Dust ; analysis ; Humans ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Power Plants

To explore the effects of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on fibrosis of atrial tissue and atrial fibrillation in a canine model of congestive heart failure (CHF) induced by ventricular tachypacing.

Objective To study the therapeutic effect of thalidomide(Tha) on murine hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods In murine transplanted hepatoma model, thalidomide was administered intragastrically alone (200 mg/kg daily for 10 days) or in combination with doxorubicin. The antitumor activity of Tha was observed in solid and ascitic tumor models. Results Tha induced significant growth inhibition of solid hepatoma without obvious toxicity on peripheral blood cells and lymphocyte proliferation. Although Tha alone had no effect on the survival of mice with ascitic tumor, it showed a synergistic antitumor activity in combination with doxorubicin (Dox) in both solid and ascitic tumor models. Moreover, Tha reduced Dox-induced cytopenia and immunosuppression. Histological analysis of Tha-treated tumors revealed remarkably enhanced tumor necrosis and lymphocyte infiltration on the edge of tumor tissues. Conclusion Tha has definite therapeutic effect on murine hepatoma,and the combination with Dox shows an enhanced therapeutic potential.

Objective To study the therapeutic effect of thalidomide(Tha) on murine hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods In murine transplanted hepatoma model, thalidomide was administered intragastrically alone (200 mg/kg daily for 10 days) or in combination with doxorubicin. The antitumor activity of Tha was observed in solid and ascitic tumor models. Results Tha induced significant growth inhibition of solid hepatoma without obvious toxicity on peripheral blood cells and lymphocyte proliferation. Although Tha alone had no effect on the survival of mice with ascitic tumor, it showed a synergistic antitumor activity in combination with doxorubicin (Dox) in both solid and ascitic tumor models. Moreover, Tha reduced Dox-induced cytopenia and immunosuppression. Histological analysis of Tha-treated tumors revealed remarkably enhanced tumor necrosis and lymphocyte infiltration on the edge of tumor tissues. Conclusion Tha has definite therapeutic effect on murine hepatoma,and the combination with Dox shows an enhanced therapeutic potential.

OBJECTIVETo observe the preventive effect different compatibilities of Ramulus Cinnamomi (RC) and peony in Guizhi Decoction (GD) on diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy (DCAN).

METHODSTotally 60 male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the blank control DM group, the model group, the methycobal group, the 1:1 (RC/peony) Guishao group, the 2:1 Guishao group, and the 1:2 Guishao group, 10 in each group. Rats were pretreated with corresponding drugs for 1 week, and then induced diabetes by intraperitoneal injection of STZ. Drugs were administrated by gastrogavage for 4 more weeks after STZ-injection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), choline acetyltransferase (CHAT), nerve growth factor. (NGF), and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in myocardial homogenates.

RESULTSAfter 4-week modeling, body weight (BW) was obviously lower, but blood glucose (BG) was higher in STZ rats than in rats of the blank control DM group. There was no statistical difference in BW or BG among the 5 groups (P >0.05). Compared with the blank control group, TH, TH/CHAT, and NGF in left ventricle and ventricular septum increased, CHAT and CNTF increased in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, TH and TH/CHAT in left ventricle decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), CNTF in left ventricle increased (P < 0.05), CHAT in left ventricle and ventricular septum increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the methycobal group. TH and TH/CHAT in left ventricle and ventricular septum decreased, CNTF in left ventricle and ventricular septum increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), CHAT in left ventricle and ventricular septum increased (P < 0.01), NGF in ventricular septum decreased (P < 0.01) in the 1:1 Guishao group. TH/CHAT in left ventricle decreased (P < 0.01), CHAT and CNTF in left ventricle and ventricular septum increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the 1:2 Guishao group. Compared with the methycobal group, CHAT in left ventricle decreased, TH and TH/CHAT in left ventricle increased in the 2:1 Guishao group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). TH and TH/CHAT in ventricular septum decreased (P < 0.05), CHAT and CNTF in left ventricle and ventricular septum increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the 1:1 Guishao group. Compared with the 1:2 Guishao group and the 2:1 Guishao group, CHAT in left ventricle increased, TH/CHAT in left ventricle decreased, TH and TH/CHAT in ventricular septum decreased, CHAT in ventricular septum increased, CNTF in left ventricle and ventricular septum also increased in the 1:1 Guishao group (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSSTZ model rats had autonomic neural injury, manifested as lowered vagal nerve activity and hyperactive sympathetic nerves. GD could effectively suppress hyperactive cardiac sympathetic nerves and protect the vagus. Besides, GD (1:1) showed the optimal effect in regulating the balance of cardiac autonomic nerves and could be used in early prevention of DCAN.

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Choline O-Acetyltransferase ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Male ; Myocardium ; Nerve Growth Factor ; Paeonia ; Rats ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

BACKGROUNDSuperficial bladder cancer accounts for 60% - 70% of all bladder cancer cases in China, when treatment consists of only transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TUR-BT), recurrence and progresses in the bladder are observed in some patients. There are numerous reports of trials of intravesical instillation of anticancer agents with the objective of lowering this recurrence rate. The aim of this study was to compare the prophylactic efficacy and safety of epirubicin (EPI), pirarubicin (THP) and hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) in superficial bladder cancer.

METHODSThis study enrolled a total of 189 patients who had been diagnosed with superficial bladder cancer during the period from 2004 through 2007 at Beijing Friendship Hospital. All patients were randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups. Patients in group A received 29 doses of EPI 30 mg/30 ml, patients in group B received 29 doses of THP 30 mg/30 ml, and patients in group C received 29 doses of HCPT 30 mg/30 ml, over a period of 24 months.

