OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Gingerol on endotoxemia mouse induced by heatstroke.

METHODSForty mice were randomly divided into five groups, the endotoxemia model group (A), the normal temperature group (B), the Gingerol treated group (C), the solvent control group (D), and the saline control group (E), 8 mice in each group. Group B to E was administered with saline, Gingerol, solvent and saline respectively. Mice in group B were placed at room temperature 25 +/- 0.5 degrees C , relative humidity 43 +/- 5 % for 2 hrs, while mice in the other groups were exposed under 35 +/- 0.5 degrees C and relative humidity 65 +/- 5 % for 2 hrs in an artificial hot-climate mimic cabin to establish heatstroke endotoxemia model. The energy metabolic level of celiomacrophage was detected with MTT; the phagocytic ability was examined with neutral red chromometry; the hepatocyte ultrastructure was observed with transmission electron microscopy, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma was tested.

RESULTSAs compared with Group A, D and E, in Group C, energy metabolic levels of macrophage, phagocytic ability, and activity of SOD were significantly higher (P < 0.01), and the level of MDA was significantly lower respectively (P < 0.01), with the levels of SOD and MDA approaching to those in Group B (P >0.05). The pathologic changes of hepatocyte ultrastructure in group C were less than those in the other three endotoxemia groups.

CONCLUSIONGingerol could raise the energy metabolic level of celio-macrophage to enhance its phagocytic ability, increase the activity of SOD and reduce the production of MDA in mouse with heatstroke endotoxemia, so as to alleviate the liver damage.

Animals ; Catechols ; Endotoxemia ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Fatty Alcohols ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Ginger ; chemistry ; Heat Stroke ; complications ; Macrophages ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Phagocytosis ; drug effects ; Phytotherapy ; Random Allocation

Objective To measure the effect of one-stage transplantation of reverse-flow vascular pedicle fibular grafts in treatment of infected nonunion of the distal tibia.Methods From January 2001 to December 2012,23 patients sustaining the infected nonunion of the distal tibia were transplanted with reverse-flow vascular pedicled fibular grafts in one-stage.There were 13 males and 10 females,aged 26 to 59 years (mean,38.7 years).Tibial nounion based on the Jain-Sinha classification was rated as Type A in 6 patients and Type B in 17 patients.After the operation,the patients received 2-3 weeks of intravenous antibiotic treatment and then 4-week oral antibiotic therapy.Wound healing,limb and ankle joint fucntion and outcomes in fibular transplantation were observed.Results Duration of follow-up was 16-46 months (mean,28.6 months).There were no exudates and ulcerations of the skins.Smooth healing was achieved in all the patients except that fibular fracture was noted in one patient healed after cast immobilization.Healing time ranged from 12 to 28 weeks (mean,15.6 weeks).Limb function evaluated with Ennecking system had (87 ± 11) ％ restoration.According the Olerud-Molander scoring system,ankle function was excellent in 16 patients and good in 7 patients,with the excellent-good rate of 100％.Conclusion One-stage reverse-flow vascular pedicle fibular grafting is an optional procedure for treatment of infected nonunion of the distal tibia,due to the technique is easy and effective.

Objective To discuss the main factors influencing the clinical pathway for Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, and to provide the corresponding measures and theories in the formulation of clinical pathway. Methods 161 patients undergoing uvulopalatopharyngoplasty from January 2006 to December 2007 were selected. The clinical data of age, preoperative accompanying diseases, preoperative used antibiotics, postoperative complications, hospital stay, hospital charges were statistically analyzed using the retrospective study. Results Hospital stay was influenced by age, preoperative accompanying diseases and preoperative used antibiotics. The days of hospital stay, preoperative accompanying disease, antibiotics of preoperative used influenced hospital charge. Conclusions It is esseinal to early intervene and handle the influencing factors that incluence hosptal stay and hospital charge, and strictly choose the patients, to reduce the occurrence of variance, in formulating a uvulopalatopharyngoplasty clinical pathway. It is better to formulate different clinical paths separately for the various operations of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and for the patients with two and more types of accompanying diseases.

Aged ; B-Lymphocytes ; pathology ; Histiocytic Sarcoma ; complications ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; etiology ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; etiology ; pathology ; Male

Objective:To observe the effect of Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-refreshing acupuncture plus functional training on neural development in infants with brain damage and seek an effective method for early intervention of infantile brain damage.Methods:Eighty infants with brain injury were recruited and allocated to a treatment group and a control group by their visiting sequence,with 40 cases in each group.The control group received exercise training,40 min each session and 6 sessions a week,and tuina treatment,30 min each time and 6 times a week.Based on the treatment protocol for the control group,the treatment group additionally received Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-refreshing acupuncture,3 times a week and 10 sessions as a course at a 2-week interval.Before the treatment and after 14-week treatment,the gross motor function measure (GMFM) and developmental quotient (DQ) of Bejing Gesell developmental scale were used to evaluate the development of the infants.Results:After the treatment,the GMFM score and DQs of Gesell scale all increased by different levels in the two groups,and the intra-group differences were statistically significant (all P＜0.05);the scores of the treatment group were superior to those of the control group,and the between-group differences were statistically significant (all P＜0.05).Conclusion:Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-refreshing acupuncture plus functional training can significantly promote the development of gross motor and cognitive functions in infants with brain damage,and it is an early and effective intervention for infantile brain damage.

BACKGROUNDThe conventional procedure for screening bioactive components from traditional Chinese medicine is time-consuming, expensive and low efficient. Therefore, some alternative strategies are needed urgently. A novel method for screening anti-platelet aggregation components from oleoresins was developed using chicken thrombocyte extract and high performance liquid chromatography.

METHODSThe anti-platelet aggregation components of oleoresins were combined with receptors, channels and enzymes of chicken thrombocytes under physiological environment. Unbound substances were washed away and bound compounds were eluted using specific phosphate buffered solution (PBS). Compounds released from target sites were collected and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography and LC-MS. The activity of three compounds which were screened from this model was confirmed using platelet aggregation pharmacology in vivo.

RESULTSThere were four typical compounds that bound to the thrombocytes: 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 6-shogaol and 10-gingerol, and all had shown anti-platelet aggregation activities. Eight-gingerol displayed the best anti-platelet aggregation effect.

CONCLUSIONSChicken thrombocyte extract can be used to isolate chemicals that are ligands of the receptor or other bio-targets on the platelet. This may therefore be a simple and efficient method to screen for anti-platelet aggregation compounds from traditional Chinese medicine.

Animals ; Catechols ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Chickens ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Fatty Alcohols ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ginger ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Platelet Aggregation ; drug effects ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; T-Lymphocytes ; metabolism

There are sex differences in some brain areas in mammalians. Parkinson's disease (PD), caused by the mesencephalic substantia nigra (SN) dopaminergic neuronal loss, displays sexual difference, i.e., the incidence is higher and the symptoms are more intense in males than that in females. However, it has not been known whether sexual dimorphisms exist in the SN. Sixty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: (1) Female intact group (F-INT group); (2) Male intact group (M-INT group); (3) Ovariectomized group (OVX group); (4) Castration group (CAST group); (5) Ovariectomized + estrogen-replaced group (OVX-E(2) group): The rats received sequentially physiological dose of estrogen for 3 d from the 7th day after ovariectomization. P50 auditory evoked potential (P50) was recorded for 14 d from electrodes inserted in the rat right SN in quiet and awake state. After recording, the brain tissues were dissected and the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing neurons in the compact zone of the SN were counted using immunohistochemical method. The results showed that the number of TH-positive (TH(+)) cells in the SN of normal male animals was less than that in normal female rats (P<0.05), and the T/C ratio of P50 in normal males was significantly less than that in normal females (P<0.01), indicating that there exists sexual difference in function and structure in the SN. No differences in the T/C ratio of P50 or the number of TH(+) cells were found between M-INT and CAST groups. The T/C ratio of P50 and the number of TH(+) cells in the SN in OVX group were reduced significantly compared with those in F-INT group (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the T/C ratio of P50 and the number of TH(+) cells in the SN between OVX- E(2) and F-INT groups 15-20 d after estrogen replacement, suggesting that estrogen can promote the survival and functional recovery of dopaminergic neurons in the SN. The results suggest that there exist sex-specific differences in the dopaminergic neurons in the SN structurally and functionally. The difference of estrogen level in cerebra between male and female animals may account for the sexual differences. Endogenous estrogen plays an important role in maintaining the integrity and modulating the functional activity of dopamine system in the SN.
Animals ; Dopaminergic Neurons ; cytology ; Estrogens ; pharmacology ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory ; Female ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Ovariectomy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sex Characteristics ; Substantia Nigra ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the signal transduction mechanism underlying the effects of angiotensin II (AngII) on extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), early growth response-1 (EGR-1) and platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B) in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).

METHODSHSC-T6 cells treated with AngII for 10 or 30 min were examined for phospho-P42/44 protein expression using Western blotting. In another experiment, the cells were preincubated for 1 h in the presence of U0126 (an inhibitor of the MAPK/ERK kinase), irbesartan (an AT-1 receptor blocker), or antioxidant-N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prior to AngII exposure, and the protein expression of phospho-P42/44 and PDGF-B were measured with Western blotting. The DNA binding activity of EGR-1 was analyzed using electrophoretic gel mobility shift assay (EMSA), and the expression of PDGF-B was detected immunohistochemically.

