OBJECTIVETo explore the effect and mechanism of cinnabaris and realgar in promoting awake effect of endotoxin- induced brain injury rat applied with Angong Niuhuang Wan.

METHODNormal rats implanted cortical electrode in advance were divided into 6 groups: control, model, the Angong Niuhuang Wan (AGNH, 0.4, 0.2 g · kg(-1)), the Angong Niuhuang Wan without cinnabaris and realgar (QZX-AGNH, 0.32, 0.16 g · kg(-1)). Rats in the control and model groups were given distilled water. After three days of intragastric administration, the brain injury model was injected with endotoxin through tail vein. Then trace electro-corticogram (EcoG) 1-6 h after LPS injection, and compare the power and relative power of beta (β) and delta-waves (δ) at 6 h of these groups. The content of acetylcholine (Ach) and the affinity of M-receptor (M-R) in cortex and brainstem were detected by alkaline hydroxylamine colorimetric method and radioactive ligand binding assay, respectively.

RESULTAGNH (0.4, 0.2 g · kg(-1)) could increase the power and relative power of β and AGNH (0.4 g · kg(-1)) showed better action on brain electrical activation. QZX-AGNH showed weak effect on it. AGNH (0.4 g · kg(-1)) could increase the affinity of M-R in cortex and the content of Ach in brainstem. The action of QZX-AGNH was not obvious.

CONCLUSIONIn endotoxin-induced brain injury rats, AGNH can raise the cholinergic system function of cortex, and strengthen the uplink of cortex activation of brainstem cholinergic system, improve the level of cortical activity and enhance the activation of EcoG to promote the body's awakening. QZX-AGNH show weak effect. Cinnabaris and realgar play an important role in promoting awake effect in endotoxin-induced brain injury applied with Angong Niuhuang Wan. The mechanism may be related to cortical and brainstem cholinergic system function.

Animals ; Brain Injuries ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Endotoxins ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Adult ; Ergonomics ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Young Adult

Adult ; Arsenic Poisoning ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organotin Compounds ; poisoning ; Water Pollution ; Young Adult

This study aims to analyse the value of CODEHOP RT-PCR in the detection of Flavivirus. According to the amino acid sequences of polyproteins of different flaviviruses published in GenBank, a pair of primers was designed using the CODEHOP method. One-step RT-PCR was used to detect Japanese encephalitis virus strain JEV1201, Dengue virus strain JKD001, and yellow fever virus vaccine YV6161. BLAST analysis and phylogenetic analysis were performed after the RT-PCR products of nucleocapsid genes were sequenced. The results showed that this method could amplify Flavivirus specifically, and the size and sequence of the target fragment accorded with the anticipated result. JEV1201 had the highest homology to Japanese encephalitis virus strain YL2009-4/YC2009-3, belonging to the branch of the phylogenetic tree of Japanese encephalitis virus strains. JKD001 had the highest homology to Dengue virus strain DENV-2/ID/1022DN/1975, belonging to the branch of the phylogenetic tree of Dengue virus strains. YV6161 had the highest homology to Yellow fever virus strain 17D, belonging to the branch of the phylogenetic tree of Yellow fever virus strains. In conclusion, the method of CODEHOP RT-PCR can be effectively used to detect, identify, and phylogenetically analyse Flavivirus.
DNA Primers ; genetics ; Flavivirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Flavivirus Infections ; virology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of Qilong capsule (QLC) on the hemoreology in acute stress blood stasis model rats.

METHODThe model of acute stress blood stasis rats were induced by putting the rats into ice-water between hyodermic epinephrine twice of 1 mg x kg(-1). With the models, the effect of QLC on hemoreology such as whole blood viscosity, whole blood reduction viscosity, plasma viscosity, haematocrit (Hct), erythrocyte deformation and erythrocyte aggregation were observed.

RESULTQLC 0.6, 0.3, 0.15 g x kg(-1) could significantly reduce the increase of whole blood viscosity at high-middle-low shear rate, reduce the whole blood reduction viscosity at middle-low shear rate, reduce Hct and erythrocyte aggregation, and increase the erythrocyte deformation in acute stress blood stasis rats (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, compared with vehicle). QLC 0.6, 0.3 g x kg(-1) could also reduce plasma viscosity (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, compared with vehicle).

CONCLUSIONQLC can significantly improve some indexes of hemoreology in acute stress blood stasis rats.

Animals ; Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; Blood Viscosity ; drug effects ; Capsules ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Erythrocyte Aggregation ; drug effects ; Erythrocyte Deformability ; drug effects ; Hemorheology ; drug effects ; Hemostasis ; drug effects ; Male ; Materia Medica ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Oligochaeta ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Stress, Physiological ; physiopathology

BACKGROUNDHigh uric acid (UA) levels and metabolic syndrome (MS) are risk factors for atherosclerotic diseases. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is a valid and reproducible measurement by which to assess arterial stiffness and a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. However, little is known about the relationship between them, especially in elderly Chinese with MS components who are at high risk for atherosclerotic diseases.

METHODSOne thousand and twenty Chinese subjects (159 women) older than 60 years of age (mean age (70.6 ± 5.7) years) with at least one MS component underwent routine laboratory tests, and baPWV measurements were analyzed.

RESULTSParticipants were divided into four groups by MS components. The mean age did not significantly differ among the MS component groups. We found that not only the diagnostic factors (blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), lipids, glucose) of MS but also baPWV, UA, insulin, homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistence index (HOMAIR) levels increased, and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-C decreased with an increased number of MS components (test for trend P < 0.05). The association between UA and baPWV was observed after adjustment for gender, age, blood pressure, BMI, serum creatinine and high density lipoprotein, and insulin resistance (r = 0.186, P < 0.0001). There were increases in the odds ratios for the association between the number of components of MS, UA and baPWV, even after adjustment for traditional risk factors. However, after adjustment for insulin or HOMA-IR, there were no significant differences in the multivariate odds ratios among the number of MS components for UA.

CONCLUSIONSThe UA level is positively associated with baPWV and MS, but the association between UA and MS is dependent on insulin resistance. Furthermore, baPWV is independently associated with MS in our study population.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Body Mass Index ; Brachial Artery ; physiopathology ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Uric Acid ; blood ; Vascular Stiffness ; physiology

Objective To summarize the techniques of anatomical liver resection for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods The clinical data of 125 patients with solitary HCC who underwent anatomical liver resection at the Zhongshan Hospital from January 2005 to December 2006 were retrospectively analysed.The inflow and outflow of hepatic segments to be resected were selectively clamped,then the main branches of portal vein and hepatic artery were ligated,and the ischemic hepatic segments were resected en bloc.Kelly forceps were used to crash and clamp the liver cut surface.The stumps of left and right hepatic ducts were continuously sutured with Prolene sutures.For tumors with the size above 10 cm in diameter,hepatectomy with anterior approach and liver hanging maneuver were adopted.Bile leakage was checked by injecting methylene blue or covering a gauze on the liver cut surface.Results The mean blood loss of all patients was 250 ml(100-6000 ml),and 32 of them needed blood transfusion.The morbidity was 23%(29/125).No patient died within 30 days after the operation,and 6%(5/83)of patients were found with residual tumor by postoperative arteriography.Conclusion Anatomical liver resection may improve the safety of operation,prevent the injury of great vessels and thus improve the efficacy.

