Bavachin enhances NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by ATP or nigericin and causes idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity
AbstractPsoraleae Fructus (PF) is a well-known traditional herbal medicine in China, and it is widely used for osteoporosis, vitiligo, and other diseases in clinical settings. However, liver injury caused by PF and its preparations has been frequently reported in recent years. Our previous studies have demonstrated that PF could cause idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI), but the mechanism underlying its hepatotoxicity remains unclear. This paper reports that bavachin isolated from PF enhances the specific stimuli-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and leads to hepatotoxicity. Bavachin boosts the secre...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - April 28, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Comparison of the clinical features and therapeutics of COVID-19 in cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) and non-CCVD patients
In this study, 102 cases of COVID-19 from January 22, 2020 to March 26, 2020 in Xixi Hospital of Hangzhou were included. Twenty cases had pre-existing CCVD. Results showed that compared with non-CCVD patients, those with CCVD are more likely to develop severe disease (15% versus 1%), and the proportion of pneumonia severity index grade IV was significantly higher (25% versus 3.6%). Computed tomography images demonstrated that the proportion of multiple lobe lesion involvement was significantly higher in the CCVD group than in the non-CCVD group (90% versus 63.4%). Compared with non-CCVD group, the levels of C-reactive prot...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - April 28, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Intratumor heterogeneity, microenvironment, and mechanisms of drug resistance in glioma recurrence and evolution
AbstractGlioma is the most common lethal tumor of the human brain. The median survival of patients with primary World Health Organization grade IV glioma is only 14.6 months. The World Health Organization classification of tumors of the central nervous system categorized gliomas into lower-grade gliomas and glioblastomas. Unlike primary glioblastoma that usually developde novo in the elderly, secondary glioblastoma enriched with an isocitrate dehydrogenase mutant typically progresses from lower-grade glioma within 5 –10 years from the time of diagnosis. Based on various evolutional trajectories brought on by clonal and s...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - April 24, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Acupuncture is ineffective for chronic low back pain? A critical analysis and rethinking
AbstractAcupuncture is a promising treatment for relieving pain and improving lower back function in clinical practice. However, evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) remains controversial. Most RCTs conclude that acupuncture procedures for chronic low back pain (CLBP) had no significant difference in efficacy and belonged to placebo. We carefully reviewed and analyzed the methodology and implementation of sham acupuncture in RCTs. Controversial evidence of acupuncture for CLBP is only a microcosm of the evaluation methodological limitation of acupuncture. Inappropriate selection of sham acupuncture controls, rig...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - April 19, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Avian influenza A (H7N9) virus: from low pathogenic to highly pathogenic
AbstractThe avian influenza A (H7N9) virus is a zoonotic virus that is closely associated with live poultry markets. It has caused infections in humans in China since 2013. Five waves of the H7N9 influenza epidemic occurred in China between March 2013 and September 2017. H7N9 with low-pathogenicity dominated in the first four waves, whereas highly pathogenic H7N9 influenza emerged in poultry and spread to humans during the fifth wave, causing wide concern. Specialists and officials from China and other countries responded quickly, controlled the epidemic well thus far, and characterized the virus by using new technologies ...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - April 16, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
DDB1- and CUL4-associated factor 8 plays a critical role in spermatogenesis
In this study, we constructedDcaf8 knockout mice. Homozygous mice were viable with no noticeable abnormalities. However, the fertility ofDcaf8-deficient male mice was markedly impaired, consistent with the high expression of DCAF8 in adult mouse testis. Sperm movement characteristics, including progressive motility, path velocity, progressive velocity, and track speed, were significantly lower inDcaf8 knockout mice than in wild-type (WT) mice. However, the total motility was similar between WT andDcaf8 knockout sperm. More than 40% of spermatids inDcaf8 knockout mice showed pronounced morphological abnormalities with typic...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - April 14, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
H. sinensis mycelium inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inactivating the midkine pathway in pulmonary fibrosis
AbstractThe medical fungusHirsutella sinensis has been used as a Chinese folk health supplement because of its immunomodulatory properties. Our previous studies established the antifibrotic action ofHirsutella sinensis mycelium (HSM) in the lung. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The present study investigates the role of HSM in mediating EMT during the development of pulmonary fibrosis. HSM significantly inhibits bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis by blocking the EMT. In addition, the expression levels of midkine are increased in the lungs...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - April 1, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Clinical significance of CD34 + CD117 dim /CD34 + CD117 bri myeloblast-associated gene expression in t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia
