AIM: To investigate protective effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on liver and lung in mice after hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. METHODS: BALB/c mice were used in a model of partial hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.They are divided randomly to sham-operated control group(SH), hepatic I/R group or NAC pretreated in hepatic I/R group(I/R-NAC).The level of TNF-α in protal vein and plasma ALT were measured at 1hour and 3 hour, respectively after reperfusion.Lung tissue wet-to-dry(W/D) weight ratio compared. RESULTS: Lung tissue W/D ratio showed significant difference between two groups; The expressions of TLR2/4 mRNA in liver and lung increased obviously after hepatic I/R injury. Histological evaluation showed several changes in lung tissue in I/R group.The level of TNF-α and ALT in protal vein increased continually in I/R group at 1hour and 3 hour of reputation compared with SH group.The level of TNF-α and ALT declined significantly in the group pretreated by NAC. CONCLUSION: N-acetylcysteine can inhibit the activation of TLR2/4 and reduce TNF-α secretion resulted from I/R injury it might abate liver and lung injury following partial hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in mice.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between CD200~+CK7~+ trophoblasts and the resorption of embryos in a poly (I∶C)-induced abortion model. METHODS: The status of CD200 expression was investigated in Balb/c?C57BL/6 and Balb/c?Balb/c mice as induced model of embryo-resorption by an i.p. injection of poly (I∶C). CD200 expression on CK7~+ cells from placentas was detected with flow cytometry. CD200~+ cells in placenta were observed with immunocytochemical staining. RESULTS: Both the percentage and absolute number of CD200~+CK7~+ cells were dramatically decreased by injection of poly (I∶C) in Balb/c?C57BL/6 (6.3%?6.2% vs 36.1%?9.3%, P

AIM: To investigate the effect of cycloheximide on the T cells activation by mitogen in vitro with CD69 expression as activation marker for the application of this drug clinically. METHODS:Lymphocytes were isolated from lymphoid nodes of C57BL/6 mouse. The cells were preincubated with cycloheximide(CHX), 5% serum containing CHX respectively for an hour, then further incubated with polyclonal activators (Con A or PDB). Harvesting the cells after whole incubation for 24 h, we estimated the expression rates of CD69 on T cells by flow cytometry following two-color immunofluorescent staining. RESULTS: The expression rates of CD69 on the T cells preincubated with CHX, serum containing CHX after the stimulation in response to Con A or PDB all showed significant difference with the expression rates of control group, respectively ( P

AIM: To investigate the potential of murine epidermal stem cell (ESC) differentiation after seeded in a biodegradable carrier and implanted subcutaneously into syngeneic recipient mice. METHODS: ES cells were induced in vitro to differentiate into ESCs. After stained with a fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342, these ESCs were seeded into a polyglycolic acid (PGA) net containing collagen gel, functioning as a cell carrier, and implanted subcutaneously into 129/J mice, which were syngeneic to these stem cells. RESULTS: The ESCs kept alive in the implant when observed under a fluorescent microscopy 3 weeks or longer after implantation, and could differentiate into hair follicle - like structure,glandular structure, and gave rise to additional structures displaying features resembling native dermis. No apparent rejection or severe side effects were observed at least 10 weeks post- implantation. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to use these ESCs as seed cells in the study to fabricate dermal equivalent having the potential to develop dermal appendages.

AIM: To address whether the analysis of CD45~+CD86~+ cells isolated from para-aortic lymph nodes (PLNs) is valuable in assessment of the status of local immunity at the feto-maternal interface. METHODS: CBA/J?DBA/2, virgin CBA/J, and CBA/J?BALB/c mice were used as an abortion-prone model (group A), non-pregnant controls (group N), and fertile controls (group F), respectively. The percentage of CD45~+CD86~+ cell in the CD45~+ cell group (CD45~+CD86~+ percentage for short) and the absolute number of these cells were determined with flow cytometry (FCM), using mononuclear cells isolated from PLNs collected on day 5.5, 9.5, and 13.5 of gestation, respectively, and mononuclear cells from placentas on day 13.5 of gestation. To clarify the identity of these CD86~+ cells, FCM was also performed with CD3, CD19 and DX5 as markers for T cells, B cells, and NK cells, respectively. RESULTS: Both resorption rate and absolute number of resorption were significantly higher in group A (29.3%, 1.8?1.0) than those in group F (4.8%, 0.3?0.5, P

