Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of baicalin on lupus nephritis in a lupusprone mouse model,and to investigate its regulatory role in the differentiation of follicular helper T (Tfh)cells.Methods Eight 12-week-old female MRL/lpr lupus-prone mice were randomly and equally divided into two groups by a random number table i.e.,baicalin group and control group intraperitoneally injected with 200 mg/kg baicalin sodium and chloride physiological solution,respectively,once every day for 4 weeks.After the end of treatment,Coomassie brilliant blue staining was performed to detect the level of 24-hour urine protein.Then,the mice were sacrificed,and the spleens were resected and weighed.Mononuclear cells were isolated from these spleens,and flow cytometry was conducted to determine the proportion of Tfh cells.Additionally,the kidneys were resected and subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining for the evaluation of kidney impairment.Moreover,some other mononuclear cells were isolated from the spleens of the lupus-prone mice in the control group,and magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) was performed to isolate naive CD4+ T cells,which were divided into 3 groups:blank control group receiving no treatment,induction group treated with 10 μg/L anti-interleukin (IL)-21 and anti-IL-6 antibodies and 3 μg/L anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies for 5 days,and intervention group additionally treated with 40 μmol/L baicalin for 5 days besides the above treatment.Then,50 μg/L phorbol ester,750 μg/L ionomycin and 20 mg/L brefeldin A were used to stimulate some cultured naive CD4+ T cells in the above groups.Flow cytometry was conducted to determine the proportion of CD4+CXCR5+PD-1 + cells and CD4+IL-21+ cells.Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS20.0 software by using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and student t test for the comparison of quantitative data between groups.Results The baicalin treatment could effectively improve the kidney impairment in the lupus-prone mice.Compared with the control group,the baicalin group showed significantly decreased 24-hour urine protein level ([1 416 ± 171] vs.[2 623 ± 278] μg/24 h,P =0.022),and significantly decreased proportion of Tfh cells in the spleen (12.6％ ± 2.3％ vs.40.2％ + 1.1％,P =0.005).In vitro baicalin could further inhibit the differentiation of Tfh cells.Compared with the induction group,the intervention group showed significantly decreased proportion of CD4+CXCR5+PD-1+ Tfh cells (13.3％ ± 0.8％ vs.17.6％ ± 0.9％,P =0.04) and CD4+IL-21+ cells (1.0％ ± 0.4％ vs.2.7％ ± 0.2％,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Baicalin can effectively ameliorate lupus nephritis,which may be associated with the inhibition of Tfh cell differentiation.

Objective To evaluate in vitro antifungal activity of tacrolimus combined with itraconazole or terbinafine against Exophiala dermatitidis (E.dermatitidis).Methods The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of itraconazole and terbinafine against 12 strains of E.dermatitidis were determined using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution susceptibility method (M38-A2 Document).A broth microdilution checkerboard method was used to evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of tacrolimus combined with itraconazole or terbinafine against E.dermatitidis.Results The MIC ranges of terbinafine and itraconazole against E.dermatitidis were 0.060-0.125 mg/L and 0.5-1 mg/L,respectively.The combination of tacrolimus with terbinafine showed synergistic inhibitory effects against 5 strains of E.dermatitidis,while the combination of tacrolimus with itraconazole revealed synergistic effects against 10 strains of E.dermatitidis.No antagonism was observed in either of the two combinations.Conclusion In vitro combination of tacrolimus with itraconazole or terbinafine can enhance the antifungal activity of itraconazole or terbinafine against E.dermatitidis.

Objective To evaluate the relationship of peripheral blood Th17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells with disease activity in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods This study recruited 21 patients with active SSc,24 patients with inactive SSc and 24 normal human controls with informed consent.Peripheral blood samples were obtained from these subjects.Flow cytometry was used to detect the percentages of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood CD4+ cells,a fluorescence-based quantitative PCR to determine the levels of interleukin (IL)-17A,retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RoRγt),forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBCs),and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay to measure the serum level of IL-17.Results Increased percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood CD4+ cells was observed in patients with active SSc compared with those with inactive SSc and normal human controls (2.34％ ± 1.19％vs.0.68％ ± 0.39％ and 0.57％ ± 0.49％,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).No statistical difference was noted in the percentage of Treg cells in CD4+ cells or the mRNA expression levels of FoxP3 between the patients with active SSc,inactive SSc and normal human controls (all P ＞ 0.05).There was a significant increase in the mRNA expression of IL-17A,RoRγt in PBMCs and serum levels of IL-17 in patients with active SSc compared with patients with inactive SSc and normal human controls ( 11.73 ± 0.80 vs.9.77 ± 1.30 and 10.79 ± 0.74,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05; 18.48 ± 1.09 vs.15.89 ± 1.48 and 17.77 ± 1.64,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05; 53.60± 9.90 pg/ml vs.15.18 ± 3.24 pg/ml and 15.53 ± 4.12 pg/ml,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).The percentage of Th17 cells in CD4+ cells and serum IL-17 levels were both positively correlated with disease activity in patients with active SSc (r =0.675,0.644,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Th17 cells are highly proliferative in patients with active SSc,which may be closely correlated with the activity of SSc.

