The immune-gold-silver stain and image analysis methods were used to check up estrodial receptor (ER) in rat heart at myocardial infarction (MI) conditions.Animals were divided randomly into four groups: one serves as normal control, another as sham-operation, the third was treated as myocardial infarction and the last one estrogen (E_2) was injected after MI. The results showed that all the parts of the heart have ER,but the distributions are not equal in atrium and ventricle, the former is less than that of the latter (0.1687?0.005, 0.2072?0.006, P

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important pathophysiological role in osteoarthritis and cartilage metabolism. To determine the relationship between NO and the synthesis of type II collagen in cartilage, we measured levels of type II collagen by ELISA and procollagen (II) mRNA by RT-PCR in cultured lapine chondrocytes that were incubated with some kinds of reagents. 0.2mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP, a NO donor) can release high levels of NO, decreasing type II collagen, suppressing the expression of procollagen (II) mRNA (COL2A1).At the same time, chondrocytes showed a large increase in NO synthesis, a decrease in type II collagen and COL2A1 mRNA in response to 100u/ml IL-1. When 1mg/ml N-nitro-L-arginine methyl easter (NAME, an inhibitor of NO synthase) was mixed with IL-1, NO production was inhibited, the amounts of type II collagen recovered partially and COL2A1 mRNA recovered completely.These data indicate NO can inhibit type II collagen synthesis as IL-1 downstream molecule by suppressing procollagen (II) mRNA.

The therapeutic effects of a high fibre diet composed of naturally high fibre foodstuffs containing protein, various essential amino acids and trace elements (Zn, Cr etc.) on diabetics were tested both experimentally and clinically. The high fibre diet or steamed bread (for control) with identical carbohydrate content was taken by normal mice, alloxan diabetic mice and nine healthy volunteers. The high fibre diet caused significant reduction in the blood glucose area (carbohydrate tolerance) as compared with the steamed bread. In another study, eighteen non-insulin dependent diabetic patients (10 females, 8 males) were administered the high fibre diet for 34 days, the average fasting and 2 h postprandial blood glucose level were significantly lower than those before the test, but no difference was observed in blood electrolytes. This implied that no malabsorption occurred during the testing period. At the same time, 16 of the 17 overweight patients were found to have a reduction of weights. In addition, improvement of symptoms (poly-dipsia polyuria, constipation etc) both in diabetic animals and in patients was observed. This study indicates that the high fibre diet is benificial for diabetic patients.