Objective To investigate the effects of dexamethasone(DEX)on the secretion of interleukin (IL)-17 and interferon(IFN)-γ and the proportion of Th17,Tc17,Th1 ,Tc1 cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). Methods Thirty hospitalized SLE patients were recruited and twenty-two healthy volunteers were recruited as healthy controls. PBMCs were separated from SLE patients and healthy controls and then was cultured in vitro by medium or PMA/Ionomycin or PMA/Ionomycin +dexamethasone for six hours. Four- color immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometric assay were used to analyze the percentage of Th17,Tc17,Th1,Tc1 cells in PBMCs. Concentrations of IL-17 and IFN-γ in plasma and the supernatants of PBMCs which were cultured for 24 hours were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The plasma concentrations of IL-17 and IFN-γwere elevated in SLE patients as compared to the controls(P ＜ 0.05). No significant differences were observed between patients and controls for the spontaneous production of IL-17 and IFN-γ or percentage of T subsets expressed by PBMCs. After the stimulation of PMA,compared with the controls,the level of IL-17 was significantly elevated in the supematants of PBMCs and the percentages of Th17 and Tc1 in SLE patients increased significantly(P ＜ 0. 05). However,there showed no significant differences between SLE patients and the controls for the percentages of Th1 and Tc17 cells. DEX could significantly decrease the production of IL-17(P ＜ 0. 01)and the percentages of Th17,Tc1 cells by the active PBMCs(P ＜ 0. 05). Conclusions There is abnormal expression of T subset cells and their cytokines in vivo of SLE patients. DEX can interfere with immunological pathological process in the cytokine network imbalance of SLE patients and shows powerful inhibition of IL - 17. Our results may provide some laboratory evidence for the clinical application of corticosteroids.

The present study aims to predict the action targets of antidepressant active ingredients of Xiaoyaosan to understand the "multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways" mechanism. Using network pharmacology, the reported antidepressant active ingredients in Xiaoyaosan (saikosaponin A, saikosaponin C, saikosaponin D, ferulic acid, Z-ligustilide, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide II, atractylenolide III, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid and pachymic acid), were used to predict the targets of main active ingredients of Xiaoyaosan according to reversed pharmacophore matching method. The prediction was made via screening of the antidepressive drug targets approved by FDA in the DrugBank database and annotating the information of targets with the aid of MAS 3.0 biological molecular function software. The Cytoscape software was used to construct the Xiaoyaosan ingredients-targets-pathways network. The network analysis indicates that the active ingredients in Xiaoyaosan involve 25 targets in the energy metabolism-immune-signal transmutation relevant biological processes. The antidepressant effect of Xiaoyaosan reflects the features of traditional Chinese medicine in multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways. This research provides a scientific basis for elucidation of the antidepressant pharmacological mechanism of Xiaoyaosan.
Antidepressive Agents ; pharmacology ; Benzoates ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; Coumaric Acids ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flavanones ; Glucosides ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; Lactones ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Monoterpenes ; Sesquiterpenes ; Software

The objective of this study was to construct an improved thioredoxin fusion protein expression system, and express the cathelicidin-derived peptide, Lf-CATH2. The improved fusion vector Lf-CATH2-pET32α(-TS) was successfully constructed by firstly deleting the thrombin site and S tag from the pET-32α vector, then inserting the Lf-CATH2 plus a thrombin site instead. Afterwards, Lf-CATH2 was expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion protein. After the cleavage by thrombin, Lf-CATH2 was released and subsequently separated using affinity chromatography. The antimicrobial activity of purified Lf-CATH2 was also examined. The improved expression vector significantly increased enzyme cleavage efficiency by 37%, and Lf-CATH2 could be expressed in high yield and maintain the biological activity. This novel thioredoxin fusion protein expression system enables a quick production of high-yield bioactive cationic peptides like cathelicidins.
Cathelicidins ; biosynthesis ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Escherichia coli ; Genetic Vectors ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Thioredoxins ; genetics

Objective To investigate the effect of atorvastatin on vascular endothelial cell function and vasoactive substances in essential hypertensive patients without hyperlipemia. Methods Sixty-five essential hypertensive(EH) patients without hyperlipemia were enrolled and randomly divided into atorvastatin group and conventional treatment group(oral taken atorvastatin or placebo once every night in addition of routine antihypertensive drugs).Twenty five healthy subjects were also recruited as control.All cases were followed up for eight weeks.Serum cholesterol,nitric oxide(NO),emdothelin-1(ET-1),vonWillebrand-factor(vWF) levels were determined in each case.Flow-medizted dilation(FMD) was determined by high-resolution ultrasonography before and after eight weeks atorvastatin medication.Results (1)Before treatment,the FMD and NO levels of EH group were significantly lower than those of control group(P＜0.01),while the ET-1 and vWF levels of EH group were significantly higher than those of control group(P＜0.01);(2)In EH patients,the FMD and NO levels significantly increased after treatment and increased even more dramatically in atorvastatin group,when compared to conventional treatment group(Ps＜0.01);(3)In EH patients,the ET-1 and vWF levels significantly decreased after treatment and decreased even more dramatically in atorvastatin group,when compared to conventional treatment group(Ps＜0.01).Conclusion In patients of EH without hyperlipemia,atorvastatin can decrease plasma levels of ET-1,vWF,while increase plasma NO concentration and improve vascular endothelial function.

Animals ; Arteries ; metabolism ; Cochlea ; blood supply ; Cystathionine gamma-Lyase ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVE: To establish an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of peoniflorin,calycosin and ferulic acid in Kangmin granules.METHODS: The separation was performed on a Kromasil C18 column (250 mm?4.6 mm,5 ?m),and the mobile phase consisted of methanol-acetonitrile-0.4% phosphonic acid (20 ∶ 10 ∶ 70) with flow rate of 1.0 mL?min-1.The detection was performed at wavelength of 254 nm.Column temperature was room temperature and the injection volume was 10 ?L.RESULTS: The linear ranges of peoniflorin,calycosin and ferulic acid were 180～3 600 ?g?mL-1(r=0.999 2),4.6～92.0 ?g?mL-1(r=0.999 1) and 8.0～160.0 ?g?mL-1(r=0.999 4),respectively.The average recoveries were 98.3%(RSD=1.8%,n=9),99.0% (RSD=2.0%,n=9) and 100.5%(RSD=1.1%,n=9),respectively.CONCLUSION: The method is simple,accurate,sensitive and reproducible for the quality control of Kangmin granules.

Objective To explore the association between the polymorphisms of TSC1,TSC2,PTEN genes and autism in Chinese Han population.Methods 274 autism patients and 386 heahh controls were recruited,and SnaPshot technique was used to genotype the 13 tagSNPs of TSC1,TSC2 and PTEN genes.The allele,genotype and haplotype frequencies of the SNPs were compared using SHEsis and SNPStats softwares.Results Mter Bonferroni correction,the allele distribution of rs2809244 (TSC1) (x2 =9.537,P=0.002,adjusted P=0.016),rs1050700 (TSC1) (x2 =9.313,P=0.002,adjusted P=0.016),rs2072314(TSC2) (P＜0.01,adjusted P＜0.01) and rs8063461 (TSC2) (P＜0.01,adjusted P＜0.01)showed significant difference between two groups (P＜0.05).The genotype frequencies of rs2072314(TSC2)and rs8063461(TSC2) showed significant difference between two groups(P＜0.05).Moreover,the frequency of haplotype A-G (OR =14.548,95％ CI =5.450-38.830) in the haplotype block rs2809244-rs3761840 showed significant difference between two groups(P＜0.05),A-G significantly increases the risk of autism.The frequencies of haplotype A-A (OR=0.608,95％ CI =0.409-0.903,P=0.013),G-A (OR=7.812,95％ CI =5.338-11.459,P＜0.01)and G-G (OR=0.356,95％ CI =0.274-0.463,P＜0.01) in the haplotype block rs2074969-rs8063461 were identified,which were significant difference between two groups(P＜0.05),and AA and G-G significantly reduced but G-A increased the risk of autism.Conclusion The polymorphisms of TSC1 and TSC2 genes might associate with autism in Chinese Han population.

Objective To investigate the effects of ketamine on anoxia-reoxygenation(A/R)induced glutamate release from cerebral cortex neurons.Methods Primary cultured neurons obtained from cerebral cortex of fetal Wistar rats(16-18 d)were randomly divided into 3 groups:Ⅰcontrol group;ⅡA/R group andⅢketamine pretreatment+I/R group.The control group was not subjected to A/R while A/R group was exposed to anoxic air(95% N_2+5% CO_2)for 5 h followed by 24 h reoxygenation.In groupⅢdifferent doses of ketamine were added to the culture media before anoxia and the final ketamine concentrations were 1,20 and 100?mol?L~(-1) respectively.The extracellular glutamate concentration was detected at the end of 24 h reoxygenation.Results The extracellular glutamate concentration was significantly higher after 24 h reoxygenation in A/R group than in control group.Ketamine 20 and 100?mol?L~(-1) significantly inhibited glutamate release from the neurons induced by A/R in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion Ketamine can inhibit glutamate release from neurons induced by A/R in a dose-dependent manner.

Objectives To assess the presence of autoantibodies directed against the epitopes of SmB and SmD in systemic lupus erythemotosus(SLE) as well as other different connective tissue diseases(CTDs) and analyze the clinical significance of them.Methods Polypeptides of SmB and SmD were designed with the animo acids sequence by the biologic technical software.The sera from different patients including 102 SLE,153 other CTDs and 54 controls were detected by ELISA with thesynthetic polypeptides.Results The positive percentage of anti-SmB and antiSm-D epitopes were higher in SLE than in other groups (P

65yrs, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, etc; of which 7 were independent risk factors associated with death (P