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Background: Zanthoxylum schinifolium is a common herbal medicine in Southwest China. It is also a condiment commonly used in many families. In Chinese folk medicine, Z. schinifolium is considered to have the effect of relieving migraine, but there is no modern evidence on its anti-migraine mechanism. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical constituents of the supercritical carbon dioxide extracts of Z. schinifolium (CO2-ZSE) and its effects on migraine animals. Materials and Methods: Supercritical CO2 extraction technology was applied to extract the dried fruit of Z. schinifolium , and the chemical components were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Two migraine animal models were established by subcutaneous injection of nitroglycerin (NTG) and reserpine, respectively, to further evaluate the therapeutic effect of CO2-ZSE and explore its mechanism. On the basis of the experimental results, the therapeutic effects of linalool in different dosages and different ways of administration on NTG-induced migraine rats have been further investigated. Results: About 125 peaks were detected in CO2-ZSE, and the relative content of linalool was 74.16%. CO2-ZSE decreased the number of head-scratching significantly and the levels of serum nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65, and inhibitor of kappa B alpha (IκBα), and increased the level of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Linalool has the potential to reduce the frequency of scratching the head and the expressions of NO, ET-1, and CGRP in NTG-induced migraine rats. Conclusion: CO2-ZSE has a definite therapeutic effect on migraine by affecting the expression of vasomotor factors and the inflammatory pathway. Linalool has been proven to be the main effective substance against migraine. These findings provide scientific basis for the development of effective and simple migraine therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytotoxic adenosine analogues were among the earliest chemotherapeutic agents utilised in cancer treatment. Cordycepin, a natural derivative of adenosine discovered in the fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, directly inhibits tumours not only by impeding biosynthesis, inducing apoptosis or autophagy, regulating the cell cycle, and curtailing tumour invasion and metastasis but also modulates the immune response within the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, extensive research highlights cordycepin's significant therapeutic potential in alleviating hyperlipidaemia and regulating glucose metabolism. This review comprehensively analyses the structure-activity relationship of cordycepin and its analogues, outlines its pharmacokinetic properties, and strategies to enhance its bioavailability. Delving into the molecular biology, it explores the pharmacological mechanisms of cordycepin in tumour suppression and metabolic disorder treatment, thereby underscoring its immense potential in drug development within these domains and laying the groundwork for innovative treatment strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Yang, Zhao and Zhang.)

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a globally challenging and refractory autoimmune disease, constituting a serious menace to human health. RA is characterized by recurrent pain and is difficult to resolve, necessitating prolonged medication for control. Yishen Tongbi decoction is a traditional Chinese herbal compound prescribed for treating RA. We have completed a 3-year RCT study that confirmed the clinical efficacy of Yishen Tongbi decoction for RA. Notably, we observed a faster clinical remission rate compared to MTX by week 4 of treatment. In our forthcoming study, we intend to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the efficacy and safety of Yishen Tongbi decoction in the real-world treatment of RA through a prospective study. Methods and analysis: This prospective, multicenter, real-world observational study will be conducted at two designated centers in China from October 2023 to August 2025. The study will include 324 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. One group will receive Yishen Tongbi decoction combined with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). The other group will receive standard treatment. Standard treatment can be further divided into subgroups: csDMARDs, targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (tsDMARDs), and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). In each group, the number of tender joints, number of swollen joints, pain score, patient global assessment, physician global assessment, disease activity index (DAS28-ESR or DAS28-CRP), clinical disease activity index (cDAI), simplified disease activity index (sDAI) and relevant laboratory data will be compared. Clinical indicators and disease activity of the patients will be assessed at baseline, week 4 and week 12 after the initiation of treatment. The primary outcome will be the American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria (ACR20) attainment rate among patients at week 12 after treatment. Every adverse event will be reported. Ethics and dissemination: This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the first affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of traditional Chinese Medicine (NO.K-2023-009). The results of the study will be published in national and international peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences. The researchers will inform participants and other RA patients of the results through health education. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.html, identifier ChiCTR2300076073., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liu, Zhu, Xin, Zhang, Hu, Xu, Zhang, Liu and Chen.)

Background: Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (hUCBMNCs) show therapeutic effects on many inflammatory diseases. The deterioration of acute liver injury is attributed to excessive inflammatory responses triggered by damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Whether hUCBMNCs treatment is a promising strategy for acute liver injury/failure needs to be investigated. Methods: Liver injury mice induced by PAMPs, DAMPs, or DAMPs plus PAMPs were developed. DAMPs included CCl 4 (carbon tetrachloride), APAP (acetaminophen), and ConA (Concanavalin A). PAMPs included Klebsiella pneumoniae ( K.P. ) and Salmonella typhimurium ( S. Typhimurium ). DAMP plus PAMP-induced liver injury was developed by sequential CCl 4 and K.P. administration. hUCBMNCs were injected intravenously. Results: hUCBMNCs significantly prolonged mice survival time in DAMP plus PAMP-induced liver failure but had no benefit in bacteria-infected mice. hUCBMNCs significantly alleviated hepatic necrosis post CCl 4 /ConA insult. In CCl 4 -induced acute liver injury, peripheral levels of interleukin (IL)-22 were upregulated and liver regeneration was enhanced after treating with hUCBMNCs at 48h. The levels of p62 and LC3B-II, autophagy markers, were also upregulated in the hUCBMNC-treated group. Conclusion: hUCBMNCs as a kind of cell therapeutic strategy could attenuate acute liver injury in mice, which is executed by enhancing autophagy and regeneration in the liver via inhibiting inflammatory responses and upregulating peripheral IL-22., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhang, Zhai, Yu, Shang, Mo, Li, Wang, Lu, Xie and Xiang.)

Background: Zanthoxylum schinifolium is a common herbal medicine in Southwest China. It is also a condiment commonly used in many families. In Chinese folk medicine, Z. schinifolium is considered to have the effect of relieving migraine, but there is no modern evidence on its anti-migraine mechanism. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical constituents of the supercritical carbon dioxide extracts of Z. schinifolium (CO 2 -ZSE) and its effects on migraine animals. Materials and Methods: Supercritical CO 2 extraction technology was applied to extract the dried fruit of Z. schinifolium , and the chemical components were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Two migraine animal models were established by subcutaneous injection of nitroglycerin (NTG) and reserpine, respectively, to further evaluate the therapeutic effect of CO 2 -ZSE and explore its mechanism. On the basis of the experimental results, the therapeutic effects of linalool in different dosages and different ways of administration on NTG-induced migraine rats have been further investigated. Results: About 125 peaks were detected in CO 2 -ZSE, and the relative content of linalool was 74.16%. CO 2 -ZSE decreased the number of head-scratching significantly and the levels of serum nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65, and inhibitor of kappa B alpha (IκBα), and increased the level of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Linalool has the potential to reduce the frequency of scratching the head and the expressions of NO, ET-1, and CGRP in NTG-induced migraine rats. Conclusion: CO 2 -ZSE has a definite therapeutic effect on migraine by affecting the expression of vasomotor factors and the inflammatory pathway. Linalool has been proven to be the main effective substance against migraine. These findings provide scientific basis for the development of effective and simple migraine therapy., Competing Interests: Author JY was employed by SBJ Biotechnology Co.,Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Yuan, Shi, Zhang, Hu, Wei, Luo, Wu, Yang, Yang, Wang, Zheng and Zhang.)