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The American Journal of Chinese Medicine Jun 2024Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Conventional treatment options for TNBC often have limited efficacy and significant side...
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Conventional treatment options for TNBC often have limited efficacy and significant side effects. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown promising results in the treatment of TNBC. TCMs include herb combinations that have synergistic effects to regulate homeostasis in the body, reduce tumor resistance, and improve patient quality of life. At present, three main TCM methods are used to treat TNBC in the clinic: strengthening the body's resistance, dispelling phlegm, and removing cancer toxins. This paper reviews the theories and mechanisms of each in TNBC treatment. The method of strengthening the body's resistance emphasizes enhancing the body's original Qi to fight against pathogenic factors; the method of dispelling phlegm seeks to eliminate phlegm stagnation and alleviate the burden on affected organs; the method of removing cancer toxins focuses on detoxification and detumescence to remove the toxic elements associated with TNBC. Although these methods treat TNBC from different etiologies, they have achieved good therapeutic effects and represent an important academic approach: That is, to cure the disease with a comprehensive view of the body and restore the balance of Yin and Yang. This knowledge lays a foundation for the future development and reasonable application of TCM in the clinic.
PubMed: 38879747
DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X2450040X -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024Indoor air pollution arising from burning of biomass fuels poses a significant threat to child health in rural areas of Pakistan. This cross-sectional study aimed to...
Indoor air pollution arising from burning of biomass fuels poses a significant threat to child health in rural areas of Pakistan. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess health implications associated with indoor air pollution resulting from biomass burning among children under 12 years of age in rural Punjab. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted in six randomly selected rural districts of Punjab, characterized by their primary reliance on biomass fuels. The findings revealed that several characteristics, such as monthly household income, number of living rooms, secondary use of solid fuels, kitchen type, type of cooking stove, and presence of child in the kitchen with their mother, exhibited significant associations ( < 0.05) with negative health impacts among children. Reported health effects among the children included coughing (18.7%), watery eyes (17.7%), eye irritation (12.3%), runny nose (11.8%), breathing difficulties (8.5%), phlegm (38%), headache (25%), nausea (20.1%), dizziness (6.7%), asthma (6.4%), tuberculosis (1.8%), and pneumonia (1.5%).
PubMed: 38864491
DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2365310 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024A cross-sectional study was conducted among 126 preschool children aged 4-6 years in traffic, industrial, and suburban areas of Penang, Malaysia, to determine their...
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 126 preschool children aged 4-6 years in traffic, industrial, and suburban areas of Penang, Malaysia, to determine their exposure to indoor air pollutants and their associations with respiratory symptoms. A standardised and validated questionnaire was used to collect data on respiratory health symptoms among respondents. An indoor air quality assessment was conducted in selected preschools that included temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM, and PM). There were significant differences in median concentrations of PM, PM and relative humidity among study groups. Statistical analysis showed significant associations between air pollutants in preschool with respiratory symptoms. Factors that influenced the increased likelihood of cough and phlegm were linked to the increase in PM exposure. This study suggests regular classroom cleaning and routine maintenance of air conditioners to be done inside the preschools.
PubMed: 38860645
DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2365308 -
BMJ Global Health Jun 2024The use of traditional medicine is a global phenomenon, and the WHO advocated its appropriate integration into modern healthcare systems. However, there is a hot debate...
The use of traditional medicine is a global phenomenon, and the WHO advocated its appropriate integration into modern healthcare systems. However, there is a hot debate about the legitimacy of traditional medicine among the general public. Here, we investigated the debate in the Chinese digital context by analysing 1954 responses related to 100 questions about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment against COVID-19 on the Zhihu platform. Attitude function theory was applied to understand the reasons underlying public attitudes.Results showed that Zhihu users generally held a supportive attitude toward TCM. Their attitudes mainly came from their own experience and traditional media. The general users were more negative while medical professionals were more positive toward TCM. Ego defence (eg, derogating evidence sources) was used the most to support attitudes, followed by value expression (eg, believing in science). Supporters showed fewer expressions of faith (eg, the use of TCM is a kind of faith), politics (eg, supporting TCM is about politics) and science value (eg, TCM is a field of science), fewer ego defence, more patriotism and cultural confidence expressions (eg, TCM is a cultural pride) and more knowledge explanation (eg, TCM accelerates the metabolism of phlegm) than expected. Opposers showed fewer utilitarian and knowledge functions, fewer expressions of patriotism and more expressions of faith, politics and economics, but more ego defence functions than expected. Opposing posts were more likely to attract engagement than supporting and neutral posts. Posts that mentioned attitude functions generally attracted more engagement.Our findings indicate that TCM debate in modern China is not only relevant to medical science and health, but also rooted deeply in cultural ideology, politics and economics. The findings can provide global insights into the development of proactive policies and action plans that will help the integration of traditional medicine into modern healthcare systems.
