Objective To comprehend the action mechanism of simvastatin in pulmonary hypertension(PH)when it induced by high pulmonary blood flow.Methods Abdominal aorta-inferior vena cava shunting was made in rats to establish animal model of PH induced by high pulmonary blood flow,simvastatin with dose of 2 mg/(kg?d)was used to interfere for 11 weeks.And then,pulmonary arterial pressure,apoptosis rate and proliferation rate of pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell were determined.Results were compared with other groups.Results Simvastatin could cut down the pulmonary arterial pressure well,pulmonary arterial pressures of simvastatin group rats were lower than those of spliting groups obviously(Pa

The effects of Spirulina on intestinal microflora of diarrhea model mice were observed.Diarrhea model mice were geted by gastric perfusion ampicillin,then these mice were given different doses spirulina by gavage.Selective culture media were used to culture bifidobacteria,bacterium lacticum,enteric bacilli,enterococci,bacteroid,clostridium perfringens in feces at different times.In order to find the difference of collecting samples from feces and intestine,the quantity of detection flora in different segment of intestine were compared too.The result showed that in middle dose group and high dose group spirulina can regulate and improve intestinal flora of diarrhea model mice,and effectively shorten time from disturbance to balance.Fecal sample and intestinal contents sample both manifest a same trend,that is the quantity of bifidobacteria,bacterium lacticum in treatment recovery group is significantly higher than saline group,and enteric bacilli,enterococci,bacteroid,clostridium perfringens is significantly lower than saline group,but each index flora in intestinal contents sample has a significant difference in quantity.

ObjectiveTo observe the projections from respiratory neurons of medulla oblongata to the motor neuron pool of phrenic nerve in rat. MethodsBy using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) retrograde tracing technique after injecting HRP into phrenic nerve, retrograde labelled neurons were found in C3-C5 segment. Then, HRP was injected into the area where the phrenic motor neurons occupied, retrograde labelled neurons were found in medulla oblongata. ResultsPhrenic motor neurons locate in the C3-C5 segment ipsilaterally, occuping the intermediate portion of anterior horn and appearing typical motor neurons. Retrograde labelled neurons were found bilaterally in medulla oblongata, the neurons were located in nucleus retroambigualis (RNA), ventramedial area to nucleus retrofacialis (NRF). ConclusionThe phrenic motor neurons may receive direct projection of respiratory neuron in medulla oblongata, the projecting neurons are distributed in RNA and NRF area.

Abnormalities, Multiple ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Asphyxia ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Musculoskeletal Abnormalities ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Syndrome ; Thorax ; abnormalities

Through scale-up cultivation of Eriobotrya japonica suspension cells using WAVE bioreactor, the cell growth and ursolic acid (UA) accumulation were studied. The comparison test was carried out in the flask and the reactor with cell dry weight (DW) and UA content as evaluation indexes. The culture medium, DW and UA content were compared in 1 L and 5 L working volumes of bioreactor. The orthogonal test with main actors of inoculation amount, speed and angle of rotation was developed to find the optimal combination, in 1 L working volume of bioreactor. DW of the cell growth and the UA content in bioreactor were higher than those of the shaker by 105.5% and 27.65% respectively. In bioreactor, the dynamic changes of elements in the fluid culture, the dry weight of the cell growth and the UA content in 1 L and 5 L working volumes were similar. Inoculation of 80 g, rotational speed of 26 r · min(-1), and angle of 6 ° was the optimal combination, and the cell biomass of 19.01 g · L(-1) and the UA content of 27.750 mg · g(-1) were achieved after 100 h cultivation in 1 L working volume of bioreactor. WAVE Bioreactor is more suitable than flasks for the E. japonica cell suspension culture, and culture parameters can be achieved from 1 L to 5 L amplification.
Biomass ; Bioreactors ; Cell Culture Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Culture Media ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Eriobotrya ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Triterpenes ; analysis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of Th1/Th2 transcription factors and cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) during radiotherapy to provide an evidence for using traditional Chinese medicine in anti-tumor immunotherapy.

METHODSSixty patients with ESCC undergoing radiotherapy were randomly and equally assigned to the tested group (treated with combined treatment of Aidi Injection) and the control group (treated with radiotherapy alone). A group consisted of 20 healthy persons was set up meanwhile as the normal control. Patients' expressions of Th1 and Th2 type transcription factors and cytokines were detected before and after radiotherapy, the expression of T-bet and GATA-3 in peripheral blood monoclear cells (PBMCs) were detected by Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR), and plasma expressions of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin 2, 4 and 10 (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSCompared with the healthy control group, the expressions of Th1 type transcription factor T-bet and cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-2 in ESCC patients were significantly lower (P < 0.01), while expressions of Th2 type transcription factor GATA-3 and cytokines IL-4, IL-10 were significantly higher (P < 0.01). These changes were exacerbated significantly after radiotherapy in the control group (P < 0.01), but only showed a slight change in the tested group with statistical insignificance (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSRadiotherapy can not reverse the Th1/Th2 shift presented in ESCC patients, while the combined intravenous dripping of Aidi Injection during radiotherapy can inhibit it effectively. The combined therapy could elevate the immune function in organism, enhance the radiosensitivity, and attenuate the toxic-adverse effect of radiotherapy.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Cytokines ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; GATA3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; metabolism ; Th1-Th2 Balance ; Transcription Factors ; blood

Animals ; Biological Warfare ; Burns ; pathology ; Burns, Chemical ; pathology ; Chemical Warfare ; China ; Humans ; Military Medicine ; Radiation Injuries ; pathology ; Wounds, Gunshot ; pathology

