OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of shengxuening (SXN) in treating iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) and to explore its molecular mechanism on iron metabolism balance regulation.

METHODSPatients with IDA were randomly divided into the treated group and the control group, 50 in each group. They were treated with SXN (0.1 g, three times per day) and ferrous gluconate (0.1 g, three times per day) respectively, for 30 days. Levels of serum iron (Fe), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation (TS), serum ferritin (SF), transferrin (Tf), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and blood routine test, as well as scoring of TCM qi-blood deficiency Syndrome were conducted before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total effective rate in the treated group reached 92%, it was shown that SXN could improve the iron metabolism, increase levels of Fe, TS, SF and reduce levels of TIBC, Tf, sTfR, it has obvious effect in promoting erythrocyte generation and could promote formation of leucocytes and platelets. The total effective rate in the control group was 32%, which was significantly lower than that in the treated group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe effect of SXN in treating IDA and qi-blood deficiency Syndrome is evident, it could improve the iron metabolism, increase levels of Fe, TS, SF and lower levels of TIBC, Tf, sTfR.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; blood ; drug therapy ; Child ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Ferritins ; blood ; Humans ; Iron ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Receptors, Transferrin ; blood

The end of the COVID-19 infection peak in 2022 prompts a backlog of cardiovascular surgical patients to gradually return to the hospital, resulting in a surge in cardiovascular surgeries. However, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinical practice of cardiovascular surgery faces many problems. Therefore, organized by Beijing Anzhen Hospital, experts in cardiovascular surgery and related fields have formulated hospital expert experience on perioperative treatment principles of cardiovascular surgery for patients infected with COVID-19. This article summarizes the clinical decision-making of patients requiring cardiovascular surgery after COVID-19 infection, and advises on the corresponding recommendations according to the existing evidence-based medical evidence as well as the actual clinical practice experience of relevant experts. The main content of the article includes special requirements for cardiovascular surgical treatment indications in patients with COVID-19 infection, selection of surgical timing, special requirements of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management, etc., which aims to provide COVID-19-infected patients with guidance on rational decision-making when receiving cardiovascular surgery.

The remediation of heavy-metal (HM) contaminated soil using hyperaccumulators is one of the important solutions to address the inorganic contamination widely occurred worldwide. Hyperaccumulators are able to hyperaccumulate HMs, but their planting, growth, and extraction capacities are greatly affected by HM stress. The application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) enhances the function of hyperaccumulators by combining the functional advantages of both, improving the efficiency of remediation, shortening the remediation cycle, and maintaining the stability and persistence of the remediation. Thus, the combined use of AMF with hyperaccumulators has broad prospects for application in the management of increasingly complex and severe HM pollution. This review starts by defining the concept of hyperaccumulators, followed by describing the typical hyperaccumulators that were firstly reported in China as well as those known to form symbioses with AMF. This review provides a systematic and in-depth discussion of the effects of AMF on the growth of hyperaccumulators, as well as the absorption and accumulation of HMs, the effects and mechanism on the hyperaccumulator plus AMF symbiosis to absorb and accumulate HMs. AMF enhances the function of hyperaccumulators on the absorption and accumulation of HMs by regulating the physicochemical and biological conditions in the plant rhizosphere, the situation of elements homeostasis, the physiological metabolism and gene expression. Moreover, the symbiotic systems established by hyperaccumulators plus AMF have the potential to combine their abilities to remediate HMs-contaminated habitat. Finally, challenges for the combined use of remediation technologies for hyperaccumulator plus AMF symbiosis and future directions were prospected.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Metals, Heavy ; Mycorrhizae/chemistry* ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Soil Pollutants ; Symbiosis

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Qingre Huayu Jianpi prescription （QHJ） on colitis-associated colorectal cancer （CAC） in mice， and its related mechanism. MethodC57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups including the normal， model， QHJ low-dose （QHJ-L， 10 g·kg^-1）， and QHJ high-dose （QHJ-H， 40 g·kg^-1） groups. Azoxymethane （AOM） and dextran sodium sulfate （DSS） were combined to chemically build a CAC mouse model for 14 weeks. Each drug group was given intragastrically from the 5^th week to the 14^th week， once per day. An equal volume of water was fed to the normal and model groups. The mouse survival rate， colon length， weight， and pathological alterations were assessed. The protein expressions of Wnt-3a protein signaling （Wnt3a）， β-catenin， Non-phosphor-β-catenin （Non-p-β-catenin）， and cholesterol-binding glycoproteins 133 （CD133） were detected by Western blot. The localization and expression of the cluster of differentiation （CD） 80 and CD11 antigen-like family member B （CD11b） were detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The colon organoids derived from CAC mice were isolated and cultured to detect the expression of Wnt signaling pathway-related proteins. ResultThe survival rate of the CAC mice was improved by QHJ treatment and the number of colon tumors was inhibited significantly. Compared with those in the normal group， the expression levels of Wnt3a， β-catenin， Non-p-β-catenin， and CD133 in colon tissues in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with those in the model group， the levels of Wnt3a and β-catenin in the QHJ-L group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the protein levels of Wnt3a， β-catenin， Non-p-β-catenin， and CD133 in the QHJ-H group were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Meanwhile， the expression level of CD11b in the model group was significantly increased compared with that in the normal group while the CD80 level was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with those in the model group， CD11b in QHJ-L and QHJ-H groups was significantly decreased， and CD80 was significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expressions of Non-p-β-catenin and CD133 in colonic organoids of CAC model mice were significantly increased， while QHJ treatment could inhibit the expressions of Non-p-β-catenin and CD133 in colonic organoids （P<0.01）. ConclusionQHJ could inhibit the inflammation-cancer development in CAC mice， the mechanism of which might be related to regulating the microenvironment and inhibiting the over-activation of Wnt signaling.