Recent developments in immunotherapy approaches for allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis(AR)poses a significant global health burden,with the potential to progress to asthma,thereby impacting patients’quality of life.Immunotherapy has demonstrated effectiveness in mitigating clinical symptoms by altering the underlying disease mechanisms of AR.This article provides a thorough review of the current state of immunotherapy for AR,encompassing various facets of immunotherapeutic strategies,elucidating their mechanisms and clinical implications.By presenting a nuanced understanding of the present landscape of immunotherapy for AR,this review aims to serve as a valuable reference for informing clinical treatment strategies.The subsequent analysis of diverse immunotherapeutic pathways offers a comprehensive understanding of their mechanisms and clinical implications.A meticulous examination is conducted on subcutaneous immunotherapy,sublingual immunotherapy,oral immunotherapy,intralymphatic immunotherapy,and innovative intravenous gold-induced autologous serum injection therapy.Each pathway is systematically elucidated,with its distinctive features and potential contributions to managing AR emphasized.In conclusion,synthesizing epidemiological insights,immunotherapeutic nuances,and pathway-specific analyses encapsulates a profound understanding of immunotherapy for AR.

Establishment and Evaluation of a Mouse Model of Allergic Rhinitis

[Objectives]To explore a new method for induction of allergic rhinitis in mice,and compare and evaluate it with common modeling methods.[Methods]36 mice were randomly divided into the control group,blank group and experimental group,and there were 12 mice in each group.The mice in the control group were conventionally induced.That is,the mice were first injected intraperitoneally with the mixture composed of OVA 50μg,[Al(OH)3]5 mg and 1ml of normal saline once every other day,and then since the 15 th d,20μL of 5%OVA solution was dropped into each nasal cavity once a day,which lasted for 7 d.The blank group was treated with the same amount of normal saline according to the control group,and received intraperitoneal injection and bilateral nasal drip respectively.In the experimental group,mice were first given intraperitoneal injection of the mixture composed of ovalbumin(OVA)75μg,aluminum hydroxide gel[Al(OH)3]8 mg and normal saline 1.5 mL for basic sensitization.On the 26 th d,20μL of 3%OVA solution was dropped into each nasal cavity once a day,which lasted for 10 d.The number of sneezes,the number of nose scratching,the amount of nasal discharge,and the activity of mice in each group were observed,and the behavior of allergic reaction was scored.Meanwhile,the number of eosinophils in the nasal discharge of mice and the IgE content in serum were measured.[Results]The score of nasal stimulation symptoms,the number of eosinophils and serum IgE level of mice in the control group and the experimental group were higher than those in the blank group(P<0.05),and there was no statistical significance between the two groups in the three indicators(P>0.05).[Conclusions]The modeling method was more suitable for the development of allergic rhinitis patients condition,and reduced the probability of death of mice due to modeling,and simplified the experimental operation.

Epidemiological Features of Allergic Rhinitis in Four Major Cities in Western China

Allergic rhinitis（AR）,with an increasing uptrend of the prevalence in many developed and developing countries,is a global health problem that affects people of all ages and ethnic groups.However,data on the prevalence of self-reported AR in western China are rare.This study investigated the epidemiological features of self-reported AR in western China.In the cross-sectional,population-based study,a validated questionnaire survey on self-reported AR was carried out in 4 major cities in western China by multistage,stratified and cluster sampling,from January to December 2008.The total prevalence rate was 34.3%,with 32.3%（Chongqing）,34.3%（Chengdu）,37.9%（Urumqi）,30.3%（Nanning）,respectively.The prevalence presented to increase with age before 30 years old while decrease with age after 30 years old,and the highest prevalence was in 19-30 years group in Chongqing,Chengdu and Nanning which significantly showed ＂persistent and moderate-severe＂ type（P0.0001）;In Urumqi,there wasn＇t a significant increasing or decreasing trend of prevalence rate with age but with an ＂intermittent and mild＂predominance（P0.0001）.There were no distinct sexual differences in prevalence rates in the 4 cities.The morbidity was positively related to monthly average temperature and sunshine（r=0.76645,P=0.0036;r=0.67303,P=0.0165）,but negatively associated with relative humidity（r=-0.64391,P=0.0238） in Urumqi.Interestingly,the monthly morbidity was negatively associate with average temperature,sunshine and precipitation in Nanning（r=-0.81997,P=0.0011;r=-0.60787,P=0.0360;r=-0.59443,P=0.0415）.Self-reported AR is becoming common in western China with a rapid development in recent years,affecting about three persons out of ten.The climatic factors may have an indirect impact on the prevalence rate through the effects on the local allergens.

Effects of lysedEnterococcus faecalis FK-23 on experimental allergic rhinitis in a murine model

In the current study, we sought to investigate whether lysed Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 （LFK）, a heat-killed probiotic preparation, attenuated eosinophil influx into the upper airway and had immunomodulatory activity in a murine allergic rhinitis model. Eighteen BALB/c mice were divided into three groups; the ovalbumin （OVA）-sen- sitized/challenged group, which received saline orally for 6 weeks （OVA group）, the OVA-sensitized/challenged group, which received LFK orally for 6 weeks （LFK-fed group）, and the non-sensitized group, which received saline for 6 weeks （saline control group）. Nasal rubbing and sneezing were monitored during the study. After the final challenge, interleukin （IL）-4, interferon （IFN）-y, and OVA-specific IgE levels in the sera and splenocyte culture supernatants were determined, eosinophilic infiltrate into the upper airway was quantified, and splenic CD4~CD25＋ regulatory T cells （Tregs） were examined by flow cytometry. We found that nasal rubbing was sig- nificantly reduced in LFK-fed mice compared to the OVA group on d 27 and 35, and sneezing was significantly inhibited by LFK administration for 35 d. LFK-fed mice had significantly less eosinophil influx into the nasal mucosa than the OVA group. There were no significant differences between the LFK-fed group and OVA group in the serum and splenocyte culture supernatant levels of IL-4, IFN-y, and OVA-specific IgE. Interestingly, the LFK-fed mice had a significantly greater percentage of splenic CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs than OVA group. Our results indicate that oral administration of LFK may alleviate nasal symptoms, reduce nasal eosinophilia, and increase the percentage of CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs in experimental allergic rhinitis.

Association between Promoter Polymorphisms of Interleukin-4 Gene and Allergic Rhinitis Risk: a Meta-analysis

Summary： The relationship of interleukin-4 （IL-4） C-33T and C-590T （C-589T） gene polymorphisms with allergic rhinitis was analyzed. Data about the case control studies of IL-4 gene promoter polymorphisms [C-33T and C-590T （C-589T）] and their association with allergic diseases and correlation between serum IL-4 levels and allergic rhinitis were retrieved. The Stata 12.0 statistical soitvcare was applied to analyze the correlation between IL-4 gene polymorphisms and allergic rhinitis. The meta-analysis result of TT/CC genotype of -590 （-589） polymorphism showed a significant association with allergic diseases [OR=1.93, 95% CI （1.61 2.31）, P=0.00]. Meta-analysis of the TT＋TC versus CC genotype of IL-4 C-33/T polymorphism revealed significant associations with allergic diseases [OR=3.23, 95% CI （1.13-9.25）, P=0.03]. Meanwhile, there was a significant correlation between serum IL-4 levels and allergic rhinitis [OR=2.52, 95% CI-（1.80-3.23）, P=0.00]. IL-4 gene -590 TT genotype may increase the risk of allergic rhinitis and the T allele mutation of -33 might be correlated with aller- gic rhinitis.

Single-allergen Sublingual Immunotherapy versus Multi-allergen Subcutaneous Immunotherapy for Children with Allergic Rhinitis

It has always been controversial whether a single allergen performs better than multiple allergens in polysensitized patients during the allergen-specific immunotherapy. This study aimed to examine the clinical efficacy of single-allergen sublingual immunotherapy(SLIT) versus multi-allergen subcutaneous immunotherapy(SCIT) and to discover the change of the biomarker IL-4 after 1-year immunotherapy in polysensitized children aged 6–13 years with allergic rhinitis(AR) induced by house dust mites(HDMs). The AR polysensitized children(n=78) were randomly divided into two groups: SLIT group and SCIT group. Patients in the SLIT group sublingually received a single HDM extract and those in the SCIT group were subcutaneously given multiple-allergen extracts(HDM in combination with other clinically relevant allergen extracts). Before and 1 year after the allergen-specific immunotherapy(ASIT), the total nasal symptom scores(TNSS), total medication scores(TMS) and IL-4 levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) were compared respectively between the two groups. The results showed that the TNSS were greatly improved, and the TMS and IL-4 levels were significantly decreased after 1-year ASIT in both groups(SLIT group: P<0.001; SCIT group: P<0.001). There were no significant differences in any outcome measures between the two groups(for TNSS: P>0.05; for TMS: P>0.05; for IL-4 levels: P>0.05). It was concluded that the clinical efficacy of single-allergen SLIT is comparable with that of multi-allergen SCIT in 6–13-year-old children with HDM-induced AR.

p38 MAPK Regulates Th2 Cytokines Release in PBMCs in Allergic Rhinitis Rats

Th2 cytokines play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis. To investigate the effect of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） on the production of Th2 cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-5 in allergic rhinitis, a model of allergic rhinitis was established in SD rats. The expression level of p38 MAPK mRNA in PBMCs was detected by means of real time quantitative RT-PCR. The p38 MAPK activity in PBMCs was detected by Western blotting. PBMCs were cultured with various concentrations of p38 MAPK inhibitor SB 239063 or without the treatment, and then IL-4, IL-5 levels of the supernatant were determined by using sandwich ELISA. The results showed that mRNA expression and activity of p38 MAPK in PBMCs were significantly higher in allergic rhinitis rats than in control rats （P〈0.05）. The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB 239063 decreased the production of IL-4 and IL-5 in a dose-dependent manner. It is concluded that p38 MAPK plays an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis which is associated with Th2 cytokines release.

A cross-sectional study into the correlation of common household risk factors and allergic rhinitis in Taiwan's tropical environment

Objective:To discuss the effect of lesser-known potential risk factors,such as bedroom showers,on the prevalence of allergic rhinitis.Methods:A cross-sectional,population-based study was performed using both survey and fungal culturing in southern Taiwan.There were 998 participants enrolled in the survey,and 513 sets of fungal culture obtained.With score for allergic rhinitis(SFAR) more than 7,the patient was defined to have allergic rhinitis.Risks of allergic rhinitis were calculated as odds ratios for various predicted risk factors by logistic regression.Correlation between predicted risk factors and fungal level were examined with linear regression.Results:The adjusted odds ratio of frequently using bedroom shower to having allergic rhinitis was 1.572(95% confidence interval:1.090-2.265),and 0.962 for people with older age to have AR(95% confidence interval:0.949-0.976).As to the 24-hour fungal level,the standardized coefficient was 0.254 for frequent use of bedroom shower,and 0.106 for window open hours.Conclusions:Use of bedroom shower is a potential risk factor for allergic rhinitis development.

Mediation Effects of Placental Inflammatory Transcriptional Biomarkers on the Sex-Dependent Associations between Maternal Phthalate Exposure and Infant Allergic Rhinitis: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Objective Prenatal phthalate exposure has been associated with placental inflammatory factors and infant allergic rhinitis(AR).However,the results are inconclusive.We designed a population-based cohort study to examine the effects of placental inflammatory biomarkers on the sex-dependent associations between maternal phthalate exposure and infant AR.Methods A total of 2,348 pregnant women from Ma’anshan,Anhui Province,China,who were screened before antenatal visits and met the inclusion criteria,were included in the present study.We assessed AR in their offspring aged 36 months with a questionnaire.Quantitative PCR was performed to measure placental inflammatory factor m RNAs.The independent samples t-test and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine the associations between infant AR and maternal phthalates.Results Childhood AR may be related to education and family monthly income(P = 0.01).The phthalate metabolites,mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate(MEHP),mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyl) phthalate(MEHHP),in pregnant women were associated with a significantly increased risk for infant AR in males[P < 0.05;odds ratio(OR):1.285;95% confidence interval(CI):1.037-1.591,and OR:1.232,95% CI:1.008-1.507,respectively],but not females.Additionally,irritably-increased expression levels of HO-1 and IL-4 were associated with AR in male infants(OR:1.175;95% CI:1.038-1.329 and OR:1.181;95% CI:1.056-1.322,respectively).The association between maternal urinary MEHHP and placental HO-1 was marginally significant according to mediation analysis.Conclusion The associations of maternal MEHHP and MEOHP levels with fetal AR in males were significant.Placental HO-1 was a fractional mediator in the associations between MEHHP and AR.Thus,the placenta should be further investigated as a potential mediator of maternal exposure-induced disease risk in children.

Myricetin alleviates ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis in mice by regulating Th1/Th2 balance

Objective:To evaluate the effect of myricetin on ovalbumin(OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis in mice.Methods:Mice were sensitized and challenged using OVA(5%,500 mL)intraperitoneally and intranasally,respectively,on an alternative day for 14 days,followed by administration of myricetin(50,100,and 200 mg/kg)till day 21.Nasal symptoms,biochemical parameters,protein expressions,and histopathology were observed.Results:OVA-induced increased nasal symptoms including rubbing,sneezing,and discharge were significantly reduced by myricetin(100and 200 mg/kg)(P<0.05).Myricetin also protected against histamine challenge and attenuated elevated serum immunoglobulin E(IgE;total and OVA-specific),total IgG1,andβ-hexosaminidase levels,as well as leukotriene C4 and interleukins levels in nasal lavage fluid(P<0.05).Western blot analysis showed that myricetin significantly upregulated the protein expression of T-box expressed in T cells,while downregulating the protein expression of GATA binding protein 3,NF-κB,and IκB-α(P<0.05).Additionally,OVA-induced histopathological abberations in the nasal mucosa was markedly ameliorated by myricetin treatment(P<0.05).Conclusions:Myricetin exerts anti-allergic effects against OVAinduced allergic rhinitis via regulating Th1/Th2 balance.

Mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of allergic rhinitis using a network biology approach

Objective:To systematically explore the effect and mechanism of traditional Chinese herbs in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.Methods:Magnolia flower,xanthium fruit,astragalus root,paniculate cynanchum,scutellaria root,cicada molting,stephania root,small centipeda herb,and licorice root as traditional Chinese herbs are widely used to treat allergic rhinitis.With multiple database integration and entity grammar systems,a molecular interaction network of traditional Chinese herbs for treating allergic rhinitis was established.Bioinformatics approaches were adopted to integrate relevant data and biological information by multiple databases.Molecular interaction network of Chinese herbs for treating allergic rhinitis was constructed based on entity grammar systems model.The network was then used for elucidating the antiallergic rhinitis mechanism of the Chinese herbs on the molecular level.The subnetworks were also extracted to explicitly display the pathway and targets where effective components acted on.Results:Traditional Chinese herbs could influence various pathological aspects in allergic rhinitis including the production of pro-inflammatory substances,such as histamine and cytokine interleukin-4(IL-4),interleukin-13(IL-13),lowering immunoglobulin E(IgE)level or blocking antigen binding,altering the biological processes of IgE,modulating the balance of T helper(Th)or other cells by cell proliferation and differentiation,mediating cellecell signaling and second-messenger-mediated signaling,stabilizing the cell membrane,and affecting regulation of cellular defense response.Conclusion:The research theoretically confirms the mechanism of anti-allergic rhinitis by traditional Chinese herbs,provides important fundamental research information for treatment of allergic rhinitis,and may serve as a reference for new drug development and effective ingredients of compatibility.