Fourteen psychrotrophic bacteria were isolated from swamp soil collected in Ruoergai plateau wetland,and their generation time and degrading ability of livestock wastewater CODcr was determined.The results showed that the generation time was within 4.9 h to 11.6 h.Based on the generation time,9 psychro-trophic strains(NLJ1,NLJ6,NLJ7,NLJ9,NLJ10,NLJ11,NLJ12,NLJ13 and NLJ14),whose generation time was within 4.9 h to 5.6 h,were chosen to treat livestock wastewater.The results suggested that these 9 strains had different CODcr disposal ability when treating livestock wastewater singly at 6?C for 6 h,and strains NLJ6,NLJ7,NLJ9,NLJ10,NLJ11 and NLJ13 had good ability to degrade livestock wastewater,the CODcr degrading rate was about 60%~70%,hence,they were used as high efficient strains;However,the CODcr degrading rate of the other strains was less than 50%.After inoculating mixture culture of these six strains into the distilled livestock wastewater,after 6 h's treating,the CODcr degrading rate reached to 85.42%.Furthermore,activated sludge collected from Yaan,Dujiangyan and Chengdu were inoculated by the mixture culture of those six strains,and used to treat livestock wastewater for 6 h.The results showed that the average CODcr degrading rate was 81.67%,76.32% and 70.56%,respectively;Variance analysis showed that there was no significant differentiation between each treatment,which revealed that those six psychrotrophic strains had good adaptability to different source of activated sludge.

OBJECTIVETo discuss the mechanism of scar hypertrophy in adenosine receptor A(2A) (A(2A) R) knockout mice.

METHODSAnimal models of hypertrophic scar were established in 12 A(2A) R knockout mice and 12 wild-type mice as control. The thickness and the size of transverse section of the hypertrophic scar were observed by H-E staining. The hydroxyproline (HYP) in the scar was measured colorimetrically. The TGF-beta expression was tested by Western blotting method.

RESULTSThe hypertrophic scar in wild-type mice was more severe than that in knockout mice. Compared with self-control, the increase of the thickness and the size of transverse section of hypertrophic scar was markedly higher in wild-type group than in the knockout group (P < 0.01). There was significant difference in HYP content between the two groups (P < 0.01). Compared with self-control, the increase of TGF-beta expression in wild-type group was much more than that in knockout group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe TGF-beta expression decreases in the A(2A) R knockout mice. The scar hypertrophy is also much less in the A(2A) R knockout mice.

Animals ; Cicatrix ; metabolism ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Receptor, Adenosine A2A ; genetics ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; metabolism

The aim of the present study was to investigate the modulatory role of activated 5-HT(3) receptors in the central amygdala (CeA) on mitogen concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated proliferative response of thymocytes in rats and the underlying neuroendocrine regulation circuits. 1-phenylbiguanide (PBG), a putative selective 5-HT(3) receptor agonist, was administered by intraperitoneal (i.p.), bilateral intracerebroventriclular (i.c.v.), and bilateral intracentral amygdala (i.c.a.) injection. In addition, thymocytes isolated from untreated rats were incubated with PBG (at a range of concentrations of 1x10(-8)-1x10(-5) mol/L) in vitro in the presence and absence of ConA, in order to investigate any direct effect of PBG on the proliferation in vitro. MTT method was applied to demonstrate the effect of PBG on the proliferative response of thymocytes. An immunohistochemical SABC assay was used to describe the expression profiles of c-Fos-positive cells in different brain regions including the CeA, hippocampus, cortex, hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray (PAG) at 1, 2, 4 and 8 h after bilateral single-administration of PBG by i.c.a. (1.0 microg/side). Results showed that PBG (1x10(-8)-1x10(-5) mol/L) had no significant influence on the proliferative responses of the isolated thymocytes in vitro, no matter ConA was present or not. The proliferation of thymocytes stimulated by ConA was not significantly changed when PBG was administered by i.p. (0.5 mg/kg per day, for consecutive 5 d), whereas it was remarkably enhanced after bilateral i.c.v. injection of PBG (10 microg/side per day, for consecutive 5 d). Similarly, when PBG was injected bilaterally by i.c.a. (1.0 microg/side per day, for 1 d or consecutive 3, 5 and 7 d), a significantly enhanced proliferation occurred on the 1st day and continued until reaching its peak on the 5th day before decreasing on the 7th day. All of the promoting effects of PBG on the ConA-stimulated proliferation of thymocytes were reversed by pretreatment with the 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist tropisetron (TRP) 5 min prior to the administration of PBG. Interestingly, compared to the treatment with normal saline or TRP + PBG, after a bilateral single-administration of PBG (1.0 microg/side) by i.c.a., the number of c-Fos-positive cells in different brain regions significantly increased at 1 h in the CeA, 1-2 h in the hippocampus, 1-2 h in the cortex, 4 h in the hypothalamus and 8 h in the PAG, respectively, with each maximum response at 1 h in the CeA, 2 h in the hippocampus and cortex, and 4 h in the hypothalamus. Subsequently, the number of cells expressing c-Fos gradually reduced to the minimum at 4 h in the CeA, and at 8 h in the hippocampus, cortex and hypothalamus. In conclusion, the 5-HT(3) receptors in the CeA of rats mediate the modulation of thymus function, at least partly, through the neuroendocrine circuit of the limbic system-cortex-hypothalamus-PAG.
Amygdala ; metabolism ; physiology ; Animals ; Male ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3 ; metabolism ; physiology ; Thymus Gland ; cytology ; physiology