Aim To determine potential biomarkers contributed to occurrence, development and recovery of ethanol-induced liver injury in rat and elucidate hepatoprotective effect of Yin Chen Hao Tang based on metabonomic investigation. Methods A UPLC-Q-TOF/MS based metabonomic method was developed for investigating trajectory change and inter-relationship of urinary metabolome of rats with different treatments. Results Four potential biomarkers were determined which contributed to occurrence, development and recovery of ethanol-induced liver injury in rat, and Yin Chen Hao Tang could significantly recover trajectory change in disorder. Conclusion The developed method was successfully applied to investigate ethanol-induced liver injury in rat, and also hepatoprotective effect of Yin Chen Hao Tang was elucidated.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the toxic effects of decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), used as an alternative to decabromodiphenyl ether in vitro.

METHODSHepG2 cells were cultured in the presence of DBDPE at various concentrations (3.125-100.0 mg/L) for 24, 48, and 72 h respectively and the toxic effect of DBDPE was studied.

RESULTSAs evaluated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays and nuclear morphological changes, DBDPE inhibited HepG2 viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner within a range of 12.5 mg/L to 100 mg/L and for 48 h and 72 h. Induction of apoptosis was detected at 12.5-100 mg/L at 48 h and 72 h by propidium iodide staining, accompanied with overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a widely used ROS scavenger, significantly reduced DBDPE-induced ROS levels and increased HepG2 cells viability.

CONCLUSIONDBDPE has cytotoxic and anti-proliferation effect and can induce apoptosis in which ROS plays an important role.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bromobenzenes ; toxicity ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Environmental Pollutants ; toxicity ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Time Factors

BACKGROUND:The safety and efficacy of paclitaxel-eluting stents (Taxus DES) has been proved by international researchers in clinic investigations.Based on further inclusion criteria,the incidence of in-stent restenosis is still lower than that of bare-metal stent.OBJECTIVE:TO observe restenosis of Taxus DES and the effect on local vessels through applying the follow up of coronary angiography and to investigate the biocompatibility of stent and host.DESIGN:Following-up observation.SETTING:Department of Cardiology,General Hospital of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS:A total of 297 patients who had undergone coronary Taxus DES implantation for coronary artery disease were selected from Cardiovascular Department of General Hospital of Chinese PLA from May 2003 to May 2005.There were 265 males and 32 females and their ages ranged from 36 to 76 years.All patients provided informed consent,and the experiment had got confirmed consent from local ethic committee.METHODS:All patients were implanted Taxus DES and received the follow up within 6 and 12 months.In addition,at 6 months after operation,coronary angiography was used to measure the reference vessel diameter (RVD) and the minimal lumen diameter(MLD),calculate diameter restenosis rate and observe late loss.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Coronary angiography at 6 months after Taxus DES implantation and biocompatibility of stent and host.RESULTS:①Quantitative angiographic analysis(QCA):Angiographic follow-up showed that the late loss of in-stent was significantly higher than that of pro-in-lesion and dis-in-lesion(P＜0.05).②Coronary angiography in-stent restenosis:In 134 angiographic follow-up patients,a total of 14 patients experienced restenosis,and the incidence was 10.4%(14/134).The patterns of restenosis were diffuse in-stent in 7 patients and the rate of revascularization was 6.7%.③Stent aneurysm:Angiographic evidence of aneurysm was observed in one patient among follow-up cases,and the rate of which was 0.75% (1/134).④Clinic follow-up major adverse cardiac events(MACE):Among 297 patients,one patient was attracted sudden death 5 months after intervention (0.34%; 1/297),and one patient was suffered subacute thrombosis 5 days after stent implant (0.34%;1/297),and late thrombosis occurred in 2 patients.The general rate of MACE was 1.35%.CONCLUSION:①The late loss of Taxus DES mainly takes place in in-stent.The patterns of restenosis of Taxus DES are in majority of diffuse in-stent,and the incidence of MACE is low.②Taxus DES possibly results aneurysm in local vessels.The follow up indicates that Taxus DES has a good biocompatibility to patients.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of sintering temperature on the physical and mechanical properties of dental zirconia toughened ceramic (ZTC).

METHODS3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia compacts were prepared by dry press method and then sintered at 1,490 degrees C, 1,530 degrees C, 1,570 degrees C and 1,610 degrees C respectively. The physical properties and bending strength were then measured.

RESULTSThe result of the study indicated along with the rise of sintering temperature density and shrinkage of ZTC increased, but the pore structure decreased. It also showed the peak of bending strength was in 1,570 degrees C.