Serum IL-10 Level in Allergic Rhinitis Patients and Its Effect on Serum Total IgE

To investigate the level of serum IL-10 in allergic rhinitis patients and the correlation between IL-10 and serum total IgE （TIgE）. 50 allergic rhinitis patients and 30 normal subjects were involved in the study. The levels of serum IL-10 and TIgE were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）, and the correlation between serum IL-10 and TIgE was analyzed. In the allergic rhinitis group, the levels of serum IL-10 and TIgE were 8.34±2.48 pg/mL and 142.6± 28.2 KUA/L. In the normal control group, they were 12.86±.88 pg/mL and 47.2±12.2 KUA. There were significant differences between the two groups （P〈0. 01）; and the level of serum TIgE in the patients was negatively correlated with that of IL-10 （r= -0.46, P=0. 02）. The level of serum IL-10 was significantly decreased in allergic rhinitis patients, which was beneficial to the synthesization of IgE. IL-10 plays an important role in the episode of allergic rhinitis.

Gene therapy for allergic rhinitis with recombinant adenovirus vector containing CTLA4Ig in mice

Objective: To examine the role of recombinant adenovirus vector containing CTLA4Ig gene(Ad-CTLA4Ig) in the treatment of induced allergic rhinitis in mice.Methods: Allergic rhinitis was induced by sensitizing and challenging with ovalbumin(OVA).Ad-CTLA4Ig was intraperitoneally injected 30 min before OVA challenge.Adenovirus vector without inserted CTLA4Ig cDNA served as the control.The symptoms and morphological changes of nasal mucosa of each group were observed, and the serum levels of IgE against OVA were detected with ELISA.Results: There were no obvious symptoms and pathological changes in Ad-CTLA4Ig treated group, in which the serum OVA-specific IgE levels were significantly lower than that in control groups(P< 0.05).Conclusion: Ad-CTLA4Ig prevents and treats allergic rhinitis of mice,implying the possibility of the usage of Ad-CTLA4Ig against allergic rhinitis in clinic in future.

Mechanism of Magnoliae Flos and Xanthii Fructus herb pair in treatment of allergic rhinitis based on network pharmacology

Objective: To explore the molecular mechanism of Magnoliae Flos and Xanthii Fructus herb pair for allergic rhinitis based on network pharmacology. Methods: From the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, Uniprot database, and Gene Cards database, the relevant chemical constituents information, pharmacokinetic information and hub target of allergic rhinitis were obtained. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed by STRING online database, analyzed and showed by the Cytoscape software. The screened target information was analyzed by the Metascape database for Gene Ontology biological function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. Results: Main components of Magnoliae Flos and Xanthii Fructus herb pair, such as aloe-emodin, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol and Yangambin, depend on the interaction of Nitric Oxide Synthase 3, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Caspase-3 and other functions involve G protein-coupled (amine) receptor activity, RNA polymerase II basic transcription factor binding, protease binding, heme binding, and integrin binding;can regulate calcium signal pathway, serotonergic synapse, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signal pathway, tryptophan inflammatory mediator regulation pathway, estrogen signal pathway alone or in combination, and play a role in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Conclusion: Magnoliae Flos combined with Xanthii Fructus can regulate biomolecular network in multiple targets and pathways to treat allergic rhinitis.

Comparison of Allergic Rhinitis and Bronchial Asthma Impacts on Tympanometric Parameters in Children at Kano, Nigeria

