Objective:To investigate effect and mechanism of Morin on inflammatory response of young asthmatic rats by regu-lating mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods:An asthma rat model was established.Experiment was separated into Control group,Model group,Morin low-dose[Morin-L,10 mg/(kg·d)]group,Morin medium dose[Morin-M,30 mg/(kg·d)]group,Morin high-dose[Morin-H,100 mg/(kg·d)]group and Morin high-dose+mTOR activator group[Morin-H+MHY-1485,100 mg/(kg·d)Morin+7 mg/(kg·d)MHY-1485]group.Enhanced expiratory interval value was detected and recorded;Total IgE,ovalbumin(OVA)specific IgE,IL-4,IL-5,IL-17,IL-13,IFN-γ and TGF-β1 levels were determined by ELISA;Giemsa staining was applied to observe and record situation of related inflammatory cells;proportion of Th1,Th2 and Th17 cells were detected by flow cytometry;HE and PAS staining were applied to observe pathologi-cal changes in lung tissue and goblet cell proliferation;GATA-binding protein 3(GATA-3)expression was detected by immunohisto-chemistry and qRT-PCR;Western blot was applied to detect expression and phosphorylation levels of mTOR and STAT3 proteins.Results:Compared with Control group,inflammatory cell infiltration was obvious in Model group,with irregular thickening of tube wall and basement membrane,obviously more goblet cells,and increased mucus secretion,Penh value,IL-4,IL-5,IL-17,IL-13,total IgE and OVA-sIgE levels,macrophages,lymphocytes,eosinophils and neutrophils numbers,Th2 and Th17 cells proportion,average optical density of GATA-3,GATA-3 mRNA and phosphorylation levels of mTOR and STAT3 were obviously increased(P<0.05),proportion of Th1 cells and IFN-γ level were significantly reduced(P<0.05).Compared with Model group,bronchial wall structure of rats in Morin-L,Morin-M and Morin-H groups was smoother and more complete,with epithelial cells arranged in a more orderly manner,moderate airway wall thickness,reduced inflammatory cell infiltration,and reduced goblet cell proliferation,Penh value,IL-4,IL-5,IL-17,IL-13,TGF-β1,total IgE and OVA-sIgE levels,numbers of macrophages,lymphocytes,eosinophils and neutrophils,proportion of Th2 and Th17 cells,average optical density of GATA-3,GATA-3 mRNA,and phosphorylation levels of mTOR and STAT3 were obviously decreased(P<0.05),proportion of Th1 cells and IFN-γ level were significantly increased(P<0.05).MHY-1485 reversed inhibitory effect of morin on inflammatory response in asthmatic rats(P<0.05).Conclusion:Morin may inhibit activation of mTOR/STAT3 signaling pathway,inhibit inflammatory response in young rats with asthma,and thereby improve asthma symptoms.

Objective:To investigate effect and mechanism of Morin on inflammatory response of young asthmatic rats by regu-lating mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods:An asthma rat model was established.Experiment was separated into Control group,Model group,Morin low-dose[Morin-L,10 mg/(kg·d)]group,Morin medium dose[Morin-M,30 mg/(kg·d)]group,Morin high-dose[Morin-H,100 mg/(kg·d)]group and Morin high-dose+mTOR activator group[Morin-H+MHY-1485,100 mg/(kg·d)Morin+7 mg/(kg·d)MHY-1485]group.Enhanced expiratory interval value was detected and recorded;Total IgE,ovalbumin(OVA)specific IgE,IL-4,IL-5,IL-17,IL-13,IFN-γ and TGF-β1 levels were determined by ELISA;Giemsa staining was applied to observe and record situation of related inflammatory cells;proportion of Th1,Th2 and Th17 cells were detected by flow cytometry;HE and PAS staining were applied to observe pathologi-cal changes in lung tissue and goblet cell proliferation;GATA-binding protein 3(GATA-3)expression was detected by immunohisto-chemistry and qRT-PCR;Western blot was applied to detect expression and phosphorylation levels of mTOR and STAT3 proteins.Results:Compared with Control group,inflammatory cell infiltration was obvious in Model group,with irregular thickening of tube wall and basement membrane,obviously more goblet cells,and increased mucus secretion,Penh value,IL-4,IL-5,IL-17,IL-13,total IgE and OVA-sIgE levels,macrophages,lymphocytes,eosinophils and neutrophils numbers,Th2 and Th17 cells proportion,average optical density of GATA-3,GATA-3 mRNA and phosphorylation levels of mTOR and STAT3 were obviously increased(P<0.05),proportion of Th1 cells and IFN-γ level were significantly reduced(P<0.05).Compared with Model group,bronchial wall structure of rats in Morin-L,Morin-M and Morin-H groups was smoother and more complete,with epithelial cells arranged in a more orderly manner,moderate airway wall thickness,reduced inflammatory cell infiltration,and reduced goblet cell proliferation,Penh value,IL-4,IL-5,IL-17,IL-13,TGF-β1,total IgE and OVA-sIgE levels,numbers of macrophages,lymphocytes,eosinophils and neutrophils,proportion of Th2 and Th17 cells,average optical density of GATA-3,GATA-3 mRNA,and phosphorylation levels of mTOR and STAT3 were obviously decreased(P<0.05),proportion of Th1 cells and IFN-γ level were significantly increased(P<0.05).MHY-1485 reversed inhibitory effect of morin on inflammatory response in asthmatic rats(P<0.05).Conclusion:Morin may inhibit activation of mTOR/STAT3 signaling pathway,inhibit inflammatory response in young rats with asthma,and thereby improve asthma symptoms.

Objective To investigate the impact of Atractylodin on lung tissue damage in young asthmatic rats by regulating the CXC chemokine ligand 12(CXCL12)/CXC chemokine receptor 4(CXCR4)signaling pathway.Methods Twelve young SD rats were randomly selected from 60 rats as the control group(CON group),while the remaining 48 rats were used to construct asthma models using ovalbumin(OVA).Successfully modeled asthma rats were randomly separated into Model group,Atractylodin group(50 mg/kg Atractylodin),and CXCL-12 group(5 μ g/kg recombinant CXCL-12 protein)and Atractylodin+CXCL-12 group(50 mg/kg Atractylodin+5 μ g/kg recombinant CXCL-12 protein),with 12 in each group,continuously administered for 14 days.The CON and Model groups were given equal amounts of physiological saline.The percentages of neutrophils and eosinophils in bron-choalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were detected.ELISA method was applied to detect cytokine levels in serum and BALF fluid;HE staining was applied to detect pathological changes in lung tissue;Western blot was applied to detect the levels of CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway related proteins.Results Compared with the CON group,the pathological score of lung tissue,percentage of neutrophils,percentage of eosinophils,the levels of IL-17,IL-4,IL-5,IL-13,IgE,OVA sIgE,and the protein levels of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in Model group were obviously increased(P<0.05);compared with the Model group,the pathological score of lung tissue,percentage of neutro-phils,percentage of eosinophils,the levels of IL-17,IL-4,IL-5,IL-13,IgE,OVA sIgE,and the protein levels of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in the Atractylodin group were obviously reduced(P<0.05),the results in the CXCL-12 group were opposite to those in the Atractylodes group;CXCL-12 eliminated the improvement effect of atractylodes on asthma rats.Conclusion Atractylodin may improve lung tissue damage in asthmatic rats by down-regulating the CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling pathway.

The rare endocrine and metabolic diseases, due to their varieties, face many challenges in the study of clinical diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment. In the past a couple of years, the research on rare endocrine and metabolic diseases has been gradually improved. The diagnosis has made great progress. The research into molecular mechanism of rare endocrine and metabolic diseases has significantly advanced. The effort in exploring the breakthroughs and progress in therapeutic methods based on the pathogenesis of the diseases has also made. This article provides a brief overview of the current status of research into diagnosis, mechanism, and treatment of rare endocrine and metabolic diseases. In addition, the article points out the problems and challenges and proposes future possibilities.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of saffron freeze-dried effervescent tablets in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea of qi stagnation and blood stasis,and to provide reference for its clinical application.Methods A prospective,randomized,double-blind,placebo parallel controlled clinical trial was designed.60 patients were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.After 3 months of elution,the patients were treated with saffron freeze-dried effervescent tablets and placebo respectively for 2 menstrual cycles and were followed up for 2 months.Results There was no significant change in the control group before and after treatment,while the symptoms in the treatment group were significantly relieved after treatment,which were significantly different from those before treatment,and no adverse reactions occurred in all subjects.Conclusion Saffron freeze-dried effervescent tablets can effectively treat primary dysmenorrhea of qi stagnation and blood stasis with good long-term efficacy and safety,which is worthy of further clinical study.