ObjectiveTo establish and evaluate a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) associated with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) phlegm-dampness syndrome. MethodsEighteen SPF-grade 8-week-old male SD rats were randomly assigned to a control group (n=8) and a model group (n=10). The modeling procedure lasted for 19 weeks. Rats in the control group received no intervention. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 40 μg per rat per instillation) was instilled intratracheally into rats in the model group at 09:00 on the first day of weeks 1, 5, 9, 13, and 17, for a total of five instillations. Except for the instillation weeks, rats were exposed daily to cigarette smoke in a self-made high-humidity smoke exposure chamber (15 cigarettes/session before week 9 and 20 cigarettes/session from week 9 onward; 30 min/session/day). Body weight was recorded weekly, and general signs and manifestations of TCM phlegm-dampness syndrome were observed. On the day after modeling, rats were anesthetized for pulmonary ventilatory function testing. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Lung tissues were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and alcian blue and periodic acid-Schiff staining (AB-PAS) to assess lung tissue morphology and goblet cell hyperplasia. Western blotting was performed to determine TNF-α and MUC5AC protein expression in lung tissue. ResultsGeneral signs and overall condition: Compared with the control group, body weight in the model group was significantly decreased from week 3 onward (P<0.01). Rats showed yellowish fur, sluggish activity, reduced movement, rapid/labored breathing, and increased oral/nasal secretions. Pulmonary ventilatory function: Compared with the control group, minute ventilation and tidal volume (both P<0.01) and dynamic compliance (P<0.05) were decreased, whereas elastic resistance was markedly increased (P<0.01) in the model group. Inflammatory factors and mucus-related proteins: Compared with the control group, TNF-α and MUC5AC levels in serum and BALF, as well as their protein levels in lung tissue, were significantly elevated in the model group (all P<0.01). Histopathology: HE staining showed obvious alveolar dilatation and rupture with partial coalescence into bullae, and inflammatory cell infiltration in bronchiolar lumens. AB-PAS staining revealed increased goblet cells in bronchiolar mucosal epithelium and mucus plug formation in the lumen. ConclusionThis protocol can reproduce a COPD rat model with manifestations consistent with TCM phlegm-dampness syndrome, reduced pulmonary ventilation function, and pathological features of emphysema, inflammation, and chronic bronchitis, thereby providing reliable support for subsequent studies on TCM treatment of COPD with phlegm-dampness syndrome.

Objective To explore whether adiponectin activates AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK) via LKB1 pathway or not in skeletal muscle and liver tissues.Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats ( n =28 ) were divided into normal control diet( NC,n =15 ) and high-fat diet( HF,n =13 ) groups.After 16 weeks feeding,fasting blood free fatty acids( FFA ),triglyceride( TG ),total cholesterol( TC ),fasting plasma glucose( FPG ),fasting insulin(FINS),and adiponectin were determined.The protein levels of AMPKα,phosphorylated AMPKα ( p-AMPK ),and LKB1 in the skeletal muscle and liver tissues were analyzed with Western blot.Cultured primary skeletal muscle cells and hepatic cells were incubated with aditonectin and radicicol.The expression of AMPKα,p-AMPKα,and LKB1 inthese cells were analyzed with immunofluorescence method.Results Compared with NC group,body weight,FFA,TG,FPG,and FINS in rats of HF group were significantly higher( all P＜0.05 ) while serum adiponeetin level was lower( P＜0.05 ).The levels of AMPKα phosphorylation and LKB1 expression in the skeletal muscle and liver tissues of HF group were lower than those in NC group. In primary skeletal muscle cells and hepatic cells,adiponectin significantly increased the levels of AMPKα phosphorylation and LKB1 expression ( all P＜ 0.05 ),which were decreased by radicicol ( P＜0.05 ).Conclusion Adiponectin may activate AMPK via LKB1 pathway in skeletal muscle and liver tissues of rats.

The gene fragment encoding the egg-shell precursor protein of Schistosoma japonicum was amplified with RT-PCR by using PCR primer designed according to the 423 bp cDNA fragment of the Philippine strain of S.japonicum, the corresponding mDNA fragment of Chinese strain as template and then the 5' and 3' ends of this gene cDNA were amplified with 5' RACE and 3' RACE by using a series of primers designed according to the result of sequencing. Result of sequence analysis showed that this fragment, named as Sj423, contained a complete open reading frame (ORF) of gene encoding the egg-shell precursor protein of S.japonicum.(Chinese strain). As demonstrated by sequencing analysis. No intron could be detected in this gene fragment. This gene was subsequently expressed in E.coli after cloning into the expression vector pET28c(+). The molecular mass of the expressed product of this gene was 20.9 kDa as revealed by SDS-PAGE analysis, and Western blot analysis showed that the recombinant protein expressed could react well with the rabbit antiserum against the worm antigen of S.japonicum;indicating the good antigenicity of this expressed product.

Objective To observe the effect of leptin on glucose oxidation with increased mRNA expression of complete length long intracellular domain of leptin receptor ( OBRb) in primary cultured skeletal muscle cells. Methods Skeletal muscle cells were isolated from SD sucking rat and cultured in four groups (recombinant transfection, empty plasmid transfection, non-transfection and control).The recombinant with complete length OBRb cDNA or the empty plasmid were introduced into skeletal muscle cells by clonfectin when the cultured cells were 70% conlluency, leptin and regular insulin were applied into wells and incubated for 1 h, then D-[ U-I4C]-glucose was added into wells and incubated for 2 h. The radioactivity of collected 14CO2 was assayed by scintillation. Expression level of OBRb mRNA in transfected cells was assayed by RT-PCR. Results The ratios of OBRb intraceUular domain mRNA and p-actin mRNA in cells transfected with recombinant, transiected with empty plasimd, and non-transfected were 1.22?0.10,0.41?0.08 and 0.49?0.09, respectively.The expression of OBRb intraceUular domain mRNA in cells transfected with recombinants was significantly increased as compared to the other groups of cells (P