Objective To studythe efficacy of levosimendan in treating refractory heart failure complicating severe renal in sufficiency.Methods Sixty-seven cases of refractory heart failure complicating severe renal insufficiency in the internal medicine department of our hospital were randomly divided into the levosimendan treatment group(L group,n=33)and dopamine treatment group(D group,n=34).The changes of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-pro-BNP),left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)and glomerular filtration rate(GFR)before treatment and on 1,3,7,30 d after treatment were compared between the two groups and analyzed.Results Before the treatment,there were no statistically significant differences in the baseline indicators between the two groups(P＞0.05).The group L:the NT-pro-BNP level on 1,3,7 d after treatment was decreased significantly(P＜ 0.05),LVEF on 3,7 d was significantly increased compared with th baseline(P＜0.05)and GFR on 1,3,7,30 d was significantly increased compared with the baseline(P＜0.05).The group D:the NT-pro-BNP level on 7 d of treatment was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),LVEF on 7 d of treatment was significantly increased compared with the baseline(P＜0.05),and no statistically significant changes were observed in GFR on 1,3,7,30 d(P＞0.05).After treatment,NT-pro-BNP,LVEF and GFR significant level values in the group L were better than those in the group D.Conclusion Levosimendan is superior to dopamine in improving heart and renal function for the patients with refractory heart failure complicating severe renal insufficiency.

Accidents, Occupational ; Acute Disease ; Humans ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; poisoning

Objective To explore the effect of sodium arsenite (iAs3+) and sodium hydrogen arseuate (iAs5+) exposure on rat multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2) expression,and the correlation of liver arsenic and its methylation products,and to provide a basis for further elucidating the mechanism of arsenic toxicity.Methods Seventy wistar rats were randomly divided into seven groups,10 rats in each group.Control group was administrated with deionized water.Sodiun arsenite high-dose group,middle-dose group,low-dose group were administrated with different concentrations of sodium arsenite:20.0,6.7 and 2.2 mg/kg BW every day,respectively.Animals were sacrificed 90 days later by cervical dislocation to collect liver,the expression of MRP2 in the membrane of hepatocyte was determined by Western blotting.HPLC-HGAFS was employed to determine the content or level of arsenic and its methylation products.Correlation between expression of MRP2 and arsenic methylation products was analyzed using Pearson's linear correlation method.Results The MRP2 protein levels of control group,iAs3+ and iAs5+ high-,middle-,low-dose groups were 1.21 ± 0.13,1.85 + 0.09,1.65 + 0.19,1.61 + 0.18,1.69 + 0.04,1.42 + 0.19,1.27 ± 0.10.Compared to control group,MRP2 protein levels of iAs3+ high-,middle-,low-dose group and iAs5+ high-dose group were increased (P ＜ 0.05); Compared with the low-dose group,MRP2 protein levels of iAs3+ and iAs5+ high dose groups were increased(P ＜ 0.05); Comparing the matched doses group of iAs5+ and iAs3+,MRP2 protein levels of iAs3+ high-,middle-,low-dose group were higher than iAs5+(P ＜ 0.05).Meanwhile,there was a significant positive relationship between the expression of MRP2 and the content of iAs3+,MMA and DMA in iAs3+ exposed group(r =0.575,0.678,0.395,all P ＜ 0.05).There was also a significant correlation between the expression of MRP2 and MMA and IMA in iAs5+ exposed group(r =0.593,0.643,all P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant relationship between the expression of MRP2 and the content of iAs5+in iAs5+ exposed group.Conclusions The expression of MRP2 is increased with increasing dose of arsenic exposure,thus resulting in compensatory changes on MRP2 expression in the liver cell membrane.MRP2 efflux may play an important role in the metabolic pathways of iAs3+.The level or load of arsenic methylation in liver is closely related with MRP2 expression.

Objective To study the effects of COX-2 selective inhibitor celecoxib on the apoptosis of acute promyelocytic leuke-mia NB4 cell line,and to investigate its apoptosis mechanisms.Methods The expression of COX-2 mRNA in different cell lines was detected by reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).After treatment of NB4 with different doses of celecoxib,the in-hibition of NB4 growth was assayed by MTT,and the DNA fragmentation was examined by the DNA ladder test.The level of Bcl-2 protein expression was assayed by the flow cytometry.Results As compared with the no-medication treatment group,the DNA ladder fragments became more and more obvious after the treatment by different doses of celecoxib.The expression rates of Bcl-2 protein in the different doses of celecoxib groups (25,50,100 μmol/L)were (71.69 ±1.65 )%,(34.51 ±2.53)% and (29.28 ± 2.38)% respectively,compared with the Bcl-2 protein expression rate (85.34±2.89%)in the blank control group,the expression rate of Bcl-2 protein in different doses of celecoxib groups(50,100 μmol/L )was significantly decreased(P <0.05 ).Conclusion Celecoxib as COX-2 selective inhibitor could evidently induce the apoptosis of NB4 cells by down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 protein in NB4 cells.

