Andrographolide antagonizes cigarette smoke extract-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress in human alveolar epithelial A549 cells through induction of microRNA-218.

Andrographolide is a major bioactive labdane diterpenoid isolated from Andrographis paniculata and has protective effects against cigarette smoke (CS)-induced lung injury. This study was done to determine whether such protective effects were mediated through modulation of microRNA (miR)-218 expression. Therefore, we exposed human alveolar epithelial A549 cells to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) with or without andrographolide pretreatment and measured the level of glutathione, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation, proinflammatory cytokine production, and miR-218 expression.

[A study on the efficacy of glucocorticoid therapy for idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of glucocorticoid therapy in idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (INSIP).

Methods: Twenty-nine cases of INSIP confirmed by clinical- radiological-pathological (CRP) diagnosis were collected and classified into 2 groups according to the degree of fibrosis: INSIP-1 (including 9 cases of cellular type) and INSIP-2 (20 cases of mixed and fibrotic type). Thirty cases of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) confirmed by CRP diagnosis served as the control.