Mitochondria play a key role in cell metabolism. In addition to synthesizing ATP, they also participate in many physiological and pathological processes, including apoptosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal disease, tumor development, and aging. Most gene transcription of mitochondrial proteins occurs in the nucleus, so the biogenesis of mitochondria and the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis mainly depend on the expression of nuclear genes (nDNA) and mitochondria-nucleus interactions. Conversely, mitochondria can affect the expression of nuclear genes through nuclear transcription factors, a process called mitochondrial retrograde signaling. This review summarizes the research progress on mitochondria-nucleus retrograde signaling and its regulation, including the ways by which mitochondria regulate nuclear genes and affect biological processes, and discusses new strategies for the treatment of diseases that involve mitochondrial retrograde signaling in disease pathology.

Objective To summarize the domestic design for placebo acupuncture and the placebo effect and explore an ideal design for placebo acupuncture.Method Three large Chinese databases CNKI, Wan Fang and Vip were searched to systematically review the application of placebo acupuncture in randomized controlled trials published at home in recent 5 years (2011.01—2016.11).Results and conclusions A total of 48 articles were included according the inclusion and exclusion criteria. An analysis was made of the kinds of diseases for acupuncture study, the methods of designing placebo acupuncture, the effects of placebo acupuncture and comparisons with foreign placebo acupuncture. Pain syndrome and insomnia were the main kinds of diseases for acupuncture study, accounting for 10 and 8 articles respectively. Acupuncture needles were the main kind of needles for placebo acupuncture, accounting for 66.6%. Sites beside acupoints were the main positions selected for placebo acupuncture, accounting for 58.3%. Not penetrating the skin predominated in the depth of needle insertion, accounting for 37.5%. The kinds of needles for placebo acupuncture were fewer than abroad. The effects of placebo acupuncture were not superior to those of acupuncture.

Extraction, purification and determination methods of glycyrrhizic acid in Licorice are surveyed in this paper. The extracting efficiency of dilute ethanol solvent for glycyrrhizic acid is higher than water extraction, and ammonia appended to ethanol solution can increase the effect of extraction. Ultrasound method, microwave-assisted method and supercritical CO2 fluid extraction are more effective than the conventional techniques, due to the short extraction time, low consumption of solution and energy. The modem analytical methods such as TLCs, HPLC and CE can determine the content of glycyrrhizic acid rapidly and exactly.
Ammonia ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; Ethanol ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Microwaves ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Ultrasonics

This study is to investigate the effect of total flavonoids of Uygur medicine bugloss (BTF) on rats with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, and to explore the mechanisms by which it acts. Left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery in rats was occluded for 30 min followed by 4 h reperfusion. Meanwhile, BTF dissolved in saline was administered intraperitoneally at dosage of 10, 30 and 50 mg x kg(-1). Electrocardiograph, infarction index, serum myocardial enzymes and heart function were determined to evaluate the effect of BTF. Some other observations were carried out to explore whether inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis is involved in the mechanisms underlying BTF. Our results showed that in ischemia/reperfusion injured rats BTF could dose-dependently reduce myocardial infarction index and myocardial enzyme leakage, and enhance heart function, indicating that it possesses significant cardio protection. ELISA analysis showed that BTF could decrease the content of myocardial inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Western-blotting confirmed that BTF could increase the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and reduce the expression of proapoptosis protein Bax. Further more, the phosphorylation level of PI3K and Akt was upregulated by BTF treatment. BTF can protect rat against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Anti-inflammation and inhibition of apoptosis through upregulating PI3K/Akt signal pathway may contribute to the protective effect of BTF.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; Boraginaceae ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Heart ; Interleukin-6 ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; drug therapy ; Myocardium ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Phosphorylation ; Protective Agents ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein

Objective To summarize the technique and managements of complications in endovascular embolization on intracranial aneurysm with Guglielmi detachable coils(GDC),and to evaluate the effect of the treatment.Methods One hundred and thirty six cases with Aneurizym were treated using GDC to embolize the aneurismal sac via femoral artery approach.Results One hundred and thirty six aneurysms were cured.Of them 132 cases recovered clinically,4 patients died.The mortality was 2.9%. The sac of 123 aneurysms were embolizied at 100%,8 cases with 95% embolization,5 with 90% embolization.3 aneurysms reptured during the embolization,cerebral vasospasm happened in 7 eases. microcoil escaped in 2 case.Three recurring cases were cured after second GDC embolization.The technique-related complications occured in 13 cases.No re-bleeding occurred during the 6 to 54-month follow-up.Conclusion Endovascular embolization of intracranial aneurysm with coils is a safe and effective treatment for intracranial aneurysm.Advances in Techniques and treating the complications correctly would decrease the complications and improve future outcomes.

Objective To investigate effects of rectal cancer to undergo total mesorectal excision (TME)or three space dissection(TSD)with pelvic autonomic nerve preservation(PANP).Methods TME or/ and TSD was applied in 247 Patients with advanced rectal cancer in which 185 cases (74.9 %) underwent PANP(Group P)including TME-PANP(Group Pro)139 cases and TSD-PANP(Group Ps)46 cases.The other 62 cases underwent none-PANP(Group P-)due to tumor invasion.Results There were no death cases for operation inall patients.Group Pm was better than Group Ps in the operation time and the difficulty of proce- dure(P0.05).Conclusion The procedure with TME to preserve pelvic autonomic nerves adapts to the majority of rectal cancer patients.TSD procedure is more complex than TME.Statistically,the survival differ- ence between Patients with TSD and with TME is no defective.The survival time is determined to the tumor's earlier diagnosis and therapy.