RESULTSAngII induced phospho-P42/44 expression in HSC-T6, which was abrogated by U0126 or irbesartan. NAC did not inhibit phospho-P42/44 expression. EMSA showed that AngII exposure of the HSC cells markedly increased EGR-1 DNA binding activity, reaching the maximum after 60 min of exposure followed by progressive declination; irbesartan and U0126 significantly suppressed AngII-induced EGR-1 activity enhancement. ACEI at 1 micromol/L and 10 nmol/L inhibited EGR-1 activity, but ACEI at the concentration of 0.1 nmol/L resulted in enhanced EGR-1 activity. NAC showed no obvious effect in suppressing EGR-1 activity. AngII increased PDGF-B protein level in the HSCs, the effect of which was inhibited by irbesartan. U0126, NAC and ACEI did not attenuate PDGF-BB protein level in the HSCs.

CONCLUSIONStimulation of the HSCs with AngII results in EGR-1 activation via the ERK1/2 pathway, leading to up-regulation of PDGF-B expression.

Angiotensin II ; pharmacology ; Blotting, Western ; Cells, Cultured ; Early Growth Response Protein 1 ; metabolism ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; metabolism ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; biosynthesis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

Objective To construct the recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pRNAT-U6,1- siEdg4 which curries small interfering RNA(siRNA)of Edg4 and observe the silencing effect of Edg4 gene targeted siRNA in ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3.Methods The Edg4 gene-targeted hairpin siRNA sequence was designed according to the Edg4 sequence in Genbank,and the two complementary oligo nucleotide strands were synthesized and annealed and inserted into the pRNAT-U6.1 plasmid to build a recombinant Edg4 siRNA eukaryotic expression vector,which was sequenced and identified to contain the correct Edg4 siRNA sequence.The human ovarian carcinoma cell lines SKOV3 were transfeeted with the vector using lipofeetamine method.The efficiency of transfecting cells was observed with fluorescent microscope and the mRNA expression level of Edg4 gene was detected by real time quantitative PCR.The LPA levels in cell supernatants were detected using a biochemical method.And the apoptosis of SKOV3 cells induced by the vector was evaluated by flow cytometry.Results The recombinant eukaryotic expression vector was confirmed to contain correct Edg4 siRNA sequence by PCR and sequencing.After transfection large amounts of green fluorescence were seen in plasma and nuclei of SKOV3 cells and the positive cell rates were 64%.The expression level of Edg4 mRNA in transfeeted SKOV3 cell line was significantly decreased (0.05?0.01 vs 0.29?0.04,P

OBJECTIVETo demonstrate the vasodilatation activity of the coumarin-containing Angelica dahurica var. formosana and to further analyze active components in the herb extracts.

METHODS(1) The vasodilatation effects induced by different extracts (cyclohexane, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol, 95 % ethanol and water) of Angelica dahurica var. formosana on mouse thoracic aorta pre-contracted with phenylephrine were investigated. (2) The amount of imperatorin and isoimperatorin in each extract was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. (3) The vasodilatation effects of imperatorin and isoimperatorin on mouse thoracic aorta were compared using the same in vitro method. (4) The vasodilatation mechanism of imperatorin in the mouse thoracic aorta pre-contracted with phenylephrine was studied using the methods of denuded endothelium, NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), and propranolol.

RESULTS(1) The cyclohexane and ethyl acetate extracts of Angelica dahurica var. formosana decreased the maximal response of phenylephrine-induced mouse thoracic aorta contraction dose-dependently, with 50% inhibiting concentration (IC(50)) values of 35.3+/-12.4 mg/L and 40.5+/-12.0 mg/L, respectively. The vasodilatation effect of imperatorin and isoimperatorin was dose-dependent. (2) The cyclohexane extract, showing the strongest vasodilatation effect, possessed the highest contents of imperatorin (4.09%) and isoimperatorin (0.27%, w/w). There was a correlation between the vasodilatation activity and the contents of imperatorin and isoimperatorin in the extracts. (3) The vasodilatation effect of imperatorin was about 4-fold stronger than that of isoimperatorin. (4) The vasodilatation effect of imperatorin was signifificantly attenuated to 24.88%+/-4.06% in the denuded endothelium group compared with the intact endothelium group. And 1 mmol/L L-NAME reduced the imperatorin-induced vasorelaxation by 32.18 %+/-11.29 %.

CONCLUSIONSThe principal effective component of Angelica dahurica var. Formosana was found to be imperatorin. Imperatorin-induced vasodilatation is at least partially regulated by nitric oxide, and has no correlation to beta-receptor.

Angelica ; chemistry ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiology ; Furocoumarins ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide ; physiology ; Phenylephrine ; pharmacology ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Propranolol ; pharmacology ; Vasodilation ; drug effects