Role of Interleukin-6 in the Pathogenesis of an Avian Model of Staphylococcus aureus Arthritis

To evaluate the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in arthritis induced by Staphylococcus aureus, a chicken model was developed for study. A total of 120 healthy broilers (8 wk old) were randomly divided into 4 groups. Two groups were injected with 0.35 mL of Staph. aureus (7.1x10(9) cfu/mL) into the right hock joints and the other 2 were injected with 0.35 mL of sterile saline into the same joints. One group of each of the 2 treatment groups was fed levofloxacin at a dose of 5 mg/kg of BW on the third day postinoculation for 4 successive days. Chicken blood samples were obtained on d 0, 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 postinoculation. Chicken IL-6 (chIL-6) activities and concentrations in serum were quantified by B9 bioassay and human IL-6 ELISA, respectively. The results showed that chIL-6 activities and concentrations were reduced (P<0.05) in the serum of infected broilers treated with levofloxacin compared with birds injected only with Staph. aureus. Levofloxacin treatment had no effect on IL-6 activities and concentrations in uninfected broilers. There was a strong correlation (r=0.91) between serum chIL-6 activities by the B9 bioassay and serum IL-6 concentrations determined by the human IL-6 ELISA. We concluded that chIL-6 is involved in the progression of chicken arthritis induced by Staph. aureus, and that it contributes to disease incidence and mortality.

Effect of the Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on age-related oxidative stress in aged mice

Oxidative damage of biomolecules increases with age and is postulated to be a major causal factor of various physiological function disorders. Consequently, the concept of anti-age by antioxidants has been developed. Lycium barbarum fruits have been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and the data obtained in in vitro models have clearly established the antioxidant potency of the polysaccharides isolated from the fruits. In the present study, the age-dependent changes in the antioxidant enzyme activity, immune function and lipid peroxidation product were investigated and effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on age-induced oxidative stress in different organs of aged mice was checked. Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (200, 350 and 500 mg/kg b.w. in physiological saline) were orally administrated to aged mice over a period of 30 days. Aged mice receiving vitamin C served as positive control. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, lipid peroxides in serum and tested organs, and immune function were measured. Result showed that increased endogenous lipid peroxidation, and decreased antioxidant activities, as assessed by superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), and immune function were observed in aged mice and restored to normal levels in the polysaccharides-treated groups. Antioxidant activities of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides can be compable with normal antioxidant, vitamin C. Moreover, addition of vitamin C to the polysaccharides further increased the in vivo antioxidant activity of the latter. It is concluded that the Lycium barbarum polysaccharides can be used in compensating the decline in TAOC, immune function and the activities of antioxidant enzymes and thereby reduces the risks of lipid peroxidation accelerated by age-induced free radical.

Predictors of physical and mental health in hospital nurses within the People's Republic of China

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Prior research has suggested that nurses contend with a variety of workplace stressors and personal factors that can contribute either positively or negatively to their physical and mental health. However, limited research in this area has been conducted on nurses within China.

AIM

The study sought to determine in Chinese hospital nurses: (a) the most common workplace stressors, (b) the most frequently used ways of coping with stress, and (c) which combination of variables (workplace stressors, ways of coping, psychological hardiness and demographic characteristics) was the best predictor of both physical health and mental health.

METHODS

The subjects were 480 nurses working in a variety of clinical settings, within five hospitals, located in three major mainland Chinese cities. A survey design was implemented using five self-report instruments.

RESULTS

Workplace stressors most frequently identified were workload and dealing with death and dying. Ways of coping most often cited were positive reappraisal, self-control and planful problem solving. The best predictors of physical health were psychological hardiness, conflict with other nurses, uncertainty about patient treatment, seeking social support and confrontive coping. The best predictors of mental health were psychological hardiness, conflict with other nurses, workload, seeking social support, age, likelihood to leave nursing within the next 12 months and escape-avoidance coping.

