Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the leading cause of respiratory failure with high morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary surfactant (PS)-based complementary therapies have exhibited potential for ARDS healing and applied as an adjunctive therapy strategy. Coacervate (Coac) has the characteristics of softness, deformability and excellent molecular enrichment properties, and has attracted extensive attention in the biomedical field. Here PS and coacervate were combined for the potential ARDS treatment. The Coac, fabricated from polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by simple mixing, exhibited soft droplet property and high enrichment for dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP). To avoid the fusion effect of membraneless coacervate and endow it with biological functions of PS, liposomes with PS-biomimetic lipid components (PS-lipo) were further introduced to construct PS-biomimetic membranized coacervate (DSP@PS-Coac). The DSP@PS-Coac demonstrated high lung targeting effect and significant penetration efficiency after intravenous injection. Furthermore, PS-lipo replenished the endogenous PS pool and facilitated the distribution of DSP in inflammatory cells in the lung. In the ARDS mouse model, PS-Coac and DSP exerted synergetic anti-inflammatory functions, via reducing the recruitment of inflammatory neutrophils and modulating macrophages into anti-inflammatory phenotype. The overall results confirmed that DSP@PS-Coac may provide a promising delivery option for the treatment of ARDS.

OBJECTIVE: Rhei Radix et Rhizoma has five types of products, namely, raw rhubarb (RR), wine rhubarb (WR), vinegar rhubarb (VR), cooked rhubarb (CR), and rhubarb charcoal (RC). However, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma is easily contaminated with fungi and mycotoxins if not harvested or processed properly. Here, we intend to analyze how microbiome assemblies and co-occurrence patterns are influenced by sampling locations and processing methods. METHODS: High-throughput sequencing and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) were carried out to study the diversities (α- and β-diversity), composition (dominant taxa and potential biomarkers), and network complexitity of surface fungi on RR, WR, VR, CR, and RC collected from Gansu and Sichuan provinces, China. RESULTS: The phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota; the genera Kazachstania, Malassezia, and Asterotremella; and the species Kazachstania exigua, Asterotremella pseudolonga, and Malassezia restricta were the dominant fungi and exhibited differences in the two provinces and the five processed products. The α-diversity and network complexity were strongly dependent on processing methods. Chao 1, the Shannon index, and network complexity and connectivity were highest in the CR group. The α-diversity and network complexity were influenced by sampling locations. Chao 1 and network complexity and connectivity were highest in the Gansu Province. CONCLUSION The assembly and network of the surface microbiome on Rhei Radix et Rhizoma were shaped by processing methods and sampling locations. This paper offers a comprehensive understanding of microorganisms, which can provide early warning for potential mycotoxins and ensure the safety of drugs and consumers.

Experimental respiratory distress syndrome was induced with oleic acid injection to 8 dogs. 4 dogs received no treatment and served as controls, and the other 4 were treated with anisodamine (654-2) after oleic acid injection.All the animals were killed at the 72nd hour after injection, and their lung tissues were studied under electron microscope.It was found that anisodamine was able to reduce the severity of pulmonary edema. There was accumulation of neutrophils in the pulmonary capillaries and hyaline membrane formation on the epithelial surface of the alveoli and alveolar duct walls. Neutrophil accumulation in the capillaries may indicate that the content of the blood was kept at a fairly high level at the 72nd hour after injection in spite of anisodamine treatment. The chief constituent of the hyaline membrane was fibrin. At the sites of hyaline membrane formation, focal cyto-plasmic necrosis of the type I epithelial cells was often observed.

The skin specimens of the patients with psoriasis were examined with electron microscope after the photo-herbal therapy of Anglica dahurica, Sichuan variety and ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation. It was found that the therapeutic effects of this photo-herbal therapy were similar to those of the photochemotherapy of psoralen and UVA. Both of the therapies could accelerate the degeneration amibreakdown of the psoriatic cells and normalize the proliferation of the basal cells. However the large vacuoles formed in the nuclei of the psoriatic cells after the photochemotherapy reported by other authors could not be revealed after the combined treatment of A. dahurica and UVA.