The History of Controlling and Treating Infectious Diseases in Ancient China.

Infectious diseases are the common enemies of mankind. In the course of historical development, they persistently threaten human health and safety. Even today, despite the developments in medical science, we cannot escape the fear and suffering caused by infectious diseases. Whether in ancient or modern times, the source of infection, route of transmission, and a susceptible population are the three key conditions for the prevalence and spread of infectious diseases. All factors closely related to these three conditions can affect the prevalence of infectious diseases. China is one of the cradles of world civilization. The ancient people accumulated a great deal of experience and lessons in the long struggle against infectious diseases. In the face of the current threat posed by widespread infectious disease, it is imperative to review and summarize ancient Chinese ideas and health policies on epidemic prevention and control to inspire contemporary efforts in the prevention and control of infectious disease. The combination of prevention-oriented epidemic prevention ideology and traditional medicine provides valuable insights, especially for impoverished and medically underserved regions.

Acupuncture for the Treatment of Liver Cirrhosis: A Meta-analysis.

Acupuncture is widely used in the clinical treatment of liver cirrhosis (LC) in China. However, the efficacy of acupuncture on LC has not been fully confirmed by systematic analysis. This current meta-analysis evaluated the impact effect of acupuncture on patients with LC. We conducted a systematic literature search of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Biomedical Database (SinoMed), VIP medicine information system, Wanfang Data, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase. Further, we used Review Manager 5.3 software for the analysis of the data and Stata 14.0 software for the Egger test to assess publication bias. Fifteen studies involving 1066 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The primary outcome was the efficacy rate of acupuncture therapy. The secondary outcomes were impact on acupuncture on liver function grading assessment and lab tests related to liver functions. The result suggested that acupuncture is an effective treatment option for patients with LC as a complementary therapy. However, the recommendation is weak due to some limitations of the included studies.

Daifan San intervenes in forkhead box P3 and the interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17A signaling pathway to help prevent and treat primary biliary cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism by which Daifan San (DFS) prevents and treats primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) via the forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) and interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17A signaling pathways. METHODS: Ninety C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control, model, DFS low-dose, DFS middle-dose, DFS high-dose and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) groups (n = 15 per group). A mouse model of PBC was induced using polyinosinic polycytidylic acids (poly I:C). Lymphocyte subset expression in the peripheral blood was analyzed via flow cytometry. The inflammatory cytokines and antimitochondrial autoantibody (AMA) levels were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The expressions and location of type I collagen, type III collagen, cytokeratin 19 and FoxP3 in the liver tissue were evaluated via immunohistochemistry. FoxP3, IL-23 and IL-17 expressions in the peripheral blood and liver tissue were evaluated via real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. RESULTS: IL-17, IL-23, IL-8, IL-33, TNF-a, and AMA expressions were significantly increased in the model group and decreased in the DFS and UDCA groups. Conversely, Treg cell and FoxP3 expressions were significantly decreased in the model group and increased in the DFS and UDCA groups. The IL-23/IL-17A signaling pathway was closely correlated with chronic inflammation of the bile duct in PBC and functional deletion of Treg cells, leading to reduced FoxP3 levels and mediating the loss of tolerance in PBC. CONCLUSION: DFS may delay the occurrence and relieve the symptoms of PBC by downregulating IL-23/IL-17A signaling pathway expression and upregulating FoxP3 expression.

Effect of Emodin on Coxsackievirus B3m-Mediated Encephalitis in Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease by Inhibiting Toll-Like Receptor 3 Pathway In Vitro and In Vivo.

BACKGROUND: Encephalitis in hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a serious threat to children's health and life. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) is an innate immune-recognition receptor that can recognize virus and initiate innate immune responses. Emodin has the effects of anti-inflammatory and regulating immune function, but the mechanism is not very clear. METHODS: Cells and mice were pretreated with coxsackievirus B3m (CVB3) and treated with emodin. The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein levels of TLR3 and downstream molecules were detected by quantitative real-time polymearse chain reaction and western blotting analysis, respectively. TLR3 expression was also downregulated by anti-TLR3 antibody (TLR3Ab) or small interfering RNA (siRNA). Pathological changes were assessed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of TLR3 in brain tissues. The expression of interleukin (IL)-6, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and interferon (IFN)-ß in serum were tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Emodin decreased the mRNA and protein levels of TLR3 and downstream molecules in vitro and in vivo. After downregulating TLR3 using anti-TLR3Ab or siRNA, emodin could still decrease the mRNA and protein levels of TLR3 and downstream molecules. Emodin also displayed notable effects on pathology, TLR3 protein in brain tissues, and expression of IL-6, NF-κB, IFN-ß, in serum. CONCLUSIONS: Emodin exerts a protective effect in CVB3-mediated encephalitis in HFMD by inhibiting the TLR3 pathway.

Anticancer Effects of Gleditsia sinensis Extract in Rats Transplanted With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

The thorns of Gleditsia sinensis have been historically used in Chinese medicine and are considered one of the fundamental therapeutic herbs. Its anticancer effects are currently being explored. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer and still requires the development of new drugs with higher efficiency. By using a rat HCC model implanted with cancerous Walker-256 cells, the therapeutic effects of G. sinensis extract (GSE) were assessed, as well as its regulatory effects on miRNAs. GSE significantly restored liver morphology and dramatically induced cell apoptosis in HCC rats. In addition, miR-21/181b/183 was upregulated in the HCC liver, and the elevation of these miRNAs could be alleviated by both GSE and sorafenib. PTEN/TIMP3/PDCD4 downregulation was consistent with the targets of miR-21/181b/183 in the HCC liver, and the alteration of these target genes was restored by both GSE and sorafenib. TIMP3 effects on MMP-2/9 expression were also determined. Our present findings indicate the potential of GSE in HCC treatment, and expand the understanding of miRNA-related mechanisms in the anticancer effects of GSE.