Objective To explore the roles of reactive oxygen species(ROS) and TGF-?1 in aldosterone-induced PAI-1 production.Methods Quiescent rat mesangial cells (MCs) were treated by aldosterone.The level of ROS in MCs induced by aldosterone was measured by confecal laser scanning microscopy and the TGF-?1 activity in the supematant of culture was measured by mink lung epithelial cell (Mvllu) proliferation inhibition MTT assay.Then,before the addition of aldosterone,MCs were pretreated with NAC or TGF-?1 neutralizing antibody to decrease cellular ROS or inhibit activity of TGF-?1 induced by aldosterone respectively.PAI-1 mRNA was examined by semi-quantification RT-PCR and PAI-1 protein by Western blotting.Results The intracellular ROS induced by aldosterone increased by 5-fold compared to that of control group,and the activity of TGF-?1 stimulated by aldosterone increased markedly.TGF-?1 neutralizing antibody and NAC effectively decreased aldosterone-induced PAI-1 mRNA expression by 30% and 32%,and PAI-1 protein expression by 21% and 11%,respectively.However,neither TGF-?1 neutralizing antibody nor NAC alone could regulate aldosterone-induced PAI-1 mRNA and protein expression to normal level in 24 hours.Conclusions ROS and TGF-?1 play important roles in up-regulation of aldosterone- induced PAI-1 in MCs.ROS and TGF-?1 are not the exclusive pathway of PAI-1 expression induced by aldosterone in MCs.

Natural product is an important source of new drug research and development (R&D). Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) innovation is the key step for its modernization and internationalization. However, due to the complexity of TCM, there are many difficulties and confusions in this process. Target-based drug discovery is the mainstream model and method of R&D. TTD, short for therapeutic target database, is developed by National University of Singapore. Besides a large amount of information on drug targets, the database also contains considerable information related to natural products. This paper briefly introduces the TTD, analyzes the natural products derived drugs/compounds recorded in TTD, which we think might provide some inspiration for the innovation of TCM.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of herbal compound 861 (HB861) on expression and activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in hepatic stellate cells (HSC), and to explore the feasibility of its application in preventing and treating the early portal hypertension.

METHODSHSC of HSC-T6 cell line (1 x 10(5)/ml) were cultured in dish with 95% O2 plus 5% CO2 under 37 degrees C for 24 hrs, then divided into 5 groups, 6 dishes in each group. Group A was the blank control group. To Group B-E, HB861 2 mg/ml, HB861 4 mg/ml, HB861 8 mg/ml, HB861 4 mg/ml + NW-Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME)4 mg/ml were added separately, and continuously cultured for 24 hrs. NOS activity was measured using colorimetry, NO level was determined by nitrate reductase technique. The cells were fixed by 4% paraformaldehyde for 2 hrs for test HSC-T6 iNOS expression by immunocyto-chemical method.

RESULTSHB861 in 2 mg/ml, 4 mg/ml and 8 mg/ml could increase HSC-T6 NOS activity from 1.7 +/- 0.1 to 2.5 +/- 0.3, 3.5 +/- 0.4 and 3.7 +/- 0.9 respectively (P < 0.01), the NO levels in supernatant were increased in parallel from 56.1 +/- 4.8 to 90.7 +/- 4.6, 99.7 +/- 4.1 and 109.0 +/- 2.7 respectively (P < 0.01). L-NAME could not inhibit the effect of HB861 in increasing the synthesis and secretion of NO by activated HSC-T6. Immuno-cyto-chemical study showed that there was iNOS expression in cytoplasm, and which could be increased by HB861.

CONCLUSIONThe activated HSC-T6 showed positive iNOS expression, suggesting it could produce NO. HB861 could markedly increase HSC-T6 iNOS expression and NOS activity, enhance the NO synthesis and secretion, it also could inhibit the contractility of activated HSC by way of increase HSC to secrete NO, so as to lower the resistance in hepatic sinusoid, therefore would play important role in preventing and treating of early portal hypertension.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hepatocytes ; enzymology ; Hypertension, Portal ; prevention & control ; Nitric Oxide ; biosynthesis ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; therapeutic use ; Cardiomyopathies ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Moricizine ; therapeutic use ; Tachycardia ; complications ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the function of fluorescent probe JC-1 in detecting the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential(△?m)in early apoptotic cells.Methods After 2-ME was used to induce MUTZ-1 cell apoptosis,cells were dyed with fluorescent probe JC-1,and then the changes of △?m in the early stage of apoptotic cells were analyzed by flow cytometry or detected under fluorescent microscope. Results The control cells with high △?m are those forming JC-1 aggregates in the inner membrane of mitochondria,thus showing orange-red fluorescence.2-ME caused decrease of △?m in MUTZ-1 cells,in which JC-1 maintains monomeric form,thus showing only green fluorescence.The decreases of △?m were in a time-dependent manner,which were significantly higher than those in control group(P

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of Xiaoshui Decoction (XSD) in treating ascites in patients suffered from primary liver cancer of Pi-deficiency with damp harassment syndrome (PDDHS) as well as to study the effect through the experiment in mice.

METHODSSixty-one patients confirmed to be primary liver cancer of PDDHS and accompanied with ascites were randomly divided into the treated group (n=33) and the control group (n=28). The treated group was treated by XSD combined with chemotherapy by locally applying of DDP via abdominal infusion, while the control group treated by DDP infusion alone. The treatment lasted for two months. The conditions of ascites, quality of life (QOL), survival period, and TCM syndrome after treatment were observed. In the experimental study, the mice models of ascites were grouped and treated to observe the conditions of ascites and their survival period.

RESULTSThe short-term total effective rate of the treated group and the control group was 42.4% and 21.4%, the interval of aspirating ascites after treatment was 17.95 +/- 9.63 days and 10.87 +/- 7.76 days, and the 1-year survival rate 33.3% and 14.3%, respectively, significant difference was shown between the two groups in the three parameters (all P < 0.05 ). QOL was improved in both groups with insignificant difference (P > 0.05). Besides, the main symptoms were improved in patients of both groups, especially in the ameliorating of fatigue, abdominal distension, nausea and vomiting. Evaluation on safety of treatment showed that XSD had no obvious toxic and adverse reaction, and so it was safe in use. Experimental study showed that on the two mice models of ascites induced by inoculating two kinds of tumor cell, the effect of XSD was superior to that of the control group in aspects of reducing ascites and prolonging survival period, showing significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSatisfactory short-term efficacy in treating primary liver cancer with ascites of the Pi-deficiency with damp harassment syndrome could be obtained by XSD. Its effect in prolonging survival period was confirmed by experimental study. XSD can also improve the symptoms and QOL of patients, therefore, it is an effective and reliable remedy for treatment of primary liver cancer with ascites.

Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Ascites ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; complications ; drug therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; complications ; drug therapy ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Single-Blind Method ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Liver Diseases ; MicroRNAs

OBJECTIVETo investigate how network education can improve college students' knowledge on sexual and reproductive health in Ningbo city.

METHODSFrom December 2012 to June 2013, we conducted a questionnaire investigation among college students in Ningbo city about the effects of network education on their knowledge about sexual psychology, sexual physiology, sexual ethics, and reproductive health.

RESULTSA total of 7 362 college students accomplished the investigation, of whom 2 483 (42.1% males and 57.9% females) received network education, while the other 4 879 (24.1% males and 75.9% females) did not. Approximately 47.1% of the male and 28.0% of the female students acquired sexual and reproductive knowledge via network education. Reproductive health-related network education significantly enriched the students' knowledge about the reproductive system and sex, pubertal development, sexual physiology, conception and embryonic development, methods of contraception, sexual psychology, sexually transmitted diseases and their prevention, pregnancy care and eugenics, and environment- and occupation-related reproductive health (P < 0.01). It also remarkably improved their cognitive attitude towards reproductive health knowledge (P < 0.01). Those who received reproductive health-related network education showed a significantly higher rate of masturbation (P < 0.01) but markedly later time of the first masturbation (P < 0.01) than those who did not.

CONCLUSIONNetwork education can enhance the effect of reproductive health education among college students and improve their sexual experience and health.

China ; Contraception ; Female ; Health Education ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Masturbation ; Pregnancy ; Reproduction ; Reproductive Health ; Sexual Behavior ; physiology ; psychology ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Students ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Universities

Nucleoside phosphorylases (NPases) were found to be induced in Enterobacter aerogenes DGO-04, and cytidine and cytidine 5'-monophosphate (CMP) were the best inducers. Five mmol/L to fifteen mmol/L cytidine or CMP could distinctly increase the activities of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNPase), uridine phosphorylase (UPase) and thymidine phosphorylase (TPase) when they were added into medium from 0 to 8 h. In the process of enzymatic synthesis of adenine arabinoside from adenine and uracil arabinoside with wet cells of Enterobacter aerogenes DGO-04 induced by cytidine or CMP, the reaction time could be shortened from 36 to 6 h. After enzymatic reaction the activity of NPase in the cells induced remained higher than that in the cells uninduced.
Cytidine ; pharmacology ; Cytidine Monophosphate ; pharmacology ; Enterobacter aerogenes ; enzymology ; Enzyme Induction ; Pentosyltransferases ; biosynthesis ; Vidarabine ; biosynthesis

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes outbreaks of a highly lethal hemorrhagic fever in humans and there are no effective therapeutic or prophylactic treatments available. The glycoprotein (GP) of EBOV is a transmembrane envelope protein known to play multiple functions including virus attachment and entry, cell rounding and cytotoxicity, down-regulation of host surface proteins, and enhancement of virus assembly and budding. GP is the primary target of protective immunity and the key target for developing neutralizing antibodies. In this paper, the research progress on genetic structure, pathogenesis and immunogenicity of EBOV GP in the last 5 years is reviewed.
Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Ebolavirus ; genetics ; immunology ; physiology ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Virus Assembly