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

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 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

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; immunology ; Male

Thrombin is a multifunctional serine protease that plays a key role in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. In addition to the role in hemostasis and coagulation, thrombin has other numerous biological activities affecting inflammation, immune responses, tissue repair and wound healing. Apart from its physiological role thrombin activates the oncogenic potential of both normal and malignant cells and leads a metastatic phenotype. It is a potent mitogen for many tumor cells. It potentiates the proliferative response of tumor cells to some growth factors, increases the adhesive properties to the platelets and invasion processes of tumor cells to the extracellular matrix, enhances the metastatic capacity of tumor cells, activates angiogenesis and remodels the microenvironment of the tumor. The cellular biological effects of thrombin are mediated at least in part by a new subfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors designated proteinase-activited receptors (PARs). Thrombin has a bilateral effect on tumor cells:enhanced growth at low concentration, impaired growth/apoptosis at higher concentration. In this papers, the biological function of thrombin, thrombin and tumors, and thrombin receptors etc were reviewed.
Animals ; Humans ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology ; Receptors, Thrombin ; physiology ; Thrombin ; physiology