Objective To investigate the anti-fibrogenesis property of imatinib mesylate in a rat model of liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride/olive oil and its effect on the expression of trans- forming growth factor(TGF)-?1.Methods Rat liver fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal administra- tion of carbon tetrachloride and olive oil mixture twice a week for eight weeks.Imatinib mesylate was given 20 mg/kg daily by oral lavage.The control rats received saline by oral iavage.Liver collagen depo- sition was evaluated by immunohistochemistry with Masson staining.The activation of hepatic stellate cells was detemined by the immunohistoehemistry staining of?-smooth muscle actin.The mRNA expres- sions of TGF-?1,c-Abl and TIMP-1 were measured by RT-PCR.While protein expressions of TGF-?1, phosphorylated platelet-derived growth factor receptor and c-Abl were detected by Western blot and im- munohistochemical staining.Hepatic hydroxyproline content was also quantified.Results The collagen deposition[(16.23?1.01)%vs(25.61?0.92)%]and the number of activated HSCs(10.52?1.33vs 13.10?1.21)were reduced in the imatinib mesylate treatment group compared with the control group by 35% and 20%,respectively(P

Objective To investigate the effect of cognitive intervention on language function and quality of life (QOL) in elderly patients with post-stroke aphasia.Methods Fifty-five elderly patients with post-stroke aphasia were randomly divided into the control group (n =27) and the experimental group (n=28).The control group received comprehensive treatment including speech-language therapy (SLT),while the experimental group was subjected to additional cognitive intervention.All patients were enrolled in an eight-week rehabilitation program.The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function,a device for diagnosis and treatment of language disorders,ZM 2.1,was used to evaluate language function,and the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) (Chinese version) was used to assess quality of life (QOL),before and after treatment.Results After treatment,MMSE scores,language function scores in all categories and QOL scores in all dimensions improved in both groups (P＜0.05 for both).Furthermore,after treatment,there were significant differences between the two groups in MMSE scores of orientation,recall,attention and calculation,and in scores of overall language ability and the individual categories (P＜0.05 for all).Scores of the experimental group vs.the control group for the individual categories of language function were as follows:simple instructions (76.6 ± 14.1 vs.67.4± 19.3),complex instructions (66.1±12.8 vs.58.2±14.9),yes or no (72.5±12.1 vs.63.0±14.1),naming (55.0 19.5 vs.43.3±22.2),simple comprehension (67.5±21.4 vs.55.620.6),complex comprehension (44.8±17.0 vs.35.0±18.9),listening and reading words (65.4±16.7 vs.53.7±19.3),calculation (39.3±25.8 vs.25.9±19.2),memory (36.4±18.7 vs.26.3±17.8),matching (75.9±18.6 vs.65.3±17.1),simple general knowledge (68.3±18.2 vs.58.0±19.5),complex general knowledge (58.7±17.4 vs.50.0±13.3),orientation (70.7±19.6 vs.60.5±17.2) and comparison (59.9± 14.6 vs.50.2±17.5) (P＜0.05 for all).There were significant differences between the two groups in emotional function (66.7±18.2 vs.53.1±21.2),general health (67.2±12.6 vs.60.7±9.8),mental health (71.0±5.6 vs.63.1±4.2),social functioning (64.7±9.0 vs.59.3±10.2) and vitality (55.4±14.8 vs.46.9±15.6) (P＜0.05 for all).Conclusions Cognitive intervention combined with SLT can contribute to the recovery of language function and the improvement of QOL in elderly patients with post-stroke aphasia.

Objective To investigate the different distribution and expression of mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC) in the kidney of diabetic nephropathy (DN) mice.Methods Fourteen eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to 2 groups: the control group ( n=7 ) and the streptozotocin ( STZ )-induced DN group ( n=7 ) . Blood and urinary variables including glucose , albumin, creatinine and albumin/creatinine ratio were assessed 2 weeks after STZ injection.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed for renal pathological analyses .The distributions of mTOR , phosph-ser2448-mTOR(p-mTOR), mTORC1(Raptor), mTORC2(Rictor) and phosph-ser240/244-S6K1 (p-S6K1) were determined by immunofluorescence.The expression levels of mTOR, p-mTOR, mTORC1(Raptor), mTORC2(Rictor), S6K1 and p-S6K1 were detected by Western blotting .Results Two weeks after STZ injection , the diabetic mice developed albuminuria (P<0.01) and renal hypertrophy (P<0.05).The immunofluorescence positive staining for mTOR , Raptor, and Rictor was distributed in the epithelial cells of proximal tubules , glomerular mesangium and capillary loops as well as the medullary collecting ducts of the control mouse kidney .These positive signals increased in the DN mouse kidney ( P<0.05).However, pS6K1 was not detected in the inner medulla of control mouse and p-mTOR was not found in the glomeruli of both control and DN mice .Conclusion mTORC is widely expessed in the mouse kidney and participates in the development of DN , whereas the 2448 serine phosphorylation of mTOR may be not implicated in the hyperglycemia mediated glomerular injury .

Objective To evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters and bioavailability of puerarin in Yufeng Ningxin tablets in mice by determining dose-time curve and by comparing with the pharmacokinetics of puerarin injection.Methods NIH mice were randomized into different groups. 6 %HClO4 was used to precipitate plasma protein and the plasma concentration of puerarin in mice was determined by HPLC.The PK solutions 2.0 program,a non-compartmental model software,was applied to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters and bioavailability.Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of puerarin injection by i.v.in mice were:t1/2=98.359 min,CL=35.548 mL?min-1,AUC(0-∞)=281.3 ?g?min?mL-1;the main pharmacokinetic parameters of puerarin in Yufeng Ningxin tablets by o.p.were:t1/2 =35.562 min,CL=898.685 mL?min-1,Cmax=9.3 ?g?mL-1,Tmax=30 min,AUC(0-∞)=222.5 ?g?min?mL-1 ,F(bioavailability value)=3.95 %comparing to puerarin injection.Conclusion As compared with puerarin injection,the absorptive content of puerarin in Yufeng Ningxin tablets is very poor and the bioavailability is also low,indicating that enhancement of bioavailability of Yufeng Ningxin tablets will be beneficial to the clinical application.

Hepatitis, Viral, Human ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Prostaglandins E ; therapeutic use ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Research Design

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; adverse effects ; methods ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Hematoma ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Thyroid Nodule ; pathology ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the relationship between the expression of syndecan-1 and the prognosis in pancreatic cancer. Methods The data of 30 patients with pancreatic cancer who received radical operations were retrospectively analysed.Immunohistochemical staining was performed,and the expression of syndecan-1 in tumor epithelial cells and stroma was observed by light microscopy.The relationship between immunohistochemical findings and survival was analysed.Results For those with negative,weak positive,moderate positive and strong positive expression of synecan-1 in tumor epithelial cells and stroma,there were significant differences in the case numbers between those survived for 1 to 2 years and those survived for 2 to 4 years(P

OBJECTIVETo discuss the intervention effect of ligustrazine on ox-LDL-induced foam cells from the perspective of reverse cholesterol transport.

METHODRAW264.7 cultured in vitro was induced with 20 mg x L(-1) ox-LDL to establish the foam cell model, and intervened with ligustrazine. The lipid accumulation in cells was observed by the oil red O dyeing. The changes in total cholesterol and cholesterol ester in the cells were detected with the colorimetric method. The fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA expressions of PPARgamma, LXRalpha and ABCA1.

RESULTLigustrazine could reduce total cholesterol and cholesterol ester in foam cells, inhibit the lipid accumulation, and increase the mRNA and protein expressions of PPARgamma, LXRalpha and ABCA1.

CONCLUSIONLigustrazine can promote the reverse cholesterol transport by increasing the gene expressions of PPARgamma, LXRalpha and ABCA1.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Biological Transport ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Foam Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Mice ; PPAR gamma ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To retrospectively evalute the value and accuracy of adenosine stress and rest SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging. Methods A total of 1858 patients who were suspected or known for coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent 99Tcm-methoxyisobutylisonitrile ( MIBI ) myocardial perfusionSPECT with adenosine infusion using the standard 2-day protocol. Images were interpreted by two or more experienced nuclear medicine physicians . Coronary angiography was carried out in all patients within one month. Kappa test was used to analyze the correlation between the two imaging studies. Results By coronary angiography, there were 957 patients diagnosed of CAD (one-, two-, three-vessel disease: 506,256,195, respectively) and 901 normal. Stenosis was found in 1603 vessels, including left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD): 765, left circumflex coronary artery (LCX): 399 and right coronary artery (RCA): 439. By adenosine induced stress myocardial perfusion imaging, 876 patients were diagnosed of myocardial ischemia ( sensitivity: 876/957, 91.54% ) and 651 patients had negative findings ( specificity:651/901,72.25 % ). The positive and negative predictive values were 77.80% ( 876/1126 ) and 88.93% (651/732), respectively. The correlation coefficient between the two imaging studies was 0.641. The vessel-based sensitivity was 81.31% (622/765) for LAD, 56.64% (226/399) for LCX and 70.62% (310/439) for RCA, respectively. The sensitivity for detection of one-, two-, three-vessel stenosis was 87.55% (443/506), 94.92% (243/256) and 97.44% (190/195), respectively. The side-effects was mild and transient with an incidence rate of 84.12% ( 1563/1858), without major cardiac events. Conclusion Stress myocardial perfusion imaging induced by adenosine is reliable for the evaluation of myocardial blood supply in CAD patients.

Objective To synthesize and analyze sodium 18F-fluoroacetate (FAC) and its precursor ethyl O-mesylglycolate (EOMG). Methods EOMG was synthesized using modified method. Its chemical purity was checked by HPLC and its structure was elucidated on the basis of spectral analyses. Final product of 18F-FAC was synthesized based on general nucleophilic reactions module Explora GN using EOMG as a precursor. Liquid chromatography Explora LC was applied to get rid of its chemical impurities.Then HPLC and radio-thin layer chromatography were used to assay its radiochemical purity, chemical purity and specific activity. Results EOMG was synthesized and identified. Its yield was 70% and its chemical purity was 97.0% (calculated by chromatographic peak area). The radiochemical purity of 18F-FAC was more than 98%, and its specific activity was 236. 5 MBq/μmol. Conclusion This synthetic method for 18F-FAC and its precursor can be defined as effective and highly quality-controlled.