OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of carbon disulfide (CS(2)) on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 in mouse embryo and uterus tissues and to explore the mechanism of embryo toxicity induced by CS(2).

METHODSAt the phases of follicular development and embryonic implantation which was subdivided into early-implantation phase and late-implantation phase, mice were intraperitoneally exposed to CS(2) (the dosage was 631.4 mg/kg, and the volume was 0.1ml/10 g body weight) for 2 consecutive days. All indicators were got at the ninth day in gestation, and the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in embryo and uterus tissues was analyzed by gelatin zymography.

RESULTSThe number of implanted embryos significantly decreased after exposure at late-implantation phase (16.000 ± 12.166) compared with those of the control (30.700 ± 5.599, P < 0.05). Expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in embryos declined obviously at the three reproductive phases (P < 0.01), and the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in embryos at the phases of late-implantation phase (0.6837 ± 0.0929, 0.7309 ± 0.0822) and follicular development (0.6222 ± 0.0997, 0.7520 ± 0.1068) were much lower than those of the control (1.0000 ± 0.0710, 1.0000 ± 0.0413, P < 0.01). Expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in uterus significantly increased at the phase of late-implantation (1.3153 ± 0.3032, 5.0210 ± 4.0307) compared with those of the control (1.0000 ± 0.1771, 1.0000 ± 0.0996, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONEmbryo toxicity of CS(2) is more obvious at the phase of late-implantation. Exposure to CS(2) disturbs expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in embryo and uterus tissues, which might be one of the important factors contributed to embryo toxicity induced by CS(2).

Animals ; Carbon Disulfide ; toxicity ; Embryo Implantation ; Embryo, Mammalian ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Pregnancy ; Uterus ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo detect the DNA damage of mice endometrial cells induced by carbon disulfide with single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and explore the mechanism of embryo implantation disorder.

METHODSEndometrial cells, obtained by mechanical scrape, were used to test cell viability by trypan blue. Single cell suspension was exposed to the different concentrations of carbon disulfide (CS(2)) at four dose groups (0, 500, 1000, 2500 micromol/L). DNA damage was detected by SCGE. The SCGE results were analyzed by CASP software.

RESULTSDifferent dosages of CS(2) concentration induced different varying degrees of damage, forming typical normal cell and comet cell images. Compared with the control group, HDNA% decreased by 7.49%, 12.19% and 24.36% respectively, and TDNA%, TL, OTM increased by 7.13, 11.60, 23.18, 3.68, 5.98, 9.62, and 9.16, 16.84, 39.32 times respectively, in the groups of 500, 1000, 2500 micromol/L CS(2) (P < 0.01). Compared with the group of 500, 1000 micromol/L CS(2), TDNA%, TL, CL, TM, OTM in the group of 2500 micromol/L CS(2) increased by 1.98, 0.92, 1.27, 0.52, 0.37 and 0.17, 5.31, 1.90, 2.97, 1.26 times respectively(P < 0.01). Compared with the group of 500 micromol/L CS(2), TDNA%, TL, CL, TM, OTM in the group of 1000 micromol/L CS(2) increased by 0.55, 0.49, 0.16, 1.18, 0.76 times respectively (P < 0.01). The result of regression analysis showed that regression coefficients between HDNA%, TDNA%, TL, TM, OTM and the doses were -13.78, 13.78, 0.05, 4.38 and 3.23 respectively.

CONCLUSIONSCS(2) exposure could induce DNA damage in the endometrial cells of mice at the phase of implantation. The degree of DNA damage increases with the increasing CS(2) concentration. CS(2) might affect the implantation of embryo by doing harm to the endometrial cells.

Animals ; Carbon Disulfide ; toxicity ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; Embryo Implantation ; drug effects ; Endometrium ; cytology ; drug effects ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains

The change in plasma ghrelin level after 4-and 12-week adjunctive therapy of rosiglitazones in type 2 diabetic patients inadequately controlled by sulphonylurea alone was observed and the relation between ghrelin and insulin resistance was analysed.The results showed that rosiglitazones significantly increased circulating ghrelin level and obviously decreased insulin resistance index after therapy for 4 and 12 weeks in type 2 diabetic patients.

AIMTo study the effect of taurine (Tau) on rabbit cardiomyocyte apoptosis during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODSRabbit heart I/R injury was induced by occluding the left anterior descending coronary artery for 45 min and reperfusion for 180 min. taurine (200 mg/kg) was intravenously injected 5 min before heart ischemia. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was measured by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase--mediated dUTP nick end labeling method (TUNEL), flow cytometry (FCM) and DNA agarose gel electrophoresis.

RESULTSDNA ladder pattern of DNA in myocardium was revealed by agarose gel electrophoresis in I/R group while was not found in Tau + I/R group. Apoptotic cardiomyocytes were sparse within ischemic myocardium at risk in Tau + I/ R group as compared with that in I/R group (TUNEL stain). Apoptosis rate in ischemic myocardium from I/R and Tau + I/R groups detected by flow cytometry was 17.66% +/- 1.54% and 4.86% +/- 1.23%, respectively. Fas and Bax protein expressions in ischemic myocardium of I/R group were higher than that in nonischemic myocardium group (P < 0.01), Bcl-2/Bax ratio in I/R group was lower than that in nonischemic myocardium (P < 0.01); while in Tau + I/R group, Fas and Bax protein expressions were lower than that in I/R group (P < 0.01), the Bcl-2/Bax ratio was higher than that in I/R group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTaurine reduced apoptosis of myocytes in I/R rabbit heart; its mechanism may involve Fas, Bax and Bcl-2 proteins expression.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rabbits ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology ; Taurine ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate their long-term outcome and the efficacy and economic significance of antiviral drugs by investigating the long-term health-related quality of life (HQL) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

METHODSThe HQL of 101 CHB patients with biopsy-proven 6 to 18 years ago and 105 persons of general population as control was studied with revised SF-36 questionnaire.

