Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Reproduction ; physiology ; Social Behavior ; Tupaiidae ; physiology

Objective To study the anti-fatigue effect of Cynomorium songaricum flavone(CSF)on old rats.Methods50 old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group(no swimming,no drugs),single swimming group(swimming,given saline by gavage),and three swimming plus CSF groups(swimming,given CSF 20 g/kg weight,10 g/kg weight and 5 g/kg weight respectively),total five groups with 10 animals in each group.Animals swam with free swimming in endless cycles water 30 minutes once every day for 10 days.The level of monoamine oxidase(MAO) and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-px) in blood of animals were examined by MAO kit,GSH-px kit and ultraviolet spectrophotometer at 11th day.ResultsCompared with single swimming group,the body weights of swimming plus CSF groups increased significantly by 12.9%,80.6% and 200% respectively(P<0.01);swimming times before sinking increased by 19.4%,29% and 48.4%;sinking times of each rat(time/10 min) decreased by 17.8%,43.2% and 72.9%;total swimming times increased by 2.8%,7% and 29.6% respectively(P<0.01);MAO decreased by 60%,69.8% and 80.5%,GSH-px increased by 465.3%,563.8% and 635% respectively(P<0.01).ConclusionCSF shows anti-oxidative and anti-fatigue properties and can be given as prophylactic/therapeutic supplements for increasing antioxidant enzyme activities and preventing lipid peroxidation during strenuous exercise.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of catecholamine hormone on the blood and brain of heroin addicts.

METHODSRats were divided into three groups and treated with the glucose (control group), the heroin (im) (heroin group), and the combination of the intramuscular injection of reserpine and heroin (reserpine group). Changes in the levels of the dopamine (DA), cAMP, and cGMP were detected by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method in the blood and brain tissue.

RESULTSNo significant withdrawal symptoms were observed in the reserpine group. Compared with the control and heroin groups, the blood cAMP levels were increased by 35.36% and 15.53% in the reserpine group, respectively; the cAMP levels in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampus (Hipp) were increased by 24.08% & 8.53%, 15.66% & 8.13%, and 21.95% & 8.40%, respectively. While compared to the control and heroin groups, the DA levels of the PFC, Hipp, striatum, and nucleus accumbens (NAc) were significantly reduced in the reserpine group, decreasing by 74.09% & 82.86%, 81.06% & 82.23%, 91.62% & 86.55% and 84.35% & 90.63%, respectively. The concentrations of cGMP of the brain tissues in the reserpine group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, the neural electrophysiological testing showed that the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and muscle spindle discharge diagram of rats in both the reserpine and heroin groups were apparently changed.

CONCLUSIONCatecholamine hormone plays an important role in heroin addiction.

Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Catecholamines ; physiology ; Cyclic AMP ; blood ; metabolism ; Cyclic GMP ; blood ; metabolism ; Dopamine ; blood ; metabolism ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo study the immunoregulatory effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) e antigen (HBeAg) on peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs).

METHODSPBMCs were isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB; both HBeAg- and HBeAg+) and healthy controls, and cultured with recombinant HBeAg. The HBeAg-induced changes in expression of PD-1/PD-L1 were measured by flow cytometry of the cells and in secreted cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of the supernatants. Comparisons between two groups were made by the independent-samples t-test; the relationship between PD-1/B7-H1 level and HBV DNA copy number was evaluated by Spearman's correlation analysis.

RESULTSExposure to HBeAg led to a significant decrease in CD3+CD4+ T lymphocyte-specific expression of IFNa for both the CHB patients' and healthy controls' samples (t = 2.382 and -4.190 respectively, P less than 0.01). For the HBeAg- CHB patients' and healthy controls' samples, the HBeAg exposure led to increased levels of secreted cytokines IL-6, IL-10 and TNFa (t = 2.504, 3.583 and 4.324, P less than 0.01 and t = 3.542, 6.246 and 5.273, P less than 0.01 respectively) and of CD14+ PBMC-specific expression of PD-L1 (t = 4.815 and 3.454, P less than 0.05 respectively). Compared to the HBeAg-negative CHB patients' and healthy controls' samples, the HBeAg+ CHB patients' samples had significantly lower CD3+CD4+ T cell-specific expression of IFNa (t = -3.177 and -4.541, P less than 0.01 respectively), but significantly higher levels of secreted IL-4 (t = 3.382 and 4.393, P less than 0.01 respectively), of CD3+ T cells-specific expression of PD-1/PD-L1 (t = 4.755, 2.942 and 4.518, 4.595, P less than 0.01 respectively), and of CD14+ T cells-specific expression of PD-L1 (t = 5.092 and 5.473, P less than 0.01 respectively). The CD3+ T cells-specific expression of PD-L1 was significantly higher in the samples from HBeAg- CHB patients than from the healthy controls (t = 3.214, P less than 0.01).

