Ongoing Clinical Trials in Aging-Related Tissue Fibrosis and New Findings Related to AhR Pathways.

Fibrosis is a pathological manifestation of wound healing that replaces dead/damaged tissue with collagen-rich scar tissue to maintain homeostasis, and complications from fibrosis contribute to nearly half of all deaths in the industrialized world. Ageing is closely associated with a progressive decline in organ function, and the prevalence of tissue fibrosis dramatically increases with age. Despite the heavy clinical and economic burden of organ fibrosis as the population ages, to date, there is a paucity of therapeutic strategies that are specifically designed to slow fibrosis.

Jinlida Granules Reduce Obesity in db/db Mice by Activating Beige Adipocytes.

Recent studies indicate existence of beige adipocytes in adults. Upon activation, beige adipocytes burn energy for thermogenesis and contribute to regulation of energy balance. In this study, we have analyzed whether Jinlida granules (JLD) could activate beige adipocytes.

PREX1 depletion ameliorates high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice and mitigates palmitic acid-induced hepatocellular injury via suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver diseases worldwide. Oxidative stress has been considered a key factor in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate-dependent Rac exchanger 1 (PREX1), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac, has been associated with inflammation and oxidative stress.

Efficacy and Safety of Qili Qiangxin Capsule on Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 35 Randomized Controlled Trials.

Qili Qiangxin Capsule (QQC), a Chinese patent medicine, is clinically effective in treating dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, the meta-analysis of QCC combined with conventional western medicine (CWM) on DCM remains unexplored. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of QCC in the treatment of DCM.

Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis and Verification of Gene Targets for Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) has become a thorny and unsolved clinical problem. The pathological mechanisms of MIRI are intricate and unclear, so it is of great significance to explore potential hub genes and search for some natural products that exhibit potential therapeutic efficacy on MIRI via targeting the hub genes.

Methods: First, the differential expression genes (DEGs) from GSE58486, GSE108940, and GSE115568 were screened and integrated via a robust rank aggregation algorithm.

Efficacy and Mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Decoction in Patients With Ischemic Heart Failure: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Combined With Proteomic Analysis.

Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHW), a famous herbal prescription in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used for 200 years for treating ischemic heart failure (IHF). This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of BYHW combined with guideline-guided pharmacotherapy in patients with IHF and explore the biological mechanism by which BYHW exerts its efficacy. In the multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, a total of 80 patients with IHF were randomized to receive BYHW or placebo for 3 months.

[Effect of moxibustion on M2 and P2X3 receptors of bladder tissue in rats with neurogenic bladder of detrusor areflexia after lumbar-sacral spinal cord injury].

Objective: To observe the effect of moxibustion at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Shenque" (CV 8) on acetylcholine (Ach), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and muscarinic-type choline receptor (M2) and purine receptor P2X3 in bladder tissue in the rats with neurogenic bladder (NB) of detrusor areflexia after lumbar-sacral spinal cord injury and explore the underlying mechanism of moxibustion for promoting detrusor contraction.

Methods: Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into a model preparation group (=45) and a sham-operation group (=15). In the model preparation group, the modified Hassan Shaker spinal cord transection method was used to prepare the model of NB.

[Simple obesity of stomach heat and damp obstruction treated with acupoint thread embedding therapy: a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To explore the therapeutic effect and safety of acupoint thread embedding therapy in treatment of simple obesity of stomach heat and damp obstruction.

Methods: A total of 144 patients with simple obesity of stomach heat and damp obstruction were randomized into an acupoint thread embedding group (72 cases, 3 cases dropped off and 1 case removed) and a shamembedding group (72 cases, 6 cases dropped off and 3 cases removed). On the base of the lifestyle adjustment, the acupoint thread embedding therapy with PGLA thread was applied to Tianshu (ST 25), Zhongwan (CV 12), Ganshu (BL 18), Shuidao (ST 28), etc.

Application and Evaluation of a 64-Slice CT Three-Dimensional Fusion Technique in the Determination of the Effective Ablation Margin after Radiofrequency Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Due to the low accuracy of traditional three-dimensional fusion technology in radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma, this paper studies the advantages of three-dimensional CT fusion technology over traditional two-dimensional imaging technology in preoperative visualization and radiofrequency ablation path selection of hepatocellular carcinoma. To study the prognostic differences of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with different ablation margins (AM) in the three groups, so as to explore the best AM value, so as to minimize the liver injury caused by radiofrequency ablation. The selected patients underwent CT plain scan and three-phase enhancement at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after operation and were rechecked every 6 months.

[Acupoint selection rules of post-stroke cognitive impairment treated with acupuncture based on ancient and modern medical record cloud platform].

Objective: To analyze the acupoint selection rules of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) treated with acupuncture by ancient and modern medical record cloud platform (V1.5).

Methods: The published randomized controlled trial (RCT) literature of PSCI treated with acupuncture was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science, and the data was extracted to establish prescription database.

[Study on the rule of acupoint selection in treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: To explore the characteristics and rule of clinical acupoint selection in treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

Methods: The clinical articles of acupuncture in treatment of AECOPD were retrieved from the databases of PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and SinoMed, from the date of establishment to July 15, 2020. The articles were screened in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the prescriptions of acupuncture and the relevant information of the acupoints and meridians were extracted to establish the database.

