Objective To observe the expression of protein kinase C(PKC)isoforms in pulmonary artery of chronic inflammatory pulmonary hypertension(PHT)rats.Methods Chronic inflammatory PHT model rats were established induced by monocrotaline(MCT).Western blotting analysis was used to detect the expression of four PKC isoforms(PKC?,PKC?Ⅱ,PKC? and PKC?)in pulmonary arteries of rats during the development of PHT.Results The values of mean pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy index increased significantly after the injection of MCT,which suggested successful formation of PHT.Western blotting analysis showed that PKC?,PKC?Ⅱ and PKC? isoforms were presented in pulmonary arteries of normal and PHT rats,while PKC? isoform was not detected.The expressions of PKC? in both cytosolic and membranous fractions increased within 14 days,and decreased a little during the development of PHT.But the increase of PKC? in cytosolic fraction was much more obvious than that in membranous fraction.The highest expression of both PKC?Ⅱ and PKC? in cytosolic fractions appeared at the eighth day,while the expression of both isoforms in membranous fraction went up continuously.Conclusions PKC?,PKC?Ⅱ and PKC? isoforms were involved in the development of chronic inflammatory PHT.The changes of their expression might be the results of PKC isoforms translocation which is related to the proliferation regulation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) is a key molecule in the Krebs cycle determining the overall rate of the citric acid cycle of the organism. It is a nitrogen scavenger and a source of glutamate and glutamine that stimulates protein synthesis and inhibits protein degradation in muscles. AKG as a precursor of glutamate and glutamine is a central metabolic fuel for cells of the gastrointestinal tract as well. AKG can decrease protein catabolism and increase protein synthesis to enhance bone tissue formation in the skeletal muscles and can be used in clinical applications. In addition to these health benefits, a recent study has shown that AKG can extend the lifespan of adult Caenorhabditis elegans by inhibiting ATP synthase and TOR. AKG not only extends lifespan, but also delays age-related disease. In this review, we will summarize the advances in AKG research field, in the content of its physiological functions and applications.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Adult ; Bone and Bones ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; Citric Acid Cycle ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Glutamic Acid ; Glutamine ; Humans ; Insurance Benefits ; Metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Nitrogen ; Proteolysis