Active components of Descurainia sophia improve lung permeability in rats with allergic asthma by regulating airway inflammation and epithelial damage / 中国中药杂志

The present study investigated the effect of active components of Descurainia sophia on allergic asthma and explored the underlying mechanism. SD male rats were randomly divided into a normal group(NC), a model group(M), a D. sophia decoction group(DS), a D. sophia fatty oil group(FO), a D. sophia flavonoid glycoside group(FG), a D. sophia oligosaccharide group(Oli), and a positive drug dexamethasone group(Y). The allergic asthma model was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin(OVA) and aluminum hydroxide gel adjuvant(sensitization) and atomization of OVA solution(excitation). After modeling, asthma-related indicators, tracheal phenol red excretion, inflammatory cell levels in the peripheral blood, lung permeability index(LPI), and oxygenation index(OI) of rats were detected. The pathological changes of lung tissues were observed by HE staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the content of inflammatory factors immunoglobulin E(IgE), interleukin-4(IL-4), and interferon-γ(IFN-γ) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and the content of endothelin-1(ET-1) and angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE) in lung tissue homogenate. The serum content of nitric oxide(NO) was detected by colorimetry. Western blot was employed to determine the protein expression of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), nuclear factor κB-p65(NF-κB-p65), phosphorylated NF-κB-p65(p-NF-κB-p65), myosin light chain kinase(MLCK), vascular endothelial cadherin(VE cadherin), connexin 43, and claudin 5, and the mechanism of active components of D. sophia on allergic asthma was explored. As revealed by the results, the M group showed extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells around the bronchus of the lung tissues of the allergic asthma rats, thickened bronchial wall, severely deformed alveolar structure, increased number of wheezes, the content of IgE, IL-4, ET-1, and ACE, inflammatory cells, and LPI, and reduced latency of asthma, tracheal phenol red excretion, IFN-γ, NO content, and OI. After the intervention of the active components of D. sophia, the DS, FO, FG, Oli, and Y groups showed improved asthma-related indicators, tracheal phenol red excretion, and lung tissue lesions in allergic asthma rats, and the effects in the FO and Oli groups were superior. The content of inflammatory factors in BALF was recovered in the DS, FO, and Y groups and the FG and Oli groups. The number of inflammatory cells in rats was reduced in the DS and FO groups, and the FG, Oli, and Y groups to varying degrees, and the effect in the FO group was superior. DS, FO, Oli, and Y reduced ET-1, ACE, and LPI and increased NO and OI. FG recovered NO, ET-1, ACE, LPI, and OI to improve lung epithelial damage and permeability. Further investigation of inflammation-related TLR4/NF-κB pathways, MLCK, and related skeleton protein levels showed that TLR4, NF-κB-p65, p-NF-κB-p65, and MLCK levels were increased, and VE cadherin, connexin 43, and claudin 5 were reduced in the M group. DS, FO, FG, Oli, and Y could reduce the protein expression related to the TLR4 pathway to varying degrees, and regulate the protein expression of MLCK, VE cadherin, connexin 43, and claudin 5. It is inferred that the active components of D. sophia improve lung permeability in rats with allergic asthma presumedly by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway to improve airway inflammation, mediating MLCK and connexin, and regulating epithelial damage.

[Clinical evaluation of large periapical lesions following apical surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of teeth with large periapical lesions followed apical surgery. METHODS: 59 patients (59 periapical lesions, 91 teeth) with large periapical lesions ranging in size from 6 mm to 21 mm in diameter were included in this study. All teeth were treated by root canal therapy and apical surgery, and the surgical procedure was completed with microsurgical technology and ultrasonic root-end preparation. The outcomes were evaluated clinically and radiographically at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24-month intervals, and the various factors which may affect the success rate were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: 52 cases (88.1%) of 59 patients were considered success, 6 cases (10.2%) were considered failure, and 1 case (1.7%) was considered in progress. The success rate of elderly patients group (63.6%) was significantly lower than that of the youth group (87.5%) and middle-aged group (95.0%) (P = 0.037; P = 0.017). The success rate of molar group (75.0%) was significantly lower than that of the anterior group (92.6%) and the premolar group (90.0%) (P = 0.041, P = 0.047); however, there was no significant difference in the gender, the number of teeth invaded in lesions, the size of periapical lesion (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: It is an effective therapy for the teeth with large periapical lesions by apical surgery after root canal treatment.

[Clinical evaluation on the root canal therapy bypassing intracanal separated instruments].

OBJECTIVE: To study and evaluate the clinical effect of root canal therapy bypassing intracanal separated instruments. METHODS: 32 teeth were selected as the test group, from which the intracanal separated instruments couldn't be taken out, adopted the method of root canal preparation and obturation bypassing broken instruments. Meanwhile, 13 teeth were selected as the control group, in which the fractured instruments couldn't be taken out from root canal, and not be cured bypassing broken instruments. 30 teeth were selected as the conventional therapy group, in which the instruments were not fractured, the routine root canal therapy were adopted. The clinical efficacy of three groups were observed and evaluated through periapical index and clinical examination two years later. RESULTS: After two years, 25 teeth were followed up in test group, the success rate of root canal therapy was 80.00%; 11 teeth were followed up in control group, the success rate of root canal therapy was 36.36%. All of the failed cases in two groups were the teeth with broken instruments in tip of root canal. In conventional therapy group, 22 teeth were followed up, and the success rate of root canal therapy was 90.91%. CONCLUSION: Root canal therapy bypassing intracanal separated instruments is a feasible and effective method in treating the teeth with broken instruments.