Animals ; Arginine Vasopressin ; metabolism ; Female ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lead ; toxicity ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Animals ; Female ; Gangliosides ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; enzymology ; physiopathology ; Lead ; toxicity ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Memory ; drug effects ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; biosynthesis ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Animals ; Decompression ; Decompression Sickness ; physiopathology ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Electromyography ; Electrophysiology ; Male ; Rabbits

This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging activities of flavans from flex centrochinensis S. Y. Hu in vitro and their structure-activity relationship. LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage was used as inflammatory model. MTT assay for cell availability, Griess reaction for nitric oxide (NO) production, the content of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and PGE, were detected with ELISA kits; DPPH, superoxide anion and hydroxyl free radicals scavenging activities were also investigated. According to the result, all flavans tested exhibited anti-inflammatory effect in different levels. Among them, compounds 1, 3, 4 and 6 showed potent anti-inflammatory effect through the inhibition of NO, TNF-alpha, IL-lp and IL-6, of which 1 was the most effective inhibitor, however, 2 and 5 were relatively weak or inactive. The order of free radical scavenging activities was similar to that of anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, these results suggest that 3, 4 and 6, especially of 1, were,in part responsible for the anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging activity of Ilex centrochinensis. Hydroxyl group at 4'-position of B-ring plays an important role in the anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging capacities.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; immunology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Flavanones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Free Radical Scavengers ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Ilex ; chemistry ; Interleukin-6 ; immunology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; immunology ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; immunology

AIMTo determine the feasibility of establishing the heterologous expression model of human- serotonin transporter(hSERT or 5-HTT).

METHODScRNA of SERT was transcribed from cDNA, which was cloned in the pOTV vector. Each oocyte of mature xenopus laevis was injected with transcribed cRNA in vivo and incubated at room temperature for 4-9 days. Recording the current induced by 5-HT with voltage clamp technique tested the function of the expressed 5-HT transporter.

RESULTSThe transporter current could be observed in Ringer's solution containing 5-HT, and the 5-HT induced current were concentration-dependent. Norepinephrine and dopamine could not induce the transporter current while the 5-HT induced current could be specifically inhibited by 5-HTT blocker, desipramine.

CONCLUSIONThe results demonstrate that the heterologous expression product in xenopus laevis oocytes is human 5-HT transporter.

Animals ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Models, Animal ; Oocytes ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Serotonin ; metabolism ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Xenopus laevis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence and spermatogenesis of cryptorchid testes induced by postnatal injection of estradiol.

METHODSNinety male newborn Balb/C mice were randomly divided into an experimental (n = 60), a solvent control (n = 20) and a normal control group (n = 10). The experimental mice were again assigned to a 4-week, a 6-week, an 8-week, and a 10-week subgroup, and injected subcutaneously with 17-beta estradiol (5 microg/d) from 3 to 28, 3 to 42, 3 to 56 and 3 to 70 days after birth, respectively. The incidence of cryptorchidism and morphological changes of the testes were observed at 2 weeks after drug withdrawal.

RESULTSThe incidence rates of cryptorchidism in the 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-week groups were 0%, 26.7%, 60% and 60%, respectively, but no cryptorchidism occurred in the solvent and normal control groups. The 4- and 6-week groups showed autonomous descent of the cryptorchid testes and recovery of spermatogenesis after drug withdrawal. The models became stable and no spermatogenesis recovery was observed after 8 weeks of continuous medication.

CONCLUSIONStable cryptorchid infertile models can be established in mice by postnatally continuous injection of estradiol for over 8 weeks.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cryptorchidism ; chemically induced ; Disease Models, Animal ; Estradiol ; adverse effects ; Infertility, Male ; chemically induced ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

