PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine the effect of asthma management education program applied to allergic asthma patients receiving immunotherapy due to house dust mite on their stress and compliance with health care regimens. METHODS: A quasi experimental design with non-equivalent control group and non-synchronized design was used. The subjects of this study were 61 patients who were receiving immunotherapy at intervals of a week after their symptoms were diagnosed as house dust mite allergic asthma at the pulmonary department of a university hospital in Seoul. They were divided into an experimental group of 29 patients who received asthma management education and a control group of 32 patients. The asthma management education program was composed of group education (once) and reinforcement education (three times) with environmental therapy and immunotherapy to house dust mite. RESULTS: Stress significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to that in the control group. Compliance with health care regimens significantly increased in the experimental group compared to that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the asthma management education program is effective for the management of stress and the improvement of compliance in patients with allergic asthma to house dust mite.
Stress, Psychological/etiology/*prevention & control ; Pyroglyphidae/*immunology ; *Patient Education ; *Patient Compliance ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; Female ; Asthma/etiology/psychology/*therapy ; Adult

OBJECTIVE: To observe the change of serum homocysteine (Hcy) and anti-citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody concentration in depression rat model induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and to explore the immunologic mechanism of depression and the relation between depression and its autoimmunity. METHODS: Sixty adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 2 groups, 30 rats in each group, which were divided into 3 subgroups: a normal control group, a model group and a fluoxetinetreated group. The depression rat model was established under CUMS and seperated feeding, after which, open field, sugar consumption and forced swimming test were applied in the first group. After the blood was taken in the second group of rats through heart puncture, the level of serum Hcy was detected by enzymatic cycling assay and serum anti-CCP antibody by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared with the control group and the fluoxetine treatment group, spontaneous activity and sucrose consumption and preference percentage of the rats in the model group significantly reduced, while the immobility time in forced swimming test and the level of Hcy and anti-CCP antibody in the rat serum significantly increased. CONCLUSION Immunity inflammation and autoimmune reaction exist in CUMS depression model rats, and fluoxetine treatment can improve these immune response.
Animals ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Depression ; drug therapy ; etiology ; immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fluoxetine ; therapeutic use ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Male ; Peptides, Cyclic ; immunology ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Physiological ; immunology

Despite a higher incidence and less favorable outcome of malignant tumors in obese patients, much less recognized is the link between obesity and cancer. The mechanism of the association of obesity with carcinogenesis remains incompletely understood. Postulated mechanisms include insulin resistance, insulin-like growth factor signaling, chronic inflammation, immunomodulation, hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress, and changes of intestinal microbiome. Insulin resistance leads to direct mitogenic and antiapoptotic signaling by insulin and the insulin-like growth factor axis. Obesity can be considered to be a state of chronic low-grade inflammation. In obesity, numerous proinflammatory cytokines are released from adipose tissue which may involve in carcinogenesis. Hyperglycemia in susceptible cells results in the overproduction of superoxide and this process is the key to initiating all damaging pathways related to diabetes. This hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress could be one possible link among obesity, diabetes, and cancer development. The role of obesity-related changes in the intestinal microbiome in gastrointestinal carcinogenesis deserves further attention.
Adipokines/metabolism/physiology ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/*etiology/microbiology ; Humans ; Inflammation/etiology ; Insulin/metabolism/physiology ; Leptin/metabolism/physiology ; Obesity/*complications/immunology/metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; Somatomedins/metabolism/physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between emotional status, cold-dry environment and long-term immune responses to the stressors, and the potential pathological mechanisms between causative factors of abnormal Savda syndrome (ASS) and the susceptibility to disease; thus to clarify the ASS, and secondly to identify the optimal ASS animal model for further studies on traditional Uighur therapeutical formulations.

