AIM:To study the effect of Hirudo on level of Endothelin-1(ET-1),kidney structure and function in diabetic nephyropathy(DN) rats. METHODS: STZ-induced DN rats were randomly divided into four groups: model group,Hirudo(17.5 g/kg,8.75 g/kg) treatment group,and captopril group,in addition,normal rats for control group.All rats were given by ig for 6 weeks.Kidney function and kidney index(kidney weight/body weight) were determined,the level of ET-1 was determined by Radioimmunoassay,the expression of ET-1 in the kidney tissue by immunohistochemicai,and kidney tissue was observed by lightmicroscope and transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: The level and expression of ET-1,kidney index in DN rats significantly increased.The level and expression of ET-1 markedly decreased in Hirudo treatment group,and kidney pathologic changes of DN rats in Hirudo treatment group were improved. CONCLUSION: Hirudo can ameliorate early kidney hyperdynamic abnormality in DN rats,possess protective effect on kidney of DN rats,whose mechanism may be associated partly with a down-regulation of levels and expression of ET-1.

Objective To investigate protective effect of tribulus terrestris L (TTL) on photoreceptor in the model of light-induced retinal degeneration.Methods BALB/c mice were exposed to bright light at the intensity of 10 000 lux for 30 minutes to establish the retinal light damage models.The BALB/c mice were divided into normal control group,model group and treatment group,6 cases in each group.TTL decoction was intraperitoneally administered to mice 30 minutes prior to illumination in the treatment group.Saline vehicle was administered in the normal control group and model group.Photoreceptor protection of TTL was assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) at 3 hours and 7 days after illumination.Gross histology and immunohistochemistry approaches were also taken to examine the retinal protection conferred by TTL at 7 days after bright light exposure.Results Compared to normal retinal morphology in the normal control group,prominent photoreceptor loss and diminished rod and cone photoreceptors evidenced by attenuated retinal expression of rhodopsin and M-opsin were observed in the model group.In contrast,TTL treatment resulted in significant protection against bright light-induced photoreceptor degeneration and remarkable preservation of rod and cone photoreceptor cells.The outer retinal nuclear layer in the model group was thinner than that in the normal control group (P ＜ 0.05),but the treatment group was thicker than the model group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Bright light induces obviously degeneration in photoreceptors in BALB/c mice.Moreover,TTL is shown for the first to significantly protect the photoreceptors from bright light-induced degeneration.

Objective To compare the oxygen saturation between the blood of superior vena cava and mixed venous in lung transplantation and provide reference for monitoring method in anesthesia. Methods 30 patients who received lung transplantation were placed central venous catheter into superior vena cava and flotation catheter into the pulmonary artery in turn. The blood samples were collected from the superior vena cava and pulmonary artery for blood gas analysis simultaneously at the time of just followed the catheter placement (T1), before the resection of the first bad lung (T2), after the reperfusion of the first donor lung (T3), before the resection of the second bad lung (T4), after the reperfusion of the second donor lung (T5), before the end of the operation (T6). The oxygen saturation were compared between the blood of the superior vena cava and mixed venous. Results From T1 to T6, Bland-Altman analysis showed that the mean of deviation between the SpO2 measured in blood of superior vena cava and mixed venous were 0.5, 3.4, 2.3, 0.5, 0.27,-2.9, respectively, and the incidence beyond the upper and lowed limits of consistency zone was 3.3%, 0%, 0%, 3.3%, 3.3%, 0%respectively. The incidence of SpO2 within the consistent limits was 96.7%, 100%, 100%, 96.7%, 96.7%, 100% respectively. Conclusions The SpO2 of superior vena cava may be approximately reference as SpO2 of mixed venous during lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Nanosphere, an ideal nonviral gene delivery vector, is not excellence of immunogenicity and oncogenicity. Nanotechnology and gene interference are used to block hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) expression in esophageal squamous carcinoma tissue and decrease tolerance of malignant cells to chemotherapeutics. Theoretically, they become effective methods to inhibit malignant cell growth of esophageal squamous carcinoma. OBJECTIVE: To study the inhibitory effect of small interference RNA targeting HIF-1α (siRNA-HIF-1α) nanospheres on human esophageal squamous cancer TE-1 cell growth. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Based on in vitro cultured esophageal squamous cancer TE-1 cells, a completely randomized controlled study was performed at the Central Laboratory, the Third Hospital Affiliated to Sun Yat-sen University from January 2007 to December 2008. MATERIALS: siRNA-HIF-1α was synthesized by Shanghai Bioengineering Company; siRNA-HIF-1α nanospheres were prepared using solvent evaporation technique; human esophageal squamous cancer TE cell strain was provided by Shanghai Cell Bank of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. METHODS: TE-1 cells cultured in vitro were assigned into four groups: saline, gene-free nanospheres, siRNA-HIF-1α, and siRNA-HIF-1α nanospheres groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HIF-1α mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR; HIF-1α protein expression was detected by Western blot; apoptosis of TE-1 cells was determined by flow cytometry; TE-1 cell growth was examined by MTT. RESULTS: At 72 hours after treatment, both HIF-1α mRNA expression and HIF-1α protein expression in the siRNA-HIF-1α nanospheres group were significantly less than other three groups (P < 0.01), but apoptotic rate was significantly greater than other three groups (P < 0.01). TE-1 cell growth was remarkably inhibited in the siRNA-HIF-1α nanospheres group, which was significantly different compared with other three groups (P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: siRNA-HIF-1α nanospheres can specifically reduce both HIF-1α mRNA and HIF-1α protein expressions in esophageal squamous carcinoma TE-1 cells, significantly increase tumor cell apoptosis, and remarkably inhibit TE-1 cell growth.