Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture plus Chinese herbal medication on plasma endothelin (ET-1) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in child patients with mesenteric lymphadenitis.Methods One hundred and eighty child patients with mesenteric lymphadenitis were randomly allocated to groups A, B and C, 60 cases each. Group A received acupuncture at Zusanli and pricking Sifeng points plus oral administration of Wudang Babao Zijinding; group B, oral administration of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium granules; group C, oral administration of Wudang Babao Zijinding alone. ET-1 and CGRP contents were measured in the three groups before and after treatment.Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in ET-1 and CGRP contents in group A (P<0.01). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in ET-1 and CGRP contents between group A and group B or C (P<0.01).Conclusions Acupuncture plus Chinese herbal medication is an effective way to treat mesenteric lymphadenitis in children. It can regulate ET-1 and CGRP in the patients.

This paper is to study the feasibility of Chinese female pilot to fly fighterplane considering their physiological and biochemical tolerability to altitude anoxia. The altitude anorexia was simulated on the ground in female pilot and their electrocardiograph, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, blood uric acid(BUA), blood lactic acid(BLA), creatine kinase(CK) and aspantic aminotransferase(AST) were measured before and after flying, and the results were compared with that in the male pilots. There was no difference in electrocardiograph, heart rate, blood saturation, blood pressure, Cr, CK, BUA and AST in both sexes, but the Hb level was higher in female pilots than that in male ones( P

Objective To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of active vitamin D3 on podocyte injury in type 1 diabetic rats.Methods Animals were randomly divided into normal control group (NC group),diabetic nephropathy group (DN group),diabetes nephropathy plus active vitamin D3 group (DN + VD group).Random tail vein blood glucose was measured and 24 hours of urine was collected every 3 weeks to observe the dynamic changes of blood glucose and 24-hour urine volume and urinary albumin.Rats were sacrificed at the end of 18th week,the kidney weight to body weight ratio,serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,serum calcium,and serum phosphorus levels were measured.Pathological in glomeruli were observed by PAS staining.Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to observe the expression of slit diaphragms proteins including Nephrin,Podocin,and vitamin D receptor protein VDR.The mRNA level of autophagy-related protein P62 was detected by realtime quantitative PCR,and expression of autophagy-related protein including LC3B/A,Beclin1,and P62 were detected by Western blotting.Ultrastructure of podocytes and autopbagosomes in podocytes were observed by electron microscopy.Results Levels of serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,and blood glucose in diabetic rats were higher than those in NC group (P＜0.05),but without significant difference between DN and DN+VD groups (P＞0.05).Compared with the DN group,the urinary protein and kidney weight to body weight ratio in the DN +VD group were significantly lower (P＜ 0.05).Mesangial matrix hyperplasia and basement membrane thickening were improved,and podocyte fusion and shedding were partially reversed.The expressions of Nephrin,Podocin,VDR,LC3B/A and Beclin1 were increased,and P62 mRNA and protein were down-regulated (P ＜ 0.05).The number of autophagosomes in podocytes increased.Besides,positive correlations were found between Nephrin and Beclin 1 (r =0.939 8,P＜0.05),as well as Nephrin and VDR (r=0.948 3,P＜0.05),and Beclin1 andVDR (r=0.9093,P＜0.05).Conclusion Active vitamin D3 inhibits the injury of diabetic nephropathy podocytes by up-regulating VDR expression and enhancing autophagy activity,thereby reducing proteinuria and delaying the development of diabetic nephropathy.

Aim To explore the possibility of the multiple epitope DNA vaccines of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methods A synthetic multiple epitope antigen gene PCX of HCV was cloned into vector pREP9(RSV promoter) and pcDNA3 (CMV promoter) to construct eukaryotic expression vectors pREP9/PCX and pcDNA3/PCX, then they were used to immunize mice and rabbits, the titer of specific humoral and cellular responses were detected and their safety were observed. Results In mice, specific anti-GZ-PCX antibody(IgG) was lower than 1∶ 1 000 and did not persist well. In rabbits, the highest titer of anti-GZ-PCX IgG reached at 1∶ 3 200 and remained for about one month. Delayed type hypersensitivity reactions (DTH)and proliferation response of peripheral lymphocytes were induced by GZ-PCX antigen. Body weights of immunized mice were normal and no obvious toxic reaction was observed. Conclusion The multiple epitope antigen gene of HCV could induce specific immune responses without obvious toxicity and it might be able to serve as an effective HCV vaccine candidate.

OBJECTIVETo study the signaling pathways associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in islet micro-endothelial cells (IMECs) and the mechanism of pravastatin intervention.

METHODSIMECs exposed to LPS, SB203580, pravastatin, or SB203580+pravastatin were examined for cell apoptosis with Hoechst staining and flow cytometry and for expression levels of total-p38, photophosphorylation-p38 (p-p38) and iNOS with Western blotting.

RESULTSThe apoptosis rate and expression levels of total-p38, p-p38, iNOS in IMECs all increased after LPS exposure. Pravastatin, SB203580, and their combination significantly attenuated LPS-induced enhancement of cell apoptosis and total-p38, p-p38, and iNOS expressions in IMECs.

CONCLUSIONLPS-induced inflammatory toxicity in IMECs is associated with the activation of P38MAPK and iNOS/NO signaling pathways. Pravastatin can inhibit these pathways and suppress the apoptosis and necrosis of IMECs to relieve the cell inflammatory injuries.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; cytology ; Inflammation ; Islets of Langerhans ; blood supply ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Pravastatin ; pharmacology ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of the roots of Angelica dahurica, a well-known Chinese herbal medicine named Baizhi in Chinese. METHODS: Compounds were separated by various chromatographies, and the structures of new compounds were elucidated based on the analysis of their spectroscopic and spectrometric data (1D, 2D NMR, HRESI MS, IR, and UV). The absolute configurations of new compounds were determined by the calculated electronic circular dichroism and chemical derivatization. The inhibitory activities of all isolates against nitric oxide (NO) production were evaluated using lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. RESULTS: Seven new 3,4-dihydro-furanocoumarin derivatives ( 1a/ 1b, 2a/ 2b, 3a/ 3b, 4) together with a known furanocoumarin ( 5) were isolated from the roots of A. dahurica. The new compounds included three pairs of enantiomers, (4S, 2''R)-angelicadin A ( 1a)/(4R, 2''S)-angelicadin A ( 1b), (4S, 2''S)-angelicadin A ( 2a)/(4R, 2''R)-angelicadin A ( 2b), and (4S, 2''S)-secoangelicadin A ( 3a)/(4R, 2''R)-secoangelicadin A ( 3b), together with (4R, 2''R)-secoangelicadin A methyl ester ( 4). The known xanthotoxol ( 5) inhibited the NO production with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of (32.8 ± 0.8) µmol/L, but all the new compounds showed no inhibitory activities at the concentration of 100 µmol/L. CONCLUSION This is the first report of the discovery of 3,4-dihydro-furanocoumarins from A. dahurica. The results are not only meaningful for the understanding of the chemical constituents of A. dahurica, but also enrich the reservoir of natural products.