Xixin Decoction May Treat VaD by Modulating the NPTX2/C1q/C3 Complement Pathway.

Vascular dementia (VaD) is a type of dementia that results from brain injury caused by cerebrovascular disease or vascular risk factors. Accumulating evidence from clinical studies has found that Xixin decoction can effectively improve the cognitive function of patients with VaD and improve their daily living ability. However, the pathogenesis of VaD is not fully understood, and the therapeutic mechanism of Xixin decoction is also unclear.

Real-World Outcomes of Pyrotinib-Based Therapy for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer With Brain Metastases: A Multicentre, Retrospective Analysis.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib-based therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer with brain metastases (BM) in the real-world setting.

Methods: Data of HER2-positive breast cancer patients with BM treated with pyrotinib-based therapy from a multicetre, registered, real-world study were analyzed.

Results: Among 45 female patients, the overall objective response rate (ORR) was 62.

Neuroprotective effects of Shenghui decoction via inhibition of the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway in an AlCl-induced zebrafish (Danio rerio) model of Alzheimer's disease.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multi-factorial degenerative disease, and multi-targeted therapies targeting multiple pathogenic mechanisms should be explored. Shenghui decoction (SHD) is an ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula used clinically to alleviate AD. However, the precise mechanism of action of SHD as a therapeutic agent for AD remains unclear.

Phase II study of apatinib plus exemestane in estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: Apatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with exemestane in patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Methods: This single-center, single-arm phase II study enrolled patients with ER+/HER2- MBC progressed on previous letrozole or anastrozole.

Association of serum water-soluble vitamin exposures with the risk of metabolic syndrome: results from NHANES 2003-2006.

Introduction: Existing evidence suggests an association between certain vitamins and metabolic syndrome (MetS), but few epidemiological studies have focused on the effects of multivitamin co-exposure on MetS. This study aims to investigate the associations of the individual or multiple water-soluble vitamins (i.e.

Effect of Low-Frequency Electrical Stimulation Combined with Tonifying Kidney and Blood Pills on Uterine Rejuvenation after Abortion.

Objective: This study aimed to observe the clinical efficacy of low-frequency electrical stimulation therapy combined with tonifying the kidney and activating blood pills to promote uterine recovery after abortion and its effect on heat-shock protein (HSP)70 and HSP90.

Methods: All cases were women with early pregnancy who underwent an abortion at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from September 2019 to September 2020. They were divided into two groups in accordance with the principle of patient voluntariness: 237 cases in the experimental group and 143 cases in the control group.

A systematic review of the efficacy of donepezil hydrochloride combined with nimodipine on treating vascular dementia.

Background: Vascular dementia (VaD) is a comprehensive syndrome related to the damage of cognitive function and various cerebral vascular illnesses. VaD is also generally recognized as the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer disease, contributing to 30% of the dementia population in Asia and developing countries. The ability of donepezil hydrochloride and nimodipine had been respectively proven in improving cognitive function in vascular dementia.

Screening and Identification of Human Endogenous Retrovirus-K mRNAs for Breast Cancer Through Integrative Analysis of Multiple Datasets.

Objective: Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) make up 8% of the human genome. HERVs are biologically active elements related to multiple diseases. HERV-K, a subfamily of HERVs, has been associated with certain types of cancer and suggested as an immunologic target in some tumors.

Association of depressive symptoms with marital status among the middle-aged and elderly in Rural China-Serial mediating effects of sleep time, pain and life satisfaction.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential effect of sleep time, pain and life satisfaction on the association between marital status and depressive symptoms.

Methods: This study included 9780 individuals aged 45 years and older from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2015. Regression analysis was used to explore the mediating effect of targeted mediators on the association between marital status and depressive symptoms.

Waist-to-height ratio, an optimal anthropometric indicator for metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease in the Western Chinese male population.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been entitled as metabolic-dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Therefore anthropometric indicators of adiposity may provide a non-invasive predictive and diagnostic tool for this disease. This study intended to validate and compare the MAFLD predictive and diagnostic capability of eight anthropometric indicators.

Epimedii Folium and Curculiginis Rhizoma ameliorate lipopolysaccharides-induced cognitive impairment by regulating the TREM2 signaling pathway.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Neuroinflammation induced by microglia is closely related to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous study has found that aqueous extract of Epimedii Folium and Curculiginis Rhizoma (EX) had anti-inflammatory effect on AD by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome and inhibiting NF-κB/MAPK pathway. However, whether the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of EX is related to microglia or not remains unclear.

Efficacy and Safety of Scalp Acupuncture for Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of scalp acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia.

