BACKGROUND: It has been proved that matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has a correlation with stability of atherosclerotic plaque, and propolis flavone plays a role in anti-atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of propolis flavone on expression of MMP-9 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC). DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The comparative observation was performed at the Institute of Life Science, Taishan Medical University from January to August 2008. MATERIALS: The propolis flavone was extracted by the Institute of Life Science, Taishan Medical University. The neonatal umbilical cord with 1 hour was supplied by Tai’an Central Hospital, and the informed consent was obtained from the puerperant. METHODS: HUVEC was cultured and identified in vitro, followed by treated with propolis flavoneat with different concentrations for 24 hours. The blank was used as the control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The effect of propolis flavone on expression of MMP-9 in HUVEC was detected by cytoimmunochemical staining and ELISA. RESULTS: Propolis flavonecan with all concentrations can restrain the expression of MMP-9 after co-culture with the cells for 24 hours, which showed in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The propolis flavone can obvious depress the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in HUVEC.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of liver X receptor ( LXR ) agonist on expression of fatty acid synthase( FAS) in diabetic kidney. Methods In the part of in vivo study, immunostaining was used to detect the FAS protein expression in kidney. 16-week-old male db/db mice on C57BL/6 background were administered via gavage a LXR synthetic agonist, TO901317, at a dose of 3 mg · kg-1 · d-1 or vehicle ( 0. 5%Carboxymethyl Cellulose Sodium, CMC-Na) alone for 7 d;Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein levels of FAS and SREBP-1. In the part of in vitro study, MCT cell(a mouse murine proximal tubule cell line)was treated with 10μmol/L TO901317 for 24 h or transfected with active SREBP-1c expression vector (SREBP-1cN). HEK293 cells(a human renal tubule cell line)were transfected with mFAS-(1. 7 kb)-luc, LXR expression vector or SREBP-1cN for 12 h. Quantitative RT-PCR and luciferase reproter assay were utilized to examine FAS mRNA level and FAS promoter activity. Results FAS was abundantly expressed in renal cortex, with low expresson in renal glomeruli. The mRNA and protein expressious of FAS in kidney of db/db mice were lowered compared with db/m mice. TO90137 treatment increased FAS mRNA expression by 1. 3-fold. TO901317 increased expression of SREBP-1 in kidneys of db/m and db/db mice by 5. 1-fold and 17-fold, respectively. TO901317 and overexpression of SREBP-1c increased expression of FAS in MCT cells by 1. 5-fold and 1. 8-fold. Transcription activity of FAS were induced by TO901317, LXR, and SREBP-1cN overexpressions in HEK293 cells. Conclusions Both direct(LXRE)and indirect(SREBP-1c)mechanisms may contribute to the up-regulation of FAS expression by LXR in renal proximal tubule cells.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis invades the central nervous system (CNS) of humans to induce eosinophilic meningitis and meningoencephalitis and leads to persistent headache, cognitive dysfunction, and ataxic gait. Infected mice (nonpermissive host), admittedly, suffer more serious pathological injuries than rats (permissive host). However, the pathological basis of these manifestations is incompletely elucidated. In this study, the behavioral test, histological and immunohistochemical techniques, and analysis of apoptotic gene expression, especially caspase-3, were conducted. The movement and motor coordination were investigated at week 2 post infection (PI) and week 3 PI in mice and rats, respectively. The cognitive impairs could be found in mice at week 2 PI but not in rats. The plaque-like lesion, perivascular cuffing of inflammatory cells, and dilated vessels within the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were more serious in mice than in rats at week 3 PI. Transcriptomic analysis showed activated extrinsic apoptotic pathway through increased expression of TNFR1 and caspase-8 in mice CNS. Immunohistochemical and double-labeling for NeuN and caspase-3 indicated the dramatically increased expression of caspase-3 in neuron of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in mice but not in rats. Furthermore, western-blotting results showed high expression of cleaved caspase-3 proteins in mice but relatively low expression in rats. Thus, extrinsic apoptotic pathway participated in neuronal apoptosis might be the pathological basis of distinct behavioral dysfunctions in rodents with A. cantonensis infection. It provides the evidences of a primary molecular mechanism for the behavioral dysfunction and paves the ways to clinical diagnosis and therapy for A. cantonensis infection.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis* ; Angiostrongylus* ; Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Behavior Rating Scale ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 8 ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Cortex ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Gait ; Gene Expression ; Headache ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Meningitis ; Meningoencephalitis ; Mice ; Neurons* ; Rats ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I ; Rodentia*

In order to investigate the effects of HA whisker and carboxymethyl chitosan-gelatin(CMC-Gel) on the mechanical properties of porous calcium phosphate cement, a series of alpha-tricalcium phosphate (alpha-TCP), HA whisker and L-sodium glutamate porogen with different mass fractions were mixed, and setting liquid was added to them to prepare alpha-TCP/HA whisker composite porous bone cement. Then, the cement was immersed in a series of CMC-Gel solutions which had different weight ratios of CMC to Gel to prepare alpha-TCP/HA whisker/CMC-Gel composite porous bone cement. The compressive strengths and microstructure of cement were characterized by mechanical testing machine and SEM. The results showed that when the mass fraction of HA whisker is 4%, the compressive strength of alpha-TCP/HA whisker composite porous bone cement reaches 2.57MPa, which is 1.81 times that of alpha-TCP bone cement. When the weight ratio of CMC to Gel is 50:50, the compressive strength of alpha-TCP/HA whisker/CMC-Gel composite porous bone cement is 3. 34MPa, which is 2.35 times that of alpha-TCP bone cement, and the toughness of the composite cement is greatly improved as well.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Bone Cements ; chemical synthesis ; Calcium Phosphates ; chemistry ; Chitosan ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Compressive Strength ; Gelatin ; chemistry ; Hydroxyapatites ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Porosity