The acute and chronic respiratory tract inflammation models were made to investigate the effect and mechanism of sterol extracts from Begonia Sinensis Rhizome (BSR). The first model of acute lung injury was made with Kunming mice by inhaling cigarette smoke, then the mice were treated with different concentrations of BSR sterol extracts. Lung tissue morphology was detected by HE staining, TNF-alpha/MPO were detected by Elisa, and cPLA2 protein were, detected by Western blotting respectively. Results showed that in model group, lung sheet became real, alveolar space shrank or disappeared, alveolar septum was thickened, plenty of inflammatory cells were infiltrated, capillary blood vessels were congestive and the expression of TNF-α, MPO, cPLA2 increased; after administration, a small amount of inflammatory cells were infiltrated, alveolar septum became obvious, capillary congestion status was significantly relieved and the expression of TNF-α, MPO, cPLA2 decreased (P < 0.05). The second model of chronic respiratory tract inflammation in BALB/c mice with bronchial asthma was induced by OVA, then the mice were treated with different concentrations of BSR sterol extracts. Lung tissue morphology was detected by HE staining, indexes such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 were detected by Elisa, and the cPLA2 protein expression was detected by Western blotting respectively. Results showed that in model group, a lot of inflammatory cells around lung vessels and bronchi exuded, bronchial goblet cells proliferated and the expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, cPLA2 increased; after administration, inflammatory and goblet cell hyperplasia reduced, the expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, cPLA2 also decreased (P < 0.05). The above results showed BSR sterol extracts could resist against respiratory inflammation by inhibiting cPLA2 in a dose-dependent manner.
Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; Begoniaceae ; chemistry ; Cytokines ; genetics ; immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-13 ; genetics ; immunology ; Interleukin-4 ; genetics ; immunology ; Interleukin-5 ; genetics ; immunology ; Lung ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Sterols ; administration & dosage

To investigate the kinetics of activation of the activator protein-1(AP-1) and elucidate its role in TNF-? expression induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in rat alveolar macrophages(AM), dynamic changes of the activity of AP-1 were detected with electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA). The phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide (S-ODN) decoy was transfected into AM prior to LPS stimulation. The level of TNF-? in culture supernatants was measured with an ELISA kit. The results showed that after LPS stimulation for 0.5 hour, remarkable activation of AP-1 could be detected and reached the highest level. The activation of AP-1 rapidly decreased at 1 hour, then increased at 3 hours again and reduced at 5 and 8 hours after LPS stimulation. The activation of AP-1 could persist at least 8 hours and showed a dose-dependent manner to LPS within 1000ng/ml. AP-1 S-ODN decoys could markedly inhibit the LPS-induced TNF-? production by rat AM, but it could not completely inhibit the production of TNF-? induced by LPS in rat AM. It is suggested that LPS could induce activation of AP-1 in rat AM; AP-1 played an important role in LPS-induced inflammatory response. It is also suggested that AP-1 involved in the regulation on LPS-induced TNF-? production by rat AM, however, entirely inhibition of the activity of AP-1 could not completely prevent TNF-? production by rat AM. It is also implied that other nuclear factors might also play an important role in the regulation on LPS-induced TNF-? expression by rat AM.

Objective To investigate the activation of nuclear factor ?B (NF-?B) induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in rat alveolar macrophages (AM) and its regulative role in tumor necrosis factor (TNF-?) expression. Methods The dynamic activity changes of NF-?B DNA induced by LPS (E.coli 026:B6) were determined with electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides (S-ODN) decoy was transfected into AM 12 hours prior to LPS stimulation. The effect of NF-?B S-ODN decoy on expression of TNF-? in AM stimulated by LPS were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Results NF-?B could be activated remarkably after 0.5 hour of LPS stimulation at concentration of 100 ng/ml, reached the highest level 1 hour after LPS stimulation and gradually decreased. But the activation of NF-?B could last at least 8 hours. The dose for LPS stimulation was related to activation of NF-?B in a dose-dependent fashion, ie, the activation of NF-?B gradually strengthened with dose increase of LPS. Supershift assays proved that p50 and p65 were involved in the activation of NF-?B. NF-?B S-ODN decoy could markedly (not completely) inhibit LPS-induced TNF-? production. Conclusions NF-?B plays an important role in LPS induced inflammatory response. However, entire inhibition of the activity of NF-?B can not completely prevent TNF-? expression induced by LPS in rat AM, which implies that other nuclear factors may participate in TNF-? expression.

