Objective To observe the effect of extract from Branchlets roses on blood glucose and glucose tolerance in diabetes mice induced by alloxan.Methods Diabetes animal model was established by alloxan.Dividing the model mice into eight groups:model group,water extract high,middle,and low dose (3.70,1.85,and 0.93 g/kg) group,and ethanol extract high,middle,and low dose (2.75,1.37,and 0.70 g/kg) group,and metformin (positive drug,200 mg/kg) group,and normal mice were taken as control group.Drug was ig administered to mice 3 d after molding once daily.Blood glucose test paper was used to determine fasting blood glucose 0,10,20,and 28 d after modeling,and the glucose tolerance test was performed 30 d after modeling.Results The extract of Branchlets roses from all the groups could decrease the blood glucose and improve the glucose tolerance,and showed a certain dose-effect relationship.In all the extracts,the alcohol extract had the best effect,but the effect was not as good as the positive control drug metformin hydrochloride group.Conclusion The extract of Branchlets roses can reduce the blood sugar content of diabetic mice,and improve the glucose tolerance.

Objective:To observe the therapeutic effect of the treatment with intravenous(Ⅳ)ibandronate com- bined with chemotherapy on patients with skeletal metastases.Method:138 patients with skeletal metastases were randomly divided into ibandronate group combined with chemotherapy(68 cases)and simple chemotherapy group(70 cases).The controlled group took a standard chemotherapy project but combined the treatment group took a chemotherapy project plus ibandronate.In a week after the chemotherapy,68 cases of the treatment group were treated with ibandronate 4mg in NS 500ml by intravenous infusion once 4 weeks for 3 months.The effect was evaluated when the three cycles finished.Result: There was a statistical difference(P

BACKGROUND:Rapid loss of liver-specific functions of the cultured hepatocytes limits the development of hepatocyte-based therapies. OBJECTIVE:To establish a three-dimensional culture system based on col agen hydrogel that enables to enhance liver-specific functions for a long period during culture of hepatocytes. METHODS:Hepatocytes were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats and then encapsulated into liquid type Ⅰcol agen solution that was premixed with hepatocyte growth factor and Dulbecco's modified Eagle’s medium to create hepatocyte/col agen hydrogel compounds. The compounds were inoculated into a 96-wel plate. After gelation, culture medium was added. Light microscope, hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the morphological characteristics and ultrastructure of the cultured hepatocytes. The cellsupernatant was col ected and tested for albumin secretion and urea synthesis. Periodic acid-schiff staining, immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time PCR were also used to further clarify liver-specific phenotype or function of the hepatocytes.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Light microscope revealed that hepatocytes were round shape and distributed uniformly in col agen hydrogel. The three-dimensional hepatocyte culture system exhibited similarities to liver-like structure and tight junction were formed between hepatocytes after 14 days of culture. (2) Within the three-dimensional culture system, hepatocytes remained positive for periodic acid-schiff staining, albumin and hepatocyte nuclear factor-4αpositive after 14-day culture, which provided the convincing evidence of highly differentiated primary hepatocytes with functions of glycogen and albumin synthesis. (3) The albumin and urea productions in the three-dimensional culture system had a significantly higher level than in the two-dimensional culture, and could remain at a high level at least for 15 days. (4) The expression levels of hepatocyte-specific genes including Albumin, HNF-4α, Claudin-3, CYP1A1, CYP3A1 and G6P were significantly improved in the three-dimensional culture as compared with the two-dimensional culture. The col agen hydrogel based three-dimensional culture system provides a valuable model to enhance the hepatocyte functional maintenance and lay the foundation for the development of hepatocyte-based therapy for liver disease.

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a class of molecular chaperones essential for maintaining protein homeostasis in cells. Hsp70s also play important roles in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and infectious diseases, which makes them potential targets for the treatment of these diseases. It is necessary to develop small molecule inhibitors to validate this class of important therapeutic targets. In recent years, the discovery of small molecule inhibitors for Hsp70s has made remarkable progress, and Hsp70 inhibitors with different modalities have been reported. In this paper, Hsp70 and relevant diseases are briefly introduced, and the discovery of Hsp70 small molecule inhibitors with distinct modalities are summarized, providing reference for the further discovery and development of Hsp70 small molecule inhibitors.

AIMTo identify a novel isoform of adaptin 2 beta subunit (named Ap2beta-NY) and to investigate its relationship with testicular development and spermatogenesis.

METHODSUsing a human testis cDNA microarray, a clone (Ap2beta-NY), which was strongly expressed in adult testes but weakly expressed in embryo testes, was sequenced and analyzed. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the tissue distribution and expression time pattern of Ap2beta-NY were determined.

RESULTSAp2beta-NY was identified and has been deposited in the GenBank (AY341427). The expression level of Ap2beta-NY in the adult testis was about 3-fold higher than that in the embryo testis. PCR analysis using multi-tissue cDNA indicated that Ap2beta-NY was highly expressed in the testis, spleen, thymus, prostate, ovary, blood leukocyte and brain, but not in the heart, placenta, lung, liver, skeletal muscle, kidney and pancreas. In addition, Ap2beta-NY was variably expressed in the testes of patients with spermatogenesis-disturbance and spermatogenesis-arrest but not expressed in those of Sertoli-cell-only syndrome, which implied that, in the testis, Ap2beta-NY was restrictively expressed in germ cells.

CONCLUSIONAp2beta-NY is an isoform of Ap2beta and may be involved in regulating the process of spermatogenesis and testis development.

