Salvianolate inhibits cytokine gene expression in small intestine of cirrhotic rats

AIM:To study the effect of salvianolate on expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA in small intestine of cirrhotic rats. METHODS:Cirrhosis in rats was induced using CCl4 (0.3 mL/kg). Rats were randomly divided into non-treatment group,low-dose salvianolate (12 mg/kg) treatment group,medium-dose salvianolate (24 mg/kg) treatment group,and high-dose salvianolate (48 mg/kg) treatment group,and treated for 2 wk. Another 10 healthy rats served as a normal control group. Mortality of cirrhotic rats in each group was evaluated after treatment with salvianolate. Serum samples were taken from portal vein for the detection of endotoxin. Morphological changes in tissue samples from the ileocecum were observed under a light microscope. Expression of TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA in the small intestine of rats was analyzed by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS:The mortality of cirrhotic rats in the nontreatment group was 37.5%. No cirrhotic rat died in the high-dose salvianolate treatment group. The serum endotoxin level was significantly higher in the non-treatment group than in the salvianolate treatment and normal control groups. The intestinal mucosal and villous atrophy,necrosis and shedding of the intestinal mucosal epithelium,observed in the non-treatment group,were reversed in different salvianolate treatment groups. The TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression levels in small intestine were significantly lower in different salvianolate treatment groups than in the non-treatment group. CONCLUSION:Salvianolate can reduce the endotoxin level,ameliorate the injury of intestinal mucosa,and inhibit the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA in small intestine of cirrhotic rats.

Effect of salvianolate on intestinal epithelium tight junction protein zonula occludens protein 1 in cirrhotic rats

AIM:To study the effect of salvianolate on tight junctions(TJs) and zonula occludens protein 1(ZO-1) in small intestinal mucosa of cirrhotic rats.METHODS:Cirrhosis was induced using carbon tetrachloride.Rats were randomly divided into the untreated group,low-dose salvianolate(12 mg/kg) treatment group,medium-dose salvianolate(24 mg/kg) treatment group,and high-dose salvianolate(48 mg/kg) treatment group,and were treated for 2 wk.Another 10 healthy rats served as the normal control group.Histological changes in liver tissue samples were observed under a light microscope.We evaluated morphologic indices of ileal mucosa including intestinal villi width and thickness of mucosa and intestinal wall using a pathological image analysis system.Ultrastructural changes in small intestinal mucosa were investigated in the five groups using transmission electron microscopy.The changes in ZO-1 expression,a tight junction protein,were analyzed by immunocytochemistry.The staining index was calculated as the product of the staining intensity score and the proportion of positive cells.RESULTS:In the untreated group,hepatocytes showed a disordered arrangement,fatty degeneration was extensive,swelling was obvious,and disorganized lobules were divided by collagen fibers in hepatic tissue,which were partly improved in the salvianolate treated groups.In the untreated group,abundant lymphocytes infiltrated the fibrous tissue with proliferation of bile ducts,and collagen fibers gradually decreased and damaged hepatic lobules were partly repaired following salvianolate treatment.Compared with the untreated group,no differences in intestinal villi width between the five groups were observed.The villi height as well as mucosa and intestinal wall thickness gradually thickened with salvianolate treatment and were significantly shorter in the untreated group compared with those in the salvianolate treatment groups and normal group(P < 0.01).The number of microvilli decreased and showed irregular lengths and arrangements in the untreated group.The intercellular space between epithelial cells was wider.The TJs were discontinuous,which indicated disruption in TJ morphology in the untreated group.In the treated groups,the microvilli in the intestinal epithelium were regular and the TJs were gradually integrated and distinct.The expression of ZO-1 decreased in the small intestine of the untreated cirrhotic rats.The high expression rate of ZO-1 in ileal mucosa in the untreated group was significantly lower than that in the medium-dose salvianolate group(21.43% vs 64.29%,χ 2 = 5.25,P < 0.05),high-dose salvianolate group(21.43% vs 76.92%,χ 2 = 8.315,P < 0.01) and normal group(21.43% vs 90%,χ 2 = 10.98,P < 0.01).CONCLUSION:Salvianolate improves liver histopathological changes,repairs intestinal mucosa and TJ structure,and enhances ZO-1 expression in the small intestinal mucosa in cirrhotic rats.

The Spatial Correlation between Crystalline and Amorphous Orientations of Isotactic Polypropylene during Plastic Deformation:An in situ Observation with FTIR Imaging

On the basis of research method in FTIR imaging, we made a heterogeneous thin film of isotactic polypropylene （iPP） that contains a few large spherulites （-150 μm） which are surrounded by small spherulites （-15 μm） for tensile testing. The evolution processes of crystalline and amorphous orientations of iPP are monitored with its characteristic peaks at 998 and 973 cm^-1, respectively. By introducing the correlation images, the analysis demonstrates the relationships between the orientation evolutions of crystalline and amorphous phases in a space of 250 μm × 250 μm detecting area. During the plastic deformation, crystalline orientation is higher than amorphous orientation outside the large spherulite, while that is opposite inside the region. In addition, the evolutions of crystalline and amorphous orientations almost keep a positive correlation.