Objective To investigate the change of caspase-3 in rabbits after lung ischemia-reperfusion injury(LIRI) and the effect of puerarin(葛根素).Methods Thirty healthy rabbits used for unilateral lung ischemia-reperfusion model were randomly divided into 3 groups(each n=10): control group(C group),lung ischemia-reperfusion group(I/R group) and puerarin group.The activity of serum superoxide dismutase(SOD),the contents of serum malondialdehyde(MDA) and nitric oxide(NO),the wet to dry weight(W/D) ratio of lung tissue and the index of quantitative assessment of histological lung injury(IQA) were measured respectively in different groups;the pneumocyte apoptosis index(AI) was achieved by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL);caspase-3 protein and mRNA expression were studied by using in situ hybridization(ISH) and immunocytochemistry(IHC) techniques in the groups mentioned above.Results The activity of SOD and content of NO were significantly lower in I/R group than those in C group(both P

0.05) was observed. The protein expressions of TLR-4, NF-?B p65, HSP70 and ICAM-1mRNA in IR group were significantly increased as compared to C group and PD group, while those expressions in PD group were evidently higher than those in C group (all P

Objective To investigate the changes of cardiac function and myocardial apoptosis after limb ischemia reperfusion in rabbits.Methods Thirty rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups:sham-operated control group (group SC),ischemia group (groupⅠ,8 hours of bilateral hind limb ischemia) and ischemia reperfusion group (group IR,4 hours of bilateral hind limb ischemia and 4 hours of reperfusion).Immunohistochemical studies and TUNEL were done to evaluate cell apoptosis.The SOD activity and MDA content in myocardial tissue and plasma LDH activity were determined. The left ventricular function were observed by physiology recording instrument.The cardiac histopathologic changes in experimental rabbits were observed.Results In group IR,the apoptosis index and expression of Bax were significantly increased compared with the other two groups.Similarly,ischemia reperfusion reduced SOD activity and enhanced LDH activity and MDA level,and the left ventricular function decreased in group IR.There was a positive correlation among the MDA content and the LDH activity,the expression of bax,the number of apoptosis cells.Under light microscope, myocardial impairment was found in group IR.Conclusion The myocardial injury occured and the left ventrieular function decreased after limb ischemia reperfusion,and they were associated with oxidative damage and apoptosis.

AIM: To explore the effects of fluctuant high blood glucose and stable high blood glucose on apoptosis and the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in glomerular endothelial cells and renal tubular epithelial cells in diabetic rats. METHODS: 24 SD rats were divided into 3 groups: control group, stable high blood glucose group and fluctuant high blood glucose group. Diabetic rats were induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ, and the fluctuant high blood glucose animal model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of aspart and glucose at different time points every day. Apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL), and immunohistochemistry was used to detect apoptosis associated gene bax and bcl-2 expression in kidney. RESULTS: After 4 experimental weeks, a significant increase in cell apoptosis, up-regulation of Bax protein expression in kidney tubular epithelial cell and down-regulation of Bcl-2 in glomerular endothelial cell in fluctuant high blood glucose rats were observed compared with stable high blood glucose rats.CONCLUSION: Fluctuant high blood glucose induces more apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells than that in stable high blood glucose diabetic rats.

Objective To explore the effects of oscillating blood glucose on apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells of diabetic rats and the role of oxidative stress.Methods Renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) were cultured in vitro with stable high glucose or oscillating high glucose,and MTF assay was applied to the neasurement of cell proliferation.Streptozotocin induced diabetic model was established with SD rats and the oscillating high blood glucose animal model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of insulin and glucose at different time points every.day.12 weeks later 24 h urine protein (24hUP),blood urea nitrogen (BUN),serum creatinine (Scr),superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA)were determined. Apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL),and immunohisto-chemistry was used to detect apoptosis associated gene Bax,Bcl-2,and NOX-4 expression in kidney.Changes in ultrastructure were observed.Results Oscillating high glucose may inhibit renal cells proliferation obviously when comparing with stable high glucose.In the rats with oscillating blood glucose rather than those with stable high blood glucose,there was a significant increase of BUN,Scr,24hUP,and MDA and a decrease of SOD[ (21.50 ± 1.72 vs 12.50 ± 1.85 )mmol/L,(97.51 ± 7.84 vs 82.12 ± 11.48 ) μmol/L,( 1.57 ± 0.09 vs 1.04 ± 0.12 ) mg/24 h,( 23.50 ± 1.87 vs 14.82 ± 2.96) nmol/ml,( 17.22 ± 1.12 vs 21.11 ± 1.80) U/ml,all P＜0.05 ] ; cell apoptosis was intensified with the up-regulation of Bax and NOX-4 protein expression and down-regulation of Bcl-2 in glomerular endothelial cells; and more severe pathological damages were observed.ConclusionComparing with stable high blood glucose,oscillating high blood glucose induces more apoptosis and less proliferation of renal tubular epithelial cells and the mechanism may be related to the increased oxidative stress.

Objective To reveal the pathophysiological changes of sepsis, the plasma metabonomics of septic rats was determined and differential metabolites were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Methods Male Spraguee-Dawley (SD) rats about 8 weeks were randomly divided into sham group (n = 18) and sepsis group (n = 24). Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was used to build sepsis model, while cecum was kept intact only in the sham group. 6 hours after the operation, rats were anesthetized, and blood was harvested through heart thoracotomy. Then the plasma metabonomics was detected by GC-MS and metabolic profile analysis was performed to find the relative differential metabolites.Results Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that the metabolic profiling of the sepsis group was significantly different from the sham group. 259 kinds of metabolites were got by GC-MS, and 69 kinds of differential metabolites were found between sham group and sepsis group, in which 23 differential metabolites were related to amino acid metabolism. Compared with sham group, the contents of putrescine, N-glutamic acid, hydroxynorvaline, 3-cyanuric acid, D-alanyl-D-alanine and urea in the plasma of septic rats increased significantly, which ratios of sepsis/sham group were 10.876, 6.394, 2.800, 2.226, 1.323, 1.203, respectively (allP < 0.05). On the other hand, the contents of oxygen generation of proline, citrulline, glutamine, su-beta-hydroxy aspartic acid, citric acid, N-methyl-DL-alanine, serine, lysine, threonine, N-formyl-L-methionine, methionine, alanine, nicotinuric acid, N-methyl-L-glutamic acid, trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline, proline, L-glutamic acid in the plasma of septic rats decreased significantly, which ratios of sepsis/sham group were 0.858, 0.853, 0.834, 0.816, 0.816, 0.814, 0.813, 0.801, 0.793, 0.792, 0.774, 0.766, 0.748, 0.727, 0.716, 0.674, 0.603, respectively (allP < 0.05).Conclusions Through the GC-MS analysis of plasma metabonomics of septic rats, we found abnormal energy metabolism changes. The content of amino acid in plasma might be a method to evaluate the energy metabolism status of sepsis.

AIM: To investigate the effect of ligustrazine on hydrogen sulfide (H_2S) system in pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxic hypercapnia in rats. METHODS: Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (C), hypoxic hypercapnia group (HH), and hypoxic hypercapnia+ligustrazine group (HH+L). The change of hemodynamics was measured. The ratio of vessel wall area and total area of arteriae pulmonalis were observed under light microscope. The apoptosis of arteriae pulmonalis was tested with TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and the apoptosis index was calculated. Plasma level of hydrogen sulfide and activity of hydrogen sulfide generating enzymes in homogenates of rat lung tissue were evaluated by sensitive modified sulfide electrode method. Cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) mRNA in lung tissues was determined by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The level of mean pulmonary arterial pressure, the ratio of vessel wall area/total area and the right ventricle/left ventricle+septum were significantly higher in HH group than those in C group, and the value was obviously lower in HH+LTZ group than that in HH group (all P<0.01). The mean carotid arterial pressure of 3 groups had no significant difference (P>0.05). The apoptotic index of arteriae pulmonalis in HH group and HH+LTZ group was significantly lower than that in C group, and that in HH+LTZ group was significantly higher than that in HH group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Plasma level of H_2S, the activity of H_2S generating enzymes in homogenates of rat lung tissue, cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) mRNA in lung tissues in HH group were significantly lower than those in C group (all P<0.01), and those in HH+LTZ group were significantly lower than those in HH group (all P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Ligustrazine up-regulates the expression of cystanthionine-γ-splitting enzyme (CSE), enhances the activity of CSE and increases the level of H_2S to prevent pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxic hypercapnia.

