Incidence and risk factors of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the intensive care unit: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious complication occurring in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU). This study attempted to analyze VAP incidence in the ICU using a meta-analysis, investigate risk factors for VAP occurrence, and examine influence of VAP on outcomes.

Methods: A search was carried out in the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library databases to identify studies on incidence and risk factors of VAP in ICU patients.

Curcumol derivatives exhibit ameliorating effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury: Synthesis, biological evaluation, structure-activity relationship and action mechanism.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an intricate clinical disease marked by high mortality and a sudden start. Currently, although there are no specific therapeutics for ALI, the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs is a promising treatment strategy. Curcumol, a terpenoid natural product, has demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity.

Schisandra chinensis lignans improve insulin resistance by targeting TLR4 and activating IRS-1/PI3K/AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Schisandra chinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely applied in China to treat diabetes and its complications. The aim of this study was to discover the active compounds and explain related molecular mechanism contributing to the anti-diabetic effect of Schisandra chinensis. Herein, the therapeutic effects of Schisandra chinensis extracts on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were firstly confirmed in vivo.

Centipeda minima and 6-O-angeloylplenolin enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Chemotherapeutic agents including cisplatin, gemcitabine, and pemetrexed, significantly enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by increasing PD-L1 expression and potentiating T cell cytotoxicity. However, the low response rate and adverse effects limit the application of chemotherapy/ICI combinations in patients.

Methods: We screened for medicinal herbs that could perturb PD-L1 expression and enhance T cell cytotoxicity in the presence of anti-PD-L1 antibody, and investigated the underlying mechanisms.

Potential of natural products in inflammation: biological activities, structure-activity relationships, and mechanistic targets.

A balance between the development and suppression of inflammation can always be found in the body. When this balance is disturbed, a strong inflammatory response can damage the body. It sometimes is necessary to use drugs with a significant anti-inflammatory effect, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroid hormones, to control inflammation in the body.

Guided isolation of enantiomeric lignans from Cimicifuga heracleifolia Kom. by antioxidant activity and molecular networking.

Under the guidance of antioxidant evaluation combined with molecular networking, six pairs of enantiomeric lignans including seven undescribed ones (1a, 2a/2b-4a/4b), along with five known analogs (1b, 5a/5b-6a/6b) were isolated from Cimicifuga heracleifolia Kom. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic data analysis, including HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, experimental and calculated ECD. All the enantiomeric isolates were evaluated for antioxidation by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging tests.

Characterization of the metabolites of Eucommiae Cortex in rats provides a further insight into its estrogen-like effective substances.

Eucommiae Cortex is one of important traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) used in Asia for preventing and treating osteoporosis induced by estrogen deficiency. However, the low exposure of prototype components in Eucommiae Cortex in vivo is difficult to interpret its efficacy. Under the guidance of UPLC-Q/TOF-MS, 42 metabolites including 32 lignans and 10 phenolics, 21 of which were new compounds, were isolated from rat urine and feces after oral administration of aqueous extract of E.

A Natural Self-Assembled Gel-Sponge with Hierarchical Porous Structure for Rapid Hemostasis and Antibacterial.

Developing hemostatic agents with reliable biosafety and high efficiency has paramount clinical significance for saving lives. Herein, inspired from traditional Chinese medicine, a sponge (BC-S) with hierarchical porous structure is proposed for the treatment of bleeding. The BC-S is prepared by a simple self-assembly method employing Bletilla Striata polysaccharide and quaternary amine alkaloids (QA) from Bletilla Striata and Coptidis Rhizoma.

Puerol and pueroside derivatives from Pueraria lobata and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Five undescribed puerols and puerosides and three known analogues were obtained from the roots of Pueraria lobata. Their structures were determined by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data and chemical methods. Since puerol D and puerol C were racemic compounds, resolved into their enantiomers, and their absolute configurations were determined by experimental and calculated ECD spectra.

Current perspectives and trend of nanomedicine in cancer: A review and bibliometric analysis.

The limitations of traditional cancer treatments are driving the creation and development of new nanomedicines. At present, with the rapid increase of research on nanomedicine in the field of cancer, there is a lack of intuitive analysis of the development trend, main authors and research hotspots of nanomedicine in the field of cancer, as well as detailed elaboration of possible research hotspots. In this review, data collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database between January 1st, 2000, and December 31st, 2021, were subjected to a bibliometric analysis.

Bacteriophage SRD2021 Recognizing Capsular Polysaccharide Shows Therapeutic Potential in Serotype K47 Infections.

is an opportunistic pathogen posing an urgent threat to global public health, and the capsule is necessary for infection and virulence. Phage-derived capsule depolymerases have shown great potential as antivirulence agents in treating carbapenem-resistant (CRKP) infections. However, the therapeutic potential of phages encoding depolymerases against CRKP remains poorly understood.

Pharmacokinetics of Five Alkaloids and their Metabolites in Normal and Diabetic Rats after Oral Administration of Rhizoma coptidis.