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a multifocal IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity reaction that affects sino-nasal mucosa and is characterized by excessive sneezing, watery rhinorrhea, nasal itching, nasal stuffiness and eyes itching. Bronchial asthma (BA) is one of the common childhood diseases that affects the respiratory system characterized by recurrent cough, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty with breathing. The two conditions are different manifestations of allergic disease of the airway;the composition of the inflammatory substrate in the mucosa of allergic patients is similar to the late-phase allergic response seen elsewhere in the respiratory tract, such as in bronchial asthma. Aim: The aim was to compare the impacts of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma on tympanometric parameters in children. Patients & Methods: This is a hospital based comparative cross-sectional study. Two groups of participants aged 4 - 12 years, one group with documented clinical diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and the other group with documented clinical diagnosis of bronchial asthma were consecutively selected from ear, nose and throat (ENT) and pediatrics cardiopulmonary outpatient clinics of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano respectively. Equal number of children aged 4 - 12 years with no history of ENT diseases or bronchial asthma that were selected from elementary schools within the same community served as a control group. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was filled out for all the participants, complete ENT and chest examinations were carried out and subsequently all the selected participants had tympanometry done, findings were recorded and analyzed. Results: The mean age of participants with bronchial asthma was found to be 7.5 ± 2.6 years while participants with allergic rhinitis had the mean age of 6.8 ± 2.1 years. The mean middle ear pressure (MEP) of participants with bronchial asthma was found to be -15.22 dapa and -40.32 dapa in those with allergic rhinitis. Acoustic reflex was found to be absent in 15.4% of the participants with bronchial asthma and 29.6% of allergic rhinitis participants. Type B tympanogram was found in 2.8% of bronchial asthma participants and 7.3% in participants with allergic rhinitis. Type C tympanogram was found in 4.6% of participants with bronchial asthma and 15.5% of participants with allergic rhinitis. Type A tympanogram was found in 90% of participants with bronchial asthma and 75% of participants with allergic rhinitis. The difference between type A, B and C tympanograms of participants with bronchial asthma and those with allergic rhinitis was found to be statistically significant (Type A χ2 = 14.62, df = 4, p value = 0.01, Type B χ2 = 14.06, df = 4, p value = 0.01, Type C χ2 = 17.01, df = 6, p value = 0.01). Conclusion: Participants with allergic rhinitis were found to have more abnormalities of tympanometric parameters compared to participants with bronchial asthma which signifies allergic rhinitis conferred an increased risk of having middle ear diseases and otitis media with effusion compared to bronchial asthma.

Presence of Mycoplasma Spp.in Patients with Asthma or Allergic Rhinitis

Objective: To compare the presence of Mycoplasma spp. in pharyngeal swabs of patients with asthma, allergic rhinitis and controls, also to compare the reactivity to allergens in the three groups. Material and Methods: Throat swabs of 120 patients with asthma, 211 allergic rhinitis patients and 171 healthy persons were cultured in E media. Positive cultures were identified by PCR. Susceptibility of patients positive for isolation of Mycoplasma spp. to indoor, forest and undergrowth allergens were determined. Results: Mycoplasma spp. was isolated in 26.6% of samples from asthmatic patients, 36% in patients with allergic rhinitis and 2.9% in the group of healthy persons. Positive patients for Mycoplasma with asthma and allergic rhinitis showed susceptibility tomite, grass and thunder mainly. Conclusion: There is a higher incidence of Mycoplasma spp. in asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients than healthy persons. Only patients with asthma or allergic rhinitis showed reactivity to environmental allergens.

ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT OF ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Case HistoryName:Kerstin Wiest;Sex:female;Age:46 years;Occupation:teacher;Date of firstvisit:April,1996.Chief complaint:Allergic rhinitis for fiveyears.The patient stated that five years before,she got the sensation of weakness and lassitudeafter undergoing a uterectomy,which

Ethno-medicinal study of Artemisia ordosica Krasch.(traditional Chinese/Mongolian medicine) extracts for treatment of allergic rhinitis and nasosinusitis

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the in vivo anti-inflammatory and allergic rhinitis(AR)alleviating effect as well as in vitro antimicrobial activities of Artemisia ordosica Krasch.(AOK)extracts to verify its ethno-medicinal claims.METHODS Crude extracts(methanol/95%-ethanol/ethyl acetate)of AOK root/stem/leaf and fractions(petroleum ether/ethyl acetate/n-butanol/aqueous)of AOK root extractwere prepared.Xylene-induced ear swelling model in mouse and ovalbumin(OVA)-induced AR model in guinea pig were established.Ear swelling degrees of mice were measured.The numbers of rubbing movement and sneezes of guinea pigs were counted to evaluate the symptoms of AR.The serum levels of histamine,INF-γ,IL-2/4/10,and VCAM-1 were measured by ELISA assay.The histological changes of nasal mucosa were investigated by light microscope after H&E staining.Antimicrobial activities of AOK extracts were also tested.LC-MS/MS analysis was performed to characterize the constituents of active extract and molecular docking was conducted to predict the biological mechanism.RESULTS In ear-swelling model,extract(100.00 mg·kg^-1)from the ethyl acetate layer of 95%ethanol(100.00 mg·kg^-1)showed better swelling inhibition in mice than positive control(dexamethasone,191.91 mg·kg^-1).In AR model,extract from the ethyl acetate layer of 95%ethanol significantly alleviated the AR symp⁃toms in guinea pigs,decreased the serum levels of histamine,INF-γ,IL-2/4/10,and VCAM-1,and reduced the infiltration of eosinophil in nasal mucosa.For Staphylococcus aureus,the ethyl acetate extract of AOK stem showed the highest inhibi⁃tion(MIC=1.25 g·L^-1),for Escherichia coli,n-butanol layer of 95%ethanol extract of AOK root showed the highest inhibi⁃tion(MIC=15.00 g·L^-1),for Candida glabrata,95%-ethanol extract of AOK stem showed the best inhibition(MIC=0.064 g·L^-1),while ethyl acetate and n-butanol layers showed similar inhibition on MRSA(MIC=7.50 g·L-1).LC-MS/MS characteriza⁃tion showed that dicaffeoylquinic acids account for more than 30%of ethyl acetate layer of AOK extract.Dicaffeoylquinic acids bind with histamine-1 receptor with high affinities and interesting modes.CONCLUSION Extracts from AOK had interesting anti-inflammatory activity in mice,alleviating effect against OVA-induced AR in guinea pigs,and antimicrobial activities in vitro,which support the ethno-medicinal use of it.The main constituents in ethyl acetate layer of AOK root extract are dicaffeoylquinic acids and could bind with histamine-1 receptor well.These findings highlighted the impor⁃tance of natural product chemistry study of AOK.

Konjac-mulberry leaf compound powder alleviates OVA-induced allergic rhinitis in BALB/c mice

According to the proportion of 1:1, konjac flour and mulberry leaf powder are compounded into a kind of dietary fiber source(KMCP). It is found to be good for anti-inflammation. However, its precise anti-allergic rhinitis effect and mechanism remain unknown. In our work, the effect of KMCP on allergic rhinitis(AR)induced by ovalbumin(OVA)was investigated. We found that the number of nasal rubbing and sneezing, the eosinophil(EOS)count in the nasal mucosa, and the serum levels of histamine(HIS), OVA-specific immunoglobulin E(OVA-sIgE)and interleukin-4(IL-4)were decreased, and the histopathological changes of nasal mucosa were inhibited. Additionally, the experiments further proved that the KMCP treatment could exert substantial effects on short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)metabolism in the cecum as well. Overall findings suggest that KMCP could suppress the inflammatory response in AR mice, and serve as a novel curative therapeutic for AR without side effects.

Expression of HSP70 in Peripheral Lymphocytes of the Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

The expression levels of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) from peripheral lymphocytes of the patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and the clinical implication were investigated In the morning, 3 ml of fasting venous blood was taken out The lymphocytes were isolated by using Ficoll-Hypaque and the expression of HSP70 in the lymphocytes was detected by using Western blot In the AR patients the HSP70 level (41 49±15 77 integrated optical density, IOD) were significantly higher than that in the control group (23 89±10 13 IOD, P< 0 05) Western blot demonstrated that HSP70 bands in AR patients were more intensive than those in the control group It was concluded that the elevated HSP70 level in peripheral lymphocytes of the AR patients might contribute to the development of AR