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Background: Prior prelabor cesarean delivery (CD) was associated with an increase in the risk of placenta previa (PP) in a second delivery, whether it may impact postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) independent of abnormal placentation. This study aimed to assess the risk of PPH stratified by abnormal placentation following a first CD before the onset of labor (prelabor) or intrapartum CD.Methods: This multicenter, historical cohort study involved singleton, pregnant women at 28 weeks of gestation or greater with a CD history between January 2017 and December 2017 in 11 public tertiary hospitals within 7 provinces of China. PPH was analyzed in the subsequent pregnancy between women with prior prelabor CD and women with intrapartum CD. Furthermore, PPH was analyzed in pregnant women stratified by complications with PP alone [without placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders], complications with PP and PAS, complications with PAS alone (without PP), and normal placentation. We performed multivariate logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% CI controlling for predefined covariates.Results: Out of 10,833 pregnant women, 1,197 (11%) women had a history of intrapartum CD and 9,636 (89%) women had a history of prelabor CD. Prior prelabor CD increased the risk of PP (aOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.40–2.60), PAS (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.11–2.24), and PPH (aOR 1.33, 95% CI 1.02–1.75) in a subsequent pregnancy. After stratification by complications with PP alone, PP and PAS, PAS alone, and normal placentation, prior prelabor CD only increased the risk of PPH (aOR 3.34, 95% CI 1.35–8.23) in a subsequent pregnancy complicated with PP and PAS.Conclusion: Compared to intrapartum CD, prior prelabor CD increased the risk of PPH in a subsequent pregnancy only when complicated by PP and PAS.

Phyllanthus emblica L. is widely used in traditional Tibetan medicine for its therapeutic effects on treating liver, kidney, and bladder problems. We have reported that the tannin fraction has a good anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect, but its active ingredients are not clear. This study was to find the active ingredients of the tannin fraction using UPLC-MSn and network pharmacology. First of all, the UPLC-MSn method was employed to obtain high-resolution mass spectra of different components, and 110 compounds were obtained. Then a network pharmacology method was used to find biomarkers for quality control. Network pharmacology results showed that gallic acid, punicalagin A, punicalagin B, methyl gallate, geraniin, corilagin, chebulinic acid, chebulagic acid, and ellagic acid should be the biomarkers of the tannin fraction. Furthermore, 9 components were detected in the serum, which also proved that they could be biomarkers, because we generally believe that the ingredients which are absorbed into the blood are effective. In the end, a simple method for simultaneously determining the contents of the 9 compounds was constructed by HPLC-DAD. This research established a new method to find biomarkers of traditional Chinese medicine. This is of great significance to improving the quality standards of Tibetan medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The study aims to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of Amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells to Th2-skewed allergic rhinitis (AR) on T-lymphocyte proliferation, viability, activation and cytokine production., Background: AFS cells can suppress peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) proliferation and display immunomodulatory properties, but AFS cells' immunoregulation on AR has not been defined., Methods: Human AFS cells were derived from magnetic cell sorting and co-cultured with PBMCs from AR patients stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The AFS cells-associated suppressive proliferation was analyzed using CellTrace™ Violet assay; the T lymphocytes proliferation, viability, activation and the Foxp3 + Treg cells were determined by flow cytometry; cytokine levels were measured using an enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay., Results: We determined that AFS cells significantly inhibited PHA-induced CD3 + T lymphocyte proliferation at the ratio higher than 1:50 (AFS cells: PBMCs) ( P <0.05); AFS cells obviously increased the T lymphocytes viability ( P <0.01), inhibited the apoptosis of T lymphocytes ( P <0.001), compared to PBMCs alone; AFS cells suppressed CD3 + CD25 + T lymphocytes activated by PHA ( P <0.05); AFS cells significantly promote Treg cells expansion in house dust mite (HDM)-stimulated PBMCs from AR patients ( P <0.05). Compared with HDM-stimulated PBMCs, AFS cell co-culture predominantly decreased IL-4 level ( P <0.05), but increased IFN-γ and IL-10 levels ( P <0.01)., Conclusion: AFS cells modulate the T-cells' immune imbalance towards Th2 suppression in AR, which can be used as a new cell banking for allergic airway diseases., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Phyllanthus emblica L. is widely used in traditional Tibetan medicine for its therapeutic effects on treating liver, kidney, and bladder problems. We have reported that the tannin fraction has a good anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect, but its active ingredients are not clear. This study was to find the active ingredients of the tannin fraction using UPLC-MS n and network pharmacology. First of all, the UPLC-MS n method was employed to obtain high-resolution mass spectra of different components, and 110 compounds were obtained. Then a network pharmacology method was used to find biomarkers for quality control. Network pharmacology results showed that gallic acid, punicalagin A, punicalagin B, methyl gallate, geraniin, corilagin, chebulinic acid, chebulagic acid, and ellagic acid should be the biomarkers of the tannin fraction. Furthermore, 9 components were detected in the serum, which also proved that they could be biomarkers, because we generally believe that the ingredients which are absorbed into the blood are effective. In the end, a simple method for simultaneously determining the contents of the 9 compounds was constructed by HPLC-DAD. This research established a new method to find biomarkers of traditional Chinese medicine. This is of great significance to improving the quality standards of Tibetan medicine., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Lingfang Wu et al.)

