Protective effect of excretory-secretory proteins from Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae against myocardial injury in septic mice / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the protective effect of excretory-secretory proteins from Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae (Ts-MES) on sepsis-induced myocardial injury in mice.@*METHODS@#Eighty male BALB/C mice were randomized equally into sham-operated group, myocardial injury group, Ts-MES treatment group and dexamethasone treatment group. In the latter 3 groups, sepsis-induced myocardial injury models were established by cecal ligation and perforation; the sham operation was performed by exposure of the cecum without ligation or perforation. Forty minutes after the operation, the mice were given intraperitoneal injections 150 μL PBS, 20 μg TS-MES or 0.3 mg/kg dexamethasone as indicated. At 12 h after the operation, 6 mice were randomly selected from each group for echocardiography, and 8 mice were used for observing the survival rate within 72 h. The remaining 6 mice were examined for myocardial pathologies with HE staining and serum levels of NTPro-BNP and cTnI with ELISA; the expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10 and TGF-β in the serum and myocardial tissue were detected using ELISA and qRT-PCR.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the sham-operated mice, the septic mice showed significantly decreased cardiac function indexes (LVEF, LVFS, and E/A) with lowered survival rate within 72 h (P < 0.001) and significantly higher myocardial injury scores and serum levels of NTPro-BNP and cTnI (P < 0.01). Treatment with TS-MES significantly improved the cardiac function and 72-h survival rate (P < 0.05) and lowered the myocardial injury scores and serum levels of NTPro-BNP and cTnI (P < 0.05) in the septic mice. Compared with the sham-operated mice, the septic mice had obviously increased TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the serum and myocardial tissue (P < 0.001), which were significantly lowered by treatment with TS-MES (P < 0.05). TS-MES and dexamethasone both increased the levels of IL-10 and TGF-β in the septic mice, but the changes were significant only in TS-MES-treated mice (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Ts-MES are capable of protecting against myocardial injury in septic mice by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhancing the levels of regulatory cytokines.

Discussion on Treatment of Recurrent Genital Herpes with Zhulingtang： Based on Thought of "Lower Energizer Resembling Drainage" / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Recurrent genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease induced by herpes simplex virus（HSV）， mainly manifested as erythema， papules， vesicles， erosion， and exudation on the skin and mucosal membranes of the genital and anal area， accompanied by burning pain， or tingling. Factors leading to its recurrence are overworking， fever， alcohol consumption， infection， sexual activity， etc. At least 1 in 10 of the 15-49-year-old population are infected with herpes simplex virus-2. There is currently no available method to completely remove the herpes simplex virus and prevent its recurrence， and recurrence seriously affects the quality of life and psychological health of patients. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， the recurrence of genital herpes is mostly related to wind， dampness， heat， yin deficiency of liver and kidney， internal injuries due to emotional disorder， and dietary preference. TCM has advantages in reducing its recurrence rate. The lower energizer is closely related to skin diseases， and "lower energizer resembles drainage". Thus， the lower energizer is closely related to water and damp metabolism. Recurrent genital herpes occurs in the lower energizer and belongs to lower energizer diseases， and the fluid metabolism and qi movement in lower energizer are closely related to the occurrence of the disease. Based on thought of "lower energizer resembling drainage" and the clinical characteristics of recurrent genital herpes， this paper considered malfunction of lower energizer as its pathogenesis. Thus， smoothing the lower energizer according to the prevailing circumstances is particularly important and the treatment principle should be dispersing the pathogen from lower energizer without damaging yin. Zhulingtang （Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases） cures the difficulty in urination and thirst with desire to drink by smoothing the lower energizer. Thus， Zhulingtang was selected to treat recurrent genital herpes. This study is expected to provide a new idea for its clinical diagnosis and treatment.