In this paper, murine natural killer (NK) cells were studied with cytochemistry and electron-microscopy after treated with interleukin-2 (IL-2) and polysaccharide of astragalus (PA). The results showed that acid phosphatase (AcP), acid naphthylacetate esterase (ANAE) and naphthol-AS-D chloroacetate esterase (NCAE) were positive in NK cells, and the activity of AcP and ANAE was enhanced by IL-2 and PA. Significant changes of NK cells in ultrastructure took place after preculturing with IL-2.

The determination of pantothenic acid in infant formula was carried out by means of HPLC. The sample was dissolved in deionizid water and put in an ultra-sonic generator for 15 minutes, adjust pH to precipitate protein. After centrifugation the supernatants were used as test sample for HPLC analysis. Column: Bondapak C18, Detector: ultraviolet 200nm, and 0.01M KH2PO4/CH3OH as eluant. Coefficient of variation was 6.58% and recovery was 93.78%.The method might be applicable to milk and milk products and alsoto the samples containing free pantothenic acid such as wheat germ and flour.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of cinnabar and realgar in Angong Niuhuang Wan (AGNH) -produced neuroprotection against lipopolysaccharide ( LPS) -mediated neuronal damage and further explore the corresponding mechanisms. METHODS Primary rat midbrain neuron-glia cultures were used as an in vitro model to investigate effects of AGNH on LPS-mediated degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons. The experiment was divided into normal control group, LPS model group, LPS + cinnabar (4 and 40 mg·L-1) groups, LPS + realgar (4 and 40 mg·L-1 ) groups and LPS + AGNH (40 and 400 mg·L-1 ) group. Drugs were added 30 min before LPS treatment. After 7 d, dopaminergic neurotoxicity was assessed through the quantification of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons and morphological analysis of TH-positive neurons; the activation of microglia was evaluated using OX-42 antibody; the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA in microglia was performed by real-time RT-PCR analysis, and the release of TNF-α and nitric oxide (NO) in the supernatant of neuron-glia cultures was determined respectively by the ELISA and Griess reagent. RESULTS Compared with normal control group, DA neurons in LPS model group decreased by 40% (P <0.05) , microglial activation was induced, the expression of TNF-α mRNA and iNOS mRNA in microglia increased 9 and 2 times, respectively ( P < 0. 05 ) , and subsequent production of TNF-α and NO in the supernatant of neuron-glia cultures increased 20 and 30 times, respectively (P<0.05). Compared with LPS model group, AGNH 400 mg·L-1 and realgar 40 mg·L-1 significantly attenuated LPS-mediated DA neuronal loss by 40% and 30% , respectively (P<0.05) and inhibited activation of microglia and expression of TNF-α mRNA by 61% and 52% (P <0.05). iNOS mRNA was reduced by 58% and 51% (P <0.05 ) in microglia. The subsequent release of TNF-α was reduced by 55% and 43% (P<0.05) and NO reduced by 53% and 34% (P<0.05) in the supernatant of neuron-glia cultures. Cinnabar had no inhibitory effect on LPS-induced changes. CONCLUSION AGNH protects LPS-induced neurotoxicity through its anti-inflammatory properties and realgar might be the key contributor to the neuroprotective action of AGNH, while cinnabar fails to show any neuroprotection.

The determination of vitamine D in fortified milk powder was carried out by means of HPLC. Its pre-treatments include extraction of fat, sap onification, isolation of the unsaponifiable matters, and digitonin-celite and bentonite column chromatography. The HPLC was performed with 15cm ? 4mm column of silica 5m 0.7% ethyl alcohol in iso-octane as mobile phase, at 254nm. Only 12 grams of sample which contained 400-500 IU vitamin D/100 g were used. Within the sample there were relatively large amounts of interfering materials such as fats, sterols,?-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin E and their decomposed products, but they could be separated by the above method. The recovery rate of vitamin D was 81% with standard deviation of 0.39?g/100g. This method could also be applied to other samples such as fortified cakes, confectionaries, infant foods and "Mairujing" (milk maltose mixture powder) etc.