Rhizoma coptidis has been clinically used for a long time for the treatment of various diseases in China, such as hypertension, diabetes, and inflammation. Previous studies have shown that alkaloid components of Rhizoma coptidis extract could be extensively metabolized and the metabolites were also considered to be the therapeutic material basis. However, until now, pharmacokinetic studies of the metabolites have not been revealed yet.

Protective effects of Longhu Rendan on chronic liver injury and fibrosis in mice.

Background And Aim: Liver fibrosis resulting from persistent liver injury represents a major healthcare problem globally. Traditional Chinese medicine has played an essential role in the treatment of liver fibrosis in recent years. Thus, this study aims to assess the effect of Longhu Rendan (LHRD), a Chinese traditional patent medicine, on liver fibrosis and its potential mechanism.

Corrigendum to "Metabolic profiling of icaritin in rats using UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS" [Chinese Herbal Medicines 11 (2019) 185-191].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.chmed.

Pharmacokinetics and Excretion of Berberine and Its Nine Metabolites in Rats.

Berberine, a well-known alkaloid, has been proved to possess various pharmacological activities. Previous studies demonstrated that berberine could be extensively metabolized and the metabolites also contributed to its therapeutic effects. However, as for berberine's metabolites, especially phase II metabolites, pharmacokinetics and excretion studies were rarely reported.

A Combined Phytochemistry and Network Pharmacology Approach to Reveal the Effective Substances and Mechanisms of Wei-Fu-Chun Tablet in the Treatment of Precancerous Lesions of Gastric Cancer.

Wei-Fu-Chun (WFC) tablet is a commercial medicinal product approved by China Food and Drug Administration, which is made of C.A.Mey.

Metabolic Activation and Covalent Protein Binding of Berberrubine: Insight into the Underlying Mechanism Related to Its Hepatotoxicity.

Introduction: Berberrubine (BRB), an isoquinoline alkaloid, is a major constituent of medicinal plants Franch or Schneid. BRB exhibits various pharmacological activities, whereas exposure to BRB may cause toxicity in experimental animals.

Methods: In this study, we thoroughly investigated the liver injury induced by BRB in mice and rats.

New cytotoxic withanolides from Physalis minima.

Phytochemical investigation of Physalis minima led to the isolation of six new withanolides, including physaminilides HK (1-4), two artificial withanolides (5-6), and 19 known ones (7-25). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. The isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against A375 human melanoma cells.

New withanolides from and their cytotoxicity against A375 human melanoma cells.

Seven previously undescribed withanolides, namely physaminilide A-G (1-7), and two artificial withanolides (8-9), along with 10 known analogues (10-19) were isolated from . The structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, including NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Cytotoxicity of all the isolates was evaluated against A375 human melanoma cells.

Systematic screening and characterization of absorbed constituents and in vivo metabolites in rats after oral administration of Rhizoma coptidis using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.

Rhizoma coptidis has been used for a long time in China owing to its anti-bacterial, anti-diabetes, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-obesity activities. However, the in vivo biotransformation of Rhizoma coptidis is still unclear to date. In this study, a three-step strategy using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS was applied to clarify the in vivo absorbed constituents and metabolites in rats after oral administration of Rhizoma coptidis.

Curcumin metabolites contribute to the effect of curcumin on ameliorating insulin sensitivity in high-glucose-induced insulin-resistant HepG2 cells.

Ethnopharmacological Evidence: Curcumin (CUR) is the active ingredient of Traditional Chinese Medicine turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), which has been used for treatment of diabetes in Ayurveda and China. CUR exerts potent anti-insulin-resistant effects in various cell lines.

Inhibition of CYP2C9 by natural products: insight into the potential risk of herb-drug interactions.

Due to the rapidly increasing global interest in the use of herbs, phytomedicines and other natural products as medical or complementary remedies, concerns about the clinical medication safety have drawn much attention worldwide. Particularly, many natural ingredients exhibit inhibitory effects on cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, which are the most important Phase I metabolism enzymes in liver. CYP2C9 is one of the most abundant CYP enzymes and responsible for the metabolism of over 15% clinical drugs, including oral sulfonylurea hypoglycemics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, antiepileptics, angiotensin II receptor inhibitors and anticoagulants.

Phenylethanol glycosides from the seeds of var. .

Three new phenylethanol glycosides (-) and one known analogue () were isolated from the seeds of Bge. var. .

Pharmacokinetics, Tissue Distribution and Excretion of Paeonol and Its Major Metabolites in Rats Provide a Further Insight Into Paeonol Effectiveness.

Paeonol is a major bioactive ingredient in Moutan Cortex (the root barks of Andrews) and exhibited a wide range of bioactivities such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, hypoglycemic effect, analgesic, and others. Even though paeonol has been proven to possess significant pharmacological and therapeutic effects, its pharmacokinetic properties are not satisfactory since it has been found to have a rapid clearance . In the present study, the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and excretion of paeonol and its major metabolites were investigated in rats by an efficient and specific UPLC-MS/MS method.

Bioactive Triterpenoid Saponins From the Seeds of Bge. var. .

Phytochemical investigation of Bge. var. (Hu et Fang) Fang obtained 33 triterpenoid saponins, including 14 new ones, aesculiside C-P (-).