Search

Background and purpose: Breast cancer has overtaken lung cancer as the most common malignant tumor in women. Early breast cancer patient can achieve a long survival time after comprehensive treatment, however the cardiotoxicity caused by radiotherapy may affect its long-term prognosis. Therefore, early monitoring of radiation-induced heart disease is important for improving the survival of breast cancer patients. Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) is a new technique to study myocardial deformation. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is a good parameter for evaluating early cardiotoxicity caused by radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of GLS in evaluating radiotherapy-induced early cardiotoxicity in breast cancer. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were searched by computer from January 2010 to March 2022. According to the pre-set inclusion and exclusion criteria, screening studies was performed using GLS and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to evaluate myocardial function changes during and after radiotherapy for breast cancer. Two researchers independently conducted literature screening and data extraction. Review Manager5.4 analysis software was used for data analysis. Results: Finally, 9 studies were included, involving a total of 543 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that LVEF of patients with left breast cancer decreased slightly immediately after radiotherapy, and WMD was -0.98. LVEF of those patients increased at 6 months after radiotherapy, and the WMD was -0.83, which was still lower than baseline. LVEF was almost unchangeable after radiotherapy for right breast cancer. GLS of left-sided breast cancer patients decreased significantly immediately after radiotherapy, at 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after radiotherapy, and WMD was 1.57, 1.84, 1.04 and 1.69, respectively. The differences were statistically significant. There was no significant heterogeneity among the studies. However, there was no significant change in GLS after radiotherapy for right breast cancer. There was no significant difference in GLSr between breast cancers of different sides. Conclusion: GLS may be a good predictor of radiation-induced heart disease in patients with left-sided breast cancer.

Breast cancer has overtaken lung cancer as the most common malignancy in women. Although the early diagnostic rate has continuously improved, recurrence and metastasis remain a problem to be solved. Therefore, scientists should search for effective prognostic markers for breast cancer patients and adopt individualized programs for different patients. Studies have shown that cancer prognosis, to a certain extent, is related to the nutrition inflammation index. Preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and controlled nutritional status (CONUT) are indicators that comprehensively reflect the nutritional level and inflammatory state of patients, respectively. Different from other cancers, the incidence of breast cancer is related to nutritional status, and an extremely high or low score is not conducive to the prognosis of breast cancer patients. This paper reviews the research progress of PNI and CONUT in breast cancer.

