Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a pathological state in which the cardiac ejection fraction is insufficient to meet an individual's metabolic needs owing to changes in the cardiac structure or function. Various etiologies such as myocardial infarction and inflammation are implicated, and the main symptoms are dyspnea, lower limb edema, fatigue, and discomfort during rest or exercise. CHF is the primary outcome of cardiovascular disease, and the increasing morbidity and mortality rates highlight the significant risks of this condition. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the pathogenesis of CHF is deficiency of heart qi and heart yang, which predominantly affects the heart, but may also impede the function of other zang-organs such as the spleen and kidney, and aggravate the symptoms of heart failure. With technological advancements and enhanced awareness of health conditions and disease prevention, China has promoted traditional medicine practices such as medicine and food homology (MFH), which has received increasing attention in recent years. This concept stipulates that certain medicines and foods have the same origin; ergo, these foods have medicinal properties, with many being used in the prevention and treatment of CHF. However, the efficacy and safety of MHF substances have yet to be determined, and there is no consensus regarding the development of disease prevention and treatment strategies. This article therefore reviews the current evidence for MFH in the prevention and treatment of CHF by summarizing the therapeutic potential of this practice and discussing treatment strategies and aims to improve the understanding of Chinese medicine and food homologous substances in the treatment of this condition, as well as highlight the current literature and avenues for future research.

Objective:To investigate the effects of echinatin(Ech)on the malignant biological behavior and immune escape of lung cancer A549 cells and its underlying mechanisms.Methods:Normal lung epithelial cells(BEAS-2B)and A549 cells were routinely cultured and treated with different concentrations of Ech for 24h.Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay,and concentrations of 20,30,and 40 μmol/L were selected for subsequent experiments.A549 cells were divided into the following groups:control group(0 μmol/L Ech),low-(20 μmol/L),medium-(30 μmol/L),and high-concentration(40 μmol/L)Ech groups(Ech-L,Ech-M,Ech-H),and high-dose Ech combined with the pathway inhibitor H-151(1.0 μmol/L)group(Ech-H+H-151).Cell proliferation,migration,and invasion were evaluated using the EdU assay,wound-healing assay,and Transwell assay,respectively.Western blotting(WB)assay was applied to detect the expression of proteins related to proliferation,migration,invasion,and the STING/TBK1/IRF3 signaling pathway.Subsequently,A549 cells were co-cultured with CD8+T cells,and trypan blue staining was used to detect CD8+T cell viability.The levels of type Ⅰ interferon(IFN-Ⅰ)in the co-culture supernatants were detected by WB,while the levels of programmed death ligand 1(PD-L1),interleukin-10(IL-10),interleukin-4(IL-4),and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)were determined using ELISA.Results:Ech inhibited the viability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner(all P<0.05)but had no significant effect on the viability of BEAS-2B cells.Ech dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation,migration and invasion of A549 cells(all P<0.05),as well as the protein expression of cyclinD1,Ki67,MMP2,MMP9,STING,p-TBK1 and p-IRF3(all P<0.05).These effects were partially reversed by H-151.Ech dose-dependently promoted the survival of CD8+T cells co-cultured with A549 cells(all P<0.05),enhanced IFN-Ⅰexpression(all P<0.05),and inhibited the secretion of PD-L1,IL-10,IL-4,and TGF-β(all P<0.05),with H-151 partially reversing these effects(all P<0.05).Conclusion:Ech inhibits malignant biological behavior and immune escape of lung cancer A549 cells by activating the STING/TBK1/IRF3 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of leonurine on growth arrest-specific protein-6 (GAS6)/Axl signaling pathway,and clarify its mechanism of alleviating myocardial injury in rats with coronary heart disease.METHODS The rat model of coronary heart disease was constructed;successfully modeled rats were randomly separated into model group,leonurine low-dose and high-dose groups (intragastric administration of leonurine 25,100 mg/kg+intraperitoneal injection of normal saline 75 mg/kg),and leonurine high-dose+GAS6/Axl signaling pathway inhibitor group (intragastric administration of leonurine 100 mg/kg+intraperitoneal injection of R42875 mg/kg),with 12 rats in each group.Additional 12 normal rats were selected as control group.Each administration group was given relevant medicine;control group and model group were given a constant volume of normal saline intragastrically and intraperitoneally,once a day,for 48 consecutive days.After administration,the heart function of rats,and serum levels of inflammatory factors and myocardial injury markers were detected;the pathological morphology of myocardial tissue was observed;the myocardial cell apoptosis rate,the expressions of apoptosis and GAS6/Axl signaling pathway-related proteins were determined.RESULTS Compared with control group,model group showed disorders in the arrangement of myocardial cells and myocardial fibers,hypertrophy of myocardial cells,and nuclear condensation;left ventricular ejection fraction,left ventricular fractional shortening,ratio of early-diastolic and late-diastolic motion velocity of the mitral ring,the protein expression of GAS6,B-cell lymphoma 2/B-cell lymphoma 2 associated X protein and phosphorylated Axl/Axl ratios were decreased significantly (P<0.05).The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,creatine kinase isoenzyme,troponin Ⅰ and myoglobin,the cell apoptosis rate,and cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 ratio were increased significantly (P<0.05).Leonurine could obviously improve the above pathological conditions and detection indicators (P<0.05),and the effect of leonurine high-dose group was more significant than that of leonurine low-dose group (P<0.05);R428 treatment could reverse the ameliorating effect of high-dose of leonurine on myocardial injury in rats with coronary heart disease (P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS Leonurine can alleviate myocardial injury in rats with coronary heart disease,and its mechanism of action is related to the activation of the GAS6/Axl signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:At present,it is found that both Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis and platelet-rich plasma technology can repair damaged blood vessels,promote vascular regeneration,rebuild blood supply in the femoral head,restore normal blood supply,and further promote osteogenesis.Both of them have certain advantages in early intervention of steroid-induced necrosis of femoral head.It can also further understand the mechanism of blood activating and stasis removing herbs and platelet-rich plasma technology in improving steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head,and provide new ideas for future treatment. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of the mechanism of the combination of blood activating and blood stasis removing herbs and platelet-rich plasma technology on steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head according to the related literature at home and abroad. METHODS:PubMed,Web of Science,Metstr,CNKI and WanFang databases were searched for relevant articles."Traditional Chinese medicine,signal pathways,steroid induced necrosis of femoral head,vascular endothelial growth factor,platelet rich plasma"were used as the Chinese and English search terms separately.The time limit for searching the literature was from January 2000 to July 2022,and 75 related articles were finally included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Both Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis and platelet-rich plasma technology have certain advantages in intervening the early stage of steroid-induced necrosis of femoral head.For traditional Chinese medicine,both single and compound drugs can effectively alleviate the further development of steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head.The specific mechanism is as follows:(1)The traditional Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis has a significant anticoagulation effect,which can antagonize the abnormal(hypercoagulable)state of blood caused by hormone drugs,and further restore the normal blood supply in the femoral head.(2)Traditional Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis can repair damaged vascular endothelium,regenerate blood vessels and remodel blood supply in the femoral head by activating vascular endothelial growth factor.(3)The traditional Chinese medicine of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis has the obvious effect of removing blood stasis,which can reduce the accumulation of fat cells in the bone marrow cavity and relieve the pressure in the femoral head.(4)Traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis can regulate relevant signal pathways,maintain bone metabolism,promote the differentiation and balance of osteoblasts and osteoclasts,and effectively reduce steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head.In addition,platelet-rich plasma contains a large amount of high concentration of cell growth factor,which plays a positive role in osteogenesis and vascular regeneration,and can also improve the abnormal state of the blood.Traditional Chinese medicine for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis combined with platelet-rich plasma technology can play their biological roles,and the intervention effect is more significant.

Objective To investigate the situation of urine albumin measurement of clinical laboratory in Tianjin.Methods Control materials from patient mixed urine samples were made to validate precision in the clinical laboratories in Tianjin.Reference Material ERM-DA470K was prepared as the first external quality assessment ( EQA) sample, and the bias between laboratories was calculated.Then we give some advice about the methods of routine maintenance, calibration, standardized operation, internal quality assessment and so on to the laboratories which were not qualified in the first EQA.Then the second EQA was carried out and CV and bias were culculated.Results 52 clinical laboratories has 12 series of instruments and 17 series of reagents.The precision research showed that most laboratories ( 93.55%) had good precision for urine albumin measurement, while CV of inter-laboratory was great:the range of low level of control sample was 8.91 -43.95 mg/L, 34.46% for CV; and the high level was 36.32 -281 mg/L, 28.51% for CV.Only 36.5% laboratories were qualified in the first EQA. The qualified rate for nephelometry and turbidimetry was higher (55.6%, 42.9%).The qualified rate of trueness verification was 58.6%in the second EQA, and the CV between laboratories was significantly decreased, Inter-laboratory CV of the five samples were:19.83%, 13.57%, 13.41%, 13.08%, 11.37%. The qudified rate for nephelomety and turbidimetry was 71.4% and 56.3%.Conclusions There are a mide variety of measurement systems of urine albumin in Tianjin, and the CV between these systems is great.Clinical laboratory should strengthen the laboratory standardization operation and upgrade calibration testing to improve the testing consistency.