Objective To study the transcriptional regulation of type Ⅰ procollagen gene in systemic scleroderma(SS)-derived high collagen-producing fibroblast clones by Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae(RSM).Methods Fibroblast clones with different collagen-producing capacity were previously obtained from patients with SS and normal human controls,and divided into 5 groups to be treated with RSM(1 g/L)injection,its water-soluble active monomers including sodium danshensu(20 mg/L),salvianolic acid B(5 mg/L)and protocatechuic aldehyde(5 mg/L),and lipid-soluble active monomer(tanshinone Ⅱ A,5mg/L)respectively.The fibroblast clones incubated with no drugs served as the water soluble negative control group,and those with dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)as the lipid soluble negative control group.MTT assay was performed to evaluate the proliferation of the fibroblast clones after 1-,3-,5-,and 7-day treatment,transient transfection and dualluciferase reporter assay system to quantify the relative activity of collagen type Ⅰ,alpha 1(COL1A1)proximal promoter in these fibroblast clones.Results The inhibitory effect of RSM and its active monomers on the proliferation of fibroblast clones was inapparent within the initial 3 days(P ＞ 0.05),but was enhanced with incubation time.A significant difference was observed in the proliferation level of fibroblast clones between RSM group and water-soluble negative control group on day 5(q′ =3.22,P ＜ 0.01),between RSM,salvianolic acid B,protocatechuic aldehyde groups and the water-soluble negative control group(q′ =4.74,3.03,2.56,all P ＜0.05)on day 7,and between tanshinone Ⅱ A and lipid-soluble negative control group on day 5 and 7(t =2.22,2.15,both P ＜ 0.05).RSM injection,tanshinone Ⅱ A and protocatechuic aldehyde significantly inhibited COL1A1 proximal promoter activity in SS-derived and normal control fibroblast clones(all P ＜ 0.01),and the former two drugs preferentially downregulated COL1A1 proximal promoter activity in SS-derived high collagenproducing fibroblast clones.Significantly different COL1A1 proximal promoter activity was observed in SS-derived high and low collagen-producing fibroblast clones between water-soluble negative control group and RSM injection group(12.019 ± 0.830 vs.4.445 ± 1.061,5.388 ± 0.480 vs.2.856 ± 0.597,F=31.78,P＜ 0.01),and between lipid-soluable negative control group and tanshinone Ⅱ A group(14.155 ± 0.672 vs.9.638 ±0.854,4.299 ± 0.252 vs.3.192 ± 0.450,F=24.10,P＜ 0.01).Conclusions RSM inhibits the transcription of COL1A1 gene in SS-derived high collagen-producing fibroblast clones,which may be mainly attributed to tanshinone Ⅱ A and protocatechuic aldehyde.

OBJECTIVE:To observe the preventing effect of chimonin on guinea pigs asthma and explore its partly action mechanism.METHODS:67 guinea pigs were divided into five groups at randomicy:the groups of normal control,asthma,chimonin,dexamethasone and chimonin with dexamethasone.The ratio of wet lung weight to body weight,the period needed for inducing asthma attack and the sustained period of asthma episode were observed.The concentration of nitric oxide(NO) and endothelin-1(ET-1) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) were detected respectively.RESULTS:① the inducing and sustained period of asthma episode in group chimonin were distinctly longer than those in group asthma;the occurrence rate of spasm in group chimonin was evidently lower than group asthma;the inflammatory reaction of the lung tissues in group chimonin relieved obviously and this change was similar to the group dexamethasone.② The NO in serum and ET-1 of BALF in group chimonin were lower than group asthma and similar to the group dexamethasone.CONCLUSION:chimonin can partly prevent asthma episode and this role is similar to glucocorticoid.It plays the role partly by reducing the level of NO and ET-1 in the body.