The History of Controlling and Treating Infectious Diseases in Ancient China.

Infectious diseases are the common enemies of mankind. In the course of historical development, they persistently threaten human health and safety. Even today, despite the developments in medical science, we cannot escape the fear and suffering caused by infectious diseases. Whether in ancient or modern times, the source of infection, route of transmission, and a susceptible population are the three key conditions for the prevalence and spread of infectious diseases. All factors closely related to these three conditions can affect the prevalence of infectious diseases. China is one of the cradles of world civilization. The ancient people accumulated a great deal of experience and lessons in the long struggle against infectious diseases. In the face of the current threat posed by widespread infectious disease, it is imperative to review and summarize ancient Chinese ideas and health policies on epidemic prevention and control to inspire contemporary efforts in the prevention and control of infectious disease. The combination of prevention-oriented epidemic prevention ideology and traditional medicine provides valuable insights, especially for impoverished and medically underserved regions.

Developments of Anticoagulants and New Agents with Anti-Coagulant Effects in Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) has been known as a common medical problem all over the world. Thrombus traveling in blood vessels may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), associated with high rates of mortality. Anticoagulant therapy is the mainstay treatment of DVT. Common anticoagulants, Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), unfractionated heparin (UFH) and Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) have been used in clinical application over decades, but can increase the risk of hemorrhage. Thereby, several new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been developed, which includes direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) and direct factor Xa inhibitors. To be contrast with VKAs and UFH, NOACs have many advantages such as rapid offset action, few drug/food interactions and no need for routine coagulation monitoring, etc. Many NOACs are still being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials such as Betrixaban and Darexaban (YM150). However, NOACs still have problems to be solved such as lack of antidotes and laboratory monitoring, high drug costs, etc. Besides, several agents have already shown the potential to be new anticoagulants. Factor Xa play an important role in thrombin generation and coagulation pathway. Thus, the new compounds directly targeting on factor Xa for prevention DVT are highly anticipated. DPC423, a new series of 6-substituted coumarin derivatives and Phenyltriazolinones as potent factor Xa inhibitors have been recently reported. Recent studies revealed that agents extracted from botanicals not only have anti-coagulant effects but also possess other pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammation to alleviate the post-thrombotic syndromes. All the evidence above suggests that many new compounds might have great potential to be more effective and safe oral anticoagulants.

Corilagin Counteracts IL-13Rα1 Signaling Pathway in Macrophages to Mitigate Schistosome Egg-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis.

The IL-13Rα1 signaling pathway and M2 macrophages play crucial roles in schistosome egg-induced hepatic fibrosis via the expression of pro-fibrotic molecules. This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of action of corilagin on schistosome egg-induced hepatic fibrosis via the IL-13Rα1 signaling pathway in M2 macrophages in vitro and in vivo. The mRNA and protein expression of IL-13Rα1, PPARγ, KLF4, SOCS1, STAT6, p-STAT6, and TGF-ß was measured in vitro with corilagin treatment after IL-13 stimulation and in vivo corilagin treatment after effectively killing the adult schistosomes in schistosome-infected mice. Histological analysis of liver tissue was assessed for the degree of hepatic fibrosis. The results revealed that corilagin significantly reduced the expression of PPARγ, KLF4, SOCS1, p-STAT6, and TGF-ß compared with model group and praziquantel administration (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05) in vivo and in vitro, which indicated a strong inhibitory effect of corilagin on IL-13Rα1 signaling pathway. As well, the inhibitory effect of corilagin showed a significant dose-dependence (p < 0.05). The area of fibrosis and distribution of M2 macrophages in mouse liver tissue were reduced significantly and dose-dependently with corilagin treatment compared to model group or praziquantel administration (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05), indicating that corilagin suppressed IL-13Rα1 signaling pathway and M2 macrophage polarization effectively in vivo. Furthermore, the anti-fibrogenic effect persisted even when IL-13Rα1 was up- or down-regulated in vitro. In conclusion, corilagin can suppress schistosome egg-induced hepatic fibrosis via inhibition of M2 macrophage polarization in the IL-13Rα1 signaling pathway.