Methotrexate (MTX)has dual effects of anti-inflam-matory and immune suppression,and its pharmacological mecha-nism is complex,diverse and synergistic.This paper summari-zes the main anti-inflammatory mechanism of low-dose MTX,in-cluding inhibition of JAK/STAT pathway,inhibition of inflam-matory reaction and immune response,increasing the accumula-tion of adenosine and the function of intracellular metabolites (methotrexate polyglutamate).In addition,low-dose MTX can inhibit oxidation by decreasing the level of lipid peroxidation, suppress the inflammatory response to secondary spinal cord in-jury,reduce spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury and neuro-pathic pain,thus playing a neuroprotective role by a series of pharmacological mechanism.The anti-inflammatory mechanism of low-dose MTX and its application in spinal cord injury were reviewed,to guide the further research on the anti-inflammatory effect of MTX,and provide a theoretical basis for new drugs for clinical treatment of spinal cord injury.

Ca2+signaling is fundamental for information process-ing in the peripheral nervous system,which regulates a variety of physiological activities.Ca2+signaling and calcium homeostasis are directly associated with neuropathology.Recently,studies on Ca2+signaling contribute to a deeper comprehension of the path-ogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathies,which provide a new research direction for the treatment of diabetic peripheralneuropathies.This review aims to highlight the relationship be-tween calcium signaling,sensory neurones and neuroglial cells in the context of diabetic peripheral neuropathies.

Autophagy is a powerful process for removing such proteins and for maintaining homeostasis.However,autophagy dysfunction has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of vari-ous neurodegenerative diseases,including Parkinson 's disease (PD).Recent studies have shown that TFEB could regulate au-tophagy and lysosome function through regulating the expressionof the relatedgenes.Thus,TFEB plays a key role in the occur-rence of Parkinson's disease.Therefore,this article will make a review of the regulatory mechanism of TFEB and its role in Par-kinson's disease.

Aim To study proliferation capacity of cell and the target relationship between microRNA and Runx2 after effect of puerarin on osteoblasts MC3 T3-E1 . Methods The proliferation capacity of cell was detected by MTT after effect of puerarin on osteoblasts MC3 T3-E1 . The vitality of osteoblasts was detected by activity of alkaline phosphatase. The expression level of mRNA and protein of Runx2 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot. The result of miRNA expression spectrum was compared with the predicted result to determine the Runx2-targeting miR-NAs. The expression levels of miRNAs possiby targeted to Runx2 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The RhoE 3′UTR vector and RhoE mut 3′UTR vector were constructed. miRNA-204 mimics and miRNA-204 NC were synthetised. The target genes were verified by dual luciferase report gene assay. Results After osteo-blasts treated with puerarin, proliferation capacity and activity of cells were enhanced , expression levels of mRNA and protein of Runx2 were both increased , the expression levels of miRNA-204 and miRNA-344 f-5 p were declined, the expression levels of miRNA-2861 was increased,the expression levels of miRNA-23a-5p, miRNA-770-5 p and miRNA-871-5 p showed no obvious change. According to the results of dual luciferase re-porter gene method after cell transfection of 48 h, only set of 3′UTR Runx2+mimics the miRNA-204 of fluo-rescein protein expression level decreased significantly, showing only the miRNA-204 inhibits Runx2 3′UTR report gene expression. Conclusion Puerarin pro-motes the proliferation of osteoblasts and regulates the miRNAs which possibly target to Runx2 .

Aim To make a research of rats with focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury on pathological changes in brain and the changes of AQP4 and related proteins, in order to explore the relationship between AQP4 and brain edema. Methods Adult male SD rats, weighting 250~300 g, were randomly divided in-to Sham group and cerebral ischemia/reperfusion ( I/R) injury model group. The I/R model group was di-vided into the I/R-6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h-four time point groups. The animal model of the right MCA is-chemia/reperfusion was established by suture method in mature SD rats. The nerve symptom score was con-ducted in the corresponding time points. Then, the permeability of brain tissue was detected by EB stai-ning;TTC staining was conducted to observe the cere-bral infarction volume;the dry wet weight method was used to detect the changes of brain water content; im-munohistochemical( IHC) , WB and RT-PCR were ap-plied to detect the expression of AQP4 , and the related factors at different time points of the model rats after is-chemia-reperfusion around infarcts. Results Com-pared with the Sham group, then ever function score of the rats in I/R model groups were much higher. With the increase of the reperfusion time, the cerebral in-farction volume, brain tissue permeability and the brain water content were also increased. IHC results showed that AQP4 expression gradually rose with widen distribution. WB and RT-PCR results verified the in-creasing level of AQP4 expression. The detection of the related proteins expression showed apparent changes. The expression of MMP-9 was increased, while the Oc-cludin and JAM-1 expression showed a decreasing trend. The I/R-48 h model group showed the most ob-vious differences in the expression of the related pro-teins and mRNA ( P <0. 01 vs Sham, respectively ) . Conclusion Accompanied with the aggravating cere-bral injury after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, the ex-pression of AQP4 and MMP-9 level were activated, while the degradation of TJPs, Occludin and JAM-1, was increased. These factors are combined to make the formation of brain edema. This study makes a further research on the formation mechanism of the early stage for cerebral edema on I/R model and offers a potential for intervention in the filed of looking for a reliable drug therapy on cerebral edema.

Vitexin, a natural flavonoid compound, has extensive pharmacological activity. In recent years, many studies have re-vealed that vitexin has significant protective effects on central nervous system and peripheral nervous system, including anti-memory impairment, anti-epilepsy, anti-ischemic hypoxic brain damage, anti-depression, analgesia, etc. Vitexin exerts neuro-protective effects through the mechanisms of multiple pathways and multi-targets, such as reducing free radical level, inhibiting neuronal apoptosis, modulating inflammatory factors and related pathways, and regulating neurotransmitters and related recep-tors. This review mainly discusses the neuroprotective effects of vitexin and its underlying mechanisms.

Aim Kadsuraheteroclita ( Roxb ) Craib ( Schizandraceae) is a medicinal plant termed Xuetong in Chinese Tujia ethnomedicine. Xuetong possesses therapeutic effects of, in the terms of Chinese medical theories, reinforcing vital energy, promoting blood cir-culation, expelling wind-evil, and removing damp-e-vil, and has been long used for the prevention and treatment of rheumatic and arthritic diseases, especial-ly in the southern China. The HPLC analysis has iden-tified that the ethanol extract of Xuetong contains large-ly biologically active lignans and triterpenoids. Our previous studies have shown that KHS exhibits very fa-vorable safety profile and potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. In the present study, we investiga-ted anti-arthritic effects and the possible mechanisms of Xuetongon adjuvant-induced arthritis ( AIA ) in rats. Methods AIA was established in male Sprague-Daw-ley ( SD ) rats as described previously, and animals were daily treated by gavage with Xuetong ethanol ex-tract ( 1. 0 g · kg-1 ) or vehicle ( 0. 3% CMC-Na ) throughout the 30-day experiment. The incidence and severity of arthritis were evaluated using clinical pa-rameters. On day 30, bone destruction of the arthritic joints was assessed by computed tomography( CT) and histopathological analyses. The serum levels of pro-in-flammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were measured by ELISA. Results Treatment with 1. 0 g/kg Xuetong significantly inhibited the onset and pro-gression of AIA. The vehicle-treated rats all developed severe arthritis, while the incidence of AIA in the Xue-tong-treated rats was as low as 55%( P=0. 035 ) . The Xuetong -treated rats exhibited 1. 8 to 2. 3 fold reduc-tion of paw swelling, and gained 10 to 20% more body weight than the vehicle-treated AIA rats throughout the experiment. CT and histopathological examinations re-vealed that Xuetong markedly protected AIA rats from cartilage and bone destruction of joints. Moreover, the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were signifi-cantly decreased in the Xuetong-treated rats than the vehicle-treated AIA rats. Conclusions These data strongly support the clinical use of Xuetong for rheu-matic and arthritic diseases, and suggest that Xuetong is a valuable candidate for further investigation to be a new anti-arthritic drug with favorable safety profile.

Aim To investigate the effect of store-oper-ated calcium channel( SOCC) on autophagy in rat arte-rial smooth muscle cells A7 R5 . Methods Lentiviruses containing STIM1 or Orai1 gene were packaged in 293 T cells and then were used to infect rat arterial smooth muscle cells A7 R5 . The expression levels of STIM1 , Orai1 and Beclin 1 , a critical autophagy-regu-lating protein, of lentivirus-infected A7R5 cells, were detected by Western-blot. Autophagy in lentivirus-in-fected A7 R5 cells was induced by starvation or rapamy-cin, an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin ( mTOR ) . Autophagy marker LC3 of these cells was detected by Western-blot. Results The constructions of vector pLV-STIM1 and pLV-Orai1 were confirmed by restriction enzymes digestion analysis. Compared with the control group, expressions of STIM1 or Orai1 protein was significantly increased after lentivirusLV-STIM1 and LV-Orai1infection, whereas the expressions of autophagy related protein Beclin-1 were down-regu-lated. Starvation or rapamycin stimulated A7R5 auto-phagy but overexpression of STIM1 or Orai1 significant-ly inhibited starvation or rapamycin induced autoph-agy. Conclusion Overexpression of store-operated calcium channel components STIM1 and/or Orai1 in rat arterial smooth muscle cells A7 R5 inhibit autoph-agy. This mechanism might contribute to the develop-ment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Aim To investigate the effects of astragalo-side IV on apoptosis of PC12 cells inducedby hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation. Metheds PC12 cells were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control group,hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation group, astragaloside Ⅳ group and vehicle group. Hypoxia/hy-poglycemia and reoxygenation group, astragaloside Ⅳgroup and vehiclegroup were exposed to reoxygenation (12 h) after 3 h of oxygen and glucose deprivation, and astragaloside Ⅳ was added into cells at the same time. Inverted microscope was used to observe the morphological changes ofPC12 cells and MTT method to detect the activities of PC12 cells, and Annexin V-FITC/PI assay and TUNEL staining were used to meas-ure the apoptosis of PC12 cells. Results Compared with normal control group, cells became round or swol-len and its cellula processes were retracted or disap-peared in hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation group;a large number of apoptotic cells could also be observed,whose nucleus were shrinkaged, fragmented or deep-stained. The activities of hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation group were decreased markedly than those in normalcontrol group(P<0. 05),while the ap-optotic rates of hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygen-ation group were increased obviously than those in nor-malcontrol group( P<0. 05 ) . Compared with hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation group, a good cell growth state could be observed and cellula processes could also be observed significantly in astragaloside Ⅳgroup. The activities of astragaloside Ⅳ group were in-creased than those in hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxy-genation group(P<0. 05),while the apoptotic rates of astragalosideⅣgroup were decreased than those in hy-poxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation group ( P <0. 05 ) . There was no obvious difference between vehi-clegroup and hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation group( P >0. 05 ) . Conclusion Astragaloside IV can reduce the damage of PC12 cells induced by hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation, increase cell activity and inhibit cell apoptosis.

Aim To evaluate the vasorelaxant effect of two new chemical entities, J35242 and J35243, on iso-lated rat thoracic aorta rings as Rho-kinase inhibitors, and further to explore the underlying mechanisms of these two compounds. Methods Isolated rat thoracic aorta rings pre-contracted by KCl or norepinephrine ( NE) were used to evaluate the vasodilatory effect of J35242 and J35243 . Through the interventions of sev-eral tool drugs, the mechanisms of compounds concern-ing endothelium, K+ channels and Ca2+ were studied. Results J35242 and J35243 showed potent relaxant effect on both KCl and NE pre-contracted vessels, and exhibited partial endothelium dependency. L-NAME and Methylene Blue( MB) could influence the relaxant effect of these compounds. Meanwhile, the compounds could inhibit intracellular Ca2+ release and extracellu-lar Ca2+ influx, which indicated that the compounds might block the calcium channels to relax the vessels. In addition, the two compounds probably did not dilate the aorta rings through opening potassium channels. Conclusions J35242 and J35243 have vasorelaxant effects on vessels in vitro and the potency of J35242 is stronger than that of J35243 . The underlying mecha-nisms might be endothelium-dependent. Also the com-pounds might block Ca2+ channels, lowering intracel-lular Ca2+ concentration to relax the vessels.