Taraxasterol is an effective component of dandelion that has anti-inflammatory effects and. The present study was performed to explore whether taraxasterol exhibits a protective effect against rheumatoid arthritis through the modulation of inflammatory responses in mice. Eight-week-old CCR9-deficient mice were injected with a collagen II monoclonal antibody cocktail to create a rheumatoid arthritis model. In the experimental group, arthritic model mice were treated with 10 mg/kg taraxasterol once per day for 5 days. Treatment with taraxasterol significantly increased the pain thresholds and reduced the clinical arthritic scores of the mice in the experimental group compared with those of the model group. Furthermore, treatment with taraxasterol significantly suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and nuclear factor-κB protein expression levels compared with those in the rheumatoid arthritis model mice. Taraxasterol treatment also significantly reduced nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2 and cyclooxygenase-2 levels compared with those in the rheumatoid arthritis model group. These observations indicate that the protective effect of taraxasterol against rheumatoid arthritis is mediated via the modulation of inflammatory responses in mice.

The combination of DFPP and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) was superior to DMARD alone for reducing MRI-detected signs of synovitis and bone edema in patients with early highly active RA. DFPP therapy enabled rapid and more complete suppression of inflammation in patients with highly active RA. Nearly half the patients (48.39%) who had received DFPP therapy achieved both clinical remission and imaging remission, a state characterized as true remission.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease which may cause complications such as hepatic dysfunction and injury. As an important antioxidant, reduced glutathione (GSH) has been reported protecting against hepatic injury induced by some diseases, but the role of GSH in pSS is poorly understood. This study aims at investigating the role of GSH in hepatic injury during pSS. A murine model of pSS, non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, was used for GSH administration via tail intravenous injection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), as well as the levels of GSH, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL) 10, integrin alpha M, IL1B, malondialdehyde, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4, and superoxide dismutases in hepatocyte homogenates. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe hepatic histology. The results showed that serum AST and ALT levels were up-regulated in the NOD mice (p = 0.0021 and 0.0048), but were significantly recovered after the GSH administration (p = 0.0081 and 0.0263). The NOD mice exhibited disturbed hepatic tissue structure, which was attenuated by GSH. The GSH administration could also promote the production of GSH in the hepatocytes (p = 0.0264), and control the levels of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress-related factors. These results indicate that GSH has significant effects on protecting against the hepatic injury during pSS, which may be associated with its regulation of the inflammatory factors and oxidative stress-related factors. This study suggests that GSH is a promising therapeutic strategy for controlling hepatic injury during pSS and offers valuable information for further research.

Background. This study was designed to investigate differences in biochemical parameters between mouse and humans after paraquat (PQ) poisoning and develop a suitable animal model for studying organ damage after PQ poisoning. The prognostic factors of PQ-poisoned patients were further analyzed. Methods. Thirty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups (control, sham, and 3 PQ doses), and the mouse model was established by intragastric administration of PQ. Physiological indexes such as the body weight, mental state, and mortality rate were observed. Biochemical parameters were analyzed 24 h after PQ poisoning. We also performed a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 29 patients with PQ poisoning admitted to the Emergency Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Taishan Medical College between April 2016 and February 2018. Biochemical parameters were compared between the mouse model and patients with PQ poisoning. Results. In the PQ poisoning mouse model, the lethal dose group PQ360 showed remarkable increases in serum levels of potassium (K+), carbon dioxide (CO2), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) compared with the nonlethal dose PQ100 and PQ200 groups. The biochemical results of the patients showed that K+ and Cl- levels were significantly reduced in the death group compared to the survival group. Levels of ALT, AST, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and amylase were higher, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was increased in the death group compared with the survival group. Conclusions. The combination of age, PQ dosage, K+, Cl-, BUN, ALT, AST, amylase, and NLR can be used to more accurately predict the outcome of patients with PQ poisoning. C57 mice are an appropriate animal model to study liver and kidney functions following PQ exposure.