Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), a membrane receptor superfamily with intrinsic protein tyrosine kinase activity, has many members and complicated signal transduction pathways. Activation of RTKs can trigger a series of signal transduction pathways and play essential roles in modulating cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and metabolism through influencing gene transcription and expression. Activation of RTK can also rapidly modulate some cellular functions including the modulation of ion channels. Potassium channels play a critical role in stabilization of membrane potential and regulation of cellular excitability. This review highlights the rapid modulation of potassium channels by RTKs and reviews the recent progress in related research.

This article firstly established a new efficient method for screening anti-osteoporosis ingredients, which used two-dimensional zebrafish model combined with hyphenated chromatographic techniques to evaluate anti-osteoporosis activities of epimedin A and its metabolite baohuoside I. Adult zebrafish was used for metabolism of epimedin A in 0.5% DMSO, and LC-MS was used for analysis of the metabolite, which was captured by HPLC, and prednisolone-induced osteoporosis model of zebrafish was used to evaluate the anti-osteoporotic activities of trace amounts of epimedin A and baohuoside I. The results indicated that epimedin A and baohuoside I can prevent prednisolone-induced osteoporosis in zebrafish. The developed method in this paper enables the separation, enrichment and analysis of micro-amount metabolite of epimedin A, and anti-osteoporosis activities in vivo of epimedin A and baohuoside I was simple and efficient screening resorting to zebrafish osteoporosis mode. This paper would provide new ideas and methods for a rapid and early discovery of anti-osteoporosis activities of micro-ingredients and its metabolite of traditional Chinese medicine.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flavonoids ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Mass Spectrometry ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; Zebrafish

OBJECTIVETo compare the changes of nucleus pulposus after in vitro culture of rabbit whole intervertebral disc and spinal motion segment.

METHODSTwenty-one New Zealand white rabbits which were randomly divided into organ group with 8 rabbits and segment group with 13 rabbits. Fifty intervertebral discs and 50 spinal motion segments were harvested respectively under aseptic conditions from two groups. These specimens were maintained in organ culture with hyperosmotic media (410 mOsm/kg), then 10 discs of the two groups were observed respectively by HE staining, immunohistochemistry of collagen type III, proteoglycan content and cells viability of nucleus pulposus before culture and at 3, 7, 14, 21 days after culture.

RESULTSHE staining showed the intervertebral disc tissue structure remained intact after culture of 21 days organ group and 14 days segment group,but there was severely degenerated of 21 days segment group. The intensity value of type II collagen immunohistochemical staining in the nucleus pulposus were not changed significantly between 21 days organ group and 14 days segment group (P > 0.05), but the staining of segment group at 21 days became shallower, there was significant difference compared with before each time points and organ group at 21 days (P < 0.05). PAS/AB staining of proteoglycan of nucleus pulposus showed that there were not decrease of tinting strength of two groups within 7 days, but the strength weakened slightly of two groups at 14 days, and the tinting strength became weaker at 21 days segment group, the change is more obvious than the organ group. The intensity value of fluorescence staining of nucleus pulposus cells was not changed significantly within 7 days of two groups (P > 0.05), the intensity value decreased slightly at 21 days organ group and 14 days segment group, but there were no significant difference compared with before time points (P > 0.05) however at 21 days segment group the intensity decreased as cells viability of nucleus pulposus decreased,and there was a significant difference compared with before each time points and organ group at 21 days (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIt is not obviously degenerated of the discs of organ group cultured within 21 days and segment group cultured within 14 days, but there was significant degeneration of the intervertebral disc of segment group after cultured 21 days, so the rabbit spinal motion segment can be used on research about the biomechanics of intervertebral disc as a vitro experimental model within 14 days.

Animals ; Collagen Type II ; analysis ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intervertebral Disc ; chemistry ; pathology ; Male ; Organ Culture Techniques ; Rabbits

ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy and safety of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC)in treatment of aplastic anemia(AA). MethodsTwenty-two patients with aplastic anemia were enrolled with median age of 31 (12-70) years old,including 11 severe aplastic anemia (SAA),and 3 of whom were cyclosporine and anti-thymocyte globulin-resistant. BMSC were isolated from bone marrow of healthy donors and cultured.The third to fifth generation cells were administered intravenously in 1×106/kg to patients once or twice a week.After infusion,complete blood count,bone marrow aspiration,bone marrow biopsy,flow cytometry analysis of lymphocyte subsets of CD3+ CD4+ and CD3+ CD8+ and clinical symptoms were involved in outcome measurement.ResultsAll patients finished 16-time median (5-83 times) infusions of BMSC with 13-month median (2-33 months) treatment course and 23-month median (2-34 months) follow-up.The total response rate was 72.7 ％(16/22), including one patient with essential cure, 9 with remission, 3 with remarkably improvement and 3 with transfusion interval extension.Two of three front-line immunosuppressiveresistant SAA patients achieved remission. Ten of 14 patients recovered from inverted ratio of CD4+/C8+ cells after BMSC treatment. There were no treatment-related side effects observed in the course of treatment.ConclusionBMSC are effective and safe for the treatment of AA in our preliminary study and they deserve further research with larger-scale and long-term clinical trials.

Objective To investigate the changes in cytotoxicity of DC-CIK cells to human multiple myeloma RPMI 8226 cells before and after treatment with oridonin. Methods Normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and induced to obtain DC-CIK cells. Cytotoxicity of DC-CIK cells against RPMI 8226 cells which were treated by oridonin was analyzed by LDH releasing assay. The variation for expression of NKG2D ligands on RPMI 8226 cells were measured by flow cytometry. Results DC-CIK cells were successfully induced from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells. At the same effector to target ratio, oridonin obviously enhanced the cytotocixity of DC-CIK cells against RPMI 8226 cells (P<0.01). Flow cytometry showed the expression of NKG2D ligands ULBP1 of RPMI8226 cells was most significantly increased as the cells were treated by oridonin [(9.19 ± 1.85) vs. (15.47 ± 0.67), P<0.01]. Correlation analysis indicated that cytotocixity was positively correlated with changes in ULBP1. Conclusions Oridonin can improve the cytotoxicity of DC-CIK cells against RPMI 8226 cells, which may be related with the increased expressions of NKG2D ligands on the tumor cell surface.

Objective To preliminarily investigate the protective effect of chronic clonorchis sinesis(Cs) infestation against sepsis in Sprague Dawley(SD) rats in order to explore its underlying mechanism.Methods Chronic Cs infestation model of SD rats was reproduced by intra-gastric administration with Cs ova.Twenty rats were randomly(random number) divided into normal group(n=10) and Cs group(n=10).The proportion of differentiation in M1 and M2 macrophages were detected by flow cytometry.The expressions of Arg-1(arginine-1),FIZZ 1,iNOs and TNF-αmRNA were examined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).The cecal ligation and puncture(CLP) procedure was performed to reproduce sepsis model of SD rats.Sixty rats were randomly(random number) divided into control group,SHAM group,CLP group,Mφ+CLP group,Cs-Mφ+CLP group,and Cs-CLP group.The cumulative mortalities were calculated.The pathological changes of the lung tissue in different groups were demonstrated by HE staining.The serum levels of cytokines TNF-α and IL-10 were detected by ELISA at 0,24,48 and 72 h after CLP procedure.Results Compared with M1 peritoneal macrophages differentiation in control group(91.9%),rat peritoneal macrophages were activated to M2 differentiation(95.1%) in chronic Cs infection group.RT-PCR assay showed expression of Arg-1 and FIZZ 1 mRNA were higher in M2 macrophages,and on the contrary, the expression of iNOS mRNA expression was higher in M1 macrophages.The expression of TNF-α mRNA in M1 was significantly higher than that in M2, whereas the expression of IL-10 mRNA in M2 was higher than that in M1.The cumulative mortality of septic rats 72 h after CLP procedure were much lower in both chronic Cs infestation group and M2 macrophages adoptive transfer group(CLP group 70%vs.Mφ+CLP group 50%vs.Cs-Mφ+CLP group 30%vs.Cs-CLP group 0%,P<0.05).In these two groups,the pathological damages in lung tissues were significantly improved.The serum level of TNF-α was decreased and the anti-inflammatory IL-10 level was increased significantly in these two groups with Cs compared with other groups.Conclusion M2 macrophages polarization induced by chronic Cs infestation with M2 phenotype gene and expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine gene play key role in increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines and decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines to allerviate organ damage and ameliorating the survival rate in septic rats.

