Diabetes-inducing effects of bronchial asthma

BACKGROUND The relationship between diabetes mellitus(DM)and asthma is complex and can impact disease trajectories.AIM To explore the bidirectional influences between the two conditions on clinical outcomes and disease control.METHODS We systematically reviewed the literature on the relationship between DM and asthma,focusing on their impacts,mechanisms,and therapeutic implications.Various studies were assessed,which investigated the effect of glycemic control on asthma outcomes,lung function,and exacerbations.The study highlighted the role of specific diabetes medications in managing asthma.RESULTS The results showed that poor glycemic control in diabetes can exacerbate asthma,increase hospitalizations,and reduce lung function.Conversely,severe asthma,especially in obese individuals,can complicate diabetes management and make glycemic control more difficult.The diabetes-associated mechanisms,such as inflammation,microangiopathy,and oxidative stress,can exacerbate asthma and decrease lung function.Some diabetes medications exhibit anti-inflammatory effects that show promise in mitigating asthma exacerbations.CONCLUSION The complex interrelationship between diabetes and asthma suggests bidirectional influences that affect disease course and outcomes.Inflammation and microvascular complications associated with diabetes may worsen asthma outcomes,while asthma severity,especially in obese individuals,complicates diabetes control.However,the current research has limitations,and more diverse longitudinal studies are required to establish causal relationships and identify effective treatment strategies for individuals with both conditions.

Clarifying the relationship and analyzing the influential factors of bronchial asthma in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND Bronchial asthma is closely related to the occurrence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)in children,which can easily have adverse effects on children’s learning and social interactions.Studies have shown that childhood asthma can increase the risk of ADHD and the core symptoms of ADHD.Compared with children with ADHD alone,children with asthma and ADHD are more likely to show high levels of hyperactivity,hyperactive-impulsive and other externalizing behaviors and anxiety in clinical practice and have more symptoms of somatization and emotional internalization.AIM To explore the relationship between ADHD in children and bronchial asthma and to analyze its influencing factors.METHODS This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Dongying People's Hospital from September 2018 to August 2023.Children diagnosed with ADHD at this hospital were selected as the ADHD group,while healthy children without ADHD who underwent physical examinations during the same period served as the control group.Clinical and parental data were collected for all participating children,and multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors for comorbid asthma in children with ADHD.RESULTSSignificant differences were detected between the ADHD group and the control group in terms of family history ofasthma and allergic diseases, maternal complications during pregnancy, maternal use of asthma and allergymedications during pregnancy, maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy, and parental relationshipstatus (P < 0.05). Out of the 183 children in the ADHD group, 25 had comorbid asthma, resulting in a comorbidityrate of 13.66% (25/183), compared to the comorbidity rate of 2.91% (16/549) among the 549 children in the controlgroup. The difference in the asthma comorbidity rate between the two groups was statistically significant (P <0.05). The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that family history of asthma and allergicdiseases, maternal complications during pregnancy, maternal use of asthma and allergy medications duringpregnancy, maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy, and parental relationship status are independentrisk factors increasing the risk of comorbid asthma in children with ADHD (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONChildren with ADHD were more likely to have comorbid asthma than healthy control children were. A familyhistory of asthma, adverse maternal factors during pregnancy, and parental relationship status were identified asrisk factors influencing the comorbidity of asthma in children with ADHD. Clinically, targeted interventions basedon these factors can be implemented to reduce the risk of comorbid asthma. This information is relevant for resultssections of abstracts in scientific articles.

Effect of Acupoint Liquid Nitrogen Cryotherapy on Neuro-Endocrine-Immune Network System in Patients with Lung Qi Deficiency Syndrome in Remission Stage of Bronchial Asthma

[Objectives]To observe the effect of acupoint liquid nitrogen cryotherapy on the neuro-endocrine-immune network system of lung qi deficiency syndrome during the remission period of bronchial asthma and explore its possible mechanism.[Methods]A total of 100 patients with bronchial asthma were randomly divided into control group and observation group,with 50 cases in each group.The control group was given budesonide spray inhalation treatment,combined with acupoint liquid nitrogen freezing treatment,twice a year for a course of treatment,followed up for 1 year.The other 50 healthy volunteers were included in the healthy group,and no treatment was given in the healthy group.Serum immunoglobulins A,G,E(IgA,IgG,IgE)were detected before and after treatment in each group,serum cytokines[interleukin-4(IL-4),interleukin-10(IL-10),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interferon-γ(IFN-γ)],plasma neurotransmitters[substance P(SP),vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP)].[Results]Before treatment,compared with healthy group,the contents of IgA,IgG,IL-10,IFN-γand VIP in observation group and control group were decreased,while the contents of IgE,IL-4,TNF-αand SP were increased,with statistical significance(P<0.05).After treatment,compared with before treatment,IgA,IgG,IL-10,IFN-γand VIP contents in observation group and control group were increased(P<0.05),and observation group was higher than control group(P<0.05),IgE,IL-4 and SP contents in observation group and control group were decreased(P<0.05).The observation group was lower than the control group(P<0.05).[Conclusions]Acupoint liquid nitrogen cryotherapy may improve the immune function of the body,regulate the release of cytokines and regulate neuromediators,and thus play a role in the prevention and treatment of bronchial asthma.

Research Progress on Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Children with Bronchial Asthma

Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant threat to the physical and mental health of children globally.Currently,pulmonary rehabilitation is a non-pharmacological intervention that has shown promise in treating chronic respiratory diseases.However,most studies related to pulmonary rehabilitation only focus on chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),lung cancer,and bronchiectasis.Research on bronchial asthma in children is still in the preliminary stages.This article reviews the concept,basic content,and application mode of pulmonary rehabilitation,to provide reference for the clinical research of pulmonary rehabilitation in children with bronchial asthma,and to carry out multimodal pulmonary rehabilitation to improve the disease control level and quality of life of asthma in children.

Efficacy and Impact on Inflammatory Factors and Lung Function in Pediatric Bronchial Asthma Treated with Modified Dingchuan Decoction

Objective:To study the efficacy of treating pediatric bronchial asthma with a modified Dingchuan Decoction and its effect on inflammatory factors and lung function levels.Methods:Sixty cases of bronchial asthma admitted to the hospital between January and December 2023 were divided into two groups using a computerized randomization method.One group of 30 cases received basic treatment with a salmeterol ticarcoson powder inhaler(control group),while the observation group received the same treatment plus a modified Dingchuan Decoction.The disappearance time of symptoms,levels of inflammatory factors,lung function indexes,and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups.Results:The disappearance time of symptoms in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group.The levels of inflammatory factors after treatment were lower,and lung function indexes were higher in the observation group compared to the control group.Additionally,the total effective rate of treatment in the observation group was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:In the clinical treatment of pediatric bronchial asthma,supplementing conventional Western medicine with a modified Dingchuan Decoction is effective,as it actively reduces inflammatory factor levels and improves lung function.

Analysis of the Effect of Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in Emergency Treatment of Severe Bronchial Asthma with Respiratory Failure

Objective:This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation(NIPPV)in patients with severe bronchial asthma combined with respiratory failure.Methods:90 patients with severe bronchial asthma combined with respiratory failure between September 2022 and December 2023 were selected for the study and randomly divided into the experimental group(NIPPV-assisted treatment)and the control group.The differences between the two groups were compared in terms of total effective rate of treatment,days of clinical symptom disappearance,days of hospitalization,lung function indexes,incidence of adverse reactions,and quality of life.Results:Patients in the experimental group had a significantly higher total effective rate of treatment(97.78%)than the control group(75.56%).In terms of pulmonary function indexes,patients in the experimental group showed significant improvement after treatment,especially the increase in forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity,while these improvements were not as obvious in the control group.In addition,the incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group,suggesting that the application of NIPPV is relatively safe.Quality of life assessment also showed that patients in the experimental group had significantly better quality of life than the control group after treatment.Conclusion:This study demonstrated the effectiveness of NIPPV as an adjunctive treatment for severe bronchial asthma combined with respiratory failure.NIPPV can improve lung function,reduce the incidence of adverse effects,increase the overall effectiveness of the treatment,and contribute to the improvement of patients'quality of life.Therefore,NIPPV should be regarded as an effective and safe treatment in clinical management,especially in patients with severe bronchial asthma combined with respiratory failure,where its application has potential clinical significance.

