帕金森病的神经保护治疗

帕金森病是一种常见的中枢神经系统变性疾病,其神经退变进行性加重,会导致患者严重残疾,寿命缩短,目前尚无有效的预防和根治措施.大量研究表明,帕金森病的发病机制涉及到线粒体功能和氧化应激,免疫反应,营养因子缺乏,细胞凋亡,蛋白质异常表达等.神经保护治疗能够延缓或终止帕金森病的进展,预防残疾的进一步加重.     

芝芪菌质提取物免疫活性研究

目的 探究芝芪菌质及其各部位免疫活性。 方法 芝芪菌质为灵芝菌丝-黄芪药渣的固体发酵复合体。通过小鼠碳粒廓清实验,鸡红细胞吞噬功能实验,小鼠血清溶血素、免疫球蛋白M(IgM)和免疫球蛋白G(IgG)的含量检测,以及小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖实验,筛选了芝芪菌质水提液,芝芪菌质水浸液,芝芪菌质水提液经大孔树脂分离的部位(水洗脱液、40%乙醇洗脱液和95%乙醇洗脱液)的非特异性和特异性免疫活性。 结果 碳粒廓清实验中,K值最高为水浸液和水提液组的0.23,α值最高为水提液组的2.44。吞噬指数最高为水浸液和水提液组的0.36,鸡红细胞吞噬百分率最佳为水浸液组的47.25%。小鼠溶血素含量最高为水洗脱组的0.4。IgM含量最高为水提液组的34.19 mg·L-1,而IgG最高则是水浸液组的44.50 mg·L-1。淋巴细胞增殖指数最高为40%乙醇洗脱液组的1.23。 结论 芝芪菌质水提液、芝芪菌质水浸液和40%乙醇洗脱液具有显著的免疫增强功效,为芝芪菌质制成增强人体抵抗力的功能性食品及药品提供实验数据和理论参考。     

倍芪腹泻贴微生物限度检查方法的适用性试验

目的 建立倍芪腹泻贴微生物限度检查方法。 方法 按照《中国药典》2015年版四部﹝通则1105和通则1106﹞的具体规定,采用平皿法、稀释法、薄膜过滤法及方法联用对倍芪腹泻贴进行微生物限度方法适用性试验。 结果 需氧菌总数、真菌和酵母菌总数计数方法适用性试验中各试验菌回收比值均不小于0.9,控制菌方法适用性试验均检出金黄色葡萄球菌和铜绿假单胞菌。 结论 该试验方法可用于倍芪腹泻贴的微生物限度检查。     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病免疫调节治疗专家共识

慢性阻塞性肺疾病（简称慢阻肺）是我国重点防治的慢性呼吸系统疾病之一,深入探讨慢阻肺的免疫发病机制并对其中的关键靶点进行干预可能为慢阻肺的防治提供新办法。基于目前临床常用的慢阻肺免疫调节剂相关研究证据及具有免疫治疗作用的药物研发现状和趋势,《慢性阻塞性肺疾病免疫调节治疗专家共识》撰写组提出4条推荐意见：（1）细菌溶解产物、磷酸二酯酶抑制剂、大环内酯类药物等生物、化学制剂均可通过增强机体免疫功能和提高免疫细胞活性而发挥对慢阻肺的免疫调节作用;（2）针对流感病毒、肺炎球菌感染等进行疫苗接种可预防慢阻肺急性加重、降低患者死亡率;（3）他汀类药物及维生素D等具有免疫调节作用,对慢阻肺可能有一定的治疗作用,但二者在慢阻肺中的应用证据较少且存在一定不良反应,仍需进一步积累证据;（4）中医药复方及虫草制剂或可通过调节机体免疫功能、提高免疫细胞活性改善慢阻肺稳定期患者生活质量,减少急性加重。本专家共识旨在进一步推动我国慢阻肺免疫调节治疗的临床实践。     

The effects of cichorium intybus extract on the maturation and activity of dendritic cells

Background

Cichorium intybus is a medicinal plant commonly used in traditional medicine for its benefits in immune-madiated disorders. There are several evidences showing that C. intybus can modulate immune responses. In the present study we have investigated the effects of the ethanolic root extract of this plant on the immune system by targeting dendritic cells (DCs). For this purpose, phenotypic and functional maturity of murine DCs after treatment with the extract was analyzed by flow cytometry and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) assay.

Results

C. intybus did not change the expression of CD40, CD86 and MHC-II molecules as important co-stimulatory markers on DCs compared to the control, indicating that it could not promote DCs phenotypic maturation. Treatment of DCs with lower concentrations of the extract resulted in an increased production of IL-12 by these cells with no change in IL-10 release. The capacity of treated DCs to stimulate allogenic T cells proliferation and cytokines secretion was examined in the co-cuture of these cells with T cells in MLR. C. intybus at higher concentrations inhibited proliferation of allogenic T cells and in lower concentrations changed the level of cytokines such that IL-4 decreased and IFN-γ increased.

