As a classic fluorescent detect technique, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) has been widely used in biological researches. Researchers have developed a series of fluorescence detect probes which were based on FRET. Caspase family plays an important role in apoptosis pathway, especially Caspase-8 which located, at the initial of death receptor mediated apoptosis pathway, whose its activation can trigger subsequent precaspases' activation and lead to apoptosis. So it is of great significance to detect the activation of Caspase-8 in apoptosis assay. In this study, a fluorescent probe based on FRET has been designed which can detect the activity change of Caspase-8 in cells. To identify the effectiveness and specificity of the probe, we measure the Caspase-8 activity under the Caspase-8 specifically activated apoptosis inducer RGD-TRAIL with the flow cytometry FRET detection platform. The results show that the probe can respond to the activity change of Caspase-8 in apoptotic cells, and the change can be quantified rapidly by flow cytometry. The study provides a more efficient and convenient detection method of Caspase-8 activity in living cells.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer ; Fluorescent Dyes ; Humans

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Drug Overdose ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Poisoning ; epidemiology ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Young Adult

T were also detected in the controls.Conclusion Nephrotic syndrome may be associated with NPHS2 identified in children.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; cerebrospinal fluid ; diagnosis ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; cerebrospinal fluid ; Leukemia ; cerebrospinal fluid ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Azabicyclo Compounds ; blood ; Chromatography, Gas ; Humans ; Piperazines ; blood ; Serum ; chemistry

Characteristics and measurement principles of reference methods in clinical biochemistry were described.Implementation of reference systems is one of the most effective approaches to improve the accuracy and comparability of clinical laboratory test results.Reference methods are the key components of reference systems.Reference methods should have measurement uncertainties that meet the requirements of the intended use,and thus should be based on reliable measurement principles.For the well-defined biochemistry analytes,reference methods have been almost all based on instrumental analysis.Isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ID/MS) is considered most reliable and has been the major analytical principle of the reference methods.ID/MS analysis is accurate but expensive.Use of other validated instrumental analyses as reference measurement principles would be justified.

In the treatment of hypertensive crisis, the novel Rho kinase inhibitor DL0805-2 can rapidly lower systematic blood pressure, reduce pulmonary artery pressure, and has a significant protective effect on lung injury. This experiment intends to evaluate the efficacy of DL0805-2 against pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and preliminarily reveals its underlying mechanism. Animal welfare and experimental procedures are in accordance with the provision of the Animal Ethics Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into DL0805-2 low, medium, and high dose groups (1, 3, and 10 mg·kg^-1), bosentan positive control group, model group, and blank control group. The drug was administered daily on the 7th day after model establishment by monocrotaline injection. On the 25th day of the experiment, relevant indicators were examined to observe the therapeutic effect of DL0805-2 on pulmonary hypertension. DL0805-2 significantly relieved the abnormal changes in the physiological parameters related to PAH induced by monocrotaline, including reducing right ventricular systolic pressure, alleviating cardiac damage caused by pressure overload, and reducing the levels of endothelin-1 and inflammatory factors in lung tissues. DL0805-2 also attenuated pulmonary arteries remodeling. It was preliminarily discovered that DL0805-2 exerts preventive and therapeutic effect on PAH through Rho-kinase pathway. Our results suggested that DL0805-2 had good therapeutic effects on monocrotaline-induced PAH rat model. It intervened early in the disease process, effectively prevented the development of the disease, and reduced the mortality of the diseased animals. The mechanism is related to Rho-kinase pathway.

Objective To investigate the dose- and time-effects of astragaloside Ⅳ(XGA) on collagen of myocardial fibroblasts in rats.Methods The myocardial fibroblasts of rats were separated by collagenase and trypsinase digestive method,and the cell culture system was established. After XGA in different concentrations and at different time points was administered in fibroblast culture systems,the mRNA expression levels of collagen,matrix metalloproteinases(MMP)-1,-2,-9,tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(TIMP)-1 and -2 were measured with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) test.Results After XGA administration with different doses and at different time points was adminstered,the gel electrophoresis product of RT-PCR in fibroblast culture system expressed the mRNA of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ collagens,MMP-1,-2,-9,TIMP-1 and -2;but the mRNA expression levels of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ collagens,TIMP-1 and -2 decreased and the mRNA expression levels of MMP-1,-2,and -9 increased compared to those before XGA administration;the mRNA expression of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ collagens,MMP-1,-2,-9,TIMP-1 and -2 decreased or increased gradually with the increase of doses and the prolonged time of XGA use.The mRNA expression levels of type Ⅰ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ collagens,TIMP-1 and -2 were negatively related to the doses and action times of XGA(r=-0.927 to -0.637 P= 0 to 0.024);and the mRNA expression levels of MMP-1,-2 and -9 were positively related to the doses and action times of XGA(r=0.672 to 0.962 P=0 to 0.034).Conclusion XGA can markedly reduce the collagen formation of myocardial fibroblasts in rats,and its mechanisms are related to the inhibiting of collagen synthesis and the increase of collagen degradation.

To study the relation between drug release and the drug status within curcumin-loaded microsphere, SPG (shirasu porous glass) membrane emulsification was used to prepare the curcumin-PLGA (polylactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres with three levels of drug loading respectively, and the in vitro release was studied with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The morphology of microspheres was observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the drug status was studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infrared analysis (IR). The drug loading of microspheres was (5.85 ± 0.21)%, (11.71 ± 0.39)%, (15.41 ± 0.40)%, respectively. No chemical connection was found between curcumin and PLGA. According to the results of XRD, curcumin dispersed in PLGA as amorphous form within the microspheres of the lowest drug loading, while (2.12 ± 0.64)% and (5.66 ± 0.07)% curcumin crystals was detected in the other two kinds of microspheres, respectively, indicating that the drug status was different within three kinds of microspheres. In the data analysis, we found that PLGA had a limited capacity of dissolving curcumin. When the drug loading exceeded the limit, the excess curcumin would exist in the form of crystals in microspheres independently. Meanwhile, this factor contributes to the difference in drug release behavior of the three groups of microspheres.
Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; Curcumin ; chemistry ; Drug Liberation ; Lactic Acid ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Microspheres ; Polyglycolic Acid ; X-Ray Diffraction