RESULTSThe recurrence-free rate in the 2 anthracycline treatment groups (A and B) were significantly better than that of the HCPT treatment group. In the safety evaluation, the incidences of pollakiuria, pain on urination, dysuria, hematuria, and contracted bladder were not significantly different between groups A and B, but some were significantly higher in groups A and B than that in group C.

CONCLUSIONThe efficacy of EPI and THP was significantly better than HCPT in the prevention of bladder cancer recurrence.

Administration, Intravesical ; Adult ; Aged ; Anthracyclines ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; prevention & control ; Pilot Projects ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo construct a morphine tolerance model in primarily cultured striatal neurons, and screen the differentially expressed genes in this model using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH).

METHODSSbtracted cDNA libraries were constructed using SSH from normal primarily cultured striatal neurons and long-term morphine treated striatal neurons (10-5 mol/L for 72 hours). To check reliability of the cell culture model, RT-PCR was performed to detect the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) mRNA expression. The subtracted clones were prescreened by PCR. The clones containing inserted fragments from forward libraries were sequenced and submitted to GenBank for homology analysis. And the expression levels of genes of interest were confirmed by RT-PCR. Results CREB mRNA expression showed a significant increase in morphine treated striatal neurons (62.85 ± 1.98) compared with normal striatal neurons (28.43 ± 1.46, P < 0.01). Thirty-six clones containing inserted fragments were randomly chosen for sequence analysis. And the 36 clones showed homology with 19 known genes and 2 novel genes. The expression of 2 novel genes, mitochondrial carrier homolog 1 (Mtch1; 96.81 ± 2.04 vs. 44.20 ± 1.31, P < 0.01) and thymoma viral proto-oncogene 1 (Akt1; 122.10 ± 2.17 vs. 50.11 ± 2.01, P < 0.01), showed a significant increase in morphine-treated striatal neurons compared with normal striatal neurons.

CONCLUSIONSA reliable differential cDNA library of striatal neurons treated with long-term morphine is constructed. Mtch1 and Akt1 might be the candidate genes for the development of morphine tolerance.

Analgesics, Opioid ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Corpus Striatum ; cytology ; Drug Tolerance ; physiology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Library ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Morphine ; pharmacology ; Neurons ; cytology ; drug effects ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; methods ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods

BACKGROUNDCurcumin, an active ingredient of turmeric with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties has recently been reported to have anticonvulsant effects in several animal models of epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin on the pilocarpine rat model of status epilepticus.

METHODSThe effect of intraperitoneal administration of curcumin (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) on pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats was tested. The correlation between seizure activity and hippocampal levels of nitric oxide synthase and free radicals was quantified. Whether curcumin treatment modulated these parameters was also investigated.

RESULTSCurcumin significantly increased seizure threshold at doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg. Rats with pilocarpine- induced seizures showed significantly elevated levels of malonaldehyde, nitric oxide synthase, and lactate dehydrogenase, but decreased levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione compared with normal control rats. At doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg, curcumin reversed the effects of pilocarpine-induced seizures on nitric oxide synthase, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase. However, curcumin did not restore the elevated malonaldehyde levels.

CONCLUSIONCurcumin has anticonvulsant activity in the pilocarpine rat model of seizures, and that modulation of free radicals and nitric oxide synthase may be involved in this effect.

Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Antioxidants ; therapeutic use ; Curcumin ; therapeutic use ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Pilocarpine ; toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the anti-endotoxin activity and mechanism of F022 from Radix Isatidis.

METHODThe production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 of murine peritoneal macrophages stimulated by LPS was measured by ELISA. The temperature in rabbits was tested after i.v. administration of LPS. The lethality of BCG-primed mice was induced by LPS.

RESULTIf F022 was added to macrophages culture simultaneously with LPS or 1 h before addition of LPS, production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 by macrophages was remarkably inhibited in vitro. F022 inhibited the fever induced by LPS in rabbits and protected BCG-primed mice from LPS induced lethality if given before administration of LPS.

CONCLUSIONThe anti-endotoxin effect of F022 may inhibit LPS binding to its receptor, and it may be a LPS receptor antagonist.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Fever ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Interleukin-6 ; secretion ; Isatis ; chemistry ; Lipopolysaccharides ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; secretion ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; secretion

OBJECTIVETo investigate protective effects of hHSS transfection against CCl4 or H2O2.

METHODScDNA coding for hHSS was constructed into eukaryotic vector of pcDNA3.1 and transfected into BEL-7402 hepatoma cells. The expression of hHSS was analyzed with Northern blot.

RESULTSThe growth of the hepatoma cells was remarkably enhanced 24 to 144h after hHSS gene transfection, which suggesting hHSS gene expression could stimulate cells activity. Meantime, incubation of both wild-type and vector-transfected as well as hHSS-transfected cells with CCl4 or H2O2 resulted in severe damage as marked by cell mortality and the rate of apoptosis. However, it appeared that the transfection of hHSS enabled the hepatoma cells to raise obvious resistance against CCl4 and H2O2 injury. Compared the vector cells to the vector-transfected cells, apoptosis ratio were (32.44+/-0.52)% and (25.60+/-0.66)% in which treated with CCl4, while (47.78+/-0.45)% and (37.40+/-0.69)% in which treated with H2O2, t value is 16.82 and 25.20, P<0.01. MAPK phosphorylation was also activated after HSS transfected.

CONCLUSIONThe function of hHSS gene expression could be related to proliferation of cell and protection against free radical damage.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; toxicity ; Cytoprotection ; Free Radicals ; Growth Substances ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; toxicity ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Peptides ; genetics ; physiology ; Phosphorylation ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Transfection