Symptoms can predict COVID-19 pneumonia in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants.

Pneumonia is a key criterion for the severity of COVID-19. Whether COVID-19 symptoms are indicators of pneumonia in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants is unclear. 6200 non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19 from three sites in three hospitals were divided into three cohorts: Cohort 1 (n = 1971, Outpatient Department), Cohort 2 (n = 1073, Emergency Department), and Cohort 3 (n = 3156, Fever Clinic).

Traditional Chinese medicine in treating upper digestive tract cancers.

Upper digestive tract cancers, such as oral cavity, laryngeal, esophageal, and gastric cancers, account for 10% of cancer cases and 14.5% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Conventional treatments often provide limited survival benefits and are frequently associated with adverse effects and drug resistance.

Nuciferine Alleviates High-Fat Diet- and ApoE-Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Ferroptosis in NAFLD Mice via the PPARα Signaling Pathway.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) causes significant global mortality and healthcare costs with no recommended pharmacological intervention for clinical management. Nuciferine (Nuc) is an alkaloid with aromatic rings, abundantly found in . In this study, we explored the protective mechanisms of Nuc against hepatic steatosis and ferroptosis in NAFLD.

The roles of dietary polyphenols at crosstalk between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease in ameliorating oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction via PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in which senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are crucially involved in its physiological and pathophysiological processes. Growing animal and clinical studies have suggested that AD is also comorbid with some metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and therefore, it is often considered brain diabetes. AD and T2DM share multiple molecular and biochemical mechanisms, including impaired insulin signaling, oxidative stress, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Atractylenolide II combined with Interferon-γ synergistically ameliorates colorectal cancer progression and by blocking the NF-kB p65/PD-L1 pathway.

Koidz is a widely used classical traditional Chinese herbal medicine, that has shown remarkable efficacy in cancers. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignant tumor globally. Interferon (IFN)-γ, a prominent cytokine involved in anti-tumor immunity that has cytostatic, pro-apoptotic, and immune-stimulatory properties for the detection and removal of transformed cells.

An adhesion-switchable hydrogel dressing for painless dressing removal without secondary damage.

Hydrogels with strong adhesion to wet tissues are considered promising for wound dressings. However, the clinical application of adhesive hydrogel dressing remains a challenge due to the issues of secondary damage during dressing changes. Herein, we fabricated an adhesion-switchable hydrogel formed with poly(acrylamide)--poly(-isopropyl acrylamide), quaternary ammonium chitosan and tannic acid.

Identification of sedative-hypnotic compounds shared by five medicinal Polyporales mushrooms using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS-based untargeted metabolomics.

Background: Five Polyporales mushrooms, namely Amauroderma rugosum, Ganoderma lucidum, G. resinaceum, G. sinense and Trametes versicolor, are commonly used in China for managing insomnia.

A critical review on intestinal mucosal barrier protection effects of dietary polysaccharides.

Studies have shown that dietary polysaccharides, which are widely present in natural foods, have an important impact on the intestinal mucosal barrier. Dietary polysaccharides can maintain the intestinal barrier function through multiple mechanisms. The intestinal barrier is composed of mechanical, chemical, immune, and biological barriers, and dietary polysaccharides, as a bioactive component, can promote and regulate these four barriers.

Xie Zhuo Tiao Zhi formula modulates intestinal microbiota and liver purine metabolism to suppress hepatic steatosis and pyroptosis in NAFLD therapy.

Background: Current evidence indicates a rising global prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which is closely associated to conditions such as obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. The relationship between the gut microbiome and metabolites in NAFLD is gaining attention understanding the pathogenesis and progression of dysregulated lipid metabolism and inflammation. The Xie Zhuo Tiao Zhi (XZTZ) decoction has been employed in clinical practice for alleviating hyperlipidemia and symptoms related to metabolic disorders.

Insights into prevention mechanisms of bioactive components from healthy diets against Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, chronic neuroinflammation, and abnormal neurotransmission are the potential mechanisms involved in its onset and development. Although it is still an intractable disorder, diet intervention has been developed as an innovative strategy for AD prevention. Some bioactive compounds and micronutrients from food, including soy isoflavones, rutin, vitamin B1, etc.

Targeting calcium signaling by inositol trisphosphate receptors: A novel mechanism for the anti-asthmatic effects of Houttuynia cordata.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by airway hypersensitivity and remodeling. The current treatments provide only short-term benefits and may have undesirable side effects; thus, alternative or supplementary therapy is needed. Because intracellular calcium (Ca) signaling plays an essential role in regulating the contractility and remodeling of airway smooth muscle cells, the targeting of Ca signaling is a potential therapeutic strategy for asthma.

