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Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: All of randomized controlled trials (RCT) about hyperthermia in combination with chemotherapy (versus chemotherapy alone) were collected through Cochrane library, PubMed, EMbase, CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Database from database inception to October 2019, no limit on language. Two researchers extracted data and assess literature quality separately, and made a metaanalysis by RevMan 5.3 software. 32 trials with 2361 patients, 1154 in treatment group and 1152 in control group, wereincluded in the review. Results: The results of the Meta-analysis exhibited that compared with chemotherapy alone, hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy could can enhance tumor response rate [RR=1.48, 95% CI (1.34, 1.63), p

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging and rapidly evolving disease with no effective drug treatment. Traditional Chinese medicines have been widely used to treat COVID-19 in China. Chansu and its major active constituent, bufalin, exert broad-spectrum antiviral effects. Although the clinical efficacy of Chansu injection for COVID-19 treatment has been confirmed, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Objectives: In this study, we used network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to explore the potential material basis and mechanism of action of Chansu injection for COVID-19 treatment. Methods: The main components of Chansu injection were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The PharmMapper, SwissTargetPrediction, SEA, and TCMID databases were used to screen for the active ingredients and therapeutic targets of Chansu injection while the OMIM and GeneCards Suite databases were used to search for COVID-19-related targets. The STRING database was used for protein–protein interaction (PPI) network construction and topological analysis while DAVID was used for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets. Molecular docking of the three Chansu injection components (i.e., cinobufagin, resibufogenin, and bufalin) to angiotensin-converting enzyme II, spike (S) protein, 3CL protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase was also carried out. Results: The three Chansu injection compounds were identified using HPLC. A total of 236 drug-related targets and 16,611 disease-related targets were identified, and 77 common targets were determined through mapping. The PPI mapping results revealed 16 core targets obtained through topological analysis and screening. Further, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the PI3K and JAK–STAT signaling pathways are the major pathways regulated by Chansu injection in COVID-19 treatment. The molecular docking results suggest that the three Chansu injection components have high binding energies to the S protein. Conclusions: This study revealed that the potential mechanism of Chansu injection for COVID-19 treatment involves multiple targets and pathways, thereby providing a scientific basis for its clinical application and further research.

MicroRNA (miR)‑27b has been reported to partici-pate in regulating the activity of non‑small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells. Additionally, when downregulated in NSCLC it promotes resistance to docetaxel; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. Using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction, the present study determined that the expression of miR‑27b was significantly reduced in NSCLC cells that were resistant to docetaxel. In addition, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was identified as a possible target of miR‑27b by searching the online miRNA database, TargetScan. A luciferase assay further validated EGFR as an effective target gene of miR‑27b. In addition, it was determined that in tumor tissue samples resistant to docetaxel miR‑27b was significantly downregulated, whilst EGFR was significantly upregulated. miR‑27b negatively regulated the expression of EGFR. This was evident as the transfection of miR‑27b mimics led to downregulation of the expression levels of EGFR, whilst miR‑27b inhibitors upregulated the expression levels of EGFR. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the transfection of miR‑27b mimics significantly suppressed the apoptosis and promote the viability of A549 human lung carcinoma cells. In line with this, the introduction of miR‑27b inhibitors significantly induced apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells. These results indicate that miR‑27b may promote NSCLC cell viability and enhance resistance to docetaxel treatment through direct inhibition of EGFR expression. Additionally, miR‑27b may become a promising molecular target for improving the effectiveness of chemotherapy with docetaxel.

Background Despite advances in asthma management, exacerbations constitute a significant health economic burden. Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine formula entitled PingchuanYiqi (PCYQ) granule, on acute asthma and to explore its possible mechanism. Materials and methods This proof-of-concept study consisted of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with acute asthma (n = 300). Participants with acute mild-to-moderate asthma recruited from seven centers in China were randomly assigned to receive PCYQ or placebo. The primary outcomes were PEF (L/min) and total asthma symptom scores. Furthermore, a panel of cytokines including serum IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-17A, IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, CRP, CCL-5, IP-10, and PGD2 levels was detected using ELISA. Results The PCYQ (n = 139) significantly improved the morning PEF on day 4 (349.73 ± 93.92 vs. 313.56 ± 92.91 L/min, P = 0.004) and day 7 (360.42 ± 94.39 vs. 329.52 ± 95.97 L/min, P = 0.023), and the evening PEF on day 4 (352.65 ± 95.47 vs. 320.58 ± 95.30 L/min, P = 0.012) and day 7 (360.42 ± 94.39 vs. 336.86 ± 95.59 L/min, P = 0.029) in comparison with the placebo (n = 143). The PCYQ also improved the clinical symptoms scores and reduced the puffs of short-acting β2-agonist (all P Conclusion The PCYQ as the Chinese herbal medicine formula significantly improves lung function and symptoms of acute asthma, and reduces SABA dosage possibly via decrease of inflammatory biomarkers such as IL-5, IL-8, IL-1β and PGD2. Trial registration ISRCTN61674768 ( http://www.isrctn.com/ ).

Xiao-Min Lu,* Ji-Ping Zhu,* Xian-Mei Zhou Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally tothis work Background: Insomnia is a common comorbidity associated with COPD. Although benzodiazepines (BZDs) can have adverse effects on respiratory response in COPD patients, these are the most common hypnotics. The aim of this study was to examine by meta-analysis the efficacy and safety of BZD to treat insomnia in COPD patients. Materials and methods: Electronic databases (PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Cochrane clinical trials database) were searched. Studies were eligible if they compared the effects of BZD versus placebo on insomnia in COPD patients. Two reviewers extracted data independently. Disagreements were resolved by discussion with another reviewer until a consensus was achieved. Data that included objective and subjective sleep evaluation and respiratory function variables were extracted. Data were analyzed by the methods recommended by Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: A total of 233 records were identified through the initial search; of these, five studies were included in the meta-analysis. When BZD was compared with placebo, objective sleep quality was significantly improved, including total sleep time (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54–1.14, P

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal lung disease for which, thus far, there are no effective treatments. The pericarp of Citrus reticulata, as a traditional herbal drug, has been used for the clinical treatment of lung-related diseases in China for many years. In the present study, the amines from the pericarp of Citrus reticulata were isolated, and their hydrochlorides were prepared. The results of screening using cultured human embryonic lung fibroblasts (hELFs) revealed that, of the amines, 4-methoxyphenethylamine hydrochloride (designated as amine hydrochloride 1) possessed the most potent inhibitory effect. Further in vivo experiments using a rat model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis demonstrated that the oral administration of amine hydrochloride 1 significantly lowered the hydroxyproline content in both serum and lung tissue, and alleviated pulmonary alveolitis and fibrosis. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that amine hydrochloride 1 exerted its inhibitory effect against IPF through the downregulation of lung transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 protein expression. Our results demonstrated that amine hydrochloride 1 prevented the development of bleomycin‑induced lung fibrosis in rats. Thus, our data suggest that the amines from the pericarp of Citrus reticulata have therapeutic potential for use in the treatment of IPF.