Wound infection is a serious clinical problem, and the most common infection-causing bacteria are Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Angelica dahurica and Rheum officinale extract (ARE) was reported to accelerate excisional wound healing in rats. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of ARE on bacterial-infected wounds. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: normal saline (NS), ARE, and biomycin ointment (BO). Full-thickness dorsal excisions in all the rats were infected with 10⁸ colony-forming units of S. aureus; the treatments were applied once daily for 7 days. Results showed that the residual wound area in ARE group was smaller than those in NS and BO groups. TBCs on wound sites gradually decreased in ARE and BO groups. The body temperature and plasma inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) levels increased after bacterial infection at 24 h in all groups. After treatment, BT and inflammatory cytokines levels decreased in ARE group. Histological observations showed ARE group exhibited earlier scab formation, denser dermal granulation tissue, thicker epidermis, and more angiogenesis markers than the other groups. In conclusion, ARE accelerated wound healing in S. aureus-infected wounds. We proposed ARE exhibited potential antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects and stimulated angiogenesis, thus improving healing in infected wounds.

Gouty arthritis, a prevalent inflammatory condition characterized by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals within joints, often results in debilitating pain and inflammation. Conventional therapeutic approaches, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and urate-lowering agents such as allopurinol and febuxostat, often have limitations such as adverse effects, drug interactions, and suboptimal patient compliance. This review presents a comprehensive overview of both established and emerging therapeutic strategies, developed between 2019 and 2024, for gouty arthritis; the review focuses on their mechanisms of action, efficacy, and safety profiles. Novel therapeutic approaches include pharmaceutical plant additives (e.g., Citrullus colocynthis, Atractylodes lancea), anti-inflammatory agents such as canakinumab and ozone therapy, and complementary therapies such as warm ginger compresses, Qingpeng ointment, and various lifestyle modifications. These strategies offer promising alternatives to conventional treatments by targeting uric acid metabolism, inflammatory pathways, and crystal formation, potentially reducing reliance on standard medications and minimizing adverse effects. Although therapies such as canakinumab have demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing gout flares, others such as polyphenol-rich foods offer favorable safety profiles. Further research, including large-scale clinical trials, is warranted to validate these findings and integrate these strategies into clinical practice to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Laminoplasty is an effective procedure for treating cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Little information is available regarding the surgical outcomes of expansive open-door laminoplasty (EOLP) when securing with titanium miniplates without bone grafting. This study is aimed to elucidate the efficacy of and problems associated with EOLP secured with titanium miniplates without bone grafting, thereby enhancing future surgical outcomes.

The potent anti-inflammatory activities and tissue-protective effects of freshwater clams (Corbicula fluminea) have been well reported. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of freshwater clam extract (FCE) supplementation on time to exhaustion, muscle damage, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and liver injury in rats after exhaustive exercise. Thirty-two rats were divided into four groups: sedentary control (SC); SC group with FCE supplementation (SC+FCE); exhaustive exercise (E); and E group with FCE supplementation (E+FCE). The SC+FCE and E+FCE groups were treated with gavage administration of 20 mg/kg for seven consecutive days. Blood samples were collected for the evaluation of biochemical parameters. The cytokine levels of TNF-α and IL-10 were also examined. Twenty-four hours after exhaustive exercise, the rat livers were removed for H & E staining. The FCE supplementation could extend the time to exhaustion in exercised rats. The levels of CPK, LDH, AST, ALT, lactate, TNF-α and H & E stains of the liver injury were significantly decreased in the E+FCE group, but the blood glucose and IL-10 were significantly higher in comparison with the E group. This study suggests that FCE supplementation may improve endurance performance and reduce exercise-induced muscle damage, inflammatory stress and liver injury.

Mastitis in dairy cattle is a highly prevalent infectious disease, causing considerable economic loss worldwide. In this study, we used Angelica dahurica and Rheum officinale extracts (designated as Yi-Xiong-Tang, YXT) for mastitis treatment. California mastitis test (CMT) was performed and 67 mastitis udder quarters were identified among 179 lactating dairy cows. These 67 mastitis udder quarters were subjected to treatments by intramammary infusion of YXT twice a day for three consecutive days. The mastitis indicators including clots, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and total viable count of bacteria (TVC) in milk were examined before and after the YXT treatment to evaluate its effectiveness. Levels of mastitis indicators from mastitis udder quarters were elevated. After YXT treatment, normal levels of these indicators were restored: TVC, 2.10 × 10⁴ – 9.20 × 10⁶ CFU/mL; clots, 6.56 ± 0.43 mg/mL; LDH, 181.0 ± 18.55 U/L; TNF-α, 0.02 ± 0.02 ng/mL; IL-6, 41.4 ± 11.46 pg/mL; and IL-8, 1.85 ± 0.60 pg/mL. Compared with the antibiotic therapy, YXT treatment has a shorter treatment course and might have lower probability for the causative agents to develop drug resistance because YXT is in fact a cocktail containing multiple active ingredients.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on cartilage injury in an osteoarthritis (OA) rat model. Sodium iodoacetate (3 mg/50 μL) was used to induce OA in the left knee joint of rats. On day 14 after OA induction, 50 μL of SVF (5 × 10⁶cells), ADSCs (1 × 10⁶ cells), or 0.9% normal saline (NS) was injected into the left knee-joint cavity of each group. The macroscopic view and histological sections revealed that the articular cartilage in the NS group was damaged, inflamed, uneven and thin, and had hyperchromatic cell infiltration. Notably, the cartilage surface had recovered to nearly normal and appeared smooth and bright on day 14 in the SVF and ADSC groups. Additionally, the white blood cell counts in the SVF and ADSC groups were higher than those in the NS group on day 14. Plasma IL-1β levels on days 7 and 14 were reduced in the SVF and ADSC groups. These results indicated that both SVF and ADSC treatments may assist in articular cartilage regeneration after cartilage injury. Cell therapy may benefit patients with OA. However, clinical trials with humans are required before the application of SVF and ADSC treatments in patients with OA.