Curcumin combined with arsenic trioxide in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia: network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of curcumin by co-administration of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, using network pharmacology and experimental validation. METHODS: Using Pubchem database, Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Database (TCMID) database, and Swiss target prediction database to predict compound-related targets, AML-associated targets were determined using GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) databases. We identify overlapping common targets by comparing Compounds-related and AML-associated targets and using these targets to perform GO and KEGG functional enrichment analyses. Subsequently, these targets were input into the STRING database, and we used Cytoscape to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Finally, we used KG1-a cells and the AML mouse model to measure the anti-leukemia effects of curcumin and As2O3 and their combination. RESULTS: Compounds and targets screening hinted that 85 intersection targets were predicted in the curcumin treatment of AML, 75 targets in the As2O3 treatment of AML, and 48 targets in the curcumin combined with the As2O3 treatment of AML. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the top 10 enriched biological processes and top 20 pathways implicated in the therapeutic effects of curcumin and As2O3 on AML, respectively. In addition, network pharmacology screening revealed STAT3, TP53, EP300, MAPK1, and PIK3CA as the top five genes in PPI network of curcumin treatment of AML and TP53, MAPK3, MAPK1, STAT3, and SRC as the top five genes in PPI network of As2O3 treatment of AML. Moreover, the in vitro experiment demonstrated that curcumin combined with As2O3 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in KG1-a cells, and this effect is more substantial than curcumin or As2O3 alone. Mechanistically, the curcumin combined with As2O3 significantly down-regulated the protein expression of JAK2, STAT3, and Bcl-2, and up-regulated the levels of P53, P27, and Bax. In the mouse model, the survival time of mice in each administration group was drawn out to varying degrees, with the most significant prolongation in the curcumin combined with the As2O3 group. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that curcumin and As2O3 combination therapy exerts more significant anti-leukemia effects in the treatment of AML than curcumin or As2O3 monotherapy by up-regulating p53 pathway and down-regulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Visual analysis of research hotspots and trends in the treatment of immune thrombocytopenia with traditional Chinese medicine / 数字中医药（英文）

@#Objective Through bibliometrics and visual analysis of the related studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), this study aims to sort out the overall research progress, hotspots, and trends in this field, and provide reference for further research in ITP. Methods The articles on ITP treated by TCM were retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC), and PubMed. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the databases to July 31, 2022. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Carrot2, and NoteExpress were used for data analysis of the articles in terms of their quantities, types, and journals, and for visualization of research hotspots, authors, institutions, and keywords. Results 1 493 Chinese articles and 40 English articles were included. The articles in Chinese mainly focus on clinical trial research and clinical experience summary, while the English articles mainly focus on clinical trial research and animal research. The Chinese articles were published in 317 Chinese journals, while English articles were published in 29 English journals. Research hotspots include the clinical syndrome differentiation of ITP, the therapeutic effect of TCM compounds on ITP, and the mechanism of ITP treatment. Keyword analysis shows that there are many research achievements in integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine treatment, clinical research, famous doctors’ experience, TCM treatment, cellular immunity, and humoral immunity. The authors with the most articles in Chinese and English are Professor CHEN Xinyi and Professor MA Rou, respectively, and the research institutions with the most articles are Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Chinese herbs often used to treat ITP clinically include Xianhecao (Agrimoniae Herba), Nvzhenzi (Ligustri Lucidi Fructus), Mohanlian (Ecliptae Herba), Zhongjiefeng (Sarcandrae Herba), etc., and the prescription usually used to treat ITP include Guipi Decoction (归脾汤), Xijiao Dihuang Decoction (犀角地黄汤), Bazhen Decoction (八珍汤), Erzhi Pill (二至丸), and Xiaochaihu Decoction (小柴胡汤). The main development trends toward retrospective study, TCM treatment mechanism, and data mining. Conclusion The research on TCM treatment of ITP has progressed steadily, but in-depth studies and close cooperation between research institutions are necessary for the modernization of TCM in treating ITP.

Urinary stone composition analysis and clinical characterization of 1520 patients in central China.

A total of 1520 patients with urinary stones from central China were collected and analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy between October 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019. For all patients, age, sex, comorbidities, stone location, laboratory examination and geographic region were collected. The most common stone component was calcium oxalate (77.5%), followed by calcium phosphate (8.7%), infection stone (7.6%), uric acid (UA) stone (5.3%)and cystine (0.9%). The males had more calcium oxalate stones (p < 0.001), while infection stone and cystine stones occurred more frequently in females (p < 0.001). The prevalence peak occurred at 41-60 years in both men and women. UA stones occurred frequently in patients with lower urinary pH (p < 0.001), while neutral urine or alkaline urine (p < 0.001) and urinary infection (p < 0.001) were more likely to be associated with infection stone stones. Patients with high levels of serum creatinine were more likely to develop UA stones (p < 0.001). The proportion of UA stones in diabetics was higher (p < 0.001), and the incidence of hypertension was higher in patients with UA stones (p < 0.001). Compared to the other types, more calcium oxalate stones were detected in the kidneys and ureters (p < 0.001), whereas struvite stones were more frequently observed in the lower urinary tract (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in stone composition across the Qinling-Huaihe line in central China except UA stones, which were more frequently observed in patients south of the line (p < 0.001).

Two methods of treatment for skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion on airway changes before and after clinical research / 口腔疾病防治

Objective @# To investigate the changes in the sagittal diameter of the upper airway before and after the treatment of skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion in adults with microimplant anchorage and class Ⅲ intermaxillary elastics and to provide a reference for clinical treatment. @*Methods @#A total of 35 adult patients with skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion were selected to be treated with the straight-wire technique. Microimplant group, 15 cases (group A): patients with severe skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion (vertical high angle) were treated with the straight-wire technique combined with microimplant anchorage; class Ⅲ intermaxillary elastics group, 20 cases (group B): Patients with mild or moderate skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion (vertical low angle and average angle) were treated with the straight-wire technique combined with class Ⅲ intermaxillary elastics, and cephalometric radiographs obtained before and after treatment in the upper airway in the two groups were measured and analyzed.@*Results @#Changes in cranial and maxillofacial measurements after correction: in group A, (sella-nasion-supramental angle) the SNB angle decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and (subspinale-nasion-supramental angle) the ANB angle increased significantly (P < 0.05). In group B, the SNB angle decreased significantly (P < 0.05), while (subspinale-nasion-subspinale angle) the SNA angle、ANB angle and anterior skull base plane-mandibular plane angle (Sn-MP) angle increased significantly (P < 0.05). Changes in sagittal diameter of the upper airway measurements after corrections: In group A, the width of the glossopharyngeal segment of the upper airway (TB-TPPW) decreased significantly (P < 0.05). In group B, first segment width of the upper airway behind the hard palate (PNS-R) increased significantly (P < 0.05). After correction, the decreased SNB and increased ANB in group A was higher than that in group B, and the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.05）. The decreased of TB-TPPW in upper airway of group A was greater than that of group B, and the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.05）.@* Conclusions @#In the treatment of skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusion with microimplant anchorage, the sagittal diameter of the glossopharyngeal segment of the upper airway has a negative impact.