To investigate the intervention effect and mechanism of Zhenwu Decoction on diabetic nephropathy(DN) mice of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome based on the Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase(ROCK)/IκB kinase(IKK)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) pathway. Ninety-five 7-week-old db/db male mice and 25 7-week-old db/m male mice were fed adaptively for one week. The DN model of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome was induced by Dahuang Decoction combined with hydrocortisone by gavage, and then the model was evaluated. After modeling, they were randomly divided into a model group, high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose Zhenwu Decoction groups(33.8, 16.9, and 8.45 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and an irbesartan group(25 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), with at least 15 animals in each group. The intervention lasted for eight weeks. After the intervention, body weight and food intake were measured. Serum crea-tinine(Scr), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), fasting blood glucose(FBG), urinary albumin(uALb), and urine creatinine(Ucr) were determined. The uALb/Ucr ratio(ACR) and 24 h urinary protein(UTP) were calculated. Renal pathological morphology was evaluated by HE staining and Masson staining. The levels of key molecular proteins in the ROCK/IKK/NF-κB pathway were detected by Western blot. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-8(IL-8), interleukin-10(IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). Compared with the blank group, the model group showed increased content of BUN, uALb, and SCr, increased values of 24 h UTP and ACR, decreased content of Ucr(P<0.05), enlarged glomeruli, thickened basement membrane, mesangial matrix proliferation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and collagen fiber deposition. The protein expression of ROCK1, ROCK2, IKK, NF-κB, phosphorylated IKK(p-IKK), phosphorylated NF-κB(p-NF-κB), and phosphorylated inhibitor of NF-κB(p-IκB) increased(P<0.05), while the protein expression of inhibitor of NF-κB(IκB) decreased(P<0.05). The levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α increased(P<0.05), while the level of IL-10 decreased(P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the groups with drug treatment showed decreased levels of BUN, uALb, SCr, 24 h UTP, and ACR, increased level of Ucr(P<0.05), and improved renal pathological status to varying degrees. The high-and medium-dose Zhenwu Decoction groups and the irbesartan group showed reduced protein expression of ROCK1, ROCK2, IKK, NF-κB, p-IKK, p-NF-κB, and p-IκB in the kidneys(P<0.05), increased protein expression of IκB(P<0.05), decreased levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α(P<0.05), and increased level of IL-10(P<0.05). Zhenwu Decoction can significantly improve renal function and renal pathological damage in DN mice of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome, and its specific mechanism may be related to the inhibition of inflammatory response by down-regulating the expression of key molecules in the ROCK/IKK/NF-κB pathway in the kidney.
Mice ; Male ; Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Interleukin-8 ; Interleukin-10 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6 ; I-kappa B Kinase ; Spleen ; Irbesartan ; Uridine Triphosphate ; Yang Deficiency/drug therapy* ; Kidney/pathology*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

This paper analyzes the laws, regulations and concre measures of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Canada, so as to provide reference for TCM products to enter Canada, and for the establishment of TCM regulation system and the improvement of its detailed rules in China. The regulation of TCM in Canadian, on the one hand, supervision is to provide guidance for the protection of consumers' rights and interests, including the guidance of rational drug use and rational purchase for consumers; on the other hand, it is to supervise enterprises, including the safety, effectiveness and quality certification of TCM products, labeling and packaging requirements, as well as the site certification of product manufacturing, packaging, labeling and import. The Ministry of health of Canada takes evidence as the core of evaluation, and ensures the safe and effective use of TCM products in Canada through product and site licensing evaluation. In the supervision of TCM, relevant departments in China should further strengthen the protection of consumers' drug rights and interests, strengthen the construction of TCM registration evidence system, and pay attention to the risk management of drug production quality.

At present, the registration process of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Canada is refering to the requirements of Natural Health Products (NHPs). In terms of registration material, both NHPs and TCM include plants, animals and minerals with medicinal components, but the fundamental difference between them is that TCM is guided by the basic theory of TCM. As for the registration classification of TCM in Canada, first of all, judge whether the product to be applied for is NHPs; Secondly, we should clarify the types and ways of registration, mainly including simple application, traditional application and non-traditional application, and provide application forms, label texts, summary reports, evidence, animal tissue forms, finished product specifications and other materials according to different requirements. At present, the successful registration experience of TCM products in Canada mainly mainly includes applying for superior varieties, selecting appropriate application channels, communicating with local health management units and providing sufficient scientific evidence and good clinical application records. The regulations on the registration of NHPs in Canada have not fully considered the particularity of TCM and the registration of TCM products is still facing some difficulties. In the future, we can learn from the registration process and requirements of the Health Canada, promote the interconnection and mutual recognition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China and the NNHPD monographs in Canada, reduce the obstacles to the local application for registration of TCM, and promote the further improvement of the international standards of TCM.

