OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Xianlong granules (XLG) on immunological function in the rat of adjuvant arthritis (AA).

METHODRats were randomly divided into normal group, AA model group, prednisone group and low, middle and high dose XLG groups, 10 rats in each group. All rats were treated by intragastric administration from the 18 days after arthritis was induced by the complete Freud's adjuvant and the effect of XLG on toes swelling was observed. On the 30th days after modeling, proliferation of the splenic and thymic lymphocytes, and IgG secreted by splenocytes were detected respectively by MTT assay and ELISA.

RESULTCompared with the model group, both the high and middle dose XLG groups had significant therapeutic effects on toes dwelling in the rat of AA (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); The low, middle and high dose XLG groups strengthened the PHAM-inhibited proliferation of splenic lymphocytes (P < 0.05), and inhibited the PHAM-augmented proliferation of thymic lymphocytes (P < 0.05); XLG did not significantly effect on IgG level secreted by splenocytes in rats of AA.

CONCLUSIONXLG can cure toes swelling in rats of AA, which is related with regulation of the abnormal immunlological function.

Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental ; immunology ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Colubridae ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Edema ; immunology ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Female ; Immunoglobulin G ; metabolism ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; pathology ; secretion ; Male ; Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spleen ; pathology ; secretion ; Thymus Gland ; pathology ; Toes ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of renal sympathetic nerves in renal sodium transport in ouabain-hypertensive rats (OHR).

METHODSSixteen male SD rats with sham renal denervation (Sham-RDNX) and 16 with renal denervation (RDNX) were randomly into normal control group and ouabain group to receive intraperitoneal injection of normal saline (1 ml/kg) and ouabain (27.8 µg/kg) once a day, respectively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate and body weight were recorded weekly. Food consumption of the rats was determined twice a week. After a 4-week treatment, blood and 24 h urine samples were collected to measure the serum and urinary concentration of sodium, trace lithium and creatinine. Endogenous creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), fractional excretions of sodium (FENa), fractional excretions of lithium (FELi) and fractional reabsorption of sodium in the postproximal tubules (FDRNa) were calculated. Plasma renin activity was determined by radioimmunoassay. Norepinephrine was extracted from the renal tissue and assayed for norepinephrine content by HPLC.

RESULTSThe body weight, food intake and heart rate showed no significant difference among the 4 groups (P > 0.05). After 4 weeks, the SBP of control RDNX group (CDNX) was significantly lower than that of the control Sham-DNX group (Csham)(P < 0.05); the SBP of ouabain RDNX group (ODNX) was also significantly lower than that of ouabain Sham-DNX group (Osham) (P < 0.05); RNDX lowered SBP by about 10 mmHg in both ouabain groups and control groups. The SBP was significantly higher in Osham and ODNX groups than in the corresponding control groups (P < 0.01), also significantly higher in ODNX group than in Csham group (P < 0.01). Ccr showed no significant difference among the 4 groups(P > 0.05). FENa, FELi and FDRNa were significantly lower in ouabain groups than in the corresponding control groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.05), but FENa, FELi and FDRNa of ODNX group were similar with those of Osham group (P > 0.05); FENa , FELi and FDRNa were similar between CDNX and Csham groups (P > 0.05). The plasma renin activity was comparable between the 4 groups (P > 0.05). Renal norepinephrine level was markedly reduced in RDNX group compared with that in Sham-RDNX group in both ouabain and control groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe increase of proximal tubule sodium reabsorption in OHR is not dependent on the renal sympathetic nerve.

Animals ; Hypertension ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Kidney ; innervation ; Male ; Ouabain ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium ; metabolism ; Sodium Channels ; metabolism ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate renal sodium handling of ouabain-hypertensive rats and the role of renal sodium handling in pathogenesis of hypertension using endogenous trace lithium as a marker of proximal sodium reabsorption.