CONCLUSIONSIn terms of sintering temperature and bending strength among the selected temperature, the best sintering temperature of 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia should be about 1,570 degrees C.

Dental Porcelain ; chemistry ; Hardness ; Temperature ; Tensile Strength ; Yttrium ; chemistry ; Zirconium ; chemistry

Background:The preferred treatment for uncomplicated type B dissection (thoracic endovascular aortic repair [TEVAR] or medical) is still under debate.Since 2001,our center has performed TEVAR for uncomplicated type B dissection.Based on our data,5-and 10-year survival rates among patients with uncomplicated type B dissection after TEVAR were 96.5％ and 83.0％,respectively.We,therefore,believe that TEVAR is preferable for uncomplicated type B dissections.This study analyzed the impact of a pre-operative smoking history on long-term survival after TEVAR in patients with uncomplicated type B dissections.Methods:From May 2001 to December 2013,data from 751 patients with type B dissections were collected and analyzed.Patients were divided into two groups (337 smoking patients and 414 non-smoking patients).The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare survival curves of the two groups.Multivariable analyses using the Cox proportional hazards model were used to estimate the effects of smoking on survival rates.Results:The 5-and 10-year survival rates of non-smokers were 97.6％ (95％ confidence interval [CI],96.0％-99.2％) and 87.0％ (95％ CI,81.6％-92.7％),respectively,and 94.9％ (95％ CI,92.2％-97.7％) and 73.8％ (95％ CI,62.3％-87.5％) for smokers,respectively (Log-rank test,P =0.006).Multivariable analyses showed that smoking increased the risk of death during follow-up,2.1-fold when compared to non-smokers (P =0.039).Conclusion:A pre-operative smoking history increases long-term mortality rates after TEVAR in patients with uncomplicated type B dissections.

Objective To assess the neointimal coverage after the implantation of various drug eluting stents (DES) by optical coherence tomography ( OCT). Methods The study comprised of 62 patients implanted DES for ( 15. 3 ± 5.7 ) months. Patients were divided into three groups according to the type of implanted stent: Cypher group ( patient = 26, stent = 57 ), Endeavor group ( patient = 17, stent = 23 )and Firebird group (patient = 19, stent = 32). OCT images of the stent were analyzed by software equipped by Light Lab system. Intimal thickness of 64 μm, 168 μm and 366 μm represents 10%, 25% and 50%lumen area loss, respectively. Neointimal coverage was thin with intimal thickness≤64 μm, satisfactory with intimal thickness between 65 μm and 366 μm and hyperplaisa and restenosis with intimal thickness ＞ 366μm. Results The percent of complete neointimal coverage was similar among groups ( P ＞ 0. 05 ). The thickness of neointimal coverage in Cypher and Endeavor and Firebird group was (178.7 ± 11.9)μm,(228.7 ± 17. 1 ) μm and ( 170. 3 ± 13.3 ) μm, respectively( all P ＜ 0. 05 ). The symmetry of Cypher stent was better than Firebird stent, and the symmetry of Firebird stent was better than Endeavoe stent. Conclusion There was significant difference on neointimal coverage after various types of DES implantation, and OCT can be used to evaluate the symmetry of neointimal coverage post implantation of various DES.

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of guava leaf (GL) in treating infantile rotaviral enteritis.Methods: Sixty-two patients of rotaviral enteritis were randomly divided into the treated group treated with GL and the control group treated with Gegen Qinlian Decoction. The time for ceasing diarrhea, content of Na+ in blood, content of Na+ and glucose in stool, and the rate of negative conversion of human rotavirus antigen (HRVA) were observed.Results: The 3-day recovery rate in the treated group (87.1%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (58.1%, P<0.05). The time of ceasing diarrhea in the treated group (25.1±9.5 hrs) was significantly shorter than that in the control group (38.7±15.2 hrs, P<0.01). Moreover, content of Na+ and glucose in stool were reduced obviously in the treated group but not in the control group; and negative conversion rate of HRVA in the former group also got better than that in the latter group (87.1% vs 58.1%, P<0.05). Consequently, the effect of GL was superior to that of the control significantly.Conclusion: GL has good curative effect on infantile rotaviral enteritis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LOX-1) on secretion of adhesive molecules mediated by ox-LDL in human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs).

METHODSHUVECs with different concentration of ox-LDL (0, 10, 20, 50, 100 microg/ml) were incubated for 24 h, or HUVECs were pretreated with 250 microg/ml poly (I) or 250 microg/ml carrageenan for 2 h and then incubated with 50 microg/ml ox-LDL for another 24 h. Expression of LOX-1 was determined by realtime RT-PCR and Western blot. mRNA and protein of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin were examined by RT-PCR and Western blot respectively.

