Objective To observe the influence of neuregulin-1?(NRG-1?) on neuronal apoptosis and the expressions of signal transducer and activator of transcription(STAT3) and glial fiberillary acidic protein(GFAP) following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats.Methods The animal models of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(MCAO/R) was established by the intralumianl filament method from left external-internal carotid artery in adult healthy male Wistar rats.The rat models were treated by injecting 1.5% NRG-1? 5?l from internal carotid artery.The neuronal apoptosis was detected by DendEnd fluorometric TUNEL assay,and the expressions of STAT3 and GFAP were determined by immunohistochemical and immumofluorescent assays.Results The cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury could induce neuronal apoptosis and the expressions of STAT3 and GFAP in brain tissue.In control group,the number of neuronal apoptosis increased gradually and the STAT3 and GFAP were expressed highly along ischemia times in the cortex,striatum and hippocampus areas.After treatment with NRG-1?,the number of neuronal apoptosis reduced and the expression level of STAT3 and GFAP increased when compared to those in the control group at different ischemia times and corresponding areas(P

Objective To investigate the association of gene polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and the level of homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with cerebral thrombosis in Chinese population Methods MTHFR genotype and allele frequency in 75 patients with cerebral thrombosis and 62 control subjects were measured by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR RFLP) Concentration of plasma Hcy was measured by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography in a subgroup Results In patients and control subjects, the frequencies of T allele were 0 41 and 0 31, respectively The frequencies of CC, CT, TT genotype of cerebral thrombosis patients were 0 41, 0 35, 0 24, respectively Meanwhile those of the controls were 0 58, 0 23, 0 19 Neither the genotype ( P =0 137) nor the allele frequency ( P =0 067) was significantly different between patients and control subjects Furthermore, plasma Hcy level of the patients was (18 3?7 2) ?mol/L, which differed significantly from that of the controls, which was (13 6?5 8) ?mol/L ( P

Objective To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet drived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) and their influence on the clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis in aged patients with gastric carcinoma. Methods The expression of VEGF and PD-ECGF were examined with immnunohistochemical technique through preoperative biopsied specimens in 92 cases. Results The expression of VEGF and PD-ECGF were significantly higher in gastric carinoma than in chronic atrophic gastritis. VEGF and PD-ECGF levels in advanced carcinoma were higher compared with early carcinoma( P

Pu Xiang-cheng, a famous TCM physician in Sichuan Province, were engaged in medicine for dozens of years, with complete and systematical theory and great academic attainments. He summarized whole course of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment by means of verses with easy to be understood and easy to be read aloud, from examination of acupoints, location of acupoints, needling depth, manipulation, reinforcing and reducing to treatment of diseases in departments of internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and five sense organs, etc., and treatment of fainting during acupuncture. This is valuable medical book in recent time and clinically, it has profound inductive significance for later generations.
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; China ; Humans ; Meridians ; Moxibustion

Objective To explore the changes on autonomic nervous function of the patients with different Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types.Methods The cases of anxiety or depressive diseases were divided into different types according to traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types,and then heart rate variability(HRV) were tested and compared with normal controls.Results Indicators of time or frequency of heart rate variability(HRV) in anxiety or depressive disease patients with Gan-Yu-Tan-Zu Zheng or Xin-Pi-Liang-Xu Zheng or Gan-Yu-Qi-Zhi Zheng were lower than those of controls group,especially in parasympathetic nervous.The abever disorders of the patients with Gan-Yu-Tan-Zu Zheng or Gan-Yu-Qi-Zhi Zheng was more significant than those in patients with Xin-Pi-Liang-Xu Zheng.Conclusions The autonomic nervous function of anxiety or depressive diseases with Gan-Yu-Tan-Zu Zheng or Xin-Pi-Liang-Xu Zheng or Gan-Yu-Qi-Zhi Zheng is disordered and their HRV of was lower than that of control(P

OBJECTIVETo study the regulatory role of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS ) in the development of bronchial asthma by examining the effects of LPS on serum IL-4, serum IL-8 and pulmonary vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in mice with asthma.

METHODSTwenty-seven BALB/c mice were randomly assigned into control, asthma and LPS-treated asthma groups (n=9 each). Serum IL-4 and IL-8 concentrations were measured using ELISA. VEGF expression in lung tissues was examined using the immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSSerum IL-4 and IL-8 concentrations in the asthma group were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). LPS treatment significantly decreased serum IL-4 and IL-8 concentrations compared with the asthma group (P<0.05), although levels were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). Airway VEGF expression in the asthma group was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). LPS treatment significantly decreased airway VEGF expression compared with the asthma group (P<0.05), although concentrations remained higher than in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSLPS can decrease serum IL-4, serum IL-8 and pulmonary VEGF expression in mice with asthma, and thus can possibly reduce both airway inflammation and airway vascular remodeling.

Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Female ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; analysis ; physiology

Objective To study the expression of p53,p16,PCNA protein in esophageal carcinoma and its relationship to sexual distinction,the location of disease,the biological level,the depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis.Methods 118 patients with esophageal carcinoma were included in the study,all of them were treated for the first time.p53,p16 and PCNA protein in the 118 cases of esophageal carcinoma were detected by immunohistochemical assay(SP technique). Results The positive expression of p53, p16, PCNA protein in 118 patients was 80 %(92/118),42%(50/118)and 97%(115/118),respectively.The positive expression of p53,PCNA protein were irrelated to the sexual distinction,the location of disease,the biological level,the depth of invasion and the lymph node metastasis.The loss of p16 was significantly related to the depth of invasion and the lymph node metastasis(P

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bacteriostatic effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and its derivative platelet gel (PG) supernatant on Escherichia coli in vitro and its relationship with platelet factor 4 (PF4). METHODS: Apheresis platelets donated by healthy volunteers were obtained from the Blood station of Lu an Blood Center as the source of PRP. The counts of platelet, white blood cell and red blood cell in PRP and its derivative PG supernatant were detected by automatic hematology analyzer. Bacterial growth of PRP and PG supernatants co-cultured with bacteria for different time was observed by plate coating culture method, and the contents of PF4 in PRP and PG supernatants were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Apheresis platelets were collected from 28 healthy volunteers with a median age of 33 (21-56) years old. PRP can inhibit the growth of escherichia coli, but there were individual differences in antibacterial effect within 24 hours. PRP of 13 healthy volunteers had strong antibacterial effect at 24 hours, 7 cases had weak antibacterial effect at 24 hours, and 8 cases had no antibacterial effect at 24 hours. PG supernatant showed no significant individual difference, and all of them had bacteriostatic effect within 12 hours, but no bacteriostatic effect after 12 hours. There was no statistical difference in the bacteriostatic effect of PRP at 24 hours between healthy volunteers aged ≤30 years and >30 years (P>0.05), and there was no statistical difference between the white blood cell count ≤0.1×10⁹/L and (0.1-1) ×10⁹/L groups (P>0.05). There was significant difference in the bacteriostatic effect of PRP between the two groups with platelet content ≤1 000×10⁹/L and >1 000×10⁹/L (P<0.05). The platelet count in PRP was higher than that in PG supernatant ［(911.57±160.52) ×10⁹/L vs 0］. The PF4 level in PRP was higher than that in PG supernatant (23623.34±9822.14 vs 6664.74±4065.83, P<0.05). CONCLUSION Both PRP and PG supernatant have antibacterial effects in Escherichia coli. The bacteriostatic effect of PRP was better than that of PG supernatant, and the platelet and PF4 contents in PRP were higher than those in PG supernatant, suggesting that the platelet and PF4 levels play an important role in bacteriostasis.
Adult ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Escherichia coli ; Platelet Factor 4 ; Platelet-Rich Plasma

To study the preventive effect of sophocarpine (Soc) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice, in order to analyze the influence of Soc on toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and janus tyrosine kinase 2 signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signal pathways in mice intestinal tissues. The mice was given 2.5% DSS for 6 days to induce the acute colitis model. The Soc-treated group was intraperitoneally injected with sophocarpine 30 mg · kg(-1) · d(-1) since the day before the experiment to the end. The disease activity index (DAI) was assessed everyday, and the colonic morphology and histological damage were observed with HE staining. The mRNA expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were detected by real-time RT-PCR. The changes in key protein kinase p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase1/2 (JNK1/2), extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), JAK2, STAT3 in TLR4/MAPKs and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways were detected by western blot. The result showed that the model group showed statistical significance in body weight, DAI, colon length and histopathological changes compared with the normal group (P <0.05); however, the Soc-treated group showed significant improvements in the above indexes compared with the model group (P <0.05). TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the model group was significantly higher than that in the normal group (P <0.05), but lowered in the Soc-treated group to varying degrees (P <0.05). In the normal group, the expressions of TLR4 and the phosphorylation of P38, JNK1/2, JAK2, STAT3 were at low levels; in the model group, the phosphorylation of P38, JNK1/2, JAK2, STAT3 increased; the Soc-treated group showed a decrease in TLR4 expression compared with the model group, with notable declines in the phosphorylation of TLR4, P38, JNK1/2, JAK2, STAT3. These findings indicate that Soc can inhibit TLR4/MAPKs, K2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation, reduce the expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 and relieve inflammatory reactions, so as to effectively prevent experimental colitis.
Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Colitis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; Cytokines ; genetics ; Janus Kinase 2 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Phosphorylation ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo analyze the influence of optimal codon usage on the expression levels and immunogenicity of DNA vaccines, encoding the human papillomavirus type 6b (HPV 6b) E7 gene.

METHODSThe full length E7 gene of HPV 6b was modified to substitute human preferred codon for rarely used codon, and three mutations were introduced into the pRB binding site of HPV 6b E7 to eliminate its transformation potential. The codon optimized and mutated E7 gene (hu-mE7) were cloned into the Kpn I and EcoR I site of the pcDNA3 mammalian expression vector, the in vitro expression of the hu-mE7 gene and the immunogenicity of hu-mE7 DNA vaccine were compared with the wt-E7gene.

RESULTSThe in vitro expression of pcDNA3-hu-mE7 was much higher than the classical wt-E7 plasmid in monkey COS-1 cell line. Mice immunized intramuscularly with the pcDNA3-hu-mE7 showed that the codon modified E7 gene induced a stronger IFN-gamma ratios than the wt-E7 gene.

CONCLUSIONSThese results suggest that the optimized codon usage contributes to the enhancement of gene expression and immunogenicity of HPV 6b E7 gene.

Animals ; Cell Line ; Codon ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Genes, Viral ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Mice ; Papillomaviridae ; genetics ; Papillomavirus Vaccines ; Transfection ; Vaccines, DNA ; immunology ; Viral Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology