OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect of formula of removing both phlegm and blood stasis (TYTZ) on myocardial tissues of Chinese mini-swine with coronary heart disease of phlegm-stasis cementation syndrome.

METHODTotally 36 Chinese mini-swine were randomly divided to six groups: the normal control group, the model group, the Danlou tablet group, and TYTZ groups with doses of 2.0, 1.0, 0.5 g x kg(-1), with six in each group. Except for the normal control group, all of other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 2 weeks. Interventional balloons are adopted to injure their left anterior descending artery endothelium. After the operation, they were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to prepare the coronary heart disease model of phlegm-stasis cementation syndrome in Chinese mini-swine. After the operation, they were administered with drugs for 8 weeks. The SOD activity and MDA content of each group were observed at the 0th week (before the experiment), the 2nd week after the high-fat diet (before the operation or drug administration) , the 6th week after the high-fat diet (4 weeks after the drug administration) and the 10th week after the high-fat diet (8 weeks after the drug administration). Meanwhile, the myocardial enzymogram test and the HE staining pathological observation were performed at the end of the experiment. The changes in the myocardial cell ultra-structure were observed under transmission electron microscope.

RESULTCompared with the normal control group, the model group showed significant decrease in serum SOD activity and notable increase in MDA content from the 2nd week to the end of experiment (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). In the 10th week, the CK, LDH and CK-MB levels in serum also significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01), with obvious structural abnormality in myocardial tissue pathologic morphology and ultra-structure. Compared with the model group, TYTZ groups showed specific increase in serum SOD activity and oblivious decrease in the MDA level (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Meanwhile, TYTZ could significantly decrease serum CK and LDH levels in the model group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), attenuate the ischemia injury of myocardial tissue, and improve the ultra-structure of cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSIONTYTZ shows an obvious protective effect on the myocardial injury in Chinese mini-swine with coronary heart disease of phlegm-stasis cementation syndrome. Its mechanism is related to the resistance against free radical oxidation injury and the inhibition of the lipid per-oxidation.

Animals ; Coronary Artery Disease ; genetics ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mucus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Protective Agents ; administration & dosage ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature

There have been very few studies on the effect of Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction combined with Xuefu Zhuyu decoction in inhibiting apoptosis in myocardial ischemial injury caused by coronary heart disease. In this experiment, Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction combined with-Xuefu Zhuyu decoction were used to intervene the miniature swine phlegm and blood stasis type coronary heart disease model, in order to observe the effect of the combined prescription on the myocardial apoptosis and the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9 in the model. Totally 15 Chinese experimental miniature swine were adopted and randomly divided into the control group, the model group and the phlegm and stasis-treating group. The model group and the stasis-treating group were fed with high fat diets for two weeks, intervened with the coronary artery injury and then given drugs and high fat diets for eight weeks. The control group was fed with ordinary diets for 10 weeks, without the coronary artery injury. After the experiment, myocardia at the juncture of infracted areas were collected and made into formalin-fixed paraffin sections. The TDT-mediate dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to detect the myocardial apoptosis. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique was applied to detect Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9 levels in myocardial tissues. According to the findings, the apoptosis indexes (AI) for the control group, the model group and the phlegm and stasis-treating group were 0.92%, 27.68%, 17.28%, respectively. The AI of the phlegm and stasis-treating group was significantly lower than that of the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the phlegm and stasis-treating group showed significantly higher Bcl-2 protein expression (P < 0.01) and lower Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 protein expressions (P < 0.01). In conclusion, Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction combined with Xuefu Zhuyu decoction have a significant protective effect against the myocardial apoptosis in miniature swine phlegm and blood stasis type coronary heart disease model.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspases ; metabolism ; Coronary Disease ; drug therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Phytotherapy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; analysis ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; analysis

To establish neonatal rat cardiac fibroblast inflammatory secretion model by using LPS 100 microg x L(-1) combined with ATP 5 mmol x L(-1), in order to study the inhibitory effect of quercetin on the secretion of inflammatory factors TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 of cardiac fibroblasts, further investigate the effect of quercetin on the protein expression of p-NF-kappaB p65 (S276) and p-Akt (S473) by western blot, and discuss the inhibitory effect of quercetin on the inflammatory secretion of cardiac fibroblasts. According to the findings, quercetin with the concentrations between 51.74 micromol x L(-1) and 827.81 micromol x L(-1) had no significant effect on the activity of cardiac fibroblasts. Quercetin with the concentrations of 82.78, 41.39, 20.70 micromol x L(-1) could notably inhibit the increase of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta induced by LPS 100 microg x L(-1) for 3 h and then ATP 5 mmol x L(-1) for 36 h (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Quercetin with the concentrations of 82.78, 41.39 micromol x L(-1) could notably inhibit the increase of IL-6 induced LPS 100 microg x L(-1) for 3 h and then ATP 5 mmol x L(-1) for 36 h (P < 0.05), without any notable effect of quercetin with the concentration of 20.70 micromol x L(-1). Quercetin with the concentrations of 82.78, 41.39, 20. 70 micromol x L(-1) could notably inhibit the NF-kappaB p65 (S276) activation induced by LPS 100 microg x L(-1) for 3 h and then ATP 5 mmol x L(-1) for 15 min, with the most significant effect in 20.70 micromol x L(-1). Quercetin with the concentrations of 82.78, 41.39, 20.70 micromol x L(-1) could notably inhibit the increase of p-Akt(473) expression induced by LPS 100 microg x L(-1) for 3 h and then ATP 5 mmol x L(-1) for 240 min (P < 0.05). Therefore, this study believes that quercetin could attenuate the secretion of inflammatory factors TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 of cardiac fibroblasts by inhibiting the activation of NF-kappaB p65 (S276) and Akt (473).
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Endomyocardial Fibrosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; immunology ; Heart ; drug effects ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; immunology ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; immunology ; Quercetin ; administration & dosage ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the best injection method of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) transplantation for the treatment of a rat model with hind limb ischemia.