Efficacy and Safety of Shexiang Baoxin Pill for Coronary Heart Disease after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: Shexiang Baoxin Pill (SBP) is a licensed Chinese herbal pharmaceutical that has been widely accustomed to treat coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study points to systematically assess the efficacy and security of the combination of SBP with conventional western medicine in the treatment of CHD after PCI.

Methods: Databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SINOMED were searched to collect RCTs on SBP in CHD after PCI before July 2021.

Epigenetic regulation mechanism of DNA methylation and miRNAs on the expression of the gene in patients with ischemic stroke.

5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP), encoded by the arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein gene, can adjust the biogenesis of proinflammatory leukotrienes to increase the adhesion and permeability of the vascular internal wall. Moreover, it participates in the process of atherosclerosis and is closely associated with ischemic stroke (IS). Accumulating evidence has shown that the expression levels of the gene are upregulated in patients with IS.

Transcriptome-Based Network Analysis Reveals Hirudin Potentiates Anti-Renal Fibrosis Efficacy in UUO Rats.

Hirudin has been widely used in the treatment of antifibrosis. Previous studies have shown that hirudin can effectively improve the clinical remission rate of chronic kidney disease. However, the mechanism of its renal protection has not been systematically investigated.

Exosomes derived from LPS-stimulated human thymic mesenchymal stromal cells enhance inflammation via thrombospondin-1.

Inflammatory response mediated by immune cells is either directly or indirectly regulated by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Accumulating evidence suggests that thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is highly expressed in response to inflammation. In this work, we isolated and identified human thymic mesenchymal stromal cells (tMSCs) and detected the expression of TSP-1.

Network Pharmacology-Based Prediction of Bioactive Compounds and Potential Targets of Wenjing Decoction for Treatment of Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent inflammatory disorder that negatively affects the quality of life in women. The Wenjing decoction (WJD) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been shown to have a therapeutic effect on endometriosis. Our study systematically explored the mechanism of WJD against endometriosis using a network pharmacology approach.

Investigation of α-Synuclein Species in Plasma Exosomes and the Oligomeric and Phosphorylated α-Synuclein as Potential Peripheral Biomarker of Parkinson's Disease.

α-Synuclein (α-syn), especially its abnormal oligomeric and phosphorylated form, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Plasma exosomal α-syn species have been shown to be a promising PD biomarker. However, whether different α-syn species in plasma exosomes (the oligomeric α-syn and the Ser129 phosphorylated α-syn (p-α-syn)) which represent the PD pathogenesis in the brain could be specific peripheral PD biomarker haven't been well elucidated.

The Prevalence of HIV-infected Patients with Virological Suppression but a CD4 T-cell Count of ≤ 200 Cells/mm after Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation: A Meta-analysis.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) strongly inhibits HIV replication. However, many patients show suboptimal immune recovery (SIR), as defined by virological suppression (i.e.

[Adjuvant treatment of penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel for persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome].

Objective: To explore the efficacy and action mechanism of penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel for persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome.

Methods: Ninety patients with persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group ( = 45) and a control group ( = 45). The patients in the control group were treated with momethasone furoate nasal spray, 2 sprays per side per time, once a day.

Effects of a 4-year intervention on hand hygiene compliance and incidence of healthcare associated infections: a longitudinal study.

Purpose: Studies have demonstrated improvements in hand hygiene (HH) compliance through interventions, noting the negative association of HH and healthcare associated infections (HAIs), but how to sustain long-term improvement is still unknown in the Chinese population. This study sought to determine the extent of change in HH compliance after multimodal HH interventions, and to evaluate the relationship between that change and HAI incidence.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study in a general teaching hospital in China from 2017 to 2020.

Randomised clinical trial: Efficacy and safety of Qing-Chang-Hua-Shi granules in a multicenter, randomized, and double-blind clinical trial of patients with moderately active ulcerative colitis.

Qing-Chang-Hua-Shi (QCHS) is a Chinese herbal formula, which is composed of 11 herbs. Studies have also shown that QCHS granules can alleviate colitis in animal models by preventing inflammatory responses and suppressing apoptosis through the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. To determine the efficacy and safety of QCHS granules in patients with moderately active UC.

Circular RNA circ_HECTD1 regulates cell injury after cerebral infarction by miR-27a-3p/FSTL1 axis.

Cerebral infarction is a common cerebrovascular disease caused by neural cell injury, with high mortality worldwide. Circular RNAs HECT domain E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase 1 (circ_HECTD1) has been reported to be related to the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-caused neuronal damage in cerebral ischemia. This study is designed to explore the role and mechanism of circ_HECTD1 in OGD/R-induced cell injury in cerebral ischemia.

Coronavirus Disease 2019: Initial Detection on Chest CT in a Retrospective Multicenter Study of 103 Chinese Patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of chest CT regarding the initial presentation of patients suspected of having coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Materials And Methods: Data from 103 patients who were under investigation for COVID-19 based on inclusion criteria according to the World Health Organization Interim Guidance were retrospectively collected from January 21, 2020, to February 14, 2020. All patients underwent chest CT scanning and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for COVID-19 at hospital presentation.