Prostaglandin I2 analogs suppress tumor necrosis factor α production and the maturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells and have critical roles in regulating immune responses. Prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) analogs are considered to be potential treatments for asthma. However, the effect of PGI2 analogs on human monocyte-derived DCs (MDDCs) is still not clearly understood.

Suppressive effect on MDC and IP-10 expression in monocytes by endocrine disruptor chemicals.

The expression of chemokines is critical in leukocyte recruitment and inflammation, but the regulatory mechanisms involved remain incompletely defined. While endocrine disrupter chemicals (EDCs) are known to be ubiquitous in the environment and often associated with altered inflammatory response, their potential impact on chemokine expression in monocytes is at present unknown. To this end, the effects of EDCs on the expression of Th1- and Th2-related chemokines in a human monocytic cell line, THP-1, were investigated.

Effects of ear points' pressing on parameters related to obesity in non-obese healthy and obese volunteers.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ear points' pressing at ear meridian points on the following obesity-related parameters: body weight; body fat; body-mass index; waist; hip circumference (HC); and waist circumference (WC)/HC ratio between two groups of subjects, nonobese healthy and obese volunteers.

Methods: The study was an open-parallel randomized controlled trial and the sample consisted of 31 nonobese healthy (BMI < 27 kg/m(2)) volunteers and 7 obese (BMI > or = 27 kg/m(2)) volunteers who were randomly divided into two groups. In the treatment group, ear points' pressing at 5 ear meridian points was applied, while volunteers in the control group did not receive any intervention.