1.Electroacupuncture reduced airway inflammation by activating somatosensory-sympathetic pathways in allergic asthmatic rats.
Hongli MA ; Xiaowen LIU ; Huamei CAI ; Yun YAN ; Weixia LI ; Jing ZHAO
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(6):702-712
BACKGROUND:
Electroacupuncture (EA) treatment is efficacious in patients with respiratory disorders, although the mechanisms of its action in lung-function protection are poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the neuroanatomical mechanisms of EA stimulation at the BL13 acupoint (Feishu, EA-BL13) improvement in asthma.
METHODS:
Allergic asthma was induced by intranasal 2.0% ovalbumin (OVA) instillation combined with intraperitoneal injection of the 10.0% OVA. The levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid-schiff stain were used to evaluate inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus secretion. Cellular oncogene fos induction in neurons after EA stimulation was detected by immunofluorescent staining. The messenger RNA expression levels of adrenergic receptors were quantified with real-time polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS:
EA improved airway inflammation and mucus secretion mainly by activating somatosensory-sympathetic pathways ( P <0.001). Briefly, the intermediolateral (IML) nuclei of the spinal cord received signals from somatic EA stimulation and then delivered the information via the sympathetic trunk to the lung. Excited sympathetic nerve endings in lung tissue released large amounts of catecholamines that specifically activated the β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) on T cells ( P <0.01) and further decreased the levels of IL-4 and IL-5 ( P <0.001) through the cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A signaling pathway.
CONCLUSION
This study provided a new explanation and clinical basis for the use of EA-BL13 as a treatment for allergic asthma in both the attack and remission stages and other respiratory disorders related to airway inflammation.
Electroacupuncture/methods*
;
Animals
;
Asthma/immunology*
;
Rats
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Male
;
Inflammation/therapy*
;
Interleukin-4/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-5/metabolism*
2.Effect of Evodiamine on immune function of allergic rhinitis rats by regulating CCL2/CCR2 signaling pathway.
Xiaoli WANG ; Wei LI ; Shan ZHU ; Xingchan SHI ; Wei CHEN
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(4):300-307
Objective To explore the effect of Evodiamine (Evo) on the immune function of allergic rhinitis (AR) rats and the regulatory mechanism on C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)/ C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) pathway. Methods The related targets of Evo-AR-immune function were screened by network pharmacology, and the protein interaction network diagram of intersecting targets was constructed. The AR rat model was established by ovalbumin (OVA) combined with aluminium hydroxide, and the rats were divided into six groups: a normal control (NC) group, a model group, a Loratadine (LOR) group, an Evodiamine low dose (Evo-L) group, a Evodiamine high dose (Evo-H) groups, and an Evo-H combined with CCL2 group. After the last administration, the symptoms of rats in each group were scored; ELISA was applied to detect the levels of histamine, immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-13 and interferon γ (IFN-γ); Diff-Quick staining solution was applied to detecte the number of cells in the nasal lavage fluid (NALF); hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining was applied to observe the pathological changes of nasal mucosa tissue; real-time quantitative PCR was applied to detect the levels of CCL2 and CCR2 mRNA in tissue; Western blot was applied to detect the expression levels of CCL2, CCR2 and CXC motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) proteins in nasal mucosa. Results There were eight intersection targets of EVo-AR-immune function, and protein interaction network diagram showed that CXCL8 was the core target. Compared with the NC group, the score of nasal symptoms, the levels of histamine, IgE, IL-4 and IL-13, the numbers of eosinophil, macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes and total cells, the mRNA and protein expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2, and the expression of CXCL8 protein in the model group were increased, while the level of IFN-γ was decreased. Compared with the model group, the score of nasal symptoms, the levels of histamine, IgE, IL-4 and IL-13, the numbers of eosinophil, macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes and total cells, the mRNA and protein expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2, and the expression of CXCL8 protein in LOR and Evo groups were decreased, while the level of IFN-γ was increased. Further use of CCL2 recombinant protein for compensatory experiments revealed that the improvement effect of Evo on immune function in AR rats was reversed by CCL2. Conclusion Evo can improve the immune function of AR rats, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the CCL2/CCR2 pathway.
