Immunofluorescent Labeling of Human HepG2 Cells with CdTe Quantum Dot Probe Conjugated with Anti-pan CK MAb

A relatively sensitive, specific, and photostable method for the detection of cytokeratin of cancer cells via conjugation with cadmium telluride quantum dots（CdTe QDs） was described. Water soluble CdTe QDs were conjugated to anti-pan-cytokeratin（CK） monoclonal antibody（MAb） through coupling reagent [1-ethyl-3-（3-dimethyla- mino propyl）carbodiimide, EDC] and the conjugates were purified by dialysis. The expression of pan CK protein in HepG2 cells was observed by immunocytochemistry and direct immunofluorescence via QDs-Ab conjugates respectively. Fluorescence intensity and photostability of QDs were compared with those of FITC（fluorescein isothiocyanate）. The results show that the QDs-Ab conjugates recognized specifically pan CK protein in HepG2 cells. Compared with FITC, CdTe QDs had higher brightness and photostability without obvious photobleaching under continuous exciting light illumination for 30 min and after the placement at room temperature for 3 d. The results indicate that conjugates of CdTe quantum dot with anti-pan CK MAb can be used for labeling cancer cells derived from epithelial tissues, which provides the basis for the detection of circulating tumor cells（CTCs）.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Positivity of Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) Patterns, Native Anti-DNA and Extractable Nuclear Antigens (ENA) Antibodies: Experience from a Laboratory in Dakar

Background: Diagnosis of autoimmune diseases (AID) is challenging, due to overlapping features with other non-immune disorders. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are sensitive screening tests but anti-deoxyribonucleic acid-antibody (anti-DNA), and anti-extractable nuclear antigens (anti-ENA) are specific for AIDs. We aimed to look at ANA patterns in our patients and correlated them with anti-ENA for proper interpretation and better patient management cost-effectively. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted over 1 year from January to December 2022 who were tested for ANA at biology medical laboratory of Pasteur Institute of Dakar. Anti-ENA and anti-DNA results were also analyzed for ANA-positive patients. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 14.0, p Results: 216 patients were analyzed. Women predominated at 79.2% and mean age was 48 years [CI 95%, 46 - 50], with extremes of 10 and 89. Most represented age group was [41 - 60] with 38%. ANA was positive in 27 (12.5%) of patients, 59.2% of whom were strongly positive (titer of 1/1000, 1/3200 or 1/6400). The most common pattern was nuclear speckled, which was found in 77.8% of samples. Anti-ENA and anti-DNA positivity in ANA-positive patients was found respectively in 63% (17/27) and 1.4% (3/27) of the samples analyzed. Most commonly identified anti-ENA was anti-Sm 29.6%, anti-SSA 29.6%, anti-Ro-52 25.9%, anti-RNP 18.5% and anti-SSB 14.8% which was associated with speckled pattern. Association results indicated a significant relationship between both tests and between ANA titer in the anti-ENA- and ANA-positive patients (p 0.001). Conclusions: ANA, Anti-ENA and anti-DNA antibodies are essential for AIDS diagnosis. However, the testing repertoire should follow an algorithm comprising of clinical features, followed by ANA results with nuclear, mitotic, and cytoplasmic patterns, anti-ENA, and anti-DNA for a more meaningful, and cost-effective diagnostic approach.

Evaluation by indirect immunofluorescent assay and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay of the dynamic changes of serum antibody responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a newly emerging virus that gives rise to SARS patients with high rates of infectivity and fatality. To study the humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV, the authors evaluated IgG and IgM specific antibodies in patients’ sera.Methods Two methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA), were used to detect specific serum IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV in 98 SARS patients and 250 controls consisting of patients with pneumonia, health-care professionals and healthy subjects. The serum antibody profiles were investigated at different times over one and a half years in 18 of the SARS patients. Results The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for detecting IgG against SARS-CoV were 100.0% and 97.2% and for IgM 89.8% and 97.6% respectively; the figures using IFA for IgG were 100.0% and 100.0% and for IgM 81.8% and 100.0% respectively. During the first seven days of the antibodies trace test, no IgG and IgM were detected, but on day 15, IgG response increased dramatically, reaching a peak on day 60, remaining high up to day 180 and decreasing gradually until day 540. On day 15, IgM was detected, rapidly reached a peak, then declined gradually until day 180 when IgM was undetectable. Conclusion The detection of antibodies against SARS virus is helpful in the clinical diagnosis of SARS.

