Cell division control 42 elevates during infliximab therapy, and its increment relates to treatment response in ulcerative colitis patients.

BACKGROUND: Cell division control 42 (CDC42) regulates multiple processes of inflammation and/or immunity in autoimmune diseases and also relates to the treatment efficacy of biologic regimens clinically. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal change in CDC42 during infliximab (IFX) treatment and its correlation with IFX response in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. METHODS: Active UC patients (N = 48) who received IFX were recruited, and their CDC42 expressions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were detected before treatment (W0) and at 12 weeks after treatment (W12) using RT-qPCR. Also, CDC42 in PBMCs from UC patients with remission (N = 20) and health controls (HCs) (N = 20) were detected. RESULTS: CDC42 was reduced in active UC patients compared with UC patients with remission (p = 0.014) and HCs (p < 0.001). Besides, CDC42 was negatively correlated with CRP (p = 0.025), TNF-α (p = 0.024), IL-1ß (p = 0.045), IL-17A (p = 0.039), and Mayo score (p = 0.015) in active UC patients, but did not relate to ESR, disease duration, or IL-6 (all p > 0.05), while CDC42 was only negatively related to CRP in UC patients with remission (p = 0.046). Interestingly, CDC42 was increased at W12 after IFX treatment in active UC patients (p < 0.001). Specifically, CDC42 was elevated during treatment in active UC patients with IFX response (p < 0.001), but did not obviously change in those without IFX response (p = 0.061). Furthermore, CDC42 at W12 was higher in active UC patients with IFX response compared with those without IFX response (p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Cell division control 42 serves as a potential biomarker for monitoring disease progression and IFX response in UC patients.

[Effects of Xiehuo Bushen Decoction on survival and differentiation of transplanted neural stem cells in brains of rats with intracerebral hemorrhage].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Xiehuo Bushen Decoction (XHBSD), a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on the survival and differentiation of transplanted neural stem cells (NSCs) in brains of rats with intracerebral hemorrhage, and to explore the mechanism of Xiehuo Bushen formula in promoting the survival of transplanted NSCs. METHODS: NSCs separated from hippocampuses of neonatal SD rats were cultured. Sixty-five panel reactive antibody (PRA) positive SD rats were selected by lymphocytotoxicity methods. The PRA positive rats were made into intracerebral hemorrhagic model and divided into three groups: cerebral hemorrhage group (n=15), NSCs transplanted group (n=25) and XHBSD group (n=25). XHBSD was orally administered after 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-marked NSCs were transplanted in brains of rats with intracerebral hemorrhage in the XHBSD group. Rats in the other two groups were administered distilled water. The expressions of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) mRNAs were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); the numbers of BrdU and 200 kD neurofilament (NF200) positive cells were detected by double-labeling immunofluorescence method. RESULTS: The expression of IFN-gamma mRNA was down-regulated significantly in the XHBSD group, but the expression of IL-4 mRNA was up-regulated significantly (P<0.05). The numbers of BrdU and NF200 positive cells were also increased remarkably in the XHBSD group. CONCLUSION: XHBSD can promote the survival and differentiation of transplanted NSCs, which may be related to inducing the expression of IL-4 mRNA and inhibiting the expression of IFN-gamma mRNA.