Objective:To investigate the efficacy of combination treatment with montelukast sodium, budesonide and formoterol in the treatment of bronchial asthma in adults and its effects on cytokines.Methods:A total of 100 adult patients with bronchial asthma who received treatment in The First People's Hospital of Yongkang from January 2019 to December 2020 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive either budesonide inhalation alone (control group, n = 50) or combination inhalation of montelukast sodium, budesonide and formoterol (observation group, n = 50) for 12 weeks. Efficacy was compared between the two groups. Lung function [forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and FEV 1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio], cytokines [interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6], Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) score, and Asthma Control Test (ACT) score measured before and 12 weeks after treatment were compared between the two groups. Results:Total response rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [92.00% (46/50) vs. 72.00% (36/50), χ2 = 6.77, P < 0.05). After 12 weeks of treatment, FEV 1, PEF and FEV1/FVC in the observation group were (2.17 ± 0.23) L, (246.56 ± 17.86) L/s, and (83.86 ± 3.98)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than (1.86 ± 0.17) L, (203.12 ± 20.10) L/s, (74.82 ± 5.67)% in the control group ( t = 7.66, 11.42, 9.22, P < 0.05). Serum IL-2 level in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(10.85 ± 0.86) ng/L vs. (8.94 ± 1.03) ng/L, t = 10.06, t < 0.05]. Serum IL-4 and IL-6 in the observation group were (24.98 ± 3.08) ng/L and (98.46 ± 9.76) μg/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than (36.75 ± 4.34) ng/L and (125.84 ± 13.19) μg/L in the control group ( t =15.63, 11.79, both P < 0.05). AQLQ score and ACT score in the observation group were (121.03 ± 8.69) points and (22.08 ± 1.35) points, respectively, which were significantly higher than (110.93 ± 7.86) points and (19.74 ± 1.76) points in the control group ( t = 6.095, 7.460, both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Inhalation therapy with montelukast sodium, budesonide and formoterol produces obvious therapeutic effects on bronchial asthma in adult patients and the combined therapy can reduce inflammatory reactions.

The antimicrobial peptide APKGVQGPNG (named YD), a natural peptide originating from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CBSYD1, exhibited excellent antibacterial and antioxidant properties in vitro. These characteristics are closely related to inflammatory responses which is the central trigger for liver fibrosis. However, the therapeutic effects of YD against hepatic fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms are rarely studied. In this study, we show that YD improved liver function and inhibited the progression of liver fibrosis by measuring the serum transaminase activity and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin and collagen I in carbon tetrachloride-induced mice. Then we found that YD inhibited the level of miR-155, which plays an important role in inflammation and liver fibrosis. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay indicate that Casp12 is a new target of miR-155. We demonstrate that YD significantly decreases the contents of inflammatory cytokines and suppresses the NF-κB signaling pathway. Further studies show that transfection of the miR-155 mimic in RAW264.7 cells partially reversed the YD-mediated CASP12 upregulation, the downregulated levels of inflammatory cytokines, and the inactivation of the NF-κB pathways. Collectively, our study indicates that YD reduces inflammation through the miR-155–Casp12–NF-κB axis during liver fibrosis and provides a promising therapeutic candidate for hepatic fibrosis.