Hepatic fibrosis is a wound-healing response to liver injury, which has complex celluar and molecular mechanisms. Animal models that similar to human hepatic fibrosis are important to explore further pathological mechanisms and more effective drug therapy for hepatic fibrosis. This article reviews recent progress in animal models and antifibrotic therapy related to hepatic fibrosis.

Age-related macular degeneration ( AMD ) is one of the important eye diseases of the WHO present three big blindness, is one of the main blinding eye disease in people over the age of 50, people over the age of 65, about 2% of the disease caused by monocular blindness, as the population ages, AMD prevalence is increasing in our country. AMD with respect to its clinical manifestations can be divided into dry AMD and wet AMD, wet AMD is the most harmful for the vision of patients, at present there are many treatments for AMD ( mainly for wet age-related macular degeneration ) , mainly including laser treatment, drug therapy, surgical treatment, gene therapy, etc. The treatments of AMD would be illuminated in this article.

Indices of angiogenesis are increased in synovia from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and vascu-lar proliferation may contribute to the pathogenesis of synovitis, pan nus growth, bone and cartilage destruction, and osteophyte formation. Many proan giogenic factors are expressed in the synovium in RA. They have been shown to ha ve important effects in the angiogenic process in RA. So the blockade of angioge nesis appears to be a promising avenue for the future treatment of RA.

Objective To investigate the effects of ginsenoside(GS) on the expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK) and cytokines in THP-1 induced by ?-amyloid(A?)_(1-40). Methods Human monocyte THP-1 cell line was used as a model of microglia.The expression of phosphorylated ERK was measured by Western blotting.The concentration of cytokine interleukin(IL)-1,IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?) was determined by radioimmunoassay in supernatant of THP-1 cells.Results The expression of phosphorylated ERK was enhanced and the concentration of cytokine IL-1,IL-8 and TNF-? was significantly increased in THP-1 cells stimulated by A?_(1-40) as compared with that of control group.Preincubation of THP-1 monocytes with ginsenoside(GS) for 30 min reduced the(expression)(of)(phosphorylated)(ERK)(and)(decreased)(the)(levels)(of)(cytokine)(IL-1,)(IL-8) (and)(TNF-?)(significantly)(in)(THP-1)(cells)(induced by) A?_(1-40).Conclusion Ginsenoside inhibites phosphorylation of ERK and reduces the content of cytokines in THP1 monocytes induced by A?,it may provide a novel therapy for alzheimer's disease.

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Chinese herbs in resisting chronic immobilization stress.Methods: The rat models of chronic immobilization stress were copied by merely constraint.Total RNA in hippocampus was extracted and primers of enkaphalin or prodynorphin were respectively added for RT-PCR reaction.Then the expressions of enkaphalin and prodynorphin in hippocampus were compared. Results: Enkaphalin mRNA and prodynorphin mRNA expressions in hippocampus markedly increased in chronic immobilization stress and the longer the more evident.Xiaoyao powder as well as decoction of four mild drugs were able to decrease the gene expression of enkaphalin mRNA,and all the three recipes were able to decrease the gene expression of prodynorphin mRNA,and the effect of Xiaoyao powder was obviously outweigh to Jinkuishenqi pill.Conclusion: enkaphalin and prodynorphin both participated in the regulation of hippocampus on stress;the regulation of endogenous opium system was one of the most important ways of the three recipes in accommodating stress.

Objective To establish a method for determining glutamate concentration in microamount cerebrospinal fluid after acute cerebral insult.Methods The concentration of glutamate in cerebrospinal fluid was measured in mice after acute cerebral insult by precolumn derivatization with O-phthaldehyde.Results The average recovery of glutamate was 84.26% to 125.6%(n=3),the relative standard deviation(RSD) in one day and three days was respectively less than 4.94%(n=3),0.78%(n=3).The concentration of glutamate in cerebrospinal fluid of mice 6 h after acute cerebral insult was significantly higher than that of sham operation mice(P

AIM: To study the correlation between DNA index(DI),5cER,MRI appearance and the malignant grades of brain astrocytic tumors.METHODS: After Feulgen staining,40 paraffin samples of astrocytic tumors were observed about DI and 5cER by image analysis,MRI appearances were reviewed,including edema around tumor,clearity of boundary,equality of MRI singal,enhancement of tumor,shift of medline,necroses and cyst,then compared them with pathological grade and survival rate.RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation between DI,5cER,MRI appearance and pathological grade,negative correlation between DI,5cER,MRI appearance and survival rate.CONCLUSION: DI,5cER and MRI appearance are very important in judging pathological grade and patient's prognosis.When 5cER mean of astrocytic tumor exceeds 20,the tumor should be judged as glioblastoma.

