Quercetin attenuates the progression of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats

Pulmonary arterial hypertension （PAH） is a progressive disease associated with increased constriction and remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature. Quercetin is a natural fiavonoid and has a variety of pharmacological effects including improvement of endothelial cell function. However, its pharmacological effects on pulmonary hypertension have been rarely reported. We sought to observe the protective effect of quercetin in rats with monocrotaline induced PAH. We divided 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats randomly into three groups with ten rats in each group： the monocrotaline group, the quercetin group and the control group. We found that, compared with the controls, the mean pulmonary artery pressure （mPAP） and the right ventricular hypertrophy index in the monocrotaline group were significantly higher （P 〈 0.01）. Quercetin caused a significant reduction both in the mPAP and fight ventricular hypertrophy index compared with the monocrotaline group （P 〈 0.01） while no difference was found between the quercefin group and the control group （P 〉 0.05）. Monocrotaline induced a marked increase in the wall thickness （WT） in small and mid-sized pulmonary arteries compared with the controls （P 〈 0.01）. Monocrotaline also induced a marked increase in the wall area （WA） in small [（56.38 ±6.65）% in monocrotaline vs. （19.80±4.63）% in control] and mid-sized [（43.71± 5.38）% in monocrotaline vs. （14.24± 3.66）% in control] pulmonary arteries （P 〈 0.01）. Quercefin treatment markedly reduced monocrotaline induced increase in both WT and WA （P 〈 0.01）, which, however, still remained significantly elevated compared with those of the controls （P 〈 0.01）. Furthermore, compared with controls, proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA） expression in the pulmonary artery tissues was markedly increased by monocrotaline [（45.59± 1.27） in monocrotaline vs. （9.64± 0.69） in controls], which was significantly attenuated by quercetin. Our animal experiment indicated that quercetin could have protective effects on monocrotaline-induced PAH.

Anti-tumor effect of LTA combined with 5-FU on H22 tumor bearing mice

Objective: To study the effect of lipoteichoic acid(LTA) and 5-FU on the expression of caspase-3, EGFR, TGF-α proteins of tumor tissue of H22 cancer bearing mice and its antitumor mechanism. Methods: A total of 40 SPF grade Kunming mice were selected to establish H22 liver cancer model, and then the mice were divided into 4 groups at random with ten mice in each group. Group A was given saline lavage treatment, Group B was treated with 5-FU by intraperitomeal injection, Group C was treated with LTA by lump body injection; Group D was treated with LTA by lump body injection and 5-FU by intraperitomeal injection. Two weeks after the treatment, the mice in each group were executed and the tumor tissue was stripping and weighted, and the tumor growth inhibition ratio was calculated. Then the tumor tissue was processed for conventional embedding, sectioned to observe the expression of caspase-3, EGFR, TGF-α by immunohistochemical staining method. Results: The tumor inhibitory rate o f Group D was significantly higher than Groups B and C(P<0.05); B, the tumor inhibitory rate o f Group B had no statistical difference compared with Group C(P>0.05). The IDO values of TGF-α, EGFR proteins in Groups B, C, D mice tumor tissue were significantly lower than that in group A(P<0.05); while IDO value of caspase-3 in Groups B, C, D group mice tumor tissue was significantly higher than that in Group A(P<0.05). The IDO value of TGF-α, EGFR in Group D mice tumor tissue were significantly lower than that in Groups B and C; While IDO value of aspase-3 in Group D was significantly higher than that in Groups B and C(P<0.05). Conclusions: LTA combined with 5-FU can effectively inhibit the tumorigenesis of H22 tumor bearing mice, increase the caspase-3 protein expression, inhibit TGF –α and EGFR protein expression, further promote tumor cell apoptosis and play a synergistic antitumor effect.

Protective Effects of Tetramethylpyrazine on Glutamate-Induced Neurotoxicity in Mice

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective effect of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), one of available blood-activating and stasis-eliminating components from traditional Chinese medicines, on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in mice and its possible mechanism. Mice, except for controls, received simultaneously intragastric (ig) administration of monosodium glutamate [MSG, 4.0 g/(kg·d)] or/and intraperitoneal (ip) administration of TMP [10, 20, 40 mg/(kg·d)] for 10 d, and then behavioral tests, as well as histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of hippocampi were performed to analyze the glutamate-induced functional and morphological changes and the possible protective effect of TMP. The results showed that ip administration of TMP countered the effects of ig administration of MSG on behavior and histopathology, suggesting that TMP was a neuroprotective agent. This study provides evidence that TMP possesses obviously neuroprotection against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity, and the neuroprotection effect may result from its inhibiting expression of NMDARs, consequently blocking-up Ca2+ influx through the receptor’s associated ion channel, which can be neurotoxic.

