Inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators and tumor cell proliferation by Anisomeles indica extracts

Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze (Labiatae), is a traditional anti-inflammatory herb used in Taiwan. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of whole plants, leaves, flowers and stems; and chloroform and n-butanol fractions of methanol extract, from A. indica were investigated for their anti-inflammatory activity on murine peritoneal macrophages. In addition, the tumor cells proliferation inhibition activities of these extracts were also evaluated against a panel of tumor cell lines such as Colon 205, PC 3, HepG2 and MCF 7. Treatment with A. indica extracts did not reduce cell viability at any dose used. However, all the extracts significantly inhibited the enhanced production of NO radicals, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, and IL-12) induced by LPS/IFN-gamma in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, methanolic extracts of leaves and flowers significantly and dose-dependently arrest mitogen-stimulated spleen cells in G0/G1 stage, in addition to their cell proliferation inhibition against Colon 205, MCF 7 and PC 3 by 94, 82; 98, 71; 82, 98%, respectively, at 200 microg/mL concentration. This is the first report on A. indica extracts for their growth inhibitory activities, against inflammatory mediator production, and human tumor cell lines, colon, prostate, hepatoma and breast cells proliferation.     

Effects of TGFbeta1 and extracts from Cervus korean TEMMINCK var. mantchuricus Swinhoe on acute and chronic arthritis in rats

AIM OF THE STUDY: To elucidate the pharmacological activities of deer antler acupuncture and TGF61538;1 on the acute and chronic phases of rheumatoid arthritis diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Polyarthritis rats were administered with TGF61538;1 and water extract of deer antler acupunture (DAA), prepared from the pilose antler of Cervus korean TEMMINCK var. mantchuricus Swinhoe. TGF61538; (0.1 to 2 61549;g/animal) and DAA (5-100 61549;g/kg animal) were initiated 1 day before an arthritogenic dose of streptococcal cell wall fragments to see the effects on the joint swelling and distortion during the acute phase and the chronic phase of the disease. Arthritic index suppression of rat arthritis model was examined by TGF61538; and DAA administrations. RESULTS: TGF61538;1 and DAA diminished the polyarthritis development in rats. TGF61538; and DAA eliminated the joint swelling and distortion observed during the acute phase and the chronic phase of the disease. The TGF61538; and DAA suppressed the arthritis progress when administration was begun after acute phase of arthritis. DISCUSSION: Consistent with the inhibition of inflammatory cell recruitment into the synovium, TGF61538;1 and DAA reversed the leukocytosis associated with the chronic phase of the arthritis, respectively.     

Effects of bee venom on the maturation of murine dendritic cells stimulated by LPS

Aim of study

This study was performed to elicit the effectiveness of bee venom (BV), a traditional immunosuppressive Korean acupuncture agent, on the maturation of dendrtic cells (DCs).

Materials and methods

Immature dendritic cells (iDCs) were generated from mouse bone marrow cells with GM-CSF. After 10 days of initial differentiation, DCs were activated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) for another 48h in the presence or absence of BV. Surface molecule analysis, intracytoplasmic staining of cytokines, FITC-conjugated antigen uptake, and transwell migration assays were conducted with iDCs and activated DCs.

Results

Up-regulation of costimulatory molecules, typical of mature DCs (mDCs) was inhibited by addition of BV. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were also found to be reduced with BV treatment in LPS-stimulated DC. A decrease in antigen uptake upon the maturation of DC was reversed in low dose BV treated mDC. In addition, BV treated mDC demonstrated reduced directional migration in response to CCL21, a lymphoid chemokine which directs mDC.

Conclusions

BV may have a therapeutic effect an on abnormally activated immune status, such as autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, through an immune-modulatory effect on DC.     

Analgesic and anti-arthritic effects of Lingzhi and San Miao San supplementation in a rat model of arthritis induced by Freund's complete adjuvant

Aim of study

In this study, we have investigated the analgesic and anti-arthritic effects of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combination of Lingzhi and San Miao San (SMS) in a rat model of arthritis induced by Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA).

