Many deadly infectious diseases are transmitted through airborne routes in indoor environments. Far UV upper-room system combined with proper ventilation is regarded as an effective approach to disinfect airborne microorganisms. Despite the current advances in the far UV upper-room system, various types of data are still lacking to guide the efficient design and the safe operation. This study combines field air sampling, laboratory experiments and computational fluid dynamics simulations to advance the knowledge on the potential of far UV radiation for disinfection and its safety design. Our findings reveal that seven out of the eight measured room spaces are categorised as slightly polluted (1201-2000 CFU m- 3) or polluted (>2000 CFU m(-3)). Proteobacteria and Firmicutes constitute 65.2 +/- 10.6 % and 21.2 +/- 5.68 % of the bacterial composition in congregate settings, respectively. Ultraviolet radiation proves effective in deactivating pathogenic microorganisms, characterized by a decay rate constant ranging from 0.0446 m(2) J(-1) to 0.464 m(2) J(-1), depending on the wavelength and the type of pathogenic microorganisms. The time response of Ultraviolet radiation is up to 12 min to achieve 92.1 % sterilisation. Despite the reduction in the sterilisation ratio of Ultraviolet radiation, maintaining a high ventilation rate is highly recommended to eliminate genetic material from pathogenic microorganisms. When the excimer lamp is installed higher than 1.9 m above the floor level, the radiation intensities at both standing and sitting height become lower than the safety threshold value of 0.166 W m(-2). A combination of UV radiation at 222 nm and ventilation is effective for neutralising both gram-positive and -negative bacteria and can contribute to stop the spread of infectious diseases in congregate settings.

BackgroundPsoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease that affects the quality of life and mental health of approximately 150 million people worldwide. Ze-Qi-Tang (ZQT) is a classic compound used in China for lung disease; however, its mechanism of action in psoriasis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of the ZQT formula on psoriasis and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.MethodsPeripheral blood samples were collected from patients with psoriasis and healthy individuals. Flow cytometry was used to detect changes in the proportions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and other immune cells. Psoriasis was induced in mice by the daily application of imiquimod. ZQT was administered separately or in combination with anti-Gr1 antibody to deplete MDSC. The glycolysis levels of the MDSCs were detected using a Seahorse analyzer. The p21/Hif1α/Glut1 pathway was identified and validated by mRNA sequence, RT-qPCR, WB, IF, and the application of p21 inhibitor UC2288.ResultsThe number of MDSCs was significantly increased in patients with psoriasis, with the increased expression of p21, Hif1α, and Glut1 in MDSCs. ZQT significantly alleviated psoriasis-like skin lesions in mice. ZQT formula significantly reduced the number of MDSCs in psoriatic-like mice and enhanced their suppressive capacity for T cells. The efficacy of ZQT in alleviating psoriatic dermatitis is compromised by MDSC depletion. ZQT decreased the expressions of p21, Hif1α, and Glut1-induced glycolysis in MDSCs, thereby inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation.ConclusionThese suggest that ZQT alleviates IMQ-induced psoriatic dermatitis, by inhibiting p21/Hif1α/Glut1-induced glycolysis in MDSCs.