Objective To evaluate the effects of sevoflurane on the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in rats and the role of hippocampal glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3β).Methods Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 250-300 g,aged 2 months,were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =10 each):control group (group C) ; PTSD group (group P) ; sevoflurane group (group S) ; lithium chloride (LiC1) + sevoflurane group (group LS).Establishment of PTSD model:the rats received 15 footshocks (1 mA,1 s shocks with a variable intershock interval of 240-480 s) in room A on the first day.On the second day,the rats received 1 footshock after an adaptation of 192 s in room B where its context was completely different from room A,and then they were removed from room B 32 s later.The rats were placed in room B and observed for 512 s on the third day.Group C did not receive any treatment on the first day in room A,while the other three groups received 15 footshocks in room A.In addition,0.8％ sevoflurane was administrated while training in group S,and group LS received intraperitoneal LiCl 100 mg/kg at 30 min before entering room A,and then the other treatments were similar to those previously described in group S.The ratio of freezing was recorded in room B on the second and third days.Four rats in each group were randomly sacrificed at 2 h after training in room A on the first day and their hippocampal tissues were taken to detect the expression of GSK-3β and phosphorylated GSK-3β (p-GSK-3β).Results Compared with group C,the ratio of freezing was significantly increased on the third day and the p-GSK-3β expression was up-regulated in P and LS groups,and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in group S.Compared with group P,the ratio of freezing was significantly decreased on the third day and the p-GSK-3β expression was down-regulated in group S,and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in group LS.Compared with group S,the ratio of freezing was significantly increased on the third day and the p-GSK-3β expression was up-regulated in group LS.There was no significant difference in the ratio of freezing on the second day and expression of p-GSK-3β between the four groups.Conclusion Sevoflurane can inhibit the development of PTSD in rats,and enhancement of hippocampal GSK-3β activity may be involved in the mechanism.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of chrysin on the apoptosis induced by DNA damage antitumor drugs in hepatoma (Hep G2) cell lines, and its molecular mechanism. METHODS: Hep G2 cells were pretreated with chrysin for 2 h, then treated with cisplatin or camptothecin for 24 h. The morphologic changes were observed under inversed microscope and the cell viability was measured using MTT test. The proteins of caspase-3, PARP, Bcl-xL, xIAP and FLIP were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Increases of cell death were observed in the combination of chrysin and cisplatin or camptothecin. There were significant differences in the cell viability not only between the combined treatment and the untreated control, but also between the combined treatment and chrysin alone, cisplatin alone or camptothecin alone. Chromatin condensation could be observed when the cells were stained by Hochest 33342 in the combination of chrysin and DNA damage antitumor drugs, and the apoptotic cells showed significant increase in the combination group compared with other groups(P < 0.05). The proproteins of caspase-3 and PARP degraded. The pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk could inhibit the activation of caspase-3 and PARP induced by the combination of chrysin and cisplatin or camptothecin. The apoptosis inhibitory proteins, FLIP and xIAP which upregulated by cisplatin alone, could be downregulated by the cotreatment of chrysin and cisplatin; and Bcl-xL upregulated by camptothecin alone was downregulated by the combination of chrysin and camptothecin. CONCLUSION: Chrysin could sensitize the apoptosis induced by cisplatin and camptothecin, and the downregulation of apoptosis inhibitory proteins, which were regulated by NF-κB and augmented by cisplatin and camptothecin, played an important role in the sensitization.

Objective: To explore the structural and functional changes of femoral and popliteal arteries in hypertension patients before and after drug therapy. Methods: A total of 201 hypertension patients treated in our hospital from 2010-03 to 2016-01 were studied. Based on blood pressure levels, the patients were divided into 3 groups: Grade-1 group,n=72, Grade-2 Group,n=68 and Grade-3 group,n=61. The patients were treated for 3 months and blood pressure was reduced below 140/90 mmHg. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of femoral and popliteal arteries was measured by two-dimensional ultrasound, blood vessel elasticity parameters of β, Ep, AC and PWV were determined by ET technology. The differences were compared between pre- and post-medication. Results: Compared with pre-medication, post-medication IMT in femoral artery was decreased in 3 groups, allP<0.05 and IMT in popliteal artery was similar,P>0.05; blood vessel elasticity parameters of β, Ep, PWV were decreased in 3 groups and AC was increased, allP<0.05. Conclusion: Drug therapy could effectively improve the elasticity of femoral and popliteal arteries in hypertension patients; two-dimensional ultrasound combining ET technology may dynamically monitor vascular elasticity of lower extremity which provides an objective basis for evaluating medication efifcacy in clinical practice.