ABSTRACT
Radix isatidis (R. isatidis) is a commonly used traditional Chinese herbal medicine, which has been used for thousands of years in China and is believed to have the pharmacological properties of heat-clearing and detoxification. Heat-clearing and detoxification are theories of traditional Chinese medicine meaning that R. isatidis could treat febrile disease by clearing heat and reducing swelling. Polysaccharides isolated from R. isatidis by water extraction and alcohol precipitation have exhibited numerous biological activities, including antiviral and immunomodulatory effects. The present study was performed to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of water-soluble R. isatidis polysaccharides (RIPs) on RAW264.7 macrophages and murine splenocytes, and attempt to preliminarily identify the mechanism of immunomodulation. In vitro, RIPs had a low cytotoxicity, as shown by CellTiter 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay. RAW264.7 cells treated with different concentrations of RIP displayed different morphological changes, from a round shape and aggregation to polygonal shape and dispersion in a dose-dependent manner. In the 5 mg/ml RIP-treated group, the changes of morphology were as same as the lipopolysaccharide-treated group. RIP also significantly enhanced the release of nitric oxide as shown by Griess method, and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells was confirmed by ELISA assay. Western blotting revealed a significant increase of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) in RIP-treated RAW264.7, suggesting that TLR-4 may be associated with the immunomodulatory mechanism of RIP. Animal experiments also demonstrated through ELISA assays a significant increase in IFN-γ and IL-10 levels after the splenocytes of RIP-immunized mice were stimulated by inactivated herpes simplex virus type 2. The immune function of RIP-immunized mice was improved. The present study suggested that RIP could be potentially used as a novel immunomodulator.
ABSTRACT
We investigated long-term treatment responses in patients with treatment-naïve polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) undergoing photodynamic therapy (PDT) with intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR). The medical charts of 14 patients with treatment-naïve PCV who underwent PDT with IVR were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were followed up and treated with additional IVR for ≥3 years. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness (CFT), greatest linear dimension (GLD) on angiography, polyp regression and central choroidal thickness (CCT) were assessed. Associations between these functional or anatomic outcomes with age, baseline CCT, baseline GLD or choroidal vascular hyperpermeability (CVH) were investigated using univariate and multivariate analysis. Mean logMAR BCVA improved significantly at 3 years (0.34 ± 0.24 to 0.12 ± 0.29, p = 0.003). Greater BCVA improvement and longer time to first recurrence was significantly associated with CVH. Fewer number of IVR retreatment within 3 years was associated with thicker baseline CCT. Mean CCT significantly decreased at 3 years (217 ± 33 µm to 197 ± 48 µm, p = 0.003). Greater decrease of CCT was significantly associated both with greater number of IVR retreatment within 3 years and absence of CVH. These results showed that pachychoroid characteristics at baseline was associated long-term functional and anatomic outcomes in patients with treatment-naïve PCV who had undergone combination PDT and IVR.