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. (TwHF), a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Due to multiorgan toxicity, particularly hepatotoxicity, the application of TwHF is restricted. To clarify the hepatotoxic substances, zebrafish, hepatocytes and macrophages were used for screening based on hepatotoxic injury patterns. This study provides a basis for further elucidation of the hepatotoxic mechanism of TwHF. First, 12 compounds were selected according to the chemical categories of TwHF. The fluorescence area and fluorescence intensity of zebrafish livers were observed and calculated. The viability of two hepatocyte lines was detected by CCK8 assay. TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA expression in bone marrow-derived macrophages was used to evaluate macrophage activation, a factor of potential indirect hepatotoxicity. Finally, the hepatotoxic characteristics of 4 representative components were verified in mice in vivo. Parthenolide, triptolide, triptonide, triptobenzene H, celastrol, demethylzeylasteral, wilforlide A, triptotriterpenic acid A and regelidine significantly reduced the fluorescence area and fluorescence intensity of zebrafish livers. The viability of L-02 or AML-12 cells was significantly inhibited by parthenolide, triptolide, triptonide, celastrol, demethylzeylasteral, and triptotriterpenic acid A. Parthenolide, triptolide, triptonide, celastrol, demethylzeylasteral and triptobenzene H significantly increased TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA levels in macrophages, while triptophenolide, hypodiolide and wilforine significantly reduced TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA levels. Triptotriterpenic acid A, celastrol and triptobenzene H at a dose of 10 mg/kg significantly increased the levels of mouse serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and aggravated liver inflammation. Parthenolide, triptolide, triptonide, celastrol, demethylzeylasteral, triptotriterpenic acid A and triptobenzene H might be the main hepatotoxic components of TwFH. Among them, only triptotriterpenic acid A presents direct hepatotoxicity. Triptobenzene H exerts indirect liver damage by activating macrophages. Parthenolide, triptolide, triptonide, celastrol, and demethylzeylasteral can directly and indirectly cause liver injury.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic and incurable skin disorder that causes inflammation. There is an urgent clinical need for new treatments. We identified the natural compound indirubin as a potential potent agent for the treatment of psoriasis, but it's therapeutic effect and underlying mechanisms were not well understood.Methods: Peripheral blood and skin tissues from psoriasis patients and healthy individuals were collected. Bio-informatics analysis was performed to investigate LAT1 expression and associated signal pathways in psoriasis skin lesions. A mouse model of psoriasis was established. Indirubin was administered separately or in combi-nation with MDSCs depletion or adoptively transferred MDSCs. JPH203, rapamycin, siRNA, and NV5138 were further used to investigate the potential mechanism by which indirubin regulates MDSCs.Results: Psoriasis patients had increased numbers of MDSCs in their blood and skin lesions, with high expression of Lat1. The upregulation of LAT1 expression and the arginine synthesis pathway was observed in psoriasis skin lesions. The number of MDSCs was increased, while their inhibitory effect on psoriatic T cells was decreased. Indirubin decreased Lat1 expression on the surface of MDSCs, inhibited mTOR pathway activation, upregulated Arg1 expression in MDSCs, and enhanced the immunosuppressive activity of MDSCs while inhibiting CD4+CCR6+ T cells.Conclusion: This study demonstrates indirubin's pharmacological and therapeutic effects, providing a basis for future clinical application in treating psoriasis.

Background: Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease mediated by T cells. However, treatment remains a clinical challenge because of its frequent recurrence. Celastml (Cel), the main active ingredient in Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, is efficacious in treating autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis. Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of topical Cel in imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like inflammation in mice. Methods: Female C57BL/6 and Langerin-diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) mice were divided into Vehicle group and Cel gel groups. IMQ was used induce psoriasis-like inflammation to establish the mouse model of psoriasis. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe changes in local inflammatory cells in the skin lesions. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect protein expression levels. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell number and cytokine expression. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect cytokine gene expression. Results: Cel gel targeted the Langerhans cells. In IMQ-induced psoriatic dermatitis, Cel gel reduced the secretion of interleukin (IL)- 23 by Langerhans cells, suppressed the interaction between Langerhans cells and gamma delta T cells, and decreased the number of activated gamma delta T cells and related IL-17 secretion, alleviating psoriasis-like inflammation. Furthermore, Cel gel demonstrated a glucocorticoid-like effect that could impede the recurrence of psoriasis. Conclusion: Cel gel reduces the secretion of IL-23 from LCs and inhibits the interaction between LCs and gamma delta T cells to alleviate psoriasis. It also shows an effect similar to that of glucocorticoids, which can prevent psoriasis recurrence. These findings provide a new direction for the clinical treatment of psoriasis and contribute to the development of novel drugs.