Aim To investigate whether and how Huy- izhenbao tablets regulated osteoarthritis pain.Methods We transected the meniscotibial ligament of mice, which caused osteoarthritis by destabilizing the medial meniscus ( DMM).Different doses of Huyizhenbao tablets (12.5,25,50 mg • kg-1) were administered intragastrically.Dynamic and static mechanical allo- dynia were measured.The spinal cord slices were pre¬pared to record miniature excitatory postsynaptic cur-rents (niEPSCs) and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mlPSCs) by using patch clamp electrophysi¬ological recordings.The phosphorylation of NMDA re¬ceptor ( N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors) (rluNl sub- unit at S897 residue ( pS897-GluNl ) was observed by immunohistochemistry.Results Huyizhenbao tablets dose-dependently attenuated the dynamic and static mechanical allodynia induced by DMM, reduced the frequency of niEPSCs and inhibited the pS897-GluNI level.Huyizhenbao tablets had no effects on mlPSCs.Conclusions Huyizhenbao tablets effectively alleviate osteoarthritis pain by blocking the presynaptic release of excitatory transmitter glutamate and inhibiting the phosphorylation of NMDA receptor in spinal cord dorsal horn.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a new Chinese medicine (CM)-based drug and to evaluate its safety and effect for suppressing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: A putative ARDS-suppressing drug Keguan-1 was first developed and then evaluated by a randomized, controlled two-arm trial. The two arms of the trial consist of a control therapy (alpha interferon inhalation, 50 µg twice daily; and lopinavir/ritonavir, 400 and 100 mg twice daily, respectively) and a testing therapy (control therapy plus Keguan-1 19.4 g twice daily) by random number table at 1:1 ratio with 24 cases each group. After 2-week treatment, adverse events, time to fever resolution, ARDS development, and lung injury on newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients were assessed. RESULTS: An analysis of the data from the first 30 participants showed that the control arm and the testing arm did not exhibit any significant differences in terms of adverse events. Based on this result, the study was expanded to include a total of 48 participants (24 cases each arm). The results show that compared with the control arm, the testing arm exhibited a significant improvement in time to fever resolution (P=0.035), and a significant reduction in the development of ARDS (P=0.048). CONCLUSIONS Keguan-1-based integrative therapy was safe and superior to the standard therapy in suppressing the development of ARDS in COVID-19 patients. (Trial registration No. NCT04251871 at www.clinicaltrials.gov ).
Administration, Inhalation ; Adult ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; Lopinavir ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Risk Assessment ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Rate

Objective: To deliver macro understanding of the latest research progress on clinical trials and approved products of cancer drugs in China in 2019. Methods: The number of clinical trials and related investigational products by domestic and foreign enterprises in 2019 were acquired in the China Food and Drug Administration Registration and Information Disclosure Platform for Drug Clinical Studies, while listed drugs were obtained in the China Food and Drug Administration Query System for Domestic and Imported Drug. Characteristics on stage, scope, indication of those trials, classification and mechanism of involved products, as well as listed anticancer drugs were summarized and depicted. Results: There were 474 cancer drug trials registered in China in 2019, accounting for 21.8% of the total, and 397 (83.8%) were initiated by domestic pharmaceutical enterprises. Overall, international multicenter trials accounted for 13.1%, and phase I trials accounted for 47.3%. Compared with global enterprises, the proportion of international multi-center trials initiated by domestic companies is lower (4.8% vs. 55.8%, P<0.001), and the proportion of phase I clinical trials and bioequivalence trials is higher (51.9% vs. 23.4%, 19.4% vs. 1.3%, P<0.001). An accumulative of 27 cancer types were involved for all the cancer drug trials, and lung cancer, solid tumor, and breast cancer were the most common cancer types, with 103, 95 and 49 trials, respectively. For the three cancer types unique to Chinese population, gastric, liver and esophageal cancer, the total number of initiated trials was 47. For all those trials, there were 335 cancer drug varieties, with 86.0% developed by domestic pharmaceutical enterprises, including 300 therapeutic drugs, 30 adjunctive drugs and 5 preventive drugs. In terms of mechanism, targeted drugs and immune drugs were the most popular, accounting for 74.6% and 20.3%, respectively. In addition, 17 anticancer drugs targeting on 11 cancer types were approved in China in 2019. Conclusions Clinical trials on cancer drugs in China have ushered a booming era, with large number of innovative agents represented by targeted drugs and immune drugs under clinical development or putting into clinical practice. Those local enterprises are playing more and more critical roles. Strengthening clinical research and development on Chinese unique cancer types is the key direction of future work.

Background::The eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is known to be more sensitive to corticosteroid. The sputum microbiome has been shown to affect COPD prognosis, but its role in acute exacerbations of eosinophilic COPD is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes of the airway microbiome in patients with acute exacerbations of eosinophilic COPD.Methods::Fifty-seven patients with acute exacerbations of COPD from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between June 2017 and June 2018 were divided into two groups. Patients with eosinophils ≥300 cells/μL in the peripheral venous blood were assigned to the eosinophilic group (Eos) and the rest to the non-eosinophilic group (Noneos). All patients received similar treatment including inhaled budesonide according to the guidelines. The induced sputum microbiome was analyzed on the 1st and 7th day of treatment using the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) method. The levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 were measured in the plasma and the sensitivity to corticosteroids was determined in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Quantitative data were compared between the two groups using the independent samples t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Categorical data were evaluated using Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test. Results::Twenty-six patients were classified into Eos group and 31 patients were classified into Noneos group. Prior to treatment, the alpha diversity (Shannon index) (2.65 ± 0.63 vs. 2.56 ± 0.54, t = 0.328, P = 0.747) and the structure of the sputum microbiome were similar in the Eos group and the Noneos group. After 7 days of treatment, alpha diversity increased in both groups, while the microbiome richness (Ace index) was significantly lower in the Eos group (561.87 ± 109.13 vs. 767.88 ± 148.48, t = -3.535, P = 0.002). At the same time, IL-6 (12.09 ± 2.85 pg/mL vs. 15.54 ± 2.45 pg/mL, t = -4.913, P < 0.001) and IL-8 (63.64 ± 21.69 pg/mL vs. 78.97 ± 17.13 pg/mL, t = -2.981, P = 0.004) decreased more significantly in the Eos group, and the percentages of inhibition of IL-8 at dexamethasone concentrations 10 -8 to 10 -6 mol/L were significantly higher in the Eos group than those in the Noneos group (all P < 0.05). Conclusions::The induced sputum microbiome richness decreased more significantly following treatment in the Eos patients compared to the Noneos patients. The lower plasma inflammatory factor levels and the higher percentage of inhibition of IL-8 might be due to higher corticosteroid sensitivity in Eos patients.

Objective To summary the pathological and clinical characteristics,treatments and prognosis of malignant renal perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa).Methods Between August 2013 and June 2017,8 cases of malignant renal PEComa were analysed respectively.Of all the patients,there were 4 males and 4 females,aged 27-65 years with the average of 46.3 years old.Three cases were detected in routine examination occasionally,three cases complained of intermittent back pain with fever,one presented with swollen and painful right hand and right foot,and one case presented with hematuria.CT or MRI examinations indicated the malignant lesions before the surgery.Clinical staging was performed with 2 cases of T1N0M0,1 case of T1 N0M1,2 cases of T2N0M0,1 case of T3M0M0,and 2 cases of T4N0M1.Three cases underwent radical nephrectomy,1 case underwent radical nephrectomy plus renal artery embolization,2 cases underwent partial nephrectomy,and 2 cases underwent nephrectomy plus inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy.One case was treated with ifosfamide plus epirubicin after operation due to multiple distant metastases and 1 case was treated with oxaliplatin before the sugery because of excessive tumor diameter.None of the rest received any adjuvant therapy.Results Postoperative histopathological examination showed multiple nodules in reddish gray and yellow color,with soft texture and partial incomplete capsule.Microscopically,there were large atypical cell components,some of which were spindle shaped,with disordered cell arrangement,some of which were associated with a large amount of necrotic tissue,and abundant light eosinophil cytoplasm.Tissue components can be found thick-wall blood vessels,smooth muscle-like cells,and adipose tissue.Immunohistochemistry showed 4 cases were positive of HMB-45,4 of Melan-A,7 of SAM.Seven cases were negative of CK,6 of S-100 75％ (6/8) and Ki67 (10％-70％).Two cases died of multiple metastases (lung,bone,liver),1 case survived with tumor recurrence,with a follow-up from 14 to 60 months (mean 29 months).Conclusions Primary malignant renal PEComa is rare in practice with relative large diameter.The diagnosis depends on pathological findings,and radical nephrectomy is the first choice of treatment.It is easy to recur and metastasize after the operation.

Humans ; Kidney Calculi ; therapy ; Nephrolithotomy, Percutaneous ; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous