Rhizoma Gastrodiae (also known as Tian ma), the dried rhizome of Gastrodia elata Blume, is a famous Chinese herb that has been traditionally used for the treatment of headache, dizziness, spasm, epilepsy, stoke, amnesia and other disorders for centuries. Gastrodin, a phenolic glycoside, is the main bioactive constituent of Rhizoma Gastrodiae. Since identified in 1978, gastrodin has been extensively investigated on its pharmacological properties. In this article, we reviewed the central nervous system (CNS) effects of gastrodin in preclinical models of CNS disorders including epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, affective disorders, cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, cognitive impairment as well as the underlying mechanisms involved and, where possible, clinical data that support the pharmacological activities. The sources and pharmacokinetics of gastrodin were also reviewed here. As a result, gastrodin possesses a broad range of beneficial effects on the above-mentioned CNS diseases, and the mechanisms of actions include modulating neurotransmitters, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, suppressing microglial activation, regulating mitochondrial cascades, up-regulating neurotrophins, etc. However, more detailed clinical trials are still in need for positioning it in the treatment of neurological disorders.

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Table 2. Some Chinese herbal formulas as adjuvant therapy for cancer Note: Abbreviations: cancer-related fatigue (CRF); quality of life (QOL); epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs); Common name Bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang Shi-quan-da-bu-tang Liu-jun-zi-tang Sheng-jiang-xie-xintang Huang-qi-gui-zhiwu-wu-tang Ban-xia-xie-xin-tang Other names Hochuekki-to or TJ-41 in Japanese; Bojungikki-Tang in Korean Juzentaiho-to or TJ-48 in Japanese, Sipjeondaebotang in Korean Yukgunja-tang in Korean, Rikkunshito or TJ-43 in Japanese None AC591 Ban-xia-xie-xintang in Chinese or Hangeshashinto or TJ-14 in Japanese Biological activity Antitumor action, immunomodulation, and alleviation of fatigue Antitumor, immunomodulation, and alleviation of fatigue Gastroprotective action Gastroprotective action Alleviation of limb numbness and pain Antioxidant action, antiinflammatory, bactericidal, and analgesic action as well as action to promote healing

Since the significant public health hazard of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and obvious drug resistance and dose-dependent side effects for common antiviral agents (e.g., interferon α, lamivudine, and adefovir), continuous development of agents to treat HBV infection is urgently needed. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an established segment of the health care system in China. Currently, it is widely used for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China and many parts of the world. Over a long period of time in clinical practice and in basic research progress, the effectiveness and beneficial contribution of TCM on CHB have been gradually known and confirmed. Based upon our review of related papers and because of our prior knowledge and experience, we have selected some Chinese medicines, including Chinese herbal formulas (e.g., Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang, Xiao-Yao-San, and Long-Dan-Xie-Gan-Tang), single herbs (e.g., Phyllanthus niruri, Radix astragali, Polygonum cuspidatum, Rheum palmatum, and Salvia miltiorrhiza) and related active compounds (e.g., wogonin, artesunate, saikosaponin, astragaloside IV, and chrysophanol 8-O-beta-Dglucoside) and Chinese medicine preparations (e.g., silymarin, silibinin, kushenin, and cinobufacini), which seem effective and worthy of additional and indepth study in treating CHB, and we have given them a brief review. We conclude that these Chinese herbal medicines exhibit significant anti-HBV activities with improved liver function, and enhanced HBeAg and HBsAg sero-conversion rates as well as HBV DNA clearance rates in HepG2 2.2.15 cells, DHBV models, or patients with CHB. We hope this review will contribute to an understanding of TCM and related active compounds as an effective treatment for CHB and provide useful information for the development of more effective antiviral drugs.

Objective JNK pathway‐associated phosphatase (JKAP) is previously reported to regulate immune/inflammatory process via T‐cell signaling, and closely involves in neurological diseases, while its implication in Parkinson's disease (PD) is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the correlation of JKAP with Th1/Th2/Th17 cells and their clinical roles in PD patients, and then further explore the effect of JKAP on regulating CD4+ T‐cell differentiation in PD. Methods Totally 50 PD patients and 50 age‐/gender‐matched controls were enrolled. Their blood samples were collected and proposed to ELISA and flow cytometry assays for JKAP, Th1, Th2, and Th17 measurements. In vitro, CD4+ T cells were isolated from PD patients then transfected with JKAP overexpression and knockdown Lentivirus, followed by detection of markers (CD25+ cell proportion, CD69+ cell proportion, IFN‐γ, IL10, and IL17). Results JKAP was downregulated in PD patients compared to controls, which also showed good potency to discriminate them. Besides, JKAP negatively correlated with Th1 and Th17 cell proportions, but did not associate with Th2 cell proportion in PD patients; Interestingly, JKAP did not correlated with Th1, Th2, or Th17 cell proportions in controls. Furthermore, JKAP correlated with some parts of unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. In vitro, JKAP overexpression repressed CD4+ T‐cell activation and its differentiation into Th1 and Th17 cells in PD, while JKAP knockdown appeared opposite effect. Interpretation JKAP associates with disease risk and severity, correlates with Th1 and Th17 cells, and regulates CD4+ T‐cell activation/differentiation in PD.

BackgroundOrgan donation coordinators play an important role in the organ transplantation process. Job burnout can seriously affect their turnover rates and the organ donation rate. The present study investigated the level of job burnout and its related factors among organ donation coordinators in China.Material/MethodsFrom March to May 2017, we administered questionnaire surveys to 320 organ donation coordinators from 32 cities. The questionnaire included the following: the Chinese version of MBI-GS was used to evaluate the burnout levels of organ donation coordinators, the Chinese version of GSES was used to assess related personal factors, and the Job Demands Scale and the SSRS were used to evaluate related environmental factors.ResultsWe received a total of 283 questionnaires with a response rate of 88.4%. Out of 283 organ donation coordinators, 169 coordinators (59.7%) showed burnout symptoms. Among them, 161 (56.9%) had mild burnout and 8 (2.8%) had severe burnout. Analysis by multiple linear regression reveals that gender, marital status, educational level, work unit, type of coordinator, job demands, self-efficacy, social support, and job satisfaction are the main factors affecting job burnout in organ donation coordinators.ConclusionsThe prevalence of job burnout among Chinese organ donation coordinators is relatively high, with mild burnout as the main symptom and reduced personal accomplishment as the main clinical feature. We hope this study will provide a reference for the recruitment and reduction of coordinator burnout.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades play important roles in plant immunity. Previously, we reported that the potato StMKK1 protein negatively regulates Nicotiana benthamiana resistance to Phytophthora infestans. However, the functions of StMKK1 in potato immunity are unknown. To investigate the roles of StMKK1 in potato resistance to different pathogens, such as the potato late-blight pathogen P. infestans, the bacterial wilt pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, and the gray-mold fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea, we generated StMKK1 transgenic lines and investigated the response of potato transformants to destructive oomycete, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. The results showed that overexpression and silencing of StMKK1 do not alter plant growth and development. Interestingly, we found that StMKK1 negatively regulated potato resistance to the hemibiotrophic/biotrophic pathogens P. infestans and R. solanacearum, while it positively regulated potato resistance to the necrotrophic pathogen B. cinerea. Further investigation showed that overexpression of StMKK1 suppressed potato pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI) and salicylic acid (SA)-related responses, while silencing of StMKK1 enhanced PTI and SA-related immune responses. Taken together, our results showed that StMKK1 plays dual roles in potato defense against different plant pathogens via negative regulation of PTI and SA-related signaling pathways.

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the impact of depression on pain, disease activity, functional disability and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods English (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and PsycINFO) and Chinese (Wan Fang Database and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) databases were systematically and independently searched from their inception until 30 September, 2019. Studies evaluating the impact of depression on pain, disease activity, functional disability and quality of life with the use of the Short Form‐36 questionnaire (SF‐36) scoring system were included. Statistical analyses were performed with Revman5.3. Data were pooled using a fixed or random‐effects model according to heterogeneity. Results A total of 7 identified studies matched the inclusion criteria, reporting on a total of 1078 patients with RA in the analysis. The total Disease Activity Score in 28 joints was significantly higher in patients with depression than in patients without depression [standardized mean difference (SMD) =0.47, 95% CI 0.10‐0.85, P = .01]. All SF‐36 dimensions (physical function, role physical function, emotional role function, vitality, mental health, social function, body pain, general health, physical component scale, mental component scale) were lower in patients with depression than in groups without depression. Interestingly, the results of this meta‐analysis showed no significant difference between patients with and without depression in pain (SMD = 0.57, 95% CI − 0.03‐1.17, P = .06) and functional disability (SMD = 0.48, 95% CI − 0.03‐0.99, P = .43). Conclusion This meta‐analysis showed that RA patients with depression tended to have higher disease activity and lower quality of life than patients without depression.