Dried roots and rhizomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) are among the most commonly used traditional Chinese medicines in clinic. The material basis for its efficacy mainly includes hydrophobic tanshinones and hydrophilic salvianolic acids. The traditional effects of Danshen are "removing stasis and relieving pain, activating blood to promote menstruation, clearing heart fire and tranquilization". According to modern pharmacological studies, Danshen and its main components have cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protective effect. Recent studies showed that Danshen and its main components also demonstrated protective effects on liver injury models induced by carbon tetrachloride, D-galactosamine, acetaminophen and alcohol. In this paper, the hepatoprotective effect and mechanism of Danshen were summarized and studied.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Liver ; drug effects ; Protective Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Recombinant Proteins ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the ability of pleth variability index (PVI) in predicting fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients under general anesthesia.

METHODSFrom August to November 2009, 25 patients were enclosed in this study following anesthesia induction. PVI was continuously displayed by the Masimo Radical 7. All patients were also monitored with Vigileo/FloTrac system. Haemodynamic data such as cardiac index (CI), stroke volume variability (SVV), mean arterial pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, PVI, perfusion index were recorded before and after volume expansion (hetastar 6%, 7 ml/kg). Fluid responsiveness was defined as an increase in CI ≥ 15% (ΔCI ≥ 15).

RESULTSSVV and PVI were significantly higher in the responders (16.0% ± 2.6% and 20.5% ± 3.7%) than those in non-responders (11.6% ± 1.4% and 13.8% ± 2.6%) respectively (P < 0.05). The SVV threshold of 13.5% before volume expansion was able to discriminate the responders from the non-responders with a sensitivity of 88.2% and a specificity of 87.5%. The threshold for PVI was 15.5%, the same sensitivity of 88.2% and specificity of 87.5% were obtained. There was a significant relationship between PVI before volume expansion and change in CI after volume expansion (r = 0.683, P < 0.01), the same as the changes of SVV (r = 0.600, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONPVI as a new dynamic indices can predict fluid responsiveness non-invasively in mechanically ventilated patients during general anesthesia.

Abdomen ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; Female ; Fluid Therapy ; Hemodynamics ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Respiration, Artificial

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is a vitamin A derivative and plays an important role in the regulation of cell aggregation, differentiation, apoptosis, proliferation, and inflammatory response. In recent years, some progress has been made in the role of ATRA in renal diseases, especially its protective effect on podocytes. This article reviews the research advances in podocyte injury, characteristics of ATRA, podocyte differentiation and regeneration induced by ATRA, and the protective effect of ATRA against proliferation, deposition of fibers, and apoptosis.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cytoprotection ; Humans ; Podocytes ; drug effects ; physiology ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of community based rehabilitation on chronic schizophrenia. Methods60 patients of chronic schizophrenia were randomly divided into the community based rehabilitation group (the study group) and the inpatients group (the control group). The study used prospective design for 1 year with brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS),nurses' observation scale for inpatients evaluation (NOSIE) and social disability screening schedule (SDSS).ResultsCompared with the control group at the end of 6 month and 1 year, scores of BPRS, NOSIE and SDSS in the study group were significantly different (P<0.05-P<0.001). The relapse rate of the study group (0%) also lowered than that of the control group( 20%).ConclusionsCommunity based rehabilitation therapy can control the chronic schizophrenia effectively. It also promotes the life quality and social function of patients, and lowers the relapse rate significantly. It is an important rehabilitation method for chronic schizophrenia.

To develop a sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of mosapride in human plasma, mosapride and internal standard tamsulosin were extracted from plasma with liquid-liquid extraction, then separated on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column (50 mm x 2.1 mm, 1.7 microm ID) with gradient elution at flow-rate of 0.25 mL x min(-1). The mobile phase was water (containing 0.3% formic acid) and acetonitrile under gradient conditions. Electrospray ionization (ESI) source was applied and operated in the positive ion mode. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with the transitions of m/z 422 --> m/z 198 and m/z 409 --> m/z 228 were used to quantify mosapride and the internal standard, respectively. The linear calibration curve was obtained in the concentration range of 0.17 - 68.00 ng x mL(-1). The lower limit of quantification was 0.17 ng x mL(-1). The inter- and intra-day precision (RSD) was less than 13%, and the accuracy (RE) was within +/- 6.3% calculated from QC samples. The method was used to determine the concentration of mosapride in plasma after a single oral dose of 5 mg mosapride citrate to 20 healthy male Chinese volunteers. The method has been proved to be selective, sensitive, rapid and suitable for pharmacokinetic study of mosapride.
Administration, Oral ; Area Under Curve ; Benzamides ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Male ; Morpholines ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serotonin Receptor Agonists ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate luciferase gene expression and pathological changes of submandibular glands (SMG) of rats after adenovirus-mediated gene transfer.

