ABSTRACT
Horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus sinicus) might help maintain coronaviruses severely affecting human health, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Bats may be more tolerant of viral infection than other mammals due to their unique immune system, but the exact mechanism remains to be fully explored. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, multiple animal species were diseased by coronavirus infection, especially in the respiratory system. Herein, a comparative analysis with single nucleus transcriptomic data of the lungs across four species, including horseshoe bat, cat, tiger, and pangolin, were conducted. The distribution of entry factors for twenty-eight respiratory viruses was characterized for the four species. Our findings might increase our understanding of the immune background of horseshoe bats.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to explore the clinical practice of phospholipid metabolic pathways in COVID-19. In this study, 48 COVID-19 patients and 17 healthy controls were included. Patients were divided into mild (n=40) and severe (n=8) according to their severity. Phospholipid metabolites, TCA circulating metabolites, eicosanoid metabolites, and closely associated enzymes and transfer proteins were detected in the plasma of all individuals using metabolomics and proteomics assays, respectively. 30 of the 33 metabolites found differed significantly (P<0.05) between patients and healthy controls (P<0.05), with D-dimmer significantly correlated with all of the lysophospholipid metabolites (LysoPE, LysoPC, LysoPI and LPA). In particular, we found that phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) could identify patients from healthy controls (AUC 0.771 and 0.745, respectively) and that the severity of the patients could be determined (AUC 0.663 and 0.809, respectively). The last measurement before discharge also revealed significant changes in both PI and PC. For the first time, our study explores the significance of the phospholipid metabolic system in COVID-19 patients. Based on molecular pathway mechanisms, three important phospholipid pathways related to Ceramide-Malate acid (Cer-SM), Lysophospholipid (LPs), and membrane function were established. Clinical values discovered included the role of Cer in maintaining the inflammatory internal environment, the modulation of procoagulant LPA by upstream fibrinolytic metabolites, and the role of PI and PC in predicting disease aggravation.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Disease Progression , Humans , Lysophospholipids , Metabolome , MetabolomicsABSTRACT
Mental health disorders such as stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia caused by COVID-19 have attracted worldwide attention. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been proven to be a safe and effective option for treating mental health disorders. Recently, after assessing its efficacy and safety fully, the Netherlands Medicines Evaluation Board approved XiaoYao Tablets as a traditional herbal medicinal product (THMP), indicated for an alternative self-care for patients in Europe to relieve the symptoms of mental stress and exhaustion. Despite the fact that TCMs have gradually become one of the therapeutic choices worldwide, to-date, only a few TCMs have been successfully registered in the European Union (EU) as THMPs, and XiaoYao Tablets is the first successfully registered combination TCM from China. In this article, traditional use efficacy and clinical safety of XiaoYao Tablets in the treatment of mental health disorders were summarized and analyzed from the perspective of traditional use registration (TUR). Additionally a safety evolution pathway of combination TCMs was established. This article will not only seek to enhance our understanding about traditional use efficacy and clinical safety of XiaoYao Tablets, but also summarize the experience of XiaoYao Tablets as the first successfully registered combination TCM from China, which could serve as role model for the others to overcome registration difficulties in the EU.