Chun-Jen Huang

• M.D., Ph.D.
• Vice Superintendent at Wan Fang Hospital

This study compared the therapeutic effects of engineered exosomes derived from RAW264.7 cells overexpressing hsa-let-7i-5p (engineered exosomes) to exosomes from human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hpMSC exosomes) against sepsis-induced acute lung injury. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were divided into lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS plus engin...

Background: Oral midazolam is the most commonly used sedative premedication agent in pediatric patients. While effective, oral midazolam cannot reduce the incidence of emergence agitation. Oral dexmedetomidine may be effective in providing satisfactory sedation and reduce the incidence of emergence agitation, although the results of different rando...

Both high-fat diet (HFD) alone and high-fructose plus HFD (HFr/HFD) cause diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in murine models. However, the mechanisms underlying their impacts on inducing different levels of liver injury are yet to be elucidated. This study employed a proteomic approach to elucidate further on this issue. Adult male C57...

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress mediates the effects of obesity on aggravating sepsis-induced lung injury. We investigated whether exosomes from human placenta choriodecidual membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (pcMSCs) can mitigate pulmonary ER stress, lung injury, and the mechanisms of inflammation, oxidation, and apoptosis in lipopolysacch...

Endotoxemia induces lung injury. We assessed the therapeutic efficacy between triple cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interleukin-1β [IL-1β], and IL-6) inhibition (mediated by KCF18 peptide) and single cytokine (TNF-α) inhibition (mediated by SEM18 peptide) on alleviating lung injury in the early phase of endotoxemia. Mice receiving endot...

Background: Geriatric hip fracture patients often present malnutrition during admission, which leads to higher morbidity and mortality. Protein-based oral nutrition supplements may improve nutritional status. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) according to the PRISMA guidelines to elucidate...

A high-cholesterol diet increases the risk of bladder cancer. The purpose of this nationwide longitudinal population-based retrospective cohort study is to investigate whether hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for bladder cancer. Data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Database were analyzed. The primary study end point was the occurrence of newly...

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a disorder with complex pathogenesis and lacks effective treatment. Chronic inflammation is the main pathogenesis of Hunner-type IC/BPS. The NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-related transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway plays a crucial role in inf...

Background: Semen quality impairment is a serious consequence of testicular torsion–detorsion (TD). Adequate germ-cell mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) plays a crucial role in male fertility. Changes in cellular OXPHOS in testicular tissues after testicular TD remain unclear. Objectives: This study investigated whether testicular TD...

Three major cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6, mediate endotoxemia-induced liver injury. With the similar structures to the binding domains of the three cytokines to their cognate receptors, the novel peptide KCF18 can simultaneously inhibit TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. We elucidated whether KCF18 can...

Tocolytic agents, commonly used for inhibiting preterm labor, pose the risk of uterine atony, leading to postpartum hemorrhage. This study elucidated the effects of different tocolytic agents on postoperative hemorrhage among women in preterm labor undergoing Cesarean delivery (CD). Data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were...

Background Common complications of pediatric strabismus surgery, including emergence agitation (EA), postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and postoperative pain, may be prevented using dexmedetomidine, which is an anxiolytic and analgesic. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effects of dexmedetomidine in patients who had unde...

A peptide named SEM18, possessing structural similarity to the binding site of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α to TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), was designed. We investigated whether the SEM18 peptide can mitigate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in mice. Adult male Balb/cJ mice received LPS (15 mg/kg; LPS group) or LPS plus SEM18 (LSEM group)....

Background: A high-cholesterol diet increases the risk of bladder cancer. This study investigated whether hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for bladder cancer. Methods: Data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Database were analyzed. The primary study end point was the occurrence of newly diagnosed bladder cancer. The relative risk of bladder cance...

Background: Cisplatin (CDDP) is a chemotherapeutic drug which also causes adverse side effects. Glechoma hederacea is a traditional Chinese herb belonging to the Labiatae family and has many biological activities. Our previous study indicated that rosmarinic acid (RA) was the most abundant phytochemical in G. hederacea. However, the antioxidant or...

Background: Cisplatin (CDDP) is a chemotherapeutic drug which also causes adverse side effects. Glechoma hederacea is a traditional Chinese herb belonging to the Labiatae family and has many biological activities. Our previous study indicated that rosmarinic acid (RA) was the most abundant phytochemical in G. hederacea. However, the antioxidant or...

We investigated whether magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) mitigated pulmonary hypertension progression in rats. Pulmonary hypertension was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline (60 mg/kg). MgSO4 (100 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered daily for 3 weeks, from the seventh day after monocrotaline injection. Adult male rats were...

Background: Postoperative vomiting and pain are common, unpleasant phenomena in pediatric patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery. Clonidine has antiemetic and analgesic properties and thus may be used as premedication to reduce postoperative vomiting and pain. Aims: To assess whether clonidine premedication may safely decrease POV and postoperat...

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether comorbid insomnia is associated with increased use of fibromyalgia-related medications and health resources in fibromyalgia patients. Methods: We analyzed data retrieved from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2010, which contains claims data of 1 million beneficiaries randomly selected fr...

Background The evidence supporting the benefit of femoral nerve block (FNB) for positioning before spinal anesthesia (SA) in patients suffering from a femur fracture remains inconclusive. In the present study, the authors intended to determine the efficacy and safety of FNB versus an intravenous analgesic (IVA) for positioning before SA in patients...

We investigated effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) on modulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)–macrophage binding and cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) expression. Flow cytometry data revealed that the mean levels of LPS-macrophage binding and membrane-bound CD14 expression (mCD14) in differentiated THP-1 cells (a human monocytic cell line) treated...

We investigated effects of tyrosol on upstream pathway regulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response, including cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14)-mediated LPS–macrophage binding, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) expression and subsequent myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88...

Background: Impacts of delivery modes on the subsequent risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in pregnant women have not been elucidated. Materials and methods: Data of women who had undergone cesarean delivery (CD cohort) or vaginal delivery (VD cohort) between January 2000 and December 2012 from Taiwan Health Insurance Database were analyzed. A...

Objective: To evaluate the impacts of statin treatment on the risk of benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) progression in hyperlipidemia patients. Methods: Newly diagnosed hyperlipidemia patients (n = 7961), identified from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, were divided into four statin cohorts (statin use >365 days, n = 1604; sta...

Circadian rhythms and napping habits have been associated with cognitive function; however, little is known about the interaction effects on cognitive function. The present study examined the moderating effects of napping habits on the relationship between chronotypes and cognitive function decline in elderly adults. This cross‐sectional study anal...

Introduction: Although used as an anesthetic drug for decades, ketamine appears to have garnered renewed interest due to its potential therapeutic uses in pain therapy, neurology, and psychiatry. Ketamine undergoes extensive oxidative metabolism by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Considerable efforts have been expended to elucidate the ketamine-indu...

Objective: The impact of hypnotic use on the association between insomnia and breast cancer risk remains unclear. This study examined whether insomnia increases the aforementioned risk and explored the effects of hypnotic use on this relationship. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data retrieved from the...

Background: Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a multiprotein complex composed of NLRP3, caspase-1, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain. Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome leads to interleukin-1β (IL-1β) upregulation and pyroptosis, a proinflammatory cell death characterized by increas...

Background: Vascular hyporeactivity contributes to hemodynamic alterations and circulatory failure in severe sepsis. Among the identified mechanisms, inflammation and oxidative stress are the most crucial ones in mediating the development of vascular hyporeactivity induced by sepsis. Platonin, a photosensitive dye and an antioxidant, possesses pot...

Background A high fat diet is associated with risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, whether hyperlipidemia is associated with BPH remains unclear. This population‐based cohort study elucidated whether hyperlipidemia is associated with an increased risk of BPH. Methods We used a new‐exposure design and analyzed data retrieved from th...

Background: Naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, possesses potent anti-inflammation effects. We previously confirmed the effects of naloxone on inhibiting upregulation of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Production of mature form IL-1β is mediated by the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a multiprotein complex comp...

Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) in the rat femoral artery has been proposed as an experimental model of vasculitic peripheral neuropathy (VPN) which presents neuropathic pain and peripheral nerve injury patterns observed clinically. This study investigates the involvement of the proinflammatory signaling pathway underlying the peripheral mechanisms of VP...

Background: We conducted this meta-analysis to elucidate whether additional neuraxial magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) can improve postoperative analgesia in women undergoing Cesarean section (CS) delivery. Method: We searched Pubmed, Embase and ClinicalTrial.gov. We included only randomized controlled trials that have compared the quality of postopera...

Background: Percutaneous pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) applied to the L2 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is an alternative procedure for treating patients with chronic discogenic pain. It is assumed that afferent nerve fibers innervating the degenerated disc and facet joint might travel in the same pathway and finally enter into the L2 DRG. Blocking the L...

Objective: To explore the perioperative risk factors for predicting postpartum pulmonary embolism (PE) in Taiwanese women with Cesarean section (CS) delivery. Methods: Data from Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database were analyzed. All CS women (2002-2007) in Taiwan, according to Diagnosis-Related Group codes, were included. Women having...

Background: Clinical observations indicated an increased risk of developing prostate cancer in gout patients. Chronic inflammation is postulated to be one crucial mechanism for prostate carcinogenesis. Allopurinol, a widely used antigout agent, possesses potent anti-inflammation capacity. We elucidated whether allopurinol decreases the risk of pro...

Vasopressin possesses potent anti-inflammatory capacity. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and its downstream activator Akt contribute to endogenous anti-inflammation capacity. We sought to elucidate whether PI3K is involved in mediating the anti-inflammation effects of vasopressin. Macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) were randomized to receive endotoxin,...

Inflammation following hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation (HS/RES) induces acute lung injury (ALI). Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidative capacities. We sought to clarify whether DMSO could attenuate ALI induced by HS/RES. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to receive either a sham operation, sham plus DMSO, HS/R...

Background: Valproic acid (VPA) is widely used for treating patients with bipolar disorder; however, it has adverse effects on cognitive function. This study investigated the effect of VPA on the risk of dementia in patients with bipolar disorder. Methods: We analyzed data from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2010. Patients with...

Objectives: Limb ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) causes remote organ injury (e.g., liver injury). Oxidation and inflammation are crucial mechanisms. We investigated the effects of cepharanthine, a potent antioxidative and anti-inflammatory drug, on alleviating liver injury induced by limb I/R. Methods: Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were...

Background Testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D) can induce germ cells apoptosis, which may lead to impairment of spermatogenesis. FTY720, an agonist of the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1), inhibits apoptosis in ischemic stroke. We examined whether FTY720 could mitigate germ cell apoptosis in testicular T/D rats. Materials and Methods Adul...

Reperfusion of ischemic limbs can induce inflammation and subsequently cause acute lung injury. Caffeine, a widely used psychostimulant, possesses potent anti-inflammatory capacity. We elucidated whether caffeine can mitigate lung inflammation caused by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) of the lower limbs. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly alloc...

Limb ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) causes oxidation and inflammation and subsequently induces muscle and kidney injuries. Cepharanthine, a natural plant alkaloid, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. We elucidated the salutary effects of cepharanthine against muscle and kidney injuries following limb I/R. Adult male rats were rand...

Background: Cepharanthine possesses strong anti-inflammation capacity. We sought to clarify whether cepharanthine could mitigate pro-inflammatory cytokine production in acute lung injury induced by hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation (HS/RES). The involvement of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was also investigated. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were al...

Background We previously demonstrated that inhibiting phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or activating L-type calcium channels blocked the anti-inflammatory effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). However, the question as which class I PI3K isoform (PI3Kα, PI3Kβ, PI3Kδ, or PI3Kγ) is involved in this regard remains unstudied. The question as whether MgS...

Background We previously demonstrated that inhibiting phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or activating L-type calcium channels blocked the anti-inflammatory effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). However, the question as which class I PI3K isoform (PI3Kα, PI3Kβ, PI3Kδ, or PI3Kγ) is involved in this regard remains unstudied. The question as whether MgS...

Background We previously demonstrated that inhibiting phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or activating L-type calcium channels blocked the anti-inflammatory effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). However, the question as which class I PI3K isoform (PI3Kα, PI3Kβ, PI3Kδ, or PI3Kγ) is involved in this regard remains unstudied. The question as whether MgS...

Background We previously demonstrated that inhibiting phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or activating L-type calcium channels blocked the anti-inflammatory effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). However, the question as which class I PI3K isoform (PI3Kα, PI3Kβ, PI3Kδ, or PI3Kγ) is involved in this regard remains unstudied. The question as whether MgS...

We have previously shown that vasopressin could inhibit the upregulation of inflammatory mediators. Expression of inflammatory mediators is tightly regulated by the upstream transcriptional pathway mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and activated protein-1 (AP-1). In this study, we elucidated whether vasopressin could inhibit the upregulatio...

Oxidation and inflammation caused by lower limb ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) readily induce lung injury. We elucidated whether cepharanthine, a potent antioxidative and anti-inflammatory drug, can mitigate lung injury induced by lower limb I/R. Role of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) was also investigated. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to re...

Background We previously demonstrated that inhibiting phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or activating L-type calcium channels blocked the anti-inflammatory effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). However, the question as which class I PI3K isoform (PI3Kα, PI3Kβ, PI3Kδ, or PI3Kγ) is involved in this regard remains unstudied. The question as whether MgS...

Vasopressin possesses potent anti-inflammatory effects. Endotoxin recognition (mediated by cluster of differentiation 14 [CD14]), endotoxin binding, and subsequent nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation are essential mechanisms for initiation of the inflammatory response. We elucidated the effects of vasopressin on these essential mechanisms of infla...

Platonin possesses potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidative capacities. Because systemic inflammation and oxidative stress are crucial in mediating sepsis-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity loss, this study elucidated the effects of platonin on preserving BBB integrity in septic rats. A total of 72 adult male rats (200-250 g) were random...

FTY720, a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor agonist, possesses potent anti-inflammation capacity. We evaluated the therapeutic potentials of FTY720 against testicular injury induced by testicular torsion and/or detorsion (T/D). Young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to receive T/D (the T/D group) and T/D plus FTY720 (4 mg/kg, the...

Supplmental Figure 1 illustrates the preliminary data of total cell number (A) and protein concentration (B) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Sham+N/S: the sham-operation plus normal saline group. Sham+C50: the Sham plus 50 mg/kg caffeine group. Sham+C100: the Sham plus 100 mg/kg caffeine group. IR+N/S: the lower limb ischemia-reperfusion pl...

We examined whether patients with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia have an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), compared with age- and sex-matched control patients. We hypothesized that patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia are at increased risk of adverse coronary events. Using a matched-cohort study design, we analyzed data retrieved from th...

Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress are crucial in mediating blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity loss during sepsis. Simvastatin possess potent anti-inflammation and antioxidation capacity. We sought to elucidate whether an acute bolus of simvastatin could mitigate BBB integrity loss in a rodent model of polymicrobial sepsis. A total of 96 a...

Background: We sough to elucidate whether purinergic P2X7 receptor is actively involved in the effects of levobupivacaine on inhibiting microglia activation. Materials and methods: Microglia were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 50 ng/mL), LPS plus levobupivacaine (50 μM), or LPS plus levobupivacaine plus the P2X7 receptor agonist Bz-ATP (1...

Background: Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) delta and gamma (the p110δ and p110γ isoforms of PI3K) actively participate in the process of inflammation. We sought to elucidate the possible roles of PI3Kδ and PI3Kγ in mediating the anti-inflammation effects of naloxone. Materials and methods: Murine macrophages were treated with endotoxin, endoto...

Background: We examined the change in anesthetic practice for Caesarean section (CS) during the past decade and determined factors influencing anethesiologists' decisions. Methods: The cases were identified from data retrieved from Longitudinal Health Insurance Database released by the Taiwan National Health Research Institute in 2008. Trend ana...

Evidence supporting a predictive role for depression in the pathgenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD) has mainly come from studies in Western countries. Conflicting data exist regarding the association between antidepressant use and the incidence of CHD. This population-based study tracked the risk of composite coronary events in a cohort with ne...

Objectives We sought to elucidate the effects of vasopressin on modulating the endotoxin-induced upregulation of inflammatory mediators. Materials and Methods A confluent murine macrophage-like cell line, RAW264.7 cells, were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (100 ng/mL) or with LPS plus vasopressin (10 pg/mL, 100 pg/mL, or 1000 pg/mL); the ce...

Interferon-based therapy (IBT) has been the standard of care for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, conflicting results exist regarding the effects of IBT on risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis-associated complications, and most included highly selected patients. This 8-year cohort study was based on the Longitu...

The number of ultrasonography and a-fetoprotein examinations between IBT treated and non-treated cohorts for each clinical outcome. (DOC)

International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes used in the study. (DOC)

Total person-years of follow-up for each of the clinical outcomes stratified by treatment group. (DOC)

Median years of follow-up for each of the clinical outcomes according to treatment group. (DOC)

The number needed to treat for each clinical outcome. (DOC)

Interferon-based regimens for treatment of hepatitis C viral infection in Taiwan. (DOC)

Distribution of the loss to follow-up rate for each clinical outcome. (DOC)

Incidence of clinical outcomes according to treatment group. (DOC)

We sought to elucidate whether enhancing phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt activity is a crucial mechanism underlying the anti-inflammation effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). Murine macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) were stimulated with endotoxin, endotoxin plus MgSO4, or endotoxin plus MgSO4 plus PI3K inhibitor (LY294002 or wortmannin). Control g...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance and carotid atherosclerosis. To investigate the association between HCV infection and stroke, and the effect of interferon-based therapy (IBT) on stroke risk in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. We conducted a retrospective cohort study that followed up 3...

Background: Loss of gut barrier function is crucial in mediating lung injury induced by hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation (HS). High-lipid enteral nutrition (HL) can preserve gut barrier function. We hypothesized that HL could also mitigate HS-induced lung injury. Materials and methods: Forty-eight adult male rats were randomly assigned to one of...

Background: We sought to elucidate the effects of levobupivacaine on modulating endotoxin-induced upregulation of inflammatory mediators and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways in activated microglia. Materials and methods: Confluent murine microglia (BV-2) were treated with en...

Awake video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has been increasingly employed in a variety of procedures involving pleura, lungs, and mediastinum. Adequate anesthesia and analgesia obtained from thoracic epidural anesthetic (TEA) allow VATS to be performed in awake patients. The potential general anesthesia-related adverse effects, such as intubation...

Background: We elucidated the effects of various body positions on the agreement of cardiac output (CO) measurement between pulse contour analysis with the PiCCO monitor and thermodilution with pulmonary artery catheterization. Methods: Fifteen anesthetized and mechanically ventilated pigs (40 ± 2 kg) were sequentially placed in various position...

We sought to elucidate the antiinflammation effect of human placental multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (hPMSCs) and the possible molecular mechanisms. Immortalized murine macrophages (RAW264.7 cells), with or without hPMSCs coincubation, were treated with endotoxin to induce expression of the relevant molecules. The peak concentrations (means...

Bilateral lower limb ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) could cause significant oxidative stress, elicit inflammatory response, and subsequently induce kidney injury in animals. We tested the effects of platonin, a potent antioxidant, on mitigating the kidney injury induced by lower limb I/R in rats. Adult male rats were allocated to receive I/R or I/R plu...

Background: We sought to elucidate whether minocycline, a broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic with potent anti-inflammation capacity, could mitigate inflammatory response and organ dysfunction in the lungs and liver induced by hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation (HS) plus abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Materials and methods: Adult male rat...

Background: Activation of sympathetic nervous system has a crucial role in mediating the pneumatic tourniquet inflation induced hyperdynamic response. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α(2)-adrenergic receptor agonist, has potent sympatholytic effects. We conducted this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study to elucidate the...

Traumatic hemorrhagic shock and subsequent resuscitation may promote bacteria translocation and cause endotoxemia, a two-hit process that will induce severe lung injury. The pathogenesis involves oxidative stress, neutrophil infiltration, and inflammatory response. Platonin, a potent antioxidant, possesses potent anti-inflammation capacity. We soug...