The low energy density, safety concerns, and high cost associated with conventional lithium‐ion batteries pose challenges in meeting the growing demands of emerging applications. While lithiumsulfur batteries (LSBs) offer high specific capacity, their commercial viability is hindered by the prevalent issue of shuttle effects. Furthermore, the potential of solid‐state lithium batteries is constrained by the suboptimal ionic conductivity and significant interphase problems. High‐entropy materials (HEMs) have emerged as a strategic approach for the development of innovative materials possessing exceptional properties. In recent times, some studies have been undertaken to explore the potential of HEMs in lithium‐based rechargeable batteries, showcasing their favorable characteristics. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of various factors associated with HEM materials, encompassing elements, structure, and morphology, on the reversibility of reactions and cycling stability. This work also presents an analysis of the effects of elements and morphology on the properties of HEMs in LSBs, which can trap soluble lithium polysulfides and enhance reaction kinetics. Additionally, the work provides an overview of high‐entropy electrolytes, including both solid‐state and non‐aqueous liquid electrolytes. Furthermore, the research outlines future research directions aimed at investigating more efficient HEMs and enhancing the overall performance of lithium‐based rechargeable batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acanthopanax senticosus polysaccharide–nano-selenium (ASPS-SENPS) and A. selenopanax selenized polysaccharides (Se-ASPS) were synthesized, and their characterization and biological properties were compared. The acid extraction method was used to extract the polysaccharides of A. selenopanax, followed by decolorization using the hydrogen peroxide method and deproteinization based on the Sevage method, and the purification of A. senticosus polysaccharides (ASPS) was carried out using the cellulose DEAE-52 ion column layer analysis method. An A. senticosus polysaccharide–nano-selenium complex was synthesized by a chemical reduction method using ASPS as dispersants. The selenization of polysaccharides from A. selenopanax was carried out using the HNO3-Na2SeO3 method. The chemical compositions, scanning electron microscopy images, infrared spectra, and antioxidant properties of ASPS-SENPS and Se-ASPS were studied, and they were also subjected to thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicated that the optimal conditions for the synthesis of ASPS-SENPS include the following: when ASPS accounts for 10%, the ratio of ascorbic acid and sodium selenium should be 4:1, the response time should be 4 h, and the reaction temperature should be 50 °C. The most favorable conditions for the synthesis of Se-ASPS were as follows: m (Na2SeO3):m (ASPS) = 4:5, response temperature = 50 °C, and response time = 11.0 h. In the in vitro antioxidant assay, when the mass concentration of Se-ASPS and ASPS-SENPS was 5 mg/mL, the removal rates for DPPH free radicals were 88.44 ± 2.83% and 98.89 ± 3.57%, respectively, and the removal rates for ABTS free radicals were 90.11 ± 3.43% and 98.99 ± 1.73%, respectively, stronger than those for ASPS. The current study compares the physiological and bioactivity effects of ASPS-SENPS and Se-ASPS, providing a basis for future studies on polysaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has become a global epidemic, and there is no specific treatment for anti‐COVID‐19 drugs. However, treatment of COVID‐19 using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely practiced in China. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases were searched to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM in the treatment of COVID‐19. Twenty‐six studies were included in this meta‐analysis. The included cases were all patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 according to the "New Coronary Virus Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Program," with a total of 2,407 cases. Patients were treated with CHM, including 36 prescriptions, and 105 flavors of CHM were included. The results of the meta‐analysis showed that the CHM group improved in lung CT, clinical cure rate, clinical symptom score and time to negative for viral nucleic acid. However, this study still has many limitations due to the limited number of included studies. Therefore, high‐quality RCT studies are needed to provide more reliable evidence for CHM treatment of COVID‐19. In conclusion, CHM may significantly improve the clinical manifestations and laboratory indicators of patients with COVID‐19. In addition, no serious adverse reactions were found after CHM treatment. Therefore, CHM may be used as a potential candidate for COVID‐19. Highlights: COVID‐19 has become a global epidemic, and there is no specific treatment for anti‐COVID‐19 drugs.CHM has made a new breakthrough in the treatment of COVID‐19.CHM may relieve lung CT images of COVID‐19 patients.CHM may improve clinical symptoms of COVID‐19 patients.CHM may inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors in patients with COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Acanthopanax senticosus has been shown to have a wide range of pharmacological activities, which are associated with health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. A previous study has shown that the n-butanol fraction of A. senticosus extract had the strongest antioxidant effect in vitro. This study aimed to investigate the effects that the n-butanol fraction of A. senticosus extract could relieve oxidative stress damage through antioxidant and antiapoptotic in the H2O2-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and the CCl4-induced liver injury. The result showed that the n-butanol fraction extract could relieve damage by increasing the intracellular antioxidant enzymes (SOD) level, decreasing intracellular ROS and MDA levels, and regulating antioxidant and antiapoptotic-related gene expression levels. The morphological observation of HE, TUNE, and immunohistochemistry staining of liver tissue verified that the n-butanol fraction extract is though anti-oxidative and antiapoptotic to alleviate cellular oxidative damage. The RT-PCR assay showed that the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE and the Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway were related to the molecular mechanism of action. The experimental results show that Acanthopanax senticosus extract has a good effect in treating liver injury and enhancing the antioxidant capacity of the body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain the optimal process for the enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction of polysaccharides from Acanthopanax senticosus , and study the physicochemical properties of polysaccharides of different molecular weights, the extraction of Acanthopanax polysaccharides was optimized using the BBD response surface test. The polysaccharides with different molecular weights were obtained by ethanol-graded precipitation at 40%, 60%, and 80%, which were presented as ASPS40, ASPS60, and ASPS80. The polysaccharides were analyzed by HPGPC, ion chromatography, FT-IR, UV, SEM, TGA, XRD, Congo red, and I 2 -KI tests. The antioxidant assay was used to evaluate their antioxidant properties in vitro. The findings demonstrated that the recovery rate of Acanthopanax polysaccharide was 10.53 ± 0.682%, which is about 2.5 times greater compared to the conventional method of hot water extraction. Based on FT-IR, TGA, polysaccharides with different molecular weights did not differ in their structure or thermal stability. The XRD suggests that the internal structure of ASPSs is amorphous. Congo red and I 2 -KI showed that all three polysaccharides had triple helix structures with longer branched chains and more side chains. Furthermore, the antioxidant results showed the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides is not only related to the molecular weight size but also can be related to its composition and structure. These studies developed a green, and scalable method to produce polysaccharides from Acanthopanax senticosus and evaluated the properties of Acanthopanax polysaccharides of different molecular weights.

