Astragaloside IV protects cardiomyocytes from hypoxic injury by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress via eIF2α/CHOP signaling pathway

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) is suggested to promote cardiomyocyte apoptosis and ultimately lead to ischemic injury. Inhibition of ER stress-induced apoptosis may be a therapeutic strategy for MI injury. Astragaloside-IV (AST) from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bge, was reported to have cardioprotective properties. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of AST on cardiomyocytes against hypoxia injury by regulating ER stress and inhibiting apoptosis. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were divided into three groups, normal group, hypoxia group and AST group. Cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was detected by DCFH-DA (2,7- dichloro-dihydrofluorescein diacetate) florescent staining. The study showed that AST treatment could significantly increase the cell viability of H9c2 cells exposed to hypoxia. Furthermore, AST could restrain cell apoptosis and decrease the production of ROS. Compared with normal group, the protein levels of Bax, caspase-3, caspase-9, GRP78, p-eIF2α, and CHOP were enhanced in the hypoxia group, whereas the protein level of Bcl-2 was dramatically reduced. Compared with hypoxia group, AST markedly inhibited the phosphorylation of eIF2α and the expression of caspase-3, caspase-9 and CHOP, and promoted the protein expression of Bcl-2. Thus, AST can inhibit the ER stress-mediated apoptosis, partly through the eIF2α/CHOP pathway suppression to inhibit ER stress.

Lianhua Qingwen prescription for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment: Advances and prospects

BACKGROUND

An outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) which was infected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still spreading and has led to unprecedented health emergency over the world. Though no specific drug has been developed so far, emerging agents have been confirmed effective or potentially beneficial to restrain it. Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) is a commonly used Chinese medical preparation to treat viral influenza, including in the fight against SARS in 2002-2003 in China. Recent data also showed that LHQW played a vigorous role in COVID-19 treatment.

PURPOSE

This review will elucidate the pre-clinical and clinical evidence of LHQW in lung protection and antiviral activities, and provide timely data delivery for the exploration of effective treatment strategies in the therapy of COVID-19.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD

The research data were obtained from the academic databases (up to August 8, 2020) including Pubmed, CNKI and Web of Science, on ethnobotany and ethno medicines. The search keywords for screening the literature information were "virus", "COVID-19", or "SARS-CoV-2", and "Lianhua Qingwen". The documents were filtered and summarized for final evaluation.

RESULTS

The collected evidence demonstrated that LHQW exhibited benefits against COVID-19. Impressively, LHQW in conjunction with conventional treatment could significantly improve COVID-19 patients as a synergetic strategy. The mechanisms were mainly involved the antiviral activity, and regulation of inflammation response as well as immune function.

CONCLUSION

Although the data were far from adequate, the latest advances had shown the benefits of LHQW in COVID-19, especially in combination with other antiviral drugs. This review provides comprehensive evidence of LHQW as a complementary strategy for treating COVID-19. Nevertheless, imperious researches should be conducted to clarify the unconfirmed effects, regulatory mechanisms and adverse reactions of LHQW in treating COVID-19 by means of well designed randomized controlled trials.

[A contour and mineral content comparison of vascularized and non-vascularized bone grafts]

This study made a comparison between vascularized bone graft (VBG) and non-vascularized bone graft (NVBG) in mandible of canine by using electron computer to assess the contour of grafted bone and measuring the mineral contents. On the 3rd, 5 th, 7 th, 15 th postoperative day, the contour of VBG and NVBG were similar and all of them kept the original contour. On the 30 th,60th,90th,180th postoperative day, VBG remained the original contour, but the contour of NVBG became thicker obviously than that of VBG for the remained cortical bone(most of which was resorbed) were enveloped with a lot of new bone. The kind of resorption of NVBG cortical bone in our study was characterized by extensive resorption on the surface just like nibbling of silkworm, unlike "tunnel" described in the literatures. There were no statistically differences between mineral contents of VBG and that of NVBG.

[Comparative study on healing process between vascularized and non-vascularized autogenous bone grafts]

This study made a histological comparison (light microscope and transmission electron microscope) between vascularized bone graft (VBG) and non-vascularized bone graft (NVBG) in mandible of dog.The study showed:the healing process of VBG was the same as that of bone fracture.The "creeping substitution" process of NVBG was imbued with the inflammation induced by dead bone.There was no significat difference on the bone union between VBG and NVBG perhaps for the recipient region was better vascularized.

Psychological performance of accident-prone automobile drivers in China: a case-control study

To evaluate the role of neurobehavioural factors in the aetiology of recurrent automobile accidents, we administered the Revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and choice and simple reaction time tests to 31 accident-prone automobile drivers. These drivers who had caused three or more traffic accidents during the years 1980-1984, were selected from records of 2723 traffic accidents registered by Hefei Traffic Police Department during the years 1980-1984. The same tests were administered to an equal number of sex- and age-matched control drivers who had no reported involvement in automobile accidents. None of the subjects had suffered from any neuropsychiatric illness or head injury. Comparisons between the two groups indicated that for accident-prone drivers scores on picture completion and block design subtests of the WAIS-R were significantly lowered (p less than 0.05); scores for neurosis extrovert behaviour and psychosis (EPQ) were significantly higher (p less than 0.05); and the number of errors in the choice reaction time test was significantly higher (p less than 0.01). It is suggested that accident-prone drivers have lower psychological performance, poorer judgement and a higher tendency than safe drivers to be neurotic, extrovert and psychotic.

Treatment of severe beta-thalassemia (patients) with myleran

We previously reported that myleran, a cell cycle nonspecific drug, can stimulate gamma-globin gene expression in anemic adult rhesus monkeys. This finding prompted us to treat two patients with severe beta-thalassemia with myleran. Both patients received an initial course of therapy, constantly of myleran at a dosage of 0.2 mg/kg/d for 9 days followed by 0.15 mg/kg/d for the next 11 days. One patient received an additional 20-day course of myleran at a dosage of 0.2 mg/kg/d beginning 44 days after completion of the first course. No severe ill effects related to the drug were observed during or after drug administration. After 20 days of myleran treatment, levels of HbF and reticulocytes increased in both patients and level of F cells increased in patient 1. In patient 1, Hb concentration rose from 42g/L (9 days after transfusion) before treatment to a maximum of 65g/L afterward; in patient 2, it rose from 74g/L to a maximum of 106g/L. A value of 15g/L above baseline lasted for about 5 months in both patients. Hypomethylation of bone marrow DNA near the gamma-globin gene was demonstrated in patient 1.