This study was purposed to investigate the changes in coagulation and fibrinolysis pathways in rabbits suffered from the acute decompression sickness(DCS). Model of DCS in rabbits was established. Survival rate and symptoms of DCS in animal model was monitored. The prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (Fib), fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) and D-dimers were measured before compression and at 0, 3, 24 hours after decompression by latex agglutination semiquantitative methods. The changes of plasmin-antiplasmin complex (PAP), fibrinopeptide A (FPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and thrombomodulin (TM) were measured by ELISA at different time points after decompression. The results showed that the model of DCS in rabbits was successfully established. There was a statistically significant extension in APTT, TT, increase of Fib concentration at 15 minutes after decompression, the changes were peaked at 3 hours and recovered at 24 hours after decompression. The concentration of FDP significantly decreased at 3 hours after decompression. The concentration of D-dimers significantly increased at 24 hours after decompression in rabbits model with DCS. FPA concentration was significantly increased at 15 minutes and recovered at 24 hours after decompression. PAP concentration was increased after decompression, but had no significant changes. PAI-1 could not be detected. TM significantly increased after decompression. It is concluded that the acute DCS significantly impacts on blood coagulation system in rabbit model. It is shown that hypocoagulation occurred at initial time and hyperfibrinolysis subsequently, which varied with time. The damage of blood vessel endothelium may be one of the causes of these variations.
Animals ; Blood Coagulation ; Decompression Sickness ; blood ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; metabolism ; Fibrinolysis ; Male ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prothrombin Time ; Rabbits ; Thrombin Time

AIMTo detect the deletion distribution of dystrophin gene and dystrophin changes in muscle cells of the patients with Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD), furthermore to investigate the relationship between them and clinical symptoms.

METHODS42 patients with DMD/BMD were screened by 9 primers multiplex PCR. The patients from 5 DMD and 2 BMD were detected by immunofluorescence technique for analyzing dystrophin located in muscle cell membrane, compared with 2 normal males.

RESULTSThe deletion of one or more exons was found in 21 patients. 16 cases (76.2%) were detected in the central region and 5 patients (23.8%) in the 5' extreme region, especially in exon 48 (6 patients). Negative result of staining was seen in 5 DMD patients. Of these, one case of DMD had no detectable levels of dystrophin, but no deletion of DMD gene. Dystrophin immunostaining from two BMD patients consisted of a discontinuous staining pattern around most fibers.

CONCLUSIONIt might be possible that some correlation existed between the type of gene deletion and the degree of severity of the disease. The amount and size of exon deletion may not affect the symptoms. DMD/BMD are highly heterogeneous in clinical manifestation and in inheritance pattern. The pathologic foundation of DMD and BMD is the absence or abnormal expression of dystrophin. The consequence of that depends not only on the degree, but also on the function.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dystrophin ; analysis ; Exons ; Gene Deletion ; Humans ; Male ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne ; genetics ; Sequence Deletion ; Young Adult

The slowing down mechanism of heart rate during growth of the body after birth was studied in isolated rabbit heart and sinus node (SN) preparation with Langendorff perfusion method, conventional microelectrode recording and perforated patch for recording pacemaker current I(f). The radioimmunoassay was also used to measure the concentration of cAMP within SN cells. The results indicate that without the influence of nervous and humoral factors, the spontaneous heart rate would also become slower as the rabbit grew older, which is due to the decrease of spontaneous depolarized rate of phase 4 in SN cells. The negative directed shift of the threshold potential of I(f) and the decrease in cAMP concentration within SN cells may be responsible for the phenomenon. The results obtained suggest that besides the nervous and humoral factors which influence the heart rate, the changes in automaticity of SN cell itself may take part in the slowing down process as the body grows up.
Animals ; Cyclic AMP ; physiology ; Heart Rate ; In Vitro Techniques ; Microelectrodes ; Perfusion ; Rabbits ; Sinoatrial Node ; physiology

Diving medicine is one of the branches of military medicine, and plays an important role in naval development. This review introduces the progress of researches on undersea and hyperbaric physiology and medicine in the past few years in China. The article describes our research achievement in conventional diving and its medical support, researches on saturation diving and its medical support, submarine escape and its medical support, effects of hyperbaric environments and fast buoyancy ascent on immunological and cardiological functions. Diving disorders (including decompression sickness and oxygen toxicity) are also introduced.
China ; Decompression Sickness ; Diving ; physiology ; Humans ; Military Medicine ; Submarine Medicine