In this study, the inhibitory effect of components from Chinese Herb Medicine (CHMs) with potential hepatotoxicity was assessed by human bile salt export pump (hBSEP) vesicles with and without S9 metabolism. Sixty-three compounds from 22 hepatoxicity CHMs were selected as the test articles. In hBSEP vesicles, eighteen of them were found to have moderate or strong inhibitory effect towards BSEP. Further studies were performed to determine the IC50 values of strong inhibitors. For the compounds belong to CHMs reported to cause cholestasis and strong inhibitors defined in hBSEP vesicles, their relative transport activities of Taurocholic acid (TCA) were evaluated in hBSEP vesicles as well as hBSEP vesicles with S9 system (S9/hBSEP vesicles). The differences of their relative transport activities of TCA between the above two system were compared to reveal the net effect of metabolism on BSEP's activity. It was found that the inhibitory effect of Saikogenin A (SGA), Saikogenin D (SGD), Diosbulbin B (DB) and rhein were significantly increased; while the inhibitory effect of isobavachalcone, saikosaponin d and saikosaponin b2 were significantly decreased after S9 metabolizing. Identification of metabolic pathways suggested that CYP3A4 was responsible for aggravating inhibitory effect of SGA and SGD against BSEP.

Acute gut graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a leading threat to the survival of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients. Abnormal gut microbiota is correlated with poor prognosis in allo-HSCT recipients. A disrupted intestinal microenvironment exacerbates dysbiosis in GVHD patients. We hypothesized that maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier may protect gut microbiota and attenuate aGVHD. This hypothesis was tested in a murine aGVHD model and an in vitro intestinal epithelial culture. Millipore cytokine array was utilized to determine the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the serum. The 16S rRNA sequencing was used to determine the abundance and diversity of gut microbiota. Combining Xuebijing injection (XBJ) with a reduced dose of cyclosporine A (CsA) is superior to CsA alone in improving the survival of aGVHD mice and delayed aGVHD progression. This regimen also reduced interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-12 levels in the peripheral blood. 16S rRNA analysis revealed the combination treatment protected gut microbiota in aGVHD mice by reversing the dysbiosis at the phylum, genus, and species level. It inhibited enterococcal expansion, a hallmark of GVHD progression. It inhibited enterococcal expansion, a hallmark of GVHD progression. Furthermore, Escherichia coli expansion was inhibited by this regimen. Pathology analysis revealed that the combination treatment improved the integrity of the intestinal tissue of aGVHD mice. It also reduced the intestinal permeability in aGVHD mice. Besides, XBJ ameliorated doxorubicin-induced intestinal epithelial death in CCK-8 assay. Overall, combining XBJ with CsA protected the intestinal microenvironment to prevent aGVHD. Our findings suggested that protecting the intestinal microenvironment could be a novel strategy to manage aGVHD. Combining XBJ with CsA may reduce the side effects of current aGVHD prevention regimens and improve the quality of life of allo-HSCT recipients.

OBJECTIVE:To assess the efficacy and safety of retention enema with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for ulcerative colitis (UC) through a meta-analysis of published studies.METHODS:Literatures were retrieved from five electronic databases. Quality evaluation and meta-analysis were respectively conducted using the Cochrane collaboration and RevMan5.3. Overall quality of evidence was evaluated using GRADE system. Effect sizes were pooled using random effect models.RESULTS:Seventeen RCTs were included. Compared with routine pharmacotherapies (RPs), TCM enema exhibited a statistically significant difference in clinical efficacy and reduction of the recurrence rate. The results of qualitative description for other endpoints, such as improvements in anabrosis, ulcer, diarrhea, and hematochezia, suggested that TCM enema had better efficacy than RPs. Furthermore, the incidence of side effects in TCM was lower than that in RPs.CONCLUSION:This meta-analysis confirmed the efficacy and safety of TCM enema for improving UC symptoms. However, further well-designed researches are needed.

Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction is a major contributor to the poor outcomes of septic shock. As an add-on with conventional sepsis management for over 15 years, the effect of Xuebijing injection (XBJ) on the sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction was not well understood. The material basis of Xuebijing injection (XBJ) in managing infections and infection-related complications remains to be defined. A murine cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model and cardiomyocytes in vitro culture were adopted to study the influence of XBJ on infection-induced cardiac dysfunction. XBJ significantly improved the survival of septic-mice and rescued cardiac dysfunction in vivo. RNA-seq revealed XBJ attenuated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and related signalings in the heart which was further confirmed on the mRNA and protein levels. Xuebijing also protected cardiomyocytes from LPS-induced mitochondrial calcium ion overload and reduced the LPS-induced ROS production in cardiomyocytes. The therapeutic effect of XBJ was mediated by the combination of paeoniflorin and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) (C0127-2). C0127-2 improved the survival of septic mice, protected their cardiac function and cardiomyocytes while balancing gene expression in cytokine-storm-related signalings, such as TNF-α and NF-κB. In summary, Paeoniflorin and HSYA are key active compounds in XBJ for managing sepsis, protecting cardiac function, and controlling inflammation in the cardiac tissue partially by limiting the production of IL-6, IL-1β, and CXCL2.

Context Wei Chang An (WCA) is a commercial prescription developed for the coordination of gastrointestinal movement. Objective To investigate the role of WCA in the regulation of diarrhoea and constipation in rats. Material and methods The diarrhoea and constipation models were prepared by gavage of Folium senna and diphenoxylate hydrochloride. Rats were randomized equally (n = 6) into the normal group given saline daily, the positive group given Pinaverium Bromide (13.5 mg/kg) or Sennoside A (0.1 mg/kg) and three WCA-treated groups (22, 44, and 88 mg/kg) by gavage daily for 7 consecutive days. The effects of WCA were assessed by a series of faecal symptoms and histopathology. Gastrointestinal parameters were determined by ELISA. The effect of WCA on gastrointestinal tissues was evaluated by strip assay. Expression of ROCK-1 and MLCK was measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results Data from Bristol stool form scale, diarrhoea index, visceral sensitivity, defaecation time, and intestinal propulsive rate showed that WCA protected rats against diarrhoea and constipation (p < 0.01). The up-regulation of Substance P and 5-hydroxytryptamine in diarrhoea rats and down-regulation of Substance P and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in constipation rats were inhibited by WCA (p < 0.05). WCA stimulated the gastrointestinal strip contractions but inhibited ACh-induced contractions (p < 0.01). The decreased ROCK-1 and MLCK expression in diarrhoea rats and increased in constipation rats were suppressed by WCA (p < 0.01). Conclusions WCA has both antidiarrhea and anti-constipation effects, suggesting its bidirectional role in gastrointestinal modulation, and providing evidence of WCA for irritable bowel syndrome treatment.

Background: Fire needle therapy is a method of quickly piercing into acupoints with red-hot needles to treat diseases. Recently, multiple studies have reported that fire needle therapy is effective in the treatment of psoriasis; however, there are few articles systematically evaluating the effect of this therapy. Therefore, this systematic and meta-analysis study is conducted to estimate the efficacy and safety of fire needle therapy for psoriasis. Methods: PubMed, Embase, CNKI, VIP, CBM, CENTRAL, and Wan Fang databases were systematically searched from the dates of construction of these databases to August 24, 2019, and randomized controlled trials assessing patients with psoriasis who were treated with fire needle therapy alone or in combination with other drugs were also evaluated. Results: Fire needle therapy was effective in treating psoriasis (p = 0.0002; risk ratio [RR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.33) with a lower recurrence rate (p = 0.005; RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.29-0.80). Adverse events after fire needle treatment were similar to those without fire needle treatment (p = 0.38; RR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.28-1.63). After fire needle treatment, the number of cluster of differentiation (CD)8+T cells, type 1 helper cells, interleukin (IL)-2, and interferon (IFN)-γ decreased, whereas the number of CD4+T cells, type 2 helper cells, IL-4, IL-10, and the proportion of CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells increased. Conclusions: Fire needle therapy, specifically in combination with oral medicines, is effective in treating patients with psoriasis with low recurrence rates.

