Codnopsispilosula polysaccharides (CPP) , which administered intra-peritoneally 200mg/kg?d-1 for 5 d or 8 d in mice, enhanced thephagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages on chiken RBC, the erythrocyte (E)rosette formation of thymus T lymphocyte and the clearance rate of charcoal particles in normal mice and antagonized the inhibition of E rosette formation and of peritoneal phagocytic activity caused by cyclophosphamide ( CY ) or hydrocortisone ( HCT ) . It inhibited the delayed type hypersensitivity ( DT H ) induced by DNCB and enhanced DT H induced by dexamethasons ( DMS ) . It has regulatory important signification in resisting decrepitude.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Shoutai pills (a traditional Chinese medicinal preparation) on immune functions and oxidative stress in pregnant rats exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). METHODS: Thirty-six mature female SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (=12). After pregnancy was confirmed, the rats were given 10 mL/kg corn oil +10 mL/kg saline (control group), 500 mg/kg DEHP+10 mL/kg saline (model group), and 500 mg/kg DEHP+10 mL/kg Shoutai pills (treatment group). At 19 days of gestation, the rats were sacrificed and the fetal rats were weighed and the numbers of live and stillborn fetal rats were recorded. Serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-ɑ (TNF-ɑ), estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) levels were detected. The appearance, color and quality of the placenta in each group were recorded, and the placental tissues were examined pathologically. The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH- Px), catalase (CAT), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the placental tissues were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the rats with DEHP exposure showed slow weight gain in the middle and late gestation period and significantly lower fetal weight ( < 0.05) with lowered serum levels of IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-ɑ, increased estradiol level ( < 0.05), decreased placental T-AOC, GSH-Px, SOD and CAT levels, and increased ROS and MDA levels ( < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the rats treated with Shoutai pills had significantly increased weight gain in mid and late pregnancy and greater fetal weight ( < 0.05) with significantly increased serum IL-2 and IL-6 levels, decreased estradiol level ( < 0.05), slightly increased TNF-ɑ expression (> 0.05), increased placenta T-AOC, GSH- Px and CAT levels, decreased MDA level ( < 0.05), and slightly increased SOD and decreased ROS levels (>0.05). No significant difference was found in progesterone levels among the groups (>0.05). HE staining showed that the trophoblast in the placental tissue sponge in the model group was loose and irregular with numerous vacuoles. In the treatment group, the structure of the placenta remained intact with clearly visible labyrinth zone, sponge trophoblast and giant cell trophoblast, and the cell distribution in each layer was better than that in the model group. CONCLUSIONS Shoutai pills can regulate the immune function of DEHP-exposed pregnant rats possibly by antagonizing the estrogenlike effect of DEHP and regulating serum immune factors; Shoutai pills can also reduce placental tissue damage and improve pregnancy outcome by correcting DEHP-induced imbalance of oxidative stress in the placental tissues.
Animals ; Diethylhexyl Phthalate ; Female ; Oxidative Stress ; Phthalic Acids ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Mammals exhibit limited heart regeneration ability, which can lead to heart failure after myocardial infarction. In contrast, zebrafish exhibit remarkable cardiac regeneration capacity. Several cell types and signaling pathways have been reported to participate in this process. However, a comprehensive analysis of how different cells and signals interact and coordinate to regulate cardiac regeneration is unavailable. We collected major cardiac cell types from zebrafish and performed high-precision single-cell transcriptome analyses during both development and post-injury regeneration. We revealed the cellular heterogeneity as well as the molecular progress of cardiomyocytes during these processes, and identified a subtype of atrial cardiomyocyte exhibiting a stem-like state which may transdifferentiate into ventricular cardiomyocytes during regeneration. Furthermore, we identified a regeneration-induced cell (RIC) population in the epicardium-derived cells (EPDC), and demonstrated Angiopoietin 4 (Angpt4) as a specific regulator of heart regeneration. angpt4 expression is specifically and transiently activated in RIC, which initiates a signaling cascade from EPDC to endocardium through the Tie2-MAPK pathway, and further induces activation of cathepsin K in cardiomyocytes through RA signaling. Loss of angpt4 leads to defects in scar tissue resolution and cardiomyocyte proliferation, while overexpression of angpt4 accelerates regeneration. Furthermore, we found that ANGPT4 could enhance proliferation of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and promote cardiac repair in mice after myocardial infarction, indicating that the function of Angpt4 is conserved in mammals. Our study provides a mechanistic understanding of heart regeneration at single-cell precision, identifies Angpt4 as a key regulator of cardiomyocyte proliferation and regeneration, and offers a novel therapeutic target for improved recovery after human heart injuries.
Humans ; Mice ; Rats ; Cell Proliferation ; Heart/physiology* ; Mammals ; Myocardial Infarction/metabolism* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Pericardium/metabolism* ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Zebrafish/metabolism*