优秀男子排球运动员调整训练不同阶段细胞和分子免疫状态研究

目的:研究优秀男子排球运动员在调整训练周期中不同阶段细胞和分子免疫状态。方法:13名国家队男子排球运动员,于国内排球联赛结束后立即参加为期2个月的奥运会预选赛准备性训练(调整训练)。分别于调整训练前期、中期、后期测定运动员血清CK、BUN水平,外周血CD3+、CD4+、CD8+、CD14+以及IL-2、IL-4、IL-10、IFN-γ的mRNA。结果:中期与前期相比,CK显著升高,而BUN无显著变化,后期与中期相比,CK、BUN均显著下降;后期与前期相比,CD3+、CD4+、CD8+含量及CD4+/CD8+均无显著性变化,而CD14+显著下降。中期与前期相比,IL-2mR-NA有所增加,后期与前期相比无显著性差异;中期与前期相比,IFN-γ mRNA无显著性变化,但后期与中期相比有所增加(P=0.08);中期与前期相比,IL-4 mRNA显著下降,后期与前期相比有所下降,但无显著性意义;中期、后期与前期相比,IL-10 mRNA均显著增加;中期、后期与前期相比,IFN-γ mRNA/IL-4 mRNA均显著增加。结论:优秀男子排球运动员调整训练期间,免疫机能在一定程度上得到恢复和提高。外周血细胞因子的基因表达较T细胞亚群对训练更为敏感,有可能用于运动员免疫机能的监控。

人成纤维细胞生长因子类似表达基因和成纤维细胞生长因子2在上皮性卵巢肿瘤组织中的表达

目的探讨人成纤维细胞生长因子类似表达基因（hSef）和成纤维细胞生长因子2（FGF-2）在上皮性卵巢肿瘤组织中的表达及二者的关系。方法采用免疫组化sP法检测31例卵巢恶性上皮性肿瘤（卵巢癌组）、18例卵巢良性上皮性肿瘤（良性组）和10例正常卵巢组织（正常组）中hSef和FGF-2蛋白的表达。采用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT—PCR）检测卵巢癌组、良性组和正常组各24例组织中hSef和FGF-2mRNA的表达水平。结果与良性组、正常组相比，卵巢癌组hSef蛋白呈低表达（P〈0．001），而FGF-2蛋白呈高表达（P=0．002）。hSef蛋白与FGF-2蛋白的表达呈负相关（rs=-0．324，P=0．012）。hSefmRNA在正常组、良性绀、卵巢癌组的表达呈下降趋势，而FGF-2mRNA表达呈增高趋势（P〈0．001）。hSefmRNA和FGF-2mRNA的表达呈负相关（正常组rs=-0．910，P〈0．001；良性组rs=-0．859，P〈0．001；卵巢癌组rs=-0．888，P〈0．001）。结论在卵巢癌组织中，hSef表达下降，FGF-2表达增强。hSef的低表达减弱了FGF-2对细胞的增殖作用，促进了卵巢肿瘤的发生与发展。

针刺对结肠吻合术后大鼠干细胞因子-酪氨酸激酶受体系统的调整作用

目的:观察针刺对结肠组织干细胞因子(stem cell factor,SCF)-酪氨酸激酶受体(Kit)系统的影响,探讨针刺调整结肠吻合术后肠动力的机制。方法:SD大鼠30只,随机分为空白组、模型组、针刺组,每组10只。于盲肠下2 cm处行结肠切断术,而后原位缝合,造成结肠吻合模型。选取双侧"足三针"("足三里""三阴交""太冲"),针刺治疗结肠吻合模型大鼠,每天1次,连续治疗3 d。观察各组大鼠术后排便情况,测量小肠推进率,采用免疫组化法测定结肠组织酪氨酸激酶(c-kit)的表达,用RT-PCR法检测结肠组织SCFmRNA的表达。结果:与模型组比较,针刺能缩短结肠吻合术后首次排便时间,小肠推进率明显延长(均P<0.05)。模型组结肠组织c-kit和SCF mRNA的表达较空白组明显下降(P<0.05,P<0.01);针刺组c-kit和SCF mRNA的表达与模型组比较明显增多(均P<0.05),接近正常水平。结论:针刺能上调c-kit和SCF mRNA表达,对SCF-Kit系统有积极影响,这可能是针刺促进术后肠动力恢复的机制之一。

Tumor Angiogenesis Correlated with bFGF and FGFR-1 in Lung Cancer

To study the relationship between angiogenesis and the expression of bFGF andFGFR-1 in lung cancer. Methods: The specimens of 56 patients with lung cancer treated with surgerywere collected. Anti-Von Willebrand factor antibody was used to measure microvascular density (MVD)by means of SABC immunohistochemical technique, and antibody to basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) and its receptor (FGFR-1) to detect the expression of these three proteins in the tumortissues. The survival time was compared between low MVD and high MVD groups by the Kaplan-Meiermethod. Results: (1) The expression of MVD showed no significant difference in some clinicalcharacteristics, including sex, age, T stage, M stage and pathologic type, but significantdifference in N stage (P 【 0.01) and clinical stage (P 【 0.05). (2) Survival analysis showed thathigh MVD group was associated with a risk of death (P 【 0.01). (3) The expression of bFGF and FGFR-1were both related to lymphatic metastasis and clinical staging (P 【 0.05). (4) Significantdifference was seen between low MVD and high MVD groups in the bFGF expression in lung cancer (P 【0.01), whereas no correlation in FGFR-1. (5) High co-expression of bFGF and FGFR-1 was consistent intumor cells. Conclusion: (1) MVD is a good prognostic factor for patients of lung cancer, and thesame as bFGF. (2) The angiogenesis may be induced after bFGF binding to FGFR-1.

Expression of Hypoxia Inducible Factor lα and Its Significance in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective： To explore the expression level and its clinical significance of hypoxia inducible factor 1α （HIF-1α ） in non-small lung cancer. Methods： The expression of HIF-1α was detected in 68 human non-small lung cancer samples by immunohistochemistry. Results： （1） Thirty-nine （57.35%） out of the 68 human non-small lung cancer samples was positive for HIF-1α ; （2） The positive rate of HIF-1α in adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma was 54.76% （23/42） and 61.54% （16/26） respectively. No significant difference was found between adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma of non-small lung cancer in the expression of HIF-1α （P〉0.05）. The positive rate of HIF-1α in middle-high differentiation was 74.28% （26/35）, significantly higher than in low differentiation （39.39%, 13/33） （P〈0.05）; （3） The positive expression of HIF-1α was not correlated to the sexes, ages, tumor stage and lymph node status. Conclusion： The expression of HIF-1α is higher in non-small lung cancer and is correlated to differentiation.

GATA-3 promotes Th2 responses through three different mechanisms： induction of Th2 cytokine production, selective growth of Th2 cells and inhibition of Thl cell-specific factors

Naive CD4 T cells can differentiate into at least two different types ofT helpers, Thl and Th2 cells. Th2 cells, capable of producing IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, are involved in humoral immunity against extracellular pathogens and in the induction of asthma and other allergic diseases. In this review, we summarize recent reports regarding the transcription factors involved in Th2 differentiation and cell expansion, including StatS, Gfi- 1 and GATA-3. Stats activation is necessary and sufficient for IL-2-mediated function in Th2 differentiation. Enhanced Stats signaling induces Th2 differentiation independent of IL-4 signaling; although it does not up-regulate GATA-3 expression, it does require the presence of GATA-3 for its action. Gfi-1, induced by IL-4, promotes the expansion of GATA-3-expressing cells. Analysis of conditional Gata3 knockout mice confirmed the critical role of GATA-3 in Th2 cell differentiation （both IL-4 dependent and IL-4 independent） and in Th2 cell proliferation and also showed the importance of basal GATA-3 expression in inhibiting Thl differentiation.

VEGF-D expression correlates with colorectal cancer aggressiveness and is downregulated by cetuximab

AIM:To gain mechanistic insights into the role played by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the regulation of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS:The impact of high-level expression of the growth factor receptors EGFR and VEGF receptor (VEGFR)3 and the VEGFR3 ligands VEGF-C and VEGF-D on disease progression and prognosis in human CRC was investigated in 108 patients using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the expression of the lymphangiogenic factors in response to the modulation of EGFR signalling by the EGFR-targeted monoclonal antibody cetuximab was investigated at the mRNA and protein level in human SW480 and SW620 CRC cell lines and a mouse xenograft model. RESULTS: Human CRC specimens and cell lines displayed EGFR, VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression with varying intensities. VEGF-C expression was associated with histological grade. Strong expression of VEGF-D was significantly associated with lymph node metastases and linked to a trend for decreased survival in lymph node-positive patients. EGFR blockade with cetuximab resulted in a significant decrease of VEGF-D expression in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION:In conclusion, the expression of VEGF-D in colorectal tumours is significantly associated with lymphatic involvement in CRC patients and such expression might be blocked effectively by cetuximab.

