Objective To explore the effects of cyclic tensile strain on the proliferation of cultured human osteoar-thritis chondrocytes. Methods The degenerated human cartilage came from a 66-year-old patient with osteoarthritis. The degree of degeneration was assessed by pathological diagnosis. Under the sterile condition, degenerated chondrocytes were cultured by enzymatic digestion. The toluidine blue staining, safranin O staining, and immunofluorescence staining of colla-genⅡwere used to identify the cultured cells. The third generation cells were seeded on the silicone rubber membrane carri-er, using the EF3200 mechanical tester equipped with BioDynamic bioreactor system, imposed a frequency of 0.25 Hz, stain 0, 5%, 10%and 15%load for 3 h. The proliferation activity was detected by flow cytometry. Results The proliferative in-dex (PI) increased with the magnitude value of cyclic tensile strain. The most significant increase of proliferation index was found in 10%group. Conclusion The proliferation of human osteoarthritis chondrocytes increases under some stress.

AIMTo investigate the effects of polarizing cardioplegia solution with sodium channel inhibitor tetrodotoxin (TTX) on intracellular free Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) in isolated cardiomyocytes of rat.

METHODSVentricular myocytes with beating were isolated from adult rat hearts by enzymatic dissociation, randomly created in group base, group STH2 (contrast group of ischemia/reperfusion) and group TFX (treated group). Both Group STH2 and group TTX were arrested by St. Thomas No. 2 cardioplegia solution and TTX cardioplegia solution respectively, the arrest/re-beating cell model imitating MIRI being established, and imaged by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) for measuring [Na+]i of cardiomyocytes in different period. The morphology of cardiomyocytes was observed under the inverted microscope.

RESULTS[Na+]i of cardiomyocytes in both group TTX and group STH2 after re-beating was higher than that in group base (P < 0.01), and [Na+]i in group TTX was lower than that in group STH2 (P < 0.01). During arrest, the elevation of [Na+]i in group TTX was lower than that in group STH2. During arrest, the elevation of [Na+]i in group TTX was lower than that in group STH2. Morphologically, after re-beating, the ratio of active cardiomyocytes with normal form in group TTX was higher than that in group STH2 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONContrast depolarized cardioplegia solution, TTX cardioplegia solution could alleviate ischemia reperfusion injury and intracellular Na+ overload of cardiomyocytes.

Animals ; Cardioplegic Solutions ; pharmacology ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Heart Arrest, Induced ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; metabolism ; Rats ; Sodium ; metabolism ; Sodium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Tetrodotoxin ; pharmacology

Objective To explore the expression of chemerin and chemerin receptor ( chemokine-like receptor 1, CMKLR1) during different periods of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD) rat model induced by methionine- and choline-deficient ( MCD) diet. Methods Thirty-six Wistar rats were divided into control group and MCD group in random. After one week quarantine and acclimation period, these two groups were fed either normal chow or MCD diet. The animals were respectively sacrificed at the first week, the forth week, and the tenth week. The levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), blood lipid profile, liver function, and the content of triglyceride in liver were detected. HE staining was done to observe the morphologic change of liver. The mRNA expression changes of chemerin and CMKLR1 in liver were measured using real-time PCR, and the change in chemerin mRNA level was further confirmed in liver by Northern blot. Finally, the concentration of chemerin in serum was measured by Western blot. Results The mRNA level of chemerin decreased significantly after four and ten weeks MCD feeding, although no obvious changes were found at first week, similar changes were found in serum chemerin (1.00±0.11 vs 0.96±0.39; 1.00±0.12 vs 0.21 ±0.77; 1.00±0.42 vs 0.21 ±0. 11). Contrasting with the change of chemerin(1.00±0.08 vs 0.72±0.10;1.00±0.24 vs 0.63±0. 31 ;1.00±0.05 vs 0.50±0.13), the mRNA level of CMKLR1 increased after MCD feeding( 1.00±0. 14 vs 0. 84±0. 26; 1.00±0. 38 vs 1. 51 ±0. 33; 1. 01 ±0. 13 vs 1. 84 ± 0. 39 ). Conclusion The change of chemerin and its receptor may participate in the process of the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of progesterone on matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) expression in neonatal rat brain after hypoxic-ischemia.

METHODSFollowed the hypoxic-ischemia of neonatal rat brain, Evans blue (EB) staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect the blood-brain barrier pathological changes on permeability. MMP-3 protein expression in cerebral cortex was measured with Western blot.

RESULTSTransmission electron microscopy results showed that the blood brain barrier in hypoxic-ischemic group changed significantly compare to progesterone group. EB staining results suggested that the blood-brain barrier permeability of hypoxic-ischemic group was significantly increased compared to sham-operated group (P < 0.01). The blood-brain barrier permeability in progesterone group was also decreased in comparison to that of hypoxic-ischemic group (P < 0.05). Western blot image analysis results indicated that MMP-3 protein expression in the hypoxic-ischemic group increased significantly than that in sham-operated group (P < 0.01), and the progesterone group was decreased significantly than that in hypoxic-ischemic group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONProgesterone may reduce the blood-brain barrier damage by reducing MMP-3 expression. This might be one of the protective mechanisms in the hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 ; metabolism ; Progesterone ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus medication in treating chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. Method By using the random number table, sixty-eight patients with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease were randomized into an acupuncture-medication group of 34 cases and a medication group of 34 cases. The clinical efficacies were compared after 2 courses of treatment, and the symptoms and body signs scores and syndrome score of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were also compared. Result There was a significant difference in comparing the therapeutic efficacy between the acupuncture-medication group and the medication group (P<0.05). After the treatment, the symptoms and body signs scores and TCM syndrome score dropped significantly in both groups (P<0.05), indicating that the two groups both had improvement in the symptoms, body signs and TCM syndrome; there were significant between-group differences in comparing the score differences in the symptoms and body signs scores and TCM syndrome score after the treatment (P<0.05), and the acupuncture-medication group was higher than the medication group. Conclusion Acupuncture plus medication can better ameliorate the symptoms and body signs and TCM syndrome in chronic pelvic inflammatory disease.

Abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are the major cause of in-stent restenosis (ISR). Intervention proliferation and migration of VSMCs is an important strategy for antirestenotic therapy. Roscovitine, a second-generation cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, can inhibit cell cycle of multiple cell types. We studied the effects of roscovitine on cell cycle distribution, proliferation and migration of VSMCs in vitro by flow cytometry, BrdU incorporation and wound healing assay, respectively. Our results showed that roscovitine increased the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells after 12 h (69.57±3.65 vs. 92.50±1.68, P=0.000), 24 h (80.87±2.24 vs. 90.25±0.79, P=0.000) and 48 h (88.08±3.86 vs. 88.87±2.43, P=0.427) as compared with control group. Roscovitine inhibited proliferation and migration of VSMCs in a concentration-dependent way. With the increase of concentration, roscovitine showed increased capacity for growth and migration inhibition. Roscovitine (30 μmol/L) led to an almost complete VSMCs growth and migration arrest. Combined with its low toxicity and selective inhibition to ISR-VSMCs, roscovitine may be a potential drug in the treatment of vascular stenosis diseases and particularly useful in the prevention and treatment of ISR.
Animals ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Graft Occlusion, Vascular ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; metabolism ; pathology ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Purines ; pharmacology ; Rats

Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Guanine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organophosphonates ; therapeutic use ; Quality of Life ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of E-cadherin, CD44H, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), nm23H1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its relationship to the effect of radiotherapy. Furthermore, to analyze the predict value of radiotherapy effect.

METHODSThe expressions of E-cadherin, CD44H, MMP-3, nm23H1 and VEGF in 62 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were determined by immunohistochemical SP method. There were 62 patients (17 to 70 years old) with nasopharyngeal carcinoma which were treated by radiotherapy from March 1995 to October 1995 and the period of follow-up had full 10 years.

RESULTSThe expressions of CD44H (chi2 = 18.739, P = 0.028) and VEGF (chi2 = 18.523, P = 0.030) were closely related with short-term effect after radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The short-term effect was descent along with enhancement of their expressions. In the group of low expressions in CD44H and nm23H1, 3-year overall survival rate were 65.5% and 45.5%, and 5-year overall survival rate were 47.3% and 22.7%. In the group of high expressions in CD44H and nm23H1, 3-year overall survival rate were 54.6% and 75.9%, and 5-year overall survival rate were 27.8% and 53.2%. There were respectively significant difference between two group of expressions in CD44H (chi2 = 7.31, P = 0.0069) and nm23H1 (chi2 = 15.64, P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONSThese findings indicated that to detect the expressions of CD44H and VEGF gene may predict short-term effect of radiotherapy. Furthermore, to detect the expressions of CD44H and nm23H1 gene may predict long-term effect of radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cadherins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; radiotherapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; radiotherapy ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Young Adult

Objective:To analyze the clinical data and related literature of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) caused by a new mutation of MATR3 gene.Methods:A sALS patient with MATR3 gene mutation who was admitted to the Department of Neurology, the First Medical Center of Chinese People′s Liberation Army General Hospital was collected. The examination of biochemistry, electromyography, cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and genetic tests, etc, were performed. Whole exon sequencing was performed to screen the disease-causing genes. Sanger sequencing was also performed to validate the mutation sites of the patient. Genetic harmfulness was predicted by multiple computational softwares, including SIFT Pred, Polyphen-2 HVAR Pred and MutationTaster Pred. Clinical characteristics of ALS induced by different MATR3 gene mutation sites were summarized by database retrieval.Results:The patient was a 69-year-old female, who began to show bulbar muscle weakness and then gradually developed to the facial muscles, including temporalis and masseter, and four limbs. In addition to the upper and lower motor neuron damage found in physical examination of the patient, the obvious facial muscle atrophy was also found in the patient. There was no family history of ALS in this patient. In terms of auxiliary examination, creatine kinase, rheumatism immunity and tumor markers were all normal. Cranial MRI showed no structural lesions and abnormal signals at the course of pyramidal tract. Electromyography suggested extensive neurogenic damage, decreased amplitude of repeated stimulation, abnormal measurement of blink reflex (BR) and skin sympathetic response (SSR). A heterozygous variant c.1472A>G (p.Y491C) of the MATR3 gene, which is a missense mutation, was detected in the patient. The variant was predicted as a harmful mutation by multiple computational softwares.Conclusions:A variant c.1472A>G (p.Y491C) of the MATR3 gene may be the pathogenic mutation of the patient. The patient not only has similar clinical manifestations to those of classic ALS, but also has facial muscle involvement. The electromyography shows abnormal SSR and BR.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the eliminating ability of catechin to eliminate O2-* and *OH. METHODS: The ability of catechin to clear away O2-* and *OH was respectively measured by faintness chemiluminescence and spin trapping assay. RESULTS: IC50 that catechin eliminated O2-* and *OH was 6.16, 0.59 g/mL respectively, and the eliminating ability of catechin was much stronger than that of the extract from liquorice, rosemary, grape pip, giant knotweed and ginkgo leaf. CONCLUSION Compared with several important natural plants of antioxidants, the eliminating ability of cathechin is the best.
Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Catechin ; pharmacology ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Hydroxyl Radical ; metabolism ; Luminescent Measurements ; Superoxides ; metabolism