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Introduction: Yunvjian (YNJ) decoction, a classic traditional Chinese medicine prescription for inflammatory diseases, has demonstrated good therapeutic effects in the clinical treatment of pneumonia. The aim of this study was to clarify the effective ingredients and mechanism of action of YNJ on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Methods: The effects of YNJ were evaluated in a mouse model of LPS-induced ALI and in LPS-treated MLE-12 murine lung epithelial cells and RAW264.7 macrophages in vitro. The mechanism of action of YNJ on these model systems was studied using RNA sequencing, immunohistochemical analysis, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, ELISA, and polymerase chain reaction assays. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was applied to identify the absorbed components of YNJ. Results: YNJ attenuated pulmonary damage in LPS-treated mice, as evidenced by reduced protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, decreased lung wet/dry weight ratio, and improved respiratory function. Analysis of pneumonia-related lung injury samples from patients in the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset GSE40012 indicated that NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)-mediated pyroptosis was a primary mechanism in ALI. YNJ reduced the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and decreased the expression levels of lung NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), cleaved caspase-1, and interleukin-1β levels (IL-1β) in vivo. Administration of YNJ-containing mouse serum increased cell viability and decreased malondialdehyde and reactive oxidative species contents in LPS-stimulated MLE-12 cells. YNJ-containing serum also decreased the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, and promoted macrophage polarization toward an M2 phenotype. A total of 23 absorbed components were identified in YNJ-containing serum. Among those, network analysis and in vitro experiments indicated that diosgenin, timosaponin BII, and mangiferin are anti-inflammatory active substances. Conclusion: YNJ attenuates LPS-induced ALI in mice by inhibiting pyroptosis of lung epithelial cells and macrophages via suppression of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. Our findings provide novel insights into the therapeutic effects of YNJ on ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Zhongsheng Hua, Feihua Huang, Wei Wang A method of integrating Functional Analysis (FA) with TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) software tools is proposed to assist engineers in finding innovative solutions to technical problems in product development. The product's functions and components are deployed into a pair of hierarchical trees respectively, which indicate the corresponding relationships between them. Components that need to be innovated are specified by applying a House of Quality (HOQ) analysis on customers' demands. Technical innovation is then executed by applying TRIZ software tools. Finally, the efficiency of the method is demonstrated by using a case of fully automatic washing machines.

Context • Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) indicates that both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD) should be categorized as dementia and that they have a common etiology and pathogenesis under TCM classification of syndromes, such as with kidney essence deficiency syndrome (KEDS). The pathological location is mainly in the brain. However, it remains unclear whether AD and VD patients with KEDS exhibit a metabolic commonality in the same region of the brain. Objective • The study intended to investigate the metabolic characteristics of the brain using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in patients with AD and VD who had been diagnosed with KEDS. Design • The research team designed a pilot study, with the participants being allocated to 3 groups: (1) an AD group, (2) a VD group, and (3) a control group. All data analysis was carried out by a trained radiologist who was blinded to each participant's diagnosis. Setting • The study took place at the Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province (Zhejiang Sheng, China). Participants • Participants were patients at the Tongde Hospital with mild AD or VD who had been diagnosed with KEDS. The normal controls were patients' spouses or guardians with normal cognitive function. Outcome Measures • All participants underwent 1H-MRS. The N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/myo-inositol (mI), NAA/creatine (Cr), choline (Cho)/Cr, and mI/Cr ratios were bilaterally measured in the posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG) and anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) by the Syngo spectroscopy postprocessing package. Demographic characteristics and 1H-MRS data were assessed across the AD, VD, and normal control groups. Results • Thirteen patients with mild AD with KEDS, 15 patients with mild VD with KEDS, and 18 normal controls were recruited from May 2013 through May 2014. The AD and VD groups did not significantly differ in the NAA/mI, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, and mI/Cr ratios in either the PCG or the ACG, with the exception being the Cho/Cr ratio in the right ACG, for which the ratio of the AD group was significantly lower when compared with that of the VD group (P < .05). Conclusions • Mild AD and VD with KEDS showed similar patterns for the 1H-MRS on the cingulate cortex, providing evidence for a common pathogenesis for the KEDS that is associated with AD and VD, providing a modern biological basis for the philosophy of providing the same treatment for different diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to detect serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) patients and to demonstrate their values in evaluating the severity and prognosis of CTD-ILD., Patients and Methods: The study included 82 CTD-ILD patients (54 males, 28 females; mean age 67.9 years; range 29 to 91 years) and 82 controls (54 males, 28 females; mean age 68.1 years; range 30 to 92 years). Patients were followed-up for 12 months. Correlations of serum CEA and CA 19-9 with disease severity parameters (pulmonary function, oxygenation index and involvement score on high resolution computed tomography) were analyzed. Survival analysis was used to evaluate significance of serum CEA and CA 19-9 as prognosis predictors., Results: Serum CEA and CA 19-9 levels were higher in CTD-ILD patients compared with controls (both p<0.05) and correlated with disease severity (p<0.05 for all R2). High levels of serum CEA and CA 19-9 were associated with poor survival (both p<0.05). Serum CEA level was indicated as a prognostic factor for cumulative survival (hazard ratio=1.685, 95% confidence interval: 1.405-2.021, p=0.001)., Conclusion: In CTD-ILD patients, serum CEA and CA 19-9 are elevated and can be indicators of disease severity. Moreover, serum CEA is a significant and independent predictor of survival., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.