Methods: CNKI, Wanfang database, CQVIP database, CBM, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PubMed were searched for the literature on the treatment of insomnia by scalp acupuncture from the establishment of the database to July 23, 2020. Two researchers independently screened the literatures and extracted the data, then evaluated the quality of the literatures, and used RevMan 5.

Relationship of gene variations with NAFLD risk in Chinese men.

Background: Fat mass and obesity-associated () gene is an obesity susceptibility gene and its relationship with the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationships of gene variations with NAFLD risk in a Chinese male population.

Methods: A 1:2 matched case-control study was performed on 275 cases of NAFLD and 550 controls matched for age.

Suan-Zao-Ren Decoction ameliorates synaptic plasticity through inhibition of the Aβ deposition and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in AD model of APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Background: Suan-Zao-Ren Decoction (SZRD) has been widely used to treat neurological illnesses, including dementia, insomnia and depression. However, the mechanisms underlying SZRD's improvement in cognitive function remain unclear. In this study, we examined SZRD's effect on APP/PS1 transgenic mice and mechanisms associated with SZRD's action in alleviating neuroinflammation and improving synaptic plasticity.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Secreted Exosome Promotes Chemoresistance in Breast Cancer via Enhancing miR-21-5p-Mediated Expression.

Emerging evidence has shown the role of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome (MSC-exo) in inducing resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy. However, it remains unclear whether the change of MSC-exo in response to chemotherapy also contributes to chemoresistance. In this study, we investigated the effect of a standard-of-care chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin (Dox), on MSC-exo and its contribution to the development of Dox resistance in breast cancer cells (BCs).

A three-gene signature based on tumour microenvironment predicts overall survival of osteosarcoma in adolescents and young adults.

Evidences shows that immune and stroma related genes in the tumour microenvironment (TME) play a key regulator in the prognosis of Osteosarcomas (OSs). The purpose of this study was to develop a TME-related risk model for assessing the prognosis of OSs. 82 OSs cases aged ≤25 years from TARGET were divided into two groups according to the immune/stromal scores that were analyzed by the Estimate algorithm.

Aspirin might reduce the incidence of breast cancer: An updated meta-analysis of 38 observational studies.

Background: Many epidemiologic studies were performed to clarify the protective effect of regular aspirin use on breast cancer risks, but the results remain inconsistent. Here, we conducted an updated meta-analysis of 38 studies to quantitatively assess the association of regular aspirin use with risk of breast cancer.

Method: We performed a bibliographic database search in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Scopus, and Google Scholar from January 1939 to December 2019.

Leptin promotes bone metastasis of breast cancer by activating the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of tumorigenesis, and increased leptin levels can promote tumor metastasis. However, the effects of leptin on bone metastasis in breast cancer are not fully understood. Here, we examined leptin receptor expression and bone metastasis in tissue samples from 96 breast cancer patients.

rs2274911 polymorphism in GPRC6A associated with serum E2 and PSA in a Southern Chinese male population.

Background: rs2274911 (Pro91Ser, G > A) is a missense mutation located on the second exon of the GPRC6A gene. Increasing evidence revealed a significant association between the A allele of rs2274911 and male diseases, such as oligospermia, cryptorchidism, and prostate tumor. However, the function of rs2274911 in healthy males is unclear.

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with western medicine for anxiety: A systematic review protocol.

Background: As a common clinical mental disorder, the prevalence rate of anxiety disorder increased yearly, devastating both physical health and social-economic prospect. The most common treatment relied on the use of western medications which is yet to fulfill ideal performance. While acupuncture is adopted as a treatment for anxiety disorders, the combination treatment of acupuncture and western medicines becomes more acknowledged.

Drinking Frequency but not Years may be Associated with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: Result from a Large Cross-Sectional Survey in Chinese Men.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the drinking frequency and years on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a large Chinese male population.

Methods: The current data were obtained from a consecutive series of 3,229 men aged 18-79 who participated in a routine physical examination in Fangchenggang First People's Hospital, Guangxi, China. During a face-to-face interview, the detailed demographic variables about alcohol consumption, potential confounding factors were collected.

Aspirin alleviates hepatic fibrosis by suppressing hepatic stellate cells activation via the TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

Hepatic fibrosis arises from a sustained wound-healing response to chronic liver injury. Because the occurrence and development of hepatic fibrosis is always associated with chronic inflammation, controlling inflammation within the liver may be an effective means of controlling the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve both inflammatory symptoms and pain.

FTO Facilitates Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Progression by Activating Cell Migration Through mRNA Demethylation.

Background: The fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) was identified as a critical demethylase involved in regulating cellular mRNA stability by removing N6-methyladenosine (m6A) residues from mRNA. Emerging evidence has revealed that FTO is deeply implicated in lung cancer. However, knowledge of the function of FTO in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC) is limited.