Transforming growth factor-?(TGF-?)was reported to be increased in asthma in some studies. Accumulation of TGF-? in airway promotes smooth muscle cell mitogenesis and hyperplasia, and induces fibroblast and myofibroblast and smooth muscle proliferation as well as increase in protein synthesis in connective tissue(such as collagen deposition on the reticular basement membrane). The autocrine induction of collagen expression by smooth muscle may contribute to the thickening of the reticular basement membrane, irreversible fibrosis and remodeling seen in the airways in some asthmatics. TGF-? is considered to be a major fibrogenic cytokine. It can increase smooth muscle mass and lead to severe bronchial obstruction in an asthma attack.

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AIM: To investigate the levels of IL-18, IL-16, IL-8, eotaxin and the chymase activity in the sputum of asthmatics. METHODS: IL-18, IL-16, IL-8 and eotaxin levels were detected with sandwich ELISA procedures and chymase activity was determined spectrophotometrically (410 nm) by the rate of hydrolysis of N-succinyl-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-L-Phe-p-nitroanilide (SAAPP). RESULTS: The specific chymase activities in the severe and moderate asthmatics were higher than that in controls. Native protease inhibitors ?_1-antitrypsin (?_1-AT) and soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) inhibited 71.9% and 72.1% enzymatic chymase activity, respectively. The levels of IL-18, IL-16, IL-8 and eotaxin were significantly elevated in the sputum of patients with acute asthma. There were correlations between the levels of IL-8 and IL-16 (r=0.55, P

Objective:To investigate the modulatory effect of IL-29 on trypsin-induced protease activated receptors (PARs) ex-pression on P815 mast cell.Methods:After P815 mast cells were challenged with different concentrations of IL-29 alone or combined with trypsin for 2 h, 6 h and 16 h, the challenged cells were collected and analysed by flow cytometry to detect the protein expression of PARs on P815 cells, and analysed by real time RT-PCR to detect the mRNA expression of PARs on P 815 cells.Results:Compared with the corresponding control , IL-29 induced significantly decreased expression of PAR-1 at protein and mRNA level on P815 cells, and upregulated PAR-3, PAR-4 mRNA level on P815 cells, whereas IL-29 did little effect on the expressions of PAR-2,3,4 at protein level on P815 cells accordingly.Preincubation of mast cell with IL-29 did not alter trypsin-induced PAR-1 expression on P815 cells, whereas up-regulated expression of PAR-2, 3, 4 were detected when P815 cell were pre-treated with IL-29 before being challenged with trypsin compared with the corresponding control .Conclusion: IL-29 can upregulate trypsin-induced PARs expression on mast cells through which participated in mast cell related inflammation .

Objective To evaluate the effect of intravenous Gd-DTPA on 3.0T proton MR spectroscopy (MRS) water suppression and shimming. Methods Prospective study of proton MRS was performed with GE Signa Excite HD 3.0T system and eight-channel phased-array coils with PRESS sequence (head, liver and kidney, respectively). Routine auto prescan program was operated to record full width half maximum (FWHM) and water suppression (WS%). Routine scan was performed after injection of Gd-DTPA, then prescan program was reoperated to record FWHM and WS%. The data of FWHM and WS% in head, liver and kidney were compared between before and after injection of Gd-DTPA with the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed test. Results WS% of spectroscopy of head and liver after administration of Gd-DTPA decreased significantly (T_+=12, T_-=66, P=0.02; T_+=0, T_-=45, P=0.007). The effect of shimming of kidney after administration of Gd-DTPA was poor (T_+=0, T_-=435, P<0.001) and WS% of spectroscopy of kidney after administration of Gd-DTPA decreased significantly (T_+=0, T_-=435, P<0.001). Conclusion WS% of spectroscopy in head, liver and kidney can be impacted negatively by Gd-DTPA. Gd-DTPA has great influence on shimming of spectroscopy of kidney, but has little influence on shimming of spectroscopy of head and liver. It is better to acquire MRS data before administration of contrast medium in kidney.

Objective To observe the effect of full width half max (FWHM) on spectra signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and water suppression at 3.0T MR. Methods GE Signa Excite HD 3.0T MR scanner with 8 channel phrased-array head and neck coil was used. The respective study of liver 1H-MRS was performed using PRESS sequence. A total of 49 spectrums were obtained with parameters of TR 1500 ms, TE 30 ms, NSA 128. FWHM and water suppression were recorded automatically and the subjects were divided into better shimming group (FWHM<10 Hz) and worse shimming group (FWHM≥10 Hz). Independent t test was used to analyze the Cr_SNR, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, water suppression and volume of interest (VOI). Results Compared with worse shimming group, better shimming group could provide better Cr_SNR (t=5.976, P<0.001), higher NAA/Cr (t=2.469, P=0.017), lower Cho/Cr (t=-4.460, P<0.001) and smaller VOI (t=3.862, P<0.001). Conclusion When single voxel proton spectroscopy of head is adopted with 3.0T MR, small VOI is easy to achieve effective shimming, and better shimming is helpful to improve SNR, the ratio of main metabolites as well as water suppression.

Objective To investigate the effects of human IL-18 gene combined with diterpenoid alkaloids in inhibiting the proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of tongue squamous carcinoma cells Tscca.Methods We constructed recombinant plasmid pEGFPN3-IL-18 and tranfected it into tongue squamous carcinoma cells Tscca.The transduction efficiency of the target cells was detected by fluorescent microscopy,cytotoxic effect of IL-18 gene with diterpenoid alkaloids on Tscca was detected by MTT assay,and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was employed to examine the expression level of cellular signal-regulated kinase Akt/p-Akt.Results The tongue squamous cells Tscca which transfected pEGFPN3-IL-18 had significantly increased apoptosis compared with non-transfected cells (P<0 .05 ).Tongue carcinoma squamous cells cultured with diterpenoid alkaloids at the concentrations of 0 .2 ,0 .4 and 0 .6 mg/mL had significantly increased apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05).Human IL-18 gene combined with diterpenoid alkaloids for 48 hours inhibited significantly Tscca in a concentration-dependent manner compared with diterpenoid alkaloids alone (P<0 .05 ).The two in combination could also decrease the protein level of p-Akt dose-dependently.Conclusion The combination of pEGFPN3-IL-18 and diterpenoid alkaloids has a synergistic effect in inhibiting the growth of tongue squamous carcinoma cells Tscca.

Aim To investigate the effects of osthol on cell apoptosis and inflammatory cell infiltration after brain stab wound injury in mice. Methods The mice underwent the stab wound injury by a needle, then were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, osthol 10, 20, 30 mg · kg-1 treatment group. The main examinations included mice brain wa-ter content; the apoptotic cytokines Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3 mRNA expression were assessed by PT-PCR; immunohistochemistry staining was used to de-tect neutrophils (MPO) and microglia (Iba-1) infiltra-tion and Caspase-3 positive cell expression around in-jured lesions. Results Treatment with osthole 20, 30 mg·kg-1 group significantly reduced the water content in injured brain, improved the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, and reduced the expression of apoptosis cytokine Caspase-3 mRNA. Osthole 30 mg·kg-1 treatment group obvious-ly reduced the infiltration of neutrophils and microglial cells and significantly reduced the number of apoptotic cells around the injured cerebral cortex. Conclusion Osthole has therapeutic effect on stab wound injury in mice, and the possible mechanism may be by reducing the infiltration of inflammatory cells and reducing apop-totic cells.

Aim To investigate the effect of osthole on neuron synapses infected APP gene and its underlying mechanism. Methods The neurons were divided into three groups:GFP, APP, APP+Ost groups. The neu-rons were infected APP gene with containing mutational site in vitro for mimicking the characterstics of Alzhei-mer’ s disease ( AD) . The cell viability was assessed by CCK-8 , the expression of synapsin-1 was deter-mined by immunofluorescence, and the concentration of PSD-95 and SYP were detected by ELISA. The ex-pressions of Aβ1-42 , CAMKK2 , phoshorylated AMPKα1 , AMPKα1 protein were determined by West-ern blot. Results Strong APP staining was visible in neurons infected with APP and abundant expression of Aβ1-42 , a neurotoxic oligomer. Compared with APP group, APP+Ost group significantly increased cell vi-ability, promoted the expression of synapsin-1, up-reg-ulated the concentration of PSD-95 and SYP, and de-creased the expressions of CAMKK2 and p-AMPKα1 . Conclusions Ost can protect the neuron synapses a-gainst infected with APP gene. Its neuroprotective effect may be related to inhibiting the CAMKK2/AMPK signal pathway.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effects of osthole on the nerves in model mice with craniocerebral injury. METHODS:Mice models of craniocerebral injury were established by craniotomy drill. There was a sham-operation group(isomet-ric normal saline),a model group (isometric normal saline) and osthole high,mediu,low dose groups (30,20,10 mg/kg). The drugs were given to the mice 1 h after successful establishment of the models,ip,once a day,for consecutive 14 d. Neurological severity score was conducted for the mice 12 h,3 d,7 d,14 d and 21 d after the establishment of models;HE stain was conduct-ed 7 d and 14 d thereafter and the wounds areas of brain were observed by microscope;the activity of myeloperoxidase(MPO)in the homogenate of mice’s brain tissues were determined 1 d and 3 d after the establishment of models;immunohistochemical meth-od was adopted to determine the expressions of the brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) and neurotrophic factor (NT) 3 in the mice’s brain tissues 7 d after the establishment of models. RESULTS:Compared with model group,the neurological severity scores of the mice in osthole high dose group and medium dose group were decreased 3 d,14 d and 21 d after the establishment of models;that in osthole high dose group were decreased 7 d after the establishment of models. The wounds areas of brain in osthole high dose group were smaller 7 d after the establishment of models;those in osthole high dose group and medium dose group were smaller 14 d after the establishment of models. The activity of MPO in the brain tissue in osthole high dose group was decreased 24 h and 72 h after the establishment of models.The expressions of the BDNF and NT-3 in the brain tissue homogenate in osthole high dose group and medium dose group were increased 7 d after the establishment of models,with significant differences(P<0.01 or P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Osthole has certain protective effects on the nerves in mice with craniocerebral injury. The mechanism may be related to improving the mice’s neurological functions,promoting wound healing,inhibiting the production of inflammato-ry factors,increasing the expression of neurotrophic factors.