Animals
;
Receptors, CCR2/immunology*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Chemokine CCL2/immunology*
;
Rats
;
Rhinitis, Allergic/metabolism*
;
Immunoglobulin E/blood*
;
Quinazolines/pharmacology*
;
Male
;
Interferon-gamma
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Interleukin-13
;
Histamine
;
Interleukin-4/immunology*
;
Disease Models, Animal
3.Research on the inhibitory effects of evodiamine on activated T cell proliferation.
Jianan TANG ; Xingyan LUO ; Jingjing HE ; Xiaoxin ZENG ; Yang LIU ; Yi LAI
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(6):524-530
Objective To explore the characteristics of the inhibitory effect of Evodiamine on the proliferation of activated T cells. Methods Mononuclear cells from peripheral blood (PBMCs) were obtained from healthy donors through density gradient centrifugation, and T cells were subsequently purified by using immunomagnetic bead separation. T cell activation was induced by employing anti-human CD3 and anti-human CD28 antibodies. T cells were treated with different concentrations of EVO (0.37, 1.11, 3.33, and 10)μmol/L. Flow cytometry was applied to evaluate the proliferation index, apoptosis rate, viability, CD25 expression levels, and cell cycle distribution of T cells. The expression levels of cytokines IL-2, IL-17A, IL-4, and IL-10 were quantified by using ELISA. Results 1.11, 3.33 and 10 μmol/L EVO effectively inhibited the proliferation of activated T cells, with an IC50 of (1.5±0.3)μmol/L. EVO did not induce apoptosis in activated T cells and affect the survival rate of resting T cells. EVO did not affect the expression of CD25 and the secretion of IL-2 in activated T cells. EVO arrested the T cell cycle at the G2/M phase, resulting in an increase in G2/M phase cells, and exhibited a concentration-dependent effect. EVO did not affect the secretion of IL-4, IL-10 by activated T cells, but significantly inhibited the secretion of IL-17A. Conclusion EVO did not significantly affect the activation process of T cells but inhibited T cell proliferation by arresting the cell cycle at the G2/M phase and significantly suppressed the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17A, which suggests that EVO has the potential to serve as a lead compound for the development of low-toxicity and high-efficiency immunosuppressants and elucidates the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of the traditional Chinese medicine Evodia rutaecarpa.
Humans
;
Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
;
Quinazolines/pharmacology*
;
T-Lymphocytes/metabolism*
;
Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects*
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
;
Interleukin-4/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-10/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-17/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-2/metabolism*
;
Cell Cycle/drug effects*
;
Cells, Cultured
4.Effects of allergens on the expression of blood basophil activation markers in patients with allergic rhinitis.
Qiuli WANG ; Weihua XU ; Fangqiu GU ; Siqin WANG ; Junling WANG
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(9):810-817
Objective To investigate the expression of blood basophil activation markers in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and the effects of allergens on their expression. Methods The blood samples were collected from the following four groups: healthy control (HC), AR patients with negative skin prick test (nAR), seasonal AR patients (sAR) and perennial AR patients (pAR). Flow cytometry was employed to analyze the expression of basophil activation markers Immunoglobulin E receptor I alpha(FcepsilonRIα), CD63 and CD203c in AR patients. Plasma levels of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and IL-8 were measured by liquid-phase chip technology, and their correlations with the percentages of activated basophils were further analyzed. An ovalbumin-induced AR mouse model was established, and the expression levels of FcepsilonRIα and CD63 on blood basophils were detected. Results The expression of FcepsilonRIα, CD203c and CD63 on basophils were increased in nAR, sAR and pAR patients. Allergens enhanced the mean florescence intensity expression of CD63 and CD203c on basophils of sAR and pAR patients. The plasma levels of IL-4 and IL-8 were elevated in nAR, sAR and pAR patients, showing moderate to high correlations with the expression levels of basophil activation markers. The FcepsilonRIαand CD63 expression on basophils of AR mice were increased. Conclusion Allergens may contribute to AR pathogenesis by upregulating the expression of FcepsilonRIα, CD63 and CD203c, as well as promoting the secretion of IL-4 and IL-8.
Basophils/metabolism*
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Humans
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Allergens/immunology*
;
Animals
;
Rhinitis, Allergic/blood*
;
Female
;
Male
;
Adult
;
Mice
;
Biomarkers/blood*
;
Tetraspanin 30/blood*
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Interleukin-4/blood*
;
Interleukin-8/blood*
;
Receptors, IgE/blood*
;
Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases
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Young Adult
;
Pyrophosphatases
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Middle Aged
;
Mice, Inbred BALB C
5.The Expression and Significance of PD-1, Th1, Th2, and Th17 Cytokines in Multiple Myeloma.
Di LIU ; Qian CHEN ; Ling LI ; Hua-Xin JIANG
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(5):1366-1373
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the expression and clinical significance of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1), Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines in multiple myeloma (MM).
METHODS:
A total of 76 MM patients treated in the Tengzhou Central People's Hospital from May 2021 to May 2023 were collected as MM group, and 48 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination during the same period were included as control group. The expression of PD-1 on the surface of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and the levels of serum Th1 cytokines [interleukin (IL) -2, interferon γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)], Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) and Th17 cytokines (IL-17) were detected in the two groups. Spearman correlation was used to examine the relationship between PD-1, Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokines and clinical stage and immune typing of MM patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors affecting the efficacy of chemotherapy in MM patients, and the factors were tested for multicollinearity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of PD-1, Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokines in chemotherapy efficacy of MM patients.
RESULTS:
The levels of CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in the MM group were higher than those in the control group, while the levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were lower (all P <0.001). The levels of CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in R-ISS stage III patients were higher than those in stage II and I patients, and the levels in stage II patients were higher than those in stage I patients (all P <0.05). The IL-2 level in R-ISS stage III patients was lower than that in stage II and I patients, and IL-2 level in R-ISS stage II patients was lower than that in stage I patients (all P <0.05). The levels of CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in IgG patients were higher than those in IgA, light chain, and non secretory patients, while the level of IL-2 was lower (all P <0.05). Correlation analysis showed that CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 were positively correlated with R-ISS staging in MM patients (r =0.623, 0.635, 0.728, 0.330, 0.742, 0.412), and negatively correlated with immune classification (r =-0.664, -0.756, -0.642, -0.479, -0.613, -0.323). IL-2 was negatively correlated with R-ISS staging in MM patients (r =-0.280), and positively correlated with immune classification (r =0.483). The levels of CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in the non-remission group were higher than those in the remission group, while the level of IL-2 was lower (all P <0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the increased CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17 were risk factors for the efficacy of chemotherapy in MM patients (OR >1, P <0.05), while the increased IL-2 was a protective factor (OR < 1, P <0.05). The results of multicollinearity test showed that the tolerance of the seven factors included was between 0.714-0.885, and the variance inflation factor was between 1.130-1.400. There was no multicollinearity. The ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under the curve for the combined prediction of chemotherapy efficacy in MM patients by the above 7 factors was 0.942, with specificity of 0.741 and sensitivity of 0.909.
CONCLUSION
The expression levels of PD-1 on the surface of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and serum Th2 and Th17 cytokines in MM patients are high, while Th1 cytokines are low. PD-1, Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines are related to clinical stage and immune classification of MM patients. The combined detection of these indicators can help predict the chemotherapy efficacy of MM patients.
Humans
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Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism*
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Multiple Myeloma/blood*
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Cytokines/metabolism*
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Th17 Cells/metabolism*
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Th1 Cells/metabolism*
;
Th2 Cells/metabolism*
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Female
;
Male
;
Interleukin-10
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Interferon-gamma
;
Middle Aged
;
Interleukin-17
;
Interleukin-2
;
Interleukin-4
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
;
Interleukin-6
;
Aged
6.Effect of aquaporin 5 on TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in Sjögren syndrome rats.
