Effects of Lianhua Qingwen on Pulmonary Oxidative Lesions Induced by Fine Particulates(PM2.5) in Rats

Objective To investigate the antagonistic effects of different doses of Lianhua Qingwen on pulmonary injury induced by fine particulates PM2.5 in rats. Methods Fine particulates suspended in the environment were collected. Forty-eight healthy adult wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups with 8 rats in each group. Four groups of rats were exposed to PM2.5 by intratracheally dripping suspensions of fine particulates PM2.5(7.5 mg/kg) as dust-exposed model rats. Among them 24 rats in three groups received Lianhua Qingwen treatment(crude drug) at a dose of 2 g/kg, 4 g/kg, 8 g/kg per day for 3 days before dust exposure and were defined as low-dose, middle-dose and high-dose Lianhua Qingwen treatment groups respectively. The other dust-exposed model rats without treatment were assigned as PM2.5 control group. The un-exposed rats were set as saline control group(1.5 ml/kg saline) and blank control group. All rats were killed after 24 hours of the exposure. Lung tissue, serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) were collected. The levels of malonaldehyde(MDA), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX) in blood serum and BALF, and superoxide dismutase(SOD) in blood surum were measured using fluorescent quantitation PCR; Expression of NF-E2-related factor 2(NRF-2), heme oxygenase 1(HO-1) and quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) in lung tissues were measured using Western blot. Pathological changes of lung tissues in each group were also examined. Results Pathology revealed thickened alveolar septum, congestion of capillary, interstitial edema and infiltration of lymphocyte and neutrophil surrounding bronchiole in the PM2.5 control group, which weresignificantly relieved in the Lianhua Qingwen treatment groups. Compared to the blank and saline control groups, the PM2.5 control group had significantly higher levels of LDH and MDA(p<0.01) and lower level of GSH-PS(p<0.01) in BALF, significantly higher levels of LDH and MDA(p<0.05) and lower level of GSH-PS(p<0.05) in rat serum. The levels of MDA in blood serum and BALF were significantly lower in each treatment group than that in PM2.5 control group(all P<0.05). In both middle-dose and high-dose treatment group the measurements of LDH in serum and BALF as well as GSH-PX in serum were significant difference from those of PM2.5 control group(all P<0.05). Expressions of NRF-2, HO-1 and NQO1 in lung tissues were significantly different among middle-dose and high-dose treatment group compared with those in PM2.5 control group(all P<0.05). Conclusion Fine particulates PM2.5 in environment may induce pulmonary oxidative lesions in rats. Middle-dose and high-dose Lianhua Qingwen has antagonist effece on the injuries induced by fine particulates.

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging following major ozonated autohemotherapy for treatment of acute cerebral infarction

Major ozonated autohemotherapy has been shown to promote recovery of upper limb motor function in patients with acute cerebral infarction, but whether naajor ozonated autohelnotherapy affects remote in）ury remains poorly understood. Here, we assumed that major ozonated autohemotherapy contributes to recovery of clinical function, possibly by reducing remote injury after acute cerebral infarction. Sixty acute cerebral infarction patients aged 30-80 years were equally and randomly allocated to ozone treatment and control groups. Patients in the ozone treatment group received medical treatment and major ozonated autohemotherapy （47 mg/L, 100 mL ozone） for 10 ± 2 days. Patients in the control group received medical treatment only. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, modified Rankin scale score, and reduced degree of fractional anisotropy values of brain magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging were remarkably decreased, brain function improved, clinical efficiency significantly increased, and no obvious adverse reactions detected in the ozone treatment group compared with the control group. These findings suggest that major ozonated autohemotherapy promotes recovery of neurological function in acute cerebral infarction patients by reducing re,note injury, and additionally, exhibits high safety.

Choledochoscope manometry about different drugs on the Sphincter of Oddi

AIM： To assess the effects of H2-receptor blocking pharmacon, protease inhibitor, and gastro kinetic agents on the human Sphincter of Oddi （SO） motility by choledochoscope manometry. METHODS： One hundred and seventy-five patients with T tube installed after cholecystectomy and choledochotomy were assessed by choledochoscope manometry. They were randomly assigned into groups of H2-receptor blocking pharmacon, protease inhibitor, and gastro kinetic agents. The Sphincter of Oddi basal pressure （SOBP）, amplitude （SOCA）, frequency of contractions （SOF）, duodenal pressure （DP）, and common bile duct pressure （CBDP） were scored and analyzed. RESULTS： SOBP and SOCA were significantly decreased after Cimetidine administration, and no statistical difference was seen in the Famotidine group. In the Gabexate mesilate group, SOBP had decreased significantly. In the Ulinastatin group, SOCA decreased when Ulinastatin was given at the rate of 2500 U/min; when Ulinastatin administration was raised to 5000 U/ rain, SOBP, SOF and SOCA all experienced a fall. SOBP and SOCA for Domperidone and SOCA for Mosapride groups all decreased distinctly after administration. CONCLUSION： The regular dosage of Cimetidine showed an inhibitory effect on the motility of SO, while Famotidine had no obvious effects otherwise. Gabnexata mesilate, Ulinastatin and gastro kinetic agents also showed inhibitory effects on the SO motility.

Gene Structure and Expression of the High-affinity Nitrate Transport System in Rice Roots

Rice has a preference for uptake of ammonium over nitrate and can use ammonium-N efficiently. Consequently, transporters mediating ammonium uptake have been extensively studied, but nitrate transporters have been largely ignored. Recently, some reports have shown that rice also has high capacity to acquire nitrate from growth medium, so understanding the nitrate transport system in rice roots is very important for improving N use efficiency in rice. The present study Identified four putative NRT2 and two putative NAR2 genes that encode components of the high-affinity nitrate transport system （HATS） in the rice （Oryza sativa L. subsp, japonica cv. Nipponbare） genome. OsNRT2.1 and OsNRT2.2 share an Identical coding region sequence, and their deduced proteins are closely related to those from mono-cotyledonous plants. The two NAR2 proteins are closely related to those from mono-cotyledonous plants as well. However, OsNRT2.3 and OsNRT2.4 are more closely related to Arabidopsis NRT2 proteins. Relative quantitative reverse trsnscription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that all of the six genes were rapidly upregulated and then downrsgulated in the roots of N-starved rice plants after they were re-supplied with 0.2 mM nitrate, but the response to nitrate differed among gene members. The results from phylogenetic tree, gene structure and expression analysis implied the divergent roles for the Individual members of the rice NRT2 and NAR2 families. High-affinity nitrate influx rates associated with nitrate induction in rice roots were investigated and were found to be regulated by external pH. Compared with the nitrate influx rates at pH 6.5, alkaline pH （pH 8.0） inhibited nitrate influx, and acidic pH （pH 5.0） enhanced the nitrate influx in 1 h nitrate induced roots, but did not significantly affect that in 4 to 8 h nitrate induced roots.

Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci for Post-Anthesis Dry Matter Accumulation in Wheat

Post-anthesis photoassimilation is very important for wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） grain filling. The aim of the present study was to map quantitative trait loci （QTL） for post-anthesis dry matter accumulation （DMA）. A set of 120 doubled haploid （DH） lines, derived from winter wheat varieties Hanxuan 10 and Lumai 14, was grown under field conditions in two consecutive growing seasons during 2002-2004 in Beijing. Post-anthesis DMA per culm and related traits, including flag leaf greenness （FLG） and flag leaf weight （FLW; dry weight per flag leaf） at flowering, and grain weight per ear （GWE） were investigated. All traits segregated continuously in the DH population in both trials. The DMA was significantly and positively correlated with GWE, with the correlation coefficients being 0.79 and 0.66 in the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 growing seasons （both P〈0.01）, suggesting the importance of DMA in grain filling. Further correlation analysis showed that FLW was more closely correlated with DMA and GWE than FLG in both growing seasons, indicating that FLW was more important than FLG in influencing DMA and GWE. In total, 30 QTLs for these four traits were mapped and distributed on 10 chromosomes. Phenotypic variations explained by an individual QTL were in the range 5.8%-21.3%, 5.9%-17.2%, 5.1%-18.1%, and 5.6%-16.2% for FLG, FLW, DMA, and GWE, respectively. Eight QTLs for DMA were detected, of which four （on chromosome arms 2AS, 4BL, 5AS, and 7AS） were linked with QTLs for GWE; two （on chromosome arms 5BL and 7BL） coincided with QTLs for FLW. These results may provide useful information for developing marker-assisted selection for the improvement of DMA.

Regulation of the High-Affinity Nitrate Transport System in Wheat Roots by Exogenous Abscisic Acid and Glutamine

Nitrate is a major nitrogen （N） source for most crops. Nitrate uptake by root cells is a key step of nitrogen metabolism and has been widely studied at the physiological and molecular levels. Understanding how nitrate uptake is regulated will help us engineer crops with improved nitrate uptake efficiency. The present study investigated the regulation of the high-affinity nitrate transport system （HATS） by exogenous abscisic acid （ABA） and glutamine （Gin） in wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） roots. Wheat seedlings grown in nutrient solution containing 2 mmol/L nitrate as the only nitrogen source for 2weeks were deprived of N for 4d and were then transferred to nutrient solution containing 50 μmol/L ABA, and 1 mmol/L Gin in the presence or absence of 2 mmol/L nitrate for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 h. Treated wheat plants were then divided into two groups. One group of plants was used to investigate the mRNA levels of the HATS components NRT2 and NAR2 genes in roots through semi-quantitative RT-PCR approach, and the other set of plants were used to measure high-affinity nitrate influx rates in a nutrient solution containing 0.2 mmol/L ^15N-labeled nitrate. The results showed that exogenous ABA induced the expression of the TaNRT2.1, TaNRT2.2, TaNRT2.3, TaNAR2.1, and TaNAR2.2 genes in roots when nitrate was not present in the nutrient solution, but did not further enhance the induction of these genes by nitrate. Glutamine, which has been shown to inhibit the expression of NRT2 genes when nitrate is present in the growth media, did not inhibit this induction. When Gin was supplied to a nitrate-free nutrient solution, the expression of these five genes in roots was induced. These results imply that the inhibition by Gin of NRT2 expression occurs only when nitrate is present in the growth media. Although exogenous ABA and Gin induced HATS genes in the roots of wheat, they did not induce nitrate influx.