ABSTRACT
The etiology of urticaria is heterogeneous and allergic responses may be involved in it. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of sensitivity to inhaled and food allergens among patients with urticaria in Henan province (China). The levels of specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) were detected using the AllergyScreen test and a total of 524/1,091 cases (48.0%) tested positive for sIgE to at least one of the 19 allergens. The most common inhaled allergens the urticaria patients were sensitive to were D. pteronyssinus (34.5%), cockroach (12.5%) and tree pollen mix (11.1%), while the food allergens with the highest rate of allergic reactions were cashew nut (8.1%), shrimp (6.8%) and crab (6.4%). The positive rates for D. pteronyssinus, dog hair, cockroach, mold mix, tree pollen mix and shrimp in the chronic urticaria group were higher than those in the acute urticaria group (P<0.05). Furthermore, positive rates for the majority of allergens were higher in males than in females and were significantly different between age groups (P<0.05). The results of the present study provided information on the characteristics of allergen sensitization of patients with urticaria and may facilitate the prevention, diagnosis and management of urticaria in Henan province.
ABSTRACT
Regular use of aspirin can reduce cancer incidence, recurrence, metastasis and cancer-related mortality. Aspirin suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis and autophagy in colorectal cancer cells, but the precise mechanism is not clear. In this study, we demonstrated that aspirin induced autophagosome formation in colorectal cancer cells, but autophagic degradation was blocked through aspirin-mediated Beclin 1 acetylation. Blocked autophagic degradation weakened aspirin-induced cell death. Collectively, our findings indicate the dual roles of aspirin on autophagy, and demonstrate a new mechanism by which Beclin 1 acetylation impairs the anticancer effect of aspirin in colorectal cancer cells.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious neurological autoimmune disease, it commonly affects young adults. Vitamin E (Vit E) is an important component of human diet with antioxidant activity, which protects the body's biological systems. In order to assess the effect of Vit E treatment on this autoimmune disease, we established experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of MS, and treated EAE with α-tocopherol (AT) which is the main content of Vit E. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty C57BL/6 adult female mice were used and divided into two groups randomly. EAE was induced with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), and one group was treated with AT, at a dose of 100 mg/kg on the 3(th) day post-immunization with MOG, the other group was treated with 1% alcohol. Mice were euthanized on day 14, post-immunization, spleens were removed for assessing splenocytes proliferation and cytokine profile, and spinal cords were dissected to assess the infiltration of inflammatory cells in spinal cord. RESULTS: AT was able to attenuate the severity of EAE and delay the disease progression. H&E staining and fast blue staining indicated that AT reduced the inflammation and the demyelination reaction in the spinal cord. Treatment with AT significantly decreased the proliferation of splenocytes. AT also inhibited the production of IFN-γ (Th1 cytokine), though the other cytokines were only affected slightly. CONCLUSION: According to the results, AT ameliorated EAE, through suppressing the proliferation of T cells and the Th1 response. AT may be used as a potential treatment for MS.