In this study, 85 patients with t(8;21) AML were enrolled. The mRNA expression levels of CD34+CD117dim-associated genes (LGALS1, EMP3, andCRIP1) and CD34+CD117bri-associated genes (TRH, PLAC8, andIGLL1) were measured using quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Associations between gene expression and clinical outcomes were determined using Cox regression models. Results showed that patients with highLGALS1, EMP3, orCRIP1 expression had significantly inferior overall survival (OS), whereas those with highTRH orPLAC8 expression showed relatively favorable prognosis. Univariate analysis revealed that CD19, CD34+CD117dim pro...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - March 23, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Adjuvant treatment strategy after curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma
AbstractHepatic resection represents the first-line treatment for patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the 5-year recurrence rates of HCC after surgery have been reported to range from 50% to 70%. In this review, we evaluated the available evidence for the efficiency of adjuvant treatments to prevent HCC recurrence after curative liver resection. Antiviral therapy has potential advantages in terms of reducing the recurrence rate and improving the overall survival (OS) and/or disease-free survival of patients with hepatitis-related HCC. Postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization can ...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - March 23, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19
In conclusion, cancer patients showed a higher risk of COVID-19 infection with a poorer prognosis than patients without cancer. Cancer patients with high-risk tumor, NRS2002 score ⩾ 3, advanced tumor stage, and recent adjuvant therapy (< 1 month) may have high risk of mortality. (Source: Frontiers of Medicine)
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - March 23, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19 calls for immediate attention: the emerging roles of the endothelium in inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2
AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous deaths around the world. A growing body of evidence points to the important role of overwhelming inflammatory responses in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of anti-inflammation therapy against COVID-19 is emerging. In addition to affecting the lungs, COVID-19 can be a severe systemic inflammatory disease that is related to endothelial dysfunction. We are calling for closer attention to endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19 not only for fully revealing the pathogenic mechanism of COVID-19 but also for properly adjusting the strategy of clinical intervention. ...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - March 21, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Tocilizumab in patients with moderate or severe COVID-19: a randomized, controlled, open-label, multicenter trial
AbstractTocilizumab has been reported to attenuate the “cytokine storm” in COVID-19 patients. We attempted to verify the effectiveness and safety of tocilizumab therapy in COVID-19 and identify patients most likely to benefit from this treatment. We conducted a randomized, controlled, open-label multicenter trial among COVID-19 patients. The patient s were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either tocilizumab in addition to standard care or standard care alone. The cure rate, changes of oxygen saturation and interference, and inflammation biomarkers were observed. Thirty-three patients were randomized to the t...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - March 9, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Targeting “undruggable” c-Myc protein by synthetic lethality
AbstractSynthetic lethal screening, which exploits the combination of mutations that result in cell death, is a promising method for identifying novel drug targets. This method provides a new avenue for targeting “undruggable” proteins, such as c-Myc. Here, we revisit current methods used to target c-Myc and discuss the important functional nodes related to c-Myc in non-oncogene addicted network, whose inhibition may cause a catastrophe for tumor cell destiny but not for normal cells. We further discuss strategies to identify these functional nodes in the context of synthetic lethality. We review the progress and short...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - March 4, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Cohort study of patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in China: evaluation of risk models and new predictor of pulmonary consolidation on computed tomography
This study aimed to validate the predictive ability of risk models in patients with SJS/TEN and propose possible refinement in China. Patients in the Department of Dermatology of Huashan Hospital from January 2008 to January 2019 were included. Results showed that the severity-of-illness score for TEN (SCORTEN) had a good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), 0.78), and it was superior to auxiliary score (AS) and ABCD-10, which indicates age, bicarbonate level, cancer, dialysis, and 10% involved body surface area (AUC, 0.69 and 0.68, respectively). The calibration of SCORTEN (Hosmer-...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - March 1, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Degradation of SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Skp2 in lung epithelial cells
AbstractAn unexpected observation among the COVID-19 pandemic is that smokers constituted only 1.4% –18.5% of hospitalized adults, calling for an urgent investigation to determine the role of smoking in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we show that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) increaseACE2 mRNA but trigger ACE2 protein catabolism. BaP induces an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-dependent upregulation of the ubiquitin E3 ligase Skp2 for ACE2 ubiquitination. ACE2 in lung tissues of non-smokers is higher than in smokers, consistent with the findings that tobacco carcinogens downregulate ACE2 i...
Source: Frontiers of Medicine - January 29, 2021 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