Immunofluorescent Study of Human MⅡ Oocytes Failed to Fertilize after IVF and ICSI

Objective To discuss the reason why human M Ⅱ oocytes failed to fertilize after IVF and ICSI. Methods The unfertilized human MⅡ oocytes were collected 24-48 h after IVF and ICSI and stained for immunoflurescence and PI counterstain. The types of fertilization failure were identified under the fluorescence microscopy. Results About 55.8% oocytes in IVF were found no sperm in them, which were more than that in ICSI （9.7%） （P〈0.01）. About 14.9% oocytes in IVF and 58.1% in ICSI displayed oocyte activation failure. The difference was significant （P〈0.01）. Defects in pronuclear formation and or migration was found in a similar proportion of oocytes both after IVF （25.3%） and ICSI （32.3%）（P〉0.05）. There were 3.9% oocytes with other abnormalities were observed in IVF but none in ICSI. Conclusion The main reason of fertilization failure after IVF was no sperm penetration. However fertilization failure after ICSI was mainly associated with incomplete oocyte activation.

Seed-Specific Expression of Apolipoprotein A-IMilano Dimer in Engineered Rice Lines

Apolipoprotein A-IMilano(ApoA-IM)has been shown to significantly reduce coronary atherosclerotic plaques.However,the preparation of cost-effective pharmaceutical formulations of ApoA-IM is limited by the high cost and difficulty of purifying the protein and producing the highly effective dimeric form.The aim of this study was to create an expression cassette that specifically drives the expression of dimeric ApoA-IM in the protein bodies of rice seeds.The ApoA-IM protein under control of the 13 kDa prolamin promoter is expressed exclusively in its dimeric form within the seeds,and immunocytochemical and immunogold analyses confirmed its expression in different caryopsis tissue such as seed coat,aleurone cell and endosperm,particularly in amyloplast and storage vacuoles.A plant-based ApoA-IM production system offered numerous advantages over current production systems,including the direct production of the most therapeutically effective dimeric ApoA-IM forms,long-term protein storage in seeds,and ease of protein production by simply growing plants.Therefore,seeds had the potential to serve as a costeffective source of therapeutic ApoA-IM.

Liver pathology in COVID-19 related death and leading role of autopsy in the pandemic

BACKGROUND Information on liver involvement in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 is currently fragmented.AIM To highlight the pathological changes found during the autopsy of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive patients.METHODS A systematic literature search on PubMed was carried out until June 21,2022.RESULTS A literature review reveals that pre-existing liver disease and elevation of liver enzyme in these patients are not common;liver enzyme elevations tend to be seen in those in critical conditions.Despite the poor expression of viral receptors in the liver,it seems that the virus is able to infect this organ and therefore cause liver damage.Unfortunately,to date,the search for the virus inside the liver is not frequent(16%of the cases)and only a small number show the presence of the virus.In most of the autopsy cases,macroscopic assessment is lacking,while microscopic evaluation of livers has revealed the frequent presence of congestion(42.7%)and steatosis(41.6%).Less frequent is the finding of hepatic inflammation or necrosis(19%)and portal inflammation(18%).The presence of microthrombi,frequently found in the lungs,is infrequent in the liver,with only 12%of cases presenting thrombotic formations within the vascular tree.CONCLUSION To date,the greatest problem in interpreting these modifications remains the association of the damage with the direct action of the virus,rather than with the inflammation or alterations induced by hypoxia and hypovolemia in patients undergoing oxygen therapy and decompensated patients.

Expression of DRD1 mRNA after Spinal Cord Injury Induced Spasticity in Rats

[Objectives]To investigate the spasticity of rat tail and the expression of dopamine receptor-1(DRD1)mRNA in the spinal cord after spinal cord injury(SCI)induced tail spasticity in rats.[Methods]Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into Sham group and SCI group.The second sacral spinal cord(S2)segment of SCI rats was completely transected.60 d after operation,the rat tail spasticity was scored,and then the spinal cord tissues below the level of S2 spinal cord transection were taken.The expression of DRD1 mRNA in the sacrococcygeal spinal cord was detected by qPCR.In addition,3 normal rats were used for DAR/neuronal nuclei(NeuN)and DRD1/choline acetyltransferase(ChAT)immunofluorescence staining to study the distribution of DRD1 in spinal cord and the properties of DRD1 positive cells.[Results]60 d after operation in SCI group,the tail spasticity of rats developed fully,and the symptoms of spasticity were typical.qPCR results showed that the expression of DRD1 mRNA in SCI group was significantly lower than that in Sham group(P<0.05).DRD1 was widely distributed in the dorsal horn,intermediate zone and ventral horn at the sacrococcygeal end of the rat spinal cord.[Conclusions]The decrease of DRD1 mRNA expression after SCI may be related to the occurrence and development of spasticity.

Evaluation of Dynamic Changes of IgG and IgM in COVID-19 Patients by Different Detection Methods

Objective: To analyze the dynamic evaluation of chemiluminescence, colloidal gold, and immunofluorescence chromatography in detecting antibodies in COVID-19 patients within four weeks of infection, and to provide evidence for clinical application. Method: 74 patients with confirmed SARS-COV-2 infection in the local area were selected as the experimental group, while 231 patients with negative SARS-COV-2 results but not vaccinated with Covid19 vaccine were selected as the control group;during the first, second, third, and fourth weeks after enrollment in the experimental group, three methods were used to detect SARS-COV-2 IgG and IgM in patients’ blood: chemiluminescence method, colloidal gold antibody method, and immuno-fluorescence chromatography. In the control group, three methods were used to detect SARS-COV-2 IgG and IgM during physical examination for SARS-COV-2 nucleic acids. The ROC curve was drawn to analyze the value of each indicator in predicting SARS-COV-2 infection, and the kappa method was used to analyze the consistency of the detection results of each indicator. Results: There was no significant difference in the positive rates of SARS-COV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies detected by chemiluminescence, colloidal gold, and immunofluorescence chromatography during the four-week period (P > 0.05). The positive rates of SARS-COV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies detected by the three methods during the first week of infection were not higher than 60%;when the three methods were used to detect SARS-COV-2 IgM and IgG in vivo, the AUC diagnosed by the test results was less than 0.80 at the first week, the diagnostic efficacy of the three methods was above 0.95 from the second week to the fourth week, and the diagnostic efficacy of the three methods was higher than 0.97 at the fourth week. The diagnostic efficacy of the three methods was comparable;the three methods for detecting SARS-COV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies showed high consistency in four cycles. Conclusion: Chemiluminescence, colloidal gold, and immunofluorescence chromatography are highly consistent in the detection of SARS-COV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies, and can be used as an auxiliary diagnosis and efficacy observation of novel coronavirus infections according to the needs, but the positive rate of infected people in the first week is low.

Expression pattern of neuregulin-1 type Ⅲ during the development of the peripheral nervous system

Neuregulin-1 type Ⅲ is a key regulator in Schwann cell proliferation, committing to a myelinat- ing fate and regulating myelin sheath thickness. However, the expression pattern of neuregulin- 1 type III in the peripheral nervous system during developmental periods （such as the premyelin- ating stage, myelinating stage and postmyelinating stage） has rarely been studied. In this study, dorsal root ganglia were isolated from rats between postnatal day 1 and postnatal day 56. The expression pattern of neuregulin-1 type III in dorsal root ganglia neurons at various develop- mental stages were compared by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot assay and immunofluorescent staining. The expression of neuregulin-I type Ⅲ mRNA reached its peak at postnatal day 3 and then stabilized at a relative high expression level from postnatal day 3 to postnatal day 56. The expression of neuregulin-1 type III protein increased gradually from postnatal day 1, reached a peak at postnatal day 28, and then decreased at postnatal day 56. Immunofluorescent staining results showed a similar tendency to western blot assay results. Experimental findings indicate that the expression of neuregulin-1 type III in rat dorsal root ganglion was increased during the premyelinating （from postnatal day 2 to postnatal day 5） and myelinating stage （from postnatal day 5 to postnatal day 10）, but remained at a high level in the postmyelinating stage （after postnatal day 10）.

CDH1, a Novel Surface Marker of Spermatogonial Stem Cells in Sheep Testis

Spermatogonial stem cells（SSCs） are unique stem cells in adult body that can transmit genetic information to the next generation. They have self-renewal potential and can continuously support spermatogenesis throughout life of a male animal. However, the SSC population is extremely small, isolation and purification of the SSCs is challenging, especially for livestock animals. It has been confirmed that CDH1（cadherin-1, also known as E-cadherin） can be expressed in undifferentiated SSCs of mouse and rats, but it has not been verified in sheep. Here, CDH1 was found as a novel surface marker for sheep SSCs. In this paper, sheep antiCDH1 polyclonal antibodies were prepared and its activity was checked. Using the obtained antibodies and immunohistochemistry analysis, we confirmed that CDH1 can be expressed by SSCs in sheep testis.

Enhancement Expression of bFGF in Chinese Patients with Moyamoya Disease

Objective To detect the content of the basic fibroblast growth factor in blood samples of patients with Moyamoya disease, and investigate the relationship between Moyamoya disease and the basic fibroblast growth factor. Methods This tissue microarray study included 24 cases of superficial temporal artery samples, 15 cases of Moyamoya disease, and 9 cases of normal arteries as control, and bFGF immunofluorescence assay was applied to test the samples. The number of positive cells and total cells of the muscular layer and the endothelium layer were counted separately in every picture, the positive rates were calculated, and the experimental data were analyzed statistically. Results The bFGF immunofluorescence staining of smooth muscular layer cells, intima cells and endothelial cells from the moyamoya disease group were obviously stronger than that from the control group （P0.01）. Conclusion The enhancement expression of bFGF in the Moyamaya disease group implicates that bFGF plays an important part in the pathogenesis of Moyamoya disease.

Vleiotic recombination and male infertility： from basic science to clinical reality？

Infertility is a common problem that affects approximately 15% of the population. Although many advances have been made in the treatment of infertility, the molecular and genetic causes of male infertility remain largely elusive. This review will present a summary of our current knowledge on the genetic origin of male infertility and the key events of male meiosis. It focuses on chromosome synapsis and meiotic recombination and the problems that arise when errors in these processes occur, specifically meiotic arrest and chromosome aneuploidy, the leading cause of pregnancy loss in humans. In addition, meiosis-specific candidate genes will be discussed, including a discussion on why we have been largely unsuccessful at identifying disease-causing mutations in infertile men. Finally clinical applications of sperm aneuploidy screening will be touched upon along with future prospective clinical tests to better characterize male infertility in a move towards personalized medicine.

Calpain mediated cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in mice

Ototoxic drug-induced apoptosis of inner ear cells has been shown to be associated with calpain expression. Cisplatin has severe ototoxicity, and can induce cochlear cell apoptosis. This study assumed that cisplatin activated calpain expression in apoptotic cochlear cells. A mouse model of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity was established by intraperitoneal injection with cisplatin （2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 mg/kg）. Immunofluorescence staining, image analysis and western blotting were used to detect the expression of calpain 1 and calpain 2 in the mouse cochlea. At the same time, the auditory brainstem response was measured to observe the change in hearing. Results revealed that after intraperitoneal injection with cisplatin for 5 days, the auditory brainstem response threshold shifts increased in mice. Calpain 1 and calpain 2 expression significantly increased in outer hair cells, the spiral ganglion and stria vascularis. Calpain 2 protein expression markedly increased with an increased dose of cisplatin. Results suggested that calpain 1 and calpain 2 mediated cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in BALB/c mice. During this process, calpain 2 plays a leading role.

Elastic modulus affects the growth and differentiation of neural stem cells

It remains poorly understood if carrier hardness, elastic modulus, and contact area affect neural stem cell growth and differentiation. Tensile tests show that the elastic moduli of Tiansu and SMI silicone membranes are lower than that of an ordinary dish, while the elastic modulus of SMI silicone membrane is lower than that of Tiansu silicone membrane. Neural stem cells from the cerebral cortex of embryonic day 16 Sprague-Dawley rats were seeded onto ordinary dishes as well as Tiansu silicone membrane and SMI silicone membrane. Light microscopy showed that neural stem cells on all three carriers show improved adherence. After 7 days of differentiation, neuron specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and myelin basic protein expression was detected by immunofluorescence. Moreover, flow cytometry revealed a higher rate of neural stem cell differentiation into astrocytes on Tiansu and SMI silicone membranes than on the ordinary dish, which was also higher on the SMI than the Tiansu silicone membrane. These findings con- firm that all three cell carrier types have good biocompatibility, while SMI and Tiansu silicone membranes exhibit good mechanical homogenization. Thus, elastic modulus affects neural stem cell differentiation into various nerve cells. Within a certain range, a smaller elastic modulus re- sults in a more obvious trend of cell differentiation into astrocytes.