0.05, but the duration of pain was different in group A and B, P

The clinical value of whole body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) as an imaging tool in diagnosis of ophthalmic tumors was investigated.The retrospective observational case series were performed on the patients with suspected ophthalmic tumors who underwent whole body PET/CT.The golden standard of diagnosis was the final pathological diagnosis or the results of long-term follow-up for patients without surgery/ biopsy.PET/CT findings were compared with the golden standard.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy and positive likelihood ratio of PET/CT in the detection of ophthalmic tumors were calculated.The clinical application of PET/CT in different types of ophthalmic tumors was evaluated.The results showed that 30 patients (18 males and 12 females) with a mean age of 43.0 years (range 4-63 years) were collected.The mean sizes of orbital tumors and intraocular tumors were 26.8 mm×17.8 mm and 11.2 mm×6.1 mm,respectively.The overall sensitivity,specificity,accuracy and positive likelihood ratio of whole body PET/CT in ophthalmic tumors were 76.5％,71.4％,75.0％ and 2.67,and were 62.5％,100％ and 70.0％ in intraocular tumors,and those were 100％,60.0％ and 84.6％ in orbital tumors,respectively.PET/CT findings were applied to help make appropriate treatment options in 27 out of 30 patients (90.0％),and 12 (40.0％) patients changed the treatment strategy.False negative results in 4 cases and false positive results in 2 cases were observed in this series.It was suggested that PET/CT was an effective imaging modality in detecting,diagnosing and developing therapeutic schedule for patients with ophthalmic tumors.It was more sensitive and accurate for detecting orbital tumors than for detecting intraocular tumors.

Objective To explore the effect of behavioral training on the differentiation of neural stem cells in the dental gyrus (DG) in rats with hippocampus infarction. Methods Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into infarction plus behavior training group, infarction group and control group. Photochemistry method was used to induce hippocampal infarction in rats of the infarction plus behavioral training group and infarc-tion group. At 1 day after surgery, Morris water maze training was used for infarction plus behavioral training group, free-movement without training was performed for infarction group. Double staining immunofluorescence was used to detect the co-expression of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) with neuronal nuclei ( NeuN ) or glia fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the DG at different time points. Results Few BrdU/NeuN and BrdU/GFAP double staining cells were observed in the DG of control rats. In the infarction group and infarction plus behavioral training group the number of BrdU/NeuN and BrdU/GFAP double-stained cells increased in the DG on the opposite side compared with the control group on 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th days after surgery (P < 0.05 ). There observed significantly more BrdU/NeuN and BrdU/GFAP double-stained cells in the infarction plus behavioral training group than that in the infarction group on the 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th days after surgery ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion Behavioral training can accelerate the differentiation of neural stem cells to neuron and astrocyte, by which to promote the re-covery of neural functions.

Objective To explore the effect of Cx43 protein on improvement of learning and memory ability induced by enriched environment (EE) in rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods TBI model was made by fluid percussion injury (FPI) in Sprague-Dawley rats. The TBI rats were divided into EE group (A), standard housing (ST) group (B), Cx43 specific antisense oligonucleotides (Cx43 ASODN)+EE group (C) and scrambled sequence ODN+EE group (D) with 6 rats in each group. Another 6 normal rats were taken as the control group. Groups C and D were given hippocampal microinjection of Cx43-ASODN (2 μl/d/rat, 1.5 mmol/L) and ScrbASODN (2 μl/d/ rat, 1.5 mmol/L) respectively. Morris water maze was used to evaluated the learning and memory ability. Results The latency was longer and the traversing times was less in group B than in the control group (P<0.05). The latency was shorter in group A than in group B (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between group A and the control group (P>0.05) from the 9th day after injury. The traversing times was more in group A than in group B and there was no significant difference between group A and the control group (P>0.05). The latency was longer and the traversing times was less in group C than in group A (P<0.05). Conclusion Cx43 protein may participate in the improvement of the learning and memory ability induced by EE in rats with TBI.

Animals ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urethane ; toxicity

Objective To evaluate the development of immature oocytes after freezing-thawing by conventional cryopreservation method for mature oocytes.Methods Immature oocytes were collected from stimulated ovaries of intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)cycles.Immature oocytes were in vitro matured directly or after slow freezing-fast thawing and immunostained for tubulin and chromatin and at last visualized by confocal microscopy.Results No statistical difference was found in maturity rate between freezing groups and the controls.There was a statistically significant increase in abnormalities of chromosome(23.7% vs. 50%)and spindle(28.9% vs.53.9%)in the GV freezing group compared with the GV control(P

Objective To investigate the clinical features of invasive bronchial-pulmonary aspergillosis (IBPA) in critically ill patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).Methods Clinical data of 7 COPD patients complicated with IBPA from respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital during April 2006 and August 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.Results All patients were treated with several kinds of broad-spectrum antibiotics and 6 patients were also treated with large dose of corticosteroids before their admission to RICU.The most frequent clinical manifestations were fever,persistent bronchospasm induced dyspnea and bilateral wheezing which were unresponsive to large doses of corticosteroids and broad-spectrum antibiotics.In 5 patients with both aspergillus tracheobronchitis (ATB) and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA),bronchoscopy showed tracheobronchial inflammation,bronchospasm,phlegm and bronchial pseudomembrane formation.All these 5 patients had a rapid progression from normal to infiltrates or consolidation in chest X-ray,and died of respiratory failure or multiple organ failure.The other 2 cases were diagnosed with ATB and received prophylactic antifungal treatments before infiltrates were shown on their chest X-ray.Both of them survived.Conclusions In COPD patients combined with IBPA,ATB may progress rapidly to IPA which affect lung parenchyma and lead a high mortality.Bronchoscopy and bronchial mucous biopsy may be helpful in early diagnosis and treatment.