Frontiers in pharmacology
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
ReviewPD-1/PD-L1 Based Combinational Cancer Therapy: Icing on the Cake.
Cancer has been a major global health problem due to its high morbidity and mortality. While many chemotherapy agents have been studied and applied in clinical trials or in clinic, their application is limited due to its toxic side effects and poor tolerability. ⋯ Various novel promising approaches are now in clinical trials, just as icing on the cake. This review summarizes relevant investigations on combinatorial therapeutics based on PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Tetramethylpyrazine Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Proliferation of Hypertrophic Scar-Derived Fibroblasts via Inhibiting the Phosphorylation of AKT.
Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a serious fibrotic skin disease and often considered as a kind of benign skin tumor. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), the main chemical composition of the traditional Chinese medicine Chuanxiong Rhizoma, has shown significant clinical benefits in the treatment of fibrosis disease and tumor, while the role in HS and the concrete mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, the protective effects of TMP in the treatment of HS was investigated and the results showed that the protein expression levels of type I collagen (Col I), type III collagen (Col III), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were all inhibited remarkably after addition of TMP in HS-derived fibroblasts (HFs). ⋯ In addition, TMP treatment markedly reduced the phosphorylation levels of AKT. Taken together, our investigations demonstrated that TMP could down-regulate the expression of fibrosis-related molecules, inhibit scar fibroblast proliferation and activate cell apoptosis, during which AKT pathway was involved. Thus, this study shed more light on the pharmacological mechanisms of TMP, and provided a novel therapeutic alternative for prevention and treatment of HS.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Comparative Efficacy of Chinese Herbal Injections for Pulmonary Heart Disease: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Given the severity of pulmonary heart disease and the wide utilization of Chinese herbal injections, this network meta-analysis was devised to assess the comparative efficacy of seven Chinese herbal injections (Ciwujia injection, Dazhuhongjingtan injection, Huangqi injection, Shenfu injection, Shengmai injection, Shenmai injection, and Shenqi Fuzheng injection) that were combined with Western medicines in the treatment of pulmonary heart disease. ⋯ In conclusion, Shenfu injection+ Western medicines, Shenmai injection+ Western medicines and Shenqi Fuzheng injection+ Western medicines may be potential optimal treatments for pulmonary heart disease. A larger sample size and high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm and support this network meta-analysis.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Evaluation of the Quality of Antibiotic Prescribing in Primary Care: A Multicenter Longitudinal Study From Shenzhen, China.
Background: Currently, there is no comprehensive evaluation of the quality of antibiotic prescribing in China's primary care facilities based on longitudinal data. Methods: We randomly selected 11 community health centers in Shenzhen, China, and collected all outpatient prescriptions of these centers from 2010 to 2015. To evaluate the quality of antibiotic prescribing, we used six quality indicators for analysis, including number of antibiotics per 100 consultations, ratio between broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum antibiotics (B/N ratio), percentage of first-line antibiotics recommended by guidelines, percentage of oral antibiotics with a duration exceeding the guideline recommendation, and new pediatric-specific indicators such as percentage of antibiotics with amoxicillin (A index) and ratio between amoxicillin and broad-spectrum antibiotics (A/B ratio). ⋯ Conclusion: A review of antibiotic prescribing in Shenzhen, China, showed a substantial reduction in antibiotic use in primary care. However, problems such as widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, insufficient use of first-line antibiotics and low use of amoxicillin were prevalent. Improving and optimizing the quality of antibiotic prescribing, particularly in children prescriptions, will be the focus of future antibiotic stewardship in China.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Exogenous Hydrogen Sulfide Ameliorates Diabetic Myocardial Fibrosis by Inhibiting Cell Aging Through SIRT6/AMPK Autophagy.
Stress aging of myocardial cells participates in the mechanism of myocardial fibrosis (MF). Previous studies have shown that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can improve MF, however the specific internal mechanism remains still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore whether H2S can improve myocardial cell aging induced by high glucose and myocardial fibrosis in diabetic rats by activating autophagy through SIRT6/AMPK. ⋯ The results showed that myocardial collagen fibers were significantly deposited, myocardial tissue senescent cells were significantly increased and the expression of CSE protein was down-regulated, while SIRT6/AMPK signaling pathway and cell autophagy were significantly inhibited. H2S-treated (NaHS; 56 μmol/kg) could significantly reverse the above phenomenon. In conclusion, these findings suggest that exogenous H2S can inhibit myocardial cell senescence and improve diabetic myocardial fibrosis by activating CSE and autophagy through SIRT6/AMPK signaling pathway.