Erythropoietin -induced proliferation of gastric mucosal cells

AIM： To analyze the localization of erythropoietin receptor on gastric specimens and characterize the effects of erythropoietin on the normal gastric epithelial proliferation using a porcine gastric epithelial cell culture model. METHODS： Erythropoietin receptor was detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochermistry. Growth stimulation effects of erythropoietin on cultured gastric mucosal cells were determined by ELISA using bromodeoxyuridine （BrdU）. RESULTS： Erythropoietin receptor was detected on cultured porcine gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Erythropoietin receptor was also detected histochemically at the base of gastric mucosal epithelium. BrdU assay demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in growth potential of cultured porcine gastric mucosal epithelial cells by administration of erythropoietin, as well as these effects were inhibited by administration of antierythropoietin antibody （P〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： These findings indicate that erythropoietin has a potential to proliferate gastric mucosal epithelium via erythropoietin receptor.

Effect of propentofylline on hypoxic-ischaemic brain damage in newborn rat

Background Studies showed that propentofylline enhances the action of adenosine and protects hippocampal neuronal demage against transient global cerebral ischaemia. Our study was to investigate the effect of propentofylline on hypoxic-ischaemic brain damage in neonatal rat KH*2/5DMethods Seven-day-old Wistar rats were subjected to unilateral common carotid artery ligation and hypoxia in oxygen 8 kPa for two hours at 37℃ Propentofylline (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally one hour after hypoxia-ischaemia (treated group) Control group rats were received an equivalent volume of saline The effects of propentofylline were assessed by observing the body mass gain, behavioural alteration and neurohistological changes The rats were sacrificed at 72 hours after hypoxia-ischaemia, and the brain sections were examined after haematoxylin and eosin staining KH*2/5DResults The propentofylline-treated rats had better body mass gain and better behavioural response than the paired saline-controls did In the control group, the rats either lost body mass or had little mass gain after the insult, their average body mass gain was 97 3% at 24 h, 100 3% at 48 h, and 114 1% at 72 h of recovery In propentofylline-treated group, there was a significant improvement of body mass gain at 24 h (100 2%, P <0 05) and 48 h (110 3%, P <0 01) of recovery; the percentage of rats that performed well on behavioural test was significantly higher from 48 h to 72 h of recovery ( P <0 05); the incidence of severe brain damage to the cerebral cortex and dentate gyrus was significantly reduced in propentofylline-treated rats (cortex, 93%-70 8%, P <0 01; dentate gyrus 95%-66 7%, P <0 01) as compared with control rats Conclusions Administration of propentofylline 1 hour after hypoxia-ischaemia significantly attenuates brain damage in both the cerebral cortex and dentate gyrus, and also improves the body mass gain as well as behavioural disturbance in 7-day-old rats