Effect of compound Maqin decoction on TGF-?1/Smad proteins and IL-10 and IL-17 content in lung tissue of asthmatic rats.

Effect of compound Maqin decoction on TGF-?1/Smad proteins and IL-10 and IL-17 content in lung tissue of asthmatic rats.

Genet Mol Res. 2016 Sep 2;15(3):

Authors: Xie YH, Li XP, Xu ZX, Qian P, Li XL, Wang YQ

Abstract
In this research, compound Maqin decoction (CMD) has been shown to positively affect in airway inflammation of asthma models. We evaluated the effects of CMD on the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-?1/Smad proteins, interleukin (IL)-17, and IL-10 in lung tissue of asthmatic rats. Asthma was induced in a rat model using ovalbumin. After a 4-week treatment with CMD, rats were killed to evaluate the expression of TGF-?1 and Smad proteins in lung tissue. IL-10 and IL-17 levels in lung tissue homogenates were determined by ELISA. The expression of TGF-?1 and Smad3 protein increased, whereas expression of Smad7 protein decreased upon high-dose or low-dose treatment with CMD or by intervention with dexamethasone, compared to the control. There was a significant difference between treatment with a high dose CMD and the control treatment, but no significant difference was found between high-dose CMD treatment and dexamethasone intervention. The expression of TGF-?1 and Smad7 protein increased, whereas the expression of Smad3 protein decreased in the model group compared to other groups. In the CMD high-dose group, low-dose group, and dexamethasone intervention group, the IL-17 concentrations in lung tissue homogenates were decreased, while IL-10 levels were increased. Again, there was a significant difference between CMD high-dose and control treatment, but not between CMD high-dose treatment and dexamethasone intervention. Thus, positive effects of CMD against asthmatic airway remodeling may be due to its regulatory effect on TGF-?1, Smad3, and Smad7 protein levels and on cytokines such as IL-10 and IL-17.

PMID: 27706676 [PubMed – in process]

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This Common Asthma Drug Made Old Rats Act Like Young Rats Again – Motherboard


Daily Star

This Common Asthma Drug Made Old Rats Act Like Young Rats Again
Motherboard
The latest stride toward immortality was unveiled last week at the Society for Neuroscience conference in Chicago, where a team of researchers presented findings that demonstrated how a common asthma medication can be repurposed to encourage …
Alzheimer's breakthrough? Hay fever drug rejuvenates the brain and REVERSES Express.co.uk
Wonder drug could slow and even STOP ageingDaily Star

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View full post on asthma – Google News

Forget Lab Rats: Testing Asthma Drugs on a Microchip – Wall Street Journal- India


Wall Street Journal- India

Forget Lab Rats: Testing Asthma Drugs on a Microchip
Wall Street Journal- India
Company scientists want to see whether these "lungs on a chip" can help them better understand the biology behind asthma and identify promising candidates for medicines, says Don Nicholson, who oversees Merck's respiratory drug research. If efforts

and more »

View full post on asthma – Google News

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of salbutamol on acute and chronic models of inflammation in rats: involvement of an antioxidant mechanism.

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of salbutamol on acute and chronic models of inflammation in rats: involvement of an antioxidant mechanism.

Mediators Inflamm. 2012;2012:438912

Authors: Uzkeser H, Cadirci E, Halici Z, Odabasoglu F, Polat B, Yuksel TN, Ozaltin S, Atalay F

Abstract
The possible role of ?-2 adrenergic receptors in modulation of inflammatory and nociceptive conditions suggests that the ?-2 adrenergic receptor agonist, salbutamol, may have beneficial anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Therefore, in this study, we induced inflammatory and nociceptive responses with carrageenan-induced paw edema or cotton-pellet-induced granuloma models, both of which result in oxidative stress. We hypothesized that salbutamol would prevent inflammatory and nociceptive responses by stimulating ?-2 adrenergic receptors and the prevention of generation of ROS during the acute inflammation process in rats. Both doses of salbutamol used in the study (1 and 2?mg/kg) effectively blocked the acute inflammation and inflammatory nociception induced by carrageenan. In the cotton-pellet-induced granuloma test, both doses of salbutamol also significantly decreased the weight of granuloma tissue on the cotton pellets when compared to the control. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of salbutamol were found to be comparable with those of indomethacin. Salbutamol decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and lipid peroxidation (LPO) level and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and level of glutathione (GSH) during the acute phase of inflammation. In conclusion, salbutamol can decrease acute and chronic inflammation, possibly through the stimulation of ?-2 adrenergic receptors. This anti-inflammatory effect may be of significance in asthma treatment, where inflammation also takes part in the etiopathology. This study reveals that salbutamol has significant antioxidative effects, which at least partially explain its anti-inflammatory capabilities. These findings presented here may also shed light on the roles of ?-2 adrenergic receptors in inflammatory and hyperalgesic conditions.

PMID: 22665951 [PubMed – in process]

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Atrazine causes prostate inflammation in male rats and delays puberty

A new study shows that male rats prenatally exposed to low doses of atrazine, a widely used herbicide, are more likely to develop prostate inflammation and to go through puberty later than non-exposed animals. The research adds to a growing body of literature on atrazine, an herbicide predominantly used to control weeds and grasses in crops such as corn and sugar cane. Atrazine and its byproducts are known to be relatively persistent in the environment, potentially finding their way into water supplies.

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