Membrane proteins are the main undertakers of biofilm function, and also the most important target group for innovative drug discovery and research. About 60% of drugs targets are membrane proteins. Due to the obvious aggregation and denaturation tendency of membrane proteins in aqueous solution, it is difficult to simulate the membrane like environment to maintain the correct conformation of membrane proteins in vitro, which results in the slower-growing research on the structure and function of membrane proteins and related ligand drugs than that of water-soluble proteins. Membrane protein stabilization technology is the premise of establishing high specificity, high sensitivity and high throughput drug screening methods for membrane protein ligands, which is of great significance. In this paper, some techniques for stable separation and purification of membrane proteins are reviewed, including detergents, artificial membranes, polymers, lentiviral particles and so on, as well as their specific applications in drug screening.

ABC transporters on the intestinal barrier, blood-brain barrier and on tumor cells will affect drug bioavailability, transport across the blood-brain barrier and multidrug resistance. The active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines can affect the function and expression of ABC transporters. When combined with pharmaceuticals the potential interaction between the two can change the efficacy of the medicines. We review the ABC transporter superfamily and their distribution with regard to their relationship and interactions with traditional Chinese medicine on the intestinal barrier and the blood-brain barrier, as well as their role in tumor multidrug resistance mediated by ABC transporters. We summarize the research progress over the past five years.

Influenza virus causes serious threat to human life and health. Due to the inherent high variability of influenza virus, clinically resistant mutant strains of currently approved anti-influenza virus drugs have emerged. Therefore, it is urgent to develop antiviral drugs with new targets or mechanisms of action. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is directly responsible for viral RNA transcription and replication, and plays key roles in the viral life cycle, which is considered an important target of anti-influenza drug design. From the point of view of medicinal chemistry, this review summarizes current advances in diverse small-molecule inhibitors targeting influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, hoping to provide valuable reference for development of novel antiviral drugs.

AIMTo elucidate the mechanism of depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), the effects of CUMS on serotonin (5-HT), tryptophan, stress hormones and behaviour were investigated in rats.

METHODSDepression was induced by for 8 weeks CUMS and confirmed by behavioral tests, the brain and plasma levels of monoamine neurotransmitters were analyzed by HPLC-ECD techniques, the content of plasma corticosterone was evaluated by I125 cortisol radioactivity immunoassay and the serum tryptophan content was measured by HTTACHI L-8800 amino acid analyzer.

RESULTS(1) Rats exposed to a series of mild, unpredictable stressors for 8 weeks displayed the decreased body weight, reduced scores of open-field test and preference of sucrose solution (P < 0.05). (2) Plasma and brain 5-HT contents in rats after exposure to CUMS 8 weeks decreased significantly (P < 0.05). While serum tryptophan content increased at the same time (P < 0.05). (3) Plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine in rats were increased after CUMS 8 weeks, but there was no difference between control and CUMS group in plasma corticosterone.

CONCLUSIONThe behavioral changes induced by CUMS for 8 weeks are similar to the features of human depression, which may be related to the disturbances of tryptophan metabolism induced by increased norepinephrine and epinephrine in CUMS rat.

Animals ; Depression ; metabolism ; Epinephrine ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurosecretory Systems ; metabolism ; Norepinephrine ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Serotonin ; metabolism ; Stress, Psychological ; metabolism