Cold plasma for enhancing covalent conjugation of ovalbumin-gallic acid and its functional properties.

The utilization of cold plasma (CP) treatment to promote covalent conjugation of ovalbumin (OVA) and gallic acid (GA), as well as its functionality, were investigated. Results demonstrated that CP significantly enhanced the covalent grafting of OVA and GA. The maximum conjugation of GA, 24.33 ± 2.24 mg/g, was achieved following 45 s of CP treatment. Covalent conjugation between GA and OVA were confirmed through analyses of total sulfhydryl (-SH) group, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Unfolding of the OVA molecule occurred upon conjugation with GA, as evidenced by multiple spectroscopy analyses. Additionally, conjugation with GA resulted in significant improvements in the antioxidant activity and emulsifying properties of OVA. This study demonstrated that CP is a robust and sustainable technique for promoting the covalent conjugate of polyphenols and proteins, offering a novel approach to enhance the functional properties of proteins.

Spatial and temporal effect and driving factors of ecosystem service trade-off in the Qingjiang River Basin, China.

Identifying the spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics of trade-offs/synergies relationships of ecosystem service in watersheds and their influencing factors is essential for ecosystem management and regulation. It is of great significance for the efficient allocation of environmental resources and the rational formulation of ecological and environmental policies. We used correlation analysis and root mean square deviation to analyze the trade-offs/synergies relationships among grain provision, net primary productivity (NPP), soil conservation, and water yield service in the Qingjiang River Basin from 2000 to 2020. Then, we analyzed the critical factors affecting the trade-offs of ecosystem services by using the geographical detector. The results showed that grain provision service in the Qingjiang River Basin presented a decreasing trend from 2000 to 2020, and that NPP, soil conservation, as well as water yield service showed an increasing trend. There was a decreasing trend in the degree of trade-offs between grain provision and soil conservation services, NPP and water yield service, and an increasing trend in the intensity of trade-offs between other services. Grain provision and NPP, soil conservation and water yield showed trade-off in the northeast and synergy in the southwest. There was a synergistic relationship between NPP with soil conservation and water yield in the central part and a trade-off relationship in the surrounding area. Soil conservation and water yield showed a high degree of synergy. Land use and normalized difference of vegetation index were the dominant factors in the intensity of trade-offs between grain provision and other ecosystem services. Precipitation, temperature, and elevation were the dominant factors in the intensity of trade-offs between water yield service and other ecosystem services. The intensity of ecosystem service trade-offs was not only affected by a single factor. In contrast, the interaction between the two services or the common factors behind the two services was the determining factor. Our results could provide a reference for developing ecological restoration planning strategies in the national land space.

Study of Building Safety Monitoring by Using Cost-Effective MEMS Accelerometers for Rapid After-Earthquake Assessment with Missing Data.

Suffering from structural deterioration and natural disasters, the resilience of civil structures in the face of extreme loadings inevitably drops, which may lead to catastrophic structural failure and presents great threats to public safety. Earthquake-induced extreme loading is one of the major reasons behind the structural failure of buildings. However, many buildings in earthquake-prone areas of China lack safety monitoring, and prevalent structural health monitoring systems are generally very expensive and complicated for extensive applications. To facilitate cost-effective building-safety monitoring, this study investigates a method using cost-effective MEMS accelerometers for buildings' rapid after-earthquake assessment. First, a parameter analysis of a cost-effective MEMS sensor is conducted to confirm its suitability for building-safety monitoring. Second, different from the existing investigations that tend to use a simplified building model or small-scaled frame structure excited by strong motions in laboratories, this study selects an in-service public building located in a typical earthquake-prone area after an analysis of earthquake risk in China. The building is instrumented with the selected cost-effective MEMS accelerometers, characterized by a low noise level and the capability to capture low-frequency small-amplitude dynamic responses. Furthermore, a rapid after-earthquake assessment scheme is proposed, which systematically includes fast missing data reconstruction, displacement response estimation based on an acceleration response integral, and safety assessment based on the maximum displacement and maximum inter-story drift ratio. Finally, the proposed method is successfully applied to a building-safety assessment by using earthquake-induced building responses suffering from missing data. This study is conducive to the extensive engineering application of MEMS-based cost-effective building monitoring and rapid after-earthquake assessment.

