The correlation between pulmonary endothelin receptors and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (A-aDO2) in rats with hepatopulmonary syndrome was investigated. Animals were divided into 2 groups: Sham-operated (Sham) group and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) group. Arterial blood gas was evaluated by a blood gas analyzer. The concentrations of ET-1 in blood and lung tissue sample were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. The distribution and expression of two kinds of subtype receptor of ET-1, ETRA and ETRB were examined by in situ hybridization. The results showed that the level of A-aDO2 was higher in CBDL group than that in Sham group (P < 0.05). The levels of plasma and pulmonary ET-1 in CBDL group were both higher than in Sham group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in average A of ETRA between two groups by imaging analysis (0.21 +/- 0.06 vs 0.22 +/- 0.08, P > 0.05), while that of ETRB was higher in CBDL group than in Sham group (0.58 +/- 0.16 vs 0.28 +/- 0.07, P < 0.05). The expression of ETRB in lung was positively correlated with A-aDO2 (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the widened A-aDO2 may be related with enhancement of the expression of ETRB in lung.
Endothelin-1/metabolism ; Hepatopulmonary Syndrome/*metabolism ; Lung/*metabolism ; Oxygen/*metabolism ; Pulmonary Alveoli/*metabolism ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Endothelin A/metabolism ; Receptor, Endothelin B/*metabolism

AIM: To investigate the different vasoactive effects of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin (ET) on splanchnic arterial and venous vessels in cirrhotic rats. METHODS: Cirrhosis was induced in Wistar rats by subcutaneously administration of carbon tetrachloride. Maximal relaxation (Rmax) and contraction (Cmax) to NO and ET were determined in vitro using isolated vascular strips prepared from portal vein (PV) and mesenteric artery (MA) of both cirrhotic and normal rats, and EC50 was calculated for effects of NO and ET, respectively. RESULTS: Rmax of PV and MA to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (releasing NO) were significantly higher in cirrhotic rats (n=8) than those in normal rats (n=7), and EC50 of NO were dramatically lower in cirrhotic rats than those in control (P

To study the chemical constituents of Drynariae Rhizoma, nine phenolic acids were isolated from a 70% ethanol extract by using a combination of various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC. By spectroscopic techniques including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS, these compounds were identified as 4, 4'-dihydroxy-3, 3'-imino-di-benzoic acid (1), protocatechuic acid (2), gallic acid (3), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (4), (E)-caffeic acid (5), ethyl trans-3, 4-dihydroxycinnamate (6), caffeic acid 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), p-coumaric acid 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (8), and 23(S)-12-O-caffeoyl-12-hydroxyllauric acid glycerol ester (9), separately. Among them, 1 and 9 are new compounds, and 3, 4, and 6 were isolated from Drynaria species for the first time.

BACKGROUND:Bone marrow stem cells are defined by their multi-potential ability, and can be differentiated into intrinsic cells in the kidney.
OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of mobilizing autologous bone marrow stem cells by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor plus stem cellfactor on cellapoptosis and proliferation of rats with renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.
METHODS:Total y 160 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups:control group, model group, cytokine treatment group, cytokine control group. Rat models of unilateral renal ischemia-reperfusion injury were established in the model and cytokine treatment groups. Rats in the cytokine treatment group and cytokine control group received subcutaneous injection of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (50μg/kg) and stem cellfactor (200μg/kg), once a day, for 5 continuous days. Rats in the model and control groups had no treatment. Apoptotic cells were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling method, and the expression of CD34-positive cells, Caspase-3, Bcl-2, proliferating cellnuclear antigen in the kidney were measured using immunohistochemistry staining.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The number of CD34-positive cells in renal tissue of the cytokine treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group and model group (P<0.05). The apoptotic index and expression of Capase-3 in the model group and cytokine treatment group were higher than those in the control group and cytokine control group (P<0.05). The apoptotic index and expression of Capase-3 in the cytokine treatment group were lower than that in the model group (P<0.05). The expression of Bcl-2 in the model group and cytokine treatment group was higher than that in the control group and cytokine control group (P<0.05). The expression of Bcl-2 in the cytokine treatment group was higher than that in the model group (P<0.05);however, as time went on, Bcl-2 expression was obviously decreased. Proliferating cellnuclear antigen expressed both in the model group and in the cytokine treatment group. Additional y, the proliferative index reached peak at 24 days in the model group, and then decreased gradual y;while in the cytokine treatment group, it reached the peak at 10 days, maintained a high level until the 17th day, and then decreased gradual y. Mobilization of autologous bone marrow stem cells by combination of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and stem cellfactor can increase proliferation and decrease apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells after renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, and thus, promote the recovery from renal tubular injury.

The correlation between pulmonary endothelin receptors and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (A-aDO2) in rats with hepatopulmonary syndrome was investigated. Animals were divided into 2 groups: Sham-operated (Sham) group and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) group. Arterial blood gas was evaluated by a blood gas analyzer. The concentrations of ET-1 in blood and lung tissue sample were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. The distribution and expression of two kinds of subtype receptor of ET-1, ETRA and ETRB were examined by in situ hybridization. The results showed that the level of A-aDO2 was higher in CBDL group than that in Sham group (P＜0.05).The levels of plasma and pulmonary ET-1 in CBDL group were both higher than in Sham group (P ＜0.05). There was no significant difference in average A of ETRA between two groups by imaging analysis (0.21±0.06 vs 0.22±0.08, P＞0.05), while that of ETRB was higher in CBDL group than in Sham group (0. 58±0.16 vs 0.28±0.07, P＜0.05). The expression of ETRB in lung was positively correlated with A-aDO2 (P＜0.05). It was concluded that the widened A-aDO2 may be related with enhancement of the expression of ETRB in lung.

Objective To evaluate computed tomography venography (CTV) in diagnosis of iliac vein stenosis or occlusion.Methods From Jun 2015 to Jun 2017,168 CVD patients with CEAP clinically graded at 4 to 6 underwent evaluation with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) CTV and colour Doppler ultrasound.Taking DSA as standard,the diagnostic value of CTV and colour Doppler ultrasound were analyzed and compared.Results DSA established diagnosis of 95 cases,compared with DSA,CTV's and colour Doppler ultrasound's sensitivity,specificity,positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio was 87.4％ and 64.2％,94.5％ and 98.6％,15.89 and 45.86 and 0.13 and 0.36.Compared with colour Doppler ultrasound,CTV's sensitivity was significantly higher (P ＜ 0.05,the 95 ％ confidence intervals were 0.764-14.257),and there was no significant difference between them in aspect of specificity (P =0.375,the 95％ confidence intervals were 0.943-0.986),Kappa value was 0.809(P ＜0.05,the 95％ confidence intervals were 0.714-0.893),0.597 (P ＜ 0.05,the 95％ confidence intervals were 0.464-0.717).Conclusion In the diagnosis of CVD combined with iliac and femoral venous stenosis,CTV has outstanding sensitivity,specificity,and good conformancy with that of DSA.

OBJECTIVE To establish the project approval evaluation system for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） preparations in medical institutions guided by new drug conversion， to improve the success rate of approval for TCM preparations in medical institutions and lay the foundation for the later drug conversion. METHODS Research and development team used the literature research method and brainstorming method to list and organize relevant elements of project evaluation and determine the initial indicator system. Experts were consulted using the Delphi method to confirm the evaluation index. The weights were calculated based on the proportion of importance scores for each indicator and assigned specific scores to each item. The indicator system was used to evaluate 31 TCM preparations applied for filing by various departments of our hospital from April to July 2023. RESULTS After two rounds of 17 experts’ consultation， the final TCM preparation system included five primary indicators， i.e. theoretical basis， clinical research foundation， pharmaceutical foundation， prescription， and clinical value， as well as 17 secondary indicators including prescription source， traditional Chinese medicine theory， clinical positioning and so on. Human experience was considered as the item which would be rejected as one vote. Based on the above indicator system， our hospital further improved the filing and project approval process for TCM preparations in medical institutions. Among the 31 TCM preparations applied for filing by various departments from April to July 2023， 8 TCM preparations with a score ≥65 were selected for development. CONCLUSIONS The evaluation system is objective， comprehensive， and highly operable. It is suitable for the selection of TCM preparations in medical institutions before research and development.