Objective To investigate the effect of combined double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and imiquimod stimulation on uterine immune cells. Methods In BALB/c × C57BL/6 mice and non-obese dia-betic (NOD) × C57BI/6 mice, embryo resorption rate was detected in the presence or absence of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist dsRNA [poly( 1: C)], TLR7 agonist imiquimod ( R837), or their combination, respectively. In in vivo system, the status of intracellular cytokine production in uterine CD45 + cells was de-tected by flow cytometry. To identify the CD45 + cells, uterine CD3+ T cells and CD49b + NK cells derived from placenta and decidua basalis were stimulated with dsRNA and imiquimod in in vitro systems, and the status of intracellular cytokine production was detected. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) antago- nists SP600125 and PD98059 were used to block the increase of cytokine production. Results A synergistic increase of embryo resorption was observed after the induction of dsRNA and imiquimod combination. Mean-while, a synergistic increase of TNF-α and IFN-γ production was detected after the induction in CD45 + cells. Further study found that although synergistic effect can be detected in both CD3 + cells and CD49b + cells in BALB/c mice, the status was different in NOD mice. The cytokine increase should mainly be attrib-uted to CD3 + T cells, since no such increase was detected among the CD49b + NK cells in the NOD mice. The synergistic effect of combined agonists was partially inhibited by Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) MAPK inhibitor SP600125 and almost completely abrogated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK inhibitor PD98059. Conclusion Boosted TLR3 and TLR7 signal may be transmitted via Thl-type T cells, rather than NK cells in NOD mice. ERK MAPK pathway may be critical in TLR3 and TLR7 involved signa- ling.

Facing current situation of integrative medicine (IM), authors put forward that clinical and diagnosis program of IM could be carried out from clinical path, pathogenesis, treatment theory and philosophy, and so on, but with different integration degrees. Meanwhile, formulation of concrete program should be disease-targetedly set up, and adjusted from person to person, from place to place, from time to time. As for settled IM program , authors could evaluate it from whether Chinese medicine and Western medicine have formed complementary, synergistic, excitatory actions, and toxicity attenuation; whether more problems could be solved in efficacy, safety, practicability, and economy than previous single mode.
Critical Pathways ; Integrative Medicine ; trends ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; trends

AIM: To examine the expression of CD69 on NK cells at the fetomaternal interface in CBA/J?DBA/2 mice as a model of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), and to evaluate the effects of lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT) on the level of CD69 expression and the relationship with the outcomes of murine fetuses and pups. METHODS: The outcomes of murine fetuses and pups were evaluated in breeding pairs of CBA/J?DBA/2, C57BL/6?DBA/2 and BALB/c?DBA/2 mice. Both preweaning growth curves and Kaplan-Meier survival graphs of pups were constructed throughout postnatal days 1 to 21. In addition, the level of CD69 expression on NK cells at the fetomaternal interface with and without LIT were determined by two-color flow cytometric analysis, stained with PE-CD69 and FITC-DX5. The subpopulation of CD16/CD32 + NK cells was also evaluated. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed between CBA/J?DBA/2 mice and normal fertile controls in the median increase of maternal weight during pregnancy, the number of pups born per litter, the median neonatal weight on postnatal day 1, and the resorption rate of fetuses. The proportion of CD69 +DX5 + cells which represents activated NK cells was significantly higher in CBA/J?DBA/2 mice compared with normal fertile controls, while efficient LIT was able to dramatically decrease the expression of CD69 on NK cells at the fetomaternal interface and this was associated with the decrease of resorption rate accordingly. CONCLUSION: The fraction of CD69 +DX5 + cells seems to be functionally important in the mechanisms by which the embryos were rejected, whereas efficient LIT is capable of reducing the abortion rate via decreasing the expression of CD69 molecules on NK cells at the fetomaternal interface.

AIM To investigate the effect of recipient kidney function by CsA coadministration Ber used to induce immune tolerance in rats of allogenic cardiac transplantation. METHODS The authors established the SD to Wistar rats heterotopic cardiac transplantation model by Onos methods.Observe the cardiac allograft survival and levels of BUN and Cr in the recipients plasma. The recipients were classified into 5 groups randomly after heterotopic cardiac transplantation were performed. Group A (Wistar to Wistar)): Received placebo intraperitoneal injected for 21 days; Group B (SD to Wistar): Saline intraperitoneal injected for 21 days; Group C (SD to Wistar):CsA 2 mg?kg -1 ?d -1 intraperitoneal injected for 21 days; Group D(SD to Wistar):Ber 16 mg?kg -1 ?d -1 gastrointubation for 21 days; Group E(SD to Wistar): Ber 16 mg?kg -1 ?d -1 gastrointubation coadministration CsA 2 mg?kg -1 ?d -1 ip for 21 days. RESULTS The levels of BUN and Cr in recipint plasma is lower evidently compare with the group with CsA ip simply. CONCLUSION Ber can reduce the renal toxicity in recipients by CsA which was intraperitoneal injected (ip) over a long period time.

Objective To explore the possible role of parvalbumin (PV)-positive interneuron in the pathogenesis of increased susceptibility to epileptic seizures in FMR1 gene knockout (FMR1 KO)mice. Methods Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the expression of PV in CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus, the striate cortex, the temporal auditory cortex and the piriform cortex of FVB strain FMR1 KO mice and wild type (WT) controls at the age of 2, 4 and 6 w. Western blotting was used to detect the level of PV in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the above mice. Results The numbers of PV-positive interneuron in CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus, the striate cortex,the temporal auditory cortex and the piriform cortex of FMR1 KO mice at the age of 2 and 4 w were significantly decreased as compared with those in the age-matched WT mice (P<0.05). The level of PV in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in FMR1 KO mice at the age of 2 and 4 w was also significantly decreased than that in the age-matched WT mice (P<0.05). Conclusion Decreased numbers of PV-positive interneuron and level of PV might induce the increased susceptibility to epileptic seizures inFMR1 KO mice.