Aim To Compare the quality of Pinellia Tubers between Nanchong Sichuan and relevant areas in order to standardize plant and to provide evidence for further exploitation and application. Methods Expectorant experiment was conducted with methods of washing mice's respiratory tract with phenol red and antitussive effect, with ammomia caused mice cough. Results In the experiment of expectorant effect, oral administration of the water or the ethanol extracts of pinellia Tubers showed no obvious expectorant effect, it also showed no significant difference compared with control NS. In the antitussive effect experiment, however the water or the ethanol extracts of pinellia Tuhers prolonged the incubation period and reduced the frequency of coughing. It presented significant difference compared with the control NS and clear time-effect relationship. Conclusion Pinellia Tubers from Nanchong Sichuan and relevant areas showed no apparent expectorant effect and have destinct antitussive effect. As for antitussive effects, water extracts were stronger than those of ethanol extracts, and wild Pinellia Tubers outmatched planted ones. Antitussive effect of wild Pinellia Tubers samples was rather stronger from Nanchong, Guangan, Suining, and Liangshan of Sichuan and Xihe Gansu.

Aim The mechanism of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)in mediating increase of intracellular free magnesium ([Mg2+]i) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and the relationship between Mg2+and angiogenesis were investigated in this study.Methods The change of[Mg2+]i in HUVECs were quantitatively detected in intracellular cation measurement system via loaded with the fluorescent magnesium indicator mag-fura-2. Endothelial cells were primarily acquired by infusion of collagen enzyme solutioninto the lumens of human umbilical veins and cultured in M199 with 0.2 fetal bovine serum. The role of bFGF in angiogenesis was observed in presence of 0,1 mmol?L-1 or 2 mmol?L-1 of extracellular Mg2+.Results bFGF dose-dependently increased [Mg2+]i, and there was not any significant difference among the groups of 0,1 mmol?L-1and 2 mmol?L-1 of extracellular Mg2+;similar results were obtained in groups done with Na+ and Ca2+. Pretreatment with bFGF receptor-2 (KDR) inhibitor (SU1498) blocked the increase of [Mg2+]i induced by bFGF.Unlike in the group of 0 mmol?L-1extracellular Mg2+,the apparent angiogeneses were observed in the groups of 1 mmol?L-1 and 2 mmol?L-1 extracellular Mg2+ in the presence of bFGF.bFGF-induced angiogenesis was significantly blocked with SU1498 in the presence of 1 mmol?L-1 extracelluar Mg2+.Conclusions These results suggest that the increase of [Mg2+]i by bFGF come from intracellular Mg2+ pools mediated by KDR-dependent signaling pathways,thereby resulting in the bFGF-induced angiogenesis.

OBJECTIVETo observe the impact of PDE5shRNA on cardiac remodeling and heart function following myocardial infarction in mice.

METHODSMyocardial infarction (MI) was induced in mice by left coronary artery ligation. Mice were randomly assigned to sham group (n = 6), PDE5shRNA group (n = 12), common adenovirus group (n = 15) and DMEM group (n = 8). Four weeks post-MI, the survival rate was evaluated. Cardiac function was examined by echocardiography. HE staining and Masson staining were used to evaluate the myocardial infarction size and fibrosis. The number of blood vessels was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, PDE5 protein expression in the left ventricular was detected using Western blot, level of cGMP or PKG activity in the left ventricle was evaluated with ELISA.

RESULTSFour weeks post-MI, all mice survived in the sham group, 3(37%) mice died in the DMEM group, 1 (8%) died in the PDE5shRNA group and 5 died in the common adenovirus group (33%). Infarct size was significantly reduced in PDE5shRNA group compared with the common adenovirus group and DMEM group [(25.4 ± 2.9)% vs. (42.0 ± 3.2)% and (43.4 ± 2.6) %, P < 0.05]. Cardiac function was significantly improved in PDE5shRNA group compared to common adenovirus group and DMEM group[LVFS: (21.1 ± 3.7)% vs. (14.2 ± 2.9)% and (14.22 ± 2.91)%, all P < 0.05; LVEF: (48.2 ± 7.1)% vs. (34.6 ± 6.2)% and (38.1 ± 2.8)%, all P < 0.05; LVESD: (3.87 ± 0.45) mm vs.(4.91 ± 0.62) mm and (4.63 ± 0.37) mm, all P < 0.05]. The blood vessel density was also higher in PDE5shRNA group compared with common adenovirus group (infarct area:14.3 ± 2.0 vs. 6.6 ± 1.2, P < 0.05; periinfarct area: 23.6 ± 2.1 vs. 13.7 ± 2.4, P < 0.05). Compared with common adenovirus group, level of PDE5 was significantly downregulated and level of cGMP or PKG was significantly upregulated in PDE5shRNA group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPresent study suggests PDE5shRNA improves cardiac function and attenuates cardiac remodeling through reducing infarction size and cardiac fibrosis and these beneficial effects are possibly mediated by activating cGMP/PKG signaling pathway.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5 ; genetics ; Disease Models, Animal ; Heart Failure ; etiology ; therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Ventricular Remodeling

On March 11, 2020, WHO officially declared that COVID-19 had become Pandemic. As of March 31, the epidemic had affected more than 178 countries and regions, with more than 780 000 confirmed cases. The Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework for the sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits (the 'PIP Framework’ or 'Framework’) is an international arrangement adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2011 to improve global pandemic influenza preparedness and response. Since the transmission route and transmission capacity of COVID-19 are similar to that of influenza A (H1N1) in 2009, which conforms to the basic elements of 'human pandemic', and the epidemic scale has exceeded that of influenza A (H1N1). It is probable to incorporate COVID-19 epidemic response into PIPF, and at the same time to verify and improve PIPF in practice. It is recommended that WHO, other international organizations and relevant countries make full use of the PIPF system to respond to the epidemic and better coordinate national actions at the global level. At the same time, China should also make the planning and deploy of domestic epidemic prevention and control and international epidemic cooperation under the framework.