Aim To investigate the effect of progesterone on the levels of glutamate and ?-aminobutyric acid released from primary cultured rat cerebral cortical neurons.Methods Primary cultured rat cerebral cortical neurons were treated with PROG(10 ?mol?L-1) and the concentrations of amino acid in cell culture media at different time(0.5,1,1.5,2,24,36,48,72 h) were measured by OPA-mercaptoethanol precolumn derivatization technique and HPLC-FLD.Results Compared with control group,PROG treatment significantly reduced the levels of GLU at the time of 1,1.5,2,24,36,48,72 h(P

brain . The investigation might help to further study the physiological significance of " peripheral-type" benzodiazepines receptor.

Aim To investigate the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA)on the levels of NR2B and GBR1 expressed in primary cultured rat cerebral cortical neurons.Methods Primary cultured rat cerebral cortical neurons were treated with DHEA of different concentrations (1,10,100 μmol·L~(-1))and the expression of amino acids receptor subunit NR2B and GBR1 were detected by immunocytochemistry.Results Compared with control group,the expression intensity of NR2B increased by 15.6%,19.9% and 49.4% after DHEA-L,DHEA-M and DHEA-H treatment(P<0.05 or P<0.01);the expression intensity of GBR1 increased by 14.5% and 58.5% after DHEA-M and DHEA-H treatment(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion DHEA can enhance the expression of neuron receptor subunit NR2B and GBR1.

Objective: To observe the protective effect of Silybin Capsules (SC) on mice hepatic toxic injury induced by isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) and rifampin (RFP) when used in combination Methods: The serum level of ALT, liver index, contents of glutathion (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), activity of microsomal cytochrome P450 and its isoform P4502E1 in liver were measured. Results: SC obviously inhibited the rising of liver index, serum ALT, liver MDA and the activity of microsomal cytochrom P450 and its isoform P4502E1, and increased the liver GSH. Histopathological examination showed that Silibinin Capsules evidently alleviated the condition of the degeneration of hepatic cells and that of necrosis. Conclusion: The protective effect of SC on mice hepatic injury induced by both IIVit and RFP may be related to stabilizing the liver membrane, inhibiting the the lipid peroxidation, scavenging the free radical and decreasing the activity drug metabolizing enzyme.

Objective：Our aim was to investigate the proportion of autosomal recessive (AR) inheritance among families with patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and clinical feature in patients with AR form of DMD. Methods:A total of 193 families was studied， 8 of them with at least one girl with “DMD - like” phenotype and 185 with only boys with this kind of phenotype. Based on the number of families with at least one affected girl and the number of patients per sibship among these pedigrees, the proportion of families with DMD inherited as an AR trait was estimated. The clinical examination, family history and serum creatine-kinase were studied in 11 patients diagnosed as AR form of DMD. Results: The proportion of families with AR form of DMD was estimated as 9.4%. The average age of being able to walk is (1.47±1.00) year, serum creatine-kinase levels were (2785.10±1500.29) U/L. The clinical symptom occurred at the average age of (8.11±4.32) year in patients with AR form of DMD. Conclusion： The AR form of muscular dystrophy and DMD not be distingushed clinically. Some families with only affected boys diagnosed as typical DMD, in fact, have the AR form of the disease. This study is very useful for genetic consulting.

AIM: To investigate the pharmacokinetic properties and bioequivalence of nifedipine sustained-release tablets after multiple doses administration in healthy volunteers. METHODS: Twenty two male healthy volunteers were enrolled in a randomized two-way crossover design with multiple doses (20 mg·d-1×7 d) study. Nitrendipine was used as the internal standard and the concentrations of nifedipine in plasma were determined by HPLC-APCI-MS. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and the bioequivalence were compared by DAS (ver 1.0) program. RESULTS: The pharmacokinetic parameters of test and reference preparations were as follows: Cmax (52.5±27.4) and (54.0±31.2) ng·ml-1;Cmin (5.4±4.1) and (6.2±5.9) ng·ml-1;Cav (16.8±9.2) and (19.3±12.4) ng·ml-1;Tmax (3.7±0.9) and (4.1±1.1) h;t1/2 (8.9±4.9) and (8.5±3.1) h;AUC0-τ (403.4±221.0) and (461.9±296.6) μg·h·L-1, AUC0-36h (444.4±256.1) and (503.1±330.9) ng·h·ml-1;AUC0-∞ (482.1±268.9) and (542.3±348.4) ng·h·ml-1;DF (299.8±117.7)% and (279.2±97.5)%, respectively. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in Tmax, Cmax, Cmin, Cav, DF, AUC0-τ, AUC0-36h, AUC0-∞ and t1/2 between the two preparations. The relative bioavailability of test tablets was (100.6±38.6)%. CONCLUSION:The test and reference preparations were bioequivalence.

A 36-year-old woman presented with a 3-year history of pruritic erythema and scaling on the trunk and extremities.Dermatological examination revealed ill-defined light pink macules with white lamellar scales on the chest,abdomen and buttocks.Histologically,there was a focal mononuclear cell infiltrate in the superficial dermis,with the epidermotropism of some cells and mild atypia of epidermotropic cells,as well as an interstitial mononuclear cell infiltrate and mild deposition of mucin between the collagen fibers in the middle dermis.CD3 and CD4 were expressed by scattered mononuclear cells infiltrating the upper and middle dermis.Based on these data,the patient was diagnosed with interstitial granuloma fungoides.

A case of benign follicular neoplasm-trichogerminoma-is reported.A 48-year-old man presented with a 10-year history of asymptomatic subcutaneous nodule in the chest.Histological examination revealed a well-circumscribed lesion composed of variously sized lobuli and cysts in the deep dermis and separated from the surrounding tissue by a fibrous capsule.Most lobuli consisted of concentrically arranged clear cells in the central area and basophilic cells in a palisade arrangement in the peripheral area.The tumor cells displayed a multi-directional differentiation toward hair bulb,inner root sheath,outer root sheath and infundibulum of hair follicles.Immunohistochemically,the tumor cells expressed AE1/AE3,CK5/6 and CK17,but were negative for CK20 or CK7.There was a sharp contrast in immunohistochemical findings between the central clear cells and peripheral basophilic cells.Based on the histological and immunohistochemical features,a diagnosis of trichogerminoma was made.

Aim To investigate the protective effect of naringenin on isoniazid and rifampicin induced hepatotoxicity and the role of CYP 3A4.Methods Isoniazid and rifampicin were added to culture media for QSG-7701 cells and cultured for 48 hours. Narringenin, 1,5 and 25 mg·L~(-1) in final concentration,was added concomitant with isoniazid and rifampicin. The culture media and cells were collected and the activities of lactate dehydrogenase were detected with chromatometry. The ratio of extra/intracellular lactate dehydrogenase was calculated as the release rate of lactate dehydrogenase. Cells were incubated with midazolam for 2 hours after treatment with durgs and the concentration of midazolam in the incubation media was determined with HPLC-MS.Results Compared with control group, isoniazid and rifampicin treatment increased lactate dehydrogenase release and CYP 3A4 activity significantly. Naringenin attenuated the effect of isoniazid and rifampicin on lactate dehydrogenase and CYP 3A4 activity.Conclusion Naringenin can attenuate the hepatotoxicity of isoniazid and rifampicin through inhibiting the activity of CYP 3A4 in cultured hepatocytes.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have demonstrated that normal rat liver homogenate supernatant can induce human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cels to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cels with partial hepatocyte functions. However, whether fibrotic liver homogenate supernatant can work or how the inducing effect is remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the differentiation potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cels into hepatocytes under the normal liver and fibrotic liver microenvironment in vitro. METHODS:Liver fibrosis was induced in the SD rats by repeated intraperitoneal injections of 3% thioacetamide at a dose of 200 mg/kg body mass, twice a week for 4 weeks, and then fibrotic liver tissues and normal liver tissues were used to prepare liver homogenate supernatants. Passage 3 human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cels were used and divided into standard control group (cels were cultured in DMEM/F12 with 10% fetal bovine serum), fibrotic liver homogenate supernatants group (cels were cultured in DMEM/F12 with 10% fetal bovine serum and 50 g/L fibrotic liver homogenate supernatants), normal liver homogenate supernatants group (cels were cultured in DMEM/F12 with 10% fetal bovine serum and 100 g/L normal liver homogenate supernatants). The morphological changes of the cels in each group were recorded under inverted microscope; the protein levels of CK18, AFP, CYP3A4, CYP2E1, CYP2D6 and TPH2 were evaluated using western blot assay. Furthermore, the concentration of albumin in the cels was measured. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After a 7-day inducement, the stem cels in liver homogenate supernatants groups lost their fusiform shape and changed into hepatocyte-like cels with the morphous of round shape. Compared with the standard control group, the hepatocyte-like cels in the two liver homogenate supernatants groups exhibited human hepatocyte biomarkers, CK18 and AFP. The standard control group cels could express a little amount of CYP2E1, while cels in the two liver homogenate supernatants groups could express CYP3A4, CYP2E1, CYP2D6, TPH2. Compared with the standard control group, the expression level of CYP2E1 in the two liver homogenate supernatants groups increased significantly (P < 0.01), and however, the relative levels of CYP3A4, CYP2E1, CYP2D6, TPH2 in the two liver homogenate supernatants groups showed no statistical significance (P > 0.05). At the same time, compared with the standard control group, the concentration of albumin in the two liver homogenate supernatants groups markedly increased (P < 0.01), but there was no difference between the two liver homogenate supernatants groups (P > 0.05). Experimental findings demonstrated that both of normal liver tissue and fibrotic liver tissue microenvironments could induce human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cels to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cels. To achieve the same effect, compared with normal liver tissue, fibrotic liver tissue required lower concentrations, suggesting that fibrotic liver tissue microenvironment may be more conducive to differentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cels into hepatocytes.