Assessing the causal effects of type 2 diabetes and obesity-related traits on COVID-19 severity.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity-related traits are highly comorbid with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but their causal relationships with disease severity remain unclear. While recent Mendelian randomization (MR) studies suggest a causal link between obesity-related traits and COVID-19 severity, findings regarding T2D are inconsistent, particularly when adjusting for body mass index (BMI). This study aims to clarify these relationships.

Type 2 diabetes and its genetic susceptibility are associated with increased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in UK Biobank.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is known as one of the important risk factors for the severity and mortality of COVID-19. Here, we evaluate the impact of T2D and its genetic susceptibility on the severity and mortality of COVID-19, using 459,119 individuals in UK Biobank. Utilizing the polygenic risk scores (PRS) for T2D, we identified a significant association between T2D or T2D PRS, and COVID-19 severity.

Ginsenoside Rg promotes inflammation resolution through M2 macrophage polarization.

Background: Ginsenosides have been reported to have many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects, and the resolution of inflammation is now considered to be an active process driven by M2-type macrophages. In order to determine whether ginsenosides modulate macrophage phenotypes to reduce inflammation, 11 ginsenosides were studied with respect to macrophage polarization and the resolution of inflammation.

Methods: Mouse peritoneal macrophages were polarized into M1 or M2 phenotypes.

Anti-Allergic Effect of Oroxylin A from Oroxylum indicum Using in vivo and in vitro Experiments.

Oroxylum indicum has long been used in Asian traditional medicine to prevent and treat respiratory diseases, diabetes, diarrhea and other conditions. Oroxylin A is a flavone that is present in Oroxylum indicum and in Scutellaria baicalensis. Because the root extracts of both plants have been shown to have anti-allergic effects, the authors investigated whether oroxylin A is likely to have beneficial effects on allergic asthma using female Balb/c mice and rat RBL-2H3 mast cells.

Anti-allergic effect of α-cubebenoate isolated from Schisandra chinensis using in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Aim Of The Study: In Oriental countries, the dried fruits of Schisandra chinensis are extensively used in traditional medicine to treat asthma, gonorrhea, and other diseases. Recently, α-cubebenoate was isolated as an anti-inflammatory component from Schisandra chinensis. In the present study, the authors examined the anti-allergic effect of α-cubebenoate using in vivo and in vitro experiments.