Objective To study the changes of ventilatory function of young soldiers coming from different regions during cold - tol-erance training. Methods The recruited young soldiers were divided into 2 groups:Group Ⅰ (50 coming from the northern region)and group Ⅱ (50 coming from the southern region) . According to the new training outline of cold -tolerance in winter,their ventilatory func-tions were tested before training and 60 days after training. Ventilatory functions were compared between smoking and non - smoking sub-jects. Results 25% forced expiratory flow (FEF25%) , 50% forced expiratory flow (FEF50%) and 75% forced expiratory flow (FEF75 %) were significant different between two groups before the course of training (P < 0.05). After 60 days, ventilatory functions of two groups were improved significantly as compared with that before training (P <0.01 ,P <0.05). There was no significant difference in ventilatory between two groups after 60 days of training (P > 0.05). There was significant difference in partial small airway function be-tween smoking and non - smoking subjects. Conclusion Cold air could decline the small airway function of soldiers coming from south-ern region before training. Cold -tolerance training has significant influence on soldiers' ventilatory function. Long- term and heavy smok-ing could decline the small airway function.

Aim To observe the anti-tumor activity and the mechanism of heparan sulfate proteoglycan(HSPG) on C3H mice transplanted tumors.Methods Tumor model was established and randomly divided into five groups.HSPG groups(5,10,50 mg?kg-1),positive group and control group,intraperitoneal injection was performed once a day for 22 days and the volume of tumors was measured.Mice were treated on 24th day,then tumor weight was examined,thymus index,and spleen index were calculated,the apoptosis was determined by TdT-mediated Dutp nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay in situ,the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) was detected by immunohistochemistry.Results The tumor volume in HSPG groups was reduced without the decrease of thymus index,spleen index.TUNEL assay in situ showed numerous heavy blue apoptosis cells in the HSPG groups significantly higher than in control groups.The tumors in HSPG groups showed significantly lower VEGF expression than those in control group.Conclusion HSPG had significant anti-tumor effects on C3H mice transplantable breast cancer.The mechanisms may be associated with the effects of inducing tumor cell apoptosis and inhibiting the VEGF expression.

Aim To determine the protective effect of NADPH oxidase against focal cerebral ischemia/reper-fusion ( I/R) injury in rats. Method A thread occlu-sion method was used to make a middle cerebral artery occlusion ( MCAO ) model. Apocynin ( 2. 5 mg · kg-1 ) was injected by tail vein 15 min before ischemi-a. Then, the neurological behavior, cerebral infarction volume, pathological morphological changes and the expression of Cx36, PKC, Bax, Bcl-2 of rats were de-tected after ischemia for 2 h, followed by reperfusion for 24 h. Results Compared with cerebral I/R group, administration of apocynin significantly reduced the neurological behavior scores and the cerebral in-farction volume percentage, alleviated the pathological morphological damage, increased the protein expres-sion of Cx36 and PKC, and reduced the Bax/Bcl-2 ra-tio of rats with focal cerebral I/R injury. Compared with apocynin group , apocynin combined with PKC inhibitor significantly reduced above protective effects. Conclusion Inhibition of NADPH oxidase could alle-viate cerebral I/R injury, increase the levels of Cx36, PKC proteins and reduce the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.

Objective To observe the effect of Bingdouting capsule(BC)on rabbit model of sick sinus syndrome.Methods Rabbit models of sick sinus syndrome were established by external application of 20 % methanal on the region of sinoatrial node.The effect of BC on heart rate and electrophysicological parameters of sinoatrial node was observed.Results BC markedly increased the heart rate,shortened the sinoatrial conduction time(SACT)and corrected sinoatrial node recovery time(CSNRT).Conclusion BC has an obvious effect for the treatment of sick sinus syndrome in rabbits.

OBJECTIVETo determine the protective effect of pomegranate polyphenols on cardiac function in rats with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and explore the possible mechanism.

METHODSFifty SD rats were randomized into 5 equal groups, including a sham-operated group, an I/R model group, and 3 pomegranate polyphenol dose groups (150, 300, and 600 mg/kg). The rats were subject to a 45-min left main coronary artery occlusion followed by a 180-min reperfusion to induce myocardial I/R injury except for the rats those in the sham-operated group. The cardiac functions were monitored continuously during the experiment. At the end of the reperfusion, arterial blood samples were obtained to measure plasma contents of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to evaluate the infarct size.

RESULTSCompared with the sham-operated group, all the rats with I/R showed significantly decreased left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), maximal rates of increase/decrease of the left ventricular pressure (±dp/dtmax) (P<0.01) and significantly increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) (P<0.01). Compared with the I/R model group, all the 3 pomegranate polyphenol groups had significantly improved cardiac function (P<0.05), decreased plasma contents of CK, LDH and MDA (P<0.01), increased SOD activities (P<0.01), and obviously reduced infarct size (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONPomegranate polyphenols can protect the cardiac function of rats with I/R injury probably in association with their actions in enhancing oxygen free radical scavenging activity and decreasing lipid peroxidative damage of the myocardial tissues.

Animals ; Creatine Kinase ; blood ; Heart ; drug effects ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; blood ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Polyphenols ; pharmacology ; Punicaceae ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of valproate acid sodium (VPA) on gap junction intercellular communication in breast cancer Hs578T cells and explore the mechanism.

METHODSMTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity of VPA on Hs578T cells, and parachute assay was used to detect the effect of VPA on dye spread of the cells. Western blotting was employed to detect the expression changes of Cx43 total protein in VPA-treated Hs578T cells. The effect of VPA on the expression of Cx43 on the surface of Hs578T cells was examined with immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTSMTT assay showed no obvious cytotoxicity of VPA on Hs578T cells at the concentrations below 10 mmol/L. VPA below 5 mmol/L obviously increased the gap junction function in Hs578T cells (P<0.01), and significantly enhanced the expression of Cx43 total protein (P<0.01) and Cx43 expression on the surface of Hs578T cells (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONVPA can obviously increase the gap junction function in Hs578T cells possibly by enhancing Cx43 total protein expression and Cx43 protein expression on the surface of Hs578T cells.

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Cell Communication ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Female ; Gap Junctions ; drug effects ; Humans ; Valproic Acid ; pharmacology

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of coronary artery stenosis caused by calcified coronary artery plaques with 64-detector row CT under different conditions. Methods Totally 165 patients with coronary artery calcification accompanied by one or more branches stenosis more than 50% detected with computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) were collected. The Agatston calcium score (ACS) and stenosis rate were calculated based on per-patient, per-vessel, per-segment, various stenosis degree and different morphology of calcification as the analysis object, respectively. The measurement results of coronary angiography (CAG) were taken as the gold standard. The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves which were created to assess the diagnostic value and to determine the diagnostic cutoff level (threshold). Results When per-patient analyzed, the greatest diagnostic accuracy rate was obtained with ACS threshold of 113.5, and the area under curve (AUC) value of ROC was 0.791. With the analysis object of per-vessel, the greatest diagnostic accuracy rate was found in right coronary artery and its sub-branches, and the AUC value was 0.897. Per-segment analyzed, the highest accuracy rate was obtained in RCA1 segment, and the AUC value was 0.894. When the analysis object was the morphology of calcification, the range of AUC value was merely 0.601-0.667, while the diagnostic value was rather low. The highest accuracy of CTCA was obtained in stenosis less than 50%, and the AUC value was 0.856. Conclusion Coronary artery calcification has different influence on the diagnostic accuracy rate of coronary artery stenosis with CTCA in various situations. Moreover, the morphology of the calcification may not be the main impact factors of the diagnostic accuracy.

Invasive neural electrodes promote human understanding of neuroscience to the micrometer and millisecond scale. Due to the large mechanical mismatch between traditional rigid electrodes and soft brain tissues, flexible electrodes have become the new trend of neural electrodes. The flexibility of the neural electrode reduces the immune response while losing the implantation stiffness. The implantation mechanism of the neural electrode was reviewed and current researches on the implantation strategies of the flexible electrodes were summarized, so as to help solve the loss of implantation ability of flexible electrode and acute implantation injury. Based on the characteristics of various implantation strategies, the prospect of flexible electrode implantation strategies was proposed.

OBJECTIVETo determine the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) protein and explore the functional modulation of gap junction intercellular communication in astrocytes.

METHODSCultured neonatal SD rat astrocytes were divided into normal control group, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) group (treated with 10 µmol/L ATRA for 24 h) and oleamide group (treated with 25 µmol/L oleamide for 2 h). Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay were used to detect total cellular Cx43 protein expression and Cx43 expression on the surface of the astrocytes, respectively. Parachute assay was used to evaluate the functional changes of gap junction intercellular communication of the astrocytes.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control cells, ATRA treatment resulted in a significantly increased expression of total Cx43 protein in the astrocytes (P<0.01), and oleamide significantly suppressed its expression (P<0.01). Similarly, ATRA obviously enhanced while oleamide suppressed Cx43 protein expression on the surface of the astrocytes. The gap junction intercellular communication of the astrocytes was enhanced by ATRA (P<0.01) and inhibited by oleamide (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONATRA and oleamide can modulate gap junction intercellular communication of the astrocytes possibly by regulating the expression of Cx43 protein.

Animals ; Astrocytes ; metabolism ; Cell Communication ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Gap Junctions ; metabolism ; Oleic Acids ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Src kinase inhibitor PP2 on hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury in rat astrocytes in vitro.

METHODSIn vitro cultured rat astrocytes were exposed to hypoxia for 8 h followed by reoxygenation for 24 h with or without pretreatment with PP2 (10 µmol/L) for 24 h before H/R injury. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the viability and apoptosis of the exposed astrocytes, respectively, and the protein expressions of Src, Bax, and Bcl-2 in the cells were determined using Western blotting.

RESULTSPP2 pretreatment significantly increased the viability and decreased the apoptosis rate of rat astrocytes exposed to H/R injury (P<0.01). Western blotting showed that H/R injury caused increased expression of Src kinase, which was lowered by PP2 pretreatment. The ratio of Bax/bcl-2 in the astrocytes increased after H/R injury, and was significantly decreased by PP2 pretreatment (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONPP2 protects rat astrocytes from H/R injury possibly by inhibiting the expression of Src kinase and activating the anti-apoptotic mechanisms in the cells.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Astrocytes ; pathology ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cells, Cultured ; Flow Cytometry ; Pyrimidines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; src-Family Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors