Objective To observe the hindpaw withdrawal threshold (HWT), and the ultrastructure and expression of glia cell line-de-rived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in sciatic nerve (SN) in chronic constriction injury (CCI) rats after pulsed radiofrequency (PRF). Meth-ods 30 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham modeling-sham treating (SS) group, CCI-Sham treating (CS) group and CCI-PRF (CP) group. The right SNs of the rats in the CS and CP groups were ligated, and it was separated without ligation in the SS group. The CP group accepted PRF at the ligation 14 days after modeling, while the electrodes were placed without electricity in the SS and CS groups. Their HWT was measured before and 1, 7, 14 days after modeling, and 1, 7, 14 days after treatment. The right SN of ligation was observed under electron microscope 14 days after treatment, meanwhile, the GDNF expression was determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results HWT was significantly shorter in the CS and CP groups than in the SS group after modeling, and it increased in the CP group 14 days after treatment compared with that of the CS group (P<0.01). The degeneration of SN significantly improved in the CP group compared with the CS group, while the expression of GDNF increased compared with that in the CS and SS groups (P<0.01). Conclusion PRF could relieve the CCI-induced neuropathic pain by upregulating the GDNF expression in the SN to prevent the SN from injury.

Adult ; Epilepsy ; chemically induced ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Nitrobenzenes ; poisoning ; Occupational Exposure ; Poisoning ; complications ; therapy

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene, PcgstA was cloned from the penicillin producing strain Penicillium chrysogenum,which is important for understanding the industrial fermentation process. PcgstA gene has an open-reading-frame of 840 bp in length,which is interrupted by two introns. The deduced amino acid sequence shows about 50% identity to several characterized filamentous fungi GSTs. The recombinant PcGSTA in Escherichia coli were overexpressed and purified. Enzymatic assays showed that the recombinant PcGSTA had a specific activity with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene of (0.159±0.031) μmol/(min· mg). It was found that the expression level of PcgstA in the penicillin producing medium supplemented with phenylacetic acid, the side chain precursor of penicillin G, was significant down regulated than that in medium without phenylacetic acid. This result suggested that PcGST may be related to phenylacetic acid metabolism in the penicillin producing strain.

AIMTo approach the expression of prohibitin in oxidative stressed cardiomyocytes.

METHODSThe oxidative stress model was established by treating neonatal cardiomyocytes with H2O2. Injury of cardiomyocytes were evaluated by detecting the LDH activity and MTT cell survival rate.The expression level of prohibitin was examined via the Western-blotting. The ability of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was determined by measuring ATP synthesis via H+ -ATPase. Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by flow cytometry using Rhl23.

RESULTSLDH activity increased significantly after exposure to H202, while the cell survival rate decreased by 34.51%-65.5%. The contents of mitochondrial prohibitin in stress group was much higher than that in control group. At the same time, the ability of ATP synthesis decreased by 60% and mitochondrial transmembrane potential decreased too.

CONCLUSIONExpress of prohibitin in oxidative stress cardiomyocytes was compensated increase. Prohibitin translocated to mitochondria after oxidative stress. Oxidative stress led to mitochondrial dysfunction.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cells, Cultured ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Mitochondria, Heart ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; pathology ; Oxidative Stress ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Repressor Proteins ; metabolism

The aim of the experiments was to develop and characterize a murine model for investigating the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on the mother and fetus. Pregnant mice were separated into three groups: group 1 was treated with cocaine HCl at 10 mg/kg twice daily (COC); group 2 was treated with saline at 10 ml/kg twice daily (SAL); and group 3 was pair-fed with the COC dams and was injected with saline following the same schedule (SPF) from embryonic day (E) 8 to 17. We utilized high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detector and electrochemical detector to test the concentrations of cocaine, dopamine and serotonin, as well as HE staining to observe morphological alterations of liver and placenta. Though less food intake and lower weight gain were observed in COC and SPF groups but not in SAL dams, lower fetal body weight and brain weight were only seen in COC offspring. Pharmacological analysis revealed that cocaine was found in fetal plasma at 15 min following intraperitoneal administration on E17, accompanied with elevated concentrations of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) in fetal brain. We also observed morphological changes in liver and placenta of cocaine-exposed fetuses. The present study indicates that pregnancy cocaine exposure can lead to maternal undernutrition and developmental abnormality of the fetal brain, liver and placenta. It is suggested that the developmental abnormality of the fetuses induced by cocaine is due to the toxicological effect of cocaine but not to maternal undernutrition.
Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cocaine ; adverse effects ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Female ; Fetus ; drug effects ; pathology ; Liver ; pathology ; Malnutrition ; Maternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Mice ; Mothers ; Placenta ; pathology ; Pregnancy ; Serotonin ; metabolism

Objective To explore protective effect of Heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) on irradiation-induced endothelial cell apoptosis.Methods Human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 were administered with or without HO-1 activator Copp and/or HO-1 inhibitor Znpp,respectively.Then,cells were treated with or without 8 Gy radiation.The HO-1 protein expression of cells were assessed with Western blotting and apoptosis of cells treated with irradiation were evaluated with flow cytometry.Moreover,cytochrome C releasing into cytosol were also determined by Western blotting. Results In PBS+R group,HO-1 protein expression of EA.hy926 was low posterior to irradiation.When cells were preconditioned with Copp and/or Znpp,then recieved with 8Gy irradiation,the HO-1 protein expression of EA.hy926 increased significantly in comparision with the PBS+R group(P

To investigate the upregulated genes associated with cold acclimation, a cold acclimation model was established based on Balb/C mouse. mRNA of muscle and liver were isolated, and the upregulated genes of these tissues were studied by representational differential analysis (RDA). The upregulated genes then were sequenced and searched by Blast software in GenBank database. The results showed that some genes were upregulated and possibly associated with cold acclimation. Three of these genes, transferrin, fibrinogen B-beta-chains and a new gene fragment (Genbank ID: AF454762), were confirmed to be upregulated by RNA slot-blot analysis. The finding of these genes might contribute to further understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cold acclimation.
Acclimatization ; genetics ; Animals ; Cold Temperature ; Gene Expression ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism ; Transcriptome ; Up-Regulation

Objective:To observe the changes of glyeemia, urine protein, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and glycosylated hemoglobin in diabetic nephropathy rats and treating effects of Xiaokekang. Methods: Streptozotocin (STZ) was abdominally administered and was feeded by high lipid diet to establish diabetic nephropathy model in rats. Animals were divided into three groups: model group, Xiaokekang treatment group and normal group. Changes in glycemia, serum lipids, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen were measured at the 8th, 12th and 16th week after STZ injection. Glycosylated hemoglobin was measured at the 16th weeks after STZ injection. Results: Glycemia, serum lipids, serum creatinine were higher at the 8th, 12th and 16th week compared with normal group. Serum creatinine was higher at the 12th and 16th week, and glycosylated hemoglobin was also highter than that of the normal group. Xiaokekang reduced these changes. Conclusion: Xiaokekang can reduce glycemia, serum lipids and protect renal function.

Objective: To identify the active ingredients, potential targets, and mechanism of Rhizoma coptidis by bioinformatics method, and to explore the hypoglycemic effect of Rhizoma coptidis by in vitro experiments. Methods: The chemical components of Rhizoma coptidis were collected through database search, and oral bioavailability and drug-likeness were used for preliminary screening. The targets of Rhizoma coptidis and diabetes-related targets were collected by database retrieval and reverse docking techniques, and the biological process of cross-set proteins was analyzed. The inhibitory effects of Rhizoma coptidis on α-glucosidase, α-amylase activity, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were determined via in vitro experiments. In addition, the effects of Rhizoma coptidis on pre-adipocyte differentiation, absorption of glucose by adipocytes, and the level of intracellular triglyceride were investigated using the adipocyte differentiation model. Results: There were 11 potentially active ingredients in Rhizoma coptidis. IL-6, caspase-3, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), MYC, and estrogen receptor 1 were considered as the key genes. The bioinformatics analysis showed that Rhizoma coptidis played an anti-diabetic role mainly via biological processes and signaling pathways including hormone receptor activity, glutathione binding, steroid binding, etc. In vitro experiments showed that the extract of Rhizoma coptidis inhibited the activities of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, and the generation of AGEs; meanwhile, the extract promoted the absorption of glucose by adipocytes. In addition, the extract of Rhizoma coptidis decreased triglyceride level. Conclusions: Our network pharmacology and in vitro experiments demonstrate the anti-diabetic effects and possible underlying mechanisms of Rhizoma coptidis extract.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the confusing factors and clinical and audiological characteristics in infants failed in hearing screening.

METHODSBetween August 2004 and January 2006, 166 infants (315 ears) with detailed birth record and hearing screening record were reviewed in the study. The age of this series ranged from 2 to 6 months. They were born in maternal and child health hospitals (MCH) in Guangzhou city and surrounding areas, and had hearing screened by otoacoustic emissions (OAE). However, they failed in the first and second hearing screening. The birth history, high-risk factors of hearing-impaired during newborn period and pregnancy history of subjects were fully detailed. Subjects were classified according to the age: 2 to 3 months old infants were considered as group 1, while 4 to 6 months old infants were considered as group 2. Auditory brainstem response (ABR), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and acoustic immittance measurement were examined. Subjects with abnormal hearing-evaluation were retested during the following one to three months (before 6-month-old). The ABR results, DPOAE results and tympanic cavity pressure and static compliance value were compared between the two tests and then diagnosis was made.

RESULTS(1) Among the 166 cases, 34 (20.5%) cases were once suffered from hypercholesterolemia of newborn, and 10 cases (6.0%) had asphyxia and hypoxia history. (2) The proportion of presenting type B tympanogram in group 2 was higher than that of group 1 (chi2 = 26.22, P < 0.01). (3) The proportion of normal ABR in group 2 (37.2%) was significantly higher than that of in group 1 (23.4%, chi2 = 0.527, P < 0.05). Fifty-six percent of infants accepted twice ABR test had improving ABR results during the second test. (4) The proportion of normal DOPAE in group 2 (39.7%) was slightly lower than that of in group 1 (42.2%, chi2 = 0.14, P > 0.05). Among the infants who accepted twice DPOAE test, 32.0% had improving results in the second test. (5) Four cases (4 ears ) were diagnosed as auditory neuropathy.

CONCLUSIONSMiddle ear function and development of auditory system in infants may be confusing factors in hearing screening. The results of hearing screening should be interpreted appropriately.

Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Neonatal Screening ; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous