AIM To investigate the effects of ondansetron, a selective 5 Hydroxytryptamine3 (5 HT 3) receptor antagonist, on morphine physical dependence. METHODS The morphine dependent models in mice and in isolated Guinea pig ileum were used. RESULTS Pretreatment of ondansetron for 12 days significantly reduced morphine withdrawal symptoms in mice ,such as body weight loss(Groups 2～100 ?g?kg -1 ?d -1 ) or reduced both body weight loss and jumping times (Group 100 ?g?kg -1 ?d -1 ). In addition, concomitant treatment with ondansetron(1～20 ?mol?L -1 ) dose dependently suppressed the contraction induced by naloxone in Guinea pig ileum. CONCLUSION The chronic pretreatment of ondansetron can prevent morphine physical dependence to some extent.

Objective To investigate the inhibition of lymphoid enhancer factor-1 (LEF-1) expression in human malignant melanoma cell line A375 by RNA interference method. Methods Sense and antisense oligonucleotides with hairpin structures, targeted specifically at LEF-1 mRNA, were designed, synthesized, then linked to the expression vector psilencer3.1-H1 neo after annealing. After identification, the re-combinant psilencer3.1-H1/LEF-1 siRNA was used to transfect the cultured A375 cells by a liposome-medi-ated method. The cells expressing the recombinant RNA was detected by G418 screening. The mRNA and protein levels were detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunocytochemistry, respectively. Results The expression vector psilencer3.1-H1/LEF-1 siRNA was successfully constructed, and its stable expression in cell clones was achieved. The mRNA and protein levels of LEF-1 were both down-regulated in the trans-fected cells. Conclusion The recombinant of psilencer3.1-HI/LEF-1 siRNA can inhibit the mRNA and protein expression of LEF-1 in A375 cells.

Objective:The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that inflammation is involved in the end-organ damage(EOD) induced by sinoaortic denervation(SAD) in rats.Method:SAD was performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats at the age of 10 weeks.Under anaesthesia,aortic nerves were cut and the sinus region of the carotid artery was stripped and painted with 10% phenol.Pathological evaluation of EOD and the determination of plasma or tissue levels of the factors related to inflammation,including thromboxane B2(TXB2) interleukin-1(IL-1),tumour necrosis factor α(TNF-α) and reactive oxygen species(ROS) were performed at 16 weeks after SAD.Pathological evaluation of EOD included heart weigh ratio,myocardial and blood vessel hydroxyproline and collagen volume fraction,glomerular injury score and number of infiltrating inflammatory cells.Indomethacin(20 mg/kg per day,orally) or vitamin E(100 mg/kg per day,orally) was administered for 12 weeks,beginning from4 weeks after SAD,to observe their effects on SAD-induced EOD.Results:There were significant fibrosis and inflammatory infiltration in the myocardium and blood vessels,represented by higher hydroxyproline and collagen volume fraction,and a large amount of inflammatory cells in the tissues of SAD rats.Heart weight and kidney glomerular injury score were significantly higher in ed significantly after SAD.Indomethacin and vitamin E significantly decreased the contents of some factors related to inflammation in SAD rats.Both drugs also alleviated myocardial and vessel fibrosis,inflammatory infiltration and kidney damage.Conclusion:Inflammation is involved in the organ damage induced by SAD in rats.

The Hop plant (Humulus lupulus L., Cannabinaceae) is a dioeciou twining perennial.The relevant papers at home and abroad in recent years were reviewed and a summary analysis and induction were conducted to research the progress of hops and provide a basis for further development and application of the medicinal materials.Pharmacological effects of hops were reviewed, which found that hops have a good research prospect and deserve further promotion and development.

Objective To investigate the effect of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH₄), superoxide dismutase-polyethylene glycol (PEG-SOD) and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) on impaired endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) functions in DOCA-salt hypertensive mice. Methods DOCA-salt hypertension was created and systolic blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff methods. EPC was isolated from bone marrow of mice and characterized by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. EPC of DOCA-salt mice was incubated with BH₄, PEG-SOD, and L-NNA for 24 h, then in vitro EPC function assays were performed. Results Compared with control group, systolic blood pressure was significantly increased in DOCA-salt mice. Both EPC adhesion and angiogenesis functions were impaired in DOCA-salt mice compared to control animals, which were reversed by incubation with BH₄, PEG-SOD and L-NNA. Conclusion BH₄, PEG-SOD and L-NNA rescued the impairments from EPC functions in DOCA-salt hypertensive mice.

Sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) is a small molecule drug usually administered orally. It has therapeutic effects against several diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and several solid tumors. In this review, the research progresses of DCA in mechanism of action, pharmacological action and toxicological studies were summarized from the recent literatures on the pharmacological actions of DCA.

Objective: To explore the improvement rate of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who received entecavir alone or in combination with anluohuaxianwan for 78 weeks. Methods: Patients with chronic HBV infection were randomly treated with entecavir alone or in combination with anluohuaxian for 78 weeks. Ishak fibrosis score was used for blind interpretation of liver biopsy specimens. The improvement in liver fibrosis condition before and after the treatment was compared. Student's t test and non-parametric test (Mann-Whitney U-Test and Kruskal-Wallis test) were used to analyze the measurement data. The categorical variables were analyzed by Chi-square test method and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to test bivariate associations. Results: Liver fibrosis improvement rate after 78 weeks of treatment was 36.53% (80/219) and the progression rate was 23.29% (51/219). The improvement of liver fibrosis was associated to the degree of baseline fibrosis and treatment methods (P < 0.05). The improvement rate of hepatic fibrosis in patients treated with anluohuaxianwan combined with entecavir at baseline F < 3 (54.74%, 52/95) was significantly higher than that in patients treated only with entecavir (33.33%, 16/48), P = 0.016 and the progression rate of hepatic fibrosis (13.68%, 13/95) was lower than that in patients treated alone (18.75%, 9/48), P = 0.466. In patients with baseline F < 3, the proportion of patients with improved and stable liver fibrosis in the combined treatment group (68.1%, 32/47) was higher than that in the treatment group alone (51.7%, 15/29). Conclusion Combined anluohuaxianwan and entecavir treatment can significantly improve the improvement rate of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Furthermore, it has the tendency to improve the stability rate and reduce the rate of progression of liver fibrosis.