Prime-boost vaccine strategy against viral infections: Mechanisms and benefits

The essential goal of vaccination is to generate potent and long-term protection against diseases. Among different vaccine modalities, prime-boost vaccine strategies could enhance cellular and also humoral immunity in several animal models. These strategies have been applied for the development of vaccines against important infectious diseases such as HIV, SIV, HCV, HSV, and HBV indicating promising results even in clinical trials. Several factors including selection of antigen, type of vector, delivery route, dose, adjuvant, boosting regimen, the order of vector injection, and the intervals between different vaccinations influence the outcome of prime-boost immunization approaches. The reported data suggest that the prime-boost strategy as a combination of vaccines (i.e., heterologous prime-boost) may be better than a single vaccine for protection against infectious diseases. Indeed, in many cases, heterologous prime-boost can be more immunogenic than homologous prime-boost strategy. This review discusses the recent advances in prime-boost immunization strategies as well as their benefits and mechanisms of action.     

木鳖子化学成分、毒理与药理作用研究进展

木鳖子是一味传统的有毒中药,始载于北宋《开宝本草》,具有消肿散结,攻毒疗疮的功效,用于治疗疮疡肿毒,乳痈,秃疮等。主要分布在广西、广东等中国南方地区,泰国、越南等东南亚国家也有分布。目前研究表明从木鳖子中提取分离得到的化学成分丰富,主要包括萜类、甾醇类、挥发油类、脂肪酸类等成分。其中已鉴定的萜类化合物30种、挥发油成分102种、植物甾醇6种和脂肪酸类19种。毒理学研究表明,木鳖子水提物及醇提物均含有一定的毒性,毒性随着含油量的增大呈现降低趋势,目前文献报道的主要有毒成分是木鳖子素和木鳖子皂苷类。药理学研究表明,木鳖子除了具有基于传统功效的抗癌、抗炎、抗菌等药理作用外,还具有抗溃疡、抗氧化、调节免疫等多种药理作用。近几年对木鳖子的研究报道不断增多,通过查找中国知网,万方,Pub Med,Web of Science等数据库1964-2019年的国内外相关文献,对木鳖子化学成分,药理作用,毒理研究等方面进行归纳总结,为今后对木鳖子的深入研究应用提供参考。     

中药抗乙肝病毒活性及作用机制的研究进展

乙肝病毒是一种能导致机体产生急性或慢性乙型肝炎（乙肝）的嗜肝性DNA病毒。乙肝现已成为全球性公共卫生疾病，易恶化发展为肝硬化、肝衰竭，甚至肝癌，严重威胁着人类的健康。中药及其活性成分发挥着重要的抗乙肝病毒活性，对中药抗乙肝病毒活性及其作用机制进行综述，以期为今后抗乙肝病毒研究提供一定的参考。     

基于网络药理学探讨玫瑰花抗炎的作用机制

目的：运用网络药理学的方法，预测玫瑰花的活性成分和作用靶点，为揭示玫瑰花抗炎的作用机制提供参考依据。方法：通过中医药综合数据库（TCMID）和中药系统药理学数据库（TCMSP）检索玫瑰花的所有化学成分，并筛选玫瑰花的活性化学成分；然后通过TCMSP 数据库和BATMAN-TCM数据库，查找活性化合物的作用靶点；使用 Cytoscape3.6.1软件构建“活性成分-靶点-疾病”复杂网络关系图；运用生物学信息注释数据库（DAVID）进行基因本体（GO）功能富集分析和基于京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）通路富集分析研究其抗炎的作用机制。结果：共检索出121个化合物，其中7个化合物作为活性化合物；共检索出197个作用靶点；通过网络拓扑特征评价筛选出45个潜在作用靶点，利用DAVID数据库，筛选出66个生物过程和18条信号通路参与玫瑰花抗炎的作用。而与玫瑰花抗炎最为密切的信号通路包括NF-kB、TNF、MAPK等，同时其主要涉及的生物过程包括I-kappaB激酶/NF-kappaB信号通路的正调控、NF-kappaB转录因子活性的正调控、依赖TRIF的Toll样受体信号通路等。结论：本研究初步揭示了玫瑰花抗炎的潜在靶点、涉及的生物过程及信号通路，发现其具有多成分、多靶点、多通路的特点，为进一步的实验研究奠定了基础。     

