In recent years, growing evidence has suggested a strong correlation between the development of melasma and abnormal endocrine hormone levels, particularly sex hormones. This review summarizes clinical data on sex hormone profiles in melasma patients from previous studies, analyzes the roles of various hormones in pigmentation and the pathogenesis of melasma, and investigates their clinical significance as well as directions for future research.

In recent years, growing evidence has suggested a strong correlation between the development of melasma and abnormal endocrine hormone levels, particularly sex hormones. This review summarizes clinical data on sex hormone profiles in melasma patients from previous studies, analyzes the roles of various hormones in pigmentation and the pathogenesis of melasma, and investigates their clinical significance as well as directions for future research.

Viruses, the smallest microorganisms, continue to present an escalating threat to human health, being the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Over the decades, although significant progress has been made in the development of therapies and vaccines against viral diseases, the need for effective antiviral interventions remains urgent. This urgency stems from the lack of effective vaccines, the severe side effects associated with current drugs, and the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains. Natural plants, particularly traditionally-used herbs, are often considered an excellent source of medicinal drugs with potent antiviral efficacy, as well as a substantial safety profile. Scutellaria baicalensis, a traditional Chinese medicine, has garnered considerable attention due to its extensive investigation across diverse therapeutic areas and its demonstrated efficacy in both preclinical and clinical trials. In this review, we mainly focused on the potential antiviral activities of ingredients in Scutellaria baicalensis, shedding light on their underlying mechanisms of action and therapeutic applications in the treatment of viral infections.
Humans ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; Virus Diseases/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Cancer stands as one of the predominant causes of mortality globally, necessitating ongoing efforts to develop innovative therapeutics. Historically, natural products have been foundational in the quest for anticancer agents. Bulbocodin D (BD) and Bulbocodin C (BC), two bibenzyls derived from Pleione bulbocodioides (Franch.) Rolfe, have demonstrated notable in vitro anticancer activity. In human lung cancer A549 cells, the IC_50s for BD and BC were 11.63 and 11.71 μmol·L^-1, respectively. BD triggered apoptosis, as evidenced by an upsurge in Annexin V-positive cells and elevated protein expression of cleaved-PARP in cancer cells. Furthermore, BD and BC markedly inhibited the migratory and invasive potentials of A549 cells. The altered genes identified through RNA-sequencing analysis were integrated into the CMap dataset, suggesting BD's role as a potential signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor. SwissDock and MOE analyses further revealed that both BD and BC exhibited a commendable binding affinity with STAT3. Additionally, a surface plasmon resonance assay confirmed the direct binding affinity between these compounds and STAT3. Notably, treatment with either BD or BC led to a significant reduction in p-STAT3 (Tyr 705) protein levels, regardless of interleukin-6 stimulation in A549 cells. In addition, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was activated after BD or BC treatment. An enhancement in cancer cell mortality was observed upon combined treatment of BD and U0126, the MEK1/2 inhibitor. In conclusion, BD and BC emerge as promising novel STAT3 inhibitors with potential implications in cancer therapy.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/metabolism* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry* ; A549 Cells ; Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by excess in nature and deficiency in superficiality. For COPD patients, the deficiency of lung and kidney is the basis for production of the latent toxin, and repeated exogenous infection is the main factor for the latent toxin to enter the lung. The key pathogenesis of stable COPD is the entry of latent toxin into the lung and the injury of lung and collaterals. Therefore, tonifying lung and kidney, removing toxins and dredging collaterals are the core treatment methods for COPD in stable period. Bufei Decoction is with good efficacy in the treatment of COPD in stable period, which can not only tonify lung and kidney to consolidate, but also dredging collaterals to remove toxins. Based on the pathogenesis of "latent toxin entering lung", the relevant mechanisms of Bufei Decoction in treating stable COPD were further understood and explored, in order to benefit clinical practice.

As a low-load physiological monitoring technology, wearable devices can provide new methods for monitoring, evaluating and managing chronic diseases, which is a direction for the future development of monitoring technology. However, as a new type of monitoring technology, its clinical application mode and value are still unclear and need to be further explored. In this study, a central monitoring system based on wearable devices was built in the general ward (non-ICU ward) of PLA General Hospital, the value points of clinical application of wearable physiological monitoring technology were analyzed, and the system was combined with the treatment process and applied to clinical monitoring. The system is able to effectively collect data such as electrocardiogram, respiration, blood oxygen, pulse rate, and body position/movement to achieve real-time monitoring, prediction and early warning, and condition assessment. And since its operation from March 2018, 1 268 people (657 patients) have undergone wearable continuous physiological monitoring until January 2020, with data from a total of 1 198 people (632 cases) screened for signals through signal quality algorithms and manual interpretation were available for analysis, accounting for 94.48 % (96.19%) of the total. Through continuous physiological data analysis and manual correction, sleep apnea event, nocturnal hypoxemia, tachycardia, and ventricular premature beats were detected in 232 (36.65%), 58 (9.16%), 30 (4.74%), and 42 (6.64%) of the total patients, while the number of these abnormal events recorded in the archives was 4 (0.63%), 0 (0.00%), 24 (3.80%), and 15 (2.37%) cases. The statistical analysis of sleep apnea event outcomes revealed that patients with chronic diseases were more likely to have sleep apnea events than healthy individuals, and the incidence was higher in men (62.93%) than in women (37.07%). The results indicate that wearable physiological monitoring technology can provide a new monitoring mode for inpatients, capturing more abnormal events and provide richer information for clinical diagnosis and treatment through continuous physiological parameter analysis, and can be effectively integrated into existing medical processes. We will continue to explore the applicability of this new monitoring mode in different clinical scenarios to further enrich the clinical application of wearable technology and provide richer tools and methods for the monitoring, evaluation and management of chronic diseases.
Heart Rate ; Humans ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; Movement ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Wearable Electronic Devices