OBJECTIVETo explore the scavenging action of tenuigenin (TEN) on intracerebral amyloid β protein (Aβ) aggregation and the abnormal phosphorylated tau protein and its mechanism in Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats' brain.

METHODSAβ1-40 was injected into the right CA1 region hippocampus to establish the AD model. Successfully modeled rats were divided into the model group, the low, middle, high TEN group. Rats were administered with TEN (18.5, 37.0, 74.0 mg/kg) by gastrogavage. Besides, a sham-operation group was set up. Expression levels of Aβ1-40 and Tau p-Ser262 were detected by immunohistochemistry. Expression levels of ubiquitin (Ub) and Ub-protein ligase E3 were measured by Western blotting.The content of 26S proteasome was detected by ELISA.

RESULTSImmunohistochemical results showed that the number of Aβ and Tau p-Ser262 positively reacted neurons significantly increased in model group, when compared with the sham-operation group (P < 0.01). Results of Western blot showed expression levels of ubiquitinated protein were up-regulated and those of Ub-protein ligase E3 were down-regulated in the model group (P < 0.01). ELISA results showed that the content of 26S proteasome significantly decreased in AD rats' brain (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, expression levels of Aβ1-40, Tau p-Ser262, and Ub significantly decreased; expression levels of Ub-protein ligase E3 apparently increased; the content of 26S proteasome significantly increased in each TEN treatment group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Best effect was shown in 37.0 mg/kg and 74.0 mg/kg TEN groups.

CONCLUSIONSUb proteasome pathway (UPP) participated in the occurrence of AD. TEN could obviously reduce intracere- bral Aβ1-40 accumulation and abnormal tau phosphorylation.

Alzheimer Disease ; metabolism ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex ; metabolism ; Rats ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases ; metabolism ; Ubiquitins

Objective To investigate the influence of epigallocatechin gallate ( EGCG)on reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mouse podocytes exposed to high glucose. Methods Mouse podocytes cultured in high glucose were exposed to different concentrations of EGCG (0.2, 10, 100 μmol/L) or α-tocopherol (0.2 μmol/L) for 6, 12, 24 hours. The viability of podocytes was detected by MTT. The intracellular formation of ROS was detected by confocal microscopy with fluorescent probe CM-H2DCFDA and was measured by fluorescence microscopy. RT-PCR was used to examine the expression of p22phox, p47phox and p67phox mRNA in cultured podocytes exposed to different concentrations of EGCG. Results Intracellular ROS generation was significantly higher in high glucose than that in control conditions (P<0.01). EGCG could significantly inhibit ROS induced by high glucose significantly (P<0.01). EGCG (100 μmol/L) led to an inhibition of the increased production of NADPH oxidase components of p22phox and p67phox mRNA in high glucose (P<0.05). The expression of p47phox mRNA in high glucose was inhibited by EGCG(0.2 μmol/L) and ot-tocopherol(0.2 μmol/L) (P<0.05). Conclusion EGCG can protect cultured mouse podocytes from injury of high glucose by inhibiting ROS formation.

Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Codon ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Exons ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neurilemmoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Point Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; metabolism ; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective:To study the role of activin A in regulation of neutrophil function by detecting activin receptor expression and cellular activities.Methods:Peritoneal neutrophils were isolated in mouse.After the neutrophils were stimulated with activin A,the expression of ActRⅡA on neutrophils was examined by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry.Expression of Smad3 in neutrophils was analyzed by Western blot.Assays of neutrophils function were performed by detecting respiratory burst, production of NO and phagocytosis.Results:The isolated cells were composed of more than 90% peritoneal neutrophils.ActRⅡA was expressed on mouse neutrophils and Gr-1/ActRⅡA double-positive cells were 41.1%.Activin A promoted Smad3 phosphorylation in neutrophils,increased the production of ROS and O2-(P<0.05),enhanced secretion of NO and phagocytosis of mouse neutrophils(P<0.01),and promoted fluorescent microsphere phagocytosis of neutrophils by flow cytometry ( P<0.01 ) .Conclusion: Activin receptor and activin signaling protein were expressed on mouse neutrophils,activin A might play an important regulatory role in activation and function of neutrophils.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of arecoline on hepatic insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes rats and to elucidate its possible mechanism.

METHODSForty five Wistar rats were fed with high fructose diet for 12 weeks to induce type 2 diabetic rat model. rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 8): control group, model group and model group were treated with different dose (0, 0.5, 1, 5 mg/kg) of arecoline. After 4 weeks, the fasting blood glucose, blood lipid and insulin level measured , mRNA expression of liver constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the protein expression of p-AKT and glucose transporter4 (GLUT4) were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS1.5 mg/kg arecoline could significantly decrease the level of fasting blood glucose, blood lipid, blood insulin level and liver G6Pase, PEPCK, IL-6, TNF-alpha mRNA level in type 2 diabetes rats. 1.5 mg/kg arecoline also could significantly increase CAR, PXR mRNA level and p-AKT and GLUT4 protein expression.