A tri-herb formulation protects against ethanol-induced mouse liver injury and downregulates mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1.

Background: A tri-herb formulation comprising Ganoderma (the dried fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum), Puerariae Thomsonii Radix (the dried root of Pueraria thomsonii) and Hoveniae Semen (the dried mature seed of Hovenia acerba) -GPH for short- has been using for treating liver injury; however, the pharmacological basis of this application of GPH is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the liver protective effects and mechanisms of action of an ethanolic extract of GPH (GPHE) in mice.

Methods: To control the quality of GPHE, the contents of ganodermanontriol, puerarin and kaempferol in the extract were quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography.

Design, Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of Novel Selenium-Containing Tepotinib Derivatives as Dual Inhibitors of c-Met and TrxR.

Cellular mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met), an oncogenic transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), plays an essential role in cell proliferation during embryo development and liver regeneration. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is overexpressed and constitutively active in most tumors closely related to cancer recurrence. Multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy provides a logical approach to drug combinations and would adequately address the pathological complexity of cancer.

Arabidopsis DXO1 activates RNMT1 to methylate the mRNA guanosine cap.

Eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA) typically contains a methylated guanosine (mG) cap, which mediates major steps of mRNA metabolism. Recently, some RNAs in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms have been found to carry a non-canonical cap such as the NAD cap. Here we report that Arabidopsis DXO family protein AtDXO1, which was previously known to be a decapping enzyme for NAD-capped RNAs (NAD-RNA), is an essential component for mG capping.

Inhibition of STAT3 signaling contributes to the anti-melanoma effects of chrysoeriol.

Background: Melanoma is an aggressive malignancy with a high mortality rate. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), an oncoprotein, is considered as an effective target for treating melanoma. Chrysoeriol is a flavonoid compound, and possesses anti-tumor activity in lung cancer, breast cancer and multiple myeloma; while whether it has anti-melanoma effects is still not known.

An essential Noc3p dimerization cycle mediates ORC double-hexamer formation in replication licensing.

Replication licensing, a prerequisite of DNA replication, helps to ensure once-per-cell-cycle genome duplication. Some DNA replication-initiation proteins are sequentially loaded onto replication origins to form pre-replicative complexes (pre-RCs). ORC and Noc3p bind replication origins throughout the cell cycle, providing a platform for pre-RC assembly.

Clinicopathologic factors linked to oncologic outcomes for renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid dedifferentiation: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There are still differences in the prognostic factors of renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid dedifferentiation (sRCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate important predictors of survival in patients with sRCC.

Patients And Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library was conducted to identify eligible studies.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking-based prediction of active compounds and mechanisms of action of Cnidii Fructus in treating atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease that compromises the skin's barrier function and capacity to retain moisture. Cnidii Fructus (CF), the dried fruits of Cnidium monnieri, has long been used to treat atopic dermatitis (AD) in China. However, the anti-AD compounds and mechanisms of CF are not fully understood.

Critical review on anti-obesity effects of phytochemicals through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Phytochemicals have been used as one of the sources for the development of anti-obesity drugs. Plants are rich in a variety of bioactive compounds including polyphenols, saponins and terpenes. Phytochemicals inhibit adipocyte differentiation by inhibiting the transcription and translation of adipogenesis transcription factors such as C/EBPα and PPARγ.

Amelioration of TPA-induced skin inflammation by the leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina involves ERK/STAT3 (Ser727) signaling inhibition.

Background: Uncontrolled inflammation causes health problems. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) at Ser727, resulting in inflammation. The leaf of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) is a medicinal herb for managing inflammation-associated diseases.

Ginsenoside Rg3 in combination with artesunate overcomes sorafenib resistance in hepatoma cell and mouse models.

Background: Sorafenib is effective in treating hepatoma, but most patients develop resistance to it. STAT3 signaling has been implicated in sorafenib resistance. Artesunate (ART) and 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) have anti-hepatoma effects and can inhibit STAT3 signaling in cancer cells.

Prognostic Role of Pretreatment C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio in Urological Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: To investigate the potential prognostic role of C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) in patients with urinary cancers, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC), bladder cancer (BC), and prostate cancer (PC).

Methods: We searched and screened literatures with PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science in January 2022. We applied combined hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the associations.