method was developed to quantify the significant constituents in Wen-Dan Decoction (WDD), a traditional Chinese medicine. Analysis of 19 compounds was conducted on an ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C18 Column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 µm) using elution with a gradient elution of acetonitrile and 0.05% (v/v) formic acid in water. A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in negative ionization mode and positive ionization mode by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), respectively. All calibration curves showed acceptable linearity (r ≥ 0.9950). The RSDs of intra- and inter-day precisions of low, mid and high concentrations were ≤ 8.88%. The repeatabilities (RSDs ≤ 7.17%) and stabilities (RSD ≤ 4.79%) of the samples were qualified. The recoveries were found in the range of 93.07 ± 3.86 to 103.98 ± 2.98% with the RSD varying between 1.30 and 7.86%. The final rapid, sensitive, precise, accurate and reliable UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS method was used for the simultaneous quantification of 19 constituents in WDD and its commercial preparations. The strategy of combining the contents of the 19 chemicals in a daily dose of the WDD preparations with the hierarchical cluster analysis and the 3D principal component analysis was employed to effectively distinguish the WDD preparations provided by the different suppliers, which represents a contribution to the evaluation and control of the quality of WDD (or other decoctions consisting of the same herbs) and the preparations of WDD in other dosage forms such as tablets and granules.

High SLFN11 expression predicts better survival for patients with KRAS exon 2 wild type colorectal cancer after treated with adjuvant oxaliplatin-based treatment.

BACKGROUND: SLFN11 was reported to be a predictive marker for DNA damage drugs. The study was to investigate whether SLFN11 expression is related to sensitivity to adjuvant oxaliplatin-based treatment in colorectal cancer. METHODS: A tissue microarray, made with specimens from consecutive 261 patients who received oxaliplatin based adjuvant chemotherapy, was stained with anti-SLFN11 antibody. The staining was dichotomized as high or low expression. SLFN11 expression was correlated to clinicopathological factors, KRAS exon 2 mutation and survival. RESULTS: SLFN11 high expression was found in 16.9 % of patients, and KRAS exon 2 mutation was detected in 32.2 % of patients. SLFN11 was expressed more common in well/moderate differentiation tumors(comparing to poor differentiation ones, 21 % v 4.9 %, P = 0.003) and stage II tumors(comparing to stage III tumors, 26.1 % v 11.4 %,p = 0.006). 23 out of 153 patients with KRAS exon 2 wild-type CRC had SLFN11 high expression, no death events was recorded in the 23 patients until last follow up. These patients had significantly better overall survival (OS) than those with SLFN11 low expression tumors (100 % vs 78.2 %, log rank P = 0.048). However, among patients with KRAS exon 2 mutant tumors, OS did not significantly differ between those with SLFN11 high and SLFN11 low tumors (Log rank P = 0.709). CONCLUSIONS: SLFN11 expression predicts good better survival in colorectal cancer patients with KRAS exon 2 wild type who have received oxaliplatin based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Distortion product of otoacoustic emissions as a sensitive indicator of hearing loss in pilots.

BACKGROUND: When the ear is presented with two simultaneous pure tones, the cochlea produces intermodulation products called distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DP-OAEs). When cochlear function is affected by noise or ototoxic drugs, DP-OAEs decrease in amplitude or disappear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DP-OAEs are a sensitive indicator of hearing loss in pilots, for whom flying time presumably correlates with exposure to steady noise. METHODS: Subjects were 105 pilots, ages 25-44 yr, with flying times of 500-3500 hours. Pilots were divided into three groups according to their flying time and age-matched against control subjects (non-pilots) with normal hearing with no history of occupational exposure to noise. All subjects were tested by pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, and measurement of DP-OAEs. RESULTS: DP-OAEs were significantly different among the three pilot groups, decreasing gradually at 8 frequencies with flight time. For high frequency tones (F2 7966 and 5623 Hz), age and noise were cofactors. However, 11% of the pilots in this study showed resistance to noise-induced hearing loss. DISCUSSION: DP-OAEs are a sensitive measure for monitoring early noise-induced hearing loss in pilots. Accumulating flight hours, presumed to involve steady noise exposure, initially affected high-frequency hearing, then progressed to affect middle and low frequency hearing with increased flight time. There is individual variability in susceptibility and resistance to noise-induced hearing loss in humans.