Rationale and Objectives: Cardiac indices can predict disease severity and survival in a multitude of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Herein, we hypothesized that CT-measured cardiac indices are correlated with severity of lung involvement and can predict survival in patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Eighty-seven patients with confirmed COVID-19 who underwent chest CT were enrolled. Cardiac indices including pulmonary artery-to-aorta ratio (PA/A), cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and EAT density, inferior vena cava diameter, and transverse-to-anteroposterior trachea ratio were measured by non-enhanced CT. Logistic regression and Coxregression analyses evaluated the association of cardiac indices with patients' outcome (death vs discharge). Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between the extent of lung involvement (based on CT score) and cardiac indices. Results: Mean (§SD) age of patients was 54.55 (§15.3) years old; 65.5% were male. Increased CTR (>0.49) was seen in 52.9% of patients and was significantly associated with increased odds and hazard of death (odds ratio [OR] = 12.5, p = 0.005; hazard ratio = 11.4, p = 0.006). PA/A >1 was present in 20.7% of patients and displayed a nonsignificant increase in odds of death (OR = 1.9, p = 0.36). Furthermore, extensive lung involvement was positively associated with elevated CTR and increased PA/A (p = 0.001). Conclusion: CT-measured cardiac indices might have predictive value regarding survival and extent of lung involvement in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and could possibly be used for the risk stratification of these patients and for guiding therapy decision-making. In particular, increased CTR is prevalent in patients with COVID-19 and is a powerful predictor of mortality.

No abstract

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus crossed species barriers to infect humans and was effectively transmitted from person to person, leading including vaccines and antiviral drugs that could prevent or limit the burden or transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a global health priority. It is thus of utmost importance to assess possible therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 using experimental models that recapitulate aspects of the human disease. Here, we review available models currently being developed and used to study SARS-CoV-2 infection and highlight their application to screen potential therapeutic approaches, including repurposed antiviral drugs and vaccines. Each identified model provides a valuable insight into SARS-CoV-2 cellular tropism, replication kinetics, and cell damage that could ultimately enhance understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and protective immunity. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Volume 62 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Following nerve tissue damage, various events, such as inflammatory responses, microglial activation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis, can occur, which all lead to cell death, prevent axonal growth, and cause axonal circumvolution. So far, several researchers have tended to adopt strategies to reduce the harmful conditions associated with neurological disorders, and stem-cell-based therapy is one of those promising strategies. Epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSCs) are a type of stem cell that has widely been employed for the treatment of various neurological disorders. It has been suggested that these stem cells perform their supportive actions primarily through the release of different neurotrophic factors. Hence, in this study, the neuroprotective impacts of valproic acid (VPA) and crocin were evaluated on the mRNA expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial-cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in EPI-NCSCs. In this research, we isolated EPI-NCSCs from the hair follicles of the rat whisker pad. Then, the cells were treated with different concentrations of VPA and crocin for 72 h.Subsequently, an MTT assay was performed to define the suitable concentrations of drugs. Finally, real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the mRNA expression levels of BDNF and GDNF in these stem cells. The results of the MTT assay showed that the treatment of EPI-NCSCs with 1 mM VPA and 1.5 mM crocin, and the co-treatment with 1 mM VPA and 500 µM crocin, led to the survival and proliferation of these stem cells. Moreover, the real-time PCR results revealed that both VPA and crocin, both individually and in combination, can significantly increase the expression levels of BDNF and GDNF in EPI-NCSCs. According to the findings of this study, both VPA and crocin, alone and in combination, are potential candidates for enhancing the capacity of EPI-NCSCs to differentiate into neural lineages. Therefore, the co-treatment of EPI-NCSCs with these drugs can be employed for the treatment of various neurological disorders, such as spinal cord injury.