Anti-Acetyl-Salicylic Acid polyclonal antibody

Background: beta-blocker use has been associated with improved outcomes in a number of different malignancies; however, the impact of beta-blockade in esophageal cancer is not been well characterized. We compared the outcomes of esophageal cancer patients based on beta-blocker usage. Methods: The charts of all 418 patients treated with radiation for esophageal cancer at our institution from April 2010 to October 2018 were analyzed. Patients who underwent treatment with palliative intent or did not finish treatment were excluded. beta-blocker use was determined from the medication list at time of pretreatment consultation. Results: There were 291 esophageal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant/definitive chemoradiation therapy. The median follow-up for the cohort was 22.5 months (interquartile range: 9.6 to 41.0 mo). Within the cohort, 27.8% (n=81) of patients were taking beta-blockers at the time of treatment. Those taking beta-blockers had significantly improved distant control (22.2% vs. 37.9%; P=0.035). Concomitant beta-blocker use was significantly associated with improved progression-free survival (P<0.001, hazard ratio=0.42 [0.27-0.66]) and overall survival (P=0.002, hazard ratio=0.55 [0.38-0.81]) on Cox regression analysis. Propensity score-matched pairs were created using tumor stage, nodal stage, sex, neoadjuvant versus definitive therapy, Karnofsky Performance Status, and aspirin use. This matched-pair analysis showed a significant progression-free survival (P=0.005) benefit in esophageal cancer patients taking beta-blockers. Conclusions: Concurrent beta-blocker use is common within patients receiving concurrent chemoradiation for esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer patients who received chemoradiation while taking beta-blockers demonstrated significant benefits in survival-based outcomes.

Background: Compound Dan Zhi tablet (DZT) is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine formula. It has been used for the treatment of ischemic stroke for many years in clinical. However, its pharmacological mechanism is unclear. Purpose: The aim of the current study was to understand the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of DZT on ischemic stroke. Methods: Fifteen representative chemical markers in DZT were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). The protective effect of DZT against ischemic stroke was studied in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and the mechanism was further explored through a combination of network pharmacology and experimental verification. Results: Quantitative analysis showed that the contents of phenolic acids, furan sulfonic acids, tanshinones, flavonoids, saponins and phthalides in DZT were calculated as 7.47, 0.788, 0.627, 0.531 and 0.256 mg/g, respectively. Phenolic acids were the most abundant constituents. Orally administered DZT (1.701 g kg(-1)) significantly alleviated the infarct size and neurological scores in MCAO rats. The network analysis predicted that 53 absorbed active compounds in DZT-treated plasma targeted 189 proteins and 47 pathways. Ten pathways were associated with anti-platelet activity. In further experiments, DZT (0.4 and 0.8 mg(-1)) markedly inhibited in vitro prostaglandin G/H synthase 1 (PTGS1) activity. DZT (0.4 and 0.8 mg(-1)) significantly inhibited in vitro platelet aggregation in response to ADP or AA. DZT (113 and 226 mg kg(-1), p.o.) also produced a marked inhibition of ADP- or AA-induced ex vivo platelet aggregation with a short duration of action. DZT decreased the level of thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)) in MCAO rats. In the carrageenan-induced tail thrombosis model and ADP-induced acute pulmonary thromboembolism mice model, DZT (113 and 226 mg kg(-1), p.o.) prevented thrombus formation. Importantly, DZT (113 and 226 mg kg(-1), p.o.) exhibited a low bleeding liability. Conclusion: DZT protected against cerebral ischemic injury. The inhibition of TXA(2) level, platelet aggregation and thrombosis formation might involve in the protective mechanism.