Objective To explore the influence of the lactation exposure to fluoxetine on offspring's behavior and serotonin transporter (SERT) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH). Methods Six SD pregnant rats were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=3 each group). Experimental maternal rats were intraperitoneally injected with fluoxetine at a dose of 12 mg/kg from postnatal day 5 to 21. The control group were injected with the same amount of normal saline. In infancy, the offspring's weight, hair length, eye opening and auditory development were measured. The free suspension test and bur?ied food pellets test were applied to evaluate the offspring's behaviors. After postnatal day 21, all the offspring were wean. At early childhood (P35d) and adulthood (P75d), 6 offspring rats from each group were executed to examine SERT and TPH in the prefrontal cortex by immunohistochemistry. Results The offspring's weight of experimental group was significantly lower than control group (P<0.05). The sensitivity of auditory in experimental group was significantly higher than control group (P<0.01). The time of free suspension in experimental group significantly was decreased comparing to control group (P<0.01). The SERT and TPH in prefrontal cortex was significantly lower in experimental group than those in control group either at childhood (P35d) or at adulthood (P75d) (P<0.05). Conclusion Lactation exposure to fluoxetine re?sults in offspring's abnormal development and behaviors through down-regulation of SERT and TPH in the prefrontal cor?tex.

Objective To investigate the impact of aging and vascular endothelial function on arterial stiff- ness in patients with isolated systolic hypertension.Methods Patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH,n=75)age-matched healthy subjects(n=30)and young healthy subjects(n=50)were submitted to deter- mination of aortic pulse wave velocity(baPWV)and vascular endothelial function evaluated by flow-mediated dila- tion(FMD).Results baPWV was progresively decreased(ISH:2459.2?436.8 vs elderly healthy:2097.2? 315.7 vs young healthy:1619.7?214.2 cm/s,P

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Shoutai Pill (STP) containing serum on bioactivity behaviors of trophoblast cells in spontaneous abortion (SA) patients such as cell proliferation, invasion, migration and secretion.

METHODSTrophoblast cells in artificial abortion in normal pregnancy and SA patients were isolated and cultured in vitro, which were then treated with STP containing serum at various concentrations (5%, 10%, 20%, respectively). Blank serum was taken as the normal control group and dydrogesterone containing serum as the dydrogesterone control group. The proliferation, cycle distribution, invasion and migration capacity, and beta human chorionic gonadotropin (p-HCG) level were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetry, flow cytometry (FCM), Transwell experiments, and ELISA, respectively.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the activity of cell proliferation obviously decreased, ratios of apoptotic cells (SubGO/G1) and G2/M phase were obviously elevated, S phase cell ratio was obviously reduced (all P < 0.05). Transwell experiments indicated invasion and migration capacity obviously decreased, secreted beta-HCG level were obviously reduced after 72-h intervention (P < 0.05). Compared with the SA group, the activity of cell proliferation obviously increased, ratios of apoptotic cells and G2/M phase were obviously reduced, S phase cell ratio was obviously elevated, invasion and migration capacity were obviously enhanced, secreted beta-HCG level were obviously elevated after 72-h intervention in the dydrogesterone control group and each STP containing serum group (all P < 0.05). The activity of trophoblastic cell proliferation, S phase cell ratio, invasion and migration capacity, and secreted beta-HCG level were strengthened along with increased STP containing serum. Besides, the effects of 20% STP containing serum group were significantly superior to those of the dydrogesterone control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTP containing serum could dose-dependently enhance the proliferative activity of trophoblastic cells, invasion and migration capacity, secretion of beta-HCG, and reduce the apoptosis of trophoblast cells, which might be one of mechanisms for STP preventing and treating SA.

Abortion, Spontaneous ; Apoptosis ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Dydrogesterone ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Trophoblasts ; drug effects

Neurovascular unit (NVU) concept proposed for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) provides a new target, i.e., we should target as an integrity including neurons, glia, and microcirculation, thus supplementing limitations of previous treatment targeting neurons or blood vessels alone. Meanwhile, many clinical trials have failed after NVU protection against AIS drug research has developed at home and abroad. Chinese medicine has multi-component, multi-target, and overall regulation advantages, and is in line with clinical requirement for overall treatment targeting multiple targets of NVU. Currently clinical studies of Chinese medicine treatment of AIS targeting NVU are few. Standardized and systematic clinical efficacy evaluation is lack. Clinical studies for improving AIS-NVU injured blood markers by Chinese medicine are rarer. We hope to pave the way for performing clinical studies on Chinese medicine treatment of AIS targeting NVU.
Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neurons ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; Stroke ; drug therapy

Plasma obestatin level was determined in patients with impaired glucose regulation and type 2 diabetes mellitus.The plasma obestatin levels in patients of both groups were significantly decreased as compared with that in controls.Plasma obestatin level was negatively correlated with body mass index,HbA_(1C),waist-to-hip ratio,plasma insulin and HOMA-IR.Obestatin level seems to be related with metabolic disorder.

OBJECTIVETo study the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

METHODSMouse ESCs were incubated in the ESC conditioned medium, and the formation of embryonic bodies (EBs) were induced in bacteriological dishes using high-concentration all-trans retinoic acid (RA). The EBs were seeded on different matrixes (gelatin, fibronectin, and laminin/poly-L-ornithine) to test their impact on neural differentiation of the ESCs using immunofluorescence assay. The effect of laminin/poly-L-ornithine on the growth of neurites was evaluated with fluorescence microscopy.

