This study aimed to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture at the Lieque, Chize, and Zusanli points in patients with lung injury caused by severe acute pancreatitis. Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) were randomly divided into three groups based on the treatment: conventional therapy alone (group A), electroacupuncture of nonacupoints with conventional therapy (group B), and electroacupuncture at the Lieque (LU7), Chize (LU5), and Zusanli (ST36) points (group C) once a day for 5 days. Arterial blood samples were obtained for blood gas analysis before electroacupuncture (T1) and 3 (T2) and 5 (T3) days after electroacupuncture. The oxygenation index was significantly higher in all groups at T2 and T3 than that at T1, while the APACHE-II scores were decreased significantly. The expression of TNF-α was significantly decreased and the IL-10 was significantly increased in all groups at T3. The oxygenation index at T2 and T3 was significantly higher in group C than that in group B. Electroacupuncture at Lieque, Chize, and Zusanli can lessen the lung injury induced by SAP, and the mechanism maybe related to the decreased TNF-α and increased IL-10 value. Clinical Registration Number is ChiCTR-ICR-15006850.

OBJECTIVE:To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture on rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS:In a randomized and controlled trial, sixty-three cases with RA were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture group (n = 32) and a simple acupuncture group (n = 31). Baihui (GV 20), Fengchi (GB 20), Quchi (LI 11), Waiguan (TE 5), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36) were selected by coordination method combined whole and local acupoints. The electroacupuncture group was treated with electroacupuncture at the local acupoints near painful joints, continuous wave, retaining needle for 30 minutes, and then electroacupuncture at Back-shu acupoints, retaining needle for 15 minutes, and the simple acupuncture group was treated with the same acupoints selection and acupuncture manipulation without electroacupuncture apparatus. They were all treated once every other day for 20 days as one course. After 3 courses, changes of interleukins in peripheral blood and joint fluid of patients were observed.

RESULTS:Both of electroacupuncture and simple acupuncture had significant effect on IL-1, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 in peripheral blood and joint fluid of patients with RA ( P<0.01, P<0.05). But after electroacupuncture, the absolute value and improvement value of decreasing IL-1 in peripheral blood and joint fluid were super than those of simple acupuncture (all P<0.05), and of IL-4 in joint fluid was super than that after simple acupuncture (P<0.05), and of IL-6 and the absolute value of decreasing IL-10 were almost the same after both treatment (all P>0.05), and after electroacupuncture, the improvement value of IL-10 in peripheral blood and joint fluid were super than those after simple acupuncture (both P<0.05).

CONCLUSION:Electroacupuncture can effectively decrease the proinflammatory cytokine of IL-1 and IL-6 and increase the inhibition cytokine of IL-4 and IL-10 and improve the internal environment of occurrence and progression of RA.

PURPOSE:Radiotherapy is effective in the treatment of tumors in the pelvic area but is associated with side effects such as cystitis and proctitis. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a treatment modality for radiation-induced side effects. In a rat model for radiation cystitis, we studied the effects of HBOT on oxidative stress and pro-fibrotic factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:Sedated Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bladder irradiation of 20Gy with and without 20 sessions of HBOT during a fortnight. Control animals were treated with and without HBOT. All four groups of animals were euthanized 28 days later. Histopathological examinations, immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to analyze changes in oxidative stress (8-OHdG), anti-oxidative responses (SOD-1, SOD2, HO-1 and NRFα) and a panel of Th1-type and Th2-type cytokines (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, TNF-α, TGF-β, IFN-γ) in the urinary bladder.

RESULTS:Bladder irradiation increased the expression of 8-OHdG, SOD2, HO-1, NRFα, IL-10, TNF-α and tended to increase TGF-β. These changes were completely reversed by HBOT while HBOT in control animals had no effects on the studied markers for oxidative stress, anti-oxidative responses and Th1-type and Th2-type cytokines.

CONCLUSIONS:Radiation induced a significant elevation of oxidative stress, antioxidants and pro-fibrotic factors in our animal model for radiation cystitis that were completely reversed and normalized by HBOT. Our findings indicate that HBOT may prevent radiation-induced changes by affecting oxidative stress and inflammatory cascades induced by radiation.