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between aquaporin 3,4 (AQP3, AQP4) gene expression in gastric mucosa and severity of Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome (PWDHS) in patients with chronic superficial gastritis (CSG).

METHODSGastric mucosa taken from the upper part of gastric corpus was collected under gastroscope and preserved in liquid nitrogen. The gene expression of AQP3 and AQP4 was determined quantitatively by fluorescent PCR.

RESULTSThe gene expression of AQP3 and AQP4 in patients with PWDHS of moderate and severe degree was higher than that in those of mild degree and in healthy persons respectively (P <0.05 and P <0.01); and the gene expression of AQP3 in patients with PWDHS of severe degree was higher than that in those of moderate degree (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe gene expression of AQP3 and AQP4 in gastric mucosa was correlative with the severity of PWDHS in patients with chronic superficial gastritis, the severer the syndrome, the higher the gene expression.

Adult ; Aquaporin 3 ; genetics ; Aquaporin 4 ; genetics ; Chronic Disease ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gastritis ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo observe the dynamic expression changes of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), nucler facter kappa B (NF-κB) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in myocardial tissue after an exhausted exercise and study the impact of p38MAPK, NF-κB and COX-2 on its myocardial damage.

METHODSSixty Wister male rats were randomly divided into the control group (n = 10) and the exhausted exercise group (n = 50). Then the exhausted exercise group was further divided into 5 subgroups, namely 0 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h after an exhausted exercise (n = 10). The myocardial injury animal model was set up by using an exhausted swimming exercise and the expression of p-p38MAPK, NF-κB and COX-2 were examined by Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the expression of p-p38MAPK were increased significantly (P < 0.01) in all the groups and the 3 h group was the highest( P < 0.01); The expression of NF-κB were increased significantly (P < 0.05) in all the groups but 0 h P > 0.05) and the 6h group was increased significantly compared with the other groups( P < 0.05); The expression of COX-2 were increased significantly( P < 0.05) in all the groups but 0 h and the 24 h groups was increased significantly compared with the other groups(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONp38MAPK was activated in an acute exhausted exercise, p-p38MAPK may play an important role in modulating NF-κB and COX-2 expression and mediating the exhausted exercise induced myocardial damage.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Fatigue ; Male ; Myocardium ; pathology ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Swimming ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Kanli Granule (KG) on myocardial mechanics in pressure overload induced diastolic heart failure (DHF) rats.

METHODSTotally 60 male Wistar rats were divided into the sham-operation group, the model group, the KG group, and the Valsartan group according to random digit table, 15 in each group. The pressure overload induced DHF model was established in all groups except the sham-operation group using abdominal aortic constriction surgery. Totally 7 rats died after modeling (with the mortality of 10. 67%) , and the rest 53 finished the following test. Rats in the KG group were administered with KG extract (calculated as 6. 75 g crude drug/kg) by gastrogavage. Rats in the Valsartan group were administered with Valsartan (7.2 µg/g) by gastrogavage. Equal volume of double distilled water was administered to rats in the model group and the sham-operation group by gastrogavage. All rats were intervened for 32 weeks. The response of isolated heart papillary muscle tonus to isoprenaline (ISO) and adenylate cyclase (Forskolin) was respectively observed. The enhancement phenomenon after resting development force (DF) of isolated heart papillary muscle tonus, and changes of DF in different Ca²⁺ concentrations were observed.