The Dynamics of Circulating Monocyte Subsets and Intra-Plaque Proliferating Macrophages during the Development of Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice.

To detect the development of monocytes and proliferative macrophages in atherosclerosis of ApoE-/- mice, we randomly assigned 84 ApoE-/- mice fed western diet or chow diet. On weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 after fed high-fat diet or normal chow diet, animals were euthanized (n = 7 for each group at each time point). Flow cytometry methods were used to analyze the proportions of circulation monocyte subsets. The macrophage and proliferative macrophage accumulation within atherosclerotic plaques was estimated by confocal florescence microscopy. Plasma levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride were measured by ELISA kit. The plaques of aortic sinus were stained with Oil Red O. The percent of Ly6Chi circulation monocyte, the density of proliferation macrophage, the total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels, the lesion area of ApoE-/- mice were consistently elevated in chow diet throughout the trial. The total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels, the lesion area were elevated in western diet group with age, and they were always higher than the chow diet group. The Ly6Chi monocytes and proliferative macrophages reached a plateau at 8 weeks and 6 weeks; despite continued high-triglyceride high-cholesterol diet the percent did not significantly change. Interestingly, the density of macrophage did not change significantly over age in western and chow diet groups. Our results provide a dynamic view of Ly6Chi monocyte subset, the density of macrophage and proliferation macrophage change during the development and progression of atherosclerosis, which is relevant for designing new treatment strategies targeting mononuclear phagocytes in this model.

Effects of allisartan isoproxil on blood pressure and target organ injury in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

Evidence has shown that angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists have lower blood pressure and have target organ protective effects, but this is not the case for the drug allisartan isoproxil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of allisartan isoproxil on blood pressure and target organ injury in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.In total, 80 essential hypertensive participants were randomly divided into an allisartan group and a nifedipine group (n = 40 per group), and their blood pressure was measured once per month for 6 months. A 2-dimensional echocardiogram was performed at baseline and at the end of the study. The serum levels of renal injury indexes, endothelial function markers, inflammatory factors, blood biochemical assays and urinary measurements were determined at baseline and at 6 months.At the end of the study, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly decreased in the allisartan group compared with baseline and showed the same antihypertensive effect as the nifedipine group. Meanwhile, the left ventricular remodeling, 24-hours levels of urinary microalbumin, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness were all significantly improved compared with that of the baseline and the nifedipine group (all P < .05).The present study showed that allisartan isoproxil had favorable blood pressure lowering and heart, renal, and endothelial protective effects in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

Predictive Value of Four-Dimensional Strain Echocardiography for Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Treated with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the predictive value of four-dimensional (4D) strain echocardiography for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. METHODS: Consecutive STEMI patients who underwent successful primary coronary interven tion (PCI) were enrolled and followed, with 2D and 4D strain echocardiography performed within 1 week after PCI. RESULTS: Twenty-six first MACE were recorded in 81 patients who finished a ∼3.0 year follow-up. Compared with those without MACE, subjects with MACE were more likely to have anterior MI (73.08 vs. 38.18%, p = 0.003), significantly decreased 2D left ventricular ejection fraction (2DLVEF) and 4DLVEF (all p < 0.05), as well as an overtly compromised 4D strain parameters. The prediction models incorporating infarct location with either 2DLVEF or 4D strain parameters were then developed. Model comparisons revealed that the global area strain (GAS)-based model had the highest discriminative capacity (c statistics = 0.774) and was well calibrated for MACE. Additionally, the clinical utility of the GAS-based prediction model was verified by decision curve analysis showing a consistent positive and larger net benefit compared to the 2DLVEF-based model. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support a superiority of 4D strain echocardiography over conventional 2D echocardiography, especially GAS, for risk stratification in STEMI patients after successful primary PCI.

Effects of a low salt diet on isolated systolic hypertension: A community-based population study.

Evidence has shown that long-term sodium reduction can not only reduce blood pressure, but also provide cardiovascular benefits. To date, there is little evidence related to the effects of salt reduction on isolated systolic hypertension (ISH).A total of 126 hypertensive patients were divided into an ISH group (n = 51) and a non-ISH (NISH) group (n = 75). The members of each group were then randomly assigned to low sodium salt (LSSalt) or normal salt (NSalt) diets for 6 months. Their blood pressure was measured every 2 months. Serum plasma renin-angiotensin activity, blood biochemical assays and urinary measurements were determined at the baseline and at the end of the 6 months.At the end of the study, the mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) of the ISH LSSalt group had significantly decreased by 10.18 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.13 to 17.2, P = .006) compared with that of the ISH NSalt group, while the mean SBP only decreased by 5.10 mm Hg (95% CI: -2.02 to 12.2, P = .158) in the NISH LSSalt group compared with that of the NISH NSalt group. The mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) had no significant differences in the ISH and NISH groups. No obvious renin angiotensin system activation was found after LSSalt intervention. Regarding the urinary excretion of electrolytes and blood biochemical assays, the LSSalt treatment had the same effects on the ISH group as on the NISH group.The present study showed that the SBP of ISH patients was significantly decreased with the LSSalt intervention, while neither the SBP of the NISH patients nor the DBP of either group were similarly decreased, which indicated that ISH patients were more sensitive to salt restriction.

Trajectories of Circulating Monocyte Subsets After ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction During Hospitalization: Latent Class Growth Modeling for High-Risk Patient Identification.

It remains unclear if the developmental trajectories of a specific inflammatory biomarker during the acute phase of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) provide outcome prediction. By applying latent class growth modeling (LCGM), we identified three distinctive trajectories of CD14++CD16+ monocytes using serial flow cytometry assays from day 1 to day 7 of symptom onset in 96 de novo STEMI patients underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Membership in the high-hump-shaped trajectory (16.8%) independently predicted adverse cardiovascular outcomes during a median follow-up of 2.5 years. Moreover, inclusion of CD14++CD16+ monocyte trajectories significantly improved area under the curve (AUC) when added to left ventricular ejection fraction-based prediction model (ΔAUC = 0.093, P = 0.013). Therefore, CD14++CD16+ monocyte trajectories during STEMI hospitalization are a novel risk factor for post-STEMI adverse outcomes. These results provide the first proof-of-principle evidence in support of the risk stratification role of LCGM-based longitudinal modeling of specific inflammatory markers during acute STEMI.

Discordance Between VASP Phosphorylation and Platelet Aggregation in Defining High On-Clopidogrel Platelet Reactivity After ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

To investigate potential clinical characteristics associated with discordance between platelet vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation (VASP-P) flow cytometry (FCM) assay and light transmission aggregometry (LTA) in defining high on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity (HPR) after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In this study, platelet responsiveness was measured by the above 2 methods simultaneously on day 1 and on day 6 of STEMI onset in 90 consecutive patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The FCM-derived platelet reactivity index and LTA-derived platelet aggregation rate were both significantly reduced after dual antiplatelet therapy on day 6. Multiple variable-adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that smoking (odds ratio [OR]: 4.507, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.123-18.09, P = .034) and onset-to-admission time (per 1 hour increase, OR: 1.196, 95% CI: 1.023-1.398, P = .025) both were independent predictors for the discordance between the 2 methods. Additionally, improved correlation and concordance was observed in nonsmokers compared with smokers. Our data show that smoking and prolonged onset-to-admission time are associated with discordance between platelet VASP-P and LTA in defining HPR after STEMI, which should be considered when planning personalized antiplatelet therapy.

VEGF-C-mediated cardiac lymphangiogenesis in high salt intake accelerated progression of left ventricular remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

High salt (HS) diet can accelerate the progress of hypertensive left ventricular (LV) remodeling. But the detailed mechanism remains poorly understood. We hypothesized HS intake could impact cardiac lymphangiogenesis through tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP)/vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) signaling pathway which might play an important role in HS intake accelerated LV remodeling. Eight-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were randomized to 0.5% NaCl (Low salt, LS) and 8% NaCl (high salt, HS) diets for 12 weeks. LV remodeling was determined by echocardiography. LV invasive hemodynamic analysis and morphologic staining (cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, collagen deposition, TonEBP expression, macrophage infiltration and lymphatic density) were performed at the time of sacrifice. The blood pressure of SHR-HS group was significantly increased compared to SHR-LS and WKY groups. Meanwhile, The LV chamber size was markedly enlargement, LV function apparently compromised accompanied with a severe macrophage infiltration, and fibrosis in the perivascular and interstitium of LV compared with SHR-LS group. Furthermore, the expression levels of VEGF-C, TonEBP, and lymphatic markers in SHR-HS group were significantly increased parallel with apparent lymphangiogenesis compared with SHR-LS group. Our work indicates that TonEBP/VEGF-C signaling pathway was up-regulated in HS intake accelerated hypertensive LV remodeling process that may be valuable for further investigation.

The influence of different anticoagulants and time-delayed sample processing and measurements on human monocyte subset and monocyte-platelet aggregate analyses.

BACKGROUND: Measuring human monocyte subsets (CD14++CD16-, CD14++CD16+, and CD14 + CD16++) and subset-specific monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPA) is vulnerable to analytical bias due to unavailability of a standardized methodology. We aimed to address this issue by focusing on the impacts of time-delayed sample processing and measurement between two commonly used anticoagulants. METHODS: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)- and sodium citrate (SC)-anticoagulated blood samples from 12 healthy donors were subject to either delayed (2-h delay, kept at 4°C) or immediate processing (without fixation) before four-color flow cytometry (FCM) analysis. RESULTS: In SC-anticoagulated samples, a 2-h delay in sample processing contributed to a significant decrease in CD14++CD16- monocyte percent and a reciprocal increase in CD14++CD16+ monocytes, as well as increases in all three subset-specific MPA. Similar slight, but non-significant changes were observed in EDTA-treated samples. In samples processed immediately and stored at 4°C, delayed measurement at 0, 1, 3, and 5 h after processing led to a time-dependent decrease in CD14++CD16- monocyte percent and a reciprocal increase in CD14++CD16+ subset in SC-treated, but not in EDTA-treated, samples. Moreover, a time-dependent increase in all three subset-specific MPA was observed in SC-treated samples, which, to a lesser extent, was only observed in CD14++CD16+ MPA in EDTA-treated samples after storage at 4°C for 3-5 h after processing. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend EDTA for anticoagulation. Additionally, sample should be stored at 4°C and processing and measuring should be performed within 2 h after harvest and 3 h after processing, respectively. © 2016 International Clinical Cytometry Society.

The Kinetics of Circulating Monocyte Subsets and Monocyte-Platelet Aggregates in the Acute Phase of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Associations with 2-Year Cardiovascular Events.

In experimental myocardial infarction (MI), a rise in cell counts of circulating monocyte subsets contributes to impaired myocardial healing and to atherosclerotic plaque destabilization. In humans, the prognostic role of monocyte subsets in patients suffering ST-elevation MI (STEMI) is still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to determine the kinetics of the 3 monocyte subsets (classical CD14++CD16-, intermediate CD14++CD16+, and nonclassical CD14+CD16++ monocytes), as well as the subset-specific monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPA), in acute STEMI followed by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and their relationships with cardiovascular outcomes during a 2-year follow-up.Monocyte subsets and MPA were measured in 100 STEMI patients receiving primary PCI on days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 of symptom onset, which were compared with 60 stable coronary heart disease patients and 35 healthy volunteers. From day 1 to day 7, significant increases in the counts of CD14++CD16+ monocytes and CD14++CD16+ MPA were observed, with peak levels on day 2. During a median follow-up of 2.0 years, 28 first cardiovascular events (defined as cardiovascular death, nonfatal ischemic stroke, recurrent MI, need for emergency or repeat revascularization, and rehospitalization for heart failure) were recorded. After adjustment for confounders, CD14++CD16+ monocytosis (day 1 [HR: 3.428; 95% CI: 1.597-7.358; P = 0.002], day 2 [HR: 4.835; 95% CI: 1.106-21.13; P = 0.04], day 3 [HR: 2.734; 95% CI: 1.138-6.564; P = 0.02], and day 7 [HR: 2.647; 95% CI: 1.196-5.861; P = 0.02]), as well as increased levels of CD14++CD16+ MPA measured on all time points (days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7), had predictive values for adverse cardiovascular events.In conclusion, our data show the expansion of the CD14++CD16+ monocyte subset during acute phase of STEMI has predictive values for 2-year adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients treated with primary PCI. Future studies will be warranted to elucidate whether CD14++CD16+ monocytes may become a target cell population for new therapeutic strategies after STEMI.

