Angelica sinensis polysaccharides improve Th1/Th2 imbalance and protect pregnancy in threatened abortion model rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the tocolysis effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides on threatened abortion model rats and their impacts on Th1/Th2 balance by regulating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （AKT） signaling pathway. METHODS Pregnant rats were randomly grouped into the control group， model group， A. sinensis polysaccharide group （200 mg/kg）， PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibitor LY294002 group （5 mg/kg）， and A. sinensis polysaccharide+LY294002 group （200 mg/kg A. sinensis polysaccharide+5 mg/kg LY294002）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the control group， rats in all other groups were given mifepristone （8.3 mg/kg） and misoprostol （100 μg/kg） intragastrically to establish a threatened abortion model， and intragastric or intraperitoneal injection of corresponding drugs. The serum levels of estrogen， progesterone， interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and interleukin-4 （IL-4） in each group of rats were detected， and the uterine ovarian index and embryonic mortality rate of rats in each group were measured； the morphology of uterine tissue in rats was observed in each group； Th1/Th2 balance in peripheral blood of rats as well as the expression of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-related proteins in the uterine tissues of rats in each group were detected. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the uterine tissue of rats in the model group showed pathological damage； the serum levels of estrogen， progesterone and IL-4， uterine ovarian index， peripheral blood Th2 cell ratio， and the ratios of phosphorylated PI3K （p-PI3K）/PI3K and phosphorylated AKT （p-AKT）/AKT in uterine tissue were all decreased （P＜0.05）； the embryo mortality rate， Th1 cell ratio， Th1/Th2 ratio， and serum levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α were increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the pathological damage of uterine tissue in the A. sinensis polysaccharide group was reduced， and the above indexes were all improved significantly （P＜0.05）； LY294002 could weaken the effect of A. sinensis polysaccharide on model rats （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS A. sinensis polysaccharides can improve Th1/Th2 imbalance in threatened abortion model rats by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway， thereby inhibiting immune inflammation， and promoting embryo survival.

Impacts of isorhynchophylline on airway inflammation in asthmatic mice / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impacts of isorhynchophylline （IRN） on airway inflammation in asthmatic mice by regulating the monocyte chemotactic protein-1 （MCP-1）/CC chemokine receptor 2 （CCR2） signaling pathway. METHODS The asthmatic mice model was established by injecting and inhaling ovalbumin. The successfully modeled mice were randomly grouped into asthma group， IRN low-dose group （IRN-L， intragastric administration of 10 mg/kg IRN）， IRN high-dose group （IRN-H， intragastric administration of 20 mg/kg IRN）， IRN-H+CCL2 group [intragastric administration of 20 mg/kg IRN+intraperitoneal injection of 7.5 ng CC chemokine ligand 2 （CCL2）] and positive control group （intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/kg dexamethasone）. The mice injected and inhaled with sterile phosphate-buffered solution were included in the blank control group， with 10 mice in each group. The mice in administration groups were given relevant medicine once a day， for consecutive 2 weeks. The levels of airway hyperreactivity indexes such as enhanced （Penh） value， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α），interleukin-13 （IL-13） and IL-4 in serum， the number of eosinophil （EOS）， lymphocyte （LYM） and neutrophils （NEU） in alveolar lavage fluid and the protein expressions of MCP-1 and CCR2 in lung tissue were observed in each group； the pulmonary histopathological changes were observed， and inflammatory cell infiltration score was evaluated. RESULTS Compared with the blank control group， the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lung tissue of mice was more significant in the asthma group， and there was swelling and shedding of cells； inflammatory infiltration score， Penh value， the levels of IL-4， IL-13 and TNF-α， the number of EOS， NEU and LYM， the protein expressions of MCP-1 and CCR2 were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with the asthma group， the pathological injuries of the IRN-L group， IRN-H group and positive control group were improved， and the above quantitative indexes were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with the IRN-L group， the above quantitative indexes of the IRN-H group and positive control group were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. There was no statistical significance in the above quantitative indexes between the IRN-H group and the positive control group （P＞0.05）. Compared with the IRN-H group， the above quantitative indexes of the IRN-H+CCL2 group were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. CCL2 reversed the protective effect of high-dose IRN on asthmatic mice. CONCLUSIONS IRN may reduce the release of airway inflammatory factors in asthmatic mice by inhibiting the activation of the MCP-1/CCR2 signaling pathway， so as to achieve the purpose of improving asthma.

