AIM: To determine whether nuclear Ca 2+ is independently regulated from the cytosolic Ca 2+ and nuclear Ca 2+ oscillation induced by many modulating factors in cultured rat neonatal myocytes and its mechanism. METHODS: Rat neonatal cardiac myocytes were cultured, and fluo-4/AM was loaded as calcium probe. The changes of cytosolic and nuclear Ca 2+ were observed by confocal laser microscopy. RESULTS: Calcium fluorescent intensity oscillated slightly in myocardiocytes and the average intensity was much higher in the nucleus than that in the cytosole. Ca 2+ oscillation in nucleus and cytosole induced by norepinephrine, isoproperenol, ATP were completely blocked by Ca 2+ -ATPase antagonist thapsigargin (10 -6 mol/L),L-type Ca 2+ channel blocker verapermil (500 ?mol/L) and KCl (20 mmol/L). Ca 2+ -ATPase antagonist thapsigargin completely blocked the propagation of Ca 2+ waves and simutaneouly induced a temporary Ca 2+ increase followed by a magnificient drop and loss of response to norepinephrine. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that generation and maintenance of calcium oscillation both in cytosole and nucleus depended on extracellular Ca 2+ influx, membrane potential, Ca 2+ release and uptake of cytosolic and nuclear calcium stores. The difference between cytosolic calcium and nuclear calcium indicated that calcium regulating system relatively independent of cytosole may exist in nucleus.

Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; therapy

A simple and efficient method for the determination of organotin compounds ( OTCs) in biota by GC-MS coupling with sodium tetraethylborate ( NaBEt4 ) derivatization was established. The results showed that recoveries for each OTCs spiked in blank freeze-dryed biological samples ( 0 . 1 g ) following extraction (15 mL 0. 035 mol/L methanolic HCl solution for 1 h ) and derivatization (2 mL contained internal standard n-hexane and 0. 5 mL of 2% (m/V) NaBEt4 solution for 30 min) were above 80%. The method is fast and easy to operate for the determination of OTCs in complex biological samples. The minimum limit of detection was about 0. 01 μg/L, and relative standard deviation values were within 10% for three parallel samples.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), also named as a cancer of cardiovascular disease, is a rare disease and has complicated pathogenesis. Recently, there are more understandings of PAH pathogeneses. According to the pathogenesis and active pathways, the clinically used drugs are classified into several groups incluidng prostacyclin analogues and prostacyclin receptor agonists, endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitors, etc. To elevate the efficacy of the drugs, numerous drug delivery systems are developed. This review mainly summarized the pathological mechanism of PAH, drugs and drug delivery approaches in the treatment of PAH.

In order to solve the adhesion and the softening problems of traditional Chinese medicine extract during spray drying, a new method of adding dehumidified air into spray drying process was proposed, and the storage stability conditions of extract powder could be predicted. Kouyanqing extract was taken as model drug to investigate on the wet air (RH = 70%) and dry air conditions of spray drying. Under the dry air condition, the influence of the spray drying result with different air compression ratio and the spray-dried powder properties (extract powder recovery rate, adhesion percentage, water content, angle of repose, compression ratio, particle size and distribution) with 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 °C inlet temperature were studied. The hygroscopic investigation and Tg value with different moisture content of ideal powder were determined. The water activity-equilibrium moisture content (aw-EMC) and the equilibrium moisture content-Tg (EMC-Tg) relationships were fitted by GAB equation and Gordon-Taylor model respectively, and the state diagram of kouyanqing powder was obtained to guide the rational storage conditions. The study found that in the condition of dry air, the extract powder water content decreased with the increase of air compression ratio and the spray drying effect with air compression ratio of 100% was the best performance; in the condition of wet air, the extract powder with high water content and low yield, and the value were 4.26% and 16.73 °C, while, in the dry air condition the values were 2.43% and 24.86 °C with the same other instru- ment parameters. From the analysis of kouyanqing powder state diagram, in order to keep the stability, the critical water content of 3.42% and the critical water content of 0.188. As the water decreased Tg value of extract powder is the major problem of causing adhesion and softening during spray drying, it is meaningful to aid dehumidified air during the process.
Drug Stability ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Humidity ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Powders ; Temperature

AlM: To explore the inhibiting effect of FTY720 on corneal neovascularization ( CNV) of rat.METHODS: MTT assay and cells scratch were adopted to observe hyperplasia of human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( HUVECs ) and cell migration induced by sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P) after using FTY720 of different concentration. The effect of FTY720 on CNV induced by S1P in a rat corneal micropocket model was detected. 30SD rats were randomly divided into group A, group B and group C with 10 rats per group. S1P and 0μg, 5μg, and 20μg FTY720 controlled-released particles were implanted into the corneal stroma. The growth of CNV and having pathological examination on 12d after the operation was observed. Findings was analyzed by one-way ANOVA.RESULTS: 10, 102 , 103 , and 104 nmol/L FTY720 and HUVECs co-incubate 72h could inhibit cell proliferation (P < 0. 01 ), 24h after the function of 10, 100nmol/L FTY720, it could inhibit S1P-induced cell migration and the ability of restricting cell proliferation and cell migration was enhanced with increasing concentration of FTY720. On 12d, after rat corneal micropocket controlled-release particles was implanted into groups A, B, C, the CNV area were respectively 10. 05±1. 19, 6. 59±0. 95, 2. 70± 0.68mm2(F=145. 155, P<0. 01), group A and group B was statistically different and this was the same case between group B and group C (P<0. 01).CONCLUSlON:FTY720 can inhibit S1P-induced corneal neovascularization.

AIM: To determine the influence of interleukin-1?(IL-1?) and ?(IL-1?) gene polymorphisms on rheumatoid arthritis(RA) disease severity and secretion of IL-1?. METHODS: The study included 136 RA patients and 102 healthy controls. PCR-RFLP was used to detect site mutation at IL-1 gene. Meanwhile the IL-1? was also measured in the supernatant of the cultured and stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC). RESULTS: No difference in the allele frequencies or genotypes of the IL-1? gene polymorphisms was found between the controls and RA patients.IL-1? allele 2 was overrepresented in patients with erosive RA but not in nonerosive patients. The patients with IL-1? allele 2 had a higher swollen joint index, higher tender joint index and erythrocyte sedimentation rate than those without IL-1? allele 2.The IL-1? in supernatant of stimulated PBMC from patients with IL-1? allele 2 had a higher level than that from those without allele 2. CONCLUSION: IL-1 gene polymorphisms may influence the occurrence of RA. Detection of IL-1? allele 2 have a potential prognostic value in RA.

Objective To improve the accurate ultrasonography of the portal vein abnormal echoes .Methods 30 cases of portal vein abnormal echo with conventional ultrasound examination were contrast-enhanced by ultrasound microbubble .6 cases were con-firmed by biopsy or surgical pathology ,24 cases were confirmed after clinical data and enhanced CT or MR .Results 27 cases of tumor thrombus in the arterial phase ,of which 21 cases were overall uniformity enhanced ,6 cases was part of the high enhance-ment ,partial filling defect ;In portal venous phase all was equal or lower enhancement ;in delayed phase all showed low enhance-ment .3 cases of thrombosis were contrast-enhanced process with 2 cases without enhancement ,1 case of portal vein segmental en-hancement .Conclusion Contrast-enhanced ultrasound microbubble can accurately identify tumor thrombus and thrombosis ,and provid the reference value to further clear of the disease detected in nature ,staging ,treatment and prognosis .

Carbon-nitrogen lyases (E.C.4.3) are a group of enzymes that release ammonia, amidine or amino group etc, and also show ability to form double bond or ring structure. Specifically, enzymes forming amino group are called amine-lyases (E.C.4.3.3), which are critical in the industrial production of many medicine intermediates. In this review is a summary of four major amine-lyases in terms of their source, enzymatic characteristics and their applications in preparation of pharmaceutical intermediates.

0.05), but the level of albumin dropped significantly(P