Adaptor Protein Complex beta Subunits ; chemistry ; genetics ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Complementary ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA Splicing ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis ; metabolism

Adult ; Biopsy ; DNA ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; genetics ; pathology ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Background There have been an abundance of literature on the analysis of the mechanical characteristic of the sclera at the entire seleral level in high myopia.However,some recent studies on high myopia are focused on the mechanical changes of the sclera on a cellular level. Objective This experiment was purposed to study how transforming growth factor-β2(TGF-β2)affected sclerotic desmocytes and the mechanical behaviors of scleral fibroblasts in the posterior part of the eyes in guinea pigs with experimental myopia. Methods Induced myopic animal models were established by wearing-10.00 D concave lens for 30 days in lateral eyes of 2-week-old guinea pigs.The fellow eyes were used as control group.Another 5 matched animals served as normal controls.The scleral fibroblasts of each group were purified with the tissue explant method and passaged for 2 generations in vitro.Cultured cells were identified by immunochemistry with vimentin,desmin,keratin and S-100 antibodies.Different concentrations of TGF-β2(0,1,10,100mg/L)were added into serum-free DMEM for 24 hours,and the viscoelastic properties of scleral fibroblasts were measured by micropipette aspiration technique. Results Compared with the fellow,eyes and normal control eyes,the equilibrium modulus and apparent viscosity in model eyes were significantly higher(P＜0.05).After treatment of TGF-β2,the equilibrium modulus and apparent viscosity in the model group and fellow eyes were positively correlated with the concentrations of TGF-β2(r=0.743,r=0.533,r=0.654,r=0.576,P＜0.05).Following the addition of 1 mg/L TGF-β2 and 10 mg/L TGF-β2,the equilibrium modulus and apparent viscosity of scleral fibroblasts were significantly reduced in model eyes compared with fellow eyes(P＜0.05).No significant difference was found in the equilibrium modulus and apparent viscosity of scleral fibroblasts between model eyes and fellow eyes after treatment with 100 mg/L TGF-β2(P＞0.05). Conclusion TGF-β2 car increase the mechanic indexes in a concentration.dependent manner.1 mg/L,10 mg/L TGF-β2 can lower the equilibrium modulus and apparent viscosity of scleral fibroblasts of normal eye and thus cause more changes in the mechanical behavior of scleral fibroblasts.

AIMTo study the metabolite of stilbene glucoside in the Chinese traditional medicine Polygonum multiflornm in mice and elucidate its chemical structure by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry.

METHODSThe stilbene glucoside was injected into the tail vein of mice. Blood samples were collected from artery in the eyepit. The methanol-protein-precipitated plasma sample was introduced into the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer directly. The analytical column was C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm ID, 5 microns). The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-methanol-water-formic acid (15:18:66:1) for ES+, acetonitrile-methanol-water (15:18:67) for ES-. The UV detection wavelength was set at 320 nm. The mass ion source type was ESI. HV capillary was 3 kV. The dry gas was nitrogen gas and the flow rate was set at 318 L.h-1. The ion source temperature was 150 degrees C.

RESULTSThe stilbene glucoside and its metabolite were separated completely under the chromatography condition. The ions at m/z 600 and m/z 605 were detected under positive ion polarity while the ions at m/z 581 and m/z 402 were detected under negative ion polarity.

CONCLUSIONIt was proposed that the metabolite of stilbene glucoside injected in vein was its glucuronide conjugate.

Animals ; Chromatography, Liquid ; methods ; Female ; Glucosides ; blood ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polygonum ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; methods ; Stilbenes ; blood ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism

Six heavy metals, including As, Cu, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr in Panax notoginseng were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) combined with wet digestion method. The samples of P. notoginseng were collected in 12 different regions, including Yunnan and Guangxi Province. Green Standards of Foreign Trading Medicinal Plants & Preparations was used as the standard to evaluate the pollution status of As, Cu, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr in P. notoginseng. The results showed that content of As and Cd exceeded the limit of the standard and the percentage was 32.4% and 29.7%, respectively, while Cu, Hg and Pb were all bellow the limit. The SPSS 16.0 software was used to analyze the data. The occurrence of contained heavy metals has been discussed.
China ; Drug Contamination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; metabolism ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Soil Pollutants ; analysis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of SiO(2) on the expression of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) in human silicotic alveolar macrophages (AM) and human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF).

METHODSHuman alveolar macrophages were collected from a silicotic patient by bronchoalveolar lavage and exposed to SiO(2) for 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 h. The cultured supernatant at 24 h was incubated with human embryonic lung fibroblasts for 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 h. The immunocytochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the level of expression of PDGF in lung fibroblasts and their supernatant respectively. (3)H-proline was used to detect the synthesis and secretion of collagen in HELF.

RESULTSThe expression of the PDGF in the supernatant of alveolar macrophages exposed to SiO(2) increased significantly and reached the peak at 24 h (average optical density: 0.282 +/- 0.019 vs 0.214 +/- 0.014, P < 0.01) with ELISA. The expression of PDGF in lung fibroblasts and their supernatant increased at different time (6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 h) with immunocytochemistry and Western blot respectively when incubated with the cultured supernatant of silicotic AM exposed to SiO(2). The expression of PDGF was significantly different from the control group (P < 0.05). The synthesis and secretion of collagen in FB were increased markedly when incubated with the cultured supernatant of AM stimulated by SiO(2) compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONSiO(2) may affect the expression of PDGF and synthesis of collagen through AM mediation and participate in the formation of lung fibrosis.

Cells, Cultured ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Silicon Dioxide ; pharmacology