Experimcnts showed that the nest of Macrotermes annandalei (Silvestri ) had the activity of relieving co gh, eliminating phlegm, and bacteriostasis. It coild also promote the phagocytosis of macrophages, enhance the transformation of T-cell of lymphocyte and rasiethe ratio of ANAE cell of lymphocyte in mice.

Objective:To discuss the variation of parameters in ambulatory blood pressure for neurally mediated syncope(NMS) in children,and to analyze the diagnostic value of ambulatory blood pressure pattern in children with NMS.Methods: Forty-seven children with NMS [20 males and 27 females,mean age(11.7?2.8) years] who came from Peking University First Hospital from July,2007 to March,2008 were included in the study.Twenty-three healthy children [12 males and 11 females,mean age(11.0?3.2) years] were recruited as control group.And the hemodynamic patterns of NMS were detected.Based on the hemodynamic patterns,they were divided into vasovagal syncope(VVS) group [16 children in total,7 males and 9 females,mean age(11.5?2.8) years] and postural tachycardia syndrome(POTS) group [31 children in total,13 males and 18 females,mean age(11.7?2.9) years].Parameters of children with different hemodynamic patterns in ambulatory blood pressure and diagnostic value of ambulatory blood pressure pattern were analyzed.SPSS 10.0 software was used for the statistical analysis of these data.Results: Mean diastolic pressure of the whole day,mean diastolic pressure in the day-time and mean systolic pressure at night in POTS group were higher than those of the control group,reapectively(P0.05).The systolic pressure differences in the day-time and at night in VVS group and POTS group were lower than those of the control group,respectively(P0.05).The non-spoon pattern rate of fluctuation curve of ambulatory blood pressure in VVS group and POTS group was higher than that of the control group(68.8% vs 17.4%,64.5% vs 17.4%,P0.05).The sensitivity,specificity and diagnostic coincidence of ambulatory blood pressure pattern to NMS was 66.0%,82.6% and 71.4%,respectively.Conclusion: There was autonomic nerve adjustment imbalance in children with NMS.And the diagnostic value of ambulatory blood pressure pattern to children with NMS was high.

Objective To observe the changes of plasma ghrelin in patients with severe sepsis and to explore the correlation of the plasma ghrelin and cytokines with sepsis.Methods Choose the healthy volunteer(n=10)as control group,and measure the plasma ghrelin(by ELISA),TNF-?,IL-1?,PCT(procalcitonin)and CRP at the 1st day,3rd day and 10th day in sepsis group(n=26).Results The plasma ghrelin level in sepsis group increased significantly compared with control group(P

Objective:To investigate the role of endogenous hydrogen sulfide(H2S)in patients with asthma.Methods:Levels of serum H2S,lung function and cell differential count in induced sputum were studied in 44 patients with acute exacerbation of asthma,33 patients with stable asthma and 12 health subjects.Of the 33 patients with stable asthma,3 failed to achieve induced sputum.Results:The serum H2S level was(75.2?13.0)?mol/L in controls(12 cases),(55.8?13.6)?mol/L in patients with stable asthma(33 cases),(57.8?6.3)?mol/L in patients with mild of acute exacerbation asthma(9 cases),(40.8?5.1)?mol/L in that with moderate of acute exacerbation asthma(13 cases),and(31.3?2.9)?mol/L in that with severe of acute exacerbation asthma(22 cases,F=44.592,P

AIM and METHOD:To determine the production of nitric oxide(NO) and change of NO synthase(NOS) activity in mitochondria isolated from the rat brains of the ischemia/reperfusion rat model produced by transient occlusion of middle cerebral artery on the following the points: 2 h after occlusion of artery and 30 min, 2h, 4h after reperfusion. RESULTS: After the occlusion of middle cerebral artery, the respiratory control rate(RCR) of mitochondria significantly decreased and slightly increased at 4h after reperfusion. Meantime, the production of NO in mitochondria increased significantly. But with the increase of perfusion, production of NO gradually decreased and reached normal level as in the control group. It also shows that cerebral ischemia increased NOS's activity significantly in the mitochondria and still kept a higher level than the control group although it decreased gradually after reperfusion. But the iNOS's activity did not show obvious change. The change of total NOS's activity depends on the change of cNOS's activity. CONCLUSION: The activation of NO/NOS system in the mitochondria might play an important role in the reperfusion injury during reperfusion of ischemic brain.

Objective: To explore the effects of hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) on hypoxic pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis in rats. Methods: Twenty four Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: control group ( n =8), hypoxia group ( n =8), and hypoxia +NaHS group ( n =8). The plasma level of H 2S was determined by methylene blue spectrophotometric method. VSMC apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL). The protein expressions of Bcl 2, Fas and caspase 3 in pulmonary arteries were detected by immunohistochemical technique. Results: Compared with rats in the control group, the plasma level of H 2S decreased by 36% in rats of hypoxic group . The apoptotic rate per area in VSMCs detected with TUNEL was significantly decreased by 52.9% in rats of hypoxic group . The expressing integral score of Bcl 2 of VSMCs was increased by 123.9%,while Fas protein expression of VSMCs was decreased by 45% and caspase 3 protein expression of VSMCs was not significantly changed in rats of hypoxia group. But compared with rats in the hypoxia group, the plasma level of H 2S increased by 65% in rats of hypoxia+NaHS group. The apoptotic rate in VSMCs of TUNEL was significantly increased by 62.5% in rats of hypoxia+NaHS group. The Bcl 2 protein expression of VSMCs was decreased by 36.4% in rats of hypoxia+NaHS group. The expressing integral scores of Fas and caspase 3 were significantly higher in rats of hypoxia+NaHS group than in those of hypoxia group. Conclusion: Hypoxia decreased the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell apoptosis. H 2S inhibited Bcl 2 protein expression of VSMCs and activated Fas and caspase-3 protein expressions of VSMCs, and therefore promoted the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell apoptosis.

Objective: To determine the role of cross-talk between calcineurin-dependent signal transduction pathway and protein kinase C (PKC), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase A (PKA) in airway remodeling in asthma. Methods: Male guinea pigs were sensitized with intraperitoneal injections of ovabumin (OVA), then treated with cyclosporin A (CsA,5 mg/kg), an inhibitor of calcineurin, then inhaled OVA for 2 weeks 14 days later. Activities of calcineurin, PKC, MAPK, and PKA were was analyzed by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. In primary cultures of rat airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC), activities of calcineurin, PKC, MAPK, and cross-talk induced by urotensin Ⅱ (UⅡ), a recently identified strong mitogen, were measured. Results: (1) The activities of calcineurin, MAPK and PKC increased by 19% (P0.05). (4) CsA 10 -6 mol/L inhibited UⅡ-stimulated PKC activity by 14% (P0.05). Conclusion:The signal transduction pathways between calcineurin and other protein kinases such as PKC, MAPK and PKA have cross-talk in airway remodeling in asthma.

Objective To investigate the role of endogenous Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) in airway inflammation and responsiveness in a rat model of chronic passive-smoking.Methods Male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (breathing fresh air) and a passive smoking group [cigarette smoking (CS) passively] ,with 18 rats in each group.Six rats in each group were randomly intraporitoneally injected with normal saline, sodium hydrosulfide (NailS) or propargylglycine (PPG, an irreversible inhibitor of cystathionine-γ-lyase).The animals were divided into six subgroups,ie.Con group, Naris group, and PPG group, CS group, CS + Naris group, and CS + PPG group.After 4 months,lung histological change and airway tension were measured.The H2 S levels of plasma and lung tissue were analyzed by the sensitive sulphur electrode assay.The expression of cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) was measured by western blot.Results Compared with the Con group, CSE protein expression in lung tissues was increased in CS group(P < 0.05) ; the H2S levels of plasma were significantly higher in GS group,NariS group and CS + Naris group,and much lower in PPG group (P < 0.05, respectively).Compared with CS group, the H2 S levels of plasma were significantly higher in CS + Naris group, and much lower in CS + PPG group (P < 0.05, respectively).The H2S level of lung tissue in each group had no significant difference (P > 0.05).Compared with Con group, score of lung pathology was significant elevated, and the responsiveness of airway smooth muscles to Ach and KCI was significant augmented in CS group.Compared with CS group, the score of lung pathology was decreased, and the responsiveness of airway smooth muscles was decreased in CS + NariS group(P < 0.05), and vise versa in CS + PPG group (P < 0.01).Conclusion H2 S can alleviate airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness induced by CS, and administration of H2S might be of clinical benefit in airway inflammation and airway responsiveness.

AIM: To study the role and regulation of calcineurin(CaN) in angiotensin II(AngⅡ)-stimulated cardiacmyocyte hypertrophy of rats. METHODS: Using AngⅡ to induce the cultured cardiac myocyte hypertrophy of rats, and investigating the effect of CaN inhibitor on [ 3H]-leucine incorporation of AngⅡ-stimulated cardiomyocytes and the regulation of various factors on CaN activity in cardiomyocytes.RESULTS: AngⅡ can stimulate the CaN activity in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In cardiac myocytes incubated with 10, 100, 1000 nmol?L -1 of AngⅡ for 12h, the CaN activities increased respectively by 13%,57%( P

AIM: To study the effect of chronic hypoxia on L-Arginine/NO pathway in rat pulmonary artery. METHODS: Changes in pulmonary artery L-Arginine(L-Arg) transport, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, plasma nitrite level and L-Arg level in HPH rats were investigated. RESULTS: (1) The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and weight ratio of right ventricle to left ventricle and septum (RV/LV+S) of HPH group were higher than those in control group (P