Oversulfated chondroitin sulfate: impact of a heparin impurity, associated with adverse clinical events, on low-molecular-weight heparin preparation

Heparin, a widely used anticoagulant, is being rapidly displaced by low-molecular-weight heparins. Recently, certain lots of heparin have been associated with anaphylactoid-type reactions resulting from contamination with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. This impurity has also contaminated low-molecular-weight heparins obtained by chemical and enzymatic depolymerization of heparin. The sensitivity of oversulfated chondroitin sulfate to five different depolymerization processes similar to ones used in preparing low-molecular-weight heparins is reported.     

Perspective: Scientific and ethical concerns pertaining to animal models of autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA)

The autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) was first described in 2011. The aluminium containing adjuvants of vaccines were stated to be one of the main causes of the condition. Other disorders associated with ASIA include siliconosis, Gulf war syndrome, sick building syndrome and the macrophagic myositis syndrome. We have recently reviewed ASIA as defined by its authors. We have shown that the definition of ASIA is imprecise and includes all patients with an autoimmune disorder as well as potentially the entire population. Application of the Bradford Hill criteria for causality does not support ASIA as an outcome of exposure to aluminium containing adjuvants in vaccines. The advocates of ASIA highlight animal models as evidence for the existence of the disorder. However, as this review will demonstrate, animal models purporting to support the existence of ASIA have methodological, analytical and ethical flaws which, in our view, refute the existence of the condition. Three publications by the advocates of ASIA were recently retracted from peer-reviewed journals. We call for an immediate moratorium on animal experiments of ASIA until an independent inquiry has been conducted to determine the existence of a clinically relevant syndrome, identifiable as ASIA in humans.     

参附注射液治疗心肌缺血再灌注损伤网络药理学分析

目的 基于网络药理学研究预测参附注射液治疗心肌缺血再灌注损伤的主要活性成分、作用靶标和相关信号通路,并应用体外实验验证,揭示参附注射液治疗心肌缺血再灌注损伤潜在作用机制.方法 应用中药系统药理学数据库与分析平台收集参附注射液的有效活性成分和靶点信息;在GeneCards疾病数据和DisGeNET疾病数据库中收集缺血再灌...     

Exploring the mechanism of Xiaoqinglong decoction in the treatment of infantile asthma based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

To explore the mechanism of Xiaoqinglong decoction (XQLD) in the treatment of infantile asthma (IA) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The active ingredients of fdrugs in XQLD were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and then the targets of drug ingredients were screened. The disease targets of IA were obtained from OMIM and Gencards databases, and the intersection targets of XQLD in the treatment of IA were obtained by Venny 2.1 mapping of ingredient targets and disease targets. Cytoscape software was used to construct active ingredient-intersection target network. The potential targets of XQLD in the treatment of IA were analyzed by protein-protein interaction network using STRING platform, and the Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were obtained by R Studio software. AutoDock was used to perform molecular docking for verification. In this study, 150 active ingredients of XQLD were obtained, including quercetin, kaempferol, β-sitosterol, luteolin, stigmasterol, and so on. And 92 intersection targets of drugs and diseases were obtained, including interleukin 6 (IL6), cystatin 3, estrogen receptor 1, hypoxia inducible factor 1A, HSP90AA1, epidermal growth factor receptor and so on. There were 127 items of Gene Ontology enrichment analysis and 125 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment results, showing that apoptosis, IL-17 signaling pathway, tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, P13K-Akt signaling pathway and other pathways may play a key role in the treatment of IA by XQLD. The results of molecular docking showed that the key active ingredients including quercetin, kaempferol, β-sitosterol, luteolin, stigmasterol, and the core targets including IL6, cystatin 3, estrogen receptor 1, hypoxia inducible factor 1A, HSP90AA1, and epidermal growth factor receptor had good binding activity. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking, the potential targets and modern biological mechanisms of XQLD in the treatment of IA were preliminarily revealed in the study, which will provide reference for subsequent animal experiments and clinical trials.     

Influenza A/H1/N1/09 infection in patients with cirrhosis has a poor outcome: A case series

Seasonal influenza is often unsuspected in cirrhotic patients admitted with pneumonia and acute hepatic decompensation. We report five consecutive patients with influenza A subtype H1N1 2009 strain (influenza A/H1N1/09) admitted to our intensive care unit. All had a short history of rapidly worsening respiratory symptoms, but there were no characteristic clinical or radiographic features. Secondary pulmonary infection was universal. All five patients died, despite prompt institution of oseltamivir and intensive supportive care. A high index of suspicion is needed for influenza infection among patients with decompensated cirrhosis.