Objective To investigate the medical effect of the ethanol extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.on arthritis of mice induced by collagen-Ⅱ,and explore the potential pharmacological mechanisms.Methods Arthritis mouse model was established by injection of admixture containing type Ⅱ collagen and Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) in male BALB/c mice.Mice were divided into five groups:the normal control group (0.9% of sodium chloride solution),the model control group (0.9% of sodium chloride solution),tripterygium group (15 μg·kg-1 of tripterygium tablets), the high-dose of extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.group (60 mg·kg-1 extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.) and the low-dose of extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.group (15 mg·kg-1 extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.).Each group was administered once a day,lasting 21 days.During the experiment,ankles of all mice were measured at predetermined time.At the end of the experiment,blood of the mice was exsanguinated and centrifuged to get serum for measuring the levels of IL-1β,RF and TNF-α.Spleens of mice were dissected and weighed to calculate the spleen index.All arthritis ankles were dissected to make tissue section,and observed under microscope.Results Compared with the model control group,the perimeter of ankle joints of the high-dose of extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.group significantly changed 6 days after administration (P<0.05);That of the low-dose of extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.group significantly changed 12 days after administration (P<0.05);That of tripterygium group significantly changed 9 days after administration (P<0.05).As compared with the normal control group, the spleen index of the model control group was significantly different (P<0.01).As compared with the model control group,the spleen index of tripterygium group,high-dose and low-dose of extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.groups were significantly different (P<0.05).As compared with the normal control group,levels of IL-1β,RF and TNF-α of the model control group were significantly different (all P<0.01).As compared with the model control group,levels of IL-1β,RF and TNF-α of tripterygium group,high-dose and low-dose of extract of Acorus gramineus Sol.groups were significantly decreased.Conclusion Ethanol extracts of Acorus gramineus Sol.have significant therapeutic effect on arthritis mice.The anti-arthritic mechanism is associated with its ability to regulate levels of IL-1β,RF and TNF-α.

In order to improve the knowledge of clinicians in hypoxia of COPD during the night,the physiological changes of arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide during sleep in healthy population were investigated at first,and the features and state of oxygen deficiency during sleep in patients with COPD were analyzed.Furthermore,the possible mechanism,effect,predictor,diagnosis and therapy were explored.

AIM: To study the effect of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on adhesion and migration of human airway epithelial cells and it's mechanism. METHODS: After 24 h culture, the airway epithelial cells were treated with different concentrations of CSE. The rate of cell attachment and the velocity of cell migration were measured. The expression of FIP200 mRNA and protein were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: CSE inhibited the rate of cell attachment and the velocity of cell migration. Meanwhile CSE increased the expression level of FIP200 mRNA and FIP200 protein. The effects of CSE became more evident with increased concentration of CSE. Expression of FIP200 mRNA and FIP200 protein were positively correlated to the decreased rate of cell attachment and the velocity of cell migration. CONCLUSION: CSE inhibits the rate of cell attachment, the velocity of cell migration and increases the expression of FIP200.

The effect of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on the proliferation of human airway epithelial cells and the possible mechanism was studied. After airway epithelial cells were treated with different concentrations of CSE for 24 h, the cell proliferation was measured by MTT and the distribution of different cell cycles by flow cytometry. The FAK expression level was detected by Western blot and the degree of tyrosine phosphorylation by immunoprecipitation. The results showed that CSE could inhibit the proliferation of human airway epithelial cells, arrest the epithelial cells in G1 phase of cell cycle, dramatically decrease the number of epithelial cells in S and G2 phases; Meanwhile CSE could decrease the expression level of FAK and the degree of its tyrosine phosphorylation. The above effects of CSE were concentration-dependent. The expression of FAK and the degree of its phosphorylation was positively correlated to the increased number of epithelial cells in G1 phase, and negatively to the number of epithelial cells in S and G2 phases. It was concluded that the mechanism by which CSE could inhibit the proliferation of human epithelial cells was contributed to the increased expression and activation of FAK.
Bronchi/*cytology ; Bronchi/metabolism ; Cell Cycle/drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Enzyme Activation ; Epithelial Cells/*cytology ; Epithelial Cells/enzymology ; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/biosynthesis ; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/*metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Tobacco/adverse effects ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution/*adverse effects

