Association of pro-inflammatory cytokines, cortisol and depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Evidence suggests that pro-inflammatory cytokines and cortisol play a crucial role in the etiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and depression. Depression occurs commonly among COPD patients and an earlier diagnosis would be beneficial. This study investigated the associations between depression, sputum cytokines and salivary cortisol in COPD patients.

Flavonoid components in Scutellaria baicalensis inhibit nicotine-induced proliferation, metastasis and lung cancer-associated inflammation in vitro.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of flavonoid components in Scutellaria baicalensis on proliferation, metastasis and lung cancer-associated inflammation during nicotine induction in the A549 and H1299 lung cancer cell lines. After experimental period, augmentation of proliferation was observed, accompanied by marked decrease in apoptotic cells in nicotine-induced lung cancer cells; additionally, nicotine-exposed cells exhibited increased invasive and migratory abilities based on invasion and wound-healing assay. Flavones in Scutellaria, baicalin, baicalein and wogonin significantly counteracted the above deleterious changes.

Sputum interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and Salivary cortisol as new biomarkers of depression in lung cancer patients.

Depression is common among lung cancer patients. Increasing evidence has suggested that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and pro-inflammatory cytokines may play a key role in the pathophysiology of depression as well as cancer. This pilot study investigated the efficacy of sputum interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and salivary cortisol as new markers to support the diagnosis of depression in lung cancer patients.

Establishment and comparison of combining disease and syndrome model of asthma with "kidney yang deficiency" and "abnormal savda".

THE STUDY WAS THE FIRST TIME TO ESTABLISH AND COMPARE TWO RAT MODELS OF TWO COMMON SYNDROMES: Kidney Yang Deficiency syndrome (KYDS) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and abnormal savda syndrome (ASS) in traditional Uighur medicine (TUM). Then, we also established and evaluated rat models of combining disease and syndrome models of asthma with KYDS or ASS. Results showed that usage of the high dose of corticosterone (CORT) injection or external factors could successfully establish the KYDS or ASS rat models, and the two models had similar changes in biological characterization, abnormal behaviors, dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-target organ axes (HPTOA), and sympathetic/parasympathetic (S/P) nerve system but varied in different degrees.

Effects of baicalin on airway remodeling in asthmatic mice.

Airway remodeling is an important characteristic of asthma, linking inflammation with airway hyperresponsiveness. Baicalin, a major active component, was isolated from Radix Scutellariae. Many studies show that baicalin has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-allergic effects.