SUMMARY:Radiotherapy may cause the development of chronic inflammation and fibrosis, significantly impairing organ function. We hypothesized that bladder irradiation induces an oxidative stress reaction, thereby triggering the redox system and thus initiating an inflammatory and pro-fibrotic response. We aimed to assess whether these changes would be reversed by hyperbaric oxygen using an animal model for radiation cystitis. Our study show that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may reverse oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory factors induced by radiation.

Background: Cutaneous warts are small skin lesions formed as a result of infection by the human papilloma virus (HPV). In the lesion, viral manipulation creates a microenvironment that favors virus survival and reproduction. Most lesions eventually regress, probably as a result of a Th1-mediated immune response. However, some warts fail to regress and become persistent. Objective: The efficacy of treatment of persistent HPV-caused warts with Energetics of Living Systems acupuncture and monitored immune system involvement was tested. Methods: Eighteen patients with persistent warts were recruited for the study; 9 received acupuncture treatment and 9 received placebo. Each patient was treated 4 times. Results: Clinical success was defined as total clearance of all lesions with no recurrence for 3 months. In the treatment group, clinical success was 36.6% versus 0% in the placebo group. In the treatment group, the level of interleukin (IL)-10 decreased. In a comparison of patients with cleared warts and overall patients with nonresponding warts, different expression levels of IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, and interferon-γ were found, although these differences were not always statistically significant. Trends of differences (not significant) were observed in leukocyte levels. Acupuncture eliminated persistent warts in some of the patients, along with inducing changes in immunologic parameters. Conclusions: Taking the clinical and immunologic outcomes together, clearance of persistent warts following acupuncture might be due to a shift toward a Th1 immune response, or an anti-inflammatory effect against the lesion-induced microenvironment.

The present study showed that oral mushroom beta-glucan treatment significantly increased IFN-γ mRNA expression but significantly reduced COX-2 mRNA expression within the lung. For LLC tumor model, oral Ganoderma lucidum or Antrodia camphorata polysaccharides treatments significantly reduced TGF-β production in serum. In addition, IL-12 and IFN-γ mRNA expression were significantly increased, but IL-6, IL-10, COX-2, and TGF-β mRNA expression were substantially following oral mushroom polysaccharides treatments. The study highlights the efficacious effect of mushroom polysaccharides for ameliorating the immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment. Increased M1 phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages and attenuated M2 phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages could be achieved by ingesting mushroom polysaccharides.

It is now well established that after menopause cardiometabolic disorders become more common. Recently, resistance exercise has been recommended as a complement to aerobic (combined training, CT) for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of CT in hypertensive ovariectomized rats undergoing fructose overload in blood pressure variability (BPV), inflammation, and oxidative stress parameters. Female rats were divided into the following groups (n = 8/group): sedentary normotensive Wistar rats (C), and sedentary (FHO) or trained (FHOT) ovariectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats undergoing and fructose overload. CT was performed on a treadmill and ladder adapted to rats in alternate days (8 wk; 40-60% maximal capacity). Arterial pressure (AP) was directly measured. Oxidative stress and inflammation were measured on cardiac and renal tissues. The association of risk factors (hypertension + ovariectomy + fructose) promoted increase in insulin resistance, mean AP (FHO: 174± 4 vs. C: 108 ± 1 mmHg), heart rate (FHO: 403 ± 12 vs. C: 352 ± 11 beats/min), BPV, cardiac inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-α-FHO: 65.8 ± 9.9 vs. C: 23.3 ± 4.3 pg/mg protein), and oxidative stress cardiac and renal tissues. However, CT was able to reduce mean AP (FHOT: 158 ± 4 mmHg), heart rate (FHOT: 303 ± 5 beats/min), insulin resistance, and sympathetic modulation. Moreover, the trained rats presented increased nitric oxide bioavailability, reduced tumor necrosis factor-α (FHOT: 33.1 ± 4.9 pg/mg protein), increased IL-10 in cardiac tissue and reduced lipoperoxidation, and increased antioxidant defenses in cardiac and renal tissues. In conclusion, the association of risk factors promoted an additional impairment in metabolic, cardiovascular, autonomic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress parameters and combined exercise training was able to attenuate these dysfunctions.

It is known that solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation to human skin causes photo-aging, including increases in skin thickness and wrinkle formation and reduction in skin elasticity. UV radiation induces damage to skin mainly by superfluous reactive oxygen species and chronic low-grade inflammation, which eventually up-regulate the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In this study, the super-critical carbon dioxide extract from flowers and buds of Chrysanthemum indicum Linnén (CISCFE), which has been reported to possess free radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory properties, was investigated for its photo-protective effect by topical application on the skin of mice. Moreover, CISCFE effectively suppressed the UV-induced increase in skin thickness and wrinkle grading in a dose-dependent manner, which was correlated with the inhibition of loss of collagen fiber content and epidermal thickening. Furthermore, we observed that CISCFE could obviously decrease UV-induced skin inflammation by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β [IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α), alleviate the abnormal changes of anti-oxidative indicators (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase), and down-regulate the levels of MMP-1 and MMP-3. The results indicated that CISCFE was a novel photo-protective agent from natural resources against UV irradiation.

BACKGROUND:The aim of this study was to analyze the response of selected components of the immune system in rowers to maximal physical exercise, and to verify if this response could be modulated by supplementation with L-theanine.

METHOD:The double-blind study included 20 members of the Polish Rowing Team. The subjects were randomly assigned to the supplemented group (n = 10), receiving 150 mg of L-theanine extract for 6 weeks, or to the placebo group (n = 10). The participants performed a 2000-m test on a rowing ergometer at the beginning (1st examination) and at the end of the supplementation period (2nd examination). Blood samples were obtained from the antecubital vein before each exercise test, 1 min after completing the test, and after a 24-h recovery. Subpopulations of T regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs) (CD4+/CD25+/CD127-), cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) (CD8+/TCRαβ+), natural killer (NK) cells (CD3-/CD16+/CD56+) and TCRδγ-positive (Tδγ) cells were determined by means of flow cytometry. The levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interferon gamma (INF-ɤ) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined with commercially available diagnostic kits.

RESULTS:Supplementation with L-theanine contributed to a significant post-exercise decrease in IL-10 concentration, which was reflected by higher values of IL-2 to IL-10 and IFN-γ to IL-10 ratios. Moreover, a significant post-recovery decrease in CTL count, Treg to NK and Treg to CTL ratios was observed in the supplemented group.

CONCLUSION:Despite the decrease in the number of some cytotoxic cells (CTLs) and an increase in the proportion of Tregs to CTLs, supplementation with LTE seems to exert a beneficial effect on a disrupted Th1/Th2 balance in elite athletes, as shown by the decrease in IL-10 concentration.

OBJECTIVE:to evaluate changes in the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α in patients with rheumatoid arthritis submitted to phototherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:This was an open label study, enrolling ten patients. The phototherapy scheme within a range of 425 to 650 nm, 11.33 Joules/cm2, 30 cm above the chest was as follows: a) 45-min daily sessions from Monday to Friday for 2 to 3 months; b) three, 45- min weekly sessions for 1 to 2 months; c) twice weekly 45-min sessions for 1 to 2 months, and d) one weekly session for 1 to 2 months until completion. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor were measured in peripheral blood and tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-10 in leukocytes by quantitative real-time Reverse transcriptase-Polymerase chain reaction. In all the patients the next indexes: Karnofsky scale, Rheumatoid Arthritis-specific quality of life instrument, Steinbrocker Functional Capacity Rating and the Visual Analog Scale were evaluated.

RESULTS:Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and rheumatoid factor declined notoriously after the indicated sessions. In gene expression, there was a tendency in tumor necrosis factor-α to decrease after 1 month, from 24.5±11.4 to 18±9.2 relative units, without reaching a significant statistical difference. The four tested indexes showed improvement.

CONCLUSION:Phototherapy appears to be a plausible complementary option to reduce the inflammatory component in rheumatoid arthritis.