METHODSTwenty four SD rats with hind limb ischemia were randomly divided into four groups: control group, model group, acupoint BM-MSCs injection group (API group) and thigh muscle BM-MSCs injection group (TMI group). The acupoints of "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6), "Housanli" (ST 36), "Zhaohai" (KI 6), "Huantiao" (GB 30) and "Yanglingquan" (GB 34) were selected for API group, and five non-acupoints were selected on gastrocnemius and adductor of ischemic hind limb for TMI group. Both groups were accepted BM-MSCs transplantion. Model rat with hind limb ischemia was established with the method of blocking the femoral artery and its branches. The changes of blood flow (perfuse unit, PU) was monitored with laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). In order to describe the visual changes in blood flow, the PU index (PUI) was determined as the ratio of ischemic to non-ischemic hind limb blood perfusion. And also, the levels of VEGF,bFGF in serum were tested to analyze the immunohistochemical expression quantity of VEGF and bFGF.

RESULTSComparing with the model and the TMI groups, the PUI value on 3rd, 14th and 21th days after BM-MSCs transplantation were significantly increased in the API group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In contrast to the model group, the VEGF,bFGF levels in serum and the immunohistochemical expression quantity of VEGF and bFGF in the API and TMI groups were significantly increased (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTransplantation of BM-MSCs through the acupoint can more significantly and quickly increase the blood flow and cause the greater improvement on hind limb ischemia than that of through the way of muscle injection.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemia ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Lower Extremity ; blood supply ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regional Blood Flow

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect and major complications of haploidentical nonmyeloablative allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (NST) for refractory or relapsed leukemia.

METHODSThe results of 30 patients, including 14 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 11 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 5 case of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) (accelerated and blastic phase) with refractory or relapsed leukemia (RF/RL) who underwent haploidentical NST from August 2000 to April 2009 were analyzed. The conditioning regimen consisted of fludarabine (flu), antithymocyte globulin (ATG), cyclophosphamide (CTX), total body irradiation (TBI) and cytarabine (Ara-C) or myleran (Bu). Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prevention programmes consisted of Cyclosporine (CsA), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), CD25 monoclonal antibody combined with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC).

RESULTSTwenty six cases of patients were full donor engraftment and 4 cases mixed chimerism into full donor chimerism. The average duration of neutrophil >0.5×10⁸/L after NST was 11 (9-16) days, and platelet >20×10⁸/L 17 (12-60) days. Upon follow-up of 16 to 120 months, 12-month transplant-related mortality (TRM) was 46.7%, acute Ⅱ-Ⅳgraft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) incidence was 40.0%. The probability of 3-year disease relapse, EFS and overall survival (OS) rates were 16.7%, 46.2% and 50.0% respectively.

CONCLUSIONHaploidentical NST could improve OS and EFS of refractory or relapsed leukemia and reducce TRM to some extent.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Humans ; Leukemia ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

The hydration reaction by microbial method is the crisis of the procedure of acrylamide production from acrylonitrile. This research studied the enzyme catalytic kinetics and de-active kinetics of nitrile hydratase in the type of free cell. Firstly, the effects of the concentration of cells, the temperature, pH value, the concentration of acrylonitrile and the concentration of acrylamide on the activity of nitrile hydratase was investigated. The result is that the temperature and the concentration of acrylamide are the most important among these factors. The activity of the nitrile hydratase was 5659 u/mL (broth) at 28 degrees C; the counterpart was only 663 u/mL (broth) at 5 degrees C. And the activity of NHase in solution of 45% acrylamide was just about half of that in solution of 5% acrylamide. After study on the relation of temperature and the reaction speed, It was found that the activation energy of the hydration of NHase was 65.57 kJ.mol-1. This paper studied the effects of concentration of cells, temperature, pH value, concentrations of acrylonitrile and acrylamide on the deactivation of Nhase, as well as the related enzyme de-active kinetics. The result also showed that the temperature and the concentration of acrylamide are the most important among these factors. In solution of 35% acrylamide, the residual activity was about 0% of the original value after 55 h; but in solution of 10% acrylamide, after the same period of time, the residual activity was 50% of the original one. It was also found that the concentration of acrylonitrile had little effect on the stability of NHase. The coefficient of deactivation at 28 degrees C was 21.77 times of the one at 5 degrees C. Correlating the temperature and the coefficient of deactivation, the activation energy of the de-active reaction was found to be 92.28 kJ.mol-1.
Acrylamide ; metabolism ; Acrylonitrile ; metabolism ; Catalysis ; Hydro-Lyases ; metabolism ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Kinetics ; Rhodococcus ; enzymology ; Temperature