METHODSSixty mice were randomly and equally divided into 4 groups: control and 3 stress groups. The cold-dry environment was applied by keeping the mice in a climatic chamber. The emotional stress was induced by the application of the repeated electric foot-shocks in the electric foot-shock apparatus. The mice of the combined stress group underwent the repeated electric foot-shock treatment before being housed in the climatic chamber. The experimental routine was repeated for 21 days. In order to look into endocrine and immune stress responses, ELISA was used to determine the serum levels of the hormones corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), Beta-endorphin (β-END) and corticosterone (CORT), of the cytokines interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interferon-gamma (INF-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and of the immunoglobulins immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed in duplicate in order to determine differences in the T cell ratio.

RESULTSIn the cold-dry environment group, the serum levels of CRH, ACTH and CORT were significantly higher than those of the control group, whereas serum β-END was not found significantly different. In both the repeated electric foot-shock group as well as in the combined stress group the serum levels of CRH, ACTH, β-END and CORT were significantly higher. Compared to the control animals, the serum concentration of INF-γ was significantly lower in all three different stress groups. The serum level of IL-2 was decreased in the combined stress group whereas the serum TNF-α level was significantly higher. The serum IgG level was significantly higher in all three stress groups, whereas the IgA level was lower in both chronic electric foot-shock group and combined stress group. The IgM level was found significantly higher in the combined stress group only. The percentage of CD4(+) cells in peripheral blood was dramatically decreased in mice exposed to colddry environment, chronic electric foot-shock and combined stress, whereas the percentage of the CD8(+) subset was not significantly different. The CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios were markedly lower in both cold-dry environment group and combined stress group.

CONCLUSIONSCombined stress can cause hyperactivity of the HPA axis, and an imbalance in the Th1/Th2 cell subset may contribute to illustrate the partial pathological mechanisms of ASS. This study identified this animal model of a combination of physical and emotional stress as an optimal model for further studies on ASS and relative therapies.

Animals ; Chronic Disease ; Cold Temperature ; Disease Models, Animal ; Emotions ; physiology ; Endocrine System ; physiology ; Immunity, Innate ; physiology ; Male ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Stress, Physiological ; physiology ; Stress, Psychological ; etiology ; immunology ; psychology ; Syndrome ; Water-Electrolyte Imbalance ; complications ; immunology

Using two-kidney one-clip renal hypertensive (2K1C group), stress-induced hypertensive (neural group), DOCA-salt treated hypertensive (DOCA group) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR group), to investigate the change in AT(1A)-receptor autoantibodies (AT(1A)-AAs) during the development of the four types of hypertension. The biological activities of AT(1A)-AAs were examined. It was shown that the frequency of occurrence and titres of AT(1A)-AAs increased significantly during the development of hypertension. In the four hypertensive groups studied, the occurrence of AT(1A)-AAs was most prominent in SHR, 2K1C and neural groups. The biological effects of AT(1A)-AAs were shown to increase the beating frequency of cultured neonatal myocardial and vascular contractile tension. It is suggested that autoimmune mechanisms are involved the pathogenesis of different types of hypertension and the AT(1A)-AAs may be one of the mechanisms leading to cardiac hypertrophy.
Animals ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Desoxycorticosterone ; administration & dosage ; Hypertension ; classification ; etiology ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; immunology ; Stress, Physiological ; physiology

This study assessed the roles of chronic stress (CS) in the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and explored the underlying mechanisms of periodontitis. Using an animal model of periodontitis and CS, the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and the protein levels of the alpha1-adrenergic receptor (alpha1-AR) and beta2-adrenergic receptor (beta2-AR) were assessed. Furthermore, human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPDLFs) were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic the process of inflammation. The proliferation of the HPDLFs and the expression of alpha1-AR and beta2-AR were assessed. The inflammatory-related cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8 were detected after pretreatment with the alpha1/beta2-AR blockers phentolamine/propranolol, both in vitro and in vivo. Results show that periodontitis under CS conditions enhanced the expression of TH, alpha1-AR and beta2-AR. Phentolamine significantly reduced the inflammatory cytokine levels. Furthermore, we observed a marked decrease in HPDLF proliferation and the increased expression of alpha1-ARfollowing LPS pretreatment. Pretreatment with phentolamine dramatically ameliorated LPS-inhibited cell proliferation. In addition, the blocking of alpha1-ARsignaling also hindered the upregulation of the inflammatory-related cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8. These results suggest that CS can significantly enhance the pathological progression of periodontitis by an alpha1-adrenergic signaling-mediated inflammatory response. We have identified a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of periodontal disease, particularly in those patients suffering from concurrent CS.
Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists/*therapeutic use ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytokines/immunology ; Fibroblasts/immunology/pathology ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharides/administration & dosage/immunology ; Male ; Periodontal Ligament/cytology/immunology/pathology ; Periodontitis/*drug therapy/*etiology/immunology/pathology ; Phentolamine/*therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1/analysis/*immunology ; Signal Transduction/drug effects ; *Stress, Physiological/drug effects ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase/analysis/immunology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection on oxidative stress and the development of atherosclerosis in C57BL/6J mice.

