Objective To explore the mechanism of neuropmtective effects of puerarin for the treatment of acute spinal ischenia-reperfusion injury in a rat model.Methods Acute spinal ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced via aortic occlusion in 28 male Sprague-Dawley rats.The animals were randomly divided into four groups,as follows:group negative contrast (NC sham operation),group positive control group (IR+ S ischemia/reperfusion + saline),group puerarin (IR+P ischemia/reperfusion + puerarin),group mscovitine (IR+R ischemia/reperfusion + roscovitine).The motor function,spinal infarction volume,apoptosis indices,and CDK5 and P25 activities were examined.Results Spinal ischemia-reperfusion caused the injury of the spines and was associated with motor deficit,elevation of CDK5 and P25 activities,and increase in the spinal apoptosis and spinal infarction volume.Puerarin improved motor function and decreased apoptosis,spinal infarction volume,and CDK5 and P25 activities.Conclusion The findings of the present study indicated that puerarin treatment-mediated reduction of spinal injury was associated with the inhibition of CDK5 and P25,and that the inhibition was one among the neuroprotective mechanisms of puerarin against acute ischemia/reperfusioninduced spinal injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis (VMC) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and their relationship. METHODS: Sixty samples including 20 VMC, 20 DCM and 20 controls were collected. The expression of Fas protein in myocardium of each group was detected by modified immunohistochemistry with unequivocal brown staining in the myocardial membrane scored as positive, and the results of positive reaction were analyzed by Ridit test. RESULTS: Fas protein expression increased obviously in VMC and DCM groups as compared with that of the control group. The difference of positive results between each group analyzed by Ridit test was statistically significant (P<0.005). Statistically significant differences were found between VMC and control groups as well as between DCM and control groups (P<0.05), but not between VMC and DCM groups (P>0.05) by multiple comparison Ridit test. CONCLUSION The expression of Fas protein is significantly higher in the VMC and DCM groups than in that of the control group. These results suggest that both the VMC and DCM may share a similar pathogenesis, which most likely involves cell apoptosis.
Apoptosis/physiology* ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/pathology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Myocarditis/virology* ; fas Receptor/metabolism*