MicroRNA-200a Targets Cannabinoid Receptor 1 and Serotonin Transporter to Increase Visceral Hyperalgesia in Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome Rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were reported to be responsible for intestinal permeability in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) rats in our previous study. However, whether and how miRNAs regulate visceral hypersensitivity in IBS-D remains largely unknown. METHODS: We established the IBS-D rat model and evaluated it using the nociceptive visceral hypersensitivity test, myeloperoxidase activity assay, restraint stress-induced defecation, and electromyographic (EMG) activity. The distal colon was subjected to miRNA microarray analysis followed by isolation and culture of colonic epithelial cells (CECs). Bioinformatic analysis and further experiments, including dual luciferase assays, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, were used to detect the expression of miRNAs and how it regulates visceral hypersensitivity in IBS-D rats. RESULTS: The IBS-D rat model was successfully established. A total of 24 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the distal colon of IBS-D rats; 9 were upregulated and 15 were downregulated. Among them, the most significant upregulation was miR-200a, accompanied by downregulation of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) and serotonin transporter (SERT). MiR-200a mimic markedly inhibited the expression of CNR1/SERT. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase assay confirmed that CNR1/SERT are direct targets of miR-200a. Rescue experiments that overexpressed CNR1/SERT significantly abolished the inhibitory effect of miR-200a on the IBS-D rats CECs. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that miR-200a could induce visceral hyperalgesia by targeting the downregulation of CNR1 and SERT, aggravating or leading to the development and progression of IBS-D. MiR-200a may be a regulator of visceral hypersensitivity, which provides potential targets for the treatment of IBS-D.

Association of C1GALT1 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility and prognosis of IgA nephropathy on Uyghur population in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region / 中华肾脏病杂志

Objective To explore the genetic association of C1GALT1 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility and prognosis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) on Uyghur population in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.Methods Ninety Uighur patients with IgAN and ninety geographically and age matched healthy controls were recruited.Peripheral blood was collected from recruited individuals for DNA extracting.After amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR),genotyping of the four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in C1GALT1 gene,which were rs9639031,rs5882115,rs1008898,-527A/G,were detected by direct sequencing analysis.Differences of allele and genotype frequency were analyzed between IgAN and healthy controls.Moreover,the association between these SNPs and the risk and progress in IgAN patients were further analyzed.Results (1) The I allele frequency of rs5882115 in C1GALT1 gene was significantly higher in IgAN than that in healthy controls （x2 =7.788,P =0.015),no difference in allele frequencies of rs9639031,rs1008898,-527A/G between IgAN and healthy controls was found.Under the dominant mode,the DI+ Ⅱ genotype frequencies of rs5882115 was significantly higher in IgAN than that in healthy controls (x2 =8.563,P =0.009),no difference in genotype frequencies of rs9639031,rs1008898,-527A/G between IgAN and healthy controls was found.Under the hidden mode,no difference in genotype frequencies of rs5882115,rs9639031,rs1008898,-527A/G between IgAN and healthy controls was found.Logistic single factor regression analysis showed that the risk to IgAN of whom carry I allele of rs5882115 was 2.469 times than the D allele (OR =2.469),and the risk to IgAN of whom carry DI+ Ⅱ genotype was also higher (OR =2.852).(3) No association was found between these SNPs in C1GALT1 gene and serum creatinine in IgAN.Conclusion Association between rs5882115 in C1GALT1 gene and Uighur IgAN susceptibility suggests that there may be variants in C1GALT1 gene or its linked genetic region,which needs further exploration.