Topics: Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; COVID-19; China; SARS-CoV-2; Social Networking; Public Opinion; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Male; Adult; Female
PubMed: 38857946
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014398 -
Combinatorial Chemistry & High... Jun 2024In lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), Qi-deficiency and Phlegm-turbid stagnation (QP) are the most prevalent Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome.
BACKGROUND
In lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), Qi-deficiency and Phlegm-turbid stagnation (QP) are the most prevalent Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome.
METHODS
Herein, we collected 90 fecal samples (Healthy individual (H): 30; other syndrome (O): 30; QP: 30) and explored the composition and diversity of gut microbiota in LUAD patients with QP syndrome using 16s-rRNA sequencing. Then, we identified biomarkers for QP syndrome in LUAD patients with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) and applied logistic regression analysis to construct a diagnostic model evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and validated with data from metagenomics.
RESULTS
The α diversity and β diversity revealed that the microbiota community structure in LUAD patients with QP syndrome was different from that with healthy individuals and LUAD patients with other syndromes. At the phylum level, the QP group had more abundance of Bacteroidetes and less Proteobacteria than the O group. At the genus level, the abundance of 4 genera (Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Prevotella, and Flavonifractor) was different between the QP group and O group. Moreover, LEfSe indicated that those 4 genera might be the biomarkers for LUAD patients with QP syndrome. Then, we used those 4 genera to develop a diagnostic model. The AUC based on 16s-rRNA sequencing and metagenomics was 0.989 and 1, respectively.
CONCLUSION
A diagnostic model was developed, which would be an available tool for the clinical diagnosis of LUAD with QP syndrome.
PubMed: 38847243
DOI: 10.2174/0113862073303081240521083505 -
Integrative Cancer Therapies 2024The prescription of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) consists of multiple herbs that exhibit synergistic effects due to the presence of multiple components targeting...
BACKGROUND
The prescription of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) consists of multiple herbs that exhibit synergistic effects due to the presence of multiple components targeting various pathways. In clinical practice, the combination of Erchen decoction and Huiyanzhuyu decoction (EHD) has shown promising outcomes in treating patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). However, the underlying mechanism by which EHD exerts its therapeutic effects in LSCC remains unknown.
METHODS
Online databases were utilized for the analysis and prediction of the active constituents, targets, and key pathways associated with EHD in the treatment of LSCC. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of common targets was constructed and visualized using Cytoscape 3.8.1 software. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to investigate the functional roles of core targets within the PPI network. Protein clustering was conducted utilizing the MCODE plug-in. The obtained results highlight the principal targets and pathways involved. Subsequently, clinical samples were collected to validate alterations in the levels of these main targets through Western blotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Furthermore, both in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the therapeutic effects of EHD on healing LSCC and elucidate its underlying mechanism. Additionally, to ensure experimental reliability and reproducibility, quality control measures utilizing HPLC were implemented for EHD herbal medicine.
RESULTS
The retrieval and analysis of databases in EHD medicine and LSCC disease yielded a total of 116 overlapping targets. The MCODE plug-in methods were utilized to acquire 8 distinct protein clusters through protein clustering. The findings indicated that both the first and second clusters exhibited a size greater than 6 scores, with key genes and occupying central positions, while the third and fourth clusters were associated with proteins in the PI3K, STAT3, and Foxo pathways. GO functional analysis reported that these targets had associations mainly with the pathway of p53 mediated DNA damage and negative regulation of cell cycle in terms of biological function; the death-induced signaling complex in terms of cell function; transcription factor binding and protein kinase activity in terms of molecular function. The KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated that these targets were correlated with several signaling pathways, including PI3K-Akt, FoxO, and ErbB2 signaling pathway. On one hand, we observed higher levels of key genes such as , , , , and in LSCC tumor tissues compared to adjacent tissues. Conversely, FOXO3a expression was lower in LSCC tumor tissues. On the other hand, the key genes mentioned above were also highly expressed in both LSCC xenograft nude mice tumors and LSCC cell lines, while FOXO3a was underexpressed. In LSCC xenograft nude mice models, EHD treatment resulted in downregulation of P-STAT3, P-PDK1, PI3K, P-AKT, and ErbB2 protein levels but upregulated FOXO3a protein level. EHD also affected the levels of P-STAT3, P-PDK1, PI3K, P-AKT, FOXO3a, and ErbB2 proteins in vitro: it inhibited P-STAT3, P-AKT, and ErbB2, while promoting FOXO3a; however, it had no effect on PDK1 protein. In addition, HPLC identified twelve compounds accounting for more than 30% within EHD. The findings from this study can serve as valuable guidance for future experimental investigations.