Effects of arginine supplementation on splenocyte cytokine mRNA expression in rats with gut-derived sepsis

AIM： To investigate the effects of arginine （Arg）-enriched diets before sepsis and/or Arg-containing total parenteral nutrition （TPN） after sepsis or both on cytokine mRNA expression levels in splenocytes of rats with gut-derived sepsis. METHODS： Rats were assigned to four experimental groups. Groups 1 and 2 were fed with a semipurified diet, while groups 3 and 4 had part of the casein replaced by Arg which provided 2% of the total calories. After the rats were fed with these diets for 10 d, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture （CLP）, at the same time an internal jugular vein was cannulated. All rats were maintained on TPN for 3 d. Groups 1 and 3 were infused with conventional TPN, while groups 2 and 4 were supplemented with Arg which provided 2% of the total calories in the TPN solution. All rats were killed 3 d after CLP to examine their splenocyte subpopulation distribution and cytokine expression levels. RESULTS： Plasma interleukin （IL）-2, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interferon （IFN-γ） were not detectable 3 d after CL.P. There were no differences in the distributions of CD45Ra＋, CD3＋, CD4＋, and CD8＋ cells in whole blood and splenocytes among the four groups. The splenocyte IL-2 mRNA expression in the Arg-supplemented groups was significantly higher than that in group 1. IL-4 mRNA expression in groups 3 and 4 was significantly higher than that in groups 1 and 2. The mRNA expression of IL-10 and IFN-γ was significantly higher in group 4 than in the other three groups. There was no difference in TNF-α mRNA expression among thefour groups CONCLUSION： The influence of Arg on the whole blood and splenic lymphocyte subpopulation distribution is not obvious. However, Arg administration, especially before and after CLP, significantly enhances the mRNA expression levels of Thl and Th2 cytokines in the spleen of rats with gut-derived sepsis.

Inhibitory effect of adeno-associated virus-mediated gene transfer of human endostatin on hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the effect of adeno-associated virusmediated gene transfer of human endostatin on the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS: HCC cell line Hep3B was infected with recombinantadeno-associated virus containing human endostatin gene (rAAV2-hEndo). The results of transfection were detected by RT-PCR and SDS-PAGE assay. MTT assay was used to observe the effects of supernatant of transfected cells on ECV304 cell proliferation. An animal model of HCC was established by injecting Hep3B cells subcutaneously into the back of nude mice. Intratumoral injection of rAAV2hEndo, empty virus and phosphate-buffered saline were given sequentially. Serum endostatin was determined byELISA, the inhibitory effect of endostatin on the growth of xenograft was assessed in 3 wk.RESULTS: The results of RT-PCR and SDS-PAGE assay confirmed that rAAV2-hEndo successfully transfected Hep3B cells, and endostatin was secreted from Hep3B cells to medium. The supernatant of transfected cells markedly inhibited the proliferation of ECV304 cells (P＜0.01). Intratumoral injection of rAAV2-hEndo (2×1010v.g.) led to a sustained serum endostatin level ofapproximately (86.71±5.19) ng/mL. The tumor volumeand microvessel density were less in rAAV2-hEndo group than in control groups (P＜0.01).CONCLUSION: Human endostatin can be stably expressed by adeno-associated virus-mediated gene transfer and effectively inhibit the growth of HCC.

Effect of intraarterial chemotherapy on vascular endothelial growth factor expression and microvessel density in carcinoma of the cervix

Objective: To clarify the effect of intraarterial chemotherapy on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expres- sion and microvessel density (MVD) count in carcinoma of the cervix. Methods: Before intraarterial chemotherapy and after 2–3 weeks of therapy, the expression of VEGF and MVD count in 36 carcinoma tissues of locally advanced cervical cancer were determined by CD34. Results: Before intraarterial chemotherapy and after 2–3 weeks, the expression of VEGF were 75% (27/36) and 30.6% (11/36) respectively, and MVD were reduced obviously (P<0.001). Conclusion:?The intraarterial chemotherapy can reduce the expression of VEGF and MVD, and adjust malignancy of cervical cancer, and cut down the postoperative metastasis.

Over-expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 in human hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To describe the significant over-expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), which is a signal transduction and cell proliferation related gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS: Following DNA microarray, Northern blot and quantitative real-time PCR were employed to confirm FGFR3 expression difference in HCC tissues and surrounding non-neoplastic liver tissue. FGFR3 expression levels were further determined by immunohistochemical study in 43 cases of HCC.RESULTS: Northern blot results showed the significant over-expression of FGFR3 in HCC tissues, which was consistent with that from DNA microarray. Quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated that the mean ratio of FGFR3 mRNA to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH) mRNA in HCC tissue was 0.250, whereas the ratio in non-neoplastic liver tissue was 0.014. Statistical analyses of 43 cases of HCC revealed that HCC scored higher than the matched non-neoplastic liver tissues.Examination of clinicopathological features revealed a strong correlation of over-expression of FGFR3 with poor tumor differentiation and high nuclear grade.CONCLUSION: Over-expression of FGFR3 may play an important role in liver carcinogenesis. FGFR3 may be an ideal candidate as a molecular marker in the diagnosis of HCC and a potential therapeutic target.

Expression patterns of cytokine,growth factor and cell cycle-related genes after partial hepatectomy in rats with thioacetamide-induced cirrhosis

AIM： To examine the differences in the responses of normal and cirrhotic livers to partial hepatectomy in relation to the factors influencing liver regeneration.METHODS： Cirrhosis was induced in rats by administration of thioacetarnide. Untreated rats were used as controls. The control rats as well as the cirrhotic rats were subjected to 70% partial hepatectorny. At different time points after hepatectorny, the livers were collected and the levels of cytokines, growth factors and cell cycle proteins were analyzed.RESULTS： After hepatectomy, the cirrhotic remnant expressed significantly lower levels of cyclin D1, its kinase partner, cdk4, and cyclin E as compared to the controls up to 72 h post hepatectomy. Significantly lower levels of cyclin A and cdk2 were also observed while the cdk inhibitor, p27 was significantly higher. In addition, the cirrhotic group had lower IL-6 levels than the control group at all time points up to 72 h following resection.CONCLUSION： The data from our study shows that impaired liver regeneration in cirrhotic remnants is associated with low expression of cyclins and cdks. This might be the consequence of the low IL-6 levels in cirrhotic liver remnant which would in turn influence the actions of transcription factors that regulate genes involved in cell proliferation and metabolic homeostasis during the regeneration process.

pRB expression in esophageal mucosa of individuals at high risk for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

AIM: To investigate the pRb expression in a large group of patients with history of chronic exposure to the main risk factors for development of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. METHODS: One hundred and seventy asymptomatic individuals at high risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (consumption of more than 80 g of ethanol and 10 cigarettes/d for at least 10 years) underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsies of the esophageal mucosa. As a control group, specimens of esophageal mucosa obtained from 20 healthy subjects were also studied. Immunohistochemical assessment of the tissues was performed using a monoclonal antibody anti-pRB protein. RESULTS: Absence of the pRB staining, indicating loss of RB function, was observed in 33 (19.4%) of the individuals at risk for esophageal cancer, but in none of the healthy controls (P < 0.02). Loss of pRb expression increased in a stepwise fashion according to the severity of the histological findings (P < 0.005): normal mucosa (11/97 or 11.3%), chronic esophagitis (17/60 or 28.3%), low-grade dysplasia (3/10 or 30%), high-grade dysplasia 1/2 or 50%) and squamous cell carcinoma (1/1 or 100%). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that abnormal expression of the pRB protein may be implicated in the process of esophageal carcinogenesis. Additional studies are warranted to define the role of the pRBprotein as a biomarker for development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in individuals at high risk for this malignancy.

Effect of nuclear factor kappa B on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression and neutrophil infiltration in lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion in rats