RESULTSHigh-concentration RA activated and accelerated the differentiation of ESCs toward nestin-positive neural progenitor cells. Fibronectin supplement in the matrix dose-dependently promoted ESC differentiation into neural progenitor cells, while laminin/poly-L-ornithine increased the growth of the neurites and induced the maturation of the differentiated neural cells.

CONCLUSIONECM plays an important role in neural differentiation of mouse ESCs, and application of FN produces the most conspicuous effect during the differentiation of the ESCs into the neural progenitor cells;laminin/poly-L-ornithine is the most effective during their differentiation into neural cells.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Extracellular Matrix ; physiology ; Fibronectins ; pharmacology ; Laminin ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Neurons ; cytology ; drug effects ; Peptides ; pharmacology ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate of abdominal obesity and to explore the associated risk factors in rural communities from Hanzhong area,Shaanxi province,and to providc baseline data for further targeted intervention programs.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among all the participants with questionnaires,interview and physical examination.Nine townships were selected in Hanzhong area,followed by one village randomly chosen from the selected township,using the stratified random sampling method.Results There were 3030 participants in this survey,among which 3021 samples were valid,including 1048 males and 1973 females.The overall prevalence rate of abdominal obesity was 38.9％(standardized rate as 33.4％ ) in rural communities of Hanzhong,and the prevalence rate on males abdominal obesity(35.0％ ) was significantly lower than that of females (40.9％).It was found that following factors as:being male,married,having more household wealth,frequent consumption of fried food,non-engagement of agricultural labor work,being nonsmoker or ex-smoker,spending longer time on watching-TV etc.were positively associated with the biggerr odds of having abdominal obesity when using the logistic regression analysis.Meanwhile,data from this study indicated that fctors as:at younger age,frequent participation in agricultural labor,under artificial feeding,with more years of education,less frequency of pregnancy etc.were negatively related to the prevalence of female abdominal obesity.Conclusion The prevalence rate of abdominal obesity in Hanzhong area,Shaanxi province was significantly higher than the national average level which called for the development of related intervention programs to prevent chronic diseases associated with gender related-obesity in Hanzhong.

Objective To explore the inhibitory effect and related mechanism of paeoniflorin on proliferation of hypertrophic scar(HS)fibroblasts. Methods HS fibroblasts were cultured with 0(control),200,400,800 μmol/L of paeoniflorin for 24,48,and 72 h. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was detected using Hoechst staining. Cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry. The levels of type I collagen(COL I)and type III collagen(COL III)were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The expressions of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway related proteins, as well as matrix metalloproteinase 1(MMP1)and MMP13 were detected by Western blot. Results 200, 400, 800 μmol/L of paeoniflorin reduced the cell viability of HS fibroblasts significantly(P < 0.01), with the nuclei turning pale and shrunken, and caused cell cycle arrest at G1 phase(P <0.01). Moreover, the levels of COL I and COL III in the cells were decreased significantly(P < 0.01), and the expressions of MMP1, MMP13, TGF-β1, p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 were down-regulated significantly(P < 0.01). Conclusions Paeoniflorin can obviously inhibit the proliferation and collagen synthesis of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts,probably through inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the relationship between immune and pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the investigation of neurofilaments phosphorylation and ultrastructure features in spinal cord ventral horn motor neuron injury mediated by immune.Methods Using transmission electron microscope,we studied the uhrastructure features of abnormal accumulations of neurofilaments (NF) in motoneuron of the spinal cord ventral horn,and immunohistochemically investigated neurofilaments phosphorylation.Results Electron microscope found that there was abnormal accumulation of interwoven NFs in motor neuronal perikarya and proximal axons.Immunohistochemical study revealed that the SMI-32 immunoreactive positive neurons (12.00?1.05),compared with control (18.00?1.83),were reduced (P

OBJECTIVE This work aimed to investigate the anti-rheumatoid arthritic effect of gentio-picroside from Gentiana macrophylla Pall using an animal model of adjuvant induced arthritis. METH-ODS Adjuvant arthritis was induced in fifty SD male rats,which were randomly divided into five groups (n=10):control(0.5% CMC-Na)group,AIA(rats with CFA)group,dexamethasone(1 mg·kg-1)group, gentiopicroside(50 mg·kg-1)group,and gentiopicroside(100 mg·kg-1)group.Rats were administered intragastrically with drugs or CMC-Na once a day for a period of 2 weeks.Paw swelling,arthritic index, histological changes were assessed to evaluate the anti-arthritic effect.Weight growth,spleen and thymus indexes were also investigated in.RESULTS Gentiopicroside at dose of 100 mg·kg-1significantly inhibited the secondary paw swelling(P<0.05)and arthritis index(P<0.05),decreased synovial inflammatory infil-tration, synovial hyperplasia and bone erosion. Furthermore, gentiopicroside showed no immunosup-pressive adverse effects in body weight, index of spleen and thyums compared with dexamethasone administration (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION Gentiopicroside possessed anti-arthritic efficacy in AIA rats without immunosuppressive effects.