This study investigated the effect of puerarin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) injured with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). HUVEC were divided into three groups: a control group, a model group (H₂O₂ 400 μmol·L^-1) and a puerarin-treated group (3, 10, 30 and 100 μmol·L^-1). HUVEC were cultured with varied concentration of puerarin for 2 h and treated with H₂O₂ for another 24 h. Cell proliferation was detected by a CCK-8 assay. The mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by a JC-1 fluorescent probe. A transwell chamber assay was adopted to observe cell migration ability. Mitochondrial respiratory function was measured in a two-chamber titration injection respirometer (Oxygraph-2k). The expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of pyroptosis-mediated proteins, including cleaved-cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (caspase-1), N-gasdermin D (N-GSDMD), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and purinergic ligand-gated ion channel 7 receptor (P2X7R) was detected by Western blot. The results show that 400 μmol·L^-1 H₂O₂ treatment for 24 h causes obvious damage to HUVEC. Compared with the model group, puerarin protected against cellular injury in a dose-dependent manner, with the greatest effect at a dose of 30 and 100 μmol·L^-1. Puerarin significantly decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and improved mitochondrial function. Puerarin inhibited cell migration induced by H₂O₂, suppressed the expression of IL-1β, IL-18 and TNF-α, and down-regulated the pyroptosis-mediated protein. These changes are statistically significant (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that puerarin has a protective effect against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage of HUVEC by inhibiting the migration of HUVEC cells. The mechanism may be related to improved mitochondrial respiratory function and inhibition of pyroptosis.

This study was to investigate the protective effects of puerarin on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury and the underlying mechanism. The MI/R-model was established by ligating the left anterior descending artery (LAD) for 60 min followed by 24 h reperfusion, puerarin (10, 30, and 100 mg·kg^-1) was orally administered 20 min before reperfusion. Cardiac function, myocardial infarct index, cardiac damage markers, inflammatory cytokines, and apoptosis index were measured to evaluate the protective effects of puerarin on MI/R injury. The activation of Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway were determined by Western blot. All animal experimental procedures were approved by the ethics committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The results showed that puerarin could significantly improve cardiac function, reduce myocardial infarct size, decease the levels of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and suppress cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Meanwhile, puerarin could notably decrease the levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Western blot analysis revealed that puerarin could downregulate the expression of TLR4, Myd88, NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), cleaved-caspase 1, cleaved-gasdermin-D (GSDMD), IL-1β, and IL-18, as well as the phosphorylation levels of inhibitor of NF-κB α (IκBα), IκB kinase β (IKKβ), and NF-κB. These findings demonstrated that puerarin could alleviate MI/R injury by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation, possibly via TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB pathway.

This study aimed to evaluate the vasorelaxant effect and mechanisms of compound reserpine and triamterene tablets (CRTTs) and its component triamterene on isolated rat thoracic aorta rings. Isolated rat thoracic aorta rings pre-contracted by high potassium or norepinephrine (NE) were used to evaluate the vasodilatory effect of CRTTs and its component triamterene. The mechanisms concerning endothelium, potassium channels and calcium channels were studied through the interventions of several tool drugs. Animal welfare and experimental procedures followed the requirements of the Laboratory Animal Management and Animal Welfare Ethics Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. The results showed that both CRTTs and triamterene had potent relaxant effect on KCl and NE pre-contracted vessels. Triamterene showed partial endothelium dependency, and N-nitro-L-argininemethyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) could influence the relaxant effect, which may be related to the opening of calcium-activated potassium channels. Meanwhile, CRTTs could inhibit intracellular Ca²⁺ release and extracellular Ca²⁺ influx. Overall, CRTTs and its component triamterene have vasorelaxant effects on vessels in vitro, and the vasorelaxant effect of CRTTs may be related to intracellular Ca²⁺ release and extracellular Ca²⁺ influx, while this effect of triamterene may depend on vascular endothelial function and may also be related to the opening of calcium-activated potassium channels.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of temperature dropping process in cold air on the coagulation function both in healthy and hypertensive rats.

METHODSTwenty-four male healthy Wistar rats and 24 male spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) were randomly divided into the minimum temperature group (Tim), Tmin control group (Tmin-c), recovery temperature group (Tr) and Tr control group (Tr-c), With the simulated temperature dropping process of a cold air, collected from Zhangye city in March of 2011, the groups of Tmin and Tr were exposed to this process. Both at the Tmin and Tr, blood were collected from the rats for coagulation function measurements.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, no significant difference was found in the results of activated partial thrombin time(APIT), pro-thrombin time (PF) and thrombin time (TT) between any groups in any strains (P > 0.05). The fibrinogen (Fbg) and fibrinogen-time were found to be obvious higher and shorter in Tmin and Tr of healthy rats and in Tmin of hypertensive rats in contrast to the control group. Hypertensive rats had higher level of fibrinogen and shorter level of fibrinogen-time.

CONCLUSIONThe temperature dropping process induced the increase of plasma Fbg both in the healthy and hypertensive subjects, which might be the reason to explain the higher occurrence of cardiovascular diseases event especially these activated through the formation of thrombin during cold air stress. Besides, the coagulation function of healthy subjects was more likely to be affected by cold air than the hypertensive subjects.

Animals ; Blood Coagulation ; Cold Temperature ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Wistar ; Thrombin Time