AIM： To investigate the role of nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） in the pathogenesis of lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion （I/R）, and its effect on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1） expression and neutrophil infiltration. METHODS： Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided randomly into control, I/R and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate （PDTC） treatment groups, n = 8 in each. I/R group and PDTC treatment group received superior mysenteric artery （SMA） occluding for 1 h and reperfusion for 2 h. PDTC group was administrated with intraperitoneal injection of 2% 100 mg/kg PDTC 1 h before surgery. Lung histology and bronchia alveolus lung fluid （BALF） protein were assayed. Serum IL-6, lung malondialdehyde （MDA） and myeloperoxidase （MPO） as well as the expression level of NF-κB and ICAM-1 were measured.RESULTS： Lung injury induced by intestinal I/R, was characterized by edema, hemorrhage and neutrophil infiltration as well as by the significant rising of BALF protein. Compared to control group, the levels of serum IL-6 and lung MDA and MPO increased significantly in I/R group （P=0.001）. Strong positive expression of NF-κB p65 and ICAM-1 was observed. After the administration of PDTC, the level of serum IL-6, lung MDA and MPO as well as NF-κB and ICAM-1 decreased significantly （P〈 0.05） when compared to I/R group.CONCLUSION： The activation of NF-κB plays an important role in the pathogenesis of lung injury induced by intestinal I/R through upregulating the neutrophil infiltration and lung ICAM-1 expression. PDTC as an inhibitor of NF-κB can prevent lung injury induced by intestinal I/R through inhibiting the activity of NF-κB.

Experimental genomics:The application of DNA microarrays in cellular and molecular biology studies

The genome sequence information in combination with DNA microarrays promises to revolutionize the way of cellu-lar and molecular biological research by allowing complex mixtures of RNA and DNA to interrogated in a parallel and quantita-tive fashion. DNA microarrays can be used to measure levels of gene expression for tens of thousands of gene simultane-ously and take advantage of all available sequence information for experimental design and data interpretation in pursuit of biological understanding. Recent progress in experimental genomics allows DNA microarrays not simply to provide a cata-logue of all the genes and information about their function, but to understand how the components work together to comprise functioning cells and organisms. This brief review gives a survey of DNA microarrays technology and its applications in ge-nome and gene function analysis, gene expression studies, biological signal and defense system, cell cycle regulation, mechanism of transcriptional regulation, proteomics, and the functionality of food component.

Involvement of Sp1/Sp3 in the activation of the GATA-1 erythroid promoter in K562 cells

GATA-1 is a hematopoietic transcription factor that is essential for the terminal maturation of proerythroblasts, megakaryocytic cells and mast cells. The erythroid-specific promoter of the human GATA-1 gene directs the high expression of a reporter gene in K562 cells. Multiple putative transcription factor binding sites were identified in the promoter from the -860 to the -1 base pair （bp）. For a better understanding of the transcriptional control of human GATA-1 gene expression, we tested the transcriptional activity of a series of deletions from the 5′ end of the 860-bp promoter. A region between -221 and -128 bp retains most of the transcriptional activity of the full-length promoter. Deletion of the CGCCC box at-195 bp reduced reporter gene activity to 60.4%. Further deletion of the CACCC box at -173 bp nearly abolished reporter gene expression, indicating that the CACCC box is more critical. In vitro experiments of electrophoretic mobility shifts and in vivo studies using chromatin immuno-precipitation （CHIP） assays show that the Sp1/Sp3 proteins bind the CACCC site in the nuclei of K562 cells. Coincidently, hyperacetylation of histones in the GATA-1 erythroid promoter was also shown by ChIP assay. Co-transfection of Spl expression plasmids and plasmids with a wild-type promoter showed enhanced reporter gene activity in a dose-dependent manner. The combined data demonstrate that Sp1/Sp3, but not EKLF, is involved in the activation of the GATA-1 erythroid promoter, and that histones H3 and H4 are highly acetylated in this promoter region for an actively transcribed GATA-1 gene in K562 cells in which EKLF is barely detectable.

Expression of intestinal trefoil factor, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and histological changes in intestine of rats after intrauterine asphyxia

AIM:To study the expressions of intestinal trefoil factor (ITF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and histologic changes in intestine, to investigate the relationship between ITF and intestinal damage and repair after intrauterine hypoxia so as to understand the mechanism of intestinal injury and to find a new way to prevent and treat gastrointestinal diseases. METHODS: Wistar rats, pregnant for 21 d, were used to establish animal models of intrauterine asphyxia by clamping one side of vessels supplying blood to uterus for 20 min, another side was regarded as sham operation group. Intestinal tissues were taken away at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h after birth and stored in different styles. ITF mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. PCNA expression was measured by immunohistochemistry. Intestinal tissues were studied histologically by HE staining in order to observe the areas and degree of injury and to value the intestinal mucosa injury index (IMDI). RESULTS: ITF mRNA appeared in full-term rats and increased with age. After ischemia, ITF mRNA was decreased to the minimum (0.59?.032) 24 h after birth, then began to increase higher after 72 h than it was in the control group (P<0.01). PCNA positive staining located in goblet cell nuclei. The PCNA level had a remarkable decline (53.29±1.97) 48 h after ischemia. Structure changes were obvious in 48-h group, IMDI (3.40±0.16) was significantly increased. Correlation analyses showed that IMDI had a negative correlation with ITF mRNA and PCNA (r= -0.543, P<0.05; r= -0.794, P<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Intrauterine ischemia can result in an early decrease of ITF mRNA expression. ITF and PCNA may play an important role in the damage and repair of intestinal mucosa.

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.

INCREASED EXPRESSION OF PDGF AND C-MYC GENES IN LUNGS AND PULMONARY ARTERIES OF PULMONARY HYPERTENSIVE RATS INDUCED BY HYPOXIA

The role of growth factors and proto-oncogene in pulmonary vascular structural remodelling is not well known.The present study examined gene expression of platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF)-A and -B chain and proto-oncogene,c-myc,in lung tissue and pulmonary artery of rats exposed to hypoxia and compared to those levels of gene expression in normal rats.Normal lungs and pulmonary artery expressed PDGF-A chain transcript of 1.7 kb and PDGF-B chain transcript of 3.5 Kb.The c-myc transcript of 2.2 kb was expressed as well. After hypoxic exposure for 7 and 14 days mRNA levels of PDGF-B chain and cmyc were elevated significantly compared with those of control rats.PDGF-A chain mRNA increased after hypoxia for 7 days,and then declined.These results suggest that activation of autocrine and/or paracrine is important in proliferation mechanism of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells in hypoxic pulmonary hypertensive rats.

Effects of the Overall Alkaloid of a Traditional Chinese Medicine “Tongbiling” on the Cytokine Expression in Th1 and Th2 Cells of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Their Signaling Pathway

To investigate the effects of overall alkali of a traditional Chinese medicine “Tongbiling” (brucine and strychnine alkaloids in main) on the cytokines expression in Th1 and Th2 cells in the synovial fluid of patients with rheumatism arthritis and their signal pathway, the mononuclear cells in the synovial fluid (SFMC) of patients were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation, and the CD3 + CD69 + and CD3 + HLA-DR antigen were analyzed by flow cytometry in comparison with those of the peripheral blood. The rest of cells were cultured after resuspension with RPMI 1640 culture medium. Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDB) and ionomycin were added successively into the culture with various concentration of overall alkali Tongbiling (TBL). After 4 h of cultivation, the expression of IFN-γ and IL-4 in CD3 + cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The influence of overall alkali TBL (100?mg/L) on the intracellular calcium was investigated after Fluo-3/AM labeling and stimulation with PDB and ionomycin at 1, 2, 4 and 10?min, and the influence of TBL on the expression of CD3 + CD69 + cells were determined with stimulation of PDB for 24?h in the whole blood lymphocytes culture. It was found that the percentage of T cells bearing CD69 was significantly up-regulated (77%), while that of T cells bearing HLA-DR was 44% in the synovial mononucleated cells. After PDB and ionomycin stimulation, the expression of IFN-γ in CD3 + cells were up-regulated, but there was no change on the expression of IL-4 in CD3 + cells, indicating that ratio of Th1/Th2 was significantly increased and Th cells differentiate to Th1 cells in mainly. Four concentrations of overall alkaloid of TBL (200?mg/L, 100?mg/L, 50?mg/L, 25?mg/L) could down-regulated the expression of IFN-γ in CD3 + cells and the Th1/Th2 ratio obviously, but all the concentrations of the overall alkaloids had no effect on the expression of IL-4 in CD3 + cells. 100?mg/L concentration of the overall alkaloid did not down-regulate the intracellular calcium level. Each concentration of the overall alkaloid could down-regulated the expression CD69 obviously on the PDB-activated mouse T cells. It concluded from the above observations that the overall alkaloid of TBL could relieve the inflammatory and immune damages by suppressing the expression of Th1 type cytokines and Th1 cell differentiation, regulating the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cells and inhibiting the early activation of the T lymphocytes bearing CD69. There was no remarkable influence on the intracellular calcium signaling transduction pathway. The inhibitory effected on T cells to express IFN-γ might be due to the suppression of PKC-MAPK signaling pathway. From the standpoint of traditional Chinese medicine, this might be due to the regulation of “Yin” and “Yang” imbalance of joints to modify the pathological status in rheumatoid arthritis. This study provided an experimental basis for the application of overall alkaloids of TBL in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.