Clinical Spectrum and Trajectory of Innovative Therapeutic Interventions for Insomnia: A Perspective.

Increasing incidences of insomnia in adults, as well as the aging population, have been reported for their negative impact on the quality of life. Insomnia episodes may be associated with neurocognitive, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, and metabolic disorders. Epidemiological evidence also revealed the association of insomnia with oncologic and asthmatic complications, which has been indicated as bidirectional. Two therapeutic approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and drugs-based therapies are being practiced for a long time. However, the adverse events associated with drugs limit their wide and long-term application. Further, Traditional Chinese medicine, acupressure, and pulsed magnetic field therapy may also provide therapeutic relief. Notably, the recently introduced cryotherapy has been demonstrated as a potential candidate for insomnia which could reduce pain, by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation. It seems that the synergistic therapeutic approach of cryotherapy and the above-mentioned approaches might offer promising prospects to further improve efficacy and safety. Considering these facts, this perspective presents a comprehensive summary of recent advances in pathological aetiologies of insomnia including COVID-19, and its therapeutic management with a greater emphasis on cryotherapy.

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos Attenuates Neutrophilic Inflammation by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress.

Lonicerae japonicae flos (LJ) is an Asian traditional herb that is used as a dietary supplement, tea, and beverage to clear heat and quench thirst. However, no studies investigated its effect on activated human neutrophils, which played a crucial role in the bad prognosis of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) patients by aggravating lung inflammation and respiratory failure. Herein, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of LJ ethanol extract (LJEE) on human neutrophils activated by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF). Our experimental results indicated that LJEE suppressed fMLF-activated superoxide anion (O2•-) generation, the expression of CD11b, and cell adhesion and migration, as well as the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps in human neutrophils. Further in-depth mechanical investigation revealed that pretreatment with LJEE accelerated the Ca2+ clearance, but did not affect the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and protein kinase B (Akt) in activated human neutrophils. In addition, LJEE displayed a dose-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger activity, which assisted its anti-inflammatory activity. From the bioassay-coupled chromatographic profile, chlorogenic acids were found to dominate the anti-inflammatory effects of LJEE. Moreover, LJ water extract (LJWE) demonstrated an interrupting effect on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 spike protein (SARS-CoV-2-Spike)/angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding. In conclusion, the obtained results not only supported the traditional use of LJ for heat-clearance, but also suggested its potential application in daily health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hericium erinaceus mycelium ameliorate anxiety induced by continuous sleep disturbance in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disruption is a major public health issue and may increase the risk of mortality by ten-folds if an individual is sleeping less than 6 h per night. Sleep has changed dramatically during to the COVID-19 pandemic because COVID symptoms can lead to psychological distress including anxiety. Hericium erinaceus mycelium has been widely investigated in both the in vivo studies and clinical trials for its neuroprotective functions because the mycelium contains hericenones and erinacines, which synthesize the nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Recent in vivo reports have shown showed that erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus mycelium can modulate BDNF/TrkB/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3ß pathways to induce an antidepressant-like effect. A large body of evidence indicates that erinacine can pass the blood-brain barrier and suggests its neuroprotective function in both peripheral and central nervous systems. Thus, Hericium erinaceus mycelium may be a dual-function supplement for sleep disruption improvement while sustaining anxiolytic effects. METHOD: To simulate the condition of sleep disruption, the mice were subjected to the tail suspension test (TST) for 15 min every day during the same period for nine consecutive days. Two different doses (75 and 150 mg/kg) of Hericium erinaceus mycelium were administered orally 20 min prior to the TSTs before entering the light period of 12:12 h L:D cycle. All sleep-wake recording was recorded for 24 h using electroencephalogram and electromyogram. The elevated-plus-maze and open-field tests were conducted to record the behavior activities. RESULTS: Consecutive TSTs prior to the light period could cause significant sleep disturbance and anxiety behavior in the elevated-plus-maze experiments. Results showed that administration with Hericium erinaceus mycelium at 150 mg/kg ameliorated the rodent anxiety (p < 0.05) and reversed the TST-induced NREM sleep disturbance in the dark period. CONCLUSION: This is the first in vivo study suggesting that Hericium erinaceus mycelium has a dual potential role for anxiety relief through improving sleep disruptions.