RESULTSThe HQL in CHB patients was lower than that in general population in physical functioning, role physical, general health, mental health, and specific symptoms (mu > or = 2.10, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe long-term HQL in chronic hepatitis B patients is poor.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Cost of Illness ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; economics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo investigate the chronic effects of intracoronary autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell (BM-MNCs) transplantation in patients with refractory heart failure (RIHF) after myocardial infarction.

METHODSThirty patients with RIHF (LVEF < 40%) were enrolled in this nonrandomized study, autologous BM-MNCs (5.0 +/- 0.7) x 10(7) were transplanted with via infarct-related coronary artery in 16 patients and 14 patients received standard medical therapy served as control. Baseline and follow up evaluations included complete clinical evaluations, plasma BNP, ANP, ET-1 measurements, echocardiography, PET, and Holter monitoring.

RESULTSBaseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. There were no major periprocedural complications. One patient developed ventricular premature contractions during cell infusion for several seconds and recovered spontaneously. Compared to pre-transplantation, plasma BNP and ET-1 significantly decreased and plasma ANP significantly increased at 7 days post transplantation; 6 minutes walking distance increased from (72.1 +/- 31.5) to (201.6 +/- 23.3) m (P < 0.01), LVEF increased 9.9% (P < 0.001) and FDG-PET revealed vital myocardium area increased (10.3 +/- 3.4)% (P < 0.01) at 3 months after BM-MNCs transplantation. At 6 months follow up, the NYHA class improved from (3.4 +/- 0.1 to 2.4 +/- 0.2, P < 0.001) and no patient died and 1 patient rehospitalized due to lower extremities edema. In control group, LVEF decreased 7.2% compared to baseline (P < 0.001) and was significantly lower than transplantation group at 3 months (P < 0.001). At 6 months follow up, the NYHA class increased from (3.5 +/- 0.1 to 3.9 +/- 0.1, P < 0.05), 2 patients died and 10 patients rehospitalized due to aggravated heart failure.

CONCLUSIONPresent study demonstrates that intracoronary transplantation of autologous BM-MNCs is safe and effective for treating patients with RIHF after myocardial infarction.

Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Coronary Vessels ; surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; complications ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Monocytes ; transplantation ; Myocardial Infarction ; surgery ; Myocardial Ischemia ; complications ; Transplantation, Autologous

Aged ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Restenosis ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sirolimus ; administration & dosage ; Stents

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs) for treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR).

METHODSAll 27 patients with ISR and clinical evidence of ischemia had been treated with SESs. Among them, 23 patients had diffuse and complex lesions, and 5 of them received 2 SESs. Clinical and angiographic follow-up were performed for all patients and the results were analyzed.

RESULTSAll stents were implanted successfully. There were no remained stenosis and major in-hospital complications. Average follow-up time was 8.9 +/- 2.1 (5-14) months, with a clinical follow-up rate of 96.3% and angiographic follow-up rate of 92.6%. During the follow-up, there was none of death. One patient had recurrent angina with an angiographic evidence of the proximal edge restenosis of the stent. Mild neointimal hyperplasia in the proximal edge was found in 2 patients, but the stenosis was less than 25%. No late lumen loss was found in other 24 patients. The late lumen loss of the in-stent averaged 0.09 +/- 0.02 mm, and of the distal edge vessel averaged 0.10 +/- 0.03 mm, and of the proximal edge vessel averaged 0.20 +/- 0.06 mm. The rate of target vessel revascularization was 3.8%.

CONCLUSIONThe SES implantation is safe and feasible for the treatment of in-stent restenosis, which could effectively prevent neointimal hyperplasia and recurrent restenosis of the lesion.

Adult ; Aged ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Restenosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sirolimus ; administration & dosage ; Stents

To study the coumarins of Anemone raddeana Regel, the compounds were separated by silica gel column chromatography and HPLC. Their structures were identified by their physicochemical property and spectral analysis. Two new compounds were isolated and identified as 4, 7-dimethoxyl-5-methyl-6-hydroxy coumarin (1) and 4, 7-dimethoxyl-5-formyl-6-hydroxycoumarin (2). The bioassays indicated that compounds 1 and 2 could significantly inhibit the proliferation of cancer cell, and showed the agonist effect on the transactivity of retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RARalpha). In addition, the two compounds had inhibitory effect against human leukocyte elastase (HLE).
Anemone ; chemistry ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Leukocyte Elastase ; metabolism ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Receptors, Retinoic Acid ; genetics ; metabolism ; Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Transcriptional Activation

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of dopamine receptor (DR2) activation on hypoxia/reperfusion injury (HRI) in the neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSThe hypoxia/reperfusion (H/R) injury model was established in primarily cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and randomly assigned: control, H/R, bromocriptine (Bro) and haloperidol (Hal) groups. The cell apoptosis was detected using inverted microscope, transmission electron microscope and flow cytometry (FCM). The lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in cell medium were analyzed. The expression of mRNA and protein of caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Fas, Fas-L, Cyt C and Bcl-2 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, apoptosis rate, LDH activity, MDA content and the expression of pro-apoptotic factors and anti-apoptotic factors were increased, but SOD activity was decreased in H/R group. Compared with the H/R group, all index above-mentioned were down-regulated or reversed in Bro-group, and had no obvious differences in Hal-group.

CONCLUSIONThe neonatal rat cardiomyocytes injury and apoptosis caused by hypoxia/reperfusion can be inhibited with DR2 activation, which mechanism is related to scavenging oxygen radical.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis ; Cell Hypoxia ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; etiology ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Dopamine D2 ; metabolism