Astragalus membranaceus improves therapeutic efficacy of asthmatic children by regulating the balance of Treg/Th17 cells / 中国天然药物

Astragalus membranaceus may be a potential therapy for childhood asthma but its driving mechanism remains elusive. The main components of A. membranaceus were identified by HPLC. The children with asthma remission were divided into two combination group (control group, the combination of budesonide and terbutaline) and A. membranaceus group (treatment group, the combination of budesonide, terbutaline and A. membranaceus). The therapeutic results were compared between two groups after 3-month therapy. Porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from venous blood by using density gradient centrifugation on percoll. The levels of FoxP3, EGF-β, IL-17 and IL-23 from PBMCs and serum IgE were measured. The relative percentage of Treg/Th17 cells was determined using flow cytometry. The main components of A. membranaceus were calycosin-7-O-glucoside, isoquercitrin, ononin, calycosin, quercetin, genistein, kaempferol, isorhamnetin and formononetin, all of which may contribute to asthma therapy. Lung function was significantly improved in the treatment group when compared with a control group (P < 0.05). The efficacy in preventing the occurrence of childhood asthma was higher in the treatment group than the control group (P < 0.05). The levels of IgE, IL-17 and IL-23 were reduced significantly in the treatment group when compared with the control group, while the levels of FoxP3 and TGF-β were increased in the treatment group when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). A. membranaceus increased the percentage of Treg cells and reduced the percentage of Th17 cells. A. membranaceus is potential natural product for improving the therapeutic efficacy of combination therapy of budesonide and terbutaline for the children with asthma remission by modulating the balance of Treg/Th17 cells.

Role of brick tea with low-fluoride level in prevention of tea type fluorosis / 中国地方病学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of drinking brick tea with low-fluoride level on prevention of tea type fluorosis.MethodsHandahangacha,Hadayinggegacha,Dalainuoyi town,in Keshiketengqi Inner Mongolia endemic fluorosis area were selected as test points,and brick tea with fluoride [(204.5 ± 10.2),(308.2 ±15.4)mg/kg] was given for 12 months.Dental fluorosis,clinical skeletal fluorosis,and X-ray diagnosis of skeletalfluorosis [according to “Endemic Skeletal Fluorosis Diagnostic Criteria” (WS 192-2008)] of adults 20 to 70 years of age were examined and level of fluoride before and after the prevention trial,in brick tea,drinking water,milk tea and urine were tested (fluoride ion selective electrode method),and fluoride intake through tea was calculated.ResultsDetection rate of adult dental fluorosis in Handahangacha was 68.89％ (62/90),clinical detection of skeletal fluorosis was 55.32％ (52/94),and X-ray detection of skeletal fluorosis was 65.17％ (58/89); adult dental fluorosis detection rate in Hadayinggegacha was 54.84％(51/93),clinical detection of skeletal fluorosis was 65.69％(67/102),and X-ray detection rate of skeletal fluorosis was 61.36％ (54/88).Brick tea fluoride was (831.4 ±138.9),(864.3 ± 134.6)mg/kg before the prevention trial in Handahangacha and Hadayinggegacha,respectively,drinking water fluoride content was (0.27 ± 0.05),(0.54 ± 0.24)mg/L,fluoride content of milk tea was (216 ± 1.12),(2.82 ± 1.38)mg/L,adult urine fluoride content was (2.78 ± 1.57),(2.96 ± 1.80)mg/L,and fluoride intake through milk tea was (8.12 ± 5.84),(6.42 ± 5.04)mg/d,respectively; after the prevention trial the fluoride content of brick tea was (204.5 ± 10.2),(308.2 ± 15.4)mg/kg,fluoride content of drinking water (0.34 ± 0.11),(0.62 ± 0.30)mg/L,fluoride content of milk tea(0.97 ± 0.33),(1.83 ± 0.66)mg/L,fluoride content in urine(1.29 ± 0.55),( 1.47 ±0.62)mg/L,fluoride intake through milk tea (3.45 ± 2.05),(3.71 ± 2.07)mg/d,respectively; in Handahan and Hadayinggegacha after the prevention trial the fluoride in brick tea,milk tea,urine fluoride,and fluoride intake through milk tea was significantly lower than that before the trial (t =14.30,12.97 ;6.46,3.95;6.69,5.72;6.27,3.57,all P ＜ 0.01 ).Fluoride intake in Handahangacha through milk tea was within the state heath standard limits( ＜ 3.5mg/d).ConclusionDrinking low-fluoride brick tea can prevent drinking brick tea type fluorosis,the preventive effect is especially more reliable with low fluoride brick tea (204.5 ± 10.2)mg/kg.

Absorption and excretion of fluoride and aluminum after drinking brick tea in healthy adults / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To observe the absorption, excretion and retention of fluoride and aluminum after drinking brick tea in healthy adults. Methods The study was conducted in ten healthy volunteers by drinking brick tea solution in which the fluoride and aluminum concentrations were 5.97, 7.53 mg/L, respectively. The concentrations of fluoride and aluminum were determined in serum samples collected before and at 0.5,1.0,2.0,3.0,and 24.0 h, and in urine samples collected before and during the periods 1.0,2.0,4.0, ＞ 4.0 - ＜ 24.0 h and 24 h after drinking brick tea solution by ion-selective electrode, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma atomic mess spectrometry. The total amounts of intake and excretion of fluoride and aluminum in healthy volunteers during 24.0 h were calculated from their corresponding fluoride and aluminum ingesting from brick tea and excreting from urine. Results Before and during the periods 1.0,2.0,4.0,＞ 4.0 - ＜ 24.0 h and 24.0 h after drinking brick tea solution, the urinary fluoride concentrations were (0.50 ±0.14), (2.14 ± 0.90), (1.57 ± 0.93), (2.43 ± 1.49), (1.91 ± 0.69), (0.58 ± 0.20)mg/L, respectively, and the aluminum concentrations in the urine samples were (0.35 ± 0.15), (0.65 ± 0.37), (0.50 ± 0.25), (0.52 ± 0.21 ),(0.50 ± 0.23), (0,46 ± 0.27)mg/L, respectively; the 24.0 h excreting rates of fluoride and aluminum from urine were 52.90%(4.64/8.77) and 12.38% (1.37/11.07), respectively. The fluoride concentrations in serum samples collected before and at 0.5,1.0,2.0,3.0,24.0 h after drinking brick tea solution were (0.06 ± 0.02), (0.14 ± 0.01 ), (0.21 ±0.04), (0.17 ± 0.04), (0.10 ± 0.03), (0.04 ± 0.01 )mg/L, respectively, and aluminum in those were (0.30 ± 0.05),(0.27 ± 0.01 ), (0.30 ± 0.12), (0.34 ± 0.19), (0.30 ± 0.10), (0.27 ± 0.09)mg/L, respectively. Conclusions Fluoride in brick tea is easyly to be absorbed and excreted through kidney, and the kidney excretory capacity of aluminum in brick tea is limited. Levels of fluoride and aluminum in urine could be taken as the indicators for monitoring the prevalent extent and evaluating preventive experiment's effect on the brick tea fluoride-aluminum toxicity; and fasting serum fluoride and aluminum levels could be taken as indicators for estimating the toxic condition of the brick tea fluoride-aluminum toxicity.