Effects of Glucocorticoid-Induced Transcript 1 Gene Deficiency on Glucocorticoid Activation in Asthmatic Mice.

Background: Glucocorticoid (GC) is the first-line therapy for asthma, but some asthmatics are insensitive to it. Glucocorticoid-induced transcript 1 gene (GLCCI1) is reported to be associated with GCs efficiency in asthmatics, while its exact mechanism remains unknown.

Methods: A total of 30 asthmatic patients received fluticasone propionate for 12 weeks.

Leptin Is Oversecreted by Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Infected Bronchial Epithelial Cells and Regulates Th2 and Th17 Cell Differentiation.

Background: Infection of human bronchial epithelial cells (hBECs) with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been shown to induce a Th lymphocyte subset drift, e.g. enhanced differentiation of Th2 and Th17 subsets, which is a classic characteristic of asthma.

[Effects of different patterns of hypoxia on renin angiotension system in serum and tissues of rats].

Objective: To Investigate the influences of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) and continuous hypoxia (CH) on renin angiotensin system (RAS) in serum and tissues of rats, and therefore to investigate the mechanism of CIH-induced hypertension and hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension.

Methods: Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into 3 groups: CIH group, CH group and control group (UC). CIH rats were subjected to alternating cycles of hypoxia (6% ∼ 8% O(2) in N(2) for 20 ∼ 25 s) and normoxia (21% O(2) in N(2) for 2 min) every 180 s for 7 h/d.

[A study of the related pathways of oxidative stress in chronic intermittent hypoxia rats and the effect of N-acetylcysteine].

Objective: To study the relation of oxidative stress with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and renin-agiotensin system (RAS) in a rat model of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), and to investigate the preventive effect and mechanism of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in CIH-induced hypertension.

Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into 4 groups: CIH+NAC group (CIH1), CIH+normal saline (NS) group (CIH2), CIH control group (CIH3) and blank control group (UC). CIH rats were subjected to alternating cycles of hypoxia (6%-8% O2 in N2 for 20-25 s) and normoxia (21% O2 in N2 for 2 min) every 180 s for 7 h per day.