Juglanin alleviates bleomycin-induced lung injury by suppressing inflammation and fibrosis via targeting sting signaling.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), characterized by excessive collagen deposition, is a progressive and typically fatal lung disease without effective therapeutic strategies. Juglanin, as a natural product mainly isolated from green walnut husks of Juglans mandshuric, has various bioactivities, including anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. Stimulator of interferon genes (Sting) is a signaling molecule and plays an essential role in meditating fibrosis. However, the effects of Jug and Sting on pulmonary fibrosis are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of Jug in bleomycin (BLM)-induced inflammation and fibrosis mouse model, as well as the underlying molecular mechanism. The results here indicated that Jug-treated mice exhibited a definitively improved survival rate than that of the BLM-challenged mice. Jug administration significantly alleviated neutrophil alveolar infiltration, lung vascular permeability and pro-inflammatory response in BLM mice. Subsequently, the pulmonary fibrosis induced by BLM was markedly attenuated by Jug through reducing the expression of fibrotic hallmarks, including transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), fibronectin, matrix metallo-proteinase-9 (MMP-9), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I. Importantly, we found that BLM mice showed higher expression levels of Sting in lung tissues, which were notably restrained by Jug treatment. The role of Jug in suppressing Sting was confirmed in TGF-ß-incubated cells. Notably, the in vitro analysis further showed that Sting knockdown could ameliorate TGF-ß-triggered collagen accumulation. In contrast, TGF-ß-induced fibrosis was accelerated by Sting over-expression. Therefore, BLM may induce lung fibrosis through activating Sting signaling, and Jug could be used therapeutically to improve tissue repair and attenuate the intractable disease.

A clinical trial of acupuncture about time-varying treatment and points selection in primary dysmenorrhea.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effects of acupuncture at single point Shiqizhui (EX-B8) and multi-points in time-varying treatment for primary dysmenorrhea. METHODS: 600 patients with primary dysmenorrhea were randomly assigned to the single point group (n=200) including group A (treating before the menstruation, n=100) and group B (immediately treating as soon as pain occurrence, n=100), the multi-points group (n=200) including group C (treating before the menstruation, n=100) and group D (immediately treating as soon as pain occurrence, n=100), or the control group, group E (n=200, no treatment). The therapeutic effects were analyzed after treatment for three menstrual cycles and interviewed for three follow-up periods. RESULTS: Acupuncture could effectively relieve menstrual pain for primary dysmenorrhea compared with the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Immediate pain relief occurred following acupuncture within 5 min in group B (P<0.01) and group D (P<0.01), and the two groups obviously relieved menstrual pain for VAS scores. Both group A and group C obviously relieved menstrual pain (P<0.01), and group C was better than group A (P<0.05). Compared with group D, Group C was much better for CMSS scores in cycle 1. CONCLUSION: Treating before the menstruation is better than immediately treating as soon as pain occurrence at the improvement in symptoms of dysmenorrheal at multi-points. And single point is better than multi-points when immediately treating as soon as pain occurrence. The present trial suggest Shiqizhui (EX-B8) should be chosen as a convenient point.

Randomized clinical trial: the clinical effects of herb-partitioned moxibustion in patients with diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Objective. To explore the efficacy of Herb-partitioned moxibustion in treating IBS-D patients. Method. 210 IBS-D patients were randomly assigned on a 3 : 3 : 2 basis to group HM, group FM, or group PB for 4-week treatment. The change of GSRS total score at weeks 4 and 8, the changes of GSRS specific scores, and adverse events were evaluated. Results. Patients in group HM and group FM had lower GSRS total score at week 4 (1.98 ± 0.303, 2.93 ± 0.302 versus 3.73 ± 0.449) and at week 8 (2.75 ± 0.306, 3.56 ± 0.329 versus 4.39 ± 2.48) as compared with patients' score in group PB. However, there was no significant difference of GSRS total score between group HM and group FM. The effect of HM was significantly greater than that of orally taking PB in ameliorating the symptoms of rugitus (0.38 versus 0.59, P < 0.05), abdominal pain (0.28 versus 0.57, P < 0.01), abdominal distension (0.4 versus 0.7, P < 0.01), and increased passage of stools (0.06 versus 0.25, P < 0.01) at the end of treatment period. In the follow-up period, patients' therapeutic effect in group HM remained greater than that in group FM (in abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and increased passage of stools) and that in group PB (in loose stools). Conclusions. HM appears to be a promising, efficacious, and well-tolerated treatment for patients with IBS-D.