Ganoderma triterpenes (GTs) are the major secondary metabolites of Ganoderma lucidum , which is a popularly used traditional Chinese medicine for complementary cancer therapy. The present study was to establish a fingerprint evaluation system based on Similarity Analysis (SA), Cluster Analysis (CA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for the identification and quality control of G. lucidum . Fifteen samples from the Chinese provinces of Hainan, Neimeng, Shangdong, Jilin, Anhui, Henan, Yunnan, Guangxi and Fujian were analyzed by HPLC-PAD and HPLC-MS n . Forty-seven compounds were detected by HPLC, of which forty-two compounds were tentatively identified by comparing their retention times and mass spectrometry data with that of reference compounds and reviewing the literature. Ganoderic acid B, 3,7,15-trihydroxy-11,23-dioxolanost-8,16-dien-26-oic acid, lucidenic acid A, ganoderic acid G, and 3,7-oxo-12-acetylganoderic acid DM were deemed to be the marker compounds to distinguish the samples with different quality according to both CA and PCA. This study provides helpful chemical information for further research on the anti-tumor activity and mechanism of action of G. lucidum . The results proved that fingerprints combined with chemometrics are a simple, rapid and effective method for the quality control of G. lucidum .

Danshen, the dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., is a widely used commercially available herbal drug, and unstable quality of different samples is a current issue. This study focused on a comprehensive and systematic method combining fingerprints and chemical identification with chemometrics for discrimination and quality assessment of Danshen samples. Twenty-five samples were analyzed by HPLC-PAD and HPLC-MS n . Forty-nine components were identified and characteristic fragmentation regularities were summarized for further interpretation of bioactive components. Chemometric analysis was employed to differentiate samples and clarify the quality differences of Danshen including hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and partial least squares discriminant analysis. Consistent results were that the samples were divided into three categories which reflected the difference in quality of Danshen samples. By analyzing the reasons for sample classification, it was revealed that the processing method had a more obvious impact on sample classification than the geographical origin, it induced the different content of bioactive compounds and finally lead to different qualities. Cryptotanshinone, trijuganone B, and 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I were screened out as markers to distinguish samples by different processing methods. The developed strategy could provide a reference for evaluation and discrimination of other traditional herbal medicines.

Objective: To isolate and induce human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells to differentiate into mature mast cells of high purity., Methods: Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells were differentiated into mature mast cells by the treatment of recombinant human stem cell factor (rhSCF) and recombinant human interleukin 6 (rhIL-6). The cultured cells at different time points were stained with toluidine blue for the detection of anti-FcepsilonRI and the maturity of mast cells was detected by flow cytometry. After the mature mast cells were stimulated with allergen, the levels of histamine and tryptase in the supernatant were determined., Results: The cells started to express FcepsilonRI receptor after 2-week treatment of rhSCF and rhIL-6. After 3 weeks, the amount of FcepsilonRI receptor reached its peak accompanied by increased intracellular basophilic granules. The mature mast cells released tryptase and histamine effectively after allergen challenge., Conclusion: Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells can be differentiated into mature mast cells by the treatment of rhSCF and rhIL-6. The mature mast cells may be used for the study of allergenicity in vitro.