Animals ; Area Postrema ; physiology ; Blood Pressure ; Electric Stimulation ; Electrocardiography ; Male ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Peroneal Nerve ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo observe the primary prevention role of Wuling Capsule (WC) on poststroke depression (PSD) patients.

METHODSAcute stroke patients were recruited and randomized into 2 groups by stratification, 55 in each group. All patients received same routine treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Patients in the experimental group additionally took WC (0.33 g each pill), 3 pills per day, three times per day; while those in the control group additionally took placebos, 3 pills per day, three times per day. Two weeks consisted of one therapeutic course. The diagnosis of PSD was performed once every other week. Those in accordance with PSD diagnosis discontinued any drug therapy. Those not in accordance with PSD diagnosis continued the drug therapy for 1-12 therapeutic course(s) (in total of 6 months). If they were still not in accordance with PSD diagnosis, then they discontinued the drug therapy. The morbidity of PSD, the average time of depression occurrence, Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) score, and adverse reactions were observed.

RESULTSThe 1-, 3-, and 6-month morbidity of PSD was 8%, 16%, and 34% in the experimental group, while they were 19.6%, 29.4%, and 54.9% in the control group. The occurrence rate was lower in the experimental group than in the control group. Besides, there was statistical difference in the 6-month occurrence rate between the two groups (chi2 = 4.465, P < 0.05). The average time of PSD occurrence was longer in the experimental group than in the control group (14.96 +/- 8.31 weeks vs. 9.36 +/- 6.06 weeks; t=6.762, P < 0.05). The HAMD score at the PSD occurrence was 11.96 +/- 2.14 in the experimental group, lower than that of the control group (14.57 +/- 4.24), showing statistical difference (t=5.641, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONWC was superior to the placebos in lowering the incidence of PSD, delaying the occurrence time of PSD, attenuating the depression degree of PSD, and had certain preventive effect on the incidence of PSD.

Aged ; Capsules ; Depression ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Primary Prevention ; Stroke ; complications

Objective To investigate the role of autophagy in radiation-induced death response of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.Methods MTT method was used to detect cell viability of CNE-2 cells in different time after irradiation.Clonogenic survival assay was used to evaluate the effect of autophagy inhibitor (chloroquine phosphate) and autophagy inductor (rapamycin) on radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry.The expressions of LC3 and P62 were measured with Western blot.Cell ultrastructural analysis was performed under an electron microscope.Results Irradiation with 10 Gy induced a massive accumulation of autophagosomes accompanied with up-regulation of LC3-Ⅱ expression in CNE-2 cells.Compared with radiation alone,chloroquine phosphate (CDP) enhanced radiosensitivity significantly by decreasing cell viability (F =25.88,P ＜ 0.05),autophagic ratio (F =105.15,P ＜ 0.05),and LC3-Ⅱ protein level(F =231.68,P ＜0.05),while up-regulating the expression of P62 (F =117.52,P ＜ 0.05).Inhibition of autophagy increased radiation-induced apoptosis (F =143.72,P ＜ 0.05).Rapamycin (RAPA) also significantly decreased cell viability,but increased autophagic ratio and LC3-Ⅱ protein level while down-regulated the expression of P62.Induction of autophagy increased radiation-induced apoptosis(F =167.32,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Blockage of autophagy with CDP could enhance radiosensitivity in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells,suggesting that inhibition of autophagy could be used as an adjuvant treatment to nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

This study is to establish an HPLC-DAD-ELSD method for simultaneous determination of 5 flavones and saponins in Rhizoma Anemarrhenae including neo-mangiferin, mangiferin, timosaponin B II, timosaponin B III and timosaponin A III. Samples were analyzed on a Merck Purospher STAR column(4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile( A) and 0. 1% formic acid (B) with gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL · min(-1). The column temperature was set at 40 °C. The DAD detector wavelength was set at 254 nm. The ELSD conditions were as follows: the nebulizing gas flow rate was 2.0 L · min(-1) and temperature of drift tube was 105 °C. The volume was 10 μL. The five compounds were well separated with good linear correlations. The mean recoveries were between 102.0%-104.0%. This method was quick and reliable which provides a foundation for quality control of R. Anemarrhenae.
Anemarrhena ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; instrumentation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Flavones ; analysis ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Saponins ; analysis

AIMTo determine the role of area postrema (AP) of rabbit in the regulation of cardiovascular function.

