Objective To observe the effects of Coptidis Rhizoma on gastrointestinal motility functions, MTL and GAS in spleen-deficiency rats; To explore the dose-effect mechanism of “invigorating stomach” and “spoiling appetite”.Methods Fatigue and troublesome were used to establish exhausted spleen-deficiency models. 60 SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, positive medicine group, Coptidis Rhizoma high-, medium- and low-dose groups, with 10 rats in each group. Each medication group received relevant medicine for gavage, while the blank control group and model group received normal saline for gavage, once a day for 14 d. The general gastrointestinal motility functions, MTL and GAS of rats in each group were observed.Results Compared with blank control group, the gastric residual rate of model group was significantly higher; small intestinal propulsion rate, MTL, and GAS were significantly lower (P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with model group, the gastric residual rate in Coptidis Rhizoma low-dose group was significantly lower; small intestinal propulsion rate, MTL and GAS increased significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01); small intestinal propulsion rate and MTL in Coptidis Rhizoma high-dose group were significantly lower (P<0.05).Conclusion High-doseCoptidis Rhizoma leads to “spoiling appetite”, and low-dose Coptidis Rhizoma leads to “invigorating stomach”, which may be related to adjusting gastrointestinal motility directly or adjusting the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones.

Objective To study the toxic effect of acrylamide (AA) to sperm quality of mice in order to provide scientific data to elucidate the reproductive toxicity of AA. Methods 25 male KM mice aged 7-8 weeks,25-30 g,were randomly divided into negative control group (H2O),AA groups (20,40 and 60 mg/kg) and positive control group (cyclophosphamide). The mice were treated with AA by gavage,once a day,for 5 consecutive days. The mice were sacrificed on the 14th day after the first administration,the quantity,motility,morphology of sperms were examined. Results The sperm quantity in each AA group reduced significantly (P

Acrylamide(AA)is a chemical used in many industries around the world and more recently was found to form naturally in foods cooked at high temperatures.Acrylamide was shown to be a neurotoxicant,reproductive toxicant,and carcinogen in animal species.Only the neurotoxic effects were observed in humans and only at high levels of exposure in occupational settings. The present review is a synopsis of research on the genotoxicity and reproductive toxicant of acrylamide.

Objective To observe the influence of Cichorii extract on uric acid and lipid metabolic disorder and discuss the mechanism. Methods Quails were divided randomly into 5 groups by weight:normal group,model group,positive control group and Cichorii extract high and low dosage group,15 quails in each group. The normal group was fed with the common feeder,and the other groups were fed with the yeast powder. Positive control group was given Benzbromarone 20 mg/(kg?d). Cichorii extract high and low dosage group were given Cichorii extract 15,10 g/(kg?d) respectively. Normal and model group were given distilled water. UA,TG,FFA,TC,HDL,LDL level and XOD,ADA,GD activity related to uric acid metabolism were determined after 7 days. Results Compared with normal group,UA,TG,FFA of model group was significantly higher and HDL was significantly lower. Compared with model,Cichorii extract decreased UA,TG,FFA significantly. GD activity in model group increased significantly. Cichorii extract decreased GD activity. There was no significant variance of XOD and ADA activity in each group. Conclusion Cichorii extract had obvious effect in adjusting uric acid and lipid metabolic disorder. The possible mechanism was by decreasing GD activity and decreasing UA,FFA level.

Objective To compare the survival of isolated chromaffin cells with that of adrenal medullary pieces implanted into the subarachnoid space .Methods Forty male Sprague Dawley rats, 180 220g, were randomly allocated to be implanted into the subarachnoid space with the homologous adrenal medullary pieces washed with PBS(group A,n=20) or the isolated chromaffin cells 5?107 in 10?l suspension (group B,n=20), respectively, after the implants were in vitro cultured in three days . The thermal threshold was determined before ,5 and 10 weeks after the transplantation. Five or ten weeks after the transplantation, 6 rats of either group were randomly selected to obtain the adrenal medullary grafts from the subarachnoid space or the sediments of cerebrospinal fluid ,observed with an electron microscopy.Results Five weeks after transplantation, the thermal threshold in both groups increased markedly,but without significant difference between them ,and there were intact chromaffin cells in the sections of both groups. Ten weeks after the operation, the thermal threshold in group A decreased to basaline, and was significantly lower than in group B; no intact chromaffin cells were found ,with the infiltration of a large number lymphocytes in the sections of group A , and in the sections of group B, the intact chromaffin cells were found with the infiltration of lymphocytes in lower amount and density. Conclusions The isolated chromaffin cells implantation is superior to the adrenal medulla pieces implantation for analgesia.

Objective To investigate the carotid arterial stiffness in patients with coronary slow flow ( CSF) .Methods forty-five patients with CSF and Forty -five persons having normal coronary arteries ( NCA) detected by coronary angiography with a similar distri-bution of risk factors were recruited .Stiffness parameter (β), pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), arterial compliance (AC) and lo-cal pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were obtained at the level of bilateral carotid artery by a real time echo -tracking system.Serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( hs-CRP) were measured in two groups of subjects .Linear regression analysis were performed to evaluate the correlation between hs -CRP and the parameters of the carotid artery stiffness .Results We found that stiffness parameter (β), Ep and PWV were significantly higher in CSF group those that of control group (β:11.80 ±3.19 vs 9.70 ±3.76,P<0.01;Ep:149.90 ±44.47 vs 130.10 ±41.56,P<0.05;PWV:7.40 ±0.84 vs 7.00 ±1.08,P<0.05), AC was lower than that of control group (0.640 ±0.180 vs 0.760 ±0.192 ,P<0.01).The levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was significantly higher in CSF group than that of control group (13.90 ±10.66 vs 9.30 ±6.33,P<0.05).The levels of hs-CRP was positively correlated with theβ(r=0.272,P=0.005), Ep(r=0.411,P=0.003), and PWV(r=0.452,P=0.001), but negatively correlated with AC (r=-0.293,P=0.025).Conclusion Echo-tracking technology is a simple practical method to evaluate carotid artery stiffness in patients with CSF and correlation well with coronary slow flow and artery stiffness .

AIM: To investigate the effect of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) on the apoptosis of hu-man small-cell lung cancer H446 cells and its possible mechanism.METHODS: H446 cells were incubated in the medi-um containing SAHA.CCK-8 assay was used to detect the anti-tumor effect of SAHA on the H446 cells, and IC50 values of SAHA were calculated.Flow cytometry was used to analyze the apoptosis.After Notch3 gene was silenced, the pro-apopto-tic effect of SAHA on the H446 cells was inhibited ( P <0.05).Eukaryotic expression plasmid containing N3ICD was transfected into the H446 cells, so that N3ICD was expressed in the H446 cells.The mRNA expression of Notch3 was measured by RT-PCR.The protein levels of Notch3, N3ICD, Puma and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by Western blot.RESULTS: SAHA remarkably reduced the cell viability in a dose-dependent manner (P <0.05), and the IC50 value of SAHA was 1.91 μmol/L.SAHA induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner (P <0.05).The expression of Notch3 gene was negative in the H446 cells, SAHA reactivated Notch3 gene and Notch3 pathway in a dose-dependent manner (P <0.05).Notch3 knockdown inhibited apoptosis induced by SAHA (P <0.05).Over-expression of N3ICD up-regula-ted the protein levels of Puma and cleaved caspase-3.CONCLUSION: SAHA induces apoptosis in human small-cell lung cancer H446 cells by activating Notch3 pathway and up-regulating the protein level of Puma.

Objective To investigate the effects of an enriched environment (EE) on the psychological and behavioral symptoms of senescence and on the level of plasmic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and serum corticosteroid (Cor). MethodsTwenty male senescence-prone SAMP8 mice of 3 months old were divided randomly into an enriched environment (EE) group and a standard environment (SE) group.Five male senescence-resistant SAMR1 mice of the same age served as the control group.Behavioral symptoms were assessed after 2 months using autonomic activity and elevated-plus maze (EPM) test performance.Plasma ACTH and serum Cor were detected using radio-immunologic methods. ResultsAverage autonomic activity frequency and EPM open-arm times were significantly lower with the SAMP8 mice than among the control group,and the autonomic activity frequency was significantly higher in the EE group than in the SE group of SAMP8 mice.The average EPM open-arm times of the EE group and the SE were not significantly different.Average ACTH and Cor levels were both significantly lower in the SAMP8 mice,and the level of ACTH was significantly higher in the EE group than in the SE group.There was no significant difference in these groups' average Cor levels. ConclusionsThe SAMP8 mice of 5 months demonstrated significant mental and behavioral abnormalities,as well as down-regulated plasma levels of ACTH and Cor.EE An enhanced environment can reduce behavioral disturbance through up-regulating ACTH.

