Andrographolide sulfonate ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice by down-regulating MAPK and NF-κB pathways

Acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe, life-threatening medical condition characterized by widespread inflammation in the lungs, and is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the patient population. New therapies for the treatment of ALI are desperately needed. In the present study, we examined the effect of andrographolide sulfonate, a water-soluble form of andrographolide (trade name: Xi-Yan-Ping Injection), on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and inflammation. Andrographolide sulfonate was administered by intraperitoneal injection to mice with LPS-induced ALI. LPS-induced airway inflammatory cell recruitment and lung histological alterations were significantly ameliorated by andrographolide sulfonate. Protein levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum were reduced by andrographolide sulfonate administration. mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lung tissue were also suppressed. Moreover, andrographolide sulfonate markedly suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) as well as p65 subunit of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). In summary, these results suggest that andrographolide sulfonate ameliorated LPS-induced ALI in mice by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK-mediated inflammatory responses. Our study shows that water-soluble andrographolide sulfonate may represent a new therapeutic approach for treating inflammatory lung disorders.

Changes of IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 in the patient with cardiac surgery under combined acupuncture anesthesia / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on cytokines in the cardiac surgical patient and to evaluate the application of combined acupuncture anesthesia to cardiac surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty patients with atrial septal defect were divided into 3 groups, general anesthesia group (A), acupuncture anesthesia group (B) and combined general anesthesia and EA group (C). Peripheral blood samples were collected before anesthesia, before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), 30 min after CPB and 24 h after operation to determine the levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6 and IL-10.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of IFN-gamma and IL-2 decreased in the 3 groups after CPB and further decreased 24 h after operation, and in the group C were higher than those in the group B. The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 significantly increased 24 h after operation in the 3 groups with no significant difference among the 3 groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The general anesthesia combined with EA can not completely improve the decrease of IFN-gamma and IL-2 induced by CPB, indicating that the good response of the general anesthesia combined with EA to stress can partially improve the immunosupression induced by CPB. Acupuncture does not have significant effect on inflammatory cytokine reaction induced by cardiac surgery.</p>

Application of continuous infusion of remifentanil during induction of general anesthesia in elderly patients / 上海第二医科大学学报

Objective To study the application of continuous infusion of remifentanil combined with propofol with different velocity du-ring induction of general anesthesia in elderly patients. Methods Sixty elderly patients were divided into 4 groups randomly(n=15) and given remifentanil with continuous infusion rate of 0.1,0.15,0.2 and 0.3 ?g?kg-1?min-1,respectively.After given midazolam and propofol,remifentanil infusion started with different velocity.Three minutes later,vecuronium was given and intubation performed 2 min later.After that,propofol infusion rate was adjusted according to the changes of blood pressure and kept at 4 mg?kg-1?h-1 5 min before incision.Blood pressure(BP),heart rate(HR),intubation score(following Grant's method) and all side effects and adjuvant drugs used were recorded. Results Grant scores in all patients were less than 8.Atropine and ephedrine were given more in large dose groups and with decreasing of usage of propofol.HR decreased markedly in 0.3 ?g?kg-1?min-1 group after remifentanil began(P

Effect of acupuncture-drug compound anesthesia on alteration of immune function in patients undergoing open-heart surgery / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on alteration of immune function of patients undergoing open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and to appraise the value of acupuncture-drug compound anesthesia in the operation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty patients undergoing atrial septal defect repairing operation were selected and divided into three groups, Group A was the general anesthesia group; Group B, the acupuncture anesthesia group and Group C, the general anesthesia plus EA group. Peripheral venous blood of patients was collected at different time points, i.e. before anesthesia, before CPB, 30 min and 24 hrs after CPB, to determine natural killer cells activity (NKCA), and the levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) in supernatant of cell culture were also tested.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>NKCA was significantly lowered in Group A before CPB but increased in Group B, while no evident change was found in Group C, so the level of NKCA in Group B was significantly higher than in the other two groups. It lowered in all the three groups after CPB, especially evidently in Group B, so as to cause the NKCA level in Group B lower than that in Group A. The lowering further progressed, 24 hrs after CPB, NKCA in Group B was more reduced than that in Group C. Levels of IFN-gamma and IL-2 lowered in all the three groups after CPB, and further lowered at time point of 24 hrs after CPB, but the parameters in Group C were significantly higher than those in Group B.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA could enhance NKCA, but acupuncture anesthesia couldn't inhibit the suppressive effect of CPB on NKCA, IL-2 and IFN-gamma, suggesting that the immunosuppression induced by stress has a prior effect. General anesthesia plus EA yielded better effect than general anesthesia and acupuncture anesthesia, but it could't improve the immunosuppression completely, indicating that the compound anesthesia could partially improve the immunosuppression induced by CPB.</p>