CONCLUSIONArecoline improved hepatic insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes rats by increasing the mRNA levels of CAR and PXR leading to the creased glucose metabolism and inflammation related genes expression.

Animals ; Arecoline ; pharmacology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; metabolism ; Glucose Transporter Type 4 ; metabolism ; Glucose-6-Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Insulin Resistance ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; metabolism ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP) ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear ; metabolism ; Receptors, Steroid ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M .hyopneumoniae) and Mycoplasma hyorhinis (M .hyorhinis) infections are common in China .To investigate the prevalence of M .hyorhinis and M .hyopneumoniae in Jiangsu Province of China ,a mo-lecular epidemiological survey was conducted from 399 nasal swab samples of unvaccinated pigs using nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (nested PCR) .Nasal swab samples were collected from Jiangquhai porcine lean (JQHPL) strain pigs and other West-ern breeds .Clinical samples were taken from each pig and divided into different groups based on ages of pigs (7 ,14 ,21 ,28 , and 35 days) .Results indicated that the prevalence of M .hyorhinis was 70 .9% from different herds in Jiangsu Province in China ,while the prevalence of M .hyopneumoniae was 13 .5% .M .hyorhinis infection was more common in pigs for less than 5 weeks of age compared to M .hyopneumoniae infection .Co-infection was also observed in 30 samples (7 .5% ) in which both M .hyorhinis and M .hyopneumoniae were detected .The M .hyorhinis infection increased as the animals grew from 7 to 35 days .The M .hyopneumoniae infection did not change significantly as the pigs grew older .Significant difference of M .hyorhi-nis infection was observed between other Western breeds and JQHPL pigs (P<0 .001) .JQHPL pigs appear to be more sensi-tive to the M .hyorhinis infection as compared to the other Western breeds .However ,there is no obvious relationship between the breed type and M .hyopneumoniae infection (P>0 .05) .

Aza Compounds ; analysis ; Heterocyclic Compounds ; analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet ; methods ; Workplace

Animals ; Brain ; cytology ; metabolism ; Denervation ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Oxidative Phosphorylation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

ZHU Lian is a deceased famous acupuncture and Moxibustion specialist, the first director and the founder of institute of Acupuncture-Moxibustion of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. This article discusses the thought and idea of education and teaching of acupuncture-moxibustion from the following three aspects: diversified education and training mode, teaching idea of new acupuncture-moxibustion with a lot of characteristics, and the founding of professional acupuncture-moxibustion college. All above have both distinct characteristics of the times and positively enlightening significance of reality.
Acupuncture ; education ; history ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; China ; Education, Medical ; history ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Teaching ; history

OBJECTIVETo explore the potential effect of Guizhi plus Gegen Decoction (GGD) in improving learning and memory of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced neuroinflammatory mice and its possible mechanisms.

METHODSTotally 63 male ICR mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control (n = 13), the model group (n = 13), the low dose GGD group (n = 10), the high dose GGD group (n = 14), and the positive control group (n = 13). Mice were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (0.33 mg/kg) to induce Alzheimer's disease (AD) model. Mice in the high and the low dose GGD groups were administered with 12 g/kg or 6 g/kg by gastrogavage for 4 successive weeks. Mice in the control group were intraperitoneally injected with minocycline (50 mg/kg) for 3 days. By the end of treatment LPS were injected 4 h before behavior test each day, and then behavior test was conducted in mice of each group. Effect of GGD on learning and memory of AD mice was observed by using open field test, novel object recognition task, and Morris water maze.

RESULTSOpen field test showed there was no statistical difference in the movement time and the movement distance among all groups (P > 0.05), suggesting that LPS and GGD had no effect on locomotor activities of mice. In novel object recognition test, AD mice spent significantly shorter time to explore novel object after they were induced by LPS (P < 0.05), while for AD mice in the low and high dose GGD groups, their capacities for exploration and memory were significantly improved (P < 0. 05, P < 0.01). Results of Morris water maze showed that AD mice exhibited increased escape latency (P < 0.05) and spent much less time in swimming across the original platform (both P < 0.05). However, AD mice in the low and high dose GGD groups had obvious shortened latency and increased time percentage for swimming (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONGGD possessed certain improvement in learning and memory disorder of LPS induced AD mice.

Alzheimer Disease ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Male ; Memory Disorders ; prevention & control ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Neuritis ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Phytotherapy