AIM: To study the effect of BQ123 on voltage-gated K+ current in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells(PASMCs) from chronic hypoxic rats.METHODS: Twelve age and body weight matched Wistar rats were randomly divided into control and chronic hypoxic group.Single PASMCs were obtained with acute enzyme(collagnaseⅠ plus papain) dispersing method.Using the whole cell patch-clamp technique in freshly isolated PASMCs from normorxic and hypoxic rats,the effects of ET-1 and BQ123,a selective ETA receptor antagonist,on voltage-gated K+ current were recorded.RESULTS:(1) ET-1(10-8 mol?L-1) caused inhibition of K+ current in PASMCs from normoxic and hypoxic rats.The effect of ET-1 on K+ current in PASMCs from hypoxic rats was greater than that from normoxic rats [+50 mV,percent inhibition were(71.04?6.58)% and(60.21?5.32)%,respectively,P0.05,n=5),nor ETA receptor blockade had change of ET-1 mediated IKV inhibition.(3) In chronic hypoxic PASMCs,BQ123 significantly reduced the effect of ET-1 mediated IKV inhibition,from(28.49?6.69) pA/pF to(74.19?9.74) pA/pF at +50 mV(P

Purpose:To detect the abnormalities of WWOX(WW domain containing oxidoreductase) gene in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549. Methods:Deletion of WWOX exons 6-8 transcript was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-PCR technology; loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of WWOX gene was analyzed by PCR-based assays for dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms technology. Aberrant expression of WWOX protein was analyzed by western blot. Results:A549 cells samples showed loss of WWOX exons 6-8 transcript.This deletion was not detected in normal primary cultured human bronchial epithelial cells samples.Three microsatellites(D16S3029、D16S3096、D16S504)did not have LOH in the normal primary cultured human bronchial epithelial cells samples, but D16S2029 and D16S3096 were all found to have LOH in A549 Cells samples. We further observed that expression of WWOX protein was significantly lower in A549 cell samples compared to the normal primary cultured human bronchial epithelial cells samples. Conclusions:WWOX gene may be important during tumorigenesis in lung adenocarcinoma cancer.Deletion of exons 6-8,LOH and aberrant expression of protein are all modes of WWOX gene inactivity in lung adenocarcinoma cancer.

AIM: To study the role of adrenomedullin(AM) in the pathogenesis of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: Rats were exposed to chronic hypoxia for 14 days. After the measurement of the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), the rats were executed. The weight of the right ventricle (RV), the left ventricle(LV) and the ventricular septum(SP) were determined. The ration RV/(LV+SP) was used to express the thickness of RV. In situ hybridization was used for the detection of the expression of AM mRNA in the lung and RV. RESULTS: The RVSP in the hypoxic group was (63.63?3.42) mmHg,which was significantly higher than that in control group [(34.13?3.40) mmHg]. The RV/(LV+SP) in hypoxic group was 0.439?0.039,which was increased obviously when compared with that of control (0.230?0.025). The level of AM mRNA expressed in the RV in the hypoxia group was significantly higher than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: The expression of AM mRNA in RV increased in the hypoxic condition, which suggests that AM may attenuate the inappropriate increase in pulmonary artery pressure.

Ca~(2+)-activated chloride channels (CaCC, CLCA) are a new family of chloride channels discovered recently, which are related to Ca~(2+)-sensitive chloride ions transport, and there were several members identified currently in different biologic bodies. New studies have shown that its member gob-5 in murine (its human counterpart is CaCC1) plays a pivotal role in airway goblet cell metaplasia, mucus overproduction, MUC5AC gene expression as well as airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in asthma, and is a key molecule in the induction of murine asthma and an asthma-related gene. Inhibition of their function and/or their signaling pathway may therefore provide a new therapeutic strategy for asthma.

To study the effect of Erigeron breviscapini on chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and mechanism，the hypoxic rats were injected intraperitoneally with Erigeron breviscapini. The mPAP，the content of serum nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured 5，14 and 28 days after intraperitoneal injection of Erigeron breviscapini in hypoxia respectively，and were compared with those in the single hypoxic group. The results showed that the contents of serum mPAP and ET-1 were higher，and serum NO was lower in single hypoxic group than in the normal rats (both P<0.01). The contents of serum mPAP and ET-1 were lower and NO was higher in the Erigeron breviscapini-treated group than in the single hypoxic group (P<0.01). It was suggested that Erigeron breviscapini could reduce the hypoxic pulmonary hypertension by increasing NO and decreasing ET-1 of serum. Erigeron breviscapini could be used to treat hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

AIM To investigate the effect of Hemin on the expression of inducible heme oxygenase (HO 1) in hypoxic rat lung tissue. METHODS The rat model of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension was recreated by intermittent normal pressure hypoxia (10% O 2). The following assays were carried out: reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) were performed to determine the level of HO 1 mRNA in rat lung tissue, double wave length spectrophotometry was used to evaluate the quantity of COHb in arterial blood, cardiac catheterization was used to measure the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP). RESULTS After exposure to hypoxic enviorenment for 15 days, the level of HO 1 mRNA and COHb were higher than those of the control group ( P