RESULTSIncubation of HUVECs with ox-LDL (10-100 microg/ml) enhanced the expressions of LOX-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.01). On the contrary, ox-LDL did not affect the expression of VCAM-1 by HUVECs. The expression of LOX-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin induced by ox-LDL were reduced in HUVECs pretreated with 250 microg/ml poly (I) or 250 microg/ml carrageenan for 2 h and then incubated with 50 microg/ml ox-LDL for 24 h. This showed that both poly (I) and carrageenan obviously decreased the expression of LOX-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin induced by ox-LDL.

CONCLUSIONox-LDL may upregulate the expression of LOX-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin, and LOX-1 blocker may partly inhibit this upregulation. The results suggest that the expression of inflammatory molecules induced by ox-LDL in HUVECs is mediated by LOX-1.

Cell Adhesion ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; Cells, Cultured ; E-Selectin ; metabolism ; Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; metabolism ; Humans ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; biosynthesis ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Receptors, Oxidized LDL ; metabolism ; Scavenger Receptors, Class E ; metabolism ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDAllergic asthma is associated with airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness caused by dysregulated production of cytokines secreted by allergen-specific helper T-type 2 (Th2) cells. The linker for activation of T cells (LAT) is a membrane-associated adaptor protein, which has been shown to take part in regulating T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and T cell homeostasis. In this study, we established an asthmatic mouse model to examine the changes in LAT levels during allergic airway disease and the effects of LAT transgenic expression on airway inflammation.

METHODST cells from mouse lung tissues were isolated from allergen challenged (ovalbumin (OVA)) and control mice, and the purity of these isolated T cells was examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of the LAT gene and LAT protein, respectively. After an intranasally administered mixture of pCMV-HA-LAT plasmid and Lipofectamine 2000, 24 hours before and 72 hours after allergen challenge, the BALF cell count and the differential cytologies were studied. In addition, IL-4 and IFN-γ levels in the BALF were determined by ELISA, and pathological changes in lung tissues were observed.

RESULTSLAT protein and mRNA expression were decreased in lung T cells in a mouse model of allergen-induced airway disease. After intranasal administration of pCMV-HA-LAT, histopathological examination of the lungs showed that intervention with LAT overexpression prevented mice from developing airway inflammation, and the number of total cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in the BALF was reduced significantly compared with the OVA sensitized and challenged group. In addition, the Th2 cytokine IL-4 decreased, while the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ increased compared to the OVA sensitized and challenged group or the OVA sensitized group plus pCMV-HA treatment.

CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrates that LAT might effectively diminish Th2 cytokine responses, lung histopathological changes and lung inflammation to allergen challenge in a model of experimentally induced asthma.

Animals ; Asthma ; immunology ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; immunology ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Female ; Inflammation ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; metabolism

AIMTo investigate the effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) on growth and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) induced by arginine vasopressin (AVP).

METHODSCFs of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated by trypsinization and cultured; growth-arrested CFs were stimulated with 1 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1) AVP in the presence or absence of CsA (0.05, 0.5 and 5 micromol x L(-1)). MTT and flow cytometry techniques were adopted to measure cell number and analyze cell cycle respectively. Collagen synthesis was determined by measurement of hydroxyproline content in culture supernatant with colorimetry. Calcineurin activity was estimated by chemiluminescence. Trypan blue staining to test the viability of CFs.

RESULTS0.05, 0.5 and 5 micromol x L(-1) CsA inhibited the increase of CFs number induced by 1 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1) AVP in a dose-dependent manner, with the inhibitory rates by 12%, 24% and 29%, respectively (P < 0.05). Furthermore, cell cycle analysis showed 0.5 micromol x L(-1) CsA decreased the S stage percentage and proliferation index of CFs stimulated by AVP (P < 0.05). In culture medium, the hydroxyproline content induced by AVP decreased by 0.5 and 5 micromol x L(-1) CsA (P < 0.05), with the inhibitory rates of 29% and 33%, respectively. CsA completely inhibited the increment of calcineurin activity induced by AVP (P < 0.01), but CsA itself had no effect on the baseline of calcineurin activity and CFs viability.

CONCLUSIONCsA inhibits proliferation and collagen synthesis of CFs by virtue of blocking calcineurin signaling pathway and might provide a novel target for prevention and treatment to cardiac fibrosis.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Arginine Vasopressin ; pharmacology ; Calcineurin ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen ; biosynthesis ; Cyclosporine ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley