Sequential Treatments with Tongsai and Bufei Yishen Granules Reduce Inflammation and Improve Pulmonary Function in Acute Exacerbation-Risk Window of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Rats

Background. Sequential treatments of Chinese medicines for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) risk window (RW) have benefits for preventing reoccurrences of AEs; however, the effects on pulmonary function, pulmonary, and systemic inflammatory biomarkers remain unclear. Methods. Cigarette-smoke/bacterial infections induced rats were randomized into Control, COPD, AECOPD, Tongsai Granule/normal saline (TSG/NS), moxifloxacin + salbutamol/NS (MXF+STL/NS), TSG/Bufei Yishen Granule (BYG), MXF+STL/STL, and TSG+MXF+STL/BYG+STL groups and given corresponding medicine(s) in AE- and/or RW phase. Body temperature, pulmonary function, blood cytology, serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP), pulmonary histomorphology and myeloperoxidase (MPO), polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase, interleukins IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α expressions were determined. Results. Body temperature, inflammatory cells and cytokines, SAA, CRP, and pulmonary impairment were higher in AECOPD rats than stable COPD, while pulmonary function declined and recovered to COPD level in 14–18 days. All biomarkers were improved in treated groups with shorter recovery times of 4–10 days, especially in TSG+MXF+STL/BYG+STL group. Conclusion. Sequential treatments with Tongsai and Bufei Yishen Granules, during AECOPD-RW periods, can reduce inflammatory response and improve pulmonary function and shorten the recovery courses of AEs, especially the integrated Chinese and Western medicines

Anti-Helicobacter pylori Activity of a Lactobacillus sp. PW-7 Exopolysaccharide

Helicobacter pylori is a cause of gastric cancer. We extracted the exopolysaccharide (EPS) of Lactobacillus plajomi PW-7 for antibacterial activity versus H. pylori, elucidating its biological activity and structural characteristics. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EPS against H. pylori was 50 mg/mL. Disruption of the cell membranes of pathogenic bacteria by EPS was indicated via the antibacterial mechanism test and confirmed through electron microscopy. EPS also has antioxidant capacity. The IC50 of EPS for 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, superoxide anions, and hydroxyl radicals were 300 μg/mL, 180 μg/mL, and 10 mg/mL, respectively. The reducing power of EPS was 2 mg/mL, equivalent to 20 μg/mL of ascorbic acid. EPS is a heteropolysaccharide comprising six monosaccharides, with an approximate molecular weight of 2.33 × 104 Da. Xylose had a significant effect on H. pylori. EPS from L. plajomi PW-7 showed potential as an antibacterial compound and antioxidant, laying a foundation for the development of EPS-based foods

The CD8+ and CD4+ T Cell Immunogen Atlas of Zika Virus Reveals E, NS1 and NS4 Proteins as the Vaccine Targets

Zika virus (ZIKV)-specific T cells are activated by different peptides derived from virus structural and nonstructural proteins, and contributed to the viral clearance or protective immunity. Herein, we have depicted the profile of CD8+ and CD4+ T cell immunogenicity of ZIKV proteins in C57BL/6 (H-2b) and BALB/c (H-2d) mice, and found that featured cellular immunity antigens were variant among different murine alleles. In H-2b mice, the proteins E, NS2, NS3 and NS5 are recognized as immunodominant antigens by CD8+ T cells, while NS4 is dominantly recognized by CD4+ T cells. In contrast, in H-2d mice, NS1 and NS4 are the dominant CD8+ T cell antigen and NS4 as the dominant CD4+ T cell antigen, respectively. Among the synthesized 364 overlapping polypeptides spanning the whole proteome of ZIKV, we mapped 91 and 39 polypeptides which can induce ZIKV-specific T cell responses in H-2b and H-2d mice, respectively. Through the identification of CD8+ T cell epitopes, we found that immunodominant regions E294-302 and NS42351-2360 are hotspots epitopes with a distinct immunodominance hierarchy present in H-2b and H-2d mice, respectively. Our data characterized an overall landscape of the immunogenic spectrum of the ZIKV polyprotein, and provide useful insight into the vaccine development