OBJECTIVETo study the changes of serum complement C and immunoglobulin (Ig) in sensitized guinea pigs exposed to trichloroethylene.

METHODSThirty six white female guinea pigs (250 ∼ 300 g) were randomly divided into blank control group (5 guinea pig), solvent (olive oil) control group (5 guinea pig) and TCE treatment group (26 guinea pig). According to guinea pig maximization test (GPMT), guinea pigs were exposed to TCE. After stimulating contact for 24 h, the skin reactions of guinea pig back test area were recorded and scored. According to Skin sensitization integral, the guinea pigs treated with TCE were divided into the sensitized group (score ≥ 1) and un-sensitized group (score 0). The concentrations of serum C3, C4, IgA, IgG and IgM were detected in 24 and 72 h, respectively after the experiment.

RESULTSThe sensitization rates of group treated by TCE was 65.38%. The serum C3 levels of groups sensitized to TCE for 24 and 73h were 99.75 ± 1.45 and 93.28 ± 3.61g/ml, respectively, which were significantly lower than that (112.30 ± 9.10 g/ml) of solvent control group (P < 0.05). Also The serum C4 levels of groups sensitized to TCE for 24 and 73 h were 34.63 ± 2.53 and 33.82 ± 2.76g/ml, respectively, which were significantly lower than that (43.87 ± 3.65 g/ml) of solvent control group (P < 0.05). The serum IgA and IgM levels of groups sensitized to TCE and unsensitized to TCE for 24 and 72 h were significantly lower than those of solvent group (P < 0.05). as compared with unsensitized groups, the serum IgA levels of the groups sensitized to TCE for 24 and 72 h significantly decreased (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAfter the guinea pig skin was sensitized to TCE, the serum C3, C4 levels decreased, the immune function disordered.

Animals ; Complement System Proteins ; metabolism ; Female ; Guinea Pigs ; Immunity, Humoral ; drug effects ; Immunoglobulins ; blood ; Skin ; drug effects ; Trichloroethylene ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of L-arginine on diabetic rats.

METHODSForty adult male Lewis rats were randomized equally into diabetic and normal control groups, and the former rats were treated intraperitoneally with streptozotocin to induce diabetes mellitus. Seven days later, half of the diabetic and normal rats were injected intraperitoneally with L-arginine at the daily dose of 1 g/kg, while the remainder were given saline instead. All the rats were euthanized on 10 days after L-arginine or saline treatment, and their body weight, plasma protein, arginine and sugar, food and water intake were analyzed.

RESULTSDiabetic rats had obviously decreased body weight, plasma protein and arginine but increased blood sugar and food and water intakes in comparison with the control rats. L-arginine significantly increased plasma protein and arginine, decreased food and water intakes, but failed to prevent weight loss and blood sugar increment in diabetic rats as compared to their saline-treated counterparts. L-arginine supplementation did not result in any changes other than arginine elevation in the control rats.

CONCLUSIONL-arginine supplementation can partially improve polydipsia and polyphagia and increase plasma protein in diabetic rats.

Animals ; Arginine ; administration & dosage ; blood ; therapeutic use ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Blood Proteins ; metabolism ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; blood ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Drinking ; drug effects ; Eating ; drug effects ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Lew

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of burn serum on the viscoelasticity and the structure of rat intestinal epithelial cells.

METHODSThe rat intestinal epithelial cell strain (IEC-6) was cultured and stimulated by burn serum. The changes of IECs before and after the stimulation were dynamically observed by cytoskeleton immunohistochemistry, ELISA and the measurement of cytomembranous viscoelasticity.

RESULTSDuring the early stage of burn serum stimulation, the skeleton protein expression in IEC decreased obviously with weakened positive signals of microfilaments and microtubules and with decreased cellular elasticity.

CONCLUSIONThe cytoskeleton injury could cause the increase of cellular fragility and the decrease of the viscoelasticity, which ultimately lead to the change of cellular biodynamics. These changes might directly participate the development of postburn intestinal epithelial injury.

Actins ; analysis ; Animals ; Burns ; blood ; Cell Line ; Culture Media ; pharmacology ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Elasticity ; drug effects ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intestinal Mucosa ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tubulin ; analysis ; Viscosity ; drug effects

AIMAqueous extracts of Zingiber officinale and Pentadiplandra brazzeana were tested for their possible androgenic activity in male Wistar rats.

