This paper summarizes Professor HAN Mingxiang's clinical experience in the use of Zeqi （Euphorbia HelioscopiaL.）. It is believed that Zeqi （Euphorbia HelioscopiaL.） has the effects of promoting qi， relieving water retention and swelling， resolving phlegm， stopping cough， dissipating masses， activating blood， removing stasis， and detoxifying. In clinical practice， Zeqi （Euphorbia HelioscopiaL.） is flexibly applied in the treatment of skin diseases， respiratory diseases， tumors， etc. For instance， in treating psoriasis with the pathogenesis of damp-heat toxin， a compound prescription of Zeqi Decoction （泽漆汤） is formulated. For bronchial asthma with kidney deficiency and water retention， Zeqi Decoction is commonly combined with Wuling Powder （五苓散） in adjusted doses. For lung nodules with a combination of deficiency， phlegm， stasis， and toxin， a Lung Nodule Prescription is proposed. For advanced lung cancer with both qi and yin deficiency and toxin accumulation， Qiyu Sanlong Decoction （芪玉三龙汤） is suggested， and for cancer-related ascites with qi deficiency and water retention， Wuling Powder combined with Zeqi （Euphorbia HelioscopiaL.）is chosen.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Shenqi Buzhong (SQBZ) Formula for alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in light of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway. METHODS: Fifty male SD rat models of COPD, established by intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) instillation, exposure to cigarette smoke, and gavage of Senna leaf infusion, were randomized into 5 groups (n=10) for treatment with saline (model group), SQBZ Formula at low, moderate and high doses (3.08, 6.16 and 12.32 g/kg, respectively), or aminophylline (0.024 g/kg) by gavage for 4 weeks, with another 10 untreated rats as the control group. Pulmonary function of the rats were tested, and pathologies and ultrastructural changes of the lung tissues were examined using HE staining and transmission electron microscopy. The levels of SOD, ATP, MDA, and mitochondrial membrane potential in the lungs were detected using WST-1, colorimetric assay, TBA, and JC-1 methods. Flow cytometry was used to analyze ROS level in the lung tissues, and the protein expression levels of P-AMPKα, AMPKα, SIRTI, and PGC-1α were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The rat models of COPD showed significantly decreased lung function, severe histopathological injuries of the lungs, decreased pulmonary levels of SOD activity, ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential, increased levels of MDA and ROS, and decreased pulmonary expressions of P-AMPKα, SIRTI, and PGC-1α proteins. All these changes were significantly alleviated by treatment with SQBZ Formula and aminophylline, and the efficacy was comparable between high-dose SQBZ Formula group and aminophylline group. CONCLUSIONS SQBZ Formula ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction in COPD rats possibly by activating the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway.
Animals ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Sirtuin 1/metabolism* ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Rats ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Pingchuanning Formula (PCN) for inhibiting airway inflammation in rats with asthmatic cold syndrome. METHODS: A total of 105 SD rats were randomized equally into 7 groups, including a control group, an asthmatic cold syndrome model group, 3 PCN treatment groups at high, medium and low doses, a Guilong Kechuanning (GLCKN) treatment group, and a dexamethasone (DEX) treatment group. In all but the control rats, asthma cold syndrome models were established and daily gavage of saline, PCN, GLCKN or DEX was administered 29 days after the start of modeling. The changes in general condition, lung function and lung histopathology of the rats were observed, and inflammatory factors in the alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), oxidative stress, lung tissue ultrastructure, cytokine levels, and expressions of the genes related to the HMGB1/Beclin-1 axis and autophagy were analyzed. RESULTS: The rat models had obvious manifestations of asthmatic cold syndrome with significantly decreased body mass, food intake, and water intake, reduced FEV_0.3, FVC, and FEV_0.3/FVC, obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung tissue, and increased alveolar inflammation score and counts of neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and leukocytes in the BALF. The rat models also had significantly increased MDA level and decreased SOD level and exhibited obvious ultrastructural changes in the lung tissues, where the expressions of HMGB1, Beclin-1, ATG5, TNF-α, IL-6,IL-1β, and IL-13 and the LC3II/I ratio were increased, while the levels of Bcl-2 and IFN-γ were decreased. PCN treatment significantly improved these pathological changes in the rat models, and its therapeutic effect was better than that of GLKCN and similar to that of DEX. CONCLUSIONS PCN can effectively alleviate airway inflammation in rat models of asthmatic cold syndrome possibly by modulating the HMGB1/Beclin-1 signaling axis to suppress cell autophagy, thereby attenuating airway inflammatory damages.
Animals ; Rats ; Autophagy/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Asthma/pathology* ; Beclin-1 ; HMGB1 Protein/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Lung/pathology* ; Inflammation

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Sangma Zhike Formula (SMZKF) for relieving cough sensitivity and airway inflammation in rats with postinfectious cough (PIC). METHODS: Male SD rat models were established by cigarette smoke exposure with intranasal LPS instillation and capsaicin aerosol inhalation. From day 19 following the start of PIC modeling, the rats received daily treatment with saline (model group), low-, medium-, and high-dose SMZKF, and compound methoxyphenamine (ASM) via gavage for 10 consecutive days (n=8). The assessments included behavioral changes, cough sensitivity (latency and frequency), lung histopathology, inflammatory cell counts and cytokine/mediator levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), oxidative stress markers in the lung tissue, and expressions of proteins related with cough hypersensitivity and pyroptosis. RESULTS: The rat models of PIC exhibited reduced mental alertness, accelerated respiration, and pronounced symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and facial scratching with significantly shortened cough latency and increased 5-min cough frequency. Histopathological analysis revealed collapsed alveolar structures, thickened alveolar septa, and extensive inflammatory cell infiltration in the bronchi and peribronchial regions, accompanied by elevated bronchial and alveolar inflammation scores of the rat models. In the BALF, inflammatory cell counts and the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2, PGE-2, and TXA-2 were all markedly elevated, and the pulmonary oxidative stress markers (ROS and MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were also significantly increased. The pulmonary expressions of cough hypersensitivity-related proteins (TRPV1, SP, CGRP, and NK1R) and pyroptosis-associated markers (P-NF-κB, NLRP3, ACS, cleaved caspase-1, cleaved IL-1β, and GSDMD-N) were significantly upregulated in the model group. SMZKF interventions significantly ameliorated these pathological changes in the rat models, and high-dose SMZKF produced a similar therapeutic efficacy to that of ASM. CONCLUSIONS SMZKF alleviates cough sensitivity and airway inflammation in PIC rats possibly by inhibiting TRPV1-mediated SP/NK1R signaling and the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway.
Animals ; Cough/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Pyroptosis/drug effects* ; Male ; TRPV Cation Channels/metabolism* ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Inflammation ; Signal Transduction

Various therapeuti modailities have been engineered for lung cancer treatment, but their clinic application is severely impeded by the poor therapy efficiency and immunosuppressive microenvironment. Herein, we fabricated a library of small molecule redox-labile nanoparticles (NPs) (i.e., diPTX-2C NPs, diPTX-2S NPs, and diPTX-2Se NPs) by the self-assembly of dimer paclitaxel (PTX) prodrug, and then utilized these NPs with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Qi-Yu-San-Long-Fang (Q) for effective chemoimmunotherapy on Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)-bearing mice models. Under the high concentration of glutathione (GSH) and H₂O₂, diPTX-2Se NPs could specifically release PTX in cancer cells and exert a higher selectivity and toxicity than normal cells. In LLC tumor-bearing mice, oral administration of Q not only effectively downregulated programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression, but also remodeled the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment via the increase of CD4⁺ T and CD8⁺ T cell proportion and the repolarization of M2 into M1 macrophages in tumor tissues, collectively achieving superior synergistic treatment outcomes in combination with intravenous PTX prodrug NPs. Besides, we found that the combination regimen also demonstrated excellent chemoimmunotherapeutic performances on low-dose small established tumor and high-dose large established tumor models. This study may shed light on the potent utilization of Chinese and Western-integrative strategy for efficient tumor chemoimmunotherapy.

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of overtime work on work-related musculoskeletal disorders in male employees in the automobile manufacturing industry. Methods A total of 1 731 male employees with more than one year of working experience from an automobile manufacturing industry were selected as the research subjects using judgment sampling method. The Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire was used to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder. Employees were divided into control group and overtime group, and a 1∶1 matching was performed using propensity score matching method, and 573 pairs were successfully matched. The prevalence of WMSDs in various body parts was compared between the two groups. Results The overtime working rate of the research subjects was 34.2%, and the prevalence of WMSDs was 57.1%. Overtime work increased the risk of WMSDs in the neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back, ankle/feet, and overall body of the workers (all P<0.05), with the odd ratio and 95% confidence interval of 1.43 (1.10-1.85), 1.38 (1.06-1.80), 1.42 (1.07-1.89), 1.28 (1.01-1.62), 1.37 (1.01-1.87), and 1.49 (1.17-1.89), respectively. However, there was no association between overtime work and the risk of WMSDs in the elbows, hands/wrists, hips, and knees of the subjects (all P>0.05). Conclusion Overtime work increases the risk of WMSDs in the neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back, ankles/feet, and overall body of male employees in the automobile manufacturing industry. Enterprises should improve labor organization, reduce overtime work, and protect the health of workers.