METHODSAdenovirus-mediated luciferase gene (AdCMVLuc, 10(8) pfu in 50 microl) was injected in to SMG of forty wistar rats. The SMGs were harvested for gene expression measurement and pathological study after 3 days, 1,2,4 and 8 weeks.

RESULTSPeak expression was observed in three days following administration of the vector however, gene expression in submandibular glands decreased rapidly. the pathological changes induced by retrograde injection of AdCMVLuc included: after 3 days to one week, compression of acini, dilation of terminal ducts; after two weeks, slight atrophy of a part of acini, increase of iteracinar distance and focal lymphocyte infiltration in lobules and interlobular ducts; after 4 weeks, recovery evidence was found in acini; after 8 weeks, normal acini and ducts were found. The ultrastructural changes included: 3 days, much more rough endoplasmic reticulum was found both in acini and duct epithelial cell; a lot of mucus drops were found in acini; after 1 week, microvillus decreased in duct epithelial cells, mitochondria increased significantly in acini; intercellular space was enlarged.

CONCLUSIONSAdenovirus-mediated gene transfer can produce biological proteins and induce marked inflammatory changes in rat SMG. The ultrastructural changes suggest high protein synthesis activity in the acinar cells after gene transfer.

Adenoviridae ; enzymology ; genetics ; Animals ; Gene Expression ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Luciferases ; genetics ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Submandibular Gland ; pathology ; virology

To investigate the effects of interferon alpha-2b on proliferation and apoptosis in HL-60 cells, HL-60 cells were cultured in different concentrations of IFN alpha-2b. The morphologic changes were observed by Wright's and acridine orange (AO) and ethidium bromide (EB) staining respectively. Inhibition of proliferation was detected by MTT. Expression of CD13(+) was checked by indirect fluoroimmunoassay. The results showed that apoptosis rate of HL-60 cells assayed by the above-mentioned two methods was (51 +/- 2)% and (78 +/- 3)% respectively and OD(570) values of proliferation inhibited were 1.8 +/- 0.1 and 1.0 +/- 0.1 respectively when the concentrations of the IFN(alpha-2b) were 500 and 10,000 U/ml in culture for 48 hours. Morphology and count of CD13(+) cells were changed. CD13(+) cell expression rate was (62 +/- 2)% and (30 +/- 3)% respectively when the concentrations of the IFN(alpha-2b) were 500 and 10,000 U/ml in culture for 48 hours. It is concluded that IFN(alpha-2b) can enhance the apoptosis of HL-60 cells, inhibit their proliferation, promote their maturation and differentiation.
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; CD13 Antigens ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; pharmacology ; Recombinant Proteins

OBJECTIVETo construct a eukaryotic expression vector containing aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) gene and investigate the effects and its possible mechanisms of ALDH2 gene on cell proliferation and anti-oxidative damage in the K562 cells.

METHODSAn eukaryotic expression vector containing the ALDH2 gene cloned from human hepatocytes was constructed and transfected into K562 cells by liposome. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of ALDH2. MTT assay was used to check the cell proliferation and trypan blue exclusion to check K562 cells damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). RT-PCR and fluorescence spectrophotometry were used to determine the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) respectively.

RESULTSRT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed distinct higher ALDH2 protein expression in gene transfected group. The latter group had a higher cell proliferation (P < 0.05) and survival rate against H2O2 induced-oxidative damage, being increased by 7.8 times (IC(50) was 12.3 µmol/L and 1.4 µmol/L for K562-pcDNA3.1-ALDH2 and control cells, respectively, P < 0.01). The HO-1 mRNA expression and the generation of intracellular ROS were downregulated at a specific concentration of H2O2 in the ALDH2 gene transfected group.

CONCLUSIONALDH2 gene transfection can protect K562 cells against oxidative damage, and the downregulation of HO-1 expression and intracellular ROS may be involved in this process.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; K562 Cells ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Transfection

BACKGROUNDCarbon disulfide (CS(2)) is a commonly used organic solvent. Many epidemiological investigations and animal experiments have indicated that learning and memory ability can be affected to different degrees after long-term exposure to CS(2), but the mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the possible mechanisms of CS(2)-related impairment of the learning and memory ability of rats, by investigating the effects of CS(2) on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and NOS mRNA expression in rat hippocampus.

METHODSRat models of toxicity were generated by inhalation of various doses of CS(2). After two months of inhaling intoxication, the activities of constitutive NOS (cNOS) and induced NOS (iNOS) in the hippocampus were measured. The levels of neuronal NOS (nNOS) mRNA and iNOS mRNA were measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTScNOS activity was significantly decreased compared with controls, while iNOS activity was changed only slightly. CS(2) treatment significantly decreased nNOS mRNA levels. iNOS mRNA levels were significantly increased only at higher doses of CS(2).

CONCLUSIONThe effect of CS2 on learning and memory ability in rats is related to the activity of NOS and the expression of nNOS in the hippocampus.

Animals ; Carbon Disulfide ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; drug effects ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spectrophotometry