Objective To investigate the effect of nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B) on the regulation of cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) and Caspase-3 in hippocampal neurons after traumatic brain injury(TBI) in rats,and explore the neuroprotective effect and the possible mechanism of progesterone(PROG) in hippocampal neurons after TBI.Methods Forty-five male Spraque-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham-operated group(n=15),TBI group(n=15) and PROG-treated group(n=15,intraperitoneal injection of PROG 16 mg/kg in 1 and 6 h after injury).The rat model of TBI was duplicated with the improved Feeney's method.The rats were sacrificed in 24 h after injury and their brain was resected.Nissl staining,immunohistochemical staining and Western blot assay for NF-?B,COX-2 and Caspase-3 was used to observe the changes of positive cell numbers and protein levels in the hippocampal neurons.Results The numbers of immunoreactive neurons to NF-?B(24.0?2.5),COX-2(35.9?2.7) and Caspase-3(25.1?2.7) were significantly increased in the hippocampus at 24 h after TBI when compared with the positive neuron numbers of NF-?B(1.9?0.9),COX-2(1.5?0.7) and Caspase-3(1.8?0.8) in sham group.After the treatment of PROG,the positive cell number of NF-?B(14.2?1.8),COX-2(16.6?2.7),Caspase-3(11.2?2.4) was reduced obviously as compared with the TBI group(P

Influenza is a major threat to millions of people worldwide. Vaccines and antiviral agents are two main options available to reduce the impact of the influenza virus, while anti-influenza agents are the most effective means to prevent the transmission of the highly contagious virus and to treat the epidemics of disease. At present, four anti-influenza agents have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of influenza, including two M2 protein ion channel inhibitors-amantadine and rimantadine and two neuraminidase inhibitors-zanamivir and oseltamivir. Arbidol hydrochloride, launched in Russia, is a potent inhibitor of influenza virus, too. Neuraminidase inhibitors could be classified generally by structure into six different kinds: sialic acid derivatives, benzoic acid derivatives, cyclohexene derivatives, cyclopentane derivatives, pyrrolidine derivatives and natural products. In this paper, recent progress in the research of the action mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of these anti-influenza virus agents were reviewed.

Objective To investigate the effects of tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside (TSG) on cytochrome P450(CYP) in mouse livers .Methods Kunming male mice were divided into the blank ,low dose and the high dose of TSG groups .3 ,5 and 7 after intra-gastrical administration of TSG ,mice were sacrificed and the mRNA expressions of CYP isoenzymes in mouse livers were measured by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) ,respectively .Results TSG significantly inhibited CYP1A2 and CYP 3A4 mRNA expressions at 3th ,5th and 7th day after treatment .TSG time-dependently increased CYP2E1 mRNA expres-sion .TSG inhibited CYP4A14 mRNA expression at 7th day after treatment .Moreover ,TSG had no significant effects on CYP2B10 , CYP3A11 and CYP3A25 mRNA expressions .Conclusion TSG has significant effects on CYP1A2 ,CYP2E1 ,CYP3A4 and CYP4A14 mRNA expressions but no significant effects on CYP2B10 ,CYP3A11 and CYP3A25 mRNA expressions .

OBJECTIVETo elucidate the effect of hydroxysafflor yellow A ( HYSA) on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the related mechanism.

METHODSVSMCs derived from SD rats were treated with DMEC culture medium (Control), 10 ng/ml PDGF (PDGF group), pretreatment with HYSA at different doses (1, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60 µmol/L) for 24 h then cotreatment with PDGF. After 24 h, MTT assay, Western blot and immunohistochemical staining were performed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of HYSA on VSMCs proliferation.

RESULTSHYSA inhibited PDGF induced VSMCs proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, dowregulated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression and blocked PDGF activated PDGFR-MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONSHYSA inhibits VSMCs proliferation possibly via downregulating the expression of PCNA and blocking MEK-ERK1/2 signal transduction in VSMCs.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Quinones ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective The purpose of our research was to quantitative study the degeneration of lumbar intervertebral discs by using T2 mapping technology at 3.0T MR and research the correlation of biomechanics and lumbar disc degeneration.Methods 34 patients with low back pain or sciatica were enrolled.The correlation of T2 values of lumbar intervertebral discs and Pfirrmann grading,disc location,patient ages were analyzed.T2 values before and after loading were also analyzed.Results T2 values of nucleus pulposus were correlation with Pfirrmann scoring,disc location and,patient ages.Conclusion (1 )T2 mapping provides a non-invasive and quantitative way to diagnose lumbar discs degeneration.(2)The change of external pressure load can affect the T2 values of the intervertebral disc.

Aim To investigate the protective effect of noble dendrobium polysaccharides ( NDP ) on lipopo-lysaccharide ( LPS)-induced neuron injuries in newborn rat cerebral cortex glial cells and neuron mixed cul-tures.Methods The primary cultures of newborn rat cortical neurons and glial cells were established and the existence of the neurons , astrocytes and microglia was verified respectively .NDP was given to LPS-induced mixed cultures , the mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-αand COX-2 were assayed by real time PCR .Results NDP reduced the glial cell activation and neuron dam-age after it was given to LPS-induced mixed cultures . The mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, COX-2 were re-duced .Conclusion NDP protects against LPS-in-duced neuron-inflammation in neurons and glial cells cultures.