Lixiu ZHU ; Renli CHEN ; Sujuan ZHOU ; Ye LIN ; Yirong TANG ; Zhen YE
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(5):875-883
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in Sjögren syndrome (SS) rats.
METHODS:
The SS gene expression data sets GSE406611 and GSE84844 were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the AQP5 mRNA expression was analyzed by R software. The rat SS model was constructed. The successfully modeled rats were divided into SS group, SS+NC group, and SS+pc group, 10 rats in each group; and 10 rats were set as Normal group. The rats in the SS+NC group were injected with 10 μg of rno-pcDNA3.1-AQP5-NC at the submandibular gland, subcutaneously every day for 28 days. The rats in the SS+pc group were injected with 10 μg of rno-pcDNA3.1-AQP5 at the submandibular gland, subcutaneously every day for 28 days. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was used to detect the content of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the serum. High-throughput sequencing was used to identify the target genes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of AQP5, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in the rat submandibular gland tissue.
RESULTS:
In the SS dataset GSE406611 and GSE84844, the mRNA expression of AQP5 in SS was significantly reduced. Compared with the Normal group, the content of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum, the mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in the SS group were significantly increased, the mRNA and protein expressions of AQP5 were significantly decreased. After overexpression of AQP5, the content of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum, the mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in the SS+pc group were significantly decreased, the mRNA and protein expressions of AQP5 were significantly increased. The differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
The expression of AQP5 is involved in the progression of SS. Increasing the expression of AQP5 can significantly inhibit inflammatory stress and reduce the pathological damage of submandibular gland tissue. This may be related to the inhibition of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB conduction.
Animals
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Toll-Like Receptor 4/genetics*
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Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/genetics*
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Aquaporin 5/metabolism*
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Sjogren's Syndrome/genetics*
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Signal Transduction
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NF-kappa B/metabolism*
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Rats
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*
;
Female
7.Distribution of pathogenic bacteria in ear canal secretions of patients with chronic suppurative otitis media, changes in levels of IL-8 and TLR4 in ear canal secretions, and their clinical significance.
Xiuqin CHENG ; Li YANG ; Jia LIU
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(6):564-569
Objective:To investigate the distribution of pathogenic bacteria in the ear canal secretions of patients with chronic suppurative otitis media(CSOM), the changes in the levels of interleukin-8(IL-8) and Toll like receptor 4(TLR4) in the ear canal secretions, and their clinical significance. Methods:This study selected 128 CSOM patients who visited our hospital from January 2022 to February 2024 as the study subjects and recorded them as the CSOM group. Additionally, 135 volunteers who underwent physical examinations at our hospital during the same period were regarded as the control group. Video otoscopy was used to collect and cultivate ear canal secretions, and a fully automated microbial identification instrument was used to identify the bacterial species. ELISA was applied to detect levels of IL-8, TLR4. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the factors that affect the occurrence of CSOM. Pearson correlation was applied to analyze the correlation between IL-8, TLR4 levels and various influencing factors. ROC curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of IL-8 and TLR4 levels for the occurrence of CSOM. Z-test was applied to compare the differences in AUC. Results:Among 128 patients, the detection rate was 89.06%, and a total of 181 strains of pathogenic bacteria were cultured, among them, Gram positive bacteria accounted for the highest proportion of 54.14%, followed by Gram negative bacteria, accounting for 34.25%, and finally fungi, accounting for 11.60%. The common bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (20.44%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.26%), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (8.29%). The resistance of Gram-positive bacteria to penicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and amoxicillin is high. Gram-negative bacteria are highly resistant to penicillin, ampicillin and erythromycin. Fungi are resistant to ketoconazole and fluconazole. The levels of IL-8 and TLR4 in CSOM group were higher than those in the control group, and gradually increased with the increase of hearing impairment. (P<0.05). Elevated levels of IL-8, TLR4 were independent risk factors for the occurrence of CSOM(P<0.05). The AUC of CSOM diagnosed by IL-8 and TLR4 alone was 0.790 and 0.777, respectively, while the AUC of combined diagnosis was 0.898, which was better than their respective individual diagnoses(both P<0.05). Conclusion:The distribution of pathogenic bacteria in the ear canal secretions of CSOM patients is mainly Gram positive, with common ones being Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The levels of IL-8 and TLR4 in CSOM patients are higher than those in the control group. The higher the levels, the higher the degree of hearing loss, which can be used for clinical diagnosis.