DISCUSSION

These findings suggest areas of concern that need to be addressed, by both hospital and nursing administration, in order to establish a positive and productive work environment for Chinese nurses.

Cross-talks between circadian timing system and cell division cycle determine cancer biology and therapeutics

The circadian clock orchestrates cellular functions over 24 hours, including cell divisions, a process that results from the cell cycle. The circadian clock and cell cycle interact at the level of genes, proteins, and biochemical signals. The disruption or the reinforcement of the host circadian timing system, respectively, accelerates or slows down cancer growth through modifications of host and tumor circadian clocks. Thus, cancer cells not only display mutations of cell cycle genes but also exhibit severe defects in clock gene expression levels or 24-hour patterns, which can in turn favor abnormal proliferation. Most of the experimental research actively ongoing in this field has been driven by the original demonstration that cancer patients with poor circadian rhythms had poor quality of life and poor survival outcome independently of known prognostic factors. Further basic research on the gender dependencies in circadian properties is now warranted, because a large clinical trial has revealed that gender can largely affect the survival outcome of cancer patients on chronotherapeutic delivery. Mathematical models further show that the therapeutic index of chemotherapeutic drugs can be optimized through distinct delivery profiles, depending on the initial host/tumor status and variability in circadian entrainment and/or cell cycle length. Clinical trials and systems-biology approaches in cancer chronotherapeutics raise novel issues to be addressed experimentally in the field of biological clocks. The challenge ahead is to therapeutically harness the circadian timing system to concurrently improve quality of life and down-regulate malignant growth.

Transvaginal, ultrasound-guided, ovarian, interstitial laser treatment in anovulatory women with clomifene-citrate-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effectiveness of transvaginal, ultrasound-guided, ovarian, interstitial laser coagulation treatment in anovulatory women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

DESIGN

A pilot study.

SETTING

Assisted reproductive technology unit.

SAMPLE

Twenty-three anovulatory women with clomifene-citrate-resistant PCOS.

METHODS

Ultrasound-guided, transvaginal, ovarian, interstitial yttrium-aluminium-garnet laser treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, prolactin and estradiol levels, spontaneous ovulation rate and pregnancy rate were measured over 6 months of follow up.

RESULTS

Regular ovulation occurred in 19 out of 22 (86.4%) women in the 6 months following ovarian treatment (one woman was lost to follow up). On the postoperative second, fourth and sixth month, the mean serum LH levels were 4.54 SD 1.21 iu/l, 4.90 SD 2.18 iu/l and 4.42 SD 1.03 iu/l, significantly (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001) lower than the preoperative level of 13.89 +/- 3.62 iu/l; the mean serum testosterone levels were 2.69 SD 1.83 nmol/l, 2.42 SD 1.11 nmol/l and 2.28 SD 1.96 nmol/l and significantly (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001) lower than the preoperative baseline value of 5.37 SD 3.09 nmol/l; the mean LH/FSH ratios of 0.93 SD 0.26, 0.88 SD 0.17 and 0.81 SD 0.14 were also significantly lower than the preoperative value of 2.78 SD 1.21 (P < 0.001). Pregnancy occurred in eight women and there was a cumulative pregnancy rate at 6 months of 36% (8/22) among the subjects. There were no significant operative complications.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound-guided, transvaginal, ovarian, interstitial laser treatment appears effective in improving hormonal profiles and inducing ovulation and successful pregnancy in women with clomifene-resistant PCOS.