CONCLUSION
The possible mechanism of EHD medicine action on LSCC disease is speculated to be closely associated with the ErbB2/PI3K/AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathway.
Topics: Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Humans; Network Pharmacology; Animals; Laryngeal Neoplasms; Mice; Protein Interaction Maps; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Signal Transduction; Male; Cell Line, Tumor; Mice, Nude; Female; Cell Proliferation; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
PubMed: 38845538
DOI: 10.1177/15347354241259182 -
Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory... 2024The relationships between spirometric assessment of lung function and symptoms (including exacerbations) in patients with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Relationships between symptoms and lung function in asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a real-life setting: the NOVEL observational longiTudinal studY.
BACKGROUND
The relationships between spirometric assessment of lung function and symptoms (including exacerbations) in patients with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a real-life setting are uncertain.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the relationships between baseline post-bronchodilator (post-BD) spirometry measures of lung function and symptoms and exacerbations in patients with a physician-assigned diagnosis of asthma and/or COPD.
DESIGN
The NOVEL observational longiTudinal studY (NOVELTY) is a global, prospective, 3-year observational study.
METHODS
Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate relationships. Spirometry measures were assessed as percent predicted (%pred). Symptoms were assessed at baseline, and exacerbations were assessed at baseline and Year 1.
RESULTS
A total of 11,181 patients in NOVELTY had spirometry data (asthma, = 5903; COPD, = 3881; asthma + COPD, = 1397). A 10% lower post-BD %pred forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV) and forced vital capacity (FVC) - adjusted for age and sex - were significantly associated with dyspnea (modified Medical Research Council ⩾ grade 2), frequent breathlessness [St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)], frequent wheeze attacks (SGRQ), nocturnal awakening (Respiratory Symptoms Questionnaire; ⩾1 night/week), and frequent productive cough (SGRQ). Lower post-BD %pred FEV and, to a lesser extent, lower post-BD %pred FVC were significantly associated with ⩾1 physician-reported exacerbation at baseline or Year 1. This association was stronger in patients with COPD than in those with asthma.
CONCLUSION
In a real-life setting, reduced lung function is consistently associated with symptoms in patients with asthma, COPD, or asthma + COPD. The relationship with exacerbations is stronger in COPD only than in asthma.
TRAIL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02760329 (www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Middle Aged; Asthma; Longitudinal Studies; Aged; Prospective Studies; Forced Expiratory Volume; Spirometry; Lung; Vital Capacity; Adult; Disease Progression; Bronchodilator Agents; Surveys and Questionnaires; Logistic Models; Time Factors
PubMed: 38841799
DOI: 10.1177/17534666241254212 -
Journal of Ethnopharmacology Jun 2024Bronchitis is a respiratory disease characterized by a productive cough. Polygala tenuifolia Willd., commonly known as Yuan zhi, is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine...
Phytochemical determination and mechanistic investigation of Polygala tenuifolia root (Yuanzhi) extract for bronchitis: UPLC-MS/MS analysis, network pharmacology and in vitro/in vivo evaluation.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Bronchitis is a respiratory disease characterized by a productive cough. Polygala tenuifolia Willd., commonly known as Yuan zhi, is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for relieving cough and removing phlegm. Despite its historical use, studies are lacking on the effectiveness of P. tenuifolia in treating bronchitis. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms underlying the action of its bioactive compounds remain unknown.
AIM OF THE STUDY
This study aims to identify the main bioactive compounds responsible for the effects of P. tenuifolia liquid extract (PLE) in treating bronchitis and to elucidate the associated molecular mechanisms.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The main chemical compounds in PLE were identified and determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The antitussive, expectorant and anti-inflammatory activities of PLE were evaluated in an ammonia-induced mouse cough model, a tracheal phenol red excretion mouse model, and a xylene-induced ear swelling mouse model, respectively. A network pharmacology analysis was conducted to investigate the associated gene targets, gene ontology, and KEGG pathways related to the main bioactives in PLE targeting bronchitis. PLE and its five bioactive compounds were assessed for their potential anti-inflammatory activities in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Western blot analysis was conducted to elucidate the associated molecular mechanisms.
RESULTS
Thirty-seven compounds in PLE were identified, and twelve main compounds were further quantified in PLE using UPLC-MS/MS. PLE oral gavage administrations (0.6 and 0.12 mg/kg) for 7 days markedly reduced cough frequency, prolonged latency period of cough, reduced phlegm and inflammation in mice. The network pharmacology analysis identified 57 gene targets of PLE against bronchitis. The PI3K/AKT and MAPK signalling pathways were the top two modulated pathways. In RAW264.7 cells, PLE (12.5-50 μg/mL) significantly reduced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. PLE downregulated LPS-elevated protein targets in both PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways. In PLE, tenuifolin, polygalaxanthone ⅠⅠⅠ, polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅤⅢ, tenuifoliside B, and 3,6'-Disinapoyl sucrose, were identified as the top five core components responsible for treating bronchitis. These compounds were also found to modulate the protein targets in the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signalling pathways.
CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated the potential therapeutic effects of PLE on bronchitis by reducing cough, phlegm and inflammation. The anti-inflammatory action and molecular mechanisms of the 5 main bioactive compounds in PLE were partly validated through the in vitro assays. The findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the traditional use of PLE for bronchitis.
PubMed: 38838926
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118418 -
Journal of Separation Science Jun 2024Hua-ju-hong (HJH) is a Chinese medicinal material obtained from Citrus grandis 'Tomentosa' (CGT) and Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck (CG) with various commercial...
Hua-ju-hong (HJH) is a Chinese medicinal material obtained from Citrus grandis 'Tomentosa' (CGT) and Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck (CG) with various commercial specifications. It is known for relieving cough and dispelling phlegm. To reveal the quality marker for distinguishing the various HJH, 215 batches of commercial HJH were studied systematically using multidimensional chemical analysis. Ten major components were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and quantified via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection. In this study, a rapid, efficient, and low-cost chromatographic method was established. Total coumarin-hemiterpene and total coumarin-monoterpene were first classified and analyzed in HJH. The result indicated that the main component, naringin, was not the quality marker for differentiating CGT from CG. For reflecting the unique medicinal and food value of HJH, coumarins should be the more potential quality markers. Flavonoids were the possible quality markers for distinguishing two growth stages of fruit-exocarp and young fruit. For the first time, two chemotypes of HJH were identified in CG. This study provides a convenient yet reliant chromatographic method and novel yet systematic strategies for overall quality control of commercial HJH.
Topics: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Citrus; Coumarins; Mass Spectrometry; Quality Control; Molecular Structure
PubMed: 38819762
DOI: 10.1002/jssc.202400127 -
Journal of Pharmaceutical and... Sep 2024Zhi-Ke-Bao pills (ZKB), a traditional Chinese medicine preparation composed of 13 herbs, is generally used to treat cough caused by external wind cold, phlegm, etc in...
Chemical profiling of Zhi-Ke-Bao pills and its potential mechanism against cough by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and network pharmacology.
Zhi-Ke-Bao pills (ZKB), a traditional Chinese medicine preparation composed of 13 herbs, is generally used to treat cough caused by external wind cold, phlegm, etc in clinical applications, and it plays a core role in relieving cough caused by COVID-19 and influenza in China. Till now, the understanding of its chemical constituents was dramatically limited due to its chemical complexity, restricting its clinical application or development. In this work, a developed ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF MS) method, a targeted and non-targeted strategy and network pharmacology were used to comprehensively characterize the chemical compositions in ZKB and predict its mechanism against cough. A total of 164 compounds (148 targeted compounds and 16 non-targeted ones) were identified or tentatively characterized in ZKB, including 65 flavonoids, 25 alkaloids, 19 organic acids, 41 saponins, 9 coumarins, 2 phenylpropanoids, 2 anthraquinones, and 1 other types. Among them, 37 compounds were unambiguously identified by comparison to reference standards. Meanwhile, the fragmentation behaviors of five main chemical structure types were also summarized. 309 targets and two core signaling pathways of ZKB against cough were predicted by network pharmacology, including MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. It was the first time to characterize the chemical compounds of ZKB and reveal its potential mechanism against cough, providing the material basis for further quality control or pharmacodynamic evaluation of ZKB.
Topics: Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cough; Network Pharmacology; Humans; Mass Spectrometry; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Antitussive Agents; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Alkaloids
PubMed: 38815520
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116257