Objective To probe into impacts of safflor yellow injection on rats with acute myocardial infarction and discuss its mechanism. Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham operation group ( 8 rats ) and operation groups(32 rats).The left anterior descending branch of coronary artery was ligated to establish an animal model with acute myocardial infarction.The rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into model control group, 3-, 7- and 14-days safflor yellow group.In the treatment group, the rats were injected with safflor yellow injection(2.5 mg.kg-1.d-1)for 3, 7 and 14 days, respectively.Rats in sham operation and model control group were injected 0.9% sodium chloride solution.Their weights were measured 24 h after the last drug administration, their hearts were removed, and the serum was obtained through centrifugation.The enzymic method was used to measure the lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and creatine kinase(CK)contents of serum.Hematoxylin eosiny(HE)staining method was used to observe the change of myocardial cells.The chloride three phenyl-tetrazole( TTC) staining method was used to measure the area of myocardial infarction in the rats. The real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method was used to measure the expression of VEGF and HIF mRNA at the marginal zone of myocardial infarction. Results The levels of LDH and CK were(106.12±35.52),(452.84±60.38)mmol.L-1 in sham operation group, and(385.66±137.58),(2 111.00±1 250.80)mmol.L-1 in model control group.LDH in 3-, 7-, 14-days treatment groups was (249.66±51.86),(104.33±51.08),(110.33±26.76)mmol.L-1, while CK was(1 713.00±584.74),(1 177.66±980.18), (421.33±54.60)mmol.L-1.LDH and CK levels of the 14-days treatment group were significantly lower than those in the model control group(both P<0.05).The area of myocardial infarction was (0.00±0.00)% in sham operation group,(13.12±6.69)% in the model control group, and(8.11±3.45)%,(7.01±2.98)%,(3.44±1.17)% in the 3-, 7-, 14-days treatment groups.The area of myocardial infarction in the 14-days treatment group was significantly lower than that of the model control group(P<0.05).The expression of VEGF and HIF mRNA was 1.99±0.27, 6.21±1.35 in the sham operation group, 1.03±0.15, 1.78±0.57 in the model control group.The expression of HIF mRNA in the 3-, 7-, 14-days treatment groups was 0.50±0.12, 1.23±0.24, 2.20± 0.32, and the expression of VEGF mRNA in the 3-, 7-, 14-days treatment groups was 0.43±1.27, 2.67±0.83, 5.78±1.23. Conclusion The safflor yellow injection has therapeutical effects on the rats with acute myocardial infarction, and the effects will become significant after 14 day.It can reduce the area of myocardial infarction and LDH and CK content at the drug administration groups, which might be related to the increase of the expression of VEGF and HIF mRNA.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of birth weight discordance in dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA) twins.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed 1 757 cases of DCDA twin pregnancies from 11 Chinese hospitals from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2017. Birth weight discordance was defined as ≥ 20% difference between the twins. All cases were divided into two groups: the concordant group ( n=1 520) and discordant group ( n=237). General information was compared and the high-risk factors of birth weight discordance were analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis were used as statistical methods. Results:Compared with the concordant group, the discordant group showed a higher incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [24.5% (58/237) vs 12.8% (194/1 520), χ2=22.882, P<0.05], fetal structural malformations [4.2% (10/237) vs 1.0% (15/1 520), χ2=15.160, P<0.05], fetal distress [6.3% (15/237) vs 1.4% (21/1 520), χ2=22.602, P<0.05], umbilical cord abnormalities [3.8% (9/237) vs 1.2% (18/1 520), χ2=7.607, P<0.05] and abnormal placental cord insertion [3.8% (9/237) vs 1.4% (21/1 520), χ2=34.904, P<0.05], but lower incidence of premature rupture of membranes [11.0% (26/237) vs 16.5% (250/1 520), χ2=4.645, P=0.034]. Logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors of birth weight discordance in DCDA twins were hypertensive disorders of pregnancy ( OR=2.258, 95% CI: 1.620-3.184, P<0.001), fetal structural malformations ( OR=4.268, 95% CI: 1.892-9.631, P<0.001), umbilical cord abnormalities ( OR=2.889, 95% CI: 1.245-6.705, P=0.014) and abnormal placental cord insertion ( OR=2.318, 95% CI: 1.012-5.311, P=0.047). Conclusions:Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, fetal structural malformations, umbilical cord abnormalities and abnormal placental cord insertion may be the risk factors of birth weight discordance in DCDA twins.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the therapeutic effect of natural phenolic compound p-hydroxybenzoic acid(HA) on adjuvant arthritis(AA) induced by the complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA), and to clarify the mechanism of HA preliminary. METHODS Apart from the normal group, all rats received 0.1 mL CFA by plantar subcutaneous injection to induce AA rats model. And rats with AA were randomized to the model group, the low-, medium-, and high-dose HA group(2.5, 5, and 10 mg·kg-1, respectively), the positive control group(indomethacine, 5 mg·kg-1). The rats in each group were orally treated with the corresponding drugs for therapeutic intervention. The volume and leg thickness of the rats in each group were recorded and an inflated articular score was obtained. Inflammation cytokine expression(TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) was determined by ELISA and qPCR. Radiographs and HE staining were used to observe histopathological and pathological changes in the foot. The expressions of caspase-1 and NF-κB were examined in Western blotting. RESULTS HA could significantly alleviate joint swelling in AA rat(P<0.05), inhibited the production of inflammatory factors(TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) from protein and mRNA levels(P<0.05), and decreased the expression levels of caspase-1 and NF-κB at protein level(P<0.05). HA alleviated ankle injury in rats by X-ray examination, and HE staining showed that HA could significantly inhibit the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the destruction of cartilage surface(P<0.05), and these results were dose-dependent. CONCLUSION HA may relieve rheumatoid arthritis by inhibiting the NF-κB/casepase-1 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To observe the effects of sodium p-hydroxybenzoate on the central nervous system and cardiovascular system of experimental animals. METHODS Kunming mice were given a single dose of sodium p-hydroxybenzoate of 20, 50 and 100 mg·kg-1 by oral gavage, the effects of sodium p-hydroxybenzoate on the central nervous system were observed by mice tail-flick experiment, mice autonomic activity experiment, pole-climbing experiment, coordinating hypnosis test and Morris water maze experiment. SD rats were given a single dose of sodium p-hydroxybenzoate of 14, 35 and 70 mg·kg-1 and Beagle dogs were given a single dose of sodium p-hydroxybenzoate of 4.2, 10.5 and 21 mg·kg-1 by oral gavage, the effects of sodium p-hydroxybenzoate on cardiovascular system and body temperature were observed by measuring blood pressure and body temperature in Beagle dogs, and measuring electrocardiogram in SD rats. RESULTS There was no significant influence of sodium p-hydroxybenzoate on sensory-motor reflex, autonomic activity, coordinated movements, sleep rate of mice with the sub-threshold sleep dose of pentobarbital sodium and learning-memory ability. Similarly, there were no significant effects on electrocardiogram of SD rats and there were no significant effects on blood pressure and body temperature of Beagle dogs. CONCLUSION Single oral gavage of sodium p-hydroxybenzoate has no significant effects on the cardiovascular system and the central nervous system of experimental animal under the condition.