Lead inhibited N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-independent long-term potentiation involved ryanodine-sensitive calcium stores in rat hippocampal area CA1

Lead exposure is known to be associated with cognitive dysfunction in children. Impairment of the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) has been reported in area CA1 of rat hippocampus following lead exposure in vivo and in vitro. The present study was carried out to investigate whether the alterations of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-independent LTP following lead exposure involve internal calcium stores in hippocampus CA1 synapses. Monosynaptic field excitatory postsynaptic potentials in hippocampal slice area CA1 were recorded using the whole-cell patch-clamp upon acute lead treatment, and these studies were coupled with calcium imaging experiments to observe internal calcium changes in cultured hippocampal neurons. Inhibiting calcium release by ryanodine significantly reduced NMDA receptor-independent LTP, and depletion of internal calcium stores with thapsigargin blocked this form of LTP. Caffeine, an agonist of ryanodine receptors, enhanced this form of LTP. However, caffeine-enhanced NMDA receptor-independent LTP was depressed after bath application of lead. Moreover, lead further decreased ryanodine- and thapsigargin-reduced NMDA receptor-independent LTP. Calcium imaging also confirmed that lead had an effect on internal calcium release and uptake. Taken together, these results demonstrated that lead inhibited NMDA receptor-independent LTP by action on calcium release and uptake by ryanodine-sensitive stores in rat hippocampal area CA1.

New aristolochic acid, aristololactam and renal cytotoxic constituents from the stem and leaves of Aristolochia contorta

Two novel phenanthrene derivatives, aristololactam IVa (1) and 9-hydroxy aristolochic acid I (2) were isolated from the stem and leaves of Anstolochia contorta Bunge, together with 17 known compounds (3-19). The structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The phenanthrenes obtained were tested for cytotoxicity against renal proximal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2). Aristololactam IVa and 7-methoxy aristololactam IV were found to have strong cytotoxic activity against HK-2 cells with a potency similar to or even stronger than those of aristolochic acid I and aristololactam I.

Preclinical relevance of dosing time for the therapeutic index of gemcitabine-cisplatin

The relevance of gemcitabine timing for chronotherapeutic optimisation was investigated. Healthy mice received multiple doses of gemcitabine (120, 160 or 200 mg kg⁻¹ injection (inj)⁻¹) at one of six circadian times (3, 7, 11, 15, 19 or 23 h after light onset – HALO) on days 1, 4, 7 and 10 or a single dose of gemcitabine (400 mg kg⁻¹) at 11 or 23 HALO±cisplatin (5 mg kg⁻¹ at 1 min, 4 or 8 h later). Mice bearing Glasgow osteosarcoma received multiple doses of gemcitabine (200 mg kg⁻¹ inj⁻¹) at 11 or 23 HALO±cisplatin (5 mg kg⁻¹ inj⁻¹ at 1 min or 4 h later) on days of 10, 13, 16 and 19 following tumour inoculation. A circadian rhythm in body weight loss was statistically validated, with 1030 HALO corresponding to the least toxic time (95% CL, 0800 to 1300). Gemcitabine dosing produced least body weight loss and least neutropenia after injection at 11 vs 23 HALO, whether the drug was given alone or with cisplatin (P=0.001). Gemcitabine–cisplatin tolerability was improved by dosing gemcitabine at 11 HALO and CDDP at 15 HALO (P<0.001). The administration of this schedule to tumour-bearing mice increased median survival three-fold as compared to treatments where both drugs were given simultaneously at 11 or 23 HALO (P=0.02). The optimal schedule would correspond to the delivery of gemcitabine upon awakening and cisplatin near mid-activity in cancer patients.

Recovery of hippocampal cell proliferation and BDNF levels, both of which are reduced by repeated restraint stress, is accelerated by chronic venlafaxine

The present study investigated the poststress (PS) cellular and molecular changes in the hippocampus of rats subjected to repeated restraint stress (RS) and the effects of chronic administration of an antidepressant drug, venlafaxine, on these changes. It was found that RS suppressed hippocampal cell proliferation, decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and increased both the levels of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and the number of Cu/Zn-SOD immunostained hippocampal interneurons. In venlafaxine-treated rats, the changes in cell proliferation, BDNF levels, and the number of Cu/Zn-SOD interneurons returned to control levels on PS Days 21, 14, 7, respectively. In vehicle-injected rats, BDNF and the number of Cu/Zn-SOD interneurons returned to control levels on PS Days 21 and 14, respectively, but cell proliferation was still suppressed on PS Day 21. The stress-induced elevation of Cu/Zn-SOD protein remained during the 3-week PS period, and it was further increased by about 20% after 3 weeks of venlafaxine administration.

