Sputum dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine level as a novel airway inflammatory marker in asthmatic children

Integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics to reveal the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on allergic rhinitis in mice

Increasing studies have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including allergic lower airway inflammation such as asthma. To investigate the role of Rg3 in allergic upper airway disease, the effect and therapeutic mechanism of Rg3 in allergic rhinitis (AR) were studied. Ovalbumin-induced AR model mice were intragastrically administered with Rg3. Nasal symptoms, levels of IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, SOD and MDA in serum, and histopathological analysis of nasal mucosa were used to evaluate the effect of Rg3 on ameliorating AR in mice. Moreover, nasal mucosa samples from the normal control group, AR model group and high dosage of Rg3 were collected to perform omics analysis. The differentially expressed genes and significantly changed metabolites were screened based on transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses, respectively. Integrative analysis was further performed to confirm the hub genes, metabolites and pathways. After Rg3 intervention, the nasal symptoms and inflammatory infiltration were effectively improved, the levels of IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and MDA were significantly reduced, and the level of SOD was obviously increased. The results of the qRT-PCR assay complemented the transcriptomic findings. Integrated analysis showed that Rg3 played an anti-AR role mainly by regulating the interaction network, which was constructed by 12 genes, 8 metabolites and 4 pathways. Our findings suggested that Rg3 had a therapeutic effect on ovalbumin-induced AR in mice by inhibiting inflammation development and reducing oxidative stress. The present study could provide a potential natural agent for the treatment of AR.

Biological Obstacles for Identifying In Vitro-In Vivo Correlations of Orally Inhaled Formulations

Oral inhalation of drugs is the classic therapy of obstructive lung diseases. In contrast to the oral route, the link between in vitro and in vivo findings is less well defined and predictive models and parameters for in vitro-in vivo correlations are missing. Frequently used in vitro models and problems in obtaining in vivo values to establish such models and to identify the action of formulations in vivo are discussed. It may be concluded that major obstacles to link in vitro parameters on in vivo action include lack of treatment adherence and incorrect use of inhalers by patients, variation in inhaler performance, changes by humidity, uncertainties about lung deposition, and difficulties to measure drug levels in epithelial lining fluid and tissue. Physiologically more relevant in vitro models, improvement in inhaler performance, and better techniques for in vivo measurements may help to better understand importance and interactions between individual in vitro parameters in pulmonary delivery.

Influence of viral infection on the relationships between airway cytokines and lung function in asthmatic children

BACKGROUND

Few longitudinal studies examine inflammation and lung function in asthma. We sought to determine the cytokines that reduce airflow, and the influence of respiratory viral infections on these relationships.

METHODS

Children underwent home collections of nasal lavage during scheduled surveillance periods and self-reported respiratory illnesses. We studied 53 children for one year, analyzing 392 surveillance samples and 203 samples from 85 respiratory illnesses. Generalized estimated equations were used to evaluate associations between nasal lavage biomarkers (7 mRNAs, 10 proteins), lung function and viral infection.

RESULTS

As anticipated, viral infection was associated with increased cytokines and reduced FVC and FEV1. However, we found frequent and strong interactions between biomarkers and virus on lung function. For example, in the absence of viral infection, CXCL10 mRNA, MDA5 mRNA, CXCL10, IL-4, IL-13, CCL4, CCL5, CCL20 and CCL24 were negatively associated with FVC. In contrast, during infection, the opposite relationship was frequently found, with IL-4, IL-13, CCL5, CCL20 and CCL24 levels associated with less severe reductions in both FVC and FEV1.

CONCLUSIONS

In asthmatic children, airflow obstruction is driven by specific pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the absence of viral infection, higher cytokine levels are associated with decreasing lung function. However, with infection, there is a reversal in this relationship, with cytokine abundance associated with reduced lung function decline. While nasal samples may not reflect lower airway responses, these data suggest that some aspects of the inflammatory response may be protective against viral infection. This study may have ramifications for the treatment of viral-induced asthma exacerbations.

Evaluation of the MGL method to detect Paragonimus eggs and its improvement

Dog feces containing 500 Paragonimus westermani eggs per gram were examined by the Medical General Laboratory (MGL), the simple sedimentation (SS), and the Army Medical School III (AMS III) methods. The number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) obtained by the MGL method was 17.2 and was significantly lower than those obtained by the SS method (324.0) and the AMS III method (505.6). When isolated P. westermani eggs were processed by the MGL method and four layers (ether, ether-fecal, formalin layers, and sediment) of the final centrifugation product were separately examined, almost 100% of eggs were found at the ether-fecal layer. Similarly, when fecal samples containing P. westermani, Paragonimus skrjabini miyazakii, Paragonimus ohirai, or Paragonimus harinasutai eggs were processed by the MGL method, more than 95% of the eggs were found in the supernatant layers. The formalin-ethyl acetate (FEA) method showed a similar tendency as the MGL method and over 90% of eggs remained in the supernatant layers. Contrary to Paragonimus eggs, 63 and 96% of Clonorchis and Metagonimus eggs were found in the sediment in the MGL method, respectively. When surfactant (Tween 80) was added to fecal solution, most of Paragonimus eggs spun down in the sediment in the MGL and FEA methods, suggesting that Paragonimus eggs have hydrophobic components on their surface. It is suggested that surfactant addition to the fecal solution should be considered when the MGL method is used for detection of Paragonimus eggs.