METHODSThe rabbits were anesthetized with intravenous injection of 10% urethane and 1% chloralose, and were artificially ventilated. The changes of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were observed when AP was electrically stimulated with different frequency (10 Hz -80 Hz) and after chemical lesion of CVLM or RVLM, respectively.

RESULTSElectrical stimulation of AP with low frequency (10 Hz, 20 Hz) decreased MAP and HR. Stimulation with high frequency(60 Hz, 80 Hz) increased MAP but decreased HR. The changes in MAP and HR were significantly lower (P < 0.01) after CVLM was destroyed when electrical stimulation of AP with 20 Hz, and both changes of MAP and HR were disappeared (P < 0.01) after RVLM was destroyed when electrical stimulation with 20 and 80 Hz.

CONCLUSIONElectrical stimulation of AP with low frequency decreases MAP and HR, stimulation with high frequency induces an increase in MAP and decreases in HR. The former is probably related to excitation of CVLM, the cardiovascular effects induced by different frequency of electrical stimulation are all resulted from the activation of RVLM.

Animals ; Area Postrema ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Blood Pressure ; radiation effects ; Electric Stimulation ; Heart Rate ; radiation effects ; Male ; Medulla Oblongata ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Rabbits

AIMTo investigate the cardiovascular response caused by intracerebroventricular (ICV) microinjection of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and explore the underlying mechanism.

METHODSMale Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal urethane( 1.2 g/ kg). The changes of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were observed during ICV microinjection of IL-2 with or without pretreatment of naloxone or atropine or phentolamine.

RESULTSThere were no significant effects on cardiovascular response after ICV injection of IL-2 at 500 IU/3 microl and 1 000 IU/3 microl, but IL-2 at 1 500 IU/3 microl could elevate MAP and HR. The responses of MAP and HR reached their maximum levels at 10 min (MAP: 10 +/- 1.8 mmHg, HR: 25 +/- 2 b/min, P < 0.05) after the injection and lasted 15 or 10 minutes respectively. Pretreatment with naloxone (10 microg/10 microl) or atropine (1.5 microg/10 microl) could block the cardiovascular response of ICV injection of IL-2. Pretreatment with phentolamine (10 microg/10 microl) failed to block the cardiovascular responses by IL-2.

CONCLUSIONICV microinjection of interleukin-2 (IL-2) can elevate the MAP and HR, which may be mediated by central opioid and cholinergic system. The alpha-adrenergic system may be not involved in the cardiovascular response of IL-2.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Injections, Intraventricular ; Interleukin-2 ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Male ; Microinjections ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the interaction between opioid receptor (OR) stimulation and adrenergic receptor (AR) stimulation in the isolated ischaemia/reperfusion (I-R) rat heart.

METHODSMale Sprague-Dawley rats were used for Langendoff isolated heart perfusion. Myocardial ischemia for 20 min was followed by 30 min of reperfusion, during which the kappa-OR agonist U50488h and beta(1)-AR agonist norepinephrine (NE) were administered.

RESULTS(1) 50488h antagonized the effect of NE in rising left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) in the early phase of myocardial ischemia at 10, 20, 30 min of reperfusion. (2) Arrhythmia scores in the I-R+NE+U50488h group were markedly lower than those in the I-R group during the 10 - 20 min reperfusion period. No significant differences in arrhythmia scores were found in either I-R+U50488h or I-R+NE group when compared with I-R group. (3) Compared with the I-R group, U50488h alone or plus NE decreased reperfusion heart rates after myocardial ischemia while NE alone showed no effect.

CONCLUSIONIt is suggested that the interaction in the signaling pathway between kappa-OR and beta(1)-AR occurred during myocardial I-R of rat heart.

3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion ; Norepinephrine ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Adrenergic ; physiology ; Receptors, Opioid, kappa ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of area postrema (AP) of medulla in control of cardiovascular functions in rat.

METHODS(1) Sprague Dawley rats were anaesthetized with urethane and pentobarbital and the AP was stimulated by electrical stimulus with intensity of 0.1 mA and frequencies ranged 10 approximate, equals 80 Hz. (2) Excitatory amino acid L-glutamate (L- Glu, 0.1 approximate, equals 0.5 mol/L) was microinjected into AP in urethane anaesthetized rats and the changes of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded.

RESULT(1) When the frequencies of 10 Hz, 20 Hz and 40 Hz were used, the electrical stimulation of AP caused decrease of MAP and HR (P<0.001),while the electrical stimulation with the frequencies of 60 Hz and 80 Hz caused an increase of MAP (P<0.05) but a decrease of HR (P<0.001). (2) Microinjection of L-Glu at 0.1 mol/L had no effect on MAP and HR (P>0.05), but it decreased MAP and HR at 0.15 mol/L (P<0.001, P<0.05). The MAP was increased (P<0.001) but HR (P<0.05) was decreased at the concentrations of 0.2 mol/L and 0.5 mol/L, respectively.

CONCLUSIONAlterations of MAP and HR induced by electrical or chemical stimulation on AP of medulla are related to the frequency of electrical stimulation or concentration of L-Glu.

Animals ; Area Postrema ; physiology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Electric Stimulation ; Glutamic Acid ; pharmacology ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Solitary Nucleus ; physiology

Objective To understand the current health literacy level of students in a medical university and its influencing factors, so as to provide references for health education of medical college students. Methods By means of random stratified cluster sampling, health literacy questionnaire survey was conducted among 1 428 students in three grades of a medical university. Ratio and constituent ratio were used to describe the resuls. Chi-square test was used fot comparison among groups. Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors. Results The percentage of sampled undergraduates in Hebei who had met the health literacy criteria was 57.18%.The percentages of students who had met the health literacy criteria on health concepts and the basic knowledge, and on healthy lifestyles and behaviors, and on the basic health skills were 58.68%, 30.88%, 65.48%,respectively. The health literacy of female college students was higher than that of males. There were statistically significant differences in health literacy among subjects of different grades, majors, fathers with education and fathers with different occupations ( 2=27.748, 46.525, 19.327, 30.779, all P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that girls' health literacy was higher than boys' (OR=1.521, 95% CI:1.160-1.993). The health literacy level of students from different majors was in order of clinical medicine, nursing, pharmacy and other majors; The health literacy of the children with highly educated mothers was higher than that of the children with less educated mothers. Conclusions Overall level of health literacy of students in this school is higher than that of undergraduates nationwide. Medical colleges should focus on cultivating healthy lifestyles of medical students, so as to improve the overall health literacy of college students.

Aim To investigate the peptides and its protection for vascular endothelial cells, derived from the absorbed components of rice α-globulin,which was shown to be effective in anti-atherosclerosis. Methods The amino acid sequence was purified by gel chro-matography and RP-HPLC, and determined by ESI/MS. Then the peptide was chemically synthesized. Hu-man umbilical vein endothelial cell injury model was induced by tumor necrosis factor-α. The cell viability was measured by cell counting kit to screen the appro-priate peptide intervention concentration. The apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry. Bcl-2, Bax, p-p38, vascular cell adhesion molecule and the protein expression level of NF-κB signaling pathway were de-tected by Western blot and immunofluorescent stai-ning. Results Apoptosis of HUVECs induced by TNF-α was significantly increased by YGEGSSEEG, which also regulated expression of Bcl-2/Bax proteins and inhibited phosphorylation of p38 protein. Besides, the peptide suppressed the production of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and activation of NF-κB pathway. While it did not significantly improve the oxidative stress response in HUVECs. Conclusion Peptide YGEGSSEEG pro-tects vascular endothelial cells through suppressing ap-optosis and expression of adhesion molecules.