OBJECTIVE:To establish an HPLC method for the determination of levels of intracellular cholesterol and cholesterol esters in foam cells derived from RAW264.7 murine macrophages so as to obtain a precise measure of foam cells and provide a technical platform for the study of the intracellular cholesterol content change.METHODS:HPLC method was applied to determine the content of cholesterol esters in the foam cells treated with OX-LDL and different concentration of pravastatin.RESULTS:OX-LDL could significantly enhance cellular intake of lipids(P

The difference and similarity between the WEIQI theory of TCM and clinical nutrition theory of modern medicine (parenteral and enteral nutrition) was discussed. The application of two theories to clinical medicine have been extensive. The purposes are identical although they have different concepts and principles as well as methods, and two theories should be more helpful and useful if used simultaneously in practice.

OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of rutaecarpine(Rut)on the expression of angiotensin C in the thoracic artery of hypertensive rats.METHODS:Two-kidney and one-clip goldblatt(2K1C)hypertensive model rats were enrolled in our study.The blood pressure of the model rats was measured by tail-clipping method.The model rats were assigned to receive losartan(20 mg?kg-1?d-1)or Rut(10,40 mg?kg-1?d-1)with their blood pressure was followed every week.The morphology of aorta was analyzed and the content of angiotensin C in the thoracic artery was detected by Western blotting.RESULTS:After treatment with Rut for 4 weeks,the systolic arterial pressure(SAP)in the treatment group decreased significantly;as compared with model group,the luminal diameter dilated significantly,the medium thickness of the artery decreased,angiotensin Ⅱ level in plasma and arteries decreased significantly,while the expression of angiotensin C increased significantly.CONCLUSION:Rut can effectively decrease blood pressure and improve arterial remodeling in model rats.The mechanism might be associated to the deactivation of angiotensin Ⅱ and the activation of kallikrein medicated by the enhanced expression of angiotensin C.

Objective To investigate the correlation between b value and image quality of diffusion weighted imaging(DWI).Methods DWI was performed in 20 healthy volunteers and 60 patients with liver lesions.Signal to noise ratio ( SNR ) and contrast to noise ratio ( CNR ) were calculated . Results The mean SNR was larger than 5 when b value was 100 s/mm2 or 300 s/mm2, while b value was 600 s/mm2 or 1100 s/mm2, SNR was less than 5. With b value increased, the influence of blood supply on ADC decreased, but the artifacts increased and CNR decreased, CNR of cystic lesions decrease more than that of solid lesions.Conclusion The gradient factor(b)between 300 s/mm2 and 600 s/mm2 is the most suitable in DWI.

Objective:To investigate the protective effects of neferine on lipopolysaccharide ( LPS)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( HUVECs) injury. Methods:The optimum inducing concentration of LPS was screened out through pretests and used for the model establishment of HUVECs damage. CCK8 was used to detect the influence of neferine at different concentrations on LPS-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( HUVECs) injury. Nitric oxide ( NO) content was measured by the Griess Reagent method. The nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) activity was assessed by the commercially available kits. Results:The inhibitory rate of HU-VECs was 54. 50% detected by CCK8, which induced by LPS at the concentration of 100 μg·ml-1(P<0. 01). Neferine at the con-centrations of 0. 3-5. 0μmol·L-1 could increase the cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, while it inhibited the cell pro-liferation at the concentration of 10 μmol·L-1(P<0.05). Neferine could reverse the situation, and the NO release was increased and the tNOS/iNOS activity was increased induced by LPS (P<0. 05). The results shown by the inverted microscope suggested that the floating dead cells were decreased, the cell shape was basically sound and tightly packed with the concentration increase of neferine (0. 3-5. 0μmol·L-1) in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion:The results show that neferine has protective effects on HU-VECs injury induced by LPS, and the mechanism may be related with the decrease of intracellular levels of NO and NOS activity.

