Animals ; Body Weight ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gastrointestinal Transit ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reishi

Objective To evaluate the characters of respiratory function in children with chronic cough and explore the correlative association between cough variant asthma(CVA) and etiology of chronic cough.Methods One hundred and forty patients with chronic cough were divided into 2 groups based on peak expiratory flow(PEF) or forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1).Ninty-three cases were done exercise test and 47 cases were done bronchoditor rest.The parameters included forced vital capacity(FVC),FEV1,PEF,forced expiratory flow at 50% and 75%(FEF50,FEF75).Results The measurement 35 cases with positive bronchoditor rest,and 30 cases with positive exercise test were found.The PEF and FEV1 variation rate were(18.30?10.50)%,(18.78?9.44)% in exercise test groups,and(30.36?27.27)%,(36.13?26.83)% in bronchoditor rest groups,respectively.Conclusions FEV1,PEF may be used as markers for the reversibility of airway obstructe in children with CVA.There is significant correlation between PEF and FEV1.Respiratory function mensurate may reflect the change and degree of inflammation in the airway of children with chronic cough.

To establish a method for quantitative measurement of phagocytosis, the phagocytic process of apoptotic granulosa cells by monocytes was imitated in vitro. Monocytes and granulosa cells were isolated from Kunming mice and cultured. Granulosa cells were induced to apoptosis by garlic, and then co-cultured with monocytes. At different time points (1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 5 h), co-cultured cells were observed by microscope after Wright's staining. The results showed that at the beginning of morphological changes in apoptotic granulosa cells, monocytes captured the apoptotic cells. Meanwhile, the apoptosis of granulosa cells were progressing. Debris was found in phagocytic vacuole. At the point of 3 h after co-culture, the ratio of monocytes which attached to apoptotic granulosa cells to those which engulfed the apoptotic cells was close to one. Namely, half of monocytes were in the state of recognition and half were in the state of engulfment, and this time point was named as 'half phagocytic period'. Regression analysis showed that the equation of linear regression was y = -0.247x +1.644 (y represents Attachment/Engulfment ratio, x represents co-culture time), R(2)=0.912, F=31.095, P=0.011 (<0.05), T= -5.576, P=0.011 (<0.05). In conclusion, the present mode of phagocytosis in vitro can be used as a method to quantitatively assay some effective factors such as medicines which could enhance or restrain phagocytosis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Coculture Techniques ; Female ; Granulosa Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Monocytes ; cytology ; Phagocytosis

Objective To explore the immunogenicity of recombinant chimeric 6Aβ15-T including the Aβ1-15 epitope and a T-helper epitope formulated with different adjuvants and to evaluate its feasibility as a candidate vaccine for Alzheimer disease (AD).Methods The recombinant chimeric antigen 6Aβ15-T formulated with Al adjuvant, Freund′s adjuvant or MF59 adjuvant was administered to two strains of mice .The 6Aβ15-T-immunized group without adjuvants ( Mock) and non-immunized group (Control) were included in this study as control groups .The specific antibody and cellular immune response of the chimeric antigen were evaluated .Results In BALB/c strain mice, three types of adjuvants could substan-tially boost the immunogenicity of chimeric antigen 6Aβ15-T and produce a high level of specific-Aβ(β-amyloid) antibod-ies.In C57BL/6 strain mice, the existence of adjuvants enhanced the immune response of 6Aβ15-T antigen, but the mice in Mock group also produced a strong antibody response .In two strains of mice, prevalence of anti-AβIgG1, which was an indicator of Th2 polarization, was observed in the 6Aβ15-T-immunized mice.Additionally, the Al adjuvant induced a high-er level of IgG1 antibody titers, and the ratio of IgG1/IgG2a was the largest.As expected, the 6Aβ15-T antigen formulated with or without adjuvants induced PADRE-specific, but not Aβ42-specific T cellular immune response .Conclusion The 6Aβ15-T antigens formulated with different types of adjuvants could induce strong Th 2-polarized Aβ42-specific antibody re-sponses without activating self-reactive Aβ42-specific T cells in two strains of mice .The results suggested that the recombi-nant chimeric antigen 6Aβ15-T is a good candidate vaccine for AD .