METHODSThe aqueous extracts of the two plants were gavaged separately to 2 groups of rats at a similar dose of 600 mg middot kg(-1) middot day(-1) for 8 days. At the end of the treatment, the animals were killed and the blood, testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate were collected for biochemical analysis.

RESULTSThe aqueous extract of Z. officinale significantly increased in the relative weight of the testis, the serum testosterone level, testicular cholesterol level and epididymal a-glucosidase activity. The aqueous extract of P. brazzeana significantly increased the weights of the testis, seminal vesicles and prostate. It also significantly increased the serum and testicular testosterone level. The fructose, alpha-glucosidase and cholesterol levels in P. brazzeana-treated rats were increased by 28 %, 35 % and 114 %, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe aqueous extracts of both P. brazzeana and Z. officinale have an androgenic activity, which seems to be more potent with P. brazzeana than with Z. officinale.

Androgens ; Animals ; Brassicaceae ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Fructose ; Ginger ; Male ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; Plant Stems ; Proteins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Seminal Vesicles ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Testis ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Testosterone ; blood ; metabolism ; alpha-Glucosidases ; metabolism

Blood compatibility is one of the most important factors for biomaterials applied in blood-contacting environment, which is determined by a series of complicated interactions of biomaterials surfaces with both soluble and cellular components in blood. As the development of molecular biology technology and emergence of new characterization methods for changes of protein conformation structure and function, more and more researchers are making intensive efforts to understand hemocompatibility of biomaterials at molecular and cellular levels. In this paper, developments in understanding of interactions between blood and materials surfaces, especially the changes of plasma protein conformation structure and activation of platelets induced by biomaterials surfaces, are reviewed.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Blood ; metabolism ; Blood Proteins ; chemistry ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; methods ; Platelet Activation ; drug effects ; Surface Properties

To investigate the effect and possible mechanism of echinacoside-containing serum on the osteogenic differentiation in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultivated by the whole bone marrow adherence method. The 3rd generation of cells were divided into 3 groups: the blank control group, the classic osteogenic-induced group and the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group. The expression of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin were detected by ELISA. The ex- pression of ZHX, protein was detected by Western blot technique. RT-PCR technique was used to detect the expression of ZHX₃mRNA. According to the result, the expressions of the alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin in the classic osteogenic-induced group and the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group were significantly higher than that of the blank control group (P <0. 01). And expressions of the alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin in the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group were significantly higher than that in the classic osteogenic-induced group (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the classic osteogenic-induced group and the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group showed obviously higher ZHX₃ protain and mRNA expression than that of the black control group, with significant differences (P < 0.01); the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group showed obviously higher ZHX₃ protain and mRNA expression than that of the classic osteogenic-induced group, with a significant difference (P < 0.01). In conclusion, 10% echinacoside-containing serum can promote the differentiation of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells cultured in vitro. Its mechanism may be correlated with the increase in the ZHX₃expression.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Glycosides ; blood ; pharmacology ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Osteogenesis ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serum ; chemistry ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism

BACKGROUND: Estrogens act on estrogen receptors distributed in articular cartilages, synovial membrane, and ligaments, which are thought to be related with degenerative changes. Meanwhile, progesterone is known to have a weak anabolic action on bone formation This study evaluates the effects of estrogen and progesterone hormone on bone/cartilage turnover in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. METHODS: Thirty-five 7-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups and then ovariectomized bilaterally except the sham control group. The first and the second group acting as controls did not receive hormonal therapy, the third group received estrogen, the fourth group received progesterone, and the fifth group received combination of both hormones 10 weeks after surgery. Evaluations were done using the serum levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) for cartilage turnover, collagen type I C-telopeptide (CTX-1) and osteocalcin (OC) for bone turnover at 11, 15, 19 weeks after OVX and histology using the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage histopathology assessment system. RESULTS: Significantly less cartilage degradation (decreased levels of COMP) was found in the combined hormone treated group in comparison with OVX group. Similarly, both hormonal treatment resulted in increased bone formation and decreased bone resorption i.e., a low overall bone turnover status (decrease in the serum OC and CTX-1 levels). CONCLUSIONS: Combined estrogen and progesterone therapy was found to be convincing in terms of reducing the severity of OA in this experimental model.
Animals ; Biological Markers/blood/metabolism ; Bone Remodeling/*drug effects ; Bone and Bones/chemistry/drug effects ; Cartilage/chemistry/*drug effects ; Collagen Type I/blood/metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Estrogens/*pharmacology ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins/blood/metabolism ; Female ; Glycoproteins/blood/metabolism ; Histocytochemistry ; Hormone Replacement Therapy/*methods ; Osteoarthritis/blood/*drug therapy ; Osteocalcin/blood/metabolism ; Ovariectomy ; Progesterone/*pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of acupuncture serum on Ca2+ content in the cultured nervous cells of hippocampus after ischemia-reperfusion, so as to probe into humoral factors in acupuncture treatment.