Circadian rhythm entrainment with melatonin, melatonin receptor antagonist S22153 or their combination in mice exposed to constant light

The ability of daily melatonin and the melatonin receptor antagonist, S22153, to entrain circadian system function was investigated in mice with atypical melatonin rhythm. B6D2F(1) mice were first synchronized to a LD 12:12 for approximately 2 wk, then exposed to continuous light (LL) until study completion. After 10-18 days of LL exposure, mice received daily subcutaneous (s.c.) melatonin at a dose of 0.1, 1 or 10 mg/kg/day (exp. 1) or daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) S22153 (20 mg/kg/day) with or without melatonin (1 mg/kg/day, exp. 2) at subjective zeitgeber time (ZT) 10 for 19 days. Then all the mice were exposed to LL for another 10 days. Spectral analysis showed that initial LL lengthened the period of both rhythms by approximately 1.5 hr as compared with LD 12:12. No entrainment of either rhythm was found in controls. Conversely, daily melatonin-only, S22153-only or their combination set the temperature and activity periods to approximately 24 hr and produced a significant increase of the circadian amplitude of both rhythms as compared with controls. However, after treatment withdrawal, the dominant period lengthened to approximately 25.5 hr in mice receiving either melatonin or S22153. On the contrary, the period remained close to 24 hr for the 10 days following withdrawal of combined S22153 and melatonin. Such sustained pharmacological resetting of circadian function could display therapeutic potential against external resynchronization resulting from defective photoperiodic entrainment.

Effects of meal timing on tumor progression in mice

Meal timing can reset circadian clocks in peripheral tissues. We investigated the effects of such non-photic entrainment on tumor growth rate. Two experiments involved a total of 61 male B6D2F(1) mice synchronized with an alternation of 12 h of light (L) and 12 h of darkness (D) (LD12:12). Mice were randomly allocated to have access to food ad libitum, or restricted to 4 or 6 h during L or D. Rest-activity and body temperature, two circadian outputs, were monitored with an intra-peritoneal sensor. Glasgow osteosarcoma was inoculated into both flanks of each mouse ten days after meal timing onset. Before tumor inoculation, meal timing during D amplified the 24-h rhythms in rest-activity and body temperature with minimal phase alteration as compared to ad libitum feeding. Conversely, meal timing during L induced dominant 12-h or 8-h rhythmic components in activity, nearly doubled the 24-h amplitude of body temperature and shifted its acrophase (time of maximum) from approximately mid-D to approximately mid-L. Thirteen days after tumor inoculation, mean tumor weight (+/- SEM, mg) was 1503 +/- 150 in ad libitum mice, 1077 +/- 157 in mice fed during D and 577 +/- 139 in mice fed during L (ANOVA, p < 0.0001). Overall survival was prolonged in the mice fed during L (median, 17.5 days, d) as compared with those fed during D (14.5 d) or ad libitum (14 d) (Log Rank, p = 0.0035). The internal desynchronization produced by meal timing during L slowed down tumor progression, an effect possibly resulting from improved host-mediated tumor control and/or altered tumor circadian clocks.