An inclusion complex formation with cyclodextrin is a promising method to improve the bioavailability of water-insoluble drugs. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of Hyperoside-2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex in rats were evaluated. Compared with Hyperoside, the results showed that maximum plasma concentration and AUC0-t indexes of Hyperoside inclusion complex in rat plasma were increased, the value of half-life time was prolonged, and the value of apparent clearance was decreased, which proved that Hyperoside complexed with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin could improve its bioavailability and increase its blood concentration. Secondly, the therapeutic effect of Hyperoside before and after complexing was further compared through the dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice. The experimental results showed that under the same dose, the Hyperoside inclusion complex had a better therapeutic effect, which could significantly increase the body weight of mice, improve the disease activity index, alleviate colon shortening, improve pathological colon changes, and have a better protective effect on colitis mice. According to 16S rDNA sequencing analyses, Hyperoside-2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin may have an anti-inflammatory effect by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria (e.g. Firmicuria) and decreasing the proportion of harmful bacteria (e.g. Bacteroidetes) to balance the colon's microbiota., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

The Acanthopanax senticosus has been shown to have a wide range of pharmacological activities, which are associated with health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. A previous study has shown that the n-butanol fraction of A . senticosus extract had the strongest antioxidant effect in vitro. This study aimed to investigate the effects that the n-butanol fraction of A . senticosus extract could relieve oxidative stress damage through antioxidant and antiapoptotic in the H 2 O 2 -stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and the CCl 4 -induced liver injury. The result showed that the n-butanol fraction extract could relieve damage by increasing the intracellular antioxidant enzymes (SOD) level, decreasing intracellular ROS and MDA levels, and regulating antioxidant and antiapoptotic-related gene expression levels. The morphological observation of HE, TUNE, and immunohistochemistry staining of liver tissue verified that the n-butanol fraction extract is though anti-oxidative and antiapoptotic to alleviate cellular oxidative damage. The RT-PCR assay showed that the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE and the Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway were related to the molecular mechanism of action. The experimental results show that Acanthopanax senticosus extract has a good effect in treating liver injury and enhancing the antioxidant capacity of the body., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Jianqing Su et al.)

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of application of a toothpaste containing lysozyme to remove extrinsic stains on the tooth surface in an 8-week trial., Methods: 70 adult participants with extrinsic staining of the tooth surface were recruited to this randomized, parallel-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Participants were allocated randomly to the test group or the control group and the study procedure and correct usage of the toothpaste were explained to them. Staining, measured by the Lobene stain index, and any side effects, were recorded over the course of the 8 weeks. All data were analyzed using SAS software version 8.0., Results: 69 participants completed the study. The value of the Lobene stain index was significantly reduced (P< 0.05) in the treatment group compared with the control group after both 4 and 8 weeks. No obvious side effects were observed., Clinical Significance: The results of this clinical study showed that the toothpaste containing lysozyme was effective in removing extrinsic staining on the tooth surface., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflict of interest.