Objective To study the therapeutical effect of γ-aminobutyric acid on monocrotaline(MCT )induced pulmonary hy-pertension rats ,and to elucidate the expression of VEGF and MMP-9 .Methods Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups :a normal control group(control group) ,a MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension group(model control group) ,and anγ-ami-nobutyric acid treatment group(treatment group) .The mean right ventricular pressure(mRVP)were detected ,the right ventricular hypertrophy index(RVHI)were measured ,WT% and WA% were evaluated ,and the expression of VEGF mRNA in the lung tissue and MMP-9 were detected wtih FQ-PCR and immunohistochemical staining method respectively .Results mRVP ,RVHl ,WT% , WA% and the expression of MMP-9 and VEGF mRNA of treatment group were lower than those in the model control group(P<0 .05) ,but higher than the control group(P<0 .05) .Conclusion GABA has a therapeutic effect on pulmonary hypertension rats through regulating the expression of VEGF mRNA and MMP-9 protein .

Objective To observe the anti-tumor effects of Agrimonia Pilosa Ledeb(APL) ,a Chinese herbal medicine ,on hepato-cellular carcinoma cells in vitro and investigate the underlined mechanisms preliminarily .Methods APL water extracts were pre-pared .SMMC-7721 cells were cultured with the medium containing different concentrations of APL water extracts ,and at different time points ,cell viabilities were measured by the MTT assay and inhibitory rates (IR) were calculated ;cell morphologic changes were observed under a light microscope ;apoptotic ratios were measured by flow cytometry ;and the expressions of Bcl-2 and P53 proteins were examined by immunocytochemistry .Results After the cells were cultured with the medium containing APL water ex-tracts for 24 h ,48 h and 72 h ,no obvious effects were found on the cell proliferation in 5 mg/mL group and 10 mg/mL group ,but IR were 0 .5% ,23 .9% and 27 .5% in 20 mg/mL group and 23 .3% ,51 .7% and 71 .6% in the 40 mg/mL group ,respectively .In the groups with effects on the cells proliferation ,morphological characteristics of apoptosis were obvious ,and the cell apoptotic ratios were 19 .5% and 23 .0% in 20 mg/mL group and 33 .4% and 42 .7% in 40 mg/mL group at 48 h and 72 h .The expressions of Bcl-2 protein were 71 .9% and 58 .5% in 20 mg/mL group and 47 .9% and 26 .5% in 40 mg/mL group at 48 h and 72 h ,and the ex-pressions of P53 protein were 22 .9% and 50 .6% in 20 mg/mL group and 48 .7% and 83 .7% in 40 mg/mL group at 48 h and 72 h . Conclusion The water extracts of APL are able to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells dose-time depend-ently in vitro ,which might be associated with the expression changes of Bcl-2 and P53 protein .