The renin-angiotension system (RAS) plays an important role in cardiovascular and renal physiology and diseases. Recent discoveries of prorenin and prorenin receptor add new contents to RAS. Renin and prorenin binding to the prorenin receptor not only target and facilitate angiotensin generation but also lead to activation of prorenin receptor signal transduction pathways, which is distinct from classical RAS signaling. In this paper, the construction, function and signal trasduction of prorenin, prorenin receptor and handle region peptide are reviewed.

Objective To assess the effect of 5-azacytidine (5-AZ) on the expressions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) genes in cultured rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Methods Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and adult rat BMSCs were isolated and cultured. BMSCs were incubated with 5-AZ and (or) myocardiocytes culture medium. RT-PCR was used to measure the expressions of cardiac ANP and β-MHC genes. Results Normally cultured rat BMSCs didn't express cardiac ANP or β-MHC. After inducing by 5-AZ, rat BMSCs expressed ANP or β-MHC. The myocardiocytes culture medium enhanced expression of β-MHC, but didn't affect the expression of ANP. Conclusions The 5-AZ induces the rat BMSCs to express either cardiac ANP or β-MHC, and the former could be enhanced by cardiomyocytes culture medium.

Because cardiomyocytes have extremely low capacity to cell proliferation, cell transplantation has recently attracted muchattention as a new method to improve the damaged heart function and structure. Cellular cardiomyoplasty refers to the implantation ofdifferent kinds of cells besides autologous cardiomyocytes into the myocardium to reinforce its structure and function. Presently, fetaland neonatal cardiomyocytes, hematopoietic stem cells, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, skeletal myoblasts, endothelial stem cells, hepatic stem cells and neural stem cells have been used to repair the damaged heart in animal experiment. This article overviewstype, outcome, advantage, disadvantage, and problems of seed cells used for cellular cardiomyoplasty.

Objectives To observe the effects of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on the cell cycle, differentiation and proliferation of cultured mouse melanoma Cloudman S91 cells. Methods The cell viability was measured by MTT reduction assay. The morphological changes of the cells were examined by Wright-Giemsa staining. Clone forming was carried out to test the proliferation ability. Apoptosis rate and cell cycle of S91 cells were measured by flow cytometry. Results As2O3 in the concentrations of 0.031~0.25 ?mol/L promoted cell growth markedly and blocked the transformation of cells from G0 to G1. As2O3 in the concentrations of 0.5~8.0 ?mol/L inhibited the cell growth and induced apoptosis markedly. Conclusions As2O3 has marked effects on mouse melanoma S91 cells, which include inducing apoptosis and promoting differentiation and proliferation. These effects are dose- and time-dependent.

BACKGROUND:It is shown in past researches that total saponin of ginseng has the effect of promoting multiplication of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells in vitro, and promoting secretion of bone marrow hemotopoietic factors, however there has been little researches on the effect of multiplication of bone marrow stromal cells.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on pig's bone marrow stromal cells multiplication in vitro.DESIGN: A controlled observation.SETTING:Department of Cardiology and Department of Dermotology,First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University; Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University.MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted at the Cardiovascular Pharmaceutical Laboratory of Nanjing Medical University from January 2002 to February 2003. The experimental pigs ahd the powder of ginsenoside Rg1were chosen METHODS :The bone marrow stromal cells cultured in vitro were divided as control and experimental groups. For experimental group insenoside Rg1 in different concentrations (10-7,5×10-7,10-6,5×104 mol/L)were added for induction culture, and for control group the media of the same volume was added. The multiplication conditions of bone marrow stromal cells were respectively detected by fibroblast colony forming in vitro, tritiated thymidine {[3H]TdR} incorporation and MTT.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① The effect of ginsenoside Rgl on the fibroblast colony forming units of bone marrow stromal cells in vitro. ②The effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on [3H]TdR incorporation of bone marrow stromal cells. ③ The effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on bone marrow stromal cells multiplication detected by MTT.RESULTS:① The effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on the fibroblast colony forming units of bone marrow stromal cells in vitro: The numbers of units in experimental group were all higher than that in control group (P ＜ 0.05-P ＜ 0.01),especially obvious in (5-50)×10-7 mol/L experimental group, reaching peak in the concentration being 10-6 mol/L. ② The effect of ginseno side Rg1 on [3H]TdR incorporation of bone marrow stromalcells: As the concentration of ginsenoside Rg1 was 10-6 mol/L, the [3H]TdR incorporation efficiency of bone marrow stromal cells was obviously higher that that in control group (P ＜ 0.05-P ＜ 0.01), and the effect was enhanced as the dosage increased. ③ The effect of ginsenoside Rgl on bone marrow stromal cells multiplication detected by MTT: The value of absorbance in experimental group was obviously higher than that in control group (P ＜ 0.05-P ＜ 0.01), and it was dose-dependent. CONCLUSION: Ginsenoside Rg1 had an effect of multiplication on pig's bone marrow stromal cells in vitro, and it was dose-dependent.

Objective To determine whether the supplementation of thyroid hormone(TH)improves β-adrenoceptors(β-AR)density and expression of peripheral blood lymphocyte in elderly patients with chronic heart failure(CHF). Methods A total of 42 elderly patients with advanced CHF(NYHA classⅢorⅣ)due to dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM)or ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM)were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group.Low-dose L-thyroxine(LT50)was added to the treatment group,both groups had routine anti-heart-failure treatment.Before and after 1 month of treatment,125I-Pindolol radioligand binding assay was used to measure β-AR in peripheral lymphocytes.Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to measure β1-AR expression in peripheral lymphocytes. Results The density and expression of β-AR of lymphocytes in patients with CHF due to ICM or DCM were lower than those in normal health people.and the serum TH level in patients with CHF was lower than that in normal health people.The L-T4 administration induced an up-regulation of β-AR density and expression in peripheral lymphocytes. Conclusions Thyroxine administration induces an up-regulation of β-AR density and expression in peripharal lymphocytes.

Objective: To investigate the biological phenotype and cell cycle distribution characteristics of nasal and/or nasopharyngeal epithelia of TgN(p53mt-LMP1)/HT mice.Methods: The biological phenotype changes(mainly the incidence of precancerous lesion) in nasal and nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues of the generation G4 of TgN(p53mt-LMP1)/HT mice aged 5,11,15 and 18 months were determined by H-E staining,and the cell cycle characteristics of nasal and nasopharyngeal epithelia detected by flow cytometry(FCM).Results: The incidences of precancerous lesion in the nasal and nasopharyngeal epithelia were 0,50%,60% and 75% respectively in the 5,11,15 and 18 mos groups of the positively expressed transgenic mice,and 0 in the four age groups of the negatively expressed ones.Compared with the negatively expressed transgenic mice,the number of nasal or nasopharyngeal epithelial cells was markedly decreased in the G0/G1 phase,but obviously increased in the S and G2/M phases,with the proliferation index(PI) significantly enhanced(P

OBJECTIVE:To discuss the ways to improve the drug control outcome in China and to facilitate the related system reform.METHODS:The causes and countermeasures for the failure of drug control policy in China were analyzed comparatively using economic theory.RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS:Information dissymmetry in the medicine area,monopoly of medical institution and their evasion of control etc all resulted in the failure of price control policy.To avoid this failure,it is necessary to take reform measures in many aspects,enhance the scientificity of price control,and improve the conduction mechanism of price control policy.

Objective To explore the changes of elasticity in the large arteries and its clinical significance of sublingual administration of nitroglycerin in patients with elevated PWV,and mild and moderate essential hypertension.Methods Totally,779 patients with mild and moderate hypertension and PWV more than 1400 cm/s were selected and divided into four groups,one with simple hypertension,the second one with only one risk factor for it,the third one with two risk factors,and the fourth one with three risk factors or damage in their target organs.Sublingual administration of 0.5 mg nitroglycerin was administered and blood pressure and PWV were measured for all of them.and data were statistically compared and analyzed by groups and before and after nitroglycerin administration.Results Systolic blood pressure decreased to(135±20)mm Hg from(149±15)mm Hg,pulse pressure decreased to(50±11)mm Hg from(59±12)mm Hg,PwV decreased to(1329±288)cm/s from(1688±378)cm/s,respectively,after nitroglycerin treatment for hypertensive patients(t=3.036,2.473,3.885,all P＜0.05).Improvement of elasticity of the large arteries in them after nitroglycerin treatment inversely correlated with the number of risk factors for hypertension they had,with 89.1 percent,74.3 percent,72.6percent and 44.0 percent of improvement in PWV,respectively for those with simple hypertension,only one risk factor.two risk factors and three risk factors or with damage in target organs.Conclusions Systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure significantly correlated with elasticity of the large arteries in hypertensive patients,and their stifiness improved after sublingual administration of nitroglycerin due to decrease in systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure.The more risk factors the hypertensive patients had,the poorer elasticity of their large arteries and less sensitive to nitroglycerin treatment were.