AIM: To observe the levels of triglyceridemia(TG),uricemia(UA),glycemia(GLU),the activity of 3-glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH) in blood and the gene expression in the liver in the animal model of hypertriglyceridemia,hyperuricemia and hyperglycemia.METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into three groups,control group,fructose group,fructose and fenofibrate treated group.Rats in control group were fed with standard chow.Rats in fructose group were fed with high fructose diet.Rats in fructose and fenofibrate group were fed with high fructose diet,and treated with fenofibrate 100 mg?kg-1?d-1 by intragastric administration at the same time.Rats in control group and fructose group were given distilled water by intragastric administration.The levels of TG,UA and GLU were detected.Improved method was used to measure the activity of GAPDH.Quanti Gene technology was applied to determine the transcriptional level of GAPDH mRNA.RESULTS: During 7-28 d,the level of TG in fructose group was significantly and persistently high.During 14-28 d,the level of UA was higher.The level of GLU higher than that in control group was only observed at 28th day.The GAPDH activity change in blood and the expression in liver were significantly lower than that in norma1 during 7-28 d.Fenofibrate had the effect on reducing TG only at 7th day and reduced the level of GLU significantly at 28th day.Fenofibrate also increased the GAPDH activity in blood and the expression in liver at 7th day.CONCLUSION: ① The level of TG is significantly and persistently high in the early days by feeding with excessive fructose.The levels of UA and GLU are higher with the time cause of the model development.② The significantly higher level of TG,UA and GLU may be correlated with the reduction of the GAPDH activity in blood and the expression in liver.③ Fenofibrate has the effect of reducing the TG level only in the condition of hypertriglyceridemia,but not in the condition of accompanying hyperuricemia and hyperglycemia.④ The mechanism of reducing the TG level by fenofibrate may be correlated with the increase in GAPDH activity in blood and the expression in liver.

Objective To identify the histological features as well as factors influencing the course of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B virus ( HBV)-infected patients with persistently normal alanine amino-transferase (ALT) levels (PNAL). Methods Ninety-eight HBeAg-negative chronic HBV-infected patients with PNAL who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy were recruited from October 2003 to March 2008. The ALT level, HBV markers, HBV DNA level and liver histological changes were detected. Comparison of means was done by t test and single factor analysis of variance. Nonparametric statistics was done by Marm-Whitey U test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Analysis of independent risk factor was done using Logistic model. The dianostic value of ALT level to significant liver histological changes was evaluated by receiver performance curve. Results Twenty-two point four percent and 17.3% of subjects had the histological activity index (HAI)≥4and fibrosis (F) score≥3 respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that subjects with ALT＞0.50 × upper limit of normal (ULN) had a significantly higher rate of HAI≥4 and F score≥3 than those with ALT≤0.50×ULN (HAI≥4:36.4% vs 11.1%, χ2 =8.881, P=0.003;F score≥3:27.3% vs 9.3%, χ2 =5.487, P= 0.019, respectively), and older subjects (more than 45 years old) had a higher proportion of HAI ≥4 than the younger (33.3% vs 13.4%, χ2 =4.923, P=0.027). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that a decade increase in age was the independent predictor of HAI≥4 (OR=2.410, P=0.023).Receive operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that 87.0% and 90.7% of subjects with ALT＜0.50× ULN had histological changes of HAI＜4 and F score＜3 respectively. The proportions of HAI≥4 and F score≥3 in subjects with HBV DNA＜1×104 copy/mL were 14.9% and 12.8%, respectively. Conclusions Significant histological changes may be present in part of the subjects with persistently normal ALT and different HBV DNA levels, so that liver biopsy is very important, especially in those with age ＞45 years.Half time the ULN may serve as an appropriate cutoff value of normal ALT level for managing Chinese HBeAg-negative chronic HBV-int'ected patients.