Materials and methods

Sprague–Dawley rats were induced with monoarthritis by single unilateral injection of FCA into the knee joint. The TCM combination was administered to the rats daily by intraperitoneal injection (50 mg/(kg day)) or via oral administration (500 mg/(kg day)) for 7 days before induction of arthritis and 7 days after. Extension angle that provoked struggling behavior, and size and blood flow of the rat knees were measured to give indexes of allodynia, edema, and hyperemia, respectively. The extent of cell infiltration, tissue proliferation, and erosions of joint cartilage provided additional indexes of the arthritis condition.

Results

FCA injection produced significant allodynia, edema, hyperemia, immune cell infiltration, synovial tissue proliferation, and erosions of joint cartilage in the ipsilateral knees compared with the contralateral saline-injected knees. Intraperitoneal injection of the TCM combination (50 mg/(kg day)) suppressed allodynia, edema, and hyperemia in the inflamed knees, and oral administration (500 mg/(kg day)) suppressed edema and hyperemia. Histological examination showed that the TCM administered by either route reduced immune cell infiltration and erosion of joint cartilage.

Conclusions

These findings suggest the Lingzhi and SMS formulation has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in arthritic rat knees, and concur to previous clinical studies that showed the TCM combination reduced pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients, and extends its possible benefit to suppression of inflammatory symptoms in these patients.     

脾实热证与类风湿关节炎热痹证的关系

类风湿性关节炎属于中医"痹病"范畴。辨证大体分为寒热两类,而类风湿关节炎热痹证临床上较为多见。现代实验研究表明,中医脾气虚时机体免疫系统功能低下。试以探讨脾实热证时机体的免疫功能是否亢进,经研究中医古典医籍,发现脾实热证具有某些热痹证候,而类风湿关节炎热痹证在急性活动期常可见体液免疫亢进,现就脾实热证与类风湿关节炎热痹的关系加以探讨,为清热泻脾法治疗免疫疾病提供理论依据。     

可溶性和膜结合性CD14在类风湿关节炎患者外周血中的表达及临床意义

目的:探讨类风湿关节炎(RA)患者血清中可溶性CD14(sCD14)的水平及血浆单核细胞膜结合性CD14(mCD14)的表达与RA的关系。方法:收集78例RA患者和50名健康对照者(对照组)的外周血,酶联免疫吸附试验法检测血清中sCD14的表达,同时分离RA患者和对照组外周血单个核细胞,通过流式细胞术检测mCD14的表达水平,分析CD14的表达水平与RA的关系。结果:RA患者血清中的sCD14与mCD14表达水平均明显高于对照组(P<0.01),RA活动期患者sCD14与mCD14表达水平亦均明显高于RA缓解期患者(P<0.01)。结论:sCD14与mCD14在RA外周血中表达水平异常增高,它们可能参与了RA的发病或病情进展。     

基于集成神经网络的类风湿关节炎中医证候分类研究

目的 针对基于AI技术的类风湿关节炎（RA）中医证候多标签分类中存在标签关联性差、泛化性能低等问题,提出构建一种集成神经网络模型来实现RA中医证候分类,并探究其中的特征重要性和风险因素,为RA的诊断和治疗提供参考。方法 本文提出一种集成神经网络模型实现RA中医证候分类。该模型采用一种基于多层神经网络的基分类器提取临床RA多标签样本的深层特征,增强RA特征区分度,根据协方差理论衡量标签相关性,调节分类器链的输入空间,减少RA错误信息传播和冗余度,采用集成学习方法减小分类器链中不合理标签序列对RA特征分类的影响。结果 该模型在10折交叉验证性能参数中表现出优秀的性能,其中汉明损失、1-错误率、准确率和F1值分别为0.0036、0.0248、97.52%、99.18%。与其他常用多标签分类器相比,该模型的性能更为优秀具有更好的分类性能。此外,本文分析了RA中医证候特征重要性,并挖掘了潜在的风险因素。结论 基于集成神经网络模型的RA中医证候分类器具有较高的分类精度和效率,对于RA的临床诊断和治疗具有重要参考价值。     

