The angiogenesis induced with neotype amphiphilic peptide containing Isoleucine-Lysine-Valine-Alanine-Valine (IKVAV) was explored in vivo. The peptide was self-assembled into hydrogel, confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). One millilitre of 10 mg/ml peptide (experiment group, EG) and 16.67% gelatin (control group, CG) were injected subcutaneously beside rat backbone. The systemic response and local skin were observed one week after injection. The specimens were harvested two weeks later and immunohistochemically examined for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). TEM showed that hydrogel was composed of interconnected nanofibers. The inflammatory reaction and necrosis of local skins were not found one week after injection. Lots of capillary vessels with complete wall were found within self-assembled peptide hydrogel, with erythrocytes noted inside the vessels in EG; the capillary vessels or erythrocytes were not found in the gelatin in CG. The immunohistochemical detection revealed VEGF-positive cells in EG, which were not found in CG. The self-assembly hydrogel from IKVAV-containing peptide was able to induce the angiogenesis in vivo.
Animals ; Hydrogels ; pharmacology ; Laminin ; pharmacology ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Peptide Fragments ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin ; blood supply

Bovine adrenal medulla 22 (BAM22), an endogenous opioid peptide, is one of the cleavage products of proenkephalin A. It potently activates opioid receptors and sensory neuron-specific receptor (SNSR). The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of BAM22 on morphine tolerance. Intrathecal (i.t.) administration of morphine for 7 d produced morphine tolerance in rats. Then the rats were divided into three groups in which morphine, saline or BAM22 were administered i.t., respectively, on day 8, and morphine was given to all of the animals on day 9. It was found that morphine administered on day 9 resumed antinociceptive effects in BAM22 group, but not in saline or morphine group. The potency of morphine in BAM22 group was 48.5% of the maximal possible effect (MPE) detected by paw withdrawal test and the antinociception persisted for approximately 1 h. Following the similar treatment, morphine administered on day 9 reduced nocifensive behaviors by 3.2 min and 24 min in BAM22 group in the first and second phases, in the formalin test, respectively. The decreases were 45% and 82% of the corresponding values observed in saline group. Furthermore, following the treatment with BAM22 (10 nmol) on day 8 in morphine-tolerance rats, morphine administered on day 9 decreased the expressions of the heat-evoked c-Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) protein by approximately 80% in laminae I-II, III-IV and V-VI in the spinal cord at L4-L5 compared with that in saline or morphine group. The present study provided evidence at behavioral and cellular levels showing that BAM22 resumed antinociception of morphine. The results that the reversal effect of BAM22 on morphine tolerance was more efficient in persistent pain model than in acute pain may indicate that BAM22 differentially modulates morphine tolerance. The present study suggests that SNSR is involved in the modulation of morphine tolerance.
Animals ; Drug Tolerance ; Enkephalins ; pharmacology ; Morphine ; pharmacology ; Pain ; drug therapy ; Peptide Fragments ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; metabolism

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is one of the major physiological inhibitors of the human blood coagulation cascade and may have great potential in the prevention and therapy of diseases caused by thrombus formation. In this study, recombinant human tissue factor was generated in E. coli containing a recombinant vector constructed by inserting TFPI cDNA into pGEX-2T vector. The generated recombinant TFPI (rTFPI) could be simply purified with glutathione-agarose affinity method and maintained its biological function in terms of inhibition of tissue factor and factor Xa.
Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Peptide Fragments ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Plasmids ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; pharmacology ; Transfection

To investigate changes of 14-3-3beta from apoptosis induced by PrP106-126 polypeptide, HeLa cell was incubated with PrP106-126 for 4h or 8h. Nucleus changes and the expression of PARP were detected differently by Hoechst staining and Western blotting. Expressing of protein and mRNA from 14-3-3beta was determined by Western blotting and Real-time PCR. The results show that typical nucleus pyknosis and chip of apoptosis and degradation of PARP were induced by PrP106-126 peptide in HeLa cells. Degradation of 14-3-3beta appeared in apoptosis groups induced by PrP106-126 peptide. However, 14-3-3beta mRNA did not display any changes in apoptosis groups. This study indicated that degradation of antiapoptosis protein 143-3beta induced by PrP106-126 peptide may be one of pathogenesis mechanism of prion disease.
14-3-3 Proteins ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Peptide Fragments ; pharmacology ; Prions ; pharmacology ; Proteolysis ; drug effects

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; PC12 Cells ; Peptide Fragments ; toxicity ; Rats

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Peptide Fragments ; pharmacology ; Peptides ; pharmacology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Animals ; Galanin ; administration & dosage ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Peptide Fragments ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Animals ; Rats ; Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology* ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; PC12 Cells ; Polyunsaturated Alkamides/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; Cell Survival ; Peptide Fragments

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 ; pharmacology ; Insulin ; secretion ; Islets of Langerhans ; drug effects ; secretion ; Peptide Fragments ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats

To compare the effects of polysaccharide nucleic acid fraction of bacillus calmette guerin (BCG-PSN) and thymopeptides on T-lymphocytes of normal and immunosuppressed mice, CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets of single nucleic cell in thymus, spleen and peripheral blood were detected successively by flow cytometry after application of BCG-PSN and thymopeptides. Meanwhile, CD4+/CD8+ ratio was also calculated. The results showed that both BCG-PSN and thymopeptides could decrease the proportion of CD4+ CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets in the thymus, at the same time increase CD4+ T-lymphocyte, CD8+ T-lymphocyte proportion in the three tissues. The fluctuation in amplitude was greater in thymopeptides group than that in BCG-PSN group. It is concluded that acting location of thymopeptides is in thymus, its stimulating action is stronger than that of BCG-PSN, while BCG-PSN not only accelerates the differentiation in thymus, but also has some direct stimulation to peripheral CD4+ T-lymphocytes, and can maintain CD4+/CD8+ ratio within normal range. So, BCG-PSN is safer.
Adjuvants, Immunologic/*pharmacology ; Immunocompromised Host ; Mycobacterium bovis/*chemistry ; Nucleic Acids/pharmacology ; Peptide Fragments/*pharmacology ; Polysaccharides, Bacterial/*pharmacology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets/*drug effects ; Thymus Gland/chemistry