Objective To optimize the extraction methods of mitochondrial genome DNA(mtDNA)of Oncomelania hupen-sis. Methods The pyrolysis,protein K variable-temperature digestion and high-concentration potassium acetate purification were applied to optimize the high-concentration-salt precipitation method,and then the optimized method was compared with two common extraction methods,the sucrose density gradient centrifugation method and traditional high-concentration-salt pre-cipitation method. The mtDNA samples were identified by using spectrophotometry,agarose gel electrophoresis and the amplifi-cation products of COX1. The nuclear DNA contamination was tested by the amplification products of ITS. Results The concen-tration and yield of the improved method was significantly higher than those of the traditional method(F=3032.65,10185.00, both P<0.01). The mtDNA samples extracted were essentially free of nuclear DNA and protein,meeting PCR,sequence analy-sis and other molecular biology research requirements. Conclusions The improved high-concentration-salt precipitation meth-od for isolating mtDNA is simple,and it has high yield and low cost. The extracted mtDNA can meet relevant analysis require-ments.

Objective:To understand the present situation of the construction of standardized asthma clinic for children in China, to explore the problems existing in the process of construction, and to promote the healthy development of standardized clinic construction.Methods:The process and current situation of the construction of standar-dized asthma clinics for children in China were reviewed and investigated, and the practical significance of the China Children′s Asthma Action Plan (CCAAP) in the construction of standardized asthma clinics for children was explored.Results:(1)By December 2020, 1 289 standardized asthma clinics for children and 135 regional demonstration centers had been built; 56 training sessions had been held, with a total of 2 560 doctors and 650 nurses trained, covering 2 560 hospitals across the country; and 4 518 patient education sessions were held.Online publicity covers a total of 1 million person-times, with an annual average of 1.33 million patients.(2)CCAAP improved the quality control level of standardized asthma clinic and promoted the standardized management of children.Conclusions:Through process optimization, professional evaluation, individual health education and real-time disease monitoring, standardized asthma clinic for children with asthma can effectively enhance asthma management awareness of children and their parents, improve disease awareness, and promote better control of asthma.It is an effective management model of asthma in children at present, and it is worthy of clinical promotion.CCAAP plays a good role in the construction of standardized outpatient clinic for asthma in children.The construction of standardized asthma clinic for children in China has achieved remarkable results, and the development trend is good in the future.

AIM:To investigate the effect of L-arginine(L-Arg) on expression of bcl-2,bax mRNA during pulmonary ischemia and reperfusion injury(PIRI) in rabbits.METHODS: Single lung ischemia and reperfusion animal model was used in vivo.The rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: sham operated group(sham,n=12),ischemia-reperfusion group(I/R,n=12) and I/R+ L-arginine group(L-Arg,n=12).Changes of several parameters,which included apoptotic index(AI),wet to dry ratio of lung tissue weight(W/D) and index of quantitative assessment of histologic lung injury(IQA),were measured at 300 min after reperfusion in lung tissue.Meanwhile the location and expression of bcl-2,bax mRNA as well as the ratio of bcl-2 mRNA/bax mRNA were observed.The lung tissue was prepared for light microscopic and electron microscopic observation at 60,180 and 300 min after reperfusion.RESULTS: As compared with I/R group,in intima and extima of small pulmonary artery,alveoli,and bronchiole epithelia,the expression of bcl-2 mRNA and the ratio of bcl-2 mRNA/bax mRNA were increased,and the expression of bax mRNA was decreased in L-Arg treatment group.The values of AI,W/D and IQA showed significantly lower than that in I/R group at 180 minutes after reperfusion in lung tissue(P