Maca as one of the star products in the international health care market in recent years, had a wide range of application value and promoted to all over the world. However, the basic research of Maca was not deep, lack of systematic and clear efficacy studies. Market products hype its aphrodisiac effect, which greatly impact more systematic in-depth research and exploration. Therefore, this paper briefly summarizes advance research in recent years including the status quo of the resources, growth cultivation, phytochemical, pharmacological effect and other aspects, which can provide reference for rational development and utilization of Maca.
Animals ; Biomedical Research ; Humans ; Lepidium ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pharmacology

Objective To investigate the influence of flufenamic acid (FFA) on gap junction intercellular communication in vascu-lar smooth muscle cells(VSMC) in situ of acutely isolated arteriole segments .Methods Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were used to study the effects of FFA on membrane input capacitance (Cinput ) ,membrane input conductance(Ginput ) or membrane input re-sistance(Rinput ) of VSMCs embedded in arteriole segments .Results FFA concentration-dependently and reversibly suppressed Ginput or increased Rinput ,with an IC50 of 56 and 33μmol/L in acutely isolated mesenteric artery(MA) and brain artery(BA) segments re-spectively .There was not significant difference between MA and BA (P> 0 .05) .After application of FFA (≥ 300 μmol/L) ,the Cinput ,Ginput and Rinput of the in situ cells were very close to the respective dispersed cell in MA and BA .Conclusion FFA is a reversi-ble gap junction blocker ,achieving a complete electrical isolation of the recorded VSMC at ≥300 μmol/L .FFA suggesting a homo-geneous property of the gap junctions between MA and BA .

Cinobufacino injection is a significant anti-tumor medicine for the treatment of various tumors in clinic, which was made from water extraction of the skin of Bufo bufo gargarizans. In present paper, HPLC-DAD-FT-ICR-MS method was used to identify the major bufadienolides in cinobufacino for the first time. Solid-phase extraction with dichloromethane and silica was used to enrich the total bufadienolides in cinobufacino. Based on the UV and high resolution MS/MS data, 33 bufadienolides were analyzed and characterized. Among them, eight compounds were identified by comparing with standard references unambiguously. This study elucidated the major bufadienolides in cinobufacino, which provided material foundation of cinobufacino and will be benefit for the further pharmacological research.
Amphibian Venoms ; chemistry ; Animals ; Bufanolides ; analysis ; chemistry ; Bufo bufo ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Molecular Structure ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

To obtain chemical constituent information of rat plasma after oral administration of Huang-Lian-Jie-Du Decoction (HLJDD), a LC-FT-ICR-MS method has been established, and both positive and negative ions scan modes were include in the analysis. By comparing their retention time, high resolution mass data of HLJDD extracts, blank plasma and dosed plasma, 38 constituents, including 22 prototype compounds and 16 metabolites, were detected in rat plasma after oral administration of HLJDD. In the 22 prototype compounds, 16 constituents were determined unambiguously by comparing with references. In the analysis of metabolites, phase II reactions like glucuronidation and sulfation were the major biotransformation pathways of HLJDD. M11 was observed as the only phase I metabolite in present experiment. The results will be beneficial for the further pharmacokinetics and pharmacological evaluations of HLJDD.
Administration, Oral ; Alkaloids ; blood ; Animals ; Biotransformation ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; blood ; Iridoids ; blood ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Objective To study the distribution of Nogo-A in the retina and the changes after the optic nerve(ON) injury in hamsters. Methods In this experiment,ON was crushed at 2?mm behind of the eyeball.After 3?d,5?d and 7?d post-axotomy,the Nogo antiserum immunoreactive staining on section of the retina was performed. Results Nogo was expressed at every layer of the retina with the strongest expression on 3?d post-axotomy.The numbers of Nogo-A positive RGCs decrease as the survived time increased.Conclusion Nogo-A in the retina is not unique secretion from the neuroglia.The change in the distribution and level of expressed of Nogo-A in the retina is correlated with time advancement after injured of ON.

Objective To study the feasibility of testing three disease-causing genes for Alport syndrome,COL4A3,COL4A4 and COL4AS,in diagnosing patients with sporadic Alport syndrome by using targeted capture and next generation sequencing.Methods The clinical data of a 9-year-old boy suspected with Alport syndrome were collected.Genomic DNA was extracted using standard procedures from the peripheral blood leukocytes of the patient and his parents,respectively.Targeted capture and next generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing were applied to analyze the mutations in the 3 disease-causing genes.Clinical data of cases reported already with autosomal recessive Alport syndrome caused by the mutations in the COL4A4 gene were summarized.Results The patient was presented with neither family history of hematuria nor chronic renal failure.Haematuria and proteinuria were found at the age of 1 year.The patient presented with episodes of macrohaematuria and gradually developed nephrotic-level proteinuria.At the age of 8 years 7 months,bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was diagnosed.So a probable diagnosis of Alport syndrome was postulated.A compound heterozygous pathogenic mutations of 3578-1G ＞ A and 3967 C ＞ T(Q1323X) were identified in the COL4A4 gene in the patient.The mutation of 3578-1G ＞ A was inherited from his father,and the mutation of Q1323X from his mother.The patient was decisively diagnosed with autosomal recessive Alport syndrome.Conclusions The test of COL4A3,COL4A4 and COL4A5 genes can help diagnose patients with sporadic Alport syndrome by using targeted capture and next generation sequencing.