The American journal of Chinese medicine
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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a practical medicine based on thousands of years of medical practice in China. Arsenic dispensing powder (ADP) has been used as a treatment for MDS patients with a superior efficacy on anemia at Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed MDS patients that received ADP treatment in the past 9 years and confirmed that ADP improves patients' anemia and prolongs overall survival in intermediate-risk MDS patients. ⋯ We also confirmed that ADP upregulates GATA factors in normal clones. Thus, our clinical and experimental studies indicate that ADP is a promising drug to promote erythropoiesis in both MDS and normal clones with a superior outcome than current regular therapies. ADP promotes erythropoiesis in myelodysplastic syndromes via downregulation of HIF1A and upregulation of GATA factors.
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Based on the study and research on the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer, the types and functions of gut microbiota, and its role in guiding and regulating the occurrence and development of diseases, we have explored the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of colorectal cancer by regulating the gut microbiota. Genetic variation, abnormal responses of innate and adaptive immunity, mucosal barrier dysfunction, imbalance of intestinal microbial colonization, personal and environmental risk factors are the main pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. ⋯ Current studies have shown that Chinese herbal compound, single medicinal materials, and monomer components can treat colorectal cancer by regulating the gut microbiota, such as Xiaoyaosan can increase the abundance of Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Proteus and decrease the abundance of Desulfovibrio and Rickerella. Therefore, studying the regulation and mechanism of gut microbiota on colorectal cancer is of great benefit to disease treatment.
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Invasion and metastasis are the major causes leading to the high mortality of colon cancer. Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), as a bioactive ginseng compound, is suggested to possess antimetastasis effects in colon cancer. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. ⋯ However, Rg3 failed to suppress EMT in Hes1 overexpressed colon cancer cells. In particular, Rg3 significantly reversed IL-6-induced EMT promotion and blocked IL-6- induced NICD and Hes1 upregulations. Overall, these findings suggested that Rg3 could inhibit colon cancer migration and metastasis via suppressing Notch-Hes1-EMT signaling.
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Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammation disease, and the incidence of UC is increasing recently. Both clinical trials and animal experiments show that moxibustion is a complementary and alternative treatment for UC. Previous studies showed that moxibustion can improve UC by regulating the balance of Tregs and Th17 (Sun et al., 2017). ⋯ The results showed that moxibustion could increase the expression of CD39, CD73, and A2aR in colonic tissue and improve the proportion of CD39[Formula: see text] Tregs and CD73[Formula: see text] Tregs in peripheral blood, inguinal draining lymph nodes and spleen in the UC model. Additionally, A2aR agonists enhanced the cell viability of colonic epithelial cells and inhibit the production of cytokines IL-6 and TNF-[Formula: see text] in vitro, which may further influence the pathway of ATP purine signal metabolism and alleviates the gut inflammation of UC mice. Taken together, this study provides supplemental evidence to reveal the immune related mechanism of moxibustion in the treatment of UC.
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Gomisin A Alleviates Obesity by Regulating the Phenotypic Switch between White and Brown Adipocytes.
Although gomisin A (GA) alleviates cancer and inflammation, its anti-obesity effect and the underlying mechanism have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to elucidate the anti-obesity effects of GA by investigating the phenotypic changes involved in the browning and whitening of adipocytes. Here, obesity was induced to C57BL/6J mice using a high-fat diet (HFD). ⋯ We found that GA suppressed adipogenesis via the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Furthermore, GA-induced browning by increasing the expression levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in hAMSCs. The results of our study indicate that GA can inhibit weight gain by regulating the phenotypic changes involved in the browning and whitening of adipose tissues, which makes it a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity.