OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of arecoline on hepatic insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes rats and to elucidate its possible mechanism.

METHODSForty five Wistar rats were fed with high fructose diet for 12 weeks to induce type 2 diabetic rat model. rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 8): control group, model group and model group were treated with different dose (0, 0.5, 1, 5 mg/kg) of arecoline. After 4 weeks, the fasting blood glucose, blood lipid and insulin level measured , mRNA expression of liver constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the protein expression of p-AKT and glucose transporter4 (GLUT4) were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS1.5 mg/kg arecoline could significantly decrease the level of fasting blood glucose, blood lipid, blood insulin level and liver G6Pase, PEPCK, IL-6, TNF-alpha mRNA level in type 2 diabetes rats. 1.5 mg/kg arecoline also could significantly increase CAR, PXR mRNA level and p-AKT and GLUT4 protein expression.

CONCLUSIONArecoline improved hepatic insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes rats by increasing the mRNA levels of CAR and PXR leading to the creased glucose metabolism and inflammation related genes expression.

Animals ; Arecoline ; pharmacology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; metabolism ; Glucose Transporter Type 4 ; metabolism ; Glucose-6-Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Insulin Resistance ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; metabolism ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP) ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear ; metabolism ; Receptors, Steroid ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Objective Sirolimus is a new, potent immunosuppreasant considered to be nonnephrotoxic. There is limited experience with the use of sirolimus in liver transplant recipients. This study was to investigate the clinical experience of conversion from tacrolimus-based to sirolimus-based immunosuppression in liver transplant recipients. Patients switched to cyclosporine-based immunosuppression during the same period were also enrolled as controls. Methods This retrospective study examined liver transplant recipients who had been switched from tacrelimus-based to sirolimus-based or cyelosporine-based immunosuppressive therapy between January 2004 and January 2008 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those switched to sirolimus-based immunosuppression (group A; n=32); and those switched to cyclosporine-based immunosuppression (group B; n=15). Results The rate of successful conversion was 34.5% in group A (10/32) compared with 45.5% in group B (7/15); this difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). After conversion, renal function in patients in group A remained normal, while the renal function in patients in group B become abnormal 4 months after conversion (P<0.05). In group A, some simlimus-associated adverse effects occurred but were mild and easy to control. Conclusion Sirolimus can be used safely in place of tacrolimus in liver transplant recipients.

‘Student-centered’ teaching model is the needs of higher medical education.In the process of education,we carried out comprehensive and systematic reforms by satisfying students' needs and improving students' ability as the main line.These reforms included change of teaching methods (the basic theory combined with clinical knowledge),increase of innovative experiments and change of evaluation system.These results showed that students were interested in these reforms,the innovation abilities of students were improved and students could pay more attention to the process of learning.

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of hypoxia on the contraction of mesen-teric arteries induced by phenylephrine (PE) in guinea pig. Methods Pressure myograph system was used to study the effects of 20, 40 and 60 min hypoxia (mixed with 95% CO2 and 5% O2) on the constriction induced by PE in acutely separated mesenteric artery (300 ~ 400 μm) of guinea pig. Results PE (0.1 ~ 100 μmol/L) caused the contractions of the mesenteric arteries in guinea pig in a concentration-dependent way . Hypoxia de creased the pH value of perfusion fluid from 7.4 to 6.3. Hypoxia significantly inhibited PE-induced vasocon-striction, and the inhibition was hard to recover after reoxygenation. Hypoxia inhibited PE-induced vasoconstric-tion in a time-dependent way , with the inhibition rate reduced in the sequence of inhibition duration of 60 , 40 and 20 min. When its value was decreased to 6.3 , the perfusion fluid even inhibited PE-induced vasoconstric tion. Conclusion Hypoxia can inhibit PE-induced vasoconstriction in the mesenteric arteries of guinea pig in a time-dependent way. The mechanism may have something to do with the change of pH.

OBJECTIVETo reveal the variation content of polysaccharides in cultivated Dendrobium candidum and the relationship between germplasms, harvesting and polysaccharides content for the breeding of quality of D. candidium.

METHODThe morphological characteristics were recorded when 33 samples were collected. The content of polysaccharides was determined by phenol-sulphuric acid method.

RESULTThe average content of polysaccharides in 2-year-old samples was 34.47% (25.63%-41.65%). The polysaccharides content of samples were significantly different among germplasms and physiological ages.

CONCLUSIONThe polysaccharides content of cultivated D. candidum is higher than that of wild materials. Germplasms and physiological age impact on the polysaccharides content significantly. D. candidum breeding and the control of harvesting can increase polysaccharides content.

Breeding ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; genetics ; growth & development ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Polysaccharides ; analysis

Acute Disease ; Adult ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Male

Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-12 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; analysis

Objective To analyze the NIH data sharing repository in order to provide reference for the related stud-ies in biomedical data field and for the development of medical data sharing repository in China. Methods Ten typi-cal data sharing repositories ( such as UniProt, Protein Data Bank, and GenBank) were compared. Their data ac-cess methods, data management and sharing model, and service forms were summarized. Results The data manage-ment links and their process standards were designed according to their characteristics. Conclusion Data service tools can be designed, semi-artificial and semi-automatic data check can be carried out, detail meta-data can be collected, and citation rules confirming to the characteristics of data sharing repository can be established in our country by learning the experiences of NIH in developing its data sharing repository.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of GABA-activated currents in isolated dorsal root ganglion neurons in rats with neuropathic pain.

METHODSThe neuropathic pain model was established by chronic constriction injury (CCI) 7 days before electrophysiological-recording. The rat DRG neurons were enzymatically dissociated. Whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to record GABA-activated currents. The changes of currents of injured side and opposite side were expected to compare with control group.

RESULTS(1) The currents of injured side of CCI group were notablely decreased compared with control group (GABA concentration, 0.1-1000 micromol/L). (2) By the contrast, opposite side currents of CCI group increased significantly compared with those in injured side and control group (GABA concentration, 0.01-1000 micromol/L).

CONCLUSIONThe data indicates that the chronic constriction injury change both the function of GABAA receptors of injury side and opposite side. The decrease of pre-synaptic inhibition of GABA may be the possible reason of neuropathic pain.

Animals ; Cell Separation ; Constriction ; Ganglia, Spinal ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Neuralgia ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Neurons ; metabolism ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, GABA-A ; metabolism ; physiology ; Sciatic Nerve ; injuries

Huperzine A is a potent,reversible,and blood-brain barrier permeable acetylcholinesterase irhibitor.The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics,tolerability,and bioavailability of two formulations with the established reference formulation of huperzine A in a fasting,healthy Chinese male population.This was a randomized,single-dose,3-period,6-sequence crossover study.The plasma concentrations of huperzine A were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.Tolerability was assessed based on subject interview,vital sign monitoring,physical examination,and routine blood and urine tests.The mean (SD) pharmacokinetic parameters of the reference drug were Cmax,1.550 (0.528) ng/mL;t1/2,12.092 (1.898) h;AUC0-72h,17.550 (3.794) ng.h/mL.Those of the test formulation A and test formulation B were Cmax,1.412 (0.467),1.521 (0.608) ng/mL;t1/2,12.073 (2.068),12.271 (1.678) h;AUC0-72h,15.286 (3.434) ng.h/mL,15.673 (3.586) ng.h/mL.The 90％ confidence intervals for the AUC0-72h and Cmax were between 0.80 and 1.25.No adverse events were reported by the subjects or found with results of clinical laboratory test.The test and reference products met the regulatory criteria for bioequivalence in these fasting,healthy Chinese male volunteers.All three formulations appeared to be well tolerated.