AIM: To investigate the effects of simvastation on homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory response and the underlying mechanisms of such effects. METHODS: MTT assay was used to detect cell viability, and DCFH-DA assay was used to examine the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, Western blotting was performed to detect protein expression and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to detect NF-?B DNA binding activity. RESULTS: Homocysteine (0.1-1 mmol/L) decreased the human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) viability and increased the levels of ROS. Western blotting and ELISA showed that homocysteine significantly increased the expression of TNF-?, IL-6, MCP-1 and ICAM-1. However, pretreatment with simvastation (1-20 ?mol/L) reversed the decreased cell viability and markedly suppressed an increase in the ROS level and the expression of TNF-?, IL-6, MCP-1 and ICAM-1 induced by homocysteine. Homocysteine induced p38 phosphorylation and such phosphorylation was also inhibited by simvastation and antioxidant NAC. EMSA and Western blotting showed that homocysteine induced NF-?B activation due to the increased phosphorylation of the inhibitory protein (I?B?) as well as the degradation of I?B?, while simvastation pretreatment almost completely blocked the NF-?B activation as well as the phosphorylation and degradation of I?B?. CONCLUSION: Simvastation inhibits homocysteine-induced endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory response through interfering with ROS-p38-NF-?B pathway.

Objective To explore the characteristics of intestinal Microbiota in T2DM patients by two molecular fingerprint technologies,and investigate the correlation of intestinal microbiota and T2DM,and evaluate the application value of two fin-gerprint technologies.Methods Fecal samples of 8 healthy groups and 7 diabetes patients were collected.Then the total DNA of gut microbiota was extracted.Through the analysis of products by two molecular fingerprints of ERIC-PCR and DGGE-PCR,ecological characteristics of diversity and similarity of gut microbiota were obtained in healthy groups and dia-betes patients.Results Compared to healthy groups,the number of bands and Shannon-Wiener index of gut microbiota in di-abetes patients was decreased but no statistical significance.The similarity in patients group was declining(P <0.05),and the construction of gut microbiota was inclined to differ.Two fingerprint technologies of ERIC and DGGE could directly re-flect the diversity of gut microbiota and were the modern molecular biological techniques without depending on cultivation. ERIC was simple and convenient,had a better reflection of microbial diversity,but gel band cutting and regarded asa proper approach with higher diffraction efficiency and excellent repetition to studysequencing couldn’t be performed since there were more influencing factors on the experiment.DGGE could better reflect the ecological characteristics such as microbial diversity and similarity,and selecting bands,gel band cutting and sequencing could be done.Conclusion The composition and construction of gut microbiota in diabetes patients were changed,which suggests the occurrence of the disease had the correlation with gut microbiota.ERIC and DGGE is regarded as a proper approach with higher diffraction efficiency and ex-cellent repetition to study intestinal microbiota,but also gel band cutting,sequencing,bacteria identification can be performed by DGGE,both can be used in combination.

Perilla frutescens, an annual herb of the Labiatae family, has been cultivated in China for more than 2000 years. P. frutescens is the one of the first medicinal and edible plant published by the Ministry of Health. Its leaves, stems and seeds can be used as medicine and edible food. Because of the abundant nutrients and bioactive components in this plant, P. frutescens has been studied extensively in medicine, food, health care and chemical fields with great prospects for development. This paper reviews the cultivation history, chemical compositions and pharmacological activities of P. frutescens, which provides a reference for the development and utilization of P. frutescens resources.