METHODSThe neurons of the hippocampus from the new born rats were cultured for 9-11 days. Fluorescein-molecular probe Fluo-3 AM was used for staining of intracellular Ca2+. Fluorescent levels in the nervous cells cultured with the serum of the normal rats or the rats given electroacupuncture at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Quchi" (LI 11) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 2 weeks were determined by using a laser confocal microscope.

RESULTSAfter the normal serum was added, the intracellular Ca2+ fluorescent levels increased to 697 +/- 113 from 461 +/- 96, while after acupuncture serum was added, the Ca2+ fluorescent levels decreased to 584 +/- 103 from 673 +/- 108, indicating that after addition of acupuncture serum, the increased intracellular Ca2+ content could be decreased.

CONCLUSIONThere are some active substances in acupuncture serum which can obviously decrease intracellular Ca2+ content after ischemia-reperfusion, so as to provide a direct evidence for role of humoral factor in acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Blood Proteins ; pharmacology ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; therapy ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Hippocampus ; blood supply ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Serum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the influence of recombinant human growth hormones (rhGH) postburn systemic metabolism.

METHODSTwenty-four burn patients were randomly and equally divided into treatment and control groups. Same amount of rhGH (9 U/d) or isotonic saline was injected subcutaneously to respective patients during 3 approximately 17 postburn days (PBDs). Blood samples were harvested at 3, 10 and 17 PBDs for the determination of serum growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), serum proteins, plasma insulin, plasma glucagons and blood glucose, which were then compared and analyzed between two the groups.

RESULTSThe serum levels of GH, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, serum prealbumin and transferrin in rhGH treatment group were evidently higher than those in control groups at 10 and 17 PBDs (P < 0.05 approximately 0.01). But there was no obvious difference in serum albumin, plasma insulin, glucagon and blood glucose (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSmall dose of rhGH could promote systemic protein synthesis with no side effects on blood glucose levels.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Proteins ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Burns ; blood ; Female ; Growth Hormone ; blood ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Insulin ; blood ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; analysis ; drug effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recombinant Proteins ; pharmacology

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by structural and functional changes in the lung including proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and excessive collagen synthesis. Although connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is known to promote cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, and extracellular matrix production in various tissues, studies on the role of CTGF in pulmonary hypertension have been limited. Here, we examined CTGF expression in the lung tissues of male Sprague Dawley rats treated with monocrotaline (MCT, 60 microgram/kg), a pneumotoxic agent known to induce PH in animals. Establishment of PH was verified by the significantly increased right ventricular systolic pressure and right ventricle/left ventricle weight ratio in the MCT-treated rats. Histological examination of the lung revealed profound muscular hypertrophy in the media of pulmonary artery and arterioles in MCT-treated group. Lung parenchyma, vein, and bronchiole did not appear to be affected. RT-PCR analysis of the lung tissue at 5 weeks indicated significantly increased expression of CTGF in the MCT-treated group. In situ hybridization studies also confirmed abundant CTGF mRNA expression in VSMCs of the arteries and arterioles, clustered pneumocytes, and infiltrated macrophages. Interestingly, CTGF mRNA was not detected in VSMCs of vein or bronchiole. In saline-injected control, basal expression of CTGF was seen in bronchial epithelial cells, alveolar lining cells, and endothelial cells. Taken together, our results suggest that CTGF upregulation in arterial VSMC of the lung might be important in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. Antagonizing the role of CTGF could thus be one of the potential approaches for the treatment of PH.
Animals ; Blood Pressure/drug effects ; Bronchi/cytology/drug effects/metabolism ; Endothelial Cells/cytology/drug effects/metabolism ; Epithelial Cells/cytology/drug effects/metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/chemically induced/*metabolism ; Immediate-Early Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Lung/cytology/drug effects/*metabolism ; Male ; Monocrotaline/*toxicity ; Pulmonary Alveoli/cytology/drug effects/metabolism ; Pulmonary Artery/cytology/drug effects/metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Up-Regulation