Objective To investigate the effect of hydrogen-rich saline on apoptosis in hippocampal neurons induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats and PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.Methods The rat model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion was established by thread-occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats.SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (Sham group), ischemia-reperfusion group (I/R group) and hydrogen-rich saline treatment group (HRS group), 10 rats in each group.At 24 h after reperfusion, the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-a and IL-1β were detected by ELISA.Histological changes of the hippocampus were observed by pathology using HE staining.Apoptosis in brain tissues was observed by TUNEL staining.The expression changes of p-PI3K, Akt, caspase-3 and FoxO1 proteins were detected by Western blot assay.Results Compared with the sham group, pyramidal cells were arranged loosely in the I/R group and a large number of pyramidal cells were necrotized, and the amount of apoptotic hippocampal cells was increased.The levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased (P< 0.05), as well as the expression of p-PI3K, Akt and caspase-3 in the brain tissue.However, the expression of FoxO1 protein was decreased.There were significant differences between the two groups (P< 0.05).Compared with the I/R group, the inflammatory factors were significantly decreased in the HRS group.The expressions of p-PI3K, Akt and caspase-3 were also significantly decreased, while the expression of FoxO1 protein was increased (P< 0.05).Conclusions Hydrogen-rich saline can reduce brain injury caused by ischemia-reperfusion, and its mechanism may be related to PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the effect of sevoflurane on brain injury in pigs with hemorrhagic shock (HS).Methods Twenty-four adult male Bama miniature pigs, aged 6 months, weighing 22-25 kg, were equally and randomly divided into 3 groups using a random number table: sham operation group (group Sham) , group HS, and sevoflurane group (S group).In group Sham, the bilateral femoral arteries and internal jugular vein were only punctured.The animals were anesthetized with iv propofol 3.0 mg/kg, tracheostomized and mechanically ventilated.The right femoral artery was cannulated for blood-letting.HS was induced by blood-letting (40％ blood volume within 15 min), and it was then maintained for 1 h after the end of blood-letting to induce brain injury.In group S, 2％ sevoflurane was inhaled for 30 min after successful establishment of the model.Immediately before establishment of the model (T0) , and at 30, 60,90, 120, 180 and 240 min after HS (T1-6) , blood samples were collected from the internal jugular vein for determination of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentrations in serum (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S-100β protein concentrations in serum (using double antibody sandwich method).Results Compared with group Sham, the serum IL-1β, TNF-α, NSE and S-100β protein concentrations were significantly increased at T2-6 in HS and S groups (P＜0.05).Compared with group HS, the serum IL-1β, TNF-α, NSE and S-100β protein concentrations were significantly decreased at T3-6 in group S (P＜ 0.05).Conclusion Sevoflurane can mitigate brain injury in pigs with HS, and the mechanism is associated with inhibition of inflammatory responses.

Objective To evaluate the effect of sevoflurane preconditioning on brain injury induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in rats.Methods Forty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 6-8 months,weighing 350-450 g,were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=8 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (S group),CPB group,and preconditioning with different concentrations of sevoflurane groups (SP1,SP2 and SP3 groups).In SP1,SP2 and SP3 groups,sevoflurane with the final concentrations of 1.2％,2.4％ and 3.6％,respectively,was inhaled for 1 h,and then CPB was started.After sevoflurane preconditioning and before CPB (T0),at 30 min of CPB (T1),at the end of CPB (T2),and at 1,2 and 3 h after termination of CPB (T3-5),venous blood samples were collected from the right internal jugular vein for determination of serum S100-β protein concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Rats were sacrificcd at T5,and hippocampi were isolated for determination of neuronal apoptosis (by TUNEL) and NF-κB p65 expression (by immunohistochemistry).Results Compared with group S,the concentration of serum S100-β protein was significantly increased at T1-5,the number of apoptotic neurons was significantly increased,and the expression of NF-κB p65 was significantly up-regulated in CPB,SP1,SP2 and SP3 groups (P＜0.05).Compared with group CPB,the serum S100-β protein concentration was significantly decreased at T1-5,the number of apoptotic neurons was significantly decreased,and the expression of NF-κB p65 was significantly down-regulated in SP1,SP2 and SP3 groups (P＜ 0.05).Compared with group SP1,the serum S100-β protein concentration was significantly decreased at T1-5,the number of apoptotic neurons was significantly decreased,and the expression of NF-κB p65 was significantly down-regulated in SP2 and SP3 groups (P＜0.05).Compared with group SP2,the serum S100-β protein concentration was significantly decreased at T1-5,the number of apoptotic neurons was significantly decreased,and the expression of NF-κB p65 was significantly downregulated in group SP3 (P＜0.05).Conclusion Sevoflurane preconditioning can attenuate CPB-induced brain injury probably by inhibiting activation of NF-κB in hippocampal neurons of rats.

Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on acute kidney injury in endotoxemic rats.Methods Thirty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 4-6 months,weighing 180-220 g,were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =10 each) using a random number table:control group (group C),lipopolysaccharide group (group L),and dexmedetomidine (group D).Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 5 mg/kg was injected slowly into the femoral vein to establish the model of endotoxemic in rats anesthetized with chloral hydrate.In group D,after LPS injection,a loading dose of dexmedetomidine 7 μg/kg was injected intravenously,and 15 min later dexmedetomidine was infused for 6 h at 5 μg · kg-1 · h-1,while the equal volume of normal saline was given in L and C groups.At 6 h after the end of LPS administration,blood samples were collected from the femoral vein for determination of serum creatinine (Cr),blood urea nitrogen (BUN),tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations.At 24 h after the end of LPS administration,the animals were sacrificed and kidneys were removed for microscopic examination and for determination of the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin in renal tissues by Western blot.Results Compared with group C,the serum Cr,BUN,TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations were significantly increased,and the expression of ZO-1 and occluding was down-regulated in L and D groups.Compared with group L,the serum Cr,BUN,TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations were significantly decreased,the expression of ZO-1 and occluding was up-regulated,and the pathological changes of kidneys were mitigated in D group.Conclusion Dexmedetomidine can alleviate acute kidney injury in endotoxemic rats.

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the effect of androgen deficiency on serum hormone levels, visceral fat accumulation and inflammatory gene expression in miniature pigs fed a high-fat diet ( HFD) . Methods Sexually mature male Chinese Wuzhishan miniature pigs were divided into three groups ( animals/group) as follows:intact male pigs ( SHAM) , castrated male pigs ( CAS) and castrated male pigs plus testosterone treatment ( CAS+T) . The pigs were fed a HFD diet for 12 weeks. Serum levels of testosterone and leptin were measured and visceral fat were dissected and weighted. qRT?PCR was performed to determine the mRNA expression levels of lipogenic, lipolysis and inflammation relat?ed genes. Results (1) Serum testosterone levels were significantly decreased but serum leptin levels were significantly in?creased in the castrated pigs. These effects were recovered after testosterone treatment. ( 2 ) Visceral fat percentage was significantly increased in the castrated pigs, and testosterone treatment reduced the increased visceral fat in the castrated pigs. (3) Castration and testosterone treatment had no significant effects on the expression levels of lipogenic genes (FAS and ACC) and lipolysis genes (HSL and ATGL) in pigs fed a HFD. (5) Castration significantly induced the expressions of inflammatory genes including Leptin, CD68, CCL16, CCL23 and SAA, and testosterone treatment recovered the expres?sions of the above genes in the castrated pigs. Conclusions Castration?induced testosterone deficiency promotes visceral fat accumulation and upregulates the expression levels of inflammatory genes in miniature pigs fed a HFD. Moreover, tes?tosterone treatment ameliorates castration?induced visceral fat accumulation and inflammatory response in HFD?fed pigs.