Regulating effect of glycyrrhetinic acid on bronchial asthma smooth muscle proliferation and apoptosis as well as inflammatory factor expression through ERK1/2 signaling pathway

Objective: To study the influence of glycyrrhetinic acid(GA) on bronchial asthma(BA)smooth muscle proliferation and apoptosis as well as inflammatory factor expression and its molecular mechanism.Methods: Male SD guinea pigs were selected and made into asthma models, bronchial asthma smooth muscle cells were cultured and divided into BA group, GA group and GA + LM group that were treated with serum-free RPMI1640 culture medium, serumfree RPMI1640 culture medium containing 50 ng/mL glycyrrhetinic acid, serum-free RPMI1640 culture medium containing 50 ng/mL glycyrrhetinic acid and 100 ng/mL LM22B-10 respectively; normal guinea pigs were collected and bronchial smooth muscle cells were cultured as control group. The cell proliferation activity as well as the expression of proliferation and apoptosis genes, inflammatory factors and p-ERK1/2 was determined.Results: Proliferation activity value and m RNA expression of Bcl-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6,YKL-40, protein expression of p-ERK1/2 of airway smooth muscle cell in BA group were significantly higher than those of control group while m RNA expression levels of Bax,caspase-9 as well as caspase-3 were significantly lower than that of control group(P < 0.05); proliferation activity value and m RNA expression of Bcl-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6, YKL-40, protein expression of p-ERK1/2 of airway smooth muscle cell in GA group were significantly lower than those of BA group(P < 0.05) while the m RNA expression levels of Bax, caspase-9 as well as caspase-3 were significantly higher than those of BA group(P < 0.05); proliferation activity value and m RNA expression of Bcl-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6, YKL-40 of airway smooth muscle cell in GA + LM group were significantly higher than those of GA group(P < 0.05) while m RNA expression levels of Bax, caspase-9 as well as caspase-3 were significantly lower that of GA group(P < 0.05).Conclusion: GA can inhibit the proliferation of bronchial smooth muscle cells and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2.

An epidemiology study of bronchial asthma in the Li ethnic group in China

Objective:To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of bronchial asthma in the Li ethnic group in Hainan,China.Methods:This study employed a stratified random sample design using custom-designed questionnaires.Subjects with asthma-like symptoms were first identified by two rounds of surveys and then confirmed by respiratory physicians using pulmonary function test,bronchial dilation test and challenge test.Demographic data,information on family history of asthma,history of allergies,smoking habits,domestic cooking fuel and other potential risk factors were collected.Logistic regression was performed to evaluate risk factors for asthma.Results: The prevalence of asthma in the Li ethnic group was 3.38%,much higher than the national average level in China.Aging,agriculture industry(the rubber industry in particular),rural residence,family history of asthma,history of allergies,cold air,inhalation of dust and irritant gases,smoking,domestic cooking fuel and living environment were associated with increased risk of asthma.Conclusions:The high prevalence of asthma in the Li ethnic group highlights the importance of asthma prevention and treatment in this population.Risk factors indentified in this study warrant special attention.Elevating public awareness about asthma in local communities will benefit the prevention of the disease.

Structural Modulation of Gut Microbiota in Rats with Allergic Bronchial Asthma Treated with Recuperating Lung Decoction

Objective To investigate whether recuperating lung decoction （RLD） can modulate the composition of gut microbiota in rats during asthma treatment. Methods Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly and equally into control group, model group, dexamethasone （DEX） group, RLD medium-dose group, and RLD high-dose group. The asthma model was established in all groups, except for the control group. The rats in the DEX and RLD groups were treated orally with DEX and RLD, respectively. The rats in the control and model groups were treated orally with 0.9% saline. The intestinal bacterial communities were compared among groups using 16S rRNA gene amplification and 454 pyrosequencing. Results The microbial flora differed between the control and model groups, but the flora in the RLD groups was similar to that in the control group. No significant differences were observed between the RLD high-dose and medium-dose groups. RLD treatment resulted in an increase in the level beneficial bacteria in the gut, such as Loctobocillus and Bifidobocterium spp. Conclusion Oral administration of RLD increased the number of intestinal lactic acid-producing bacteria, such as Loctobocillus and Bifidobecterium, in asthma model rats.

The cross-talk between family and pediatrician: The case of bronchial asthma

Today the most important challenge facing the pediatrician is the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. With this regard, pediatricians play a key role in the management of these conditions. The closeness with the family, the knowledge of the clinical case and the care continuity allow the pediatrician to acquire a position of director of every case. When pathological events have a chronic feature, suddenly the quality of life of the whole family changes. For this reason the first communication of chronic disease is very important and the task of the pediatrician should be to provide a positive message to help the family in facing the difficulty of this new challenge. The bronchial asthma is the most common chronic disease worldwide. The incidence, the prevalence, and the mortality of the disease have increased in children over the past decades. These trends are particularly marked above all in preschool children. The success reached by Pediatricians is closely related to the compliance and the implementation of the therapy followed by the little patient and his family. With this regard authors, in this review, focus on the illustration of several strategies, based on the pediatrician’ skills and medicine documents, that can be used for the improvement of communication among pedia- trician-family and child, never forgetting the hu- man aspect of the same doctor, that should con- ciliate with the scientific knowledge in the taking care of a specific chronic disease.

Chinese and Uighur medicine diagnostic criteria of the evaluation of the Modern drug treatment side-effects in bronchial asthma patients

We studied Chinese and Uighur medicines and create an automated computer diagnostics system according to principals of Uighur medicine for evaluation of bronchial asthma patient′s state.498 patients with bronchial asthma were enrolled the automated computer diagnostic program.304 patients were evaluated in the process of drug and non-drug treatment.Savda asthma type of Uighur medicine do not corresponds with any of the defined clinico-pathogenetic variants of the disease.Thus,prevailing of atopic bronchial asthma with probability of 0.7 is defined with Savda categories with such as 'Lungs energy deficiency','Spleen energy deficiency' and 'Kidneys Yin deficiency'(P<0.01) variants in Chinese Medicine.The combination of infectious-dependent variant of bronchial asthma Abnormal Savda syndrome with atopy with a probability of 0.8 is accompanied by the categories of 'Hot and Full' asthma with such variants as 'Lungs energy deficiency' 'Spleen energy deficiency','Kidneys Yin deficiency'(P<0.01).Patients with an easier case of Abnormal Savda syndrome bronchial asthma in 71% of cases have prevailing diagnostic categories of 'External,Full and Cold' asthma.Patients with a harder case of Abnormal Savda in 74% of cases belongs to the categories of 'Internal,Empty and Hot' asthma.So,hormone dependency of the disease in 69% of cases is accompanied by the 'Kidneys Yin deficiency' variant and,if there is an aspirin component in the pathogenesis of mixed asthma,in 83% of cases 'Kidneys Yin deficiency' and 'Kidneys Yang deficiency' variants are defined.

