AIM:To explore the role of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) in anti-inflammation of glucocorticoids (GCs) at physiological concentrations .METHODS: MTT assay was used to measure the viability of BV-2 cells, which were processed by hydrocortisone at different concentrations .On the basis of inflammatory model induced by LPS in BV-2 cells, experimental groups were divided as follows:(1) control;(2) LPS;(3) GCs+LPS;(4) methyl-lycaconitine ( MLA)+GCs+LPS.The levels of TNF-αand IL-1βin the cell supernatants were detected by ELISA .RE-SULTS:Hydrocortisone at concentrations of 2 000 and 1 000 nmol/L decreased the cell viability to (76.9 ±5.5)% and (90.8 ±7.3)%, respectively, indicating the cellular injury by GCs at over-physiological doses.LPS significantly induced the releases of TNF-αand IL-1βin a time-and dose-dependent manner in BV-2 cells.Hydrocortisone at physiological con-centrations (500 and 250 nmol/L) reduced the releases of TNF-αand IL-1βin BV-2 cells stimulated by LPS, and MLA at concentration of 10 nmol/L antagonized the anti-inflammatory effect of GCs .CONCLUSION:α7nAChR is involved in the anti-inflammatory effect of the physiological concentrations of GCs .

Recent studies have shown that immune cells play an important role in the development of non-immune diseases.Regulatory T cells (Treg) are a group of T cell subsets which have immunoregulatory and immunosuppressive functions.Abnormalities in the number and function of Treg cells may cause immune imbalance, which leads to the development of diseases.Immunometabolic disorders may in turn affect the generation, proliferation and function of Treg cells.Clarification of the relationship and interaction between immunometabolism and Treg cells will make it possible to treat metabolic diseases with cellular immunotherapy.

0.05 ).However,there were more eccentric plaques in ruptured than in non-ruptured groups ( P

Objective To explore the value of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in diagnosing plaque disruption and arterial thrombosis.Methods Balloon-induced arterial wall injury and then feeding on a diet of 1% cholesterol for 8 weeks, 17 New Zealand white rabbits were established as atherosis(AS) models.At the end of the eighth week, the resulting plaques were incubated transluminally with recombinant adenovirus carrying a p53 transgene. After two weeks, the rabbits underwent pharmacological triggering with Russell viper venom(RVV) and histamine. IVUS was used before and after the rabbits were triggered pharmacologically. The value of IVUS in diagnosing plaque disruption and arterial thrombosis was derived by comparing the results of IVUS with pathologic findings. Results IVUS found that plaques disruption and thrombosis occurred in 12 of the 14 rabbits, totally 18 thrombi. A histologically confirmed plaque disruption and intraluminal thrombus were visualized in 12 of the 14 rabbits, totally 20 thrombi. By comparing the results of IVUS with histopathology, the true positive rate was 85% and false negative rate was 15%, the sensitivity and specificity of IVUS were respectively 85% and 67%. IVUS data correlated well with the histopathology regarding thrombus length(r=(0.73),P(0.05)). Conclusions IVUS can detect plaque disruption and arterial thrombosis.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parathyroid Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

Objective To verify the applicable significance of confocal scanning laser retinal tomography in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Heidelberg confocal scanning laser tomography was used to measure 75 eyes of 59 patients with AMD, including 25 eyes of 20 patients with exudative AMD, 25 eyes of 16 patients with atrophic AMD , and 25 eyes of 23 patients with macular drusen. The differences of the width, volume and maximum height of Z profile signal of macula were analyzed. Results Z profile signal width in macular tomography of exudative AMD was wider than that of macular drusen; maximum height and volume in macular tomography of exudative AMD were larger than that of macular drusen (P

Objective To investigate the effect of inhaled pravastatin on the acute inflammation of lung in smoked rats.Methods 32 male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups(n=8 per group),as the controls,cigarette-smoking exposure group,saline or pravastatin treatment groups.The rats in the control group were treated routinely,the other groups were exposed to cigarette smoking for one week.Rats in saline or pravastatin group were treated with saline or pravastatin inhalation respectively.During smoking exposure period rats were weighted before and after the treatment,executed at day eight,blood,bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF),and lung tissue were collected.The morphological alternations of lung tissue were observed.Total cell numbers in BALF were counted.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the levels of serum IL-10 and IL-17 content.Results The increase of body weight of smoke-exposed rats were less than that of the controls.In smoking-exposed rats,acute inflammatory changes were remarkable in the lung.The total cell numbers in BALF and levels of IL-10 were increased significantly(P<0.05).These changes were mitigated in pravastatin treated rats and an IL-10/IL-17 rebalance was observed.Conclusion Inhalation of pravastatin sodium has a certain inhibitory effect on cigarette smoke-induced acute lung inflammation in rats.