METHODSForty-eight C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups including infection of CP and cholesterol diet, cholesterol diet, infection of CP and control. Atherosclerotic lesions were measured in the aortic root at 40 weeks after the primary infection. Production of superoxide was measured by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence response and evaluated in situ with laser scanning confocal microscope.

RESULTSInfected mice fed with an atherogenic diet developed significantly larger lesion areas compared with the single atherogenic diet mice (135 249 +/- 43 748 microm2 vs. 96 378 +/- 30 945 microm2, P < 0.05). Superoxide generation was higher in aortic arches of the infected mice or atherogenic diet mice compared with the control mice (1974.25 +/- 650.49, 701.00 +/- 105.16, 455.62 +/- 77.54 counts.mg(-1).min(-1) vs. 142.25 +/- 31.82 counts.mg(-1).min(-1), respectively, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONChlamydia pneumoniae infection accelerates atherosclerotic lesion development in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic mice. Generation of reactive oxygen species may contribute to atherosclerotic development by Chlamydia pneumoniae infection.

Animals ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; metabolism ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Oxidative Stress ; Superoxides ; metabolism

The studies were conducted on Balb/c mice exposed to restraint stress twice for 12 h at 24 h intervals. Prior to restraint stress the mice were treated with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC) i.p. at a dose of 20 mg/kg five times at 48 h intervals. DTC was used per se or with zinc ions interaction, by adding zinc sulfate to drinking water at a dose of 72 microgram/mouse daily. The results obtained in the study show that restraint stress causes involution of lymphatic organs, decreased the percentage of immature (CD4+CD8+) and, mature (CD4+) thymocytes and CD4+, CD8+and CD19 + splenocytes and proliferative response of thymocytes stimulated in vitro with concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The restraint stress decreased also interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by murine intraperitoneal macrophages stimulated in vitro with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E. coli. Pretreatment with DTC counteracted restraint stress-induced immunosuppression, which is expressed as partial normalisation of the total number of thymocytes, splenocytes and IL-1 production, accelerated regeneration of thymus and spleen, shorter suppressive action of restraint stress on the percentage of CD4+CD8+thymocytes and in total normalisation of the CD4+thymocytes and splenocytes. DTC administered prior to restraint stress augmented the proliferative response of thymocytes to two mitogens. The immunocorrecting action of DTC is enhanced by zinc supplementation, expressed in the increased percentage of CD4+thymocytes and splenocytes, CD19 + splenocytes, proliferative activity of thymocytes stimulated with PHA and IL-1 production. The obtained results show that DTC administration can be supplemented with zinc in order to restore the immune system impaired by stress.
Adjuvants, Immunologic/*pharmacology ; Animals ; Ditiocarb/*pharmacology ; Female ; Immunity, Cellular/*drug effects ; Interleukin-1/biosynthesis ; Macrophages, Peritoneal/immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mitogens/biosynthesis ; Organ Size/drug effects ; Restraint, Physical ; Spleen/cytology/drug effects ; Stress/etiology/*immunology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets/drug effects ; Thymus Gland/cytology/drug effects ; Zinc Sulfate/*pharmacology