Eighteen compounds were isolated from the methanol extract of the fruits of Litsea cubeba by silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, semi-preparative RP-HPLC, chiral HPLC and recrystallization. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses and by comparison with reported spectroscopic data and physicochemical properties, and the absolute configurations of the enantiomers were established by experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. These compounds were identified as (+)-(R)-4-hydroxypiperitenone (1a), (-)-(S)-4-hydroxypiperitenone (1b), (3S,4S,6R)-3,6-dihydroxy-1-menthene (2), (4S,5R)-4-hydroxy-5-isopropyl-2-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one (3), (R)-6-hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-6-methylcyclohex-2-enone (4), (4S,6R)-4-hydroxy-6-isopropyl-3-methylcyclohex-2-enone (5), (1R,3S,4R)-3-hydroxy isopulegol (6), subamone (7), (6S)-3,7-dimethyl-7-hydroxy-2(Z)-octen-6-olide (8), (6S)-6,7-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethyloct-2(Z)-enoate (9), holostylactone (10), sesamin (11), dimethylmatairesinol (12), p-hydroxybenzoylcarbinol (13), syringaldehyde (14), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (15), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (16), 5,4ʹ-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (17). Among them, compounds 1a and 1b were a pair of new monoterpenoid enantiomers, 8 and 9 were new natural products, 2-7, 10, 11 and 17 were isolated from Litsea genus for the first time. The in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of compounds 1-17 were evaluated using lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, the results showed that compound 14 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity with NO inhibitory rate of 66.27% at a concentration of 40 μmol·L^-1.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Tongyuan acupuncture combined with Bushen Huoxue Prescription in the treatment of obese polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS).Methods Sixty-eight patients with obese PCOS were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group,with 34 patients in each group.The control group was given conventional western medicine treatment,and the observation group was given Tongyuan acupuncture combined with Bushen Huoxue Prescription on the basis of the treatment of the control group for a total of 6 menstrual cycles.After 6 months of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the menstrual flow and the number of menstrual cycles of the two groups were observed,and the changes in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndromes,as well as the changes in the serum levels of luteinising hormone(LH),testosterone(T),oestradiol(E2),and prolactin(PRL)were compared between the two groups before and after the treatment.Results(1)The total effective rate of the observation group was 97.06%(33/34),and that of the control group was 82.35%(28/34).The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the menstrual flow of the observation group was significantly greater than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The number of menstrual periods in the observation group was not statistically significant compared with the control group(P＞0.05).(3)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving TCM syndrome scores,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the LH,T,E2 and PRL levels of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving LH,T,E2 and PRL levels,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Tongyuan acupuncture combined with Bushen Huoxue Prescription for the treatment of obese PCOS can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of the patients,can effectively regulate the level of sex hormones of the patients,and the therapeutic efficacy is remarkable.

Objective:To establish a morphologic classification system for characterizing blast cells in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL)and analyze the correlation of different APL morphologic characteristics with conventional tests and genetic variants.Methods:Based on the morphological characteristics of APL blast cells,a classification system of 14 categories was established to characterize the inter-and intra-individual cellular morphological heterogeneity of patients.The classification system was used for the morphological analysis of 40 APL patients,and the classification results were statistically analyzed with the patients'conventional test indexes and gene variant characteristics to analyze the correlation of different APL blast cell morphological features with conventional test indexes and gene variants.Results:In the FLT3-ITD mutation-positive group,there were significantly fewer cells with regular nuclear shape,hyper granularity,and missing Auer rods(category 1)than in the FLT3 mutation-negative group(P＜0.05).The activated partial thromboplastin(APTT)was significantly longer in the group with regular nucleus compared to the group with irregular nucleus(P＜0.05).In the hypo-granular group,the APTT was also significantly longer compared to the hyper-granular group(P＜0.01),and the proportion of myeloid blast cells was relatively lower(P＜0.05).The peripheral blood white blood cell counts,D-dimer,lactate dehydrogenase and proportion of bone marrow blast cells were significantly higher in the Auer rods(-)group than Auer rods increasing group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion:The newly established morphologic classification system in this study can objectively characterize different types of APL blast cells,which helps to better assess the intra-and inter-individual heterogeneity of APL blast cells,and further use in accurately analyzing the correlation of morphological phenotypes with biological properties of APL.