The cultural conditions for the growth of Norcardia cell were studied in this paper. Controlling pH value, adding nutrient and optimizing the quantity of inducer during cultivation, the activity of nitrile hydratase reached 6567 u/mL (culture medium), which was the highest value appeared in native journals. In the farther hydratase experiments, no by-product, crylic acid, was detected. It showed that the activity of amidase was not promoted obviously while the activity of nitrile hydratase was increased greatly. The results set a strong foundation for the industrial application and the research on new technology.
Acrylamides ; metabolism ; Amidohydrolases ; metabolism ; Biotechnology ; methods ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Fermentation ; physiology ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Hydro-Lyases ; metabolism ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Nocardiaceae ; enzymology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA) variation in the benzene dynamic exposed rat models and benzene exposed workers, and study the feasibility of use of urinary S-PMA as the biomarker in benzene exposed.

METHODSIn an animal model study, forty-eight adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control group, low-dose group, middle-dose group and high-dose group. The exposed groups were dynamically exposed for 28 days (4 periods) by benzene and the concentration was monitored. The urine was immediately collected after every exposure period and detected by the liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometry methods. In a cohort study, eighty benzene exposed workers in a ship-yard in Guangzhou were selected as the exposed subjects while forty healthy officers in the same shipyard who were not occupationally exposed to benzene were treated as the control. The urine was collected after work shift. The urinary S-PMA and the benzene in the workplace was treated as the rat model.

RESULTSIn the animal model study, the urinary S-PMA increased along with the environment benzene in every period and had significantly difference in the different exposed groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but did not change along with the exposed time course (P > 0.05). In the cohort study, the urinary S-PMA in the high-dose group [(27.2 +/- 7.9)microg/L] was significantly higher than the low-dose group [(13.6 +/- 3.4)microg/L] (P < 0.01). Otherwise, the background of urinary S-PMA was lower than 5microg/L in both workers and rat models.

CONCLUSIONThe urinary S-PMA can be proposed as a sensitive biomarker of occupational benzene exposure.

Acetylcysteine ; analogs & derivatives ; urine ; Adult ; Animals ; Benzene ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Jiangtang Xiaozhi capsule (JXC) on morphological changes of islets and liver at rat model of type 2 diabetic mellitus and provide the experimental basis for the clinical therapy of type 2 diabetic mellitus.

METHODWister rats were fed on a diet enriched in fat and glucose to induce insulin resistan, the rats were injected intrapertoneally with a low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) twice (25 mg x kg(-1)) to induce hyperglycemia, so the successful rat model of type 2 diabetes were established. The experimental rats were divided into model group, high dose JXC group, middle dose JXC group, low dose JXC group, Erjiashuanggua group, Jinqijiangtang group and normal control group. After all the treatment groups received their own medicine for two months, all the rats were sacrificed and morphological examination on their islets and livers were performed.

RESULTFatty liver in various degrees was seen in the model group and all the treatment groups, but the liver steatosis in middle and low dose JXC groups was significantly milder than that in model group (P < 0.05). Islets in the high dose JXC group were significantly more than that in the model group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONJXC can improve significantly the pathological change in islets and liver steatosis at rat model of type 2 diabetic mellitus.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Islets of Langerhans ; drug effects ; pathology ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Microscopy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).

METHODSWe included in this study 43 cases of advanced prostate cancer with BOO treated by TURP, and analyzed their IPSS, maximum urinary flow rate and relevant risk factors pre-operatively and at 3 and 12 months after TURP.

RESULTSCompared with the baseline, IPSS and the maximum urinary flow rate of the patients showed significant differences 3 months after surgery ([19.60 +/- 0.41] score vs. [9.58 +/- 0.33] score, [4.93 +/- 0.68] ml/s vs. [8.96 +/- 0.47] ml/s, P < 0.05), but not at 12 months ([15.73 +/- 0.66] score, [5.67 +/- 0.44] ml/s). In multiple regression analysis, a good outcome was associated with pre-operative acute urinary retention, while poor prognosis with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

CONCLUSIONIn the treatment of advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer with BOO, TURP can reduce IPSS and increase the maximum urinary flow rate in the early period after surgery, but its long-term effect is not so desirable. Meanwhile the operation itself may bring about relevant complications and reduce the patient's quality of life.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Feasibility Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; surgery