OBJECTIVE: To study the immunomodulatory effects of Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) in type 1 diabetic mice. METHODS: A mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus was established by intraperitoneal injection of multiple low dose streptozotocin (MLD-STZ). The diabetic mice were intraperitoneally administered 100, 200, 400 mg/kg APS or 1 ml normal saline (NS) every day respectively, then the diabetic mice were sacrificed after 15 or 30 days of treatment. The effect of APS on insulitis was determined via pancreatic histological analysis. Serum insulin autoantibody (IAA) levels were measured by radio-immunoassay (RIA). Proliferation ability of splenocytes to concanavalin A was tested by using [(3)H] thymidine incorporation assay. The levels of cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) secreted by splenocytes were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, and the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) in spleens was characterized using Western-blot analysis. RESULTS: Attenuated insulitis, down-regulation of the serum IAA levels and Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio, decrease of the proliferation ability of splenocytes to concanavalin A, and up-regulation of the PPARgamma levels in spleens showed a significant time- and dose-dependent response to APS treatment as compared with the NS-treated group. CONCLUSION: APS possesses immunotherapeutic effects on mice with type 1 diabetes mellitus through improving the cell- and humoral-mediated immunity.

The animal experiment studies have demonstrated that hyperthermia is a strong teratogen to many kinds of animal with high incidence of neural tube defects(NTD).Epidermiological investigation showed that hyperthermia was closely related to the acencephaly and excenphaly in human being,but little was known about the distinct mechanism of NTD induced by hyperthermia.In order to study the developmental mechanism of NTD induced by hyperthermia,we observed the effects of hyperthermia on the neuroepithelial cells in primary culture.The neural tubes of the hamster embryos on 10 d after fertilization were obtained.the neuroepithelia were dissociated and then seeded at the density of 1×106 cells per well.The cells were divided into experimental and control groups randomly.The experimental groups were exposed to 42 C for 20 min,whereas groups exposed to 37 Cserved as control.After treatment of hyperthermia,the cells were incubated continuously at 37 C in a 95%air/5%CO2 humidified incubator,the culture was terminated after different intervals.Phase-contrast microscopy.scanning electron microscopy.transmission electron microscopy,MTT assay,agarose gel electrophoresis analysis,TUNEL detection,immunocytochemistryand image analysis were made.The results of the experimental groups indicated that the floating cells and apoptotic cells increased in number,the neurites of the cells were shortened even disappeared,the survival cells decreased in number,the ultrastructure of the cells demonstrated distinct abnormal changes,the function of mitochondria was impaired,the expressions of both bcl-2 and bax were abnormal.The above results suggest that hyperthermia may induce apoptosis of neuroepithelial cells,duringwhich bcl-2 and bax genes may play important regulatory roles.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the marrow edema and general clinical index,quadriceps muscle area,and the meniscus grade of knee osteoarthritis(OA).Methods 72 patients were collected with knee OA in our hospital, underwent X-ray and routine MRI examination of knee, and the same X-ray and MRI were reviewed at 12 months later in different time point.The K-L grading, bone marrow edema score, meniscal grading and VAS score of each knee joint were evaluated.The t-test and Rank-sum test were used to compare the two groups of general data, Spearman was used to perform bivariate correlation analysis.Results The age and VAS score of bone marrow edema group at the initial follow-up were significantly lower than those without edema group(P<0.05),the degree of marrow edema was moderately correlated with age and VAS score, and was not significantly correlated with other indexes.12 months later, BMI and the area of quadriceps femoris in the group with marrow edema were different from those in the group without bone marrow edema(P<0.05), the degree of marrow edema was moderately correlated with age, quadriceps area and VAS.Conclusion The range of marrow edema was related to age, quadriceps area, BMI index and VAS score in MRI.The MRI measurement could reflect the progression of knee OA more than that of X-ray.It also revealed some factors related to the progression of knee OA.