METHODSForty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats weighting 180-220 g were equally divided into normal control group and ouabain group randomly. Rats were infused with normal saline 1 ml/ (kg x d) or ouabain 27.8 microg/ (kg-d) intraperitoneally once a day respectively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and body weight were recorded weekly. Rats were sacrificed after 2 and 6 weeks respectively. Blood and 24 hour urine sample were collected to measure the serum and urinary concentration of sodium, potassium, trace lithium, and creatinine. Endogenous creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), fractional excretions of sodium (FE(Na)), and fractional excretions of lithium (FE(Li)), the ratios of urinary lithium to sodium (U(Li)/U(Na)), the ratios of urinary potassium to sodium (U(K)/U(Na)), and fractional reabsorption of sodium in the postproximal tubules (FDR(Na)) were also calculated. All were studied on their normal diet and ate salt freely.

RESULTSBlood pressure had no significant difference in these two groups after 2 weeks (P > 0.05); After 4 weeks, however, blood pressure was significantly higher in ouabain group than in control group (P < 0.01). Body weight of rats had no significant difference during the experiment period (P > 0.05). Ccr and FE(Na) were similar in these 2 groups (P > 0.05). FE(Li), U(Li)/U(Na), U(K)/U(Na), and FDR(Na) of ouabain group were significantly lower than control group after 2 and 6 weeks (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001 respectively).

CONCLUSIONThe reabsorption of sodium increases in the proximal tubule in ouabain-hypertensive rats, and such increase occurs before the development of hypertension. Therefore, increase of proximal reabsorption of sodium may be involved in the pathogenesis of ouabain-induced hypertension.

Animals ; Hypertension ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Kidney Tubules, Proximal ; metabolism ; Lithium ; metabolism ; Male ; Natriuresis ; Ouabain ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium ; metabolism

【Objective】 To compare the diagnostic efficacy of full-field digital mammography(FFDM), digital breast mammography(DBT) and dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI) for breast tumors in different gland types. 【Methods】 Retrospective analyses of 56 breast lesions in 49 patients who underwent FFDM, DBT and MRI in the Department of Radiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University from October 2018 to December 2019 were performed. The breasts were divided into the non-dense or dense pattern, according to FFDM images. The breast lesions were diagnosed as benign(BI-RADS grade 4a and below) or malignant(BI-RADS grade 4b and above), based on the images of FFDM, DBT and MRI, respectively. All patients underwent surgery or biopsy to get a pathological diagnosis. The kappa consistency tests and receiver operating characteristics(ROC) analyses were used to compare the efficacy of FFDM, DBT and MRI in the diagnosis of breast tumor in different gland patterns. 【Results】 In all breasts, MRI (kappa = 0.66) was moderately consistent with pathological diagnosis, which was higher than DBT(kappa = 0.44), while there was no significant difference between FFDM(kappa = 0.14) and pathological diagnosis. In non-dense breasts, MRI (kappa = 0.88) was moderately consistent with pathological diagnosis, which was higher than DBT(kappa = 0.51), while there was no significant difference between FFDM(kappa = 0.18) and pathological diagnosis. In dense breasts, MRI(kappa = 0.54) was moderately consistent with pathological diagnosis, which was higher than DBT(kappa = 0.37), while there was no significant difference between FFDM(kappa = 0.10) and pathological diagnosis. In all breasts, the diagnostic efficacy of MRI, DBT and FFDM for breast tumor decreased gradually(AUC = 0.83; 0.73; 0.58). Specifically, the specificity of MRI, DBT and FFDM increased sequentially(77%, 82%, 86%), but the sensitivity decreased(88%, 65%, 29%). In non-dense breasts, the diagnostic efficacy of MRI, DBT and FFDM for breast tumor decreased gradually(AUC = 0.97; 0.84; 0.66). Specifically, the sensitivity of MRI(94%) was higher than that of DBT(69%) and FFDM(31%). In dense breasts, the diagnostic efficacy of MRI, DBT and FFDM for breast tumor decreased gradually(AUC = 0.77; 0.69; 0.55). Specifically, the specificity of MRI, DBT and FFDM increased sequentially(71%, 76%, 82%), but the sensitivity decreased(83%, 61%, 28%) . 【Conclusions】 In both dense and non-dense breasts, FFDM has the lowest diagnostic ability. In non-dense breasts, the diagnostic efficacy of MRI is higher than DBT. DBT shows its advantage over MRI in dense breasts, as it has a higher diagnostic specificity.