Humans ; Nephritis, Interstitial ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Uveitis ; diagnosis ; therapy

Objective To discuss the diagnostic value of serum cystatin-C(Cys-C) and urinary retinol binding protein(RBP) for the early renal impairment in multiple myeloma(MM) patients .Methods According to estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR) , the MM patients were divided into two groups :the normal renal function group(eGFR≥90 mL/min ,n=78)marked group A ,the renal impairment group(eGFR<90 mL/min ,n=40)marked group B .130 healthy subjects were selected as control group .The con-centrations of serum Cys-C ,urinary RBP ,serum creatinine(Cr) and serum urea nitrogen(UN) were measured and compared .Results The levels of Cys-C and RBP in group A were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0 .01) .There were signifi-cant difference of the levels of Cys-C ,Cr ,UN and RBP levels between group B and control group(P<0 .01) .The sensitivity of the combined detection of Cys-C and RBP was 57 .69% ,significantly higher than single index test(P<0 .05) .Conclusion Compared with traditional biomarkers ,Cys-C and RBP are more sensitive and effective indexes for the diagnosis of early renal impairment in the patients with MM ,and jointed detection of the two biomarkers has important value .

Objective To investigate the role of rheumatoid factor(RF) ,C‐reactive protein(CRP) ,erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) .Methods 74 RA patients and 90 patients with symptoms similar to RA were recruited in the study randomly .Blood samples were detected for the levels of RF ,CRP ,ESR .The results were compared between two groups .Receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was used to access the diagnostic efficiency .Results The levels of RF , CRP ,ESR of RA group were (271 .4 ± 560 .9)IU/mL ,(28 .7 ± 35 .6)mg/L ,(60 .9 ± 40 .1)mm/h ,respectively ,and were higher than those of control group which were (56 .8 ± 189 .3)IU/mL ,(15 .4 ± 24 .7)mg/L ,(45 .1 ± 33 .1)mm/h respectively .ROC analysis re‐vealed that the AUC of RF ,CRP ,ESR and combined detection of the 3 factors were 0 .784 ,0 .666 ,0 .615 ,0 .757 ,respectively with statistical significance(P<0 .05) .Conclusion RF ,CRP ,ESR are useful in the diagnosis of RA ,and RF has the highest diagnostic ef f iciency .

Objective:To compare the inhibitory effect of neferine and isoliensinine on 5α-reductase to provide reference for the development of 5α-reductase inhibitors. Methods: Different reaction tubes and control tubes were prepared, liver was homogenated, and reducing coenzyme II ( NADPH) , testosterone, pending test sample, the positive drug and buffer was respectively added into 96-well plates. The change in the absorbance of NADPH at 340nm in 1h was determined by a microplate reader. Compared the experimen-tal group with the blank control group, the inhibition rate ( I%) of the test drugs against 5α-reductase was calculated. Results:As for the six concentration gradients (2-40 mg·ml-1 ) in the experiments, the best inhibitory concentration of neferine and isoliensinine was 10 mg·ml-1(I% =25.00 ±1.030% and 29.90 ±2.410%, respectively). Compared with the control group, neferine and isoliensi-nine showed significant inhibition against 5α-reductase (P<0. 05). Compared with the positive group at the same concentration (10 mg ·ml-1), the inhibition of neferine and isoliensinine was significantly lower (P<0. 05). The inhibition effect of isoliensinine was rel-atively better than that of neferine (P<0. 05). Conclusion:Neferine and isoliensininein have notable inhibitory effect on 5α-reduc-tase, which show certain application prospect in the treatment of prostatic hyperplasia in clinics.

Nuciferine is a major aporphine alkaloid in the leaves of Nelumbo nueifera. It has great effects such as lipid-lowering,anti-oxidation,antimicrobial activitity and anti-cancer. The review focused on its pharmacological effects and pharmacokinetic characters reported in recent years,which can be helpful to the further researches on nuciferine.