Background Plaque psoriasis is a refractory inflammatory skin disease. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) therapies commonly used to treat plaque psoriasis have distinct characteristics and advantages. Although a combination of TCM and WM therapies adjusted to the clinical situation is widely used, there have been no systematic studies on the hierarchical selection of treatment combinations according to the severity of skin lesions. We therefore designed a randomized clinical trial to focus on the sequence of internal and external treatments in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis and sought to optimize the integrated Chinese and Western medicine for treatment of patients with severe plaque psoriasis, so as to achieve high-level clinical evidence and establish treatment norms for the integrated use of Chinese and Western medicines. Methods In the proposed multi-center, single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial, 108 patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis will be randomly assigned to two groups in a 1:1 ratio to receive internal and external TCM treatments, respectively, and 270 patients with severe plaque psoriasis will be randomly assigned to three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive treatment with TCM, WM, and integrated Chinese and Western medicine, respectively. All enrolled patients will receive 8 weeks of treatment and 8 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcome will be an evaluation of efficacy and relapse rate based on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index . Secondary outcome measures will include a determination of affected body surface area, physician’s global assessment, pruritus scores determined using a visual analogue scale, TCM symptom score, dermatology life quality Index, patient-reported quality of life score, and incidence of serious adverse events. Discussion This study will provide a high level of clinical evidence for internal and external TCM treatment optimization and will contribute to establishing norms for the integration of Chinese and Western medicines.

To control severe air pollution and promote cities sustainable development in an old industrial base of severe cold region in China, it obtained indoor and outdoor PM2.5 permeability coefficients, also bacterial community and source by 16s rDNA gene sequencing technique and BLAST (The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) source apportionment through long-term monitoring of residences in two typical cities of Heilongjiang Province (Harbin and Mudanjiang) in Northeast China during heating and non-heating season. The results showed that the average permeability coefficient of indoor and outdoor fine particles in Harbin is similar to that in Mudanjiang during non-heating season (Harbin: 0.7131, Mudanjiang: 0.7312) mainly due to natural ventilation. In heating season, Harbin (0.5325) was lower than that in Mudanjiang (0.6918) due to the differences in industrial characteristics and building tightness. The dominant bacteria on indoor and outdoor fine particles was Proteobacteria for two cities, accounted for more than 95 % in non-heating season, while for heating season were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, which were proportional different due to the different average permeability coefficients, intensities of ultraviolet rays and temperature. And no matter which city in different season, their source proportions of indoor human and outdoor soil are larger than others.

Introduction Fire needle therapy has been reported as an effective treatment for vitiligo. However, current clinical evidence has not been systematically evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine whether fire needle therapy is effective and safe for treating vitiligo. Methods Seven databases were searched until October 2019 for randomized controlled trials on fire needle therapy, with and without conventional treatments, versus any type of conventional therapy for treating vitiligo. The RevMan 5.3.5 software was used to perform meta-analysis of the included studies. Results Forty-seven trials comprising 3618 patients were included. Fire needle combined with conventional vitiligo treatments had a higher efficacy (risk ratio (RR): 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46–1.65, P < 0.00001 and RR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.24–1.61, P < 0.00001, respectively) and a greater effect on restoring the color of the area of the skin lesion (mean difference (MD): 3.40, 95% CI: 2.11–4.69, P < 0.00001), increasing the pigment point of vitiligo (MD: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.54–1.13, P < 0.00001) and improving the cytokine level (MD: 8.10, 95% CI: 6.94–9.27, P < 0.00001) and effectual time (MD: −4.76, 95% CI: −7.33 to −2.19, P=0.0003) than traditional methods. Limb lesions (RR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.31–1.95, P < 0.00001) were more effectively treated when the treatments included fire needles, whereas the therapeutic effect of fire needles on either the head and neck (RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.78–1.64, P=0.52) or torso lesions (RR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.82–1.81, P=0.33) was not significantly different compared to that without fire needles. No statistically significant differences in adverse effects (RR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.89–1.49, P=0.28) and recurrence rates (RR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.17–4.92, P=0.91) during the follow-up period were observed between treatment with and without fire needles. Conclusions Fire needle therapy combined with other conventional treatments is useful in treating vitiligo. Further studies with larger sample sizes should be performed to make a conclusive judgment. This trial is registered with CRD42018094918.

CONTEXTFish oil and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) have anti-inflammatory properties, but their effect on psoriasis and its comorbidities remains inconclusive.OBJECTIVEThe aim of this quantitative systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fish oil and its components in the treatment of psoriasis and its comorbidities.DATA SOURCESPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China Network Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang databases were searched from inception to March 30, 2019.STUDY SELECTIONRandomized controlled trials were eligible for inclusion if they measured the effect of fish oil and its components in the treatment of patients with psoriasis.DATA EXTRACTIONEighteen randomized controlled trials involving 927 study participants were included.RESULTSMonotherapy with fish oil or ω-3 PUFAs had no effect on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score (P = 0.47), lesion area (P = 0.34), or pruritus (P = 0.62). Fish oil or ω-3 PUFAs combined with conventional treatments, however, resulted in a decreased PASI score (mean difference [MD], -3.92; 95%CI, -6.15 to -1.69; P = 0.0006) and lesion area (MD, -30.00; 95%CI, -33.82 to -26.18; P < 0.0001). Safety evaluation suggested no between-group differences. Fish oil and its components reduced certain risk factors for obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disease in patients with psoriasis and also regulated several inflammatory mediators.CONCLUSIONSOverall, when combined with conventional treatments, fish oil and its components may have beneficial effects on psoriasis and its comorbidities, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disease.SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATIONPROSPERO registration number CRD42019128631.

Objective. Gouty arthritis (GA) is a noninfectious inflammatory disease characterized by self-limited and severe pain. Huzhang Tongfeng granule is one of the most effective traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of acute GA. However, its effects on the inflammatory factors in the process of acute gout inflammation remain unknown. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of Huzhang Tongfeng granule on the expressions of Cyr61 and related inflammatory factors in both experimental gout models in vivo and in vitro. Methods. Huzhang Tongfeng granule was provided by the pharmaceutical preparation room of Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. The expressions of Cyr61, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in monosodium urate- (MSU-) induced rat models and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) were determined by RT-PCR, Western blotting analysis, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results. Huzhang Tongfeng granule could downregulate the expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 to some extent by inhibiting the expression of Cyr61. Conclusions. Collectively, our findings indicated that Cyr61 was highly expressed in rat models of gout. By inhibiting the expression of Cyr61, Huzhang Tongfeng granule could partially attenuate the inflammation induced by MSU crystal.

Background . Psoriasis has been reported as a high-risk factor for quality of life and survival rate in patients with metabolic disorder. However, there is no animal model for studying this disease. This study aimed to establish and evaluate mouse models of psoriasis with blood stasis syndrome (which is a key to psoriasis pathogenesis, according to Chinese Medicine) complicated with metabolic disorders. Method . Forty-five C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the blank control (Control), psoriasis (Imiquimod (IMQ)), psoriasis with metabolic disorders (IMQ + streptozotocin (STZ)), psoriasis with blood stasis syndrome (BSS) (IMQ + BSS), and psoriasis with blood stasis syndrome complicated with metabolic disorders (IMQ + STZ + BSS) groups ( n = 9 mice/group). Psoriasis lesions were induced using IMQ cream (on both the ears and back, except in the Control group). Mice of the IMQ + BSS group were fed a half-fat, high-sugar diet and stimulated with ice-water swimming every day. Mice of the IMQ + STZ group were fed a half-fat, high-sugar diet and injected with STZ. Mice of the IMQ + STZ + BSS group were subjected to the same treatments as the IMQ + STZ and IMQ + BSS groups. After induction, the mice in each group were observed for vital signs, ear thickness, body weight, and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score. The mice were fasted for 12 h before determination of related laboratory serum indexes. Dorsal skin lesions, aortic arch pathology sections, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were examined by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. Results . Laboratory indexes in the four model groups were significantly different from those in the Control group (p<0.01); indicators of the IMQ + STZ, IMQ + BSS, and IMQ + STZ + BSS groups showed varying degrees of difference from those of the IMQ group. Conclusions . The established mouse models of psoriasis blood stasis syndrome complicated with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders met the clinical and Chinese Medicine characteristics, and thus they could be used as animal models in future studies of psoriasis complicated with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders.

BackgroundAtopic eczema is a common and recrudescent skin disorder. Tripterygium agents (TA), extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii hook F, a traditional Chinese medicine, have been used as a supplemental therapy for treating eczema empirically in recent years.PurposeTo investigate the efficacy and safety of TA for treating atopic eczema.Study designSystematic review and Bayesian analysis.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CNKI, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, the Wan Fang Database, and Chinese Biomedicine databases were systematically searched from their respective inception dates to October 2, 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to TA used alone or in combination with other drugs were included. Meta-analysis was conducted by RevMan 5.3 software, and Bayesian analysis was performed in Stata 15.0 and R (V.3.4.0) package gemtc software. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and Jadad score were applied to assess the quality of all trials.ResultsThirteen trials involving 1385 patients were analyzed. Meta-analysis showed that, when treating atopic eczema patients, TA combined with other drugs were strongly synergistic (p < 0.00001). Among all combinations, the efficacy of TA combined with Diyin tablet (DYP) and topical glucocorticoids (TG) (RR: 0.06, 95%CI [0.01, 0.53]), as well as with compound glycyrrhizin (CG) (RR: 0.36, 95%CI [0.14,0.94]) was superior. Among the different combined medications, the best curative effect was achieved with TA combined with DYP and TG (98.2%), followed by TA combined with CG (85.3%), with TG (51.0%), or with Fuyang granule (FG) (49.9%). Reproductive system dysfunction was the main adverse events in patients treated with TA (RR: 6.23, 95%CI [1.12, 34.62]). Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were significantly decreased, after treatment with TA (p = 0.04). Subgroup analysis indicated no statistically significant difference in eczema-related cytokines (p = 0.44). Recurrence rates of using TA and other drugs were similar (p = 0.40).ConclusionTA appear to be effective in some therapies when treating patients with atopic eczema, but with apparent side effects. It cannot be concluded that TA can be generally used for eczema in the clinic, because of the small sample size. Further multi-center studies with large samples, and high-quality RCTs should be conducted to clarify the efficacy and safety of TA for treating eczema.

The issue of fungal microbial contamination in central air conditioning systems is one of the main problems of biological pollution in building environment. In this study, through the basic experimental study of microwave sterilization under ideal conditions, considering the sterilization effect and energy consumption, the preliminary reference range of microwave sterilization effective temperature is 50 degrees C-59 degrees C. Through the research of microwave sterilization experimental platform of humidifier in central air conditioning system, it is found that microwave sterilization has a slight influence on the air supply parameters of air conditioning system, and it can be considered under the operating conditions of air conditioning system with low accuracy of air supply parameters. The microwave radiation power of 1000 W and 900 W can quickly reach the effective sterilization temperature in 5 min, and the sterilization rate can reach 100%. The heating effect of the shielded parts is also very good. Considering the sterilization effect and energy saving, the microwave power of humidifier in central air conditioning system is ideal at 900 W for 5 min. Finally, the CST (a 3D electromagnetic field simulator) software was used to simulate and verify the power absorbed by the components, and the uniformity of microwave sterilization was also forecasted.