Advanced atherosclerosis is the major global cause of death, as featured by the aggregation of apoptotic cells (ACs) in necrotic cores. The defective efferocytosis and dysfunctional cholesterol efflux of macrophages are the main reasons for forming necrotic cores in advanced atherosclerosis. In this study, we constructed self-assembled procyanidins (PC) NPs for loading pitavastatin (Pita). The designed HA@PC@Pita NPs with hyaluronic acid (HA) modification combined the advantages of efferocytosis restoration of Pita and cholesterol efflux enhancement of PC. In vitro assay indicated that HA@PC@Pita NPs could induce M1/M2 repolarization and upregulate ERK5/Mertk expression to restore efferocytosis of macrophages. Simultaneously, HA@PC@Pita NPs notably promoted cholesterol efflux by promoting macrophage lipophagy, a selective autophagy of lipid droplets. In vivo study showed that HA@PC@Pita NPs cleared necrotic core and enhanced plaque stability in the ApoE ^-/- mice model with advanced atherosclerosis. Taken together, this study demonstrated the potential of HA@PC@Pita NPs for the treatment of advanced atherosclerosis.

Arthritis, encompassing osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and gouty arthritis (GA), is a prevalent inflammatory disease that significantly impacts quality of life. Natural products (NPs), derived from animals, plants, marine organisms, and microorganisms, have demonstrated beneficial effects in arthritis treatment both domestically and internationally. These natural compounds offer advantages in drug discovery due to their skeletal diversity, structural complexity, and multi-effect, multi-target, and low-toxicity properties compared to conventional small-molecule medicines. However, unclear mechanisms have hindered the development and clinical application of NPs. This review summarizes recent experimental studies from the past decade on natural medicine for arthritis treatment, emphasizing key NPs with therapeutic effects on OA, RA, and GA. It examines the effects and molecular mechanisms of NPs acting on different cells to treat arthritis. Furthermore, this review provides insights into the future prospects of NP research in this field, which is crucial for advancing NP-based arthritis treatments.
Humans ; Biological Products/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Arthritis, Gouty/drug therapy* ; Arthritis/drug therapy* ; Osteoarthritis/drug therapy*

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of budesonide viscous suspension (BVS) in preventing extensive esophageal stenosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD).Methods:Data of 62 cases of early esophageal neoplasms or precancerous lesions receiving ESD whose postoperative mucosal defects were more than half the circumference of the esophageal lumen at Fujian Provincial Hospital from October 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively studied. The patients were divided into the BVS group who received BVS therapy (n=24) and the control group who received no intervention (n=38). The incidence of postoperative stenosis, the number of bougie dilation procedures and complications were compared between the two groups. Risk factors for postoperative stricture were analyzed by logistic regression.Results:The incidence of postoperative stenosis [16.7% (4/24) VS 47.3% (18/38), P=0.005], the number of bougie dilation procedures (1.50±0.58 VS 2.70±1.09, P=0.039) in the BVS group were significantly lower than those in the control group. No serious adverse events such as perforation or massive hemorrhage related to BVS were observed in the BVS group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed circumferential extension ≥3/4 ( OR=37.970, 95% CI: 6.338-227.482) and non-intervention with BVS( OR=20.962, 95% CI: 3.374-130.243) were the independent risk factors for esophageal stricture after ESD. Conclusion:Administration of BVS is an effective and safe method to reduce the incidence of stenosis and the number of bougie dilation procedures for extensive esophageal stenosis after ESD.