A Survey of the Studies on Compatible Law of Ingredients in Chinese Herbal Prescriptions

To prescribe a Chinese herbal prescription for the patient is the main thing done by the doctor in TCM clinic, and also an important link in TCM differential treatment.

Enhanced External Counterpulsation Treatment Inhibitting Advanced Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression by Augmenting the Plaque Wall Stress： An in vivo FSI Study Based on Animal Experiment

Enhance extemal counterpulsation （ECP） procedure has exhbited itself to be an effective therapy for the m anagem entof ischem ic card iovascu lar diseases, However, considering that EECP significantly increases the acute diastolic pressure, whether it will intervene in the chronic progression of advanced plaque causing great concern in clilical applkation, but yet rein ains elusive presently. In the current paper, a flu id-structure interface （FSI） num erical model of artery with p iaque corn ponent w as developed based on in vivo hem odynam ic m easurem entperfotm ed h a porcine model, to caku late the m echanical stresses of the plaque before and during EECP, and h lum to assess the potential effects of long-term EECP treatm ent on plaque progression. The resu Its show that E E C P augm ented the wall shear stress （WSS） and plaque w all stress （PWS） over the card lac cycles, aswell as the spacial oscillatory of W SS （WSSG ）. Durhg EECP treatm ent, the PW S level respectively raised 6.82% and 6.07% in two simulation cases. The currentpilot study suggests that E E C P treatm entre ay p lay a positive effect on inh biting the conthued plaque progression by hcreashg the PW S level over the card iac cycles. Meanwhile, the plaque morphology should be taken into consideration while m aking patient- specific plan for Ion g- term E E C P treatment in clinic.

Enhanced External Counterpulsation Inducing Arterial Hemodynamic Variations and Its Chronic Effect on Endothelial Function

To make clear the precise hemodynamic mechanism underlying the anti-atherogenesis benefit of enhanced external couterpulsation(EECP) treatment, and to investigate the proper role of some important hemodynamic factors during the atherosclerotic progress, a comprehensive study combining long-term animal experiment and numerical solving was conducted in this paper. An experimentally induced hypercholesterolemic porcine model was developed and the chronic EECP intervention was subjected. Basic hemodynamic measurement was performed in vivo, as well as the arterial endothelial samples were extracted for physiological examination. Meanwhile, a numerical model was introduced to solve the complex hemodynamic factors such as WSS and OSI. The results show that EECP treatment resulted in significant increase of the instant levels of arterial WSS, blood pressure, and OSI. During EECP treatment, the instant OSI level of the common carotid arteries over cardiac cycles raised to a mean value of 8.58 ×10-2±2.13 ×10-2. Meanwhile, the chronic intervention of EECP treatment significantly reduced the atherosclerotic lesions in abdominal aortas and the endothelial cellular adherence. The present study suggests that the unique blood flow pattern induced by EECP treatment and the augmentation of WSS level in cardiac cycles may be the most important hemodynamic mechanism that contribute to its anti-atherogenesis effect. And as one of the indices that cause great concern in current hemodynamic study, OSI may not play a key role during the initiation of atherosclerosis.

Dose-related outcome of intracoronary tirofiban in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background Increasing studies were designed to administer a low beneficial outcomes. However, the appropriate dose via coronary for intervention with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction bolus of intracoronary tirofiban to achieve patients undergoing percutaneous coronary （STEMI） is needed to be investigated. Methods Eighty three patients with STEMI presented within 12 hrs of symptoms were randomly allocated to high-dose group （n = 28）, low-dose group （n = 35） and control group （n = 30）. The culprit vessels were targeted with primary PCI in all patients. Clinical characteristics, angiographic findings, brain natriuretic peptide （BNP） at 7-day and in-hospital outcomes were compared among groups, as well as left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） and major adverse cardiac events （MACE） at 30-day clinical follow-up. Results High-dose and low-dose groups showed better thrombolysis in myocardial infarction （TIMI） flow grades immediately after PCI （P = 0.02） and lower incidence of the 30-day composite major cardiac adverse events than the control group, but there was not significant difference between high-dose and low-dose group. The LVEF and BNP in the studied groups at 7 days were better than those in the control group （P = 0.04 and P = 0.04, respectively）. No significant difference in hemorrhagic complications in hospital between groups were noted （P = 0.76）. Conclusions Intracoronary bolus administration of tirofiban for patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI can improve the reperfusion level in the infarcted area and clinical outcomes in 30-day follow-up. It is superior to intravenous bolus injection for improving coronary flow, LVEF and short-term clinical outcomes. However, increasing dose of intracoronary tirofiban doesn＇t show significant differences.