Utilization Pattern and Drug Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Medicine, and Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Treatments for Allergic Rhinitis Under the National Health Insurance Program in Taiwan

Therapeutic action of Kushen recipe extractive and its inhibitory effect on eotaxin in mouse models with contact dermatitis

BACKGROUND

Treatment of skin allergic diseases remains a challenging research topic.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of Kushen recipe extractive (KS) gel on contact dermatitis (CD) of mouse.

METHODS

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) model of mouse was established. Immunohistochemical method (ICH) and flow cytometry method (FCM) were used to detect CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes and explore the regulation effect of KS on the immune status of the organism. The expression status of eotaxin tissue was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), ICH, and western blotting method. The survival rates of HaCaT cell and Fibroblasts affected by KS were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method. The inhibitory effect of KS on eotaxin produced by HaCaT cell and FBs induced by TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-4 were evaluated using RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. The inhibitory effect of KS on nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and Signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 (STAT6) activation induced by TNF-α and IL-4 was detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and western blotting methods.

RESULTS

We confirmed that KS shows favorable therapeutic effect on CD, which can obviously inhibit eotaxin expression and Eosinophils recruitment in allergic skin of mouse, as well as regulate the immune status of the organism. Furthermore, KS and its main effective components can inhibit TNF-α and IL-4 induced upregulation of eotaxin via the two signal transduction pathways, NF-κB and STAT6.

CONCLUSIONS

The great importance of traditional Chinese recipe KS is evidenced by its therapeutic effect and mechanism in ACD of mouse.

Anti-neuroinflammatory effects of Ephedra sinica Stapf extract-capped gold nanoparticles in microglia

Background: Combination therapy remains a promising strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases, although green synthesis of gold nanoparticles for treating chronic neuroinflammation and studying their efficacy in treating neuroinflammation-mediated neurodegenerative diseases is not well assessed.

Results: Here, Ephedra sinica Stapf (ES) extract was used as the reducing, capping, and stabilizing agent for gold nanoparticle synthesis. We developed ES extract-capped gold nanoparticles (ES-GNs) and investigated their anti-neuroinflammatory properties in microglia. ES-GNs displayed maximum absorption at 538 nm in ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Dynamic light scattering assessment revealed that ES-GN diameter was 57.6±3.07 nm, with zeta potential value of −24.6±0.84 mV. High resolution–transmission electron microscopy confirmed the spherical shape and average diameter (35.04±4.02 nm) of ES-GNs. Crystalline structure of ES-GNs in optimal conditions was determined by X-ray powder diffraction, and elemental gold presence was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy confirmed gold nanoparticle synthesis using ES. Anti-neuroinflammatory properties of ES-GNs on production of pro-inflammatory mediators (nitric oxide, prostaglandin E₂, and reactive oxygen species) and cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia were investigated by ELISA and flow cytometry. ES-GNs significantly attenuated LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines, which was related to suppressed transcription and translation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, determined by RT-PCR and western blotting. ES-GNs downregulated upstream signaling pathways (IκB kinase-α/β, nuclear factor-κB, Janus-activated kinase /signal transducers and activators of transcription, mitogen-activated protein kinase , and phospholipase D) of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines in LPS-stimulated microglia. Anti-neuroinflammatory properties of ES-GNs were mediated by ES-GNs-induced AMP-activated protein kinase)-mediated nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 /antioxidant response element signaling.

Conclusion: Collectively, these findings provide a new insight on the role of ES-GNs in treating chronic neuroinflammation-induced neurodegenerative diseases.

Association of the gene polymorphisms of BMPR2, ACVRL1, SMAD9 and their interactions with the risk of essential hypertension in the Chinese Han population

Objective: Genetic factors are involved in the occurrence, development, and progression of essential hypertension (EH). To study the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the rs6435156 and rs1048829 loci of the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) gene, the rs121909287 and rs121909284 loci of the activin receptor-like kinase 1 (ACVRL1) gene, and the rs397514716 and rs121918359 loci of the mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 9 (SMAD9) gene with the risk of EH in the Chinese Han population. Materials and methods: A total of 460 EH patients and 460 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Genomic DNA of white blood cells was extracted, and the genotypes were analyzed by Sanger sequencing after polymerase chain reaction amplification. Multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) was used to analyze the effect of gene–environment interactions on EH risk. Results: The risk of EH increased in the BMPR2 gene rs6435156 locus dominant model (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.572, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.385–1.765, P<0.001) and recessive model (adjusted OR = 1.926, 95% CI: 1.693–2.067, P<0.001). The risk of EH increased in the rs1048829 recessive model (adjusted OR = 1.444, 95% CI: 1.142–1.696, P=0.003). The risk of EH increased in the recessive model of the ACVRL1 gene rs121909287 locus (adjusted OR = 1.403, 95% CI: 1.101–1.660, P=0.008). The risk of EH increased in the SMAD9 gene rs397514716 locus dominant model (adjusted OR = 1.370, 95% CI: 1.183–1.559, P<0.001) and recessive model (adjusted OR = 1.803, 95% CI: 1.470–1.983, P<0.001). The CG haplotype of the rs6435156 and rs1048829 loci of the BMPR2 gene, the CC haplotype of the ACVRL1 gene rs121909287 and rs121909284 loci, and the CC haplotype of the rs397514716 and rs121918359 loci of the SMAD9 gene were factors that protect against EH, whereas the TT haplotype of the rs6435156 and rs1048829 loci in the BMPR2 gene was a risk factor for EH. MDR analysis showed that the BMPR2 gene rs6435156 locus TT genotype carriers, the SMAD9 gene rs397514716 locus TT genotype carriers, and alcohol drinkers had the highest EH risk (OR = 4.523, 95% CI: 2.235–6.871, P<0.001). Conclusion: The SNPs of the rs6435156 and rs1048829 locus in the BMPR2 gene, the rs121909287 loci in the ACVRL1 gene, and the rs397514716 locus in the SMAD9 gene were associated with a risk of EH in Han Chinese.

Chinese herbal medicine reduced the risk of stroke in patients with Parkinson's disease: A population-based retrospective cohort study from Taiwan

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been used in Asia to treat stroke, but there are no large-scale clinical data to confirm its efficacy in protecting PD patients against stroke. Herein, we analyzed a cohort of 1,000,000 records from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database for the period 1997–2011, and identified 1,882 patients with new-onset PD. We matched 290 patients who received Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) by age, sex, year of CHM prescription, and year of PD diagnosis with 290 patients who did not use CHM as control. Both cohorts were followed until the end of 2013 for the incidence of new-onset stroke. In a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for potential comorbidities, the incidence of stroke was lower among PD patients using CHM compared with non-CHM users (11.10 per 100 person-years vs 23.15 per 100 person-years; Hazard ratio: 0.56; 95% confidence interval:  0.44 to 0.72). The probability curve generated from our follow-up data showed that PD patients receiving CHM treatment had a decreased risk of stroke compared with those not receiving CHM treatment (P <0.001). The analysis on the prescription pattern of CHM revealed that Danshen is the most common single herb and Ma Zi Ren Wan is the most common herbal formula. Although the analysis are limited by a lack of analytic information regarding lifestyle patterns, biochemical profiles, and levels of PD severity in database, this population-based study suggest that CHM may be an complementary therapy to reduce the risk of stroke in PD patients.