蒜氨酸抗菌机制研究

目的 检测蒜氨酸最低抑菌浓度（MIC）与最低杀菌浓度（MBC），探讨蒜氨酸体内外抗菌机制。方法 体外微量稀释法检测蒜氨酸MIC和MBC，荧光显微镜观察菌体表面蒜氨酸，探讨蒜氨酸抗菌机制。体内蒜氨酸和青霉素分别治疗金葡菌感染家兔脓肿，检测脓汁标本中细菌存活情况，探讨体内蒜氨酸抗菌作用。结果 蒜氨酸对大肠杆菌、伤寒杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、白色葡萄球菌的MIC分别为3.047 μg·mL^-1、6.094 μg·mL^-1、0.386 μg·mL^-1、0.386 μg·mL^-1，蒜氨酸体外无杀菌活性。浓汁标本：死菌率蒜氨酸治疗组显著高于阴性对照组（P < 0.01），与青霉素治疗组无明显差异（P > 0.05）；活菌率蒜氨酸治疗组显著低于阴性对照组（P < 0.01），与青霉素治疗组无明显差异（P > 0.05）。结论 蒜氨酸与菌体蛋白、细菌酶蛋白结合阻断细菌与环境物质交换，抑制细菌生命活动，具有较强的抑菌作用，无杀菌活性；蒜氨酸体内代谢成大蒜素，具有较强杀菌作用。     

安息香药材化学成分、药理作用研究进展及质量标志物预测分析＊

安息香为安息香科白花树Styrax tonkinensis （Pierre） Craib ex Hart.的干燥树脂，主要化学成分为香脂酸类和三萜类物质，及少数木脂素类物质，其中香脂酸类化合物是其主要活性成分。安息香主要药理活性有抗炎解热、抗肿瘤、血脑屏障保护等。本文对安息香药材的化学成分和药理作用进行了综述，并从多角度分析预测了安息香可能的质量标志物，为安息香药材的质量控制、合理开发与利用提供参考。     

骨碎补化学成分和生物活性研究进展＊

骨碎补是历代临床常用中药，具有疗伤止痛、补肾强骨、消风祛斑等功效。其主要含黄酮、苯丙素、三萜、酚酸及其苷等类化学成分，现代研究表明骨碎补具有抗骨质疏松、促进骨折愈合、促软骨再生、护牙健齿、保护肾功能、抗炎、防治中毒性耳聋、降血脂等多种生物活性，开发前景广阔。本文对近年来骨碎补的化学成分、药理作用及临床应用研究进行综述，以期为骨碎补的进一步深入系统的研究和开发利用提供依据。     

Characteristics and clinical significance of augmentation spectra in solar urticaria

Solar urticaria has unique spectra, such as inhibition and augmentation. The clinical significance of these spectra, especially augmentation, is not well understood. Reported cases of solar urticaria with augmentation spectra are extremely rare in the published English-language work. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the clinical features of solar urticaria with augmentation spectra and to elucidate the mechanisms and clinical importance of the spectra. We experienced 11 cases (five females, six males; mean age, 40.1 years; range, 1–74) of solar urticaria with augmentation spectra from April 2007 to July 2019. Augmentation spectra were UV-B in three cases, UV-A in two, visible light in four, UV-A and UV-B in one, and UV-A and visible light in one. Augmentation spectra were observed before action spectra in four cases, after in six, and before and after in one. Injection of sera irradiated with action spectra and augmentation spectra in vitro induced stronger immediate reactions than those of only action spectrum-irradiated sera in four of five cases. The results of injection tests suggested that augmentation spectra enhance the production of urticaria-forming factor. Clinically, we observed severe urticarial reactions in four cases, including anaphylaxis in three and moderate urticarial reactions in three. These results suggest that augmentation spectra are not as rare as previously thought and that they are associated with the severity of solar urticaria. Therefore, phototesting for both augmentation and action spectra should be performed to provide appropriate guidance for patients with solar urticaria.     

欧前胡素抗肿瘤作用机制及治疗的研究进展

欧前胡素是从中药当归中提取的呋喃香豆素类化合物,临床上常用于治疗头痛、炎症、心血管疾病等。近年来研究发现,欧前胡素对多种类型的肿瘤细胞增殖均有抑制作用,能发挥抗肿瘤的功效。本文就欧前胡素对肿瘤及相关疾病的治疗作用和机制进行探讨,以期从不同的角度为肿瘤治疗提供新思路、新方法,并对欧前胡素的进一步研究和开发利用提供理论基础。     

Review of the pharmacological effects of astragaloside IV and its autophagic mechanism in association with inflammation

Astragalus membranaceus Bunge, known as Huangqi, has been used to treat various diseases for a long time. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is one of the primary active ingredients of the aqueous Huangqi extract. Many experimental models have shown that AS-IV exerts broad beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease, nervous system diseases, lung disease, diabetes, organ injury, kidney disease, and gynaecological diseases. This review demonstrates and summarizes the structure, solubility, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, pharmacological effects, and autophagic mechanism of AS-IV. The autophagic effects are associated with multiple signalling pathways in experimental models, including the PI3KI/Akt/mTOR, PI3K III/Beclin-1/Bcl-2, PI3K/Akt, AMPK/mTOR, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, SIRT1–NF-κB, PI3K/AKT/AS160, and TGF-β/Smad signalling pathways. Based on this evidence, AS-IV could be used as a replacement therapy for treating the multiple diseases referenced above.