Effects of NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis on olfaction dysfunction in allergic rhinitis / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To explore the relationship between NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis and olfactory dysfunction (OD) in allergic rhinitis (AR), and to evaluate the therapeutic potential of CY-09, a selective NLRP3 inhibitor for OD. Methods: An AR mouse model was established with ovalbumin, and the olfactory function of AR mice was detected by the buried food pellet test. Mice with OD were intraperitoneally injected with CY-09 or saline. The activation of microglia and astrocytes in olfactory bulb was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression level of pyroptosis associated protein was detected by Western blot. The level of pyroptosis associated proinflammatory factor mRNA was determined by real-time PCR. SPSS 24.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: After the test, ovalbumin successfully established AR mice model, in which 52.5% (21/40) of them showed OD. The number of activated microglia and astroglia in olfactory bulb tissue in OD group were more than those in non-OD group (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 and gasdermin D (GSDMD) was significantly increased in the olfactory bulb of the OD group (all P<0.05). CY-09 could significantly reduce the level of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β and IL-18 expression, and inhibite the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the olfactory bulb tissues (all P<0.05). Conclusion: NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis is closely related to the OD associated with AR. CY-09 could improve the olfactory function in AR mice, which may be related to blocking the NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.

Effect and Mechanism of Qixian Tongluo Prescription on Neural Function Recovery in Patients with Cerebral Infarction / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of Qixian Tongluo prescription on neural function recovery in patients with cerebral infarction and its mechanism. Method:A total of 100 inpatients （January to June，2020）with cerebral infarction in the Neurology Department of Wenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were assigned to an experimental group （<italic>n</italic>=50） and a control group （<italic>n</italic>=50） according to the random number table. Both groups received conventional treatment of western medicine，while the experimental group took additional Qixian Tongluo prescription. Treatment lasted for 12 weeks. The clinical efficacy，National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale （NIHSS） score， the modified Barthel index （MBI），Fugl-Meyer assessment （FMA） score， and levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor（BDNF），vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF）， and stromal cell-derived factor-1（SDF-1） in peripheral blood of the two groups before and after treatment were compared. Result:The total response rate in the experimental group was 84.00%（42/50），higher than 66.00%（33/50） in the control group （<italic>Z</italic>=-7.365，<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There was no significant difference in the scores of MBI，FMA， and NIHSS before treatment between the two groups. The MBI and FMA scores of the two groups increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the NIHSS scores decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the experimental group showed increased MBI and FMA scores and decreased NIHSS score （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There was no significant difference in BDNF level between the two groups before and after treatment. The VEGF and SDF-1 levels in the peripheral blood of the two groups were higher than those before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， and the experimental group was higher than the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:Qixian Tongluo prescription can effectively improve the clinical efficacy，the quality of life， and the prognosis of patients with cerebral infarction during convalescence. The underlying mechanism is associated with the promotion of the expression of endogenous VEGF and SDF-1 in the peripheral blood to activate the SDF-1/chemokine receptor 4（CXCR4） signaling pathway， induce the recruitment and mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells， and facilitate the angiogenesis and repair of ischemic brain tissues.

Predictive diagnostic value of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To compare the value of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-(OH)D3) with other clinical parameters in the prediction and diagnosis of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (ECRSwNP). Methods: Eligible chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) patients and healthy subjects in the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January to April of 2021 were included for this study. The age, gender, past history and other basic characteristics of all subjects were recorded. The CRSwNP patients were classified into ECRSwNP and non-eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (nECRSwNP) endotypes by the percentage of tissue eosinophils. Serum 25-(OH)D3 levels measurements were performed in all subjects. Paranasal sinus CT scans, blood eosinophil counts, and determination of total immunoglobulin E (total IgE), Th1/Th2 plasma cytokines and nasal nitric oxide (nNO) levels were performed before surgery. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the related factors of ECRSwNP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was used to evaluate the predictive potential of the clinical parameters. Results: One hundred and twenty-seven CRSwNP patients and 40 healthy subjects were recruited, including 74 males and 93 females of the patients, with the age of (38.73±13.05) years. In patients with ECRSwNP, serum 25-(OH)D3 levels were significantly lower than those in nECRSwNP patients ((26.14±4.58) ng/ml vs (35.71±7.86) ng/ml, t=-8.564, P<0.01). The prevalence of asthma, prevalence of allergic rhinitis, peripheral blood eosinophil counts, total IgE levels, nNO levels and CT scores ratio for ethmoid sinus and maxillary sinus (E/M ratio) of ECRSwNP patients were significantly higher than those in nECRSwNP patients (all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in Th1/Th2 cytokines levels between the histological types of CRSwNP (all P>0.05). Among the predictive indicators, 25-(OH)D3 had the highest predictive value, with ROC area under curve (AUC) value of 0.882. The best cut-off point of 28.5 ng/ml for 25-(OH)D3 demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.871 and a specificity of 0.762 for ECRSwNP. Conclusion: Measurement of serum 25-(OH)D3 level may be used as an effective method to distinguish between ECRSwNP and nECRSwNP.

Determination of five naphthaquinones in Arnebia euchroma by quantitative analysis multi-components with single-marker / 中国中药杂志

This study is to determine five naphthaquinones (acetylshikonin, β-acetoxyisovalerylalkannin, isobutylshikonin, β,β'-dimethylacrylalkannin,α-methyl-n-butylshikonin） by quantitative analysis of multi-components with a single marker (QAMS). β,β'-Dimethylacrylalkannin was selected as the internal reference substance, and the relative correlation factors (RCFs) of acetylshikonin, β-acetoxyisovalerylalkannin, isobutylshikonin and α-methyl-n-butylshikonin were calculated. Then the ruggedness of relative correction factors was tested on different instruments and columns. Meanwhile, 16 batches of Arnebia euchroma were analyzed by external standard method (ESM) and QAMS, respectively. The peaks were identifited by LC-MS. The ruggedness of relative correction factors was good. And the analytical results calculated by ESM and QAMS showed no difference. The quantitative method established was feasible and suitable for the quality evaluation of A. euchroma.