both pathogenesis and complications of atherosclerosis.There are three kinds of inflammation in formation and development of atherosclerosis:biological,immunological and chemical inflammation.Vessel wall manifests the acute exudative inflammation in the early stage of atherosclerosis and chronic proliferative inflammation in the progressive stage of atherosclerosis.Many inflammatory cells,inflammatory cytokines and mediators,adhesion molecules,chemotactic factors and growth factors are involved in the inflammatory responses of vessel wall.It has been demonstrated that anti-atherosclerotic drugs used in clinical practice can produce anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore,anti-inflammatory therapy is a new strategy for prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Anoikis is a special programmed cell death and plays important roles in both physiological regulation and pathogenesis of many diseases, including atherosclerosis, acute coronary syndrome, cardiac failure, aneurysm and tumors. This review focuses on the association of the anoikis with instability and rupture of atherosclerotic plaque.

It has been shown that dauricine possesses antiarrhymic and hypotensive actions. Our experimentation demonstrates that dauricine inhidits platelet aggregation induced by the threshold concentration of adenosine diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid (AA) and collagen (Coll) in the dose-dependent way in vitro in rabbits. The aggregatipn inhibition rates produced by dauri- cine 0.08 mg/ml for ADP, AA and Coll are 49.20%, 62.26% and 65.75% respectively. The adnimistration of dauricine 10 mg/kg to the rabbits intravenously also inhibits the platelet aggregation induced by the threshold concentration of ADP, AA and Coll, the aggregation inhibition rates being 40.12%, 32.71% and 21.21% respectively. The results show that the action mechanism of dauricine might be related to Ca-antagonism.

The effect of dauricine on level of TXA2 and cAMP in the rabbi platan-elet was studied. The results showed that dauricine protected signific-tly mice against the sudden death induced by intravenous arachidonic acid in vivo, and that dauricine inhibited the platelet aggregation ind uced by arachi- donic acid, inhibited the production of TXA2 in the plateletand did not change the basic cAMP level in the platelet invitro. These suggested that one of the action mechanism of the inhibition of the platelet aggregation by dauricine was possibly related to the inhibition of the production of TXA2.

There are increasing experimental evidences and clinical data showing that inflammatory reaction plays an important role in the production and development of atherosclerosis. Inflammatory process promotes the production and release of inflammatory factors by activation of monocytes and stimulation of endothelial cells, which stimulate the migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Hydrolases and cytokines are released from the activated and stimulated cells to increase local lesion and form atherosclerotic plaque with the development of inflammation. So, on the basis of the new pathogenesis of atherosclerosis,scientists try to interfere with atherosclerosis by anti-inflammatory pathway. This paper reviews the progress of drugs against atherosclerosis by the modulation of C reaction protein ,CD40-CD40L,infection and NF-?B.

AIM To observe the protective effect of quercetin on vascular endothelial cells injured by homocysteine in rabbits. METHODS The model of the vascular endothelial cells of rabbits injured by homocysteine was established; 50 mg?kg -1, 100 mg?kg -1 and 200 mg?kg -1 of quercetin were orally adminstered. After 30 days, the number of CEC, levels of MDA and NO,SOD activity in the serum were determined; ET concentration in the plasma was detected. The thoracic aorta was isolated to observe the vascular reactivity to nitroglycerin and ACh and tissue change. RESULTS The number of CEC, levels of MDA and ET were decreased and levels of SOD and NO were significantly increased in the quercetin-administered group compared with the injured group.Non-endothelium dependent relaxation of vessel caused by nitroglycerin was similar in all groups. Endothelium dependent relaxation caused by ACh was reduced in the injured group,whileas the relaxation trended to the normal degree in the quercetin-administered group. Pathological examination showed that quercetin was effective on the injured endothelial cells. CONCLUSION Quercetin produces protective effect on the injured vascular endothelial cells by homocysteine in rabbits.

Objective:This study aims to select the more suitable testing method for early screening of uterine cervical cancer to protect susceptible populations. Application value was compared between the two methods of high-risk HPV detection in early screening of uterine cervical cancer. Methods:The two methods, namely, fluorescence quantitation polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and HC2-HPV-DNA, were used to detect the infection status of 13 high-risk HPV types during women's health examination. The examined women were divided into four groups according to age (23 to 29 years old, 30 to 39 years old, 40 to 49 years old, and 50 to 58 years old). Statistical methods were applied to analyze the results. Results:The detected positive rates by fluorescence quantitation PCR and HC2-HPV-DNA were 15.93%(140/879) and 11.83%(104/879), respectively, among the 879 examined women. The common positive and negative rates were 9.56%(84/879) and 81.80%(719/879), respectively. The results of the two methods showed that the infection positive rate was obviously higher in the 40 to 49 year old and 50 to 58 year old groups. Statistical difference was observed between fluorescence quantitation PCR and HC2-HPV-DNA in detecting high-risk HPV types (P<0.05). Conclusion:HC2-HPV-DNA is superior to fluorescence quantitation PCR for detecting 13 high-risk HPV types and is more suitable for large-scale health screening. HC2-HPV-DNA can be applied in large-scale early screening of uterine cervical cancer, especially in women>40 years old who are at high risk of HPV, to prevent uterine cervical cancer efficiently.

AIM: To observe the anti-atherosclerotic mechanism of Dahuang Zhechong Pill(Radix et Rhizoma Rhei,Eupolyphaga seu steleophaga,Hirudo,Radix Scutellariae,etc) in the aspect of VSMC proliferation and apoptosis,collagen synthesis in the vessel wall. METHODS: The atherosclerotic model was established by hypercholesterol feeding together with immune-injured endothelium in rabbits.The level of hydroxyproline in vessel wall was determined.Histological changes were examined by electronic microscopes.The proliferation of VSMC was determined by immunohistochemistry and apoptosis of VSMC by TUNEL. RESULTS: Dahuang Zhechong Pill improved the histological changes of vessel wall of rabbit with atherosclerosis and reversed vascular remodelling.The level of hydroxyproline in the vessel wall and the number of proliferation of VSMC decreased,and the number of apoptosis of VSMC increased in Dahuang Zhechong Pill-administered groups compared with the model control group. CONCLUSION: Dahuang Zhechong Pill can inhibit the development of atherosclerosis by inhibiting the synthesis of collagen fiber in vessel wall and the proliferation of VSMC as well as inducing the apoptosis of VSMC.

Objective To observe the effect of moxa smoke (Artemisia vulgaris) on amino acids neurotransmitters in the brain of senescence accelerated mouse (SAMP8) and explore the anti-aging effect of moxa smoke. Methods Totally 70 SAMP8 were randomized into one model control group and 6 intervention groups, and 10 SAMR1 mice were used as normal control group. There were low, medium and high concentrations of moxa smoke during intervention. Moxa smoke intervention was performed 15 min/30 min each day for 28 days. High performance liquid chromatographic method was used to determine the levels of Glu, Asp and GABA in the brain of the mice. Results Compared with the normal control group, the levels of Asp and Glu in the model control group were significantly higher, while the GABA was significantly lower. The levels of Asp and Glu in 6 intervention groups were significantly lower than those in the model control group, while GABA was significantly higher than or the same as the model control group. There was no significant difference among different intervention groups in the levels of Asp and Glu, while the 30 min-medium concentration moxa smoke had the most significant effect in increasing the level of GABA. Conclusion Moxa smoke intervention could decrease the high level of Asp and Glu, and increase the low level of GABA in SAMP8. It could achieve the effect of anti-aging through adjusting the abnormal metabolism of amino acids in the brain.