Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Transfection

Object: To investigate the effects of Huaiqihuang Granule, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on expressions of nephrin and podocin of slit diaphragm of glomerular podocytes in rats with adriamycin-induced nephrosis and to explore the mechanism in reducing the proteinuria. Methods: Twenty SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: control group, model group, glucocorticoid group, Huaiqihuang Granule group and Huaiqihuang Granule plus glucocorticoid group. The 24-hour urine was collected 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after adriamycin injection respectively to measure 24-hour urinary protein, and all rats were sacrificed after 28-day treatment. Pathological changes in renal tissues were observed under a light microscope and an electron microscope. Expressions of nephrin and podocin mRNAs in renal cortex were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein levels of nephrin and podocin were detected by Western blotting. Results: (1) In the model group and the treatment groups, the level of urinary protein increased significantly from the 14th day. (2) Under the light microscope, inflammatory cells and slight fibroplasia were found in renal interstitium of the model group, but there were less inflammatory cells in renal interstitium in the intervention groups than in the model group. Under the electron microscope, 29 days after adriamycin injection, extensive fusion of foot processes was observed. (3) The expressions of nephrin and podocin were higher in treatment groups than in the model group. (4) Proteinuria level was negatively correlated with the expressions of nephrin mRNA and nephrin and podocin proteins. Conclusion: The above results indicate that Huaiqihuang Granule can maintain the integrity of the slid diaphragram in podocyte, alleviate the lesion of glomerular filtration membrane, and decrease the proteinuria by up-regulating the expressions of nephrin and podocin. Huaiqihuang Granule plus glucocorticoid maybe has better effects than glucocorticoid alone.

Nanoporous ZnO was used as a carrier to prepare drug solid dispersion, the mechanism of which to improve the drug dissolution was also studied. Nanoporous ZnO, obtained through chemical deposition method, was used as a carrier to prepare indomethacin and cilostazol solid dispersions by melt-quenching method, separately. The results of scanning electron microscope, surface area analyzer, fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter and X-ray diffraction showed that drugs were implanted into nanopores of ZnO by physical adsorption effect and highly dispersed into nanopores of ZnO in amorphous form, moreover, these nanopores strongly inhibited amorphous recrystallization in the condition of 45 degrees C and 75% RH. In addition, the results of the dissolution tested in vitro exhibited that the accumulated dissolutions of indomethacin and cilostazol solid dispersions achieved about 90% within 5 min and approximately 80% within 30 min. It was indicated in this study that the mechanism of drug dissolution improvement was associated with the effects of nanoporous ZnO carrier on increasing drug dispersion, controlling drug in nanopores as amorphous form and inhibiting amorphous recrystallization.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-paracrine substance on fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) rat, and to study the effect on liver function and hepatocyte proliferation. MethodsMesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)were separated from human umbilical cord, and surface makers of cells were detected by flow cytometry. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells-conditioned medium(MSC-CM) was prepared. FHF rat model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine and they were randomly diveded into three groups: MSC-CM group, NS group, PHGF group. 24 h later, 1 ml MSC-CM, 1 ml 0. 9% NaCl solution and lml PHGF solution was injected into the tail vein of MSC-CM, NS, and PHGF rats, respectively. In each group (n=8 per group), blood samples were collected at 12, 24, 36, and 60 h after treatment from inner canthus for analysis of blood ALT and TBIL levels. We used five rats per group for tissue collection after sacrifice at 36 h after treatment and 10 animals per group for survival analysis. PCNA immunohistochemical staining was used in the sections of liver tissue to detect hepatocyte proliferation. Results24 h after treatment, the levels of ALT and TBIL in the MSC-CM and PHGF groups were lower than those in the NS group(P＜0. 05), but there was no significant difference between the MSC-CM and PHGF groups. There were more PCNA-positive hepatocytes in the MSC-CM and PHGF groups than in the NS group(P＜0.01), but there was no significant difference between MSC-CM and PHGF group. Survival analysis found that the survival rate of rats in the MSC-CM and PHGF groups was higher than that of rats in the NS group (P=0. 049), but there was no significant difference between the MSC-CM and PHGF group. ConclusionsThe paracrine substance of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can stimulate hepatocyte proliferation and improve liver function of FHF rats, potentially creating a new avenue for the treatment of FHF.

Objective To establish the long-term culture system for fetal skin fibroblast by performing long time in vitro cultivation of the cells,and study the potential of its differentiation to hepatocytes.Methods Fibroblast was isolated from human fetus skin tissue.Surface phenotypes of cells were detected by ICC and FCM,and biological characteristics were analyzed by the karyotype analysis and soft agar colony formation observation.ALB、CK18、CK19 were detected by ICC,glycogen stain by PAS,AFP and ALB mRNA by RT-PCR after P3～30cells were induced differentiation by cytokines of HGF,FGF4 and OSM.Results CD29,CD49f,HLA- Ⅰ and CD 105 were highly expressed while CD90 hardly in skin fibroblast.The rate of induced differentiation of fibroblast into hepatocyte-like cells was approximately 5％.The cells could be cultured in vitro for almost 50 passages with normal karyotype and no oncogenic and immortalized characteristics.Conclsion The skin fibroblast possesses the characteristic of mesenchymal stem cell and can be induced into hepatocyte-like cell in vitro.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents contained in the seeds of Cucumis sativus.

METHODThe fatty oil was extracted by heating and refluxing with petroleum ether. Potassium hydroxide-methanol solution was used for saponification. An unsaponifiable matter was extracted by EtOAc and separated with various chromatographic methods. Its structure was identified on the basis of their physicochemical properties and spectral data. The fatty acid fraction was methyl-esterified and determined by GC. The composition and relative content of fatty acid were determined with normalization method of peak area.

RESULT24-ethylcholesta-7, 22, 25-trienol (1), 24-ethylcholesta-7, 25-dienol (2) ,avenasterol (3), spinasterol (4), karounidiol (5) and isokarounidiol (6) were separated and identified from the unsaponifiable matter. Myristic acid (7, 0.12%), palmitic acid (8, 12.04%), palmitoleic acid (9, 0.09%), heptadecanoic acid (10, 0.06%), stearic acid (11, 5.64%), oleic acid (12, 6.95%), linoleic acid (13, 74.40%), arachidic acid (14, 0.19%), and alpha-linolenic acid (15, 0.51%) were identified from the fatty acids part.

CONCLUSIONCompounds 5, 6, 9, 10, 14,and 15 were first reported in C. sativus.

Cucumis sativus ; chemistry ; Fatty Acids ; analysis ; Plant Oils ; analysis ; Seeds ; chemistry

Nanoporous ZnO was used as a carrier to prepare drug solid dispersion, the mechanism of which to improve the drug dissolution was also studied. Nanoporous ZnO, obtained through chemical deposition method, was used as a carrier to prepare indomethacin and cilostazol solid dispersions by melt-quenching method, separately. The results of scanning electron microscope, surface area analyzer, fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter and X-ray diffraction showed that drugs were implanted into nanopores of ZnO by physical adsorption effect and highly dispersed into nanopores of ZnO in amorphous form, moreover, these nanopores strongly inhibited amorphous recrystallization in the condition of 45 degrees C and 75% RH. In addition, the results of the dissolution tested in vitro exhibited that the accumulated dissolutions of indomethacin and cilostazol solid dispersions achieved about 90% within 5 min and approximately 80% within 30 min. It was indicated in this study that the mechanism of drug dissolution improvement was associated with the effects of nanoporous ZnO carrier on increasing drug dispersion, controlling drug in nanopores as amorphous form and inhibiting amorphous recrystallization.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; Drug Carriers ; Indomethacin ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Nanostructures ; Phosphodiesterase 3 Inhibitors ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Tetrazoles ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; X-Ray Diffraction ; Zinc Oxide ; chemistry

Thermodynamic parameters of complexation of naphto-15-crown-5 with four alkaline earth ions in aqueous media was determined using titration microcalorimetry at 298.15 K. The stability of the complexes, thermal effect and entropy effect of the complexation is discussed on the basis of the guest ions structure and the solvent effect. The stability constants tendency to vary with ion radius was interpreted. Complex of naphtha-15-crown-5 with calcium ion is very stable due to the synergism of static electric interaction and size selectivity between the host and the guest.
Calorimetry ; methods ; Crown Ethers ; chemistry ; Ions ; chemistry ; Macromolecular Substances ; analysis ; chemistry ; Metals, Alkaline Earth ; chemistry ; Microchemistry ; methods

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Shuyu Ningxin Recipe (SNR) on the praxiology and the expressions of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) of model rats with chronic stress-induced depression, thus exploring its anti-depression mechanisms.

METHODSSixty adult SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the fluoxetine group, the high dose SNR group, the medium dose SNR group, and the low dose SNR group, 10 in each group. All rats were subjected to establish chronic stress-induced depression model for 21 consecutive days. Except those in the normal control group, rats in the rest groups received gastrogavage from the 22nd day. Mice in the model group were administered with normal saline by gastrogavage. SNR at 25.0, 7.5, and 2.5 g/kg was respectively administered to rats in the high dose SNR group, the medium dose SNR group, and the low dose SNR group by gastrogavage. Fluoxetine suspension (12 mg/kg) was given to rats in the fluoxetine group by gastro-gavage. All medication lasted for 3 successive weeks. The weight, open-field test, and the immobility time in forced swimming test were determined before modeling, 3 weeks (after successful modeling), and 6 weeks (by the end of medication). The expressions of hippocampal BDNF and TrkB were measured after the brain tissues were drawn by the end of the experiment.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the body weight grew slowly, the behavior index decreased, the immobility time in forced swimming test was prolonged, and the expressions of BDNF and TrkB were weaken in the model group (P <0.05, P <0.01).The body weight increased, the behavior was improved, the immobility time in forced swimming test was shortened, and the expressions of BDNF and TrkB were enhanced in the high dose SNR group and the fluoxetine group by the and of medication, showing statistical difference when compared with the model group (P <0.05, P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONSNR could exert anti-depression by improving the expression levels of hippocampal BDNF and TrkB.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; metabolism ; Depression ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, trkB ; metabolism ; Stress, Psychological ; metabolism

Adult ; Hepatitis C ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Recurrence