Objective To study the metabolic change of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS)in the visual cortex and optic radiation region of patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR).Methods 1H-MRS was performed in 20 patients with DR and 20 healthy volunteers on GE 1.5 T MR system respectively.Metabolic peaks of N-acetylasparte(NAA),creatine(Cr,in 3.02 and 3.94 ppm),choline-containing compounds(Cho)and myo-inositol(mI)were observed,and the ratios were analyzed by each other.Independent-samples t test was performed between two sets of data.Results In both visual cortex and optic radiation,the ratios of ml/Cr and mI/CrSee in DR group(0.664 ± 0.052 and 1.453±0.068 in visual cortex,0.717±0.074 and 1.484±0.114 in optic radiation)were significant higher than those in normal group(0.602±0.047 and 1.249±0.044 in visual cortex,0.679 ± 0.075 and 1.334±0.089 in optic radiation,P＜0.05).In DR group,the ratios of CrSec/Cr,Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr in visual cortex and optic radiation were 0.458±0.043 and 0.488±0.052,0.481±0.057 and 0.807±0.110,1.633±0.105 and 1.709±0.140 respectively.In control group.the ratios of those were 0.484±0.041 and0.502±0.056,0.471±0.065 and 0.786±0.109,1.625±0.098 and 1.716±0.135 respectively.The ratios of CrSec/Cr,Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr had no statistic difference between two groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion mI/CrSec is a typical change in the visual cortex and optic radiation region,1H-MRS as a noninvasive examination could provide biochemical and metabolic informations for diabetic patients.

AIM To study whether nitric oxide preconditioning induce early protection of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. METHODS Cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were divided into 6 groups. ①Normal group;②NO group: SNAP(500 ?mol?L -1 ) was added to cell medium 1 h before lethal hypoxia/reoxygenation (HR) injury (6 h hypoxia and 3 h reoxygenation); ③HP group: Cells were cultured for 60min hypoxia followed by 30 min reoxygenation to form hypoxia preconditioning before lethal HR injury;④ L NAME+HP group: Nitric oxide synthase antagonist L NAME was added during HP stage;⑤ L Arg group: L arginine was added to cell medium 1h before lethal HR injury;⑥ L NAME+ L Arg group: Both L NAME and L Arg were added to cell medium 1 h before lethal HR injury;⑦H/R group: Cells underwent lethal HR injury without any treatment. Cardiomyocytes injury was detected by lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) activity and cell viability. RESULTS Nitric oxide preconditioning can protect cardiomyocytes by reducing LDH activity and improving cell viability ( P

Objective To explore the relationship of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and the extracellular matrix of the diabetic nephropathic rats' glomerulars.Methods Twenty-one male rats(Sprague-Dawley) were randomly divided into Control group(n =7),DN group (n =7) and DN + H2 S group (n =7).Diabetes was induced in the rats except Control group rats by STZ (60mg/kg).The rats of the DN + H2S group were injected with NaHS every day,and rats of other groups were injected with NS.Eight weeks later,three groups were compared in proteinuria of 24 hours,KW/BW,the proportion of the BrdU positive cell and the distribution of α-SMA in glomerulars.Results Compared with Control group,DN group rats were significantly increased in proteinuria of 24 hours and KW/BW (P ＜ 0.01).Kidney biopsy in DN groups rats were typical DN pathological manifestation.In treatment with NaHS,the DN rats in the DN + H2S group were decreased in proteinuria of 24 hours,KW/BW,the proportion of the BrdU positive cell and the distribution of α-SMA in glomerulars (P ＜ 0.01),and was similar with the control group in the pathology of renal.Conclusion The H2 S control the multiplication of myofibroblast,and were decreased in the distribution of α-SMA in glomerulars.The H2S treatment may put off the progress of the extracellular matrix in the DN rats' glomerulars.