Protective effect of a polyphenolic rich extract from Magnolia officinalis bark on influenza virus-induced pneumonia in mice

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Magnolia officinalis bark is used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cough, colds, fever, chronic bronchitis and stomach ailments.

Aim of the study

To investigate therapeutic effects of polyphenol rich extract from M. officinalis bark (MPE) in influenza virus A-infected mice, and to provide evidence for the inflammation response and immunomodulatory potential during infection.

Materials and methods

Mice were infected with influenza virus A (IVA) and MPE at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg were orally administrated daily for 5 days after challenge. The levels of serum L-6 and TNF-α were determined by ELISA while protein expressions of NF-κB and TLR3 were detected by western blotting analysis.

Results

MPE exhibited significant therapeutical effects on reducing levels of serum NO, IL-6 and TNF-α, inhibiting pneumonia, decreasing lung viral titers and sensitizing IVA-induced apoptosis through down-regulation of NF-κB and TLR3 protein expression in the lung tissue of IVA-infected mice.

Conclusions

MPE could exhibit preventive and therapeutical effects on IVA-infected mice as a suppressor of the production of inflammatory mediators, NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6. These effects appeared to be mediated, at least in part, by an inhibition of TLR3 and NF-κB activation. Therefore, MPE could provide a safe and effective therapeutic approach for influenza and its subsequent viral pneumonia.     

在VC＋＋6．0中实现视频捕获编程

在闭路电视视频监控、桌面视频会议、可视电话等多媒体应用中,获得数字视频是一个关键的前提。在Videoforwin-dows(VFW)出现之前,捕获数字视频是一项极其复杂的工作。Microsoft的VisualC++自从4.0版就开始支持VideoforWindows(简称VFW),这给视频捕获编程带来了很大的方便。关于多媒体应 用开发,使用的比较多的是MCI(媒体控制接口),而笔者在“af数字定格切换系统”和对一块FlayVideo视频采集卡的二次开发中,都使用了VisualC++提供的VFW的API函数和AVICap窗口类进行视频捕获编程,以实现在闭路电视监控中对视频图像的数字化控制。…     

Hypersensitivity reactions to grain dust

Allergic and respiratory investigations were performed in 17 subjects with respiratory symptoms and occupational exposure to grain dust. Common symptoms included chronic cough and sputum production, grain fever, wheezing and dyspnea on exposure to grain dust. Results of pulmonary function tests demonstrated a pattern of obstructive airway disease. Immediate hypersensitivity to grain dust was common. Both immediate and late reactions were observed on inhalation challenge studies. There was a good correlation between the hypersensitivity reactions on skin testing and on bronchial provocation. Inhalation of crude grain dust extract may produce systemic symptoms of malaise, myalgia, headache, and leukocytosis even in normal subjects. There was no evidence of precipitin-mediated hypersensitivity.     

Complement proteins and C3 anaphylatoxin in the tears of patients with conjunctivitis

Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated pollen-specific IgG antibodies in the tears of patients with vernal conjunctivitis (VC) and elevated tear IgG levels in patients with contact lens-induced giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC). Tear secretions were examined for complement (C) proteins to determine the role of this effector system in the pathogenesis of these ocular disorders. The tears of VC (15) and GPC (10) patients with active disease had elevated tear levels of both C3 and factor B. By use of transferrin as a marker for the leakage of plasma proteins into the tears, most C3 was locally produced by the conjunctival tissues. Although immune complexes could not be detected in the tear secretions, increased levels of C3 des Arg were present in the tears that suggested complement activation with the generation of anaphylatoxins. These studies suggest that complement may be important in the inflammatory ocular process of VC and GPC and that the generation of anaphylatoxins (C3a), even by nonimmune mechanisms, may contribute to basophil and mast cell activation with the release of inflammatory mediators into the tear secretions.     

基于PC平台实现眼科B超图像的实时传输、解码和处理

目的 借助个人计算机(PC)强大的存储和数据处理能力,提升传统眼科B超诊断仪的性能.方法 以VC++为编程环境,通过多线程结构,接收下位机通过USB2.0接口传入PC的编码图像数据,利用解码后的数据在内存创建位图,实现实时显示及后续的进一步处理.结果 来自眼科B超诊断仪的影像可以实时同步显示在PC最示器上,实现了B超图像的实时传输和准确解码.对捕获的图像可以做灰度变换、滤波、锐化、伪彩变换和边缘检测等处理及保存.结论 利用PC的现有资源可以极大地提升传统眼科B超诊断仪的性能,从而提高医生的工作效率.     

Nifedipine in bronchial asthma

In 11 patients with bronchial asthma and regular overnight falls in PEFR of greater than 15%, we demonstrated significant bronchodilation restricted only to large airways after the administration of a single dose of 10 mg of nifedipine. A statistically significant increase in PEFR, SGaw, and FEV1 was noticed at 1 and especially 2 hr after nifedipine administration. During 4 days of nifedipine treatment (10 mg t.i.d.), the overnight fall in mean PEFR was statistically significant (p less than 0.02) and less than the mean fall of PEFR during the 4 days of placebo treatment. Thus nifedipine does modify the basal bronchial tone of patients with asthma and diminishes the circadian swing of airway resistance.