Humans
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Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-8/metabolism*
;
Otitis Media, Suppurative/metabolism*
;
Ear Canal/metabolism*
;
Chronic Disease
;
Male
;
Female
;
Adult
;
Middle Aged
;
Clinical Relevance
8.Observation of morphological and molecular biological changes of nasal mucosa in patients with type 2 inflammation chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps after Reboot surgery.
Xubo CHEN ; Xinhua ZHU ; Yu ZHU ; Zheng ZHOU ; Zhihui FU ; Hongbing LIU
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(9):809-816
Objective:To explore the effect, postoperative mucosal pathological changes and molecular biological changes of reboot operation for type 2 inflammation chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP) patients, and to provide theoretical basis for the clinical application of this kind of operation. Methods:We collected 29 patients who were diagnosed with CRSwNP with type 2 inflammatino response and underwent Reboot surgery from June 2022 to August 2023, and 27 patients who were diagnosed with deviated septum and underwent simple submucosal resection of the septum as the control group. We conducted nasal symptom scoring, endoscopic sinusitis scoring, and CT scanning of the sinuses before and after surgery, as well as HE staining, immunohistochemical staining, and detection of inflammatory factors using Elisa kits at the time of surgery, 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. We also observed the ultrastructural changes using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and performed proteomic analysis of the mucosa in the ethmoid sinus area of the sinusitis patients at the time of surgery and 6 months postoperatively. Results:After 6 months of postoperative follow-up, CT scores of the nasal cavity and sinuses had gradually decreased compared with the preoperative period. The VAS score of main symptoms, SNOT-22 score and Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score were decreased after 12 months follow-up. The histological morphology of the mucosa in the area of the screen was significantly improved compared with the preoperative period, with a reduction in the number of eosinophils. The levels of inflammatory factors such as IL-4 and IL-5 et al. in the mucosa of the area of the screen were gradually reduced compared with the preoperative period. The histological morphology, ultrastructure, and cilia structure of the mucosa in the area of the screen were gradually improved compared with the preoperative period, though not recovered completely. The number of CD4⁺T and CD8⁺T cells not changed significantly before and after the surgery yet. By conducting proteomic analysis of the ethmoidal sinus mucosa before and after surgery, differential proteins were selected, and bioinformatics analysis was conducted on the differentially expressed proteins. By using cytoHubba to identify hub genes and intersecting them with the genes related to chronic sinusitis, we found that MMP9 expression increased in non-type 2 CRS and type 2 CRS in sequence, while ACTC1 expression decreased in non-tpye 2 CRS and type 2 CRS in sequence. Conclusion:Reboot surgery can improve the postoperative symptoms and signs of patients, improve the pathological morphology of the mucosa, and influence the expression of protein after surgery. However, the surgery may not have a significant impact on the distribution of T cell subpopulations and inflammation signal pathway in the nasal mucosa.
Humans
;
Sinusitis/metabolism*
;
Nasal Polyps/metabolism*
;
Nasal Mucosa/ultrastructure*
;
Chronic Disease
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Rhinitis/complications*
;
Inflammation
;
Male
;
Female
;
Postoperative Period
;
Adult
;
Interleukin-5/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-4/metabolism*
;
Middle Aged
;
Proteomics
;
Rhinosinusitis
9.Electroacupuncture at Zusanli improves blood lipid disorders in hyperlipidemic mice by improving gut microbiota structure.
Chuyu DENG ; Xueying WANG ; Lixiang GAN ; Dayu WANG ; Xiaoyan ZHENG ; Chunzhi TANG
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(8):1633-1642
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36) acupoint on hyperlipidemia in mice and explore the underlying mechanisms.
METHODS:
Thirty C57BL/6J mice were equally randomized into normal diet group, high-fat diet (HFD) group, and EA group. The changes in blood lipids and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content of the mice were evaluated, and histopathological changes and lipid accumulation in the liver were observed using Oil red O staining (ORO). The expressions of NLRP3, TLR4, and IL-1β proteins in the colon tissues were detected with Western blotting, and gut microbiota changes were analyzed using 16S rDNA sequencing.
RESULTS:
In mice with HFD feeding, 16 weeks of EA treatment significantly lowered body weight and serum TC, TG, LDL-C and MDA levels, obviously reduced lipid accumulation in the liver, and ameliorated HFD-induced elevations of protein expressions of NLRP3, TLR4, and IL-1β. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that EA significantly altered gut microbiota composition, and increased the diversity and relative abundance of beneficial bacterial groups such as Muribaculaceae and Lachnospiraceae NK4A136_group.
CONCLUSIONS
Electroacupuncture at ST36 alleviates blood lipid disorders in hyperlipidemic mice possibly by improving intestinal microbiota structure, promoting degradation of high-caloric carbohydrates, cholesterol lipid metabolism and intestinal mucosa repair, and reducing toxin leakage, lipid peroxides, and liver fat deposition.
Animals
;
Electroacupuncture
;
Gastrointestinal Microbiome
;
Hyperlipidemias/blood*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Mice
;
Diet, High-Fat
;
Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism*
;
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
;
Acupuncture Points
;
Male
;
Lipids/blood*
;
Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*
;
Liver/metabolism*
10.LuoFuShan Rheumatism Plaster ameliorates neuropathic pain in mice by suppressing TLR4/TNF-α signaling.
Yufang FU ; Weiling TAN ; Xiaocui LI ; Rongtian LIN ; Shuwen LIU ; Ling YE
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(11):2285-2296
OBJECTIVES:
To explore the therapeutic effect of LuoFuShan Rheumatism Plaster (LFS) on neuropathic pain (NP) and its molecular mechanism.
METHODS:
Mouse models of sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI) were treated with low, medium, and high doses (2.2, 4.4, and 8.8 cm2, respectively) of LFS by topical application for 14 consecutive days. The therapeutic effects were assessed by evaluating the mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT), paw withdrawal latency (PWL), plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and histopathology of the sciatic nerve. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to identify the key targets and signaling pathways. The key targets were verified by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. The biosafety of LFS was evaluated by measuring the organ indices and damage indicators of the heart, liver, and kidneys.
RESULTS:
Compared with the CCI group, LFS dose-dependently increased MWT and PWL, reduced plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and alleviated sciatic nerve inflammation in the mouse models. Network pharmacology identified 378 bioactive compounds targeting 279 NP-associated genes enriched in TLR and TNF signaling. Molecular docking showed that quercetin and ursolic acid in LFS could stably bind to TLR4 and TNF‑α. In the mouse models of sciatic nerve CCI, LFS significantly downregulated the mRNA expression levels of Tlr4 and Tnf-α in the spinal cord in a dose-dependent manner and lowered the protein expressions of TLR4 and TNF-α in the sciatic nerve. LFS treatment did not cause significant changes in the organ indices or damage indicators of the heart, liver and kidneys as compared with those in the CCI model group and sham-operated group.
CONCLUSIONS
LFS alleviates NP in mice by suppression of TLR4/TNF-α-mediated neuroinflammation with a good safety profile.
Animals
;
Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism*
;
Neuralgia/metabolism*
;
Mice
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
;
Sciatic Nerve/injuries*
;
Male
;
Molecular Docking Simulation
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Interleukin-6

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