CONCLUSIONHBeAg was able to down-regulate the production of Th1-type cytokines (IFNgamma), and up-regulate the secretion of Th2-type cytokines (IL-6, IL-10) and the expression of PD-1/PD-L1on monocytes. These changes are conducive to the formation of immune tolerance to HBV. Therefore, HBeAg may play an important role in immune tolerance to chronic HBV infection.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; immunology ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; immunology ; Interleukin-10 ; immunology ; Interleukin-6 ; immunology ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; immunology ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; Th1 Cells ; immunology ; Th1-Th2 Balance ; Th2 Cells ; immunology

Objective To investigate the toxicity of 2-dodecenoic acid on human hepatocarcinoma cells.Methods The present study is to in-vestigate the toxic effects of 2 -dodecenoic acid on human hepatoma tumor cells by using trypan blue staining , MTT assay , and flow cytometry analysis.Results After cancer cells were treated with concentrations of 0.1 , 0.3 ,0.9 mg· L-1 2-dodecenoic acid at 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, and 48 h, respectively.Compared to the control group , 48 h after treat-ment, the inhibition rates of the hepatoma cells proliferation in treatment group were increased by 45.46%, 67.16%, 79.18%at the above three concentrations , respectively ( P<0.01 ).Flow cytometry analysis showed that the apoptosis rates after the 2-dodecenoic acid treatment were in-creased by 14.8%, 20.2% and 24.2% over the control group.Conclusion These results indicated that the 2-dodecenoic acid has a significant toxic effect on human hepatoma cells.

Objective To study the effects of maca extract on exercise endurance and blood hormone levels in the rats. Methods Wistar rats treated with maca extract (2. 0, 4. 0, 8. 0 g/kg body weight) were freely swimming in the cir-culating water flow daily for 15 days. On the 16th day of experiment, the exercise endurance and blood noradrenaline (NA), estradiol (E2), and testosterone (T) levels of the rats were determined. Results The rats administered with maca extract at the doses of 2. 0, 4. 0, 8. 0 g/kg body weight for 15 d showed that the swimming time before sinking was in-creased by 32. 51%, 60. 04%, 106. 52%, the total swimming time was extended by 16. 99%, 56. 50%, and 101. 73%respectively ( P<0. 01 ); while the number of sinking was decreased by 18. 89%, 35. 89%, and 58. 06%, respectively (P< 0. 01), compared with those swimming rats without maca extract treatment. The noradrenaline level in the blood of rats treated with maca extract 2. 0, 4. 0, 8. 0 g/kg body weight was increased by 3. 30%, 6. 60%, and 16. 50%, respec-tively, compared with the control group, and increased by 42. 49%,47. 05%, and 60. 70%, respectively, compared with the swimming rats without extract treatment;the E2 level was increased by 132. 83%,102. 72%, and 62. 26% (P<0. 01) respectively, compared with the control group, while decreased by 23. 88%, 33. 72%, and 46. 95% (P<0. 01) respec-tively, compared with the swimming rats without extract treatment. The blood testosterone level was increased by 5. 11%, 37. 65%, and 123. 16% (P<0. 01) respectively, compared with the control group, and increased by 28. 98%, 68. 92%, and 173. 85%, (P<0. 01) respectively, compared with the swimming rats without extract treatment. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate that maca extract has effect to resist fatigue and enhance exercise capacity in rats. The mechanism is associated with reduced blood E2 , and increased noradrenaline and testosterone levels in the blood of rats.

Objective To investigate the growth inhibition mechanism of octadecenoic acid on human gastric carcinoma transplanted tumor.Methods The cancer tissue was isolated from adult patients with gastric cancer and transplantation in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice.And SCID mice were treated with concentrations of 0.2,0.4,0.8 g · kg-1 octadecenoic acid,respectively.The SCID mice in control group treated with concentration of 100 mg · kg-1 fluorouracil(5-FU).The SCID mice in model group treated with equal amounts of rapeseed oil.The duration was 4 weeks.The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP),tumor suppressor gene p53 (P53),phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(P13K) levels in tumor tissue were detected by the method of enzyme linked irnmunosorbent assay.Results Compared to the model group,growth inhibition rate of transplantation tumor of human gastric cancer in low,middle,high experimental groups and control group were increased 26.52％,58.75％,67.80％ and 46.25％ respectively with significace(P ＜ 0.01);the cAMP levels were increased by 35.61％,74.93％,130.48％ and 54.98％ inthe four groups,respectively with significance also (P ＜ 0.01);the P53 and P13K levels were reduced by 57.22％,79.45％,95.71％,80.10％ and 33.11％,44.39％,97.42％,51.69％ respectively in the four groups with significance too(P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Growth inhibition mechanism of octadecenoic acid on transplantation tumor of human gastric cancer,mainly related to elevated cAMP level within the tumor tissue,inhibit the activity of P53 and P13K signal pathway.

Objective To study the regulating action of unsaturated fatty acids on human gastric cancer cells protein kinase B (PKB/Akt)signaling pathways.Methods The gastric cancer tissue of adult patients with gastric cancer was isolated and transplantation in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice.Separation cells from gastric cancer transplanted tumor by digestive enzyme were cultured.They were divided into five groups:three doses experimental groups (unsaturated fatty acid 0.3,0.6,1.2 mg · L-1),control group (5-fluorouracil 10 mg · L-1),solvent control group (dimethyl sulfoxide 30 μL · L-1),cultivate 48 h after the treatment.The toxic effects of the unsaturated fatty acid on human gastric cancer cells were detected by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl) -2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method.The levels of p21,murine double minute2 (MDM2),PKB/Akt in tumor cells were detected by the method of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Results Compared to the control group,the human gastric cancer cells proliferation inhibition rate in high,moderate,low,doses experimental groups were increased by 31.7％,55.51％,68.28％,respectively.The levels of p21 and MDM2 in that three groups were increased by 4.39％,80.12％,161.36％ and 19.81％,97.76％,207.35％,respectively.The level of PKB/Akt in that three groups was reduced by 13.31％,57.69％,78.71％,respectively.Conclusion The unsaturated fatty acids on human gastric cancer cells proliferation inhibition mainly related to elevated p21,MDM2 levels within the tumor cells,inhibit the activity of PKB/Akt signal pathway.

Objective To investigate the cytotoxic effect mechanism of the unsaturated fatty acids on human cervical carcinoma of ME-180 cells.Methods The 2 × 108 cell · L-1 ME-180 cells were moved into the 96 hole culture plate,per hole 90 μL.Three concentrations of the drug groups:0.3,0.6,0.9 mg· L-1 unsaturated fatty acid (prepared with DMSO) per hole 90 μL.The 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) group:10mg · L-1 5-FU (prepared with phosphate buffer) per hole 10 μL.Control group:30 μL · L-1 DMSO per hole 10 μL.Each group set of four repeat hole,in saturated humidity condition of 37 ℃ and 5％ CO2 in 48 h.The inhibition rate and apoptosis rate of unsaturated fatty acids were detected with a trypan blue,thiazole blue (MTT),and flow cytometry method.Results When ME-180 cells were administered with the unsaturated fatty acids at the doses of 0.3,0.6,0.9 mg · L-1 for 48 h,ME -180 living cell count with the increase of drug concentration and action time is reduced.The cells proliferation inhibition rate were 43.35％,51.75％,66.45％ in three concentrations of the drug groups;apoptosis rate were 18.21％,23.11％,28.06％ in the three groups,respectively.Compared with the drug groups and the control group on the number of living cells,inhibition rate and apoptosis rate,the differences were statistically significant (P ＜0.01).Conclusion The unsaturated fatty acids has significant toxic effects on ME-180 cells.The toxic effect mechanism of the unsaturated fatty acids is related to inhibite proliferation on cell and induce-cell apoptosis.