Objective To evaluate the effect of sevoflurane on activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) during brain injury induced by hemorrhagic shock (HS) in pigs.Methods Thirty-two adult male Bama miniature pigs,aged 6 months,weighing 22-25 kg,were divided into 4 groups (n=8 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group Sham),HS group,sevoflurane preconditioning group (group Sev-Pre) and sevoflurane postconditioning group (group Sev-Post).The animals were anesthetized,and tracheostomized and mechanically ventilated.In group Sham,the bilateral femoral arteries and internal jugular veins were only cannulated.HS was induced by removing 40％ of blood volume within 15 min (30 ml/kg) via the right femoral artery and maintaining at this level for 1 h before resuscitation in HS,Sev-Pre and Sev-Post groups.In group Sev-Pre,2％ sevoflurane was inhaled for 30 min,and then HS was induced.In group Sev-Post,2％ sevoflurane was inhaled for 30 min starting from the time point immediately after HS was induced.Immediately before establishment of the model and at 30,60,90,120,180 and 240 min of HS (T1-6),blood samples from the jugular vein were collected for determination of serum interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentrations by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay.At 4 h of HS,the rats were sacrificed,and brains were removed for microscopic examination of hippocampal CA1 region (using haematoxylin and eosin staining) and for determination of the expression of NF-κB in nucleoprotein (by Western blot).Results Compared with group Sham,the concentrations of serum IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly increased at T2-6,and the expression of NF-κB in nucleoprotein in hippocampal CA1 region was up-regulated in HS,Sev-Pre and Sev-Post groups (P＜0.05).Compared with group HS,the concentrations of serum IL-1β and TNF-α were significantly decreased at T3-6,and the expression of NF-κB in nucleoprotein in hippocampal CA1 region was down-regulated in Sev-Pre and Sev-Post groups (P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between group SevPre and group Sev-Post in concentrations of serum IL-1β and TNF-α and expression of NF-κB in nucleoprotein in hippocampal CA1 region (P＞0.05).The pathologic changes were significantly attenuated in SevPre and Sev-Post groups as compared with group HS.Conclusion The mechanism by which sevoflurane attenuates brain injury induced by HS may be related to inhibition of NF-κB activation and reduction of inflammatory responses in pigs.

Objective To evaluate the effect of hemorrhagic shock factor on the pharmacokinetics of rocuronium in pigs.Methods Sixteen pathogen-free Bama miniature pigs of both sexes,aged 3-5 months,weighing 22-25 kg,were divided into 2 groups (n=8 each) using a random number table:control group (group C) and hemorrhagic shock group (group HS).In group C,rocuronium 3.78 mg/kg was injected via the auricular vein.In group HS,the animals were subjected to volume-controlled hemorrhage,about 40％ of blood volume was withdrawn from the left femoral artery over 15 min (30 ml/kg),and rocuronium 3.78 mg/kg was injected via the auricular vein after the model was successfully established.At 0,2,4,7,10,15,20,30,60,120,180,240,300,360 and 420 min after rocuronium injection,blood samples were collected from the internal jugular vein for determination of the plasma concentration of rocuronium by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.The pharmacokinetic parameters of rocuronium were calculated.Results Compared with group C,the plasma concentration of rocuronium was significantly increased at 20 and 60-420 min after rocuronium injection,the elimination half-life and mean residence time were prolonged,and the plasma effect-site equilibration rate constant was decreased in group HS (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the maximal concentration and area under the concentration-time curve between the two groups (P＞ 0.05).Conclusion The elimination of rocuronium is slower in a pig model of hemorrhagic shock.

Objective To evaluate the effect of sevoflurane on myocardial injury induced by hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HS/R) in pigs.Methods Twenty-four Bama miniature pigs (12 males, 12 females) , weighing 20-25 kg, aged 3-5 months, were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=8 each) using a random number table: sham operation group (group S) , HS/R group and sevoflurane group (group Sev).The left and right femoral arteries and right femoral vein were cannulated for blood pressure monitoring, blood-letting, blood sampling and fluid infusion.HS/R was induced by blood-letting maintaining for 1 h, followed by resuscitation with autologous blood reinfusion and infusion of lactated Ringer's solution 2 times the volume of the blood withdrawn.The pigs in group Sev were exposed to 2％ sevoflurane for 30 min before resuscitation.After cannulation, at 30 min after hemorrhagic shock, before resuscitation, and at 30 min, and 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 h after resuscitation, blood samples were collected from the femoral artery for determination of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) activity and cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnI) concentration in serum using an automatic biochemical analyzer.Myocardial specimens were obtained at 3.5 h after resuscitation for detection of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-ot) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) contents (by ELISA) , and phosphor-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (p-STAT1) expression (by Western blot), and for examination of the pathological changes (with light microscope).Results Compared with S group , the CK-MB activity and cTnI concentration in serum and contents of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly increased, and the expression of p-STAT1 was up-regulated in HS/R and Sev groups (P＜0.05).Compared with HS/R group, the CK-MB activity and cTnI concentration in serum and contents of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased, and the expression of p-STAT1 was downregulated (P＜0.05) , and the pathological changes of myocardia were alleviated in Sev group.Conclusion Sevoflurane can alleviate HS/R-induced damage to myocardia of pigs, and inhibited STAT1 activity and attenuated inflammatory responses in the myocardium are involved in the mechanism.

