Objective To study the protective effect of basic fibroblast growth factor ( bFGF ) on endothelial function and structure of the basilar artery of atherosclerotic rats .Methods A total of forty-eight male adult Wister rats were randomly divided into the normal control , the atherosclerosis ( AS) model and the bFGF treatment groups .The AS model group and the bFGF treatment group were injected with a single dose of vitamin D 3 (6 ×105 IU/kg) and loaded with high fat diet for six consecutive weeks .The bFGF (9.5μg/kg, twice one day) was injection into the abdominal cavity after six weeks in the bFGF treatment group for two weeks , and an identical volume saline was given for the AS model group and the normal control group .After eight weeks , all the rats were sacrificed .The relaxation percentages of the isolated basilar artery in response to acetylcholine ( Ach) were detected and the pathological lesions of them were observed under a light microscope .ELISA and colorimetry assayed the content of serum VEGF and basilar arterial nitric oxide ( NO) .The basilar artery was used for primary culture of both vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The influence of bFGF on the proliferation vitality of VECs was measured in vitro with MTT assay.TRITC-phalloidin labeling the cytoskeleton microfilament of VSMCs was observed by laser confocal microscopy .Results The early AS plaques were presented after six weeks by hyper lipid foods .Compared with the AS model group , the relaxation percentage of the isolated basilar artery , the content of both serum VEGF and basilar arterial NO in the bFGF treatment group were obviously increased, but the pathologic injury of the basilar artery was significantly decreased (P<0.05).The proliferation vitality of VECs was obviously increased (P<0.05); the cytoskeleton microfilament of VSMCs was of obviously improvement .Conclusion AS may aggravate the basilar arterial injury , but bFGF may efficiently improve the arterial endothelial function and decrease the pathological lesion of the basilar artery in the AS model rats , which may promote the arterial protective effect .

Objective To study the learning and memory abilities together with the morphological changes in astrocyte and neuron in the hippocampal CA3 area in mice induced by chronic cadmium exposure. Methods Twenty Kunming mice aged 4-5 months were selected by Y-maze and randomly divided into two groups. The cadmium exposed group treated with cadmium (CdCl2,2 mg/kg) by subcutaneous injection,twice a week for 3 consecutive months,and the normal control group were injected with the equal dose of saline. The learning and memory abilities were detected by Y-maze after 3 months of treatment. The structure of astrocytes and neurons in CA3 area of hippocampus were observed under light microscope,and the quantitatively analysis was performed by cell morphometric technique. Results Compared with the control group,learning and memory capacity determined by Y-maze test in the cadmium exposed group were lower (P

OBJECTIVETo search and identify the microstructure of medicinal properties of six kinds of gadfly.

METHODThe medicinal properties, different body parts and bristles microscopic characteristics were compared.

RESULTThe two-spotted yellow gadfly had a smaller size. Its length no more than 14 mm, body wall debris was yellow brown or pale yellow, the seta was smaller than that of the other gadflies; while the other five varieties' body lengths all exceeded 15 mm, and their body wall debris mostly were brown black or gray and black.

CONCLUSIONThe authentication between the two-spotted yellow gadfly and the other five varieties can be made by the microscopic characteristics of their medicinal properties, body wall debris colors, bristle lengths, and basal diameters.

Animals ; Diptera ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Microscopy

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most prominent causes of chronic liver diseases and malignancies. However, few therapy has been approved. Radix Bupleuri (RB) is the most frequently used herbal medicine for the treatment of liver diseases. In the current study, we aim to systemically evaluate the therapeutic effects of saikosaponin A (SSa) and saikosaponin D (SSd), the major bioactive monomers in RB, against NAFLD and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that both SSa and SSd improved diet-induced NAFLD. Integrative lipidomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that SSa and SSd modulated glycerolipid metabolism by regulating related genes, like