Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), a major contributor to glucose transport in skeletal muscle, is closely related to diabetic treatment. Exercise regulates apparently GLUT4 gene expression which produces many beneficial metabolic adaptations for diabetic patients. Study has shown that both AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and CaMK (calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase) signaling pathways are involved in regulation of exercise-induced GLUT4 gene expression in skeletal muscles, but the relationship between these two signaling pathways in regulating the GLUT4 gene is unclear. The purpose of the following study was to investigate the relationship of these two pathways in Caffeine- and AICAR-stimulated skeletal muscle cells GLUT4 gene expression. Muscle contractile activity results in increases in both cytosolic Ca2+ and AMPK activity. To mimic this response, primary cultured rat skeletal muscle cells were treated with Caffeine to raise cytosolic Ca2+ and with AICAR to activate AMPK. The muscle cells were divided into different groups (Control, AICAR, Caffeine, AICAR/Caffeine, Caffeine +Compound C, AICAR/Caffeine +Compound C, AICAR +KN93, AICAR/Caffeine + KN93), which were used for experiments of stimulation by AICAR and Caffeine, inhibition by AMPK inhibitor, Compound C and CaMK inhibitor, KN93 respectively. The results showed that both AICAR and Caffeine induced about 2- and 3-fold increases respectively (P

Diabetes mellitus impacts patient survival and quality of life mainly due to its acute and chronic complications.Pancreas transplantation may restore normoglycemia and reduce the complication of insulin-dependent diabetes,thus improving the quality of life and prolonging patient's survival.Although pancreas transplantation requires major surgery and life-long immunosuppression therapy,it currently remains the gold stand for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus,who do not respond to conventional therapy.Meanwhile,potential of the islet transplantation,insulin-producing cells replacement therapy,and artificial pancreas as the alternative to pancreas transplantation are under investigation.

Objective To simulate local hemodynamic factors at particular arterial positions.Method A combination of high-lipid diet and immuoreactive injury was used to establish a hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis model in rabbit.Serrial sections were analysed by OLYSIA software.Data of caliber at different positions of carotid bifurcation,areas and circumference and thickness of the atherosclerotic plaque at carotid bifurcation were obtained and to establish a geometric model of rabbit carotid artery bifurcation with Gambit software.Wall shear stress distribution of the carotid sinus were analysed by numerical simulation.Result 1) A geometric model of rabbit carotid artery bifurcation was obtained.2) The wall shear stress of the carotid sinus of the atherosclerosis(AS) model group was found to be lower than that of the control group at shear rate 128.5 S~(-1).The lowest wall shear stress of the control was 4.028 times that of the AS model.Conclusion Low wall shear stress is a risk hemodynamic factor in the development of atherosclerotic plaque.

Objective To investigate the effects of fluid shear stress on interleukin-8(IL-8)mRNA expression in human endothelial cell line-EA.Hy926 cells.Methods Weibel-Palade body and factor Ⅷ related antigen were detected to identify cultured EA.Hy926 cells.Quantitative reversal transcription-polymerase chain reaction was also used to assay IL-8 mRNA expression.Results It was found that the growth feature of EA.Hy926 cells in vitro culture was similar with that of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs).Meanwhile,it also had the typical features of endothelial cells,i.e.Weibel-Palade body in plasma and express factor Ⅷ related antigen.IL-8 mRNA expression of endothelial cells exposed to low shear stress(0.420 Pa)increased at 1 h and reached its peak value at 2 h,then gradually decreased at 3 h and kept the descending trend throughout the remained time course of the study,as compared with that in cells not treated with shear stress.Also after exposed to shear stress of different levels(0.182,0.420,1.000,1.640 Pa)for 2 h,in which IL-8 mRNA expression of EA.Hy926 cells decreased with the increase of the intensity of the shear stress.Conclusion The results suggest that fluid stress can induce the expression of IL-8 mRNA in EA.Hy926 cells.EA.Hy926 cells might be used as a cell source in the field of biorheological research of endothelial cells.

Objective:To study the differences of gene expression between Tca8113 and Tca8113/CBP tissues in nude mice. Methods:Tca8113 cells were injected subcutaneously in both sides of armpits of nude mice at the concentration of 5?106 cells/0.1 ml. Two weeks after injection, Carboplatin was used subcutaneously around the tumor 0.01 mg/g (weight) each day in Tca8113/CBP group while Tca8113 group was injected with physiologic saline as control. Mice were sacrificed 10 weeks after drug injection. The two kinds of tissues were investigated by human 16k cDNA v2.1 SBC-R-HC-100-21 gene chip. Results:Among the 16 000 target genes, there were 719 genes whose expression levels showed differences between the two kinds of tumor tissues. Conclusion:Microarray technique can simultaneously screen different genes from above-mentioned two kinds of tissues. Further analysis of the obtained genes will be helpful to understand the molecular mechanism of multidrug resistance.

