Elemene is widely recognized as an effective anti-cancer compound and is routinely administered in Chinese clinical settings for the management of several solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its detailed molecular mechanism has not been adequately demonstrated. In this research, it was demonstrated that elemene effectively curtailed NSCLC growth in the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Mechanistically, employing high-throughput screening techniques and subsequent biochemical validations such as microscale thermophoresis (MST), microRNA-145-5p (miR-145-5p) was pinpointed as a critical target through which elemene exerts its anti-tumor effects. Interestingly, elemene serves as a binding stabilizer for miR-145-5p, demonstrating a strong binding affinity (dissociation constant (K _D) = 0.39 ± 0.17 μg/mL) and preventing its degradation both in vitro and in vivo, while not interfering with the synthesis of the primary microRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs) and precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs). The stabilization of miR-145-5p by elemene resulted in an increased level of this miRNA, subsequently suppressing NSCLC progression through the miR-145-5p/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 3 (MAP3K3)/nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) pathway. Our findings provide a new perspective on revealing the interaction patterns between clinical anti-tumor drugs and miRNAs.

Objective To investigate the effects of serum brain natriuretic peptide(BNP), procalcitonin (PCT) and lung function by tiotropium bromide combined with aminophylline in the treatment of senile chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods A total of 82 cases of elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) were collected and randomly divided into experimental group and control group with 41 cases in each group.Patients in the control group were treated by conventional treatment; patients in the experimental group were treated on the basis of the control group with tiotropium bromide combined with aminophylline.The lung function, respiratory condition and serum levels of PCT, BNP before and after treatment were determined, and the clinical efficacy and safety was compared.Results The effective rate of the control group (68.29%) was lower than the experimental group (87.80%) , with statistical significance ( P<0.05 ); compared with the control group after treatment, the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1%pre of the experimental group significantly increased, dyspnea score decreased, 4 min walking test increased, serum PCT and BNP levels decreased in the experimental group, with statistical significance ( P<0.05 ). Conclusion Tiotropium bromide combined with aminophylline in the treatment of senile chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could reduce the serum BNP and PCT levels and improve lung function.