Conclusions

These results indicated that C. intybus extract at higher concentrations can inhibit T cell stimulating activity of DCs, whereas at lower concentrations can modulate cytokine secretion toward a Th1 pattern. These data may in part explain the traditional use of this plant in treatment of immune-mediated disorders.     

Smile—It's in your blood!

Emotions and feelings are the bricks of our social life and yet we often forget that they have a significant impact on our physical wellbeing. Indeed, a growing number of studies have shown that both an imbalanced or improved emotional state can significantly influence the way our immune system responds. In this commentary, we have summarized the most recent studies on the effects of different types of emotional states on the immune system and we have also explored the effects of mood modulator approaches on the immune response. We hope this commentary will prompt scientists and clinicians to think about the therapeutic value and potential of emotions and feelings in immune-related diseases. At the same time, we think that this commentary will shed some light on the scientific truth behind the very famous expression “It's in my blood” when we talk about feelings and personality.     

Immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. In AD the normal soluble amyloid β (sAβ) peptide is converted into oligomeric/fibrillar Aβ. The oligomeric forms of Aβ are thought to be the most toxic, while fibrillar Aβ becomes deposited as amyloid plaques and congophilic angiopathy, which serve as neuropathological markers of the disease. In addition the accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau as soluble toxic oligomers and as neurofibrillary tangles is a critical part of the pathology. Numerous therapeutic interventions are under investigation to prevent and treat AD. Among the more exciting and advanced of these approaches is vaccination. Active and passive Immunotherapy targeting only Aβ has been successful in many AD model animal trials; however, the more limited human data has shown much less benefit so far, with encephalitis occurring in a minority of patients treated with active immunization and vasogenic edema or amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) being a complication in some passive immunization trials. Therapeutic intervention targeting only tau has been tested only in mouse models; and no approaches targeting both pathologies concurrently has been attempted, until very recently. The immune approaches tried so far were targeting a self-protein, albeit in an abnormal conformation; however, effective enhanced clearance of the disease associated conformer has to be balanced with the potential risk of stimulating excessive toxic inflammation. The design of future more effective immunomodulatory approaches will need to target all aspects of AD pathology, as well as specifically targeting pathological oligomeric conformers, without the use of any self-antigen.     

Niclosamide Modulates the Cellular and Humoral Immune Response in Balb/c Mice

Background: Niclosamide, a STAT3 inhibitor, is widely under investigation due to its anti-cancer properties. STAT3 also exhibits an exciting role in the immune responses. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of niclosamide on immune response of mice. Methods: Niclosamide was administered to balb/c mice. To evaluate cell-mediated immune response, a contact-hypersensitivity (CHS) test, cyclophosphamide-induced neutropenic assay, and carbon clearance test were performed, whereas a humoral immune response was evaluated by hemagglutination assay (HA) and mice lethality test. The concentration of TGF-β1 was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on murine peritoneal macrophages. Results: In the CHS test, niclosamide caused a decrease in skin thickness, significantly exhibiting a decrease in inflammation. A highly significant decrease in overall leukocyte count (lymphocytes and neutrophils) was observed before and after cyclophosphamide injection as compared with the control group. However, only a highly significant decrease in the neutrophil percentage was observed. Niclosamide has decreased the phagocytic process immensely compared with the control. In the HA titer, niclosamide was found to reduce the antibodies' titer compared with the negative control group. In the mice lethality test, the treatment groups have shown an increase in the percentage of mortality. TGF-β1 elevated in peritoneal macrophages when treated with niclosamide, in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Niclosamide exerts potent immunomodulatory effects by significantly suppressing cell-mediated and humoral immune responses and increasing the levels of TGF-β1 in mice. Niclosamide might be added as an adjuvant to immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.     

Basic Clinical Study of an Easy and Effective Leukocytapheresis by the Use of Nonwoven Polyester Filter

Abstract: Leukocytapheresis (LCAP) is widely used for the treatment of immunological diseases. We studied a new treatment of LCAP using a nonwoven polyester filter. In a basic study, 30–70% of the lymphocytes were adsorbed. Also, 30–68% of the lymphocyte subsets were removed. This method was applied to 2 patients with corti-costeroid-resistant active ulerative colitis. Erosion, edema, bleeding, ulcer formation, and stenosis of the colon were almost completely repaired after 6 LCAP treatments. LCAP using a nonwoven polyester filter will be a very useful treatment for immunological diseases and extracorporeal immunomodulation.