CD44 is a transmembrane receptor protein, belonging to the family of adhesion molecules, which is involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions by binding with ligands such as hyaluronan. Recently a lot of researches reported that CD44 and its variant isoforms, especially CD44v6, are usually aberrantly expressed in many kinds of tumor cells, which is correlated with the invasion and metastasis of tumors and the prognosis of the patients.

The effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on experimental thrombosis and its mechanism were studied. The results showed that eicosapentaenoic acid had a significant antithrombolic effect both in vivo and in vitro . EPA also had a fibrinolytic activity and can shorten euglobulin lysis time. Our studies also showed that EPA can inhibit platelet aggregation in rats. The plasma concentration of 6-keto-PGF1a and TXB2 was measured by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that EPA can reduce the contents of TXB2 and raise 6-keto-PGF1a/TXB2 ratio.

In order to provide experimental fundament and theory for clinical administration, the efficacy studies of buflomedil in vitro and vivo were conducted by using rabitt's chest artery strip and rabitts acute microcirculatory disturbance model reproducted with high molecular dextran, in which peripheral vascular dilating agent tolarzoline was acted as control agent. Experimental results showed that buflomedil of 6 ? 10-5~ 6? 10-4 mol?L-1 could inhibit con-tractions of rabbit artery strip induced by NA producing concentration-dependent, and get the curves of dose-activity shift towards right, which suggests buflomedil significantly dilates microvessels and increases blood flow velocity and capillary perfusion capacity per area (P

AIM: To investigate the effects of EPA and DHA on oxidative stress of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat mesangial cells. METHODS: The glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and incubated with EPA (10 μmol/L or 100 μmol/L) and DHA (10 μmol/L or 100 μmol/L) for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. The activity of SOD, GSH-Px and the level of MDA was measured. The protein and mRNA expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β_1 were detected by immunocytochemistry and real-time PCR method, respectively. RESULTS: The activities of SOD and GSH-Px were decreased and the concentration of MDA was increased when stimulated with LPS. EPA and DHA increased the activities of SOD and GSH-Px and decreased the concentration of MDA significantly. Meanwhile, the protein and mRNA expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β_1 stimulated by LPS were decreased. DHA was more effective than EPA at the same concentration. CONCLUSION: EPA and DHA enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes, decrease the concentration of MDA and inhibit the expression of TGF-β_1 and MCP-1, suggesting that the protective effect of EPA and DHA on kidney is related to the antioxidation and the inhibition of TGF-β_1 and MCP-1 expression.

Objective To evaluate the effects of hydrogen-rich saline on the early diabetic neuropathic pain (DPN) in rats.Methods Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 8 weeks,weighing 180-220 g,were used in the study.DPN model was made by intraperitoneal injection of 1％ streptozocin (STZ) 65 mg/kg.Twelve diabetic rats were randomly divided into 2 groups (n =6 each) using a random number table:DPN group and hydrogen-rich saline group (HRS group).Another 6 normal rats were randomly collected as control group (group C).At 14 days after STZ injection,hydrogen-rich saline 5 ml/kg was injected intraperitoneally once a day for 14 consecutive days in HRS group,while C and DNP groups received the equal volume of normal saline.Mechanical paw withdrawal threshold to yon Frey stimuli (MWT) and paw withdrawal latency to nociceptive thermal stimulation (TWL) were measured at 2 days before STZ injection (To) and 7,14,21 and 28 days after STZ injection (T1-4).The motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of the right hindlimb and distal motor latency was measured after pain threshold was measured at T4.After measurement of neurological function was completed,tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and i nterleukin-6 (IL-6) contents (by ELISA) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity (by immuno-histochemistry) were detected.Results Compared with group C,MNCV was significantly decreased,the motor latency was prolonged,MWT was decreased at T1-T4,TWL was shortened at T2-T4,TNF-a and IL-6 contents were increased,and NF-κB activity was enhanced in DNP and HRS groups (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group DNP,MNCV was significandy increased,the motor latency was shortened,MWT was increased at T3.4,TWL was prolonged at T4,TNF-a and IL-6 contents were decreased,and NF-κB activity was weakened in group HRS (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Hydrogen-rich saline can relieve the early DPN through inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway in rats.

Objective To investigate the clinical features of complex posterior communicating artery aneurysms and the outcome of microsurgical clipping.Methods The clinical and imaging data of the patients with posterior communicating artery aneurysm treated by craniotomy microsurgical clipping were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into either a complex type group or a simple type group according to whether they had complex factors of surgical clipping or not.They were divided into a good outcome group and a poor outcome group according to their Glasgow Outcome Scale scores.Results A total of 55 patients with posterior communicating artery aneurysm were enrolled,and 17 (30.9％) of them were in the simple type group and 38 (69.1％) were in the complex type group.The proportion of higher Fisher grade in the patients of the simple type group was significantly lower than that of the complex type group (Z =-2.068,P=0.019).However,there were no significant differences in the proportions of age,sex,preoperative rupture,and Hunt-Hess grade between the two groups (all P ＞ 0.05).In the complex type group,the complex clipping (73.68％) and anterior clinoidectomy (42.11％) were the most common complex factors.Twenty-four patients (63.16％) had a number of complex factors.In the complex type cases,32 had good outcome,6 had poor outcome (3 of them died); in the simple type cases,15 had good outcome,2 had poor outcome (1 of them died).There was no significant difference in the good outcome rate between the complex type group and the simple type group (84.21％ vs.88.24％;x2 =0.153,P=0.696).In 55 patients with posterior communicating artery aneurysm,the age of the good outcome group was significantly lower than that of the poor outcome group (58.23 ± 12.41 years vs.68.38 ± 8.68 years,t =-2.212; P =0.031),and there were no significant differences in sex,Fisher grade,Hunt-Hess grade,factors of surgical complexity,and surgical clipping level (all P ＞ 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only age was the independent risk factor for poor outcome of the complex posterior communicating artery aneurysm (odds ratio 1.142,95％ confidence interval 1.029-1.266; P =0.012).Conclusions Using the advanced microsurgical techniques,such as anterior clinoidectomy,anterior choroidal artery microdissection,and complex clipping for the treatment of complex posterior communicating artery aneurysm are no less favorable than the simple type,and age is an independent risk factor for the poor outcome of posterior communicating artery aneurysm.

Aim To investigate the effects of antioxidant probucol on vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) apoptosis induced by H2O2.Methods H2O2 (1 mmol?L-1) was used to induce VSMCs apoptosis.The VSMCs were treated with probucol(100,10,1 ?mol?L-1) for 6 hours.For the evaluation of apoptosis,Annexin V-FITC staining,Hoechest33258 staining and the TUNEL assay were used.The expressions of ASK-1 and Trx-1 were detected by Western blot analysis.Results H2O2 could promote the apoptosis of VSMCs,increase the expression of ASK-1 and decrease the expression of Trx-1.Probucol could attenuate the apoptosis induced by H2O2 in a dose-dependent,down-regulate ASK-1 expression and increase Trx-1 expression.Conclusion Probucol can antagonize the apoptosis of VSMCs induced by H2O2.The mechanism may be correlated with a decreased expression of ASK-1 and an increased expression of Trx-1.

Objective Through establishing a rat model of atrial fibrillation,to study myocardial angiotensin type Ⅰ (AT1R) and type Ⅱ receptor (AT2R) mRNA expression levels in of the state atrial fibrillation and Artemisia annua extract on its expression.Methods Rat model of atrial fibrillation was established,Artemisia annua extract was used for intervention and captopril was adopted as controls.AT1R,AT2R mRNA and protein expression were observed by PCR and Western-blot technology.Results Compared with the control group (0.36±0.05),myocardial AT1R mRNA expression was significantly increased in the model group (0.84±0.04) (P＜0.05).BothArtemisia annua (0.56±0.03) and captopril (0.53±0.04) could significantly reduce the myocardial AT1R mRNA expression in the atrial fibrillation rats (P＜0.05).Captopril showed obvious AT1R mRNA reduction trend,but there was statistical significance compared with Artemisinic extract (P＞0.05).Artemisinic extract showed no impact on AT2R mRNA expression.Conclusion AT1R was closely related to the incidence of atrial fibrillation.AT1R expression was significantly increased in atrial fibrillation rat.The artemisinic extract can be effectively reduced fibrillation myocardial AT1R expression,which may link with its artemisinic antiarrhythmic mechanism.

AIM: The aim of this study was to observe the cardiac performance in 2-week or 4-week levothyroxine(T4)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy transition to heart failure in T4 treatment rats.METHODS: The blood pressure and pulse rate were measured by tail-cuff technique.The cardiac output and the preload-cardiac output were measured in working heart mode.The shortening of unloading contraction in cardiomyocytes was observed by an edge-detector system.RESULTS: Resting heart rate in T4 treatment rats increased significantly and the width of cardiomyocytes widened in T4 rats,but the length of cardiomyocytes had no difference compared with control values.The cardiac output in 2-week T4 group was higher than that in control group.The cardiac output increased when the preload increased from 5 mmHg to 15 mmHg.The unloading shortening amplitude at 1 Hz and 2 Hz increased in 2-week T4 group.No difference between 2-week T4 group and control group at 4 Hz was observed.When the stimulating frequency increased from 1 Hz to 4 Hz,the shortening amplitude also increased in control cardiomyocytes,but decreased in 2-week or 4-week T4 group.The shortening amplitude increased further in 4-week T4 group as compared with that in control.The time to peak shortening and time from peak shortening to 75% relaxation reduced at each frequency in 2-week and 4-week T4 group.The shortening and relaxation rates in 2-week or 4-week T4 group were higher than those in control group at 1 Hz and 2 Hz.The shortening and relaxation rate kept higher at 4 Hz in 2-week T4 group,but showed no difference with control at 4 Hz in 4-week T4 group.CONCLUSION: These above results suggest that shortening amplitude-frequency relationship of cardiomyocytes in 4-week T4 rats is earlier to be altered than cardiac performance in working heart.

[Abstract ] Objective Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs) can be induced to the differentiation into vascular smooth muscle cells in many induction conditions.We sought to explore the possibility of the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into vascular smooth muscle cells by continuous cell culture in vitro. Methods Rat BMSCs were isolated from the bilateral tibial and femoral bones by the method of whole bone marrow adherence, followed by ex vivo expansion.BMSCs were identified by flow cytometry and three-lineage differentiation.After continuous five days'cell culture of BMSCs, the specific surface antigens of VSMCs were detec-ted by immunofluorescence, western blot and real-time PCR. Results BMSCs expressed CD29、90, in contrast, they did not express CD45、34、49d.After induction of osteogenesis, adipogenesis and chondrogenesis, alizarin red、oil red and alcian blue staining pro-duced a strong reaction in cells.The expressions ofα-SMA、Calponin1、SM-MHC and SM22 in the cells of experimental group were no-tably increased, which indicated that BMSCs were differentiating towards VSMCs. Conclusion In the absence of exogenous stimula-tion, BMSCs can be successfully induced to differentiate into VSMCs by continuous cell culture.