RESULTS(1) In the ISO response test: Compared with the sham-operation group, the amplifications of DF, ±df/dt, -df/dt were obviously elevated in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the amplifications of DF and ±df/dt were obviously lowered in the KG group (P < 0.01), and the amplification of ±df/dt was also reduced in the Valsartan group (P < 0.01). (2) In the Forskolin response test: Compared with the sham-operation group, the amplifications of DF and ±df/dt obviously increased in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the amplifications of DF and ±df/dt were obviously reduced in the KG group (P < 0.01), and the amplification of DF was also reduced in the Valsartan group (P < 0.05). (3) In post-resting DF enhancement test: Compared with the sham-operation group, the amplification of DF showed gradually decreasing tendency along with prolonged resting time in the model group, and they were obviously lowered at all time points (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the amplification of DF was gradually increasing along with prolonged resting time in the KG group. The amplification of DF at post-resting 240 s was obviously larger in the KG group than in the model group (P < 0.05). The amplification of post-resting DF still showed gradually decreasing tendency along with prolonged resting time in the Valsartan group, with increased amplifications of DF at post-resting 60 s and 120 s (P < 0. 05) (4) The amplifications of DF in different Ca²⁺ concentrations: Compared with the sham-operation group, the amplifications of DF were significantly elevated in different Ca²⁺ concentrations (1.75, 3.5, 7.0 mmol/L ) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, there was no statistical difference in amplification of DF in different Ca²⁺ concentrations in the KG group (P > 0.05). The amplifications of DF in different Ca²⁺ concentrations were significantly reduced in the Valsartan group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe ISO response and the Forskolin response were enhanced in isolated heart papillary muscle tonus of pressure overload induced DHF rats; enhanced post-resting DF was reduced; DF in different supra-physiologic levels of Ca²⁺ was still enhanced. KG could significantly improve excessive enhancement of pressure overload induced DHF rats in ISO response and Forskolin response, and improve enhancement of post-resting myocardium.

Animals ; Colforsin ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Heart Failure, Diastolic ; drug therapy ; Isoproterenol ; pharmacology ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

AIM To establish an HPLC-ELSD method for the simultaneous content determination of gastrodin,parishin A,parishin B,ginsenosides Rg1,Re,Rf,Rb1 and Rd in Tiantai No.1 Tablets (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma,Gastrodiae Rhizoma,Cistanches Herba,etc.).METHODS The analysis of methanol extract of this drug was performed on a 45 ℃C thermostatic Alltima C1scolumn (4.6 mm × 250 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrie-0.1％ phosphoric acid flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner.RESULTS Eight constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges (r ＞ 0.999 0),whose average recoveries were 96.94％-97.93％ with the RSDs of 1.06％-2.48％.CONCLUSION This simple,accurate and reliable method can be used for the quality control of Tiantai No.1 Tablets.

We isolated 61 endophyte isolates from the bark of 4 plants, Ginkgo biloba L, Albizzia julibrissin Durazz, Ailanthus sltissima (Mill) Swingle and Melia azedarach L. At the test concentration of 200 ?g/mL, higher than 50% of antitumor activities were demonstrated with crude extracts from 45.9% of fungal culture in MTT assay. Six isolates, YX5, YX17, YX36, KL1, CC1 and CC5, still showed higher cytotoxicity at 50 ?g/mL. No isolates from A. julibrissin had inhibitory effect towards EC109 at the test concentration of 50 ?g/mL; while about 15.8% of isolates from G. biloba were active. IC50 of the extract from the most active isolate YX5 against EC109, HONE1 and HeLa were 18.3 ?g/mL, 3.6 ?g/mL and 6.5 ?g/mL, respectively. Our results indicate that endophytes from G. biloba could be regarded as a potent source of antitumor drugs.

[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To develop the cell model of polymer/liquid crystal and to study the effect of their elasticity on the adhesion of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBM-MSCs).METHODS: Using the method of solvent e-vaporation induced phase separation, the cell model of polymer/liquid crystal was constructed.The surface morphology and phase separation structure were determined by polarized optical microscopy ( POM) , scanning electron microscopy ( SEM) and small angle X-ray scattering ( SAXS ) .rBM-MSCs were separated and expanded by adherent culture.The surface markers of rBM-MSCs were detected by flow cytometry.The cells were induced to osteogenic differentiation and adipogenic differentiation for 2 weeks.After 3 passages, the cells were divided into 4 groups, including total PU control group, 10%membrane group, 30%membrane group and 50%membrane group.The cells were then incubated with rhodamine phalloi-din for cytoskeleton staining and were observed under the confocal laser scanning microscope after cultured for 24 h.RE-SULTS:The cell model of polymer/liquid crystal was constructed successfully using the method of solvent evaporation in-duced phase separation.Flow cytometry results showed that the rBM-MSCs positively expressed CD29, CD44 and CD90, and negatively expressed CD34 and CD45.After stained with alizarin red S and oil red O, the calcium nodule and lipid droplets in rBM-MSCs were observed obviously.The cytoskeleton staining result indicated that the area in total PU control group, 10%membrane group and 30%membrane group were greater, and the actin microfilaments were also clearer than
that in 50%membrane group.CONCLUSION:The cell model with suitable content of liquid crystal made a contribution to the rBM-MSCs’ adhesion, but too much liquid crystal inhibits cell adhesion.