Increased Expression of miR-146a in Children With Allergic Rhinitis After Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy

PURPOSE: MicroRNAs (miRs) were recently recognized to be important for immune cell differentiation and immune regulation. However, whether miRs were involved in allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) remains largely unknown. This study sought to examine changes in miR-146a and T regulatory cells in children with persistent allergic rhinitis (AR) after 3 months of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). METHODS: Twenty-four HDM-sensitized children with persistent AR were enrolled and treated with SCIT (n=13) or SLIT (n=11) for 3 months. Relative miR-146a and Foxp3 mRNA expression, the TRAF6 protein level, and the ratio of post-treatment to baseline IL-10+CD4+ T cells between the SCIT and SLIT groups were examined in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of AR patients using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), flow cytometry, and Western blot analysis, respectively. Serum levels of IL-5 and IL-10 were determined using ELISA. RESULTS: After 3 months of SIT, both the TNSS and INSS scores were significantly decreased compared to the baseline value (P<0.01). The relative expression of miR-146a and Foxp3 mRNA was significantly increased after both SCIT and SLIT (P<0.01). The ratio of post-treatment to baseline IL-10+CD4+ T cells and the serum IL-10 level were significantly increased in both the SCIT and SLIT groups (P<0.01), whereas the TRAF6 protein level and serum IL-5 level were significantly decreased (P<0.01). No significant differences in these biomarkers were observed between the SCIT and SLIT groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that miR-146a and its related biomarkers may be comparably modulated after both SCIT and SLIT, highlighting miR-146a as a potential therapeutic target for the improved management of AR.

Expression and Regulation of Transcription Factor FoxA2 in Chronic Rhinosinusitis With and Without Nasal Polyps

PURPOSE: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is characterized by the excessive production of mucus. However, the molecular mechanism underlying mucin overproduction in CRS with or without nasal polyps (CRSwNP and CRSsNP, respectively) is poorly understood. This study was conducted to assess the importance of the transcription factor FoxA2 in mucin production and to investigate the targeting of FoxA2 as a potential therapeutic strategy for mucus hypersecretion in CRS patients. METHODS: We enrolled 15 CRSwNP patients, 15 CRSsNP patients, and 10 normal controls in this study. The expression levels of FoxA2, MUC5AC, and MUC5B in inflamed and healthy nasal tissues were examined via immunohistochemistry and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and the levels of several proinflammatory cytokines in nasal secretions were measured via FlowCytomix analysis. In addition, the expression of MUC5AC and FoxA2 was determined in polyp-derived epithelial cells and NCI-H292 cells after in vitro stimulation. RESULTS: FoxA2 was significantly down-regulated, and MUC5AC and MUC5B were significantly up-regulated in both the CRSwNP and CRSsNP patients compared to the controls (P<0.05), and the protein level of FoxA2 was negatively associated with the IL-6 level in the CRS patients (P<0.05). IL-6 significantly increased MUC5AC expression but inhibited FoxA2 expression in vitro (P<0.05). Transfection with a FoxA2 expression plasmid significantly decreased MUC5AC promoter activity (P<0.05) and inhibited IL-6-induced MUC5AC production (P<0.05). In addition, clarithromycin significantly alleviated IL-6-induced FoxA2 suppression and decreased MUC5AC expression in vitro (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that FoxA2 may be considered a therapeutic target for the modulation of mucus hypersecretion in CRS patients.

Purification Comparison and Influence of Ethanol Precipitation and Chitosan Flocculation Methods on Paeoniflorin Content in Shuyu Compound Granules / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To compare the refining effects between ethanol precipitation and chitosan flocculation methods on extracting solutions of Shuyu compound granules.Methods Orthogonal experiment was utilized to examine the influence of liquid concentration, alcohol concentration and standing time on refining of Shuyu compound granules extracting solution by ethanol precipitation method, and compare the impact of ethanol precipitation and chitosan flocculation methods on the contents of solids and paeoniflorin.Results The optimized condition of ethanol precipitation method was 0.8 g/mL solution concentration (crude drug) with 20% ethanol standing for 6 h. Both ethanol precipitation method and chitosan flocculation method reduced the extraction ratio of Shuyu compound granules decoction, but chitosan flocculation method caused a great loss of paeoniflorin.Conclusion Low concentration ethanol precipitation method can be used for the purification of Shuyu compound granules. Whether chitosan flocculation method is suitable requires further study.

Effect of Huangdanyishen Capsule on diabetic nephropathy of experimental rats / 中成药

AIM: To observe the efficacy of Huangdanyishen Capsule (HDC)(Radix Astragali, Radix Salviae Miltiorr hizae) on renal lesions in diabetic nephropathy(DN) rat induced by Streptozocin(STZ). METHODS: The murine model with DN induced by STZ was made from Wistar rats with insulin resistance after being fed with feedingstuff of hypersugar, hyperlipid, hypercholesterol. These rats were randomly divided into five groups, and all rats were successively administrated corresponding drugs for 10 weeks. The general state and blood sugar were observed during the period. Serum urea nitrogen and creatinine content, the excretory rate of urinary micro-protein and renal pathological features were determined after 10 weeks. RESULTS: HDC could obviously ameliorate psychic status and renal function of rats with diabetes mellitus Ⅱ, and increase DN rats' weight. HDC could reduce the content of DN rats' serum urea. nitrogen and creatinine and urinary micro-protein. The ultramicropathologic histopathologic results indicated that the glomerular basement membrane thickening, synapse displaying foul-up and amalgamation, and mitochondrial swelling were alleviated to a certain extent in HDC groups. The content of murine blood sugar in HDC groups was significantly lower than those in model group. CONCLUSION: HDC has an obvious effect on Ⅱ DN treatment and decrease the content of blood sugar at the same time.

Effects of the total paeony glycoside on the focal cerebral ischemia in rats / 中成药

AIM: To investigate the protective effects of the total paeony glycoside(TPG) on the focal cerebral ischemia and regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) in rats. METHOD: The rat model of focal cerebral ischemia was made by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) with nylon suture.TPG was injected into every group rats once a day before 48 h,and injected before MCAO 30 min and after 4 h,12 h.After 24 h the effects of the drug were studied about neurological deficit,the water content of brain tissue,the cerebral infarcted zone,under microscopic examination,as well as rCBF on each rat with laser Doppler fiowmeter(LDF). RESULTS: The sympton of brain ischemia was obvious in model rats by contrast to the sham rats,and the model rats rCBF decreased markedly after MCAO.50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg TPG injection could obviously promote neurological deficit,decrease the water content of brain tissue and the cerebral infarcted zone.And the pathological slices also proved its protective effect on neuron.The laser Doppler flowmeter detected result indicated that 100 mg/kg TPG inject could greatly increase MCAO rats rCBF. CONCLUSIONS: TPG injection has a marked prospective activity on rat focal brain ischemia in rats,and the increase of rCBF may be one of the protection mechanism.