Objective To evaluate the changes in the expression of aquaporin-8 (AQP8) in intestinal mucosa in pigs with hemorrhagic shock.Methods Sixteen Bama miniature pigs,weighing 22-25 kg,were equally and randomly divided into sham operation group (group S) and hemorrhagic shock group (group HS).The animals were fasted for 8 h before operation.The animals were anesthetized with propofol 3 mg/kg injected via the auricular vein,and tracheostomized and mechanically ventilated.In group S,the femoral artery and internal jugular vein were only cannulated.In group HS,the femoral artery and internal jugular vein were cannulated for blood pressure and mean arterial pressure monitoring and blood sampling.Hemorrhagic shock was then induced by removing 40 percent of blood volume over 15 min.Before anesthesia (T0),and at 30 min and 1.0,1.5,2.0,3.0 and 4.0 h after the end of blood-letting (T1.6),blood samples were collected for determination of serum D-lactate and intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) concentrations.After blood sampling at T6,the pigs were sacrificed,and intestinal specimens were obtained for microscopic examination and for determination of AQP8 cotent in intestinal mucosa (by ELISA).The water content of intestines was calculated by wet/dry weight ratio.Results Compared with group S,the serum D-lactate concentrations at T2-6,I-FABP concentrations at T1-6,and water content of intestines were significantly increased,and the cotent of AQP8 was up-regulated at T6 in group HS.No changes were found in the intestinal mucosa in group S.In group HS,severe damage to the intestinal mucosa was found,and bleeding,inflammatory cell infiltration,and epithelial cell necrosis were observed.Conclusion The mechanism of hemorrhagic shock-caused damage to intestines is related to up-regulated expression of AQP8 in intestinal mucosa in pigs.

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the effect of testosterone deficiency on serum lipid levels and hepatic lipid accumulation in miniature pigs fed a high-fat diet (HFD).Methods Eighteen sexually mature male Chinese Wuzhishan miniature pigs (6~7 months old) were used in this study.The pigs were divided in three groups ( n =6 animals/group ) as follows: intact male pigs , castrated male pigs and castrated male pigs with testosterone replacement .They were fed a HFD diet for 12 weeks and body weights were recorded weekly .Serum levels of testosterone , total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) were measured.Hepatic TG and TC levels were also determined , and liver tissues were embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E).Results (1) The body weights of pigs in each group were found to be linearly elevated over time .Though castrated pigs gained less weight than did pigs in the other groups , no significant differences were found between them .( 2 ) Castration caused a significant decrease in serum testosterone levels in pigs . This effect was recovered by testosterone treatment .(3) Serum levels of TC, LDL-C and TG were significantly increased in castrated pigs.However, castration had no significant effect on serum HDL-C levels.Testosterone treatment reduced the increased serum lipids in castrated pigs .(4) Hepatic TG and TC contents in castrated pigs were also significantly higher than those in other groups of pigs .Testosterone treatment reduced the increased hepatic lipids in castrated pigs .( 5 ) Compared with other groups of pigs , castrated pigs showed increased steatosis .However , testosterone treatment attenuated hepatic steatosis in castrated pigs .Conclusion Testosterone deficiency caused severe dyslipidemia , and increased hepatic lipid accumulation in miniature pigs fed a high-fat diet.