Objective To investigate the influence of individual factors and labor organization factors on work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in automobile manufacturing workers, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of WMSDs in automobile manufacturing workers. Methods In April 2020, 5564 workers in an automobile factory were selected by cluster sampling method. The prevalence of WMSDs was investigated by using the Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, and the influence of individual factors and labor organization factors on WMSDs was investigated by using generalized estimation equation. Results The prevalence rate of WMSDs was 79.00% (4396/5564), and the prevalence rate of multisite WMSDs was 67.95% (3781/5564). The analysis of generalized estimation equation showed that doing the same job every day (OR= 1.478, P < 0.05), age ≥40 years (OR=1.416, P< 0.05), personnel shortage (OR= 1.356, P < 0.05), and work length of 6～10 years and 11～15 years (OR= 1.349, P< 0.05) were the main risk factors for WMSDs in automobile manufacturing workers. Shift work and working time > 40 hours per week increased the risk of WMSDs (P< 0.05). Male and adequate rest time were protective factors for WMSDs. The job correlation matrix showed that WMSDs in most parts had a positive correlation. Conclusions The prevalence of multisite WMSDs of workers in automobile manufacturing industry is high, and unreasonable labor organization is the main risk factor of WMSDs. Appropriate work breaks can effectively reduce the risk of WMSDs, and effective intervention measures should be carried out to prevent the occurrence of WMSDs in workers in automobile manufacturing industry. The generalized estimation equation can better analyze the influencing factors of WMSDs.

BACKGROUND:Deferoxamine mesylate is a potential anti-osteoporosis drug with iron chelation,vascular regeneration,and antioxidant effects.Recent studies have shown that the application of deferoxamine mesylate can be extended to the field of tissue regeneration engineering. OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether deferoxamine mesylate can promote the repair effect of iron overload osteoporotic rats after bone grafting for mandibular bone defects by simulating the state of iron accumulation in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis with high iron intervention in osteoporotic rats. METHODS:An iron accumulation ovariectomized osteoporosis model was firstly constructed.The model group underwent bilateral ovariectomy,and the intraperitoneal injection of ferric ammonium citrate(90 mg/kg,twice a week,for 11 weeks)was started in the 2nd week,while the sham-operated group had some fat around the ovaries removed and was given an equal amount of saline for 11 weeks.After the successful modeling,the experimental rats were divided into sham-operated group(n=6),high iron ovariectomtized group(n=6)and high iron ovariectomized deferoxamine mesylate treatment group(deferoxamine mesylate group,n=6).Bone defects of 5 mm in diameter were established in the rat's bilateral mandibles and implanted with Bio-Oss bone powder.Intraperitoneal injection of deferoxamine mesylate(100 mg/kg,3 times a week)was started on postoperative day 4 in the deferoxamine mesylate group,and equal volume of saline was given in the sham-operated and high iron ovariectomized groups.The bone samples of the mandible,liver and blood were taken at 2 and 12 weeks after bone grafting for Prussian blue staining of the jaw and liver and ELISA detection of serum ferritin to detect iron levels in various body tissues;hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining were performed to observe inflammatory cell infiltration and early osteogenesis in the bone defect area;tartrate resistant acid phosphatase staining was performed to observe osteoclast differentiation;ELISA was performed to detect serum calcitonin and type I collagen C-terminal peptide levels;and Micro-CT and hematoxylin-eosin staining were performed to observe osteogenesis in the middle and late stages. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The number of tibial trabeculae was reduced and the trabeculae were sparsely arranged in the high iron ovariectomized group.Iron levels in the liver,jaw bone and serum were significantly higher in the high iron ovariectomized group than the sham-operated group at 2 weeks after bone grafting,while the iron levels were significantly decreased after deferoxamine mesylate intervention(P＜0.05).In the early stage of bone defect repair,more inflammatory cell infiltration,less new bone matrix and less type I collagen fiber production were observed in the high iron ovariectomized group than in the sham-operated group(P＜0.05);after deferoxamine mesylate treatment,inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced,a small amount of new bone matrix was produced and collagen fibers increased significantly(P＜0.05).In the middle and late stages of bone defect repair,Micro-CT results showed a reduction in new bone production in the high iron ovariectomized group compared with the sham-operated group and increased new bone matrix after deferoxamine mesylate treatment(P＜0.05).Compared with the sham-operated group,the osteoclast number,serum calcitonin level,and serum type I collagen C-terminal peptide level were increased in the high-iron ovariectomized group,while the osteoclast number was decreased and bone metabolic indexes were improved after treatment with deferoxamine mesylate.To conclude,in ovariectomized rats with high iron intervention,elevated iron levels can be seen in multiple tissues,accompanied by reduced new bone production in the mandibular bone defect area.Deferoxamine mesylate can improve bone metabolism and inhibit osteoclast activity by removing iron deposits in tissues,improve bone formation in iron-accumulated osteoporotic rats,and promote bone healing in the mandibular bone defect area.

BACKGROUND:Interleukin-4 can promote the osteogenic effect of bone substitute materials,but its molecular mechanism is not yet clear.Further elucidating the mechanism of interleukin-4 promoting osteogenic effect can help find safe,economical,and effective methods for the regeneration treatment of alveolar bone defects in patients. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of interleukin-4 intervention on polarization transformation of macrophages and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and its possible mechanism. METHODS:RAW264.7 cells in the M1 group were induced with interferon gamma + lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours.RAW264.7 cells in the interleukin-4+M1 group were induced with interferon gamma + lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours and then interleukin-4 was added for 24 hours.RAW264.7 cells in the interleukin-4+AG+M1 group were induced with interferon gamma + lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours,and then interleukin-4 and AG-490,a JAK/STAT pathway inhibitor,were added for 24 hours.After intervention,immunofluorescence staining was used to analyze the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and CD206,the phenotypic marker protein of macrophages.ELISA kit was used to detect the expression of interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the supernatant of cell culture.The gene expressions of nodular receptor protein-3(NLRP3),interleukin-1β,and caspase-1 were detected by RT-qPCR.The expression levels of tyrosine protein kinase 1(JAK1)/phosphorylated tyrosine protein kinase 1(p-JAK1),signal transduction and transcription activator 6(STAT6)/phosphorylated signal transduction and transcription activator 6(p-STAT6),NLRP3,pro-interleukin-1β and pro-caspase-1 were detected by western blot assay.Then,RAW264.7 cells in the above four groups were indirectly co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by transwell for 24 hours,followed by alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining.The mRNA expressions of alkaline phosphatase,collagen type I,and osteocalcin were detected by RT-qPCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Immunofluorescence and ELISA results showed that interleukin-4 intervention could promote the expression of CD206 and interleukin-10 in M2 macrophages,and inhibit the secretion of inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor-α.(2)RT-qPCR results showed that interleukin-4 could suppress the expression of NLRP3,interleukin-1β,and caspase-1 mRNAs.(3)Western blot assay showed that interleukin-4 could promote the expression of JAK1/p-JAK1,STAT6/p-STAT6 and NLRP3 proteins.(4)The alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells co-cultured with the interleukin-4+M1 group were significantly enhanced,and the mRNA expressions of alkaline phosphatase,collagen type I,and osteocalcin were significantly increased.It is concluded that interleukin-4 may inhibit the activation of NLRP3 by up-regulating JAK1/STAT6 pathway,thus promoting the transformation of macrophages from M1 polarization to M2 polarization,and finally enhancing the osteogenic differentiation ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effictiveness and safety of recombinant human endostatin combined with afatinib and teggio in the treatment of advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS A total of 25 patients with driver-negative advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma were included in this single-arm prospective study, and the enrolled patients were treated with recombinant human endostatin combined with afatinib and teggio as scheduled. Progression-free survival(PFS), overall survival(OS), disease control rate(DCR), objective response rate(ORR), and adverse reactions(AR) were observed and analyzed. RESULTS The 25 enrolled patients received at least 2 cycles of second-line treatment, and were followed up as of March 31, 2023. Among them, 4 patients had partial remission, 17 patients had stable disease, and 4 patients experienced progressive disease. The ORR confirmed by the researchers was 16%(95%CI, 4.5%−36.1%), DCR was 84%(95%CI, 63.9%−95.5%), and median PFS was 5.3 months(95%CI, 3.5−6.9 months). The median OS had not yet been achieved. The entire group of patients had good treatment tolerance, and the most common level Ⅲ or Ⅳ adverse events related to treatment were leukopenia(20%) and rash(12%), with no reported treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION Recombinant human endostatin combined with afatinib and teggio in the second line treatment of advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma can prolong the progression free survival period of patients and is relatively safe, which is worth further exploration and promotion.