Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was originally used as a common pesticide but was subsequently identified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (Chiappini et al., 2019). Consequently, the use of HCB as a pesticide was terminated in the mid-1970s and is only used in laboratory scenarios at present (Iatrou et al., 2019;Yu et al., 2019). However, since HCB degrades slowly in natural environments and can accumulate in organisms, HCB residues have been detected in soil, water, humans, animals and plants in many regions and countries across the world. As a consequence, HCB remains one of the largest environmental pol-
Background: A year ago, a new type of coronavirus emerged. Once treated for severe and critical COVID-19 infections, patients are discharged from the hospital for further treatment and rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a newly developed comprehensive rehabilitation program based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the rehabilitation of patients with severe and critical COVID-19.Methods: We recruited a total of 72 patients who had suffered from severe and critical COVID-19 infections and were undergoing rehabilitation in Chongqing, China. A comprehensive rehabilitation program was formulated according to the TCM syndromes of these patients. Specific treatments included oral TCM, Baduanjin, Moxibustion, Acupoint application, and foot baths. Prior to the initiation of treatment, and four weeks after the initiation of treatment, we carried out a range of assessments, including the TCM Syndrome curative effect score, the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea score, the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, the Short Form (SF)-36 Quality of Life Scale, and the 6-minute walking test. We also carried out CT scans, serology tests. Statistical analysis was also conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM on severe and critical COVID-19 patients.Results: Analysis showed that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) when compared before and after four weeks of TCM treatment, in terms of the TCM syndrome curative effect score, mMRC dyspnea score, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire score, SF-36 Quality of Life Scale score, and the 6-minute walking test. We also identified significant differences (P < 0.05) between these two timepoints, with regards to the neutrophil ratio, lymphoid cell ratio, lymphocytes, platelets, red blood cells, and hemoglobin. There were no significant differences when compared between the two timepoints with regards to white blood cells and neutrophils (P > 0.05). The efficacy of chest CT scans was 83.9%. Logistic regression showed that the CT scans of patients who did not take the TCM decoction did not improve significantly. The higher a patient’s score on the 6-minute walking test, the higher the probability of no significant improvement on the CT scan.Conclusions: A comprehensive rehabilitation program based on TCM improved a number of clinical parameters in patients suffering from severe and critical COVID-19 infections, including quality of life, clinical symptoms, exercise endurance, and respiratory function. TCM also enhanced lymphocytes, lymphocyte ratio, platelet, red blood cell (RBC) count, and hemoglobin content. TCM also appeared to contribute to the absorption of lung lesions.
Context Sheng Xue Fang (SXF) has been used to treat anaemia for decades with good efficacy. Objective To study the effect and possible mechanism of SXF to restore haematopoietic function. Materials and methods Balb/c mice (10 per/group, half male, half female) were treated with SXF (three dose groups, 8.5, 17, and 22.1 g/kg) by gavage for 14 days, and cyclophosphamide (80 mg/kg) was injected on days 10–12. Only injection of cyclophosphamide (negative control) or physiological saline (blank control) were included as controls. The spleen and femur were processed for histopathology. Active components and the target of SXF were screened. The target was used for gene enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Results Red blood cell relative changes in the SXF group (low: −5.50 ± 1.58%; medium: −11.11 ± 4.15%; high: −8.81 ± 2.67%) and relative negative control (26.21 ± 2.51%) significantly increased (all p < 0.01) in female mice. Haemoglobin and red blood cell-specific volume showed the same trend. However, SXF did not have significant effects on male mice. Splenic index in the medium group (4.44 ± 0.46%) relative negative control (3.38 ± 0.10%) significantly improved ( p < 0.01) in female mice. Using network pharmacology, 77 active components and 337 targets were screened from SXF. These targets are closely related to the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Conclusions SXF has good clinical application potential. However, the mechanism requires in-depth research. Our findings are of great significance in anaemia treatment and provide a new perspective for Chinese medicine research.
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