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a common complication of diabetes that can lead to severely impaired visual acuity.Its pathogenesis is complex,which is closely related to the destruction of blood-retinal barrier,and there are many cytokines involved in its formation,but the exact mechanism is not yet fully clear.Recent researches suggested that some typical pathological characterizations of retina can be used as criteria for evaluating its occurrence,and it is known that a variety of risk factors participated in the pathological process,such as glucose,blood pressure,blood lipids,which are well-known and can be closely correlated with its development through impacting the systemic and retinal vascular functions by complex mechanisms and leading to endothelial dysfunction.While other systemic risk factors,such as diabetic nephropathy which leads to changes in osmotic balance,anemia which increases cytokines caused by ischemia and hypoxia,excessive body weight which leads to vascular damage through fat factor,smoking that produces blood vessel damage by promoting oxidative stress on the body and various hypoglycemic drugs,will influence the development of macular edema on different levels.So conducting a comprehensive and newest understanding of this disease and its risk factors are conducive to better prevention efforts for diabetes patients.This review mainly summarizes the latest researches on definition,classification,pathologic characterization and risk factors of DME.

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a serine/threonine kinase that is widely expressed in eukaryotic cells and a key regulator of the cell mitosis.During different stages of mitosis,the locations of Plk1 in cells are different,and can interaction with different substrates,thus it has many biological functions.This article focuses on the functions of Plk1 in different mitotic stages.

Objective To elucidate potential roles of tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2) in the generation and maintenance of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells. Methods We followed the fate of OVA-specific CD8 + T cells in Tyk2-deficient ( Tyk2 -/- ) mice after infection with recombinant OVA-expressing BCG ( rBCGOVA ). Because the immunostimulatory BCG-derived peptides recognized by CD8 + T cells have not been defined, and the OVA is definite peptide for specific CD8 + T cells that has been accepted widely, therefore we examine the kinetics of the OVA-Ag-specific CD8 + T cell response after rBCG-OVA infection in mice.Tyk2-/- and wild type(Tyk2+/+ ) mice were inoculated with rBCG-OVA by intra-trachea( i. t. ), after the examination of bacterial growth in the lung and spleen, the population of CD8 + T cells were detected by FACS analysis, the epitope-specific CD8 + T cells were followed with tetrameric H-2Kb molecule folding with OVA257 264 peptide, and the kinetics of Ag-specific CD8 + Tc1 cells were detected by intracellular IFN-γ production in response to OVA257-264 peptide by cytokine FACS analysis. Results After rBCG-OVA challenge,the bacteria number in spleen and lung of Tyk2 -/- mice were significantly larger than those in Tyk2 +/+ mice on days 14, 21 and 49. Almost as same as that in Tyk2+/+ mice, the size of epitope-specific CD8+ T cella with OVA257-264/Kb-tetramer-positive and the CD8 +Tc1 (T eytotoxic 1 )cells positive for intracellular IFN-γ could proliferate to its peak on day 21, then contract and maintain to the memory phase in spleen and lung of Tyk2-/- mice, but the population of CD8+ T cells in spleen and lung of Tyk2 -/- mice were significantly smaller than those in Tyk2+/+ mice on days 21 and 49, the number of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells in spleen and lung of Tyk2 -/- mice were significantly decreased and the frequency of CD8 + Tc1 cells in spleen and lung of Tyk2 -/- mice significantly reduced on day 21,49 and 70 after rBCG-OVA infection. So correspond with the larger number of bacteria in Tyk2-/- mice than those in Tyk2 +/+ mice, the expansion of OVA257-264-specific CD8 + T cells and CD8+ Tc1 response were attenuated in Tyk2 -/- mice following rBCG-OVA infection. Conclusion These results suggest that the lack of Tyk2 signaling impairs the proliferation and difference of effector CD8 + T cell to rBCG-OVA infection and at least, is partly responsible for the susceptible to the rBCG-OVA infection.