Inflammasome, which is a large multiprotein complex in the cytosol regulating IL-1β production, plays an important role in atherosclerosis ( AS ) . To date, NLRP3 ( nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein 3) inflammasome is the most widely studied type of inflammasome. This article aims to review the effects of NLRP3 inflammasome on AS-related cells ( endothelial cells, macrophages and vascular smooth mus-cle cells) to further explore the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the progression of AS.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of recombinant human growth hormone on serum lipid in aged male patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

METHODSEighty seven patients with chronic heart failure(> or = 60 years old) were randomly divided into 2 groups: the CHF control group (n = 46) who received regular therapy and the CHF experimental group (n = 41) who received regular therapy and recombinant human growth hormone. The treatment would be continued for 3 months. Another group was normal control group (n = 10). The detection of serum growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was carried out before and after treatment in the participants.

RESULTSBefore treatment, the levels of GH and IGF-1 were not significantly different among groups. After treatment, the levels of GH (0.71 +/- 0.34 vs 0.96 +/- 0.48) and IGF-1 (95.64 +/- 21.11 vs 111.64 +/- 23.14)in CHF experimental group were higher than those before the treatment. In CHF control group, the levels of GH(0.81 +/- 0.32 vs 0.79 +/- 0.29) and IGF-1 (97.82 +/- 19.74 vs 99.65 +/- 20.11) had no significant change after the treatment. After treatment, the levels of GH (0.96 +/- 0.48 vs 0.79 +/- 0.29) and IGF-1 (111.64 +/- 23.14 vs 99.65 +/- 20.11) in CHF experimental group were higher compared with that of CHF control group. Before treatment, the serum levels of LDL-C, HDL-C, TC and TG had no significant difference among groups. After treatment,the levels of LDL-C (2.11 +/- 0.82 vs 1.76 +/- 0.51) and TC (3.78 +/- 1.34 vs 3.21 +/- 1.17) in CHF experimental group were lower than those before the treatment. However, the levels of HDL-C (1.10 +/- 0.31 vs 0.99 +/- 0.28)and TG (1. 89 +/- 1.07 vs 1.66 +/- 0.95) had no significant change after the treatment compared with before treatment. In CHF control group, the serum lipid levels had no significant change after the treatment.

CONCLUSIONAs the treatment of rhGH for aged male patients with chronic heart failure, GH influences lipid metabolism, which reduces the level of LDL-C, TC. However GH has no effects on the serum HDL-C and TG level. With the treatment of rhGH for long-term, lipid metabolism should be paid attention,and the treatment for blood lipid reduction should be adjusted in time.

Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Heart Failure ; blood ; therapy ; Human Growth Hormone ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Recombinant Proteins ; pharmacology

The RhD antigen is expressed only in human red blood cells (RBC).Its immunogenicity and clinical application are only next to ABO blood group system, and is widely used both for blood typing and prevention of hemolytic disease of the newborn. The traditional anti-Rh(D) is derived by fractionation of plasma from individuals who have been sensitized by pregnancy or transfusion, or have been deliberately immunized to produce anti-Rh(D). Because of the limited source of plasma, researchers began the study of monoclonal and recombinant antibody. Monoclonal and recombinant anti-Rh(D) antibodies may provide alternatives to the current plasma derived polyclonal IgG anti-Rh(D), but up to now,none of them have yet proved effective in humans for prevention of RhD immunity and hemolytic disease of the newborn.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucin-5B ; biosynthesis ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Sinusitis ; metabolism ; Young Adult

Animals ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; Humans ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology

Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fructose Intolerance ; pathology ; Humans

Objective: To study the significance of DNA content in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).Methods: DNA content and cell cycle of the cells in 18 cases of oral SCC were analized by image cytometry (ICM). Results: The DNA index (DI) and proliferation index (PI) were remarkably heigher in SCC than in normal epithelium ( P

Golgi protein 73, a novel Golgi-localized transmembrane glycoprotein , is normally expressed in biliary epithelial cells of human tissues.Researches show that GP73 is overexpressed in many tumor tissues, such as hepatocellular carcinoma , prostate cancer, lung adenocarcinoma, renal cell cancer, and so on, which may play on important role in cancer diagnosis as a novel tumor marker.

Objective To investigate expressions of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family and their receptors in cardiac repair/remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI).Methods The infarcted rat heart model were constructed,real time PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blots (WB) were used.Results Compared to the normal myocardium,VEGF-A was significantly decreased in MI group during the 42 days observation period but decreased at day 1,which was 0.89 ±0.04 of control group in D1,0.25 ±0.03 of control in D14; VEGF-B was significantly suppressed in the infarcted heart,which level was 0.09 ± 0.04 of control; However,VEGF-C and VEGF-D were markedly increased in the infarcted heart in MI group,which was 5.31 ± 0.21 and 9.24 ± 0.47 times of control.Meanwhile,VEGFR-1 and 2 were 0.11 ± 0.02 and 0.14 ± 0.04 of control in the infarcted heart,but VEGFR-3 was significantly increased in blood vessels,6.81 ± 0.42 times of control group.Conclusions VEGF isoforms and VEGFR subtypes were differentially expressed in the infarcted heart.It suggests that these isoforms may regulate multiple responses during cardiac repair/remodeling.

AIM: To investigate the role of K + channels in the decreased hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction(HPV) in chronic hypoxic rats. METHODS: Blockers of three kinds of K + channels, 4-AP(voltage dependent K + channel blocker), TEA(Ca 2+ activated K + channel blocker)\, GLIB(ATP sensitive K + channel blocker) were used in isolated perfused rat lungs to detect the role of K + channels in HPV. RESULTS: In normal rats, 4-AP and TEA, but not GLIB, both elicited a significant increase in pulmonary artery baseline pressure, and also potentiated the acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. In chronic hypoxic rats, the HPV is significantly decreased, while 4-AP, TEA, GLIB all elicited a significant but smaller increase in pulmonary artery baseline pressure. Additionally, all these three blockers potentiated the HPV stronger in chronic hypoxic rats than in control rats. CONCLUSION: The opening of Kv, K Ca , K ATP might modulate the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in isolated rat lungs, and the increase in this modulation by potassium channel in chronic hypoxic rats might play a role in its decrease in HPV.