Oestrogen replacement therapy promotes bone healing around dental implants in osteoporotic rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oestrogen replacement therapy on bone healing around titanium implants in osteoporotic rats. Sixty 32-week-old female SD rats were used in this study. Ovariectomies were performed in 40 rats, and other 20 rats had sham operation. Eighty-four days after surgery, osteoporotic changes in proximal tibiae were seen in four ovariectomized rats when compared with two sham-operated rats. Then pure titanium implants were placed in the bilateral proximal metaphyses of the tibiae of the remaining animals. Oestrogen replacement therapy was administrated in 18 ovariectomized rats after implantation. Nine rats from each group (ovariectomized, oestrogen-treated and sham-operated) were killed at 28 and 84 days after implantation surgery respectively, and the tibiae specimens were harvested and examined. Both at 28 and 84 days after implantation surgery, most bone histomorphometric indices in the oestrogen-treated group were significantly increased compared with those in the ovariectomized group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Although the oestrogen-treated group showed lower trabecular bone volume at 28 days after implant surgery and lower mineralization rate at both the two time points than the sham-operated group, there were no significant differences in other bone histomorphometric indices between the oestrogen-treated group and the sham-operated group both at 24 and 84 days after implantation. The results of this study suggest that oestrogen replacement therapy may promote bone healing around titanium implants under osteoporotic state, and therefore it seemed to be beneficial to long-term success of dental implants in clinical postmenopausal patients.

[Investigation on genotype constitution of different Plasmodium vivax isolates and its geographical distribution in China]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the population constitution and geographical distribution of Plasmodium vivax in China using molecular technique.

METHODS

Blood-spot filter paper samples with related epidemiological data were collected from vivax malaria patients living in malarious area of 10 provinces (autonomous region) in China. Semi-nested- or nested-allelic-specific PCR genotyping method was used to identify CSP genotypes, families and types of Plasmodium vivax of each isolate from these patients.

RESULTS

Of 384 field isolates of Plasmodium vivax, 258 temperate zone family strains were identified, including 14 allelic variant genotypes spreading among 10 sampling provinces; allelic variants sized less than 731 bp were only seen in 5 provinces in southern China; 79 tropical zone family strains including 5 genotypes were also distributed in 5 provinces of southern China south to 25 degrees N. lat; and 14 PV Type-2 strains including 2 genotypes were found in some areas of Hainan and Yunnan Provinces. In addition, 33 isolates from genotype-mixed infections were revealed.

CONCLUSION

At present, area north to 25 degrees N. lat. of the country is the sole area prevalent for Plasmodium vivax family strains of temperate zone; there is overlapping distribution of P. v. of temperate zone family and tropical zone family of this parasite in the southern China south to 25 degrees N. lat; where the most complex isolate constitution is in Yunnan and Hainan Provinces, and PV Type-2 strains have been found in some areas of the two provinces. Besides, there were 2 groups of genotype with distinct geographic distribution feature within the temperate zone family.

[Studies on identification of circumsporozoite protein genotyping of Plasmodium vivax]

OBJECTIVE

To develop a new method of genotyping circumsporozoite protein (CSP) gene for identification of field isolates of Plasmodium vivax.

METHODS

Improved Chelex-100 ion-exchange method was used to extract DNA from blood filter paper samples, nested PCR and allele-specific PCR techniques, agarose gel electrophoresis analysis and dot/southern blotting-probe hybridization were employed for amplification, resolution and identification of the diagnostic fragments.

RESULTS

Using the nest-allele-specific PCR assay reported here, small amounts of DNA extracted from a piece of blood filter paper sample were amplified which produced three different size ranges of diagnostic bands: 650-770 bp PV-species-specific band, 170-230 bp diagnostic band for temperate zone family and 588 bp band for PV type-2. The sizes and patterns of the bands produced by the reference strains were consistent with those of designed target sequences. Of 59 examined isolates from 6 provinces of China, 42 temperate zone family strains, 15 tropical zone family strains and two PV type-2 strains were identified.

CONCLUSION

1, Three genotype strains of P. vivax mentioned above could be identified by this method with only two rounds of PCR and without probe hybridization. 2, The preliminary results showed that PV type-1 including temperate zone family strains and tropical zone family strains as well as PV type-2 strains are present in China. In addition, another CSP genotype with both sequence characteristics of temperate zone and tropical zone family might also be present in China.

The experience of Japan as a clue to the etiology of testicular and prostatic cancers

In Japan dramatic lifestyle changes occurred after World War 2. To examine the experience of Japan as a clue to the etiology, trends in the mortality rates of testicular and prostatic cancers from 1947 to 1998 were related to changes in dietary practices. The male population born before 1945 had a peak in death from testicular cancer in their thirties or forties, whereas those born after 1946 had a peak in their twenties. The death rate of prostatic cancer increased 25-fold almost linearly after the war. The intake of milk, meat, and eggs increased 20-, 9-, and 7-fold, respectively, after the war. In connection with the development and growth of testicular and prostatic cancers in Japan, particular attention should be paid to milk, because the increase in its consumption in this country is a recent occurrence and because milk contains considerable amounts of estrogens plus saturated fats.

The experience of Japan as a clue to the etiology of breast and ovarian cancers: relationship between death from both malignancies and dietary practices

Although breast and ovarian cancers are rare in Japan compared with other developed countries, the death rates for both are increasing. In Japan, dramatic lifestyle changes occurred after World War II. Over the past 50 years (1947-1997), the age-standardized death rates of breast and ovarian cancers increased about 2- and 4-fold, respectively, and the respective intake of milk, meat, and eggs increased 20-, 10-, and 7-fold. The increase in the annual death rates from breast and ovarian cancers might be due to the lifestyle changes (increased consumption of animal-derived food) that occurred after 1945. Among the food, milk and dairy products should receive particular attention since they contain considerable amounts of estrogens.

Construction of a BAC contig for a 3 cM biologically significant region of mouse chromosome 1

One QTL and genes and phenotypes have been localized in the region between 92 cM and 95cM of mouse chromosome 1. The QTL locus contributes to approximately 40% of the variation of the peak bone density between C57BL/6J (B6) and CAST/EiJ (CAST) strains. Other loci located in this chromosomal region include a neural tube defect mutant loop-tail (Lp), a lymphocyte-stimulating determinant (Lsd), and the Transgelin 2 (Tagln 2). The human chromosome region homologous to this region is 1q21-23, which also contains a QTL locus for high bone mineral density (BMD). Furthermore, it has been reported that this region may have duplicated several times in the mouse genome. Therefore, genomic sequencing of this region will provide important information for mouse genome structure, for positional cloning of mouse genes, and for the study of human homologous genes. In order to provide a suitable template for genomic sequencing by the NIH-sponsored genomic centers, we have constructed a BAC contig of this region using the RPCI-23 library. We have also identified the currently available mouse genomic sequences localized in our BAC contig. Further analysis of these sequences and BAC clones indicated a high frequency of repetitive sequences within this chromosomal area. This region also contains L1 retrotransposon sequences, providing a potential mechanism for the repetitive sequences described in the literature.

[Isolation of a kind of endophytic fungus which can produce taxol compounds]

OBJECTIVE

To isolate a kind of endophytic fungus which can produce taxol compounds from the bark of Taxus Cuspidata Sieb et Zucc.

METHODS

Endophytic fungus was isolated from the bark of Taxus Cuspidata Sieb et Zucc by aseptic techniques and the analysis of the culture fluid from the fermentation of fungus was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

RESULTS

Endophytic fungus was obtained from the bark of Taxus Cuspidata Sieb et Zucc and the chemical analysis showed that the culture of fungus contain taxol compounds.

CONCLUSION

Endophytic fungus which can produce taxol compounds exists in the bark of Taxus Cuspidata Sieb et Zucc.