The development of blood-retinal barrier during the interaction of astrocytes with vascular wall cells

Astrocytes are intimately involved in the formation and development of retinal vessels. Astrocyte dysfunction is a major cause of blood-retinal barrier injury and other retinal vascular diseases. In this study, the development of the retinal vascular system and the formation of the blood-ret-inal barrier in mice were investigated using immunolfuorescence staining, gelatin-ink perfusion, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the retinal vascular system of mice develops from the optic disc after birth, and radiates out gradually to cover the entire retina, taking the papilla optica as the center. First, the superifcial vasculature is formed on the inner retinal layer;then, the vasculature extends into the inner and outer edges of the retinal inner nuclear layer, forming the deep vasculature that is parallel to the superifcial vasculature. The blood-retinal barrier is mainly composed of endothelium, basal lamina and the end-feet of astrocytes, which become mature during mouse development. Initially, the naive endothelial cells were immature with few organelles and many microvilli. The basal lamina was uniform in thickness, and the glial end-feet surrounded the outer basal lamina incompletely. In the end, the blood-retinal barrier matures with smooth endothelia connected through tight junctions, rela-tively thin and even basal lamina, and relatively thin glial cell end-feet. These ifndings indicate that the development of the vasculature in the retina follows the rules of“center to periphery”and“superifcial layer to deep layers”. Its development and maturation are spatially and tempo-rally consistent with the functional performance of retinal neurons and photosensitivity. The blood-retinal barrier gradually becomes mature via the process of interactions between astro-cytes and blood vessel cells.

Role of miR-124 in the regulation of retinoic acid-induced Neuro-2A cell differentiation

Retinoic acid can cause many types of cells,including mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2 A cells,to differentiate into neurons.However,it is still unknown whether microRNAs(miRNAs)play a role in this neuronal differentiation.To address this issue,real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect the expression of several differentiation-related miRNAs during the differentiation of retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.The results revealed that miR-124 and miR-9 were upregulated,while miR-125 b was downregulated in retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.To identify the miRNA that may play a key role,miR-124 expression was regulated by transfection of miRNA mimics or inhibitors.Morphological analysis results showed that inhibition of miR-124 expression reversed the effects of retinoic acid on neurite outgrowth.Moreover,miR-124 overexpression alone caused Neuro-2 A cells to differentiate into neurons,and its inhibitor could block this effect.These results suggest that miR-124 plays an important role in retinoic acid-induced differentiation of Neuro-2 A cells.

A comparing study of quantitative staining techniques for retinal neovascularization in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy

AIM: To explore an efficient, practical and objective quantitative method to evaluate the retinal neovascularization in mouse model of oxygen induced retinopathy (OIR). METHODS: Thirty C57BL/6J mice were explored in OIR model procedure. Eyes were removed for different staining methods including: (1) HE staining; (2) immunohistochemistry with Griffonia Simplicifolia Lectin (GSL); (3) Immunofluorescence with FITC labeled CD31 antibody; (4) Two-step immunofluorescence with purified-CD31 antibody; (5) FITC-Dextran perfusion combined with two-step purified-CD31immunofluorescence. Images of the retinal vasculature were analyzed by imaging software. ' RESULTS: GSL immunohistochemistry could clearly demonstrate the deep and superficial capillary beds. FITC labeled CD31 Immunofluorescence was blurring with high fluorescence background which was hard to distinguish retinal neovascularization in some area. Excellent detail of neovascularization and preexistent retinal vessels was provided in two-step Purified-CD31 immunofluorescence group. CONCLUSION: GSL immunohistochemistry can clearly demonstrate neovascularization tufts in deep and superficial capillary beds. Immunofluorescence of specific antigen CD31 on vascular endothelium can selectively label the neovascularization of mouse retina. When combined with computer analysis software, it is an effective and objective quantitative method to evaluate the retinal neovascularization in OIR mouse model.

Actin-binding Rho activating protein is expressed in the central nervous system of normal adult rats

Previous studies show that actin-binding Rho activating protein （Abra） is expressed in cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. In this study, we investigated the expression profile of Abra in the central nervous system of normal adult rats by confocal immunofluorescence. Results showed that Abra immunostaining was located in neuronal nuclei, cytoplasm and processes in the central nervous system, with the strongest staining in the nuclei; in the cerebral cortex, Abra positive neuronal bodies and processes were distributed in six cortical layers including molecular layer, external granular layer, external pyramidal layer, internal granular layer, internal pyramidal layer and polymorphic layer; in the hippocampus, the cell bodies of Abra positive neurons were distributed evenly in pyramidal layer and granular layer, with positive processes in molecular layer and orien layer; in the cerebellar cortex, Abra staining showed the positive neuronal cell bodies in Purkinje cell layer and granular layer and positive processes in molecular layer; in the spinal cord, Abra-immunopositive products covered the whole gray matter and white matter; co-localization studies showed that Abra was co-stained with F-actin in neuronal cytoplasm and processes, but weakly in the nuclei. In addition, in the hippocampus, Abra was co-stained with F-actin only in neuronal processes, but not in the cell body. This study for the first time presents a comprehensive overview of Abra expression in the central nervous system, providing insights for further investigating the role of Abra in the mature central nervous system.

Seropositivity rates of water channel protein 4 antibodies compared between a cell-based immunofluorescence assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in neuromyelitis optica patients

A total of 66 samples （from 27 cases with neuromyelitis optica, 26 cases with multiple sclerosis, aa 13 cases with optic neuritis） were tested for aquaporin-4 antibody by a cell-based immunofluorescence assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sensitivities and specificities of the two assays were similar. We further analyzed an additional 68 patients and 93 healthy controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A Kappa test showed good consistency between the two methods in terms of detection of anti-aquaporin-4 antibody in the se of neuromyelitis optica patients. No significant correlations were identified with onset age or disea duration, suggesting that aquaporin-4 antibody is a good marker for neuromyelitis optica. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay can be used for quantifying aquaporin-4 antibody concentrations and may be useful to dynamically monitor changes in the levels of aquaporin-4 antibody during disease duration.

Autophagosome activity in macrophage for atherosclerotic plaques in ApoE^-/-mice enhanced by Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules

Objective:Atherosclerosis is the fundamental pathophysiologic component of cardiovascular disease,and Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules show great efficiency in the treatment of the disease.However,the mechanism of Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules is still unclear.In this study,we have combined experiments with network pharmacology to explore the antiatherosclerosis mechanism of Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules.Method:120 male ApoE
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mice were randomly divided into three groups:the model group,Chinese herb group and Atorvastatin group.The model group,Atorvastatin group and Chinese herb group were fed with a high-fat diet,a high-fat diet plus atorvastatin(5.1 mg/kg/d)and a high-fat diet plus Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules(16.5 g/kg/d)for 16 weeks,respectively.Atherogenesis was identified by H&E staining.The colocalization of neutral lipid stain BODIPY and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)and the colocalization of BODIPY and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1(LAMP1)within ApoE
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mice aortic plaques were tested using fluorescence confocal microscopy and the Pearson’s coefficients were calculated.To further explore the anti-atherosclerosis mechanism of Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules,the network pharmacology was used to construct the herb-compound-target network.Results:The size of the aortic lipid plaque in the Chinese herb group and Atorvastatin group were smaller compared with the model group on the 16th week.Compared with the model group on the 16th week,the BODIPY and LC3 colocalization rate,the BODIPY and LAMP1 colocalization rate of the Chinese herb group and Atorvastatin group all presented significant increase in the aortic plaque(P<.001),showing that Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules could enhance autophagosome activity in the macrophage.In the herb-compound-target network,17 active compounds and 27 targets were obtained through literature searching and using LHRI&DAVID Bioinformatics.It was found that 23 targets were correlated with the macrophage.Some of them participated in macrophage inflammatory response,and the other targets could promote/inhibit phagocytosis of the macrophage.It was hypothesized that the active compounds of Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules were acting on these targets and having y the biological effects.Conclusions:In the progression stage of atherosclerosis,Tiaozhi Tongmai Granules can still make the macrophage have higher autophagosome activity,and play a role of anti-atherogenesis.