Glucose as a Potential Key to Fuel Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Glucose is the most important source of energy and homeostasis. Recent investigations are clarifying that glucose metabolism might be altered in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which would play a role in the inflammatory phenotype of rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. It may also play a role in a variety of autoimmune diseases’ pathophysiology by modulating immune responses and modifying autoantigen expressions. The research into glucose and its metabolism could lead to a better understanding of how carbohydrates contribute to the occurrence and duration of RA and other autoimmune diseases.     

Tocilizumab as a first-line biologic treatment in rheumatoid arthritis patients – the impact of concomitant methotrexate treatment and Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index on the clinical response – results from the multicenter observational ACT-POL study

ObjectivesAccording to the EULAR recommendations, remission or low disease activity (LDA) in rheumatoid arthritis should be achieved by a maximum of 6 months (M6) of treatment. Data on the use of tocilizumab (TCZ) as first-line biologic treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in routine clinical practice in Poland are lacking.Material and methodsThis multicenter, non-interventional, prospective, observational study recruited adults, presenting with moderate-to-severe RA, showing an inadequate response or intolerance to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, where TCZ was the first-line biologic treatment. The effectiveness of TCZ was assessed by the proportion of patients achieving remission and low disease activity following 6 months of treatment with intravenous TCZ. The impact of comorbidities on treatment outcomes was measured using the Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (RDCI).ResultsTotal remission rates at months 3 and 6 were 6% and 31%, respectively. Low disease activity was reported in 10% and 92% of the patients at 3 and 6 months, respectively. The response was comparable between TCZ as monotherapy and in combination with methotrexate. Mean DAS28 decreased from 6.61 at baseline to 4.27 at the scheduled time of the assessment (3 and 6 months). The Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index was not correlated with the number of patients achieving LDA at M3 and M6 or remission rates at M6. Remission rates correlated with RDCI at M3. A total of 114 adverse events were reported in 61 patients, among which five were considered as serious.ConclusionsThe study confirms the effectiveness and safety of TCZ in real-world settings as a first-line biologic treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe RA. Importantly, comorbidities do not affect the results of 6-month treatment with TCZ, that is, the optimal time to achieve at least LDA. Our results may improve the effects of RA therapy in Poland, especially in patients with comorbidities and those who, for various reasons, cannot receive optimal treatment with methotrexate.     

关节镜下关节腔清理术治疗痛风性膝关节炎的临床分析

目的 探讨关节镜下关节腔清理术治疗痛风性膝关节炎中的临床治疗效果。方法 选取2019年5月—2020年5月在医院收治的痛风性膝关节炎患者80例作为研究对象,按照治疗方式不同分为两组,各40例,其中,对照组患者接受保守治疗措施,观察组患者接受关节镜下关节腔清理术治疗措施,对两组患者的治疗情况进行观察并对比。结果 （1）观察组优16例,良20例,治疗优良率90.0%,对照组优6例,良22例,治疗优良率70.0%,差异有统计学意义（P <0.05）。（2）治疗后观察组膝关节疼痛情况（1.0±0.3）分、关节活动度（104.3±1.0）分、膝关节功能（48.4±1.2）分均显著优于对照组,差异有统计学意义（P <0.05）;(3)治疗后,观察组生理功能（91.4±3.1）分、社会功能（91.3±4.3）分、躯体疼痛（92.0±3.2）分、精神健康（91.2±2.5）分均显著高于对照组水平,差异有统计学意义（P <0.05）。结论 关节镜下关节腔清理术治疗痛风性膝关节炎中的临床效果显著,能够快速改善患者的膝关节疼痛情况,并且提高患者的生活质量,值得肯定,能够在临床上推广应用。