Aim To evaluate the effect of Pien Tze Huang(PTH)on influenza virus susceptibility in re-straint stress-induced H1N1 influenza susceptibility model in mice with emotional disorders and internal heat,guided by the theory of emotional pathogenesis.Methods Mice were infected with H1N1 influenza vi-rus following 18 h of restraint stress.The signs and weight changes of mice were recorded,and the morbid-ity of mice were analyzed.On the fourth day post viral infection,the lung tissue was collected.The pathologi-cal changes and inflammatory factors in lungs were de-tected by HE staining.The expression of NP was as-sessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.The level of lipid peroxidation end products was detected u-sing a commercial kit and western blot.Redox phos-pholipidomics was analyzed in lung tissue by HPLC-MS/MS.Results PTH significantly reduced the mor-tality of influenza-susceptible mice induced by emotion-al stress,inhibited the expression of NP and the re-lease of inflammatory factors,improved inflammation in lung tissue,and alleviated the accumulation of lipid peroxidation end products.Phospholipid oxidation a-nalysis revealed the elevated levels of oxidized phos-pholipid choline and phosphatidylethanolamine in lung tissue of influenza-susceptible mice,which were signif-icantly reduced by PTH administration.Conclusions PTH exhibits promising efficacy in ameliorating influ-enza virus susceptibility induced by internal heat,and its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of phospholipid peroxidation.

Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Thalidomide/therapeutic use* ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy*

Ionic liquids (ILs) are liquid mixtures formed by anions and cations in a certain stoichiometric ratio under certain conditions. They are widely used in various fields because of their simple preparation process, low volatility, high stability, high conductivity and non-flammability. Here, we firstly introduce their formation principles, classification, and physical and chemical properties in detail. Then, we summarize their functions in pharmaceutical preparations, such as improving the solubility of insoluble drugs, enhancing the stability of drugs, and promoting the permeability of drugs, as well as their role as active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to fabricate new drug delivery systems of API-ILs. Finally, we reviewed the applications of ILs in different administration routes, including oral, transdermal, mucosal, and injection routes, and meanwhile offer perspectives for the further use of ILs.

Objective: Radiotherapy is one of the standard treatments for pelvic malignant tumors. However, researches associated with intestinal radiation injury and the quality of life (QoL) of patients receiving radiotherapy were lacking in the past. This study aims to analyze the occurrence of radiation-induced rectal injury after adjuvant radiotherapy for pelvic malignant tumors and call for more attention on this issne. Methods: A retrospectively observational study was conducted. Case data of cervical cancer patients from the database of STARS phase 3 randomized clinical trial (NCT00806117) in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were analyzed. A total of 848 cervical cancer patients who received adjuvant radiation following hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from February 2008 to August 2015 were recruited. The pelvic radiation dosage was 1.8 Gy/day or 2.0 Gy/day, five times every week, and the total dosage was 40-50 Gy. Among 848 patients, 563 patients received radiation six weeks after surgery, of whom 282 received adjuvant radiation alone and 281 received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (weekly cisplatin); other 285 patients received sequential chemoradiotherapy (paclitaxel and cisplatin). Acute adverse events, chronic radiation damage of rectum, and QoL were collected and analyed. The digestive tract symptoms and QoL were evaluated based on EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaires at one week after surgery (M0), during adjuvant therapy period (M1), and at 12 months and 24 months after the completion of treatments (M12 and M24), respectively. Higher scores in the functional catalog and overall quality of life indicated better quality of life, while higher scores in the symptom catalog indicated severe symptoms and worse QoL. Chronic radiation rectal injury was defined as digestive symptoms that were not improved within three months after radiotherapy. Grading standard of acute adverse events and chronic radiation rectal injury was according to the gastrointestinal part of National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0 (NCI-CTCAE Version 4.0). Results: The mean total radiation dosage of 848 patients was (47.8±4.6) Gy. During adjuvant therapy, the common symptoms of acute intestinal dysfunction were nausea (46.0%, 390/848), vomiting (33.8%, 287/848), constipation (16.3%, 138/848) and abdominal pain (10.3%, 87/848). At M12 and M24, the number of 0 QLQ-C30 questionnaires collected was 346 and 250, respectively. QLQ-C30 questionnaires showed that the scores of nausea or vomiting, appetite decrease, diarrhea, constipation, etc. were improved obviously at M12 or M24 compared with those at M0 or during M1 (all P<0.05). As the extension of the follow-up time, the score of the overall QoL of patients gradually increased [M0: 59.7 (0.0-100.0); M1: 63.1 (0.0-100.0); M12: 75.2 (0.0-100.0); M24: 94.1 (20.0-120.0); H=253.800, P<0.001]. Twelve months after the completion of treatments, the incidence of chronic radiation rectal injury was 9.8% (34/346), mainly presenting as abdominal pain, constipation, stool blood, diarrhea, mostly at level 1 to 2 toxicity (33/34, 97.1%). One patient (0.3%) developed frequent diarrhea (>8 times/d), which was level 3 toxicity. Twenty-four months after all treatments, the incidence of chronic radiation rectal injury was 9.6% (24/250), which was not decreased significantly compared to that in the previous period (χ(2)=0.008, P=0.927). The symotoms of one patient with level 3 toxicity was not relieved. Conclusions: The common symptoms of patients with pelvic maligant tumors during postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy include nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain and diarrhea. These symptoms are alleviated obviously at 12 and 24 months after adjuvant radiotherapy, and the QoL is significantly improved. However, a few patients may develop chronic radiation rectal injury which is not improved for years or even decades, and deserves attention in clinical practice.
Female ; Humans ; Pelvic Neoplasms/radiotherapy* ; Quality of Life ; Radiation Injuries ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Rectum/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies

Objective Focused cardiac ultrasound (FCU) and lung ultrasound (LU) are increasingly being used in critically ill patients. This study aimed to investigate the effect of FCU in combination with LU on these patients and to determine if the timing of ultrasound examination was associated with treatment change. Methods This is a multicenter cross-sectional observational study. Consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were screened for enrollment. FCU and LU were performed within the first 24 h, and treatment change was proposed by the performer based on the ultrasound results and other clinical conditions. Results Among the 992 patients included, 502 were examined within 6 h of ICU admission (early phase group), and 490 were examined after 6 h of admission (later phase group). The early phase group and the later phase group had similar proportions of treatment change (48.8%
Critical Illness ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung/diagnostic imaging* ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: To estimate the impact of lymph node dissection on survival in patients with apparent early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with clinical stage I–II EOC. All patients underwent primary surgery at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between January 2003 and December 2015. Demographic features and clinicopathological information as well as perioperative adverse events were investigated, and survival analyses were performed. Results: A total of 400 ovarian cancer patients were enrolled, and patients were divided into 2 groups: 81 patients did not undergo lymph node resection (group A), and 319 patients underwent lymph node dissection (group B). In group B, the median number of removed nodes per patient was 25 (21 pelvic and 4 para-aortic nodes). In groups A and B, respectively, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 83.3% and 82.1% (p=0.305), and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 93.1% and 90.9% (p=0.645). The recurrence rate in the retroperitoneal lymph nodes was not associated with lymph node dissection (p=0.121).The median operating time was markedly longer in group B than in group A (220 minutes vs. 155 minutes, p<0.001), and group B had a significantly higher incidence of lymph cysts at discharge (32.9% vs. 0.0%, p<0.001). Conclusion In patients with early-stage ovarian cancer, lymph node dissection was not associated with a gain in OS or PFS and was associated with an increased incidence of perioperative adverse events.

Objective: To analyze the clinical data of 153 patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) in chongqing ,and provide reference and thinking for the diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Analyze the clinical data, laboratory examination and chest imaging characteristics of 153 COVID-19 patients in Chongqing Public Health Medical Center from January 26 to February 5, 2020. According to the relevant diagnostic criteria ,patients were divided into non-severe group(n=132) and severe group(n=21),and analyze the correlation between serum index changes and disease severity. Results: Combined with diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, the severity of the disease was statistically significant (χ²=11.04和6.94, P<0.05). No symptoms were found in patients with mild illness (χ²=4.09, P<0.05) .The proportion of fever and muscle soreness in the severe group was higher than that in the non-severe group (χ²=4.40 and 22.67,P<0.05).Among the concomitant symptoms, the proportion of cough and shortness of breath in the severe group was higher than that in the non-severe group (χ²=8.46 and 4.80,P<0.05).C-reactive protein and d-dimer were higher in the severe group than in the non-severe group (t=43.44 and 37.13, P<0.05), and the number of CD₃⁺T lymphocyte cells, CD₄⁺T lymphocyte cells and CD₈⁺T lymphocyte cells in the severe group was lower than that in the non-severe group (Z=27.25, 20.60 and 17.36, P<0.05).Compared with the non-severe group, both lungs and the right lung lower lobe were more susceptible to involved (χ²=6.95和20.39, P<0.05) . Conclusion Severity of COVID-19 was associated with underlying disease, symptoms, site of involvement, C-reactive protein, d-dimer, CD₃⁺T lymphocyte count, CD₄⁺T lymphocyte count, and CD₈⁺T lymphocyte count.