Objective To detect and compare the pH value of different locations in esophagus and trachea of mice.Methods 40 male Kunming mice of clean grade were randomly divided into two groups,of which the esophagus(esophageal group) and trachea(windpipe group) were measured,before the experiment two groups kept 12 hours abrosia.The esophagus and trachea of the rats in two groups were dissected and separated out,the distance from the central incisors were 0.3 cm,0.5 cm,0.7 cm,the incision was like 'T'.The sensitive grade of pH test paper was used for the determination,and the data was recorded in each group and analyzed.Results All the mice were measured successfully.The pH of the esophagus group were (6.10±0.17),(5.84±0.11),(5.44±0.11),and the pH value of the trachea group were(7.44±0.11),(7.19±0.11),(6.97±0.07),respectively.There was a significant difference in the same segment between the two groups(P<0.05).Conclusion The results showed that the differences in the pH values of trachea and esophagus and the pH values of different segments,which provides a theoretical basis for the design of model mice by intragastric administration of pH to identify the value of trachea and esophagus.

This review summarizes the newest advances in recent researches on meridian. Firstly, fascia, connective tissue, mast cells, fibroglia fibrils and interstitial fluid are found accumulated under the deeper layer tissue of the acupoints and channels, thus giving indications of their important role in the propagated sensation along meridian. Secondly, the supplementary data involve the characteristics and the neurobiological basis of propagated sensation along meridian, which suggest that the function of the meridian is of integrity, i.e. the points on different segments of the same channel produce a uniform clinical effect. The effect of Luomai (collateral, branch of the large channel) and the mechanism of long distance of transmission across spinal segments are introduced. Thirdly, the objective evidence of channel-viscera bi-directional correlativity. Lastly, the application of the gene chip technique to meridian research. As for the main trends in the researches of meridian, the emphases are laid on the function of acupoints and channels, on the correlation between the channel and internal organs, on the rational distribution of proportion as well as on the coordination of meridian research between laboratory experiments and clinical practices. Recently, faced to international competition, Chinese physicians and researchers feel an unshrinkable duty and are making a greater effort to carry out researches on the meridian.
Acupuncture ; trends ; Acupuncture Points ; Humans ; Meridians

This study sought to demonstrate that IL- 8 expression in endothelial cells is regulated by not only chemical factors but also mechanical factors.After pretreating cultured human umbilical vein endothe lial cells (HUVECs) with shear stress for different periods of time, we employed RT-PCR to assay IL-8 mRNA expression and immunocytochemical staining to detect NF-κB activation in HUVECs. The results showed:①IL-8 mRNA expressed little in HUVECs untreated or pretreated with low laiminar shear stress for 0.5 h; IL -8 mRNA expression increased when HUVECs were pretreated with low laminar shear stress for 1 h,and it increased further when HUVECs were pretreated for 2 h; ②the immunoreactivity of NF-κB p65 in the nuclei of HUVECs untreated or pretr eated with low laminar shear stress for 0.5 h was negative, while it became weak positive in the nuclei of HUVECs pretreated with shear stress for 1 hand positive in the nuclei of HUVECs pretreated for 2 h. The findings implied that low laminar shear stress was capable of inducing IL-8 gene expression and activating NF-κB, which were both time-dependent. The induction of IL-8 gene expressionby laminar shear stress is probablydue to the activation of NF-κB. On these grounds we come to the conclusion that IL-8 expression induced in endothelial cells by low shear stress may play an important role in the genesis and development of both inflammation and arterioatherosclerosis.

As a kind of chemokine, IL-8 plays an important role in inflammatory reaction. Its expression in endothelial cells is regulated by a variety of cytokines. In this study, after incubating cultured human umb ilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) with TNF-α for different time, we employed RT-PCR to assay IL-8 mRNA expression and immunocytochemical stain ing to detect NF-κB activation in HUVECs. The results revealed:(1)IL-8 mRNA e xpressed little in untreated HUVECs; after HUVECs was pre-incubated with TNF-α for 1 hour, IL-8 mRNA expression increased greatly, and it increased further after pre-incubated for 3 hours; howerver, when HUVECs was pre-incubated with TNF-α f or 6 hours, IL-8 mRNA expression decreased, and it almost decreased to basal l evel when pre-incubated for 9 hours; (2)the immunoreactivity of NF-κB p65 in the nuclei of untreated HUVECs was negative; it became positive in the nuclei of HUVECs pre-incubated with TNF-α for 1 hour and 3 hours; it became weak po s itive in the nuclei of HUVECs pre-incubated with TNF-α for 6 hours, and after 9 hours, pre-incubation, the immunoreactivity of NF-κB p65 in the nuclei of HUVECs was negative. These results implied that TNF-α was capable of inducing IL-8 gene expression and activation NF-κB. and Their time courses were similar, thus suggesting that the induction of IL-8 gene expression by TNF-α is probably due to the activation of NF-κB.

A promising alternative to supply bone substitutes is to develop living tissue substitutes based on biodegradable materials, which is called bone tissue engineering. One of the research high-lights of bone tissue engineering is to design and manufacture scaffolds for cell attaching, migrating, and proliferating. A process which consists of a solvent casting stage, a compression molding stage and a leaching stage has been used to fabricate macroporous composites of poly(l-lactic acid)(PLLA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP). The effects of the weight fraction of porogen-NaCl, of the weight ratio of PLLA to β-TCP and of the diameters of β-TCP on the porosities, the average pore diameters and the compressive yield strength and compressive modulus have been studied. The results showed that the porosities and the average pore diameters increased and the compressive yield strength and modulus decreased when the weight fraction went from 50% to 90%. The compressive yield strength and compressive modulus could be improved by changing the weight ratio of PLLA to β-TCP and the diameters of β-TCP in low-porosity composites (lower than 70%). But high-porosity composites (90%) were not reinforced by changing the weight ratio.