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Background Gastric cancer was still one of the commonly diagnosed cancer types and the third-most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. Gentiopicroside, which is extracted from the Gentianella acuta, is commonly used in both traditional treatment and modern clinical care; therefore, its anticancer effects have been attracted more attention. However, the systematic analysis of action mechanism of Gentiopicroside on gastric cancer (GC) has not yet been carried out. Aim A network pharmacology-based strategy combined with molecular docking studies and in vitro validation was employed to investigate potential targets and molecular mechanism of Gentiopicroside against GC. Materials and Methods Potential targets of Gentiopicroside, as well as related genes of GC, were acquired from public databases. Potential targets, and signaling pathways were determined through bioinformatic analysis, including protein–protein interaction (PPI), the Gene Ontology (GO), and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Subsequently, molecular docking and cell experiments were performed to further verify the above findings. Results Our findings revealed that the anticancer activity of Gentiopicroside potentially involves 53 putative identified target genes. In addition, GO, KEGG, and network analyses revealed that these targets were associated with cell proliferation, metabolic process, and other physiological processes. Furthermore, we have proved that critical compound affected the expression of CCND1, CCNE1, p-AKT and p-P38 at protein levels. These findings provide an overview of the anticancer action of Gentiopicroside from a network perspective; meanwhile, it might also set an example for future studies of other materials used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Conclusion This study comprehensively illuminated the potential targets and molecular mechanism of Gentiopicroside against GC. It also provided a promising approach to uncover the scientific basis and therapeutic mechanism of TCM treating for disease.

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been developed as a useful marker for eosinophilic airway inflammation and is widely used in clinical practice due to its convenience and noninvasiveness. There are two NO analyzers commonly used in China: the Sunvou-CA2122 Analyzer (NOS) and the NIOX VERO Analyzer (NOV). However, the relationships between the two devices have not yet been reported. The aim of our study was to determine the correlation and differences in the FeNO levels measured by the two devices. FeNO levels were measured by both NOS and NOV in 107 adult patients with asthma. The asthma control test (ACT) score and lung function were also evaluated. This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn). NOS yielded generally higher FeNO values than NOV [median (range): 87.0 (16 ∼ 276) vs 58.0 (9 ∼ 228); p rs = 0.878, p NOS and logFeNONOV (95% CI: –0.45 ∼ 0.14). The conversion equation was calculated as follows: logFeNONOS= 0.027 + 0.904× logFeNONOV. This was the first report to compare FeNO levels measured by NOS and NOV, showing a strongly positive correlation and a low degree of consistency between the two devices. Further prospective studies are required to verify our conclusions and determine the validity of the equation.

To the Editor,We read with great interest the recent study by Zayed et al. reporting dupilumab safety and efficacy in uncontrolled asthma [1]. They reported that the addition of dupilumab reduced r...

Background Chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells (CRTH2) antagonists are novel agents for asthma but with controversial efficacies in clinical trials. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the roles of CRTH2 antagonists in asthma. Methods We searched in major databases for RCTs comparing CRTH2 antagonists with placebo in asthma. Fixed- or random-effects model was performed to calculate mean differences (MD), risk ratio (RR) or risk difference (RD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results A total of 14 trails with 4671 participants were included in our final analysis. Instead of add-on treatment of CRTH2 antagonists to corticosteroids, CRTH2 antagonist monotherapy significantly improved pre-bronchodilator FEV1 (MD = 0.09, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.15, P = 0.0005), FEV1% predicted (MD = 3.65, 95% CI 1.15 to 6.14, P = 0.004), and AQLQ (MD = 0.25, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.41, P = 0.002), and reduced asthma exacerbations (RR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.85, P = 0.01). Rescue use of SABA was significantly decreased in both CRTH2 antagonist monotherapy (MD = − 0.04, 95% CI -0.05 to − 0.03, P

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway exhibits an important role in cancer invasion and metastasis. Excessive expression of TGF-β activates Smad4, leading to the upregulation of downstream metastasis-associated genes. Thus, the inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad4 signaling pathway may be a novel strategy for treatment of cancer metastasis. Baicalein, a flavonoid derived from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis, has been reported to exert strong anti-tumor activity towards various types of cancer. In the present study the effect of baicalein on migration and invasion of cancer cells was evaluated using wound-healing and Transwell assays. In order to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-metastatic effects of baicalein, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analyses were performed to examine the effect on the expression of TGF‑β, Smad4, N-cadherin, vimentin, ZEB1 and ZEB2. It was determined that baicalein inhibited the migration and invasion of AGS cells by suppressing the TGF-β/Smad4 signaling pathway. In addition, baicalein treatment reduced the expression of the metastasis-associated N-cadherin, vimentin, ZEB1 and ZEB2, downstream target genes of the TGF‑β/Smad4 signaling pathway. Collectively, these results suggest that inhibition of the metastasis of cancer cells via inactivation of TGF-β/Smad4 signaling is one of the mechanisms by which baicalein may treat cancer.