Major proteins related to chlortetracycline biosynthesis in a Streptomyces aureofaciens production strain studied by quantitative proteomics

Changes in synthesis and abundance of proteins associated with chlortetracycline (CTC) production in Streptomyces aureofaciens were investigated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins pulse-labelled in vivo with L-[35S]methionine. Eleven individual protein spots were selected as being related to formation of the antibiotic. Expression of these prominent proteins was not observed in the non-producing mutant; moreover, they were overexpressed in cultures grown in the presence of benzyl thiocyanate, a specific stimulator of CTC biosynthesis used in industrial fermentations. The expression kinetics of the selected proteins was assessed using the technique of computer-assisted image analysis with the EQIAS software and the elongation factor Tu as an internal standard. Interestingly, the kinetic profiles were generally not identical. including those of anhydrotetracycline monooxygenase and the 13-kDa subunit of tetracycline dehydrogenase, two enzymes involved, in the terminal sequential steps of the CTC biosynthetic pathway. The presence of more forms of these enzymes with different charge characteristics was observed. The data presented demonstrated how dramatically the industrial microorganism can change its protein repertoire during the production phase; at least five proteins were nearly comparable in level to the most prominent proteins, exemplified by elongation factor Tu.

Oral administration of IL-12 suppresses anaphylactic reactions in a murine model of peanut hypersensitivity

There is no satisfactory therapeutic intervention for peanut allergy, which accounts for most life-threatening food allergic reactions. Since IL-12 has been found to inhibit allergic airway responses in a mouse model of asthma and to cure Th2 cytokine-mediated murine schistosomiasis, we hypothesized that IL-12 treatment might also inhibit peanut allergic reactions. Consequently, we investigated the effects of oral IL-12 treatment in a murine model of peanut allergy and found that oral administration of liposome encapsulated rIL-12 could both prevent and reverse peanut hypersensitivity and could reduce histamine release, peanut-specific serum IgE and IgG1, and fecal IgA levels. Oral IL-12 treatment also increased IFN-gamma but did not decrease IL-4 or IL-5 levels. We conclude that oral rIL-12 treatment has therapeutic as well as preventive effects on peanut allergy, which are associated with increased IFN-gamma production.

Stilbenoids from the lianas of Gnetum pendulum

Two stilbenoids, gnetupendin A and B, were isolated from the lianas of Gnetum pendulum C. Y. Cheng, together with four known compounds, resveratrol, isorhapontigenin, shegansu B and beta-daucosterol. Their structures were determined on the basis of analysis of spectral evidence, especially 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques.

Food Allergy Herbal Formula-1 (FAHF-1) blocks peanut-induced anaphylaxis in a murine model

BACKGROUND

Peanut allergy is a major cause of fatal and near-fatal anaphylactic reactions to foods. There is no curative therapy for this condition. Traditional Chinese medicines have been reported to have antiallergic properties, which might be useful for treating peanut allergy.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a Chinese herbal formula, FAHF-1, on peanut anaphylactic reactions in a mouse model of peanut allergy.

METHODS

Mice were sensitized with freshly ground whole peanut in the presence of cholera toxin and boosted 1 and 3 weeks later. FAHF-1 treatment was initiated 1 week later and continued for 7 weeks. After treatment, mice were challenged with peanut, and anaphylactic symptoms, body temperatures, and plasma histamine and IgE levels were measured. T-cell proliferative responses and cytokine production were also determined.

RESULTS

FAHF-1 completely blocked peanut-induced anaphylactic symptoms and markedly reduced mast cell degranulation and histamine release. Peanut-specific serum IgE levels were significantly reduced by 2 weeks of treatment at the time of challenge, and they remained lower 4 weeks after discontinuation of treatment. FAHF-1 significantly reduced peanut-induced lymphocyte proliferation as well as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 synthesis but not IFN-gamma synthesis. No toxic effects on liver or kidney functions were observed, nor was there any overall immune suppression.

CONCLUSION

FAHF-1 protected peanut-sensitized mice from anaphylactic reactions and significantly reversed established IgE-mediated peanut allergy. This suggests that FAHF-1 might prove valuable for the treatment of peanut allergy.