Laccase/caffeic acid-catalyzed crosslinking coupled with galactomannan alters the conformational structure of ovalbumin and alleviates Th2-mediated allergic asthma

Ovalbumin(OVA)is the major allergenic protein that can induce T helper 2(Th2)-allergic reactions,for which current treatment options are inadequate.In this study,we developed a polymerized hypoallergenic OVA product via laccase/caffeic acid(Lac/CA)-catalyzed crosslinking in conjunction with galactomannan(Man).The formation of high molecular weight crosslinked polymers and the Ig G-binding were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE)and Western blotting.The study indicated that Lac/CA-catalyzed crosslinking plus Man conjugation substantially altered secondary and tertiary structures of OVA along with the variation in surface hydrophobicity.Gastrointestinal digestion stability assay indicated that crosslinked OVA exhibited less resistance in simulated gastric fluid(SGF)and simulated intestinal fluid(SIF).Mouse model study indicated that Lac-Man/OVA ameliorated eosinophilic airway inflammatory response and efficiently downregulated the expression of Th2-related cytokines(interleukin(IL)-4,IL-5,and IL-13),and upregulated IFN-γand IL-10 expression.Stimulation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells with Lac-Man/OVA suppressed the expression of phenotypic maturation markers(CD80 and CD86)and MHC class II molecules,and suppressed the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines.The knowledge obtained in the present study offers an effective way to acquire a hypoallergenic OVA product that can have a therapeutic effect in alleviating OVA-induced allergic asthma.

Prevalence of Work-Aggravated Asthma among Bakery Workers in Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)

Introduction: Work-aggravated asthma is pre-existing or concomitant asthma whose symptoms are aggravated by the work environment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of this pathology and its associated factors among bakery workers in Abidjan. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of four (4) months from 18 December 2019 to 18 April 2020. Two questionnaires were used, one on employees and the other on the indoor environment of bakeries. In addition, a spirometry test was performed on all bakery workers. Statistical analysis was performed using stata 15.1 software. Results: A total of 599 bakery employees, including bakers (59.73%), sales assistants/ cashiers (23.52%), cleaners (6.34%) and administrative staff (10.18%), were investigated. The mean age was 30.8 ± 8 years, with a sex ratio (M/F) = 2.2. Asthma symptoms were found in 95 (15.86%) employees, of whom 74 (77.9%) had work-related asthma and 11 (14.9%) had asthma aggravated by work. The factors associated with work-aggravated asthma were personal or family history of allergy or atopy [ORa = 3.75;CI95%: 1.56 - 8.93;p = 0.003], exposure to dust [ORa = 5.01;CI95%: 1.43 - 7.50;p = 0.011] and humidity level (60% - 70%) [ORa = 1.80;CI 95%: 0.99 - 3.28;p = 0.05]. Conclusion: Work-aggravated asthma is a reality in bakeries in Abidjan, with an estimated prevalence of 14.9%. Two of the three factors associated with this condition suggest a link with indoor air pollution. Combating air pollution in these establishments must therefore be a priority for the relevant authorities, in order to provide employees with a working environment that protects their health.

Enhancing pediatric asthma management through multifaceted health education

BACKGROUND Pediatric asthma is a significant public health issue that impacts the quality of life of children globally.Traditional management approaches focus on symptom control and medication adherence but often overlook the comprehensive educational needs of patients and their families.A multifaceted health education approach may offer a more holistic strategy in managing pediatric asthma,especially in outpatient settings.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of a comprehensive health education strategy in improving disease management,medication adherence,and quality of life among children with asthma in outpatient settings.METHODS In total,100 pediatric patients with severe asthma were enrolled from January 2021 to November 2022 and randomly allocated to a control group(n=50)or an observation group(n=50).The control group received standard nursing care,including basic nursing interventions and health education upon admission.In contrast,the observation group was exposed to a broad spectrum of health education methodologies,including internet-based hospital systems,social media channels,one-on-one verbal education,informational brochures,slide present ations,telephone check-ins,animated videos,and illustrated health education manuals.Data on asthma management knowledge,symptom control,quality of life[St.George’s Respiratory Questionnaire(SGRQ)],treatment adherence,and nursing satisfaction were collected and analyzed.RESULTS The scores of the observation group in knowledge areas,such as medication,home care,disease understanding,symptom management,prevention strategies,and nutritional guidance,were significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).In addition,the observation group exhibited greater symptom control,improved quality of life based on their SGRQ scores,and higher treatment adherence post-intervention(P<0.05).Nursing satisfaction was also rated higher in the observation group across all evaluated areas(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Implementing a diversified health education approach in pediatric asthma management significantly enhances disease understanding,symptom management,and treatment adherence,leading to improved quality of life for affected children.These findings underscore the importance of multifaceted clinical health education in augmenting disease awareness and facilitating continuous improvements in asthma control rates,highlighting the potential benefits of incorporating comprehensive educational strategies into pediatric asthma care protocols.

Inhibition of Bcl-6 Expression Ameliorates Asthmatic Characteristics in Mice

Objective The function of Bcl-6 in T follicular helper(Tfh)cell maturation is indispensable,and Tfh cells play a pivotal role in asthma.This study investigated the impact of Bcl-6 on asthmatic traits.Methods The microscopic pathological alterations,airway resistance(AR),and lung compliance(LC)were determined in asthmatic mice and Bcl-6 interference mice.The surface molecular markers of Tfh cells and the Bcl-6 mRNA and protein expression were determined by flow cytometry,RT-qPCR,and Western blotting,respectively.The relationships between the Tfh cell ratio and the IgE and IgG1 concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were determined.Results Asthmatic inflammatory changes were observed in the lung tissue and were attenuated by Bcl-6 siRNA and dexamethasone(DXM).Asthmatic mice exhibited an increased AR and a decreased LC,while Bcl-6 siRNA or DXM mitigated these changes.The percentages of Tfh cells and eosinophils were significantly increased in the asthmatic mice,and they significantly decreased after Bcl-6 inhibition or DXM treatment.RT-qPCR and Western blotting analyses revealed that the Bcl-6 expression level in PBMCs was significantly higher in asthmatic mice,and it decreased following Bcl-6 inhibition or DXM treatment.The IgE expression in the serum and BALF and the B cell expression in PBMCs exhibited a similar trend.In asthmatic mice,the ratio of Tfh cells in the peripheral blood showed a strong positive correlation with the IgE levels in the serum and BALF,but not with the IgG1 levels.Conclusion The amelioration of airway inflammation and airway hyper-responsiveness is achieved through Bcl-6 suppression,which effectively hinders Tfh cell differentiation,ultimately resulting in a concurrent reduction in IgE production.

Alterations in Antioxidant Vitamins in Bronchial Asthma and Its Correlation with Spirometry

Bronchial asthma may result in oxidant/antioxidant imbalance. Antioxidant vitamins E and C concentrations were estimated in plasma of asthmatics that were also simultaneously subjected to spirometry and matched with healthy controls showing significant changes in both the vitamin concentrations. Vitamin C showed strong correlation whereas vitamin E was not correlated with spirometry.

The Association between GLP-1 Receptor-Based Agonists and the Incidence of Asthma in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and/or Obesity:A Meta-Analysis

Objective Recent studies have indicated potential anti-inflammatory effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists(GLP-1RAs)on asthma,which is often comorbid with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and obesity.Therefore,we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between the administration of glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1)receptor-based agonists and the incidence of asthma in patients with T2DM and/or obesity.Methods PubMed,Web of Science,Embase,the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials,and Clinicaltrial.gov were systematically searched from inception to July 2023.Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of GLP-1 receptor-based agonists(GLP-1RA,GLP-1 based dual and triple receptor agonist)with reports of asthma events were included.Outcomes were computed as risk ratios(RR)using a fixedeffects model.Results Overall,39 RCTs with a total of 85,755 participants were included.Compared to non-GLP-1 receptor-based agonist users,a trend of reduced risk of asthma was observed in patients with T2DM or obesity using GLP-1 receptor-based agonist treatments,although the difference was not statistically significant[RR=0.91,95%confidence interval(CI):0.68 to 1.24].Further Subgroup analyses indicated that the use of light-molecular-weight GLP-1RAs might be associated with a reduced the risk of asthma when compared with non-users(RR=0.65,95%CI:0.43 to 0.99,P=0.043).We also performed sensitivity analyses for participant characteristics,study design,drug structure,duration of action,and drug subtypes.However,no significant associations were observed.Conclusion Compared with non-users,a modest reduction in the incidence of asthma was observed in patients with T2DM or obesity using GLP-1 receptor-based agonist treatments.Further investigations are warranted to assess the association between GLP-1 receptor-based agonists and the risk of asthma.

Anti-malaria drug artesunate protects bronchial epithelium from DNA damage induced by asthma

OBJECTIVE To investigate the genome protective effects of anti-malaria drug,artesunate in an experimental allergic asthma model.METHODS Mice were sensitized on day 0 and 7 and challenged on day 14 with 100μg house dust mite(HDM)via intratracheal administration.Artesunate(30mg·kg-1)was administered intra-peritoneally on day 6,7,8,13,14 and 15.Samples were collected on day 1,3 and 5 post last HDM-challenge for analysis of air way inflammation and DNA damage.Lung sections were immunofluorescence(IF)-stained for DNA double strand breaks(DSBs)markers,γH2AX and 53BP1.Levels of DNA repair proteins Ku70 and Rad51,which are involved in non-homologous end joining(NHEJ)and homologous recombination(HR)DNA DSB repair pathways respectively,were measured.To quantify cell death in asthmatic lung,TUNEL staining was performed.Comet assay,a single cell gel electrophoresis was employed to detect DNA damage induced by HDM in BEAS-2Bhuman bronchial epithelial cell line,in vitro.RESULTS Artesunate treatment significantly reduces immune cells infiltration in BAL fluid of asthmatic mice,collected on day 3 and 5 post-challenge.Importantly,artesuante is able to protect bronchial epithelium from DNA DSBs induced by asthma,as detected by the reduced level of γH2AX and 53BP1 foci formation in the nucleus.This genome protective effect is evident even on day 1 post-challenge,when immune cells infiltration remained high.This indicates that artesunate confers protection on bronchial epithelium in the presence of inflammation.Additionally,artesunate is also able to reduce cell death in asthmatic lung revealed by TUNEL assay and cleaved caspase 3 level.Interestingly,the levels of DNA repair proteins in artesuante-treated asthmatic mice are unchanged as compared to HDM-only mice,suggesting that artesunate treatment does not augment the level of DNA repair proteins.When human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2 Bcells were exposed to HDMin vitro,we observed an increase in the levels of DNA damage.Artesunate(60μmol·L-1)co-incubated with HDM is not able to prevent direct DNA damage induced by the allergen.Together,these studies suggest that the genome protective effect of artesunate in vivo may be attributed to physiological effects(such as its anti-inflammatory effects)rather than serving to directly prevent DNA damage.CONCULSION This study highlights a novel role for artesunate in protecting bronchial epithelial cells from asthma-induced DNA damage.

EFFECT OF NEEDLING SENSATION REACHING THE SITE OF DISEASE ON THE RESULTS OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Effective treatment of bronchial asthmawith various methods of acupuncture has beenreported in the literature.The present articlediscusses the results of the treatment of bron-chial asthma(BA)and chronic senile bronchitis(CSB)according to the phenomenon of needlingsensation reaching the site of disease during acu-puncture.

The role of ginseng as an anti-asthmatic agent

Introduction Asthma is an inflammatory obstructive respiratory lung disease characterized by limited airflow.It is estimated that more than 300 million people worldwide are affected by asthma,and this number is expected to increase over the next few years[1].Uncontrolled asthma is associated with a severely impaired quality of life and increased mortality rates[2].Other adverse effects of poorly controlled asthma include obesity,pneumonia.