Angelica ; chemistry ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Count ; Female ; Fetal Hypoxia ; pathology ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; drug effects ; Male ; Neuroglia ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUND: Blood-letting puncture on 12-well points of hand is a kind of effective emergent approaches on cerebral apoplexy. It is testified in animal experiment that bleeding on 12-well points of hand can dilate cerebral vessels, enhance blood flow in brain, improve acute anoxic state in ischemic brain tissue and relieve acid toxin due to accumulation of lactate.OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects and mechanism of blood-letting puncture of 12-well points of hand nitric oxide (NO) contents and nitricoxide synthase (NOS) activity after cerebral ischemia in rats.DESIGN: Randomized controlled animal experiment was designed.SETTING: Department of Physiology of Medical Institute of Xianning College.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Department of Physiology of Medical Institute of Xianning College from March 2003 to February 2004. Totally 84 Wistar rats were employed in the experiment, aged of 2 or 3 months, of either sex, body weighted (230±20) g and provided from Experimental Animal Center of Medical Institute of Xianning College.METHODS: Totally 84 rats were randomized into sham operation group,ischemia group and ischemia + bleeding group, 28 rats in each one. Modified Longa method [3] was applied to prepare the model of embolism of cerebral middle artery in rat. In ischemia + bleeding group, after cerebral ischemia, blood-letting puncture was applied with three-edged needle on Shaoshang (LU11), Shangyang (LI1), Zhongchong (PC9), Guanchong (TE1),Shoochong (HT9) and Shaoze (SI1) in sequence firstly on the left foreleg,and then on the right one, corresponding to the analogy of 12-well points of hand of human. One blood drop was just required. NO content and NOS activity were assayed in 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours and 4 hours of ischemia in brain tissue successively in each group.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: NO content and NOS activity in brain tissue in each group.RESULTS: ① NO content in 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours and 4 hours of ischemia in ischemia group was (116.16±26.63), (118.94±24.47),(115.65±25.29) and (108.87±26.52) μmol/L successively and NOS ac tivity was (507.22±92.52), (502.08±92.52), (510.71±96.63) and (495.29-±88.41) μkat/L, which was higher significantly than the sham operation group (t=2.474-4.731, P ＜ 0.05 or 0.001). ② In ischemia + bleeding group,, NO content was (91.8±11.51), (93.55±13.88), (92.52±11.62) and (84.3±11.51) μmol/L successively and NOS activity was (337.6±88.41),(340.99±96.63), (344.48±84.3) and (337.6±90.46) μkat/L, indicating significant difference in comparison with ischemia group (t=2.199-3.507,P ＜ 0.05-0.01).CONCLUSION: Blood-letting puncture on 12-well points of hand inhibits the increased NO content and NOS activity in ischemic brain tissue and alleviates the injury of free radical to brain tissue so that the focal brain ischemia of rats is protected.

Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

Angiolymphoid Hyperplasia with Eosinophilia ; pathology ; Forehead ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parotid Gland ; pathology

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Chromogranin A ; metabolism ; Colonic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; methods ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism ; Staining and Labeling ; methods ; Vimentin ; metabolism

In order to investigate the features of multidetector CT (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as the corresponding pathogic basis of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) in the pelvis, we collected the clinical data of 13 patients with pathologically confirmed SFT in pelvis, and retrospectively reviewed the MDCT and MRI appearances. Of these enrolled patients, 6 received MDCT scans, 5 underwent MRI scans, and 2 underwent both MDCT and MRI examinations. Shown on the MDCT and MRI, the maximum diameters of the masses ranged from 4.0 to 25.2 cm (averaged 11.8 cm). Six masses were lobulated, and seven were round or oval. In addition, all masses were well-defined and displaced the adjacent structures to some degrees. On the computed tomography, all masses were of isodensity on unenhanced scans in general, among which five masses were demonstrated with hypodense areas. On the MRI T1-weighted image, all lesions were isointense, of which patchy hypointense areas were detected in 3 cases and radial hypointense areas were in 3 cases, and the other one was presented with homogenous intensity. On T2-weighted images, most of the lesions were mixed hyperintense, of which 3 cases were of heterogenous hyperintesity, radial hypointense areas were detected in 3 patients, and the other one was homogenously intense. On enhanced computed tomography and MRI, large supplying vessels were found in 4 cases; 12 cases showed moderate to conspicuous enhancement, and the other one was presented with mild homogenous enhancement. Of the patients with moderate to conspicuous enhancement, patchy areas of non-enhancement were detected in 7 cases, radial areas of progressive enhancement were detected in 3 cases, and the remained 2 cases showed homogenous enhancement. On pathology, the radial area presented as progressive enhancement was fibrosis. During the follow-ups after surgery, 2 patients had local recurrence and 1 had metastasis to liver. In conclusion, the SFT in the pelvis are commonly presented as a large solid, well-defined and hypervascular mass with necrosis or cystic changes at some extents together with the displacement of adjacent structures. The radial area with hypointensity on T2-weighted image and with progressive enhancement on enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is an important feature of SFT, which can be helpful for the diagnosis of this mass.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Pelvis ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Adenosine Triphosphate ; metabolism ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cantharidin ; pharmacokinetics ; Cell Hypoxia ; drug effects ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Flow Cytometry ; Kidney Tubules ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo observe the airway inflammatory change in asthmatic rats complicated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to assess the intervention effects of Chinese herbs for reinforcing Shen and supplementing qi (CH) on it.

METHODSEighty-four Norway rats were randomized into 7 groups, the normal control group (A), the COPD model group (B), the asthma model group (C), the combined COPD and the asthma model group (D), and the three CH treated groups (E, F and G, combined model rats administered by low-, moderate- and high- dose CH, respectively), 12 rats in each group. Changes of symptoms, pathologic changes of the lung tissue, airway reactivity, and serum levels of interleukin-4, interleukin-6, interleukin-8 (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-8) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in rats were observed.

RESULTSSymptoms were alleviated in the three CH treated groups. Similar pathological features were shown in group B and D, showing inflammatory cell, mainly lymphocyte, infiltration in bronchial and lung tissues, with cilia denudation, partial alveolar wall rupture, alveolar cavity expansion, and accompanied with evident eosinophilic infiltration. These inflammatory exudation in group E-G was alleviated, while in group C, it developed showing a trend similar to that in group D. Airway resistance raised along with the concentration of Mch used. In group D, the serum level of IL-4 was higher than that in group B, and level of INF-gamma was lower than that in group A, B and C (all P <0.05). CH showed a lowering effect on serum levels of IL-4 and -8, and a dose-dependent rising effect on IFN-gamma.

CONCLUSIONSIL- 4 significantly increased and INF-gamma decreased in rat model of combined COPD and asthma, its mechanism is similar to that of Th1/Th2 imbalance in asthma. Chinese herbs for reinforcing Shen and supplementing qi could improve the symptoms and inhibit the airway inflammation in the combined COPD and asthma model rats, its mechanism might be related with the alleviation of TH1/TH2 imbalance.

Animals ; Asthma ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Inflammation ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-8 ; metabolism ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Qi ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred BN

Calcinosis ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Globus Pallidus ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Osteogenesis Imperfecta ; complications ; genetics ; Skull ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of epimedium herb (EH), a Chinese herb for replenishing Shen, on regulated on activation, normal T call expressed and secreted (RANTES) and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3) expression in lung tissue of asthmatic rats, for further exploring the action mechanism of EH in treating asthma.

METHODSBrown Norway rats were randomly divided into six groups: the normal control group (A), the allergic asthma model group (B), the group of model rat treated with dexamethasone (C), and the three groups of model rat treated with low (0.125 g/mL), medium (0.5 g/mL), high (2.0 g/mL) dose of EH (D, E and F). RANTES and MCP-3 mRNA expressions in lung tissue were tested with Real-time PCR and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-5 (IL-5) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSAs compared with the model group (B), RANTES, MCP-3 expression and TNF-alpha were lower in the 4 treated groups (C, D, E and F, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); IL-4 was lower in Group C, E and F (P = 0.007, P = 0.047, P = 0.033), while that in Group D was higher than that in Group C (P = 0.012). As for level of IL-5, lowering was shown only in Group C and F (P = 0.003, P = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONApplying EH in the attack stage of asthma can alleviate the airway inflammation by down-regulating the expression of RANTES and MCP-3 in lung tissue.

Animals ; Asthma ; blood ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Chemokine CCL5 ; genetics ; Chemokine CCL7 ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Interleukin-5 ; blood ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred BN ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood