No abstract

Triptolide, a diterpenoid isolated from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of a variety of autoimmune diseases. T helper type 17 (Th17) cells represent a novel subset of CD4+ T cells involved in the immunopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Currently, the effects of triptolide on the differentiation of Th17 cells remain unclear. Here, we found that triptolide significantly inhibited the generation of Th17 cells from murine splenocytes and purified CD4+ T cells in a dose‐dependent manner. The suppressive effects of triptolide were persistent even after it had been removed from cell cultures. Importantly, triptolide inhibited the transcription of interleukin‐17 (IL‐17) mRNA and IL‐6‐induced phosphorylation of STAT3, a key signalling molecule involved in the development of Th17 cells. Moreover, these suppressive effects of triptolide on Th17 differentiation were not due to cytotoxicity of triptolide because the numbers of viable cells had no significant difference between triptolide‐treated and non‐triptolide‐treated cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that the treatment of collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) mice with triptolide reduced arthritis scores and swollen degree of joints. At the same time, the levels of collagen type II (CII)‐specific IL‐17 production and the percentages of CII‐specific IL‐17+CD4+ T cells in the cells from draining lymph nodes and spleens were significantly reduced in CIA mice treated with triptolide. These results suggested that triptolide displayed an immunosuppressive effect on CIA by down‐regulating CII‐specific Th17 cells. Taken together, our results may provide a new light on the potential mechanism of the immunosuppressive and anti‐inflammatory effects of triptolid.

Background: Using data from the global burden of disease (GBD) between 1990 and 2019 to report the leading etiological factors and hazards for liver cancer by HBV (LCHB), HCV (LCHC), alcoholic use (LCAL), NASH (LCNA), and other causes (LCOT). Method:The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) in different districts, sex, and age are used to quantify the change of etiologies of liver cancer. Age-period-cohort models were performed to predict the primary liver cancer incidence and case numbers.Results: Based on the GBD database of the whole world for the five etiologies of liver cancer in 2019, the percentage of incidence of LCAL, LCHB, LCHC, LCNA, and LCOT are 18.4%, 41%, 28.5%, 6.8%, and 5.3%, respectively. Fiver etiologies of liver cancer show gender differences, with LCHB and LCAL being more prevalent in men, and LCHC, LCNA being more prevalent in women. Besides, live cancer of males is because of alcohol using and smoking, while the reason of liver cancer of females is drug use, high BMI and high fasting plasma glucose. Interestingly, the incidence of LCHC in women over 85 years old, LCNA in women over 75 years old, and LCOT in women over 75 years old were all higher than that in men.According to the future prediction, the incidence rate of liver cancer itself, as well as the five causes of liver cancer, tends to decrease gradually after 2019, while the incidence rate of LCNA in males will continue to increase until 2025. Conclusions:The incidence of liver cancer has been increasing and its major causes vary considerably at global, regional, or national levels, also vary by gender and age group.

Background Dysphagia is a common condition after stroke, and it is associated with many complications. Early and effective treatments are essential to the prognosis of patients with dysphagia. We aimed to evaluate the effects and safety of capsaicin combined with ice stimulation in patients with dysphagia after stroke. Methods Patients with dysphagia admitted to our hospital from December 2017 to December 2019 were included. The control group received the ice stimulation, and the experimental group received the combined capsaicin and ice stimulation. The grade of water swallowing test (WST), standard swallowing assessment (SSA) scores and the serum substance P level was compared between control (ice only) and experimental group (capsaicin plus ice). Results No differences before treatment and significance following treatment in each group (before and after) and between groups (capsaicin plus ice vs ice only) were found (all P > .05); the SSA scores were significantly reduced after intervention for both groups (all P < .001), and after intervention, SSA score in experimental group was significantly less than that of control group (P < .001). After intervention, the number of patients graded as WST level I‐II in experimental group was significantly more than that of control group (P < .001); the serum substance P level was significantly increased after intervention for both groups (all P < .05), and after intervention, the serum substance P level in experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group (P = .007). Conclusions The combined use of capsaicin with ice stimulation is beneficial to the recovery of swallowing function of patients with dysphagia, which should be included into the clinical practice.