Identification of suitable reference genes in buffalo grass for accurate transcript normalization under various abiotic stress conditions.

Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is a sensitive technique for normalization of the gene expression level of target genes. Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides), a warm-season turfgrass with strong abiotic stress resistance, is widely used in North China. Up to now, no work was performed to evaluate the reference genes in buffalograss. In this study, the expression profiles of ten potential reference genes were examined by qRT-PCR in 24 buffalograss samples, which were subjected to a different treatment (salt, osmotic, cold and heat). Three qRT-PCR analysis methods (GeNorm, NormFinder, and Bestkeeper) were used to evaluate the stability of gene expression. The results indicated that DNAJ and ß-ACTIN were the optimal reference genes for salt-treated leaves, and the combination of PP2A and GAPDH was better reference genes for PEG-treated leaves. Under cold stress, DNAJ and ß-ACTIN showed less variety of expression level in leaves. DNAJ and GAPDH exhibited the most stable expression in heat-treated samples. To sum up, glyceral-dehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), ß-ACTIN, DNAJ-like protein (DNAJ) and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) were selected as the most stable reference gene among all tested samples. To further validate the suitability of these reference genes, the expression levels of DREB2 (homologs of AtDREB2) were analyzed in parallel. Our results show that the best reference genes differed across different experimental conditions, and these results should enable better normalization and quantification of transcript levels in buffalograss in the future.

Phenotypic Responses of a Stoloniferous Clonal Plant Buchloe dactyloides to Scale-Dependent Nutrient Heterogeneity.

Clonal plants could modify phenotypic responses to nutrients heterogeneously distributed both in space and time by physiological integration. It will take times to do phenotypic responses to modifications which are various in different growth periods. An optimal phenotype is reached when there is a match between nutrient conditions and foraging ability. A single plantlet of Buchloe dactyloides with two stolons was transplanted into heterogeneous nutrient conditions. One stolon grew in homogeneous nutrient patch, while the other cultured in different scales of heterogeneous nutrient patches. As compared to the other nutrient treatment, heterogeneous nutrient treatments with small scale of 25×25 cm resulted in a higher biomass, and larger number of ramets, clumps and stolons in B. dactyloides at both genet and clonal fragment levels. Significant differences of number of ramets, clumps and stolons were detected at the rapid growth stage, but not in the early stage of the experiment. Foraging ability was more efficient in heterogeneous than in homogeneous nutrient conditions as assessed by higher root mass and root to shoot ratio. Different nutrient treatments did not prompt significant differences in internode and root length. Physiological integration significantly increased biomass, but did not influence other growth or morphological characters. These results suggest that physiological integration modifies phenotypic plasticity of B. dactyloides for efficient foraging of nutrients in heterogeneous nutrient conditions. These effects are more pronounced at genet and clonal fragment levels when the patch scale is 25×25 cm. Time is a key factor when phenotypic plasticity of B. dactyloides in heterogeneous nutrient conditions is examined.

[Relationship between red cell volume distribution width and cardiac function in acute coronary syndrome patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between red cell volume distribution width (RDW) and cardiac function in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. METHODS: We analyzed the baseline clinical data of 228 ACS patients consecutively admitted into our hospital according to the classification of RDW and NYHA function class. Correlation analysis was made respectively between RDW and plasma creatinine and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). RESULTS: There were significant differences of age [Group Q(1) to Group Q(4): (60 ± 12), (65 ± 11), (64 ± 11), (71 ± 12) years old], plasma creatinine [Group Q(1) to Group Q(4): (70 ± 19), (76 ± 24), (74 ± 20), (85 ± 26) µmol/L] and LVEF [Group Q(1) to Group Q(4): (57 ± 9)%, (55 ± 10)%, (53 ± 11)%, (49 ± 11)%] among different RDW groups (P = 0.0000, 0.0054, 0.0002, respectively). Comparing to NYHA function I, patients of NYHA function IV had a higher RDW (13.9% ± 1.2% vs 13.1% ± 5.7%, P < 0.05). There were significant negative correlations between RDW and LVEF (r = -0.30, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: RDW may be significantly related to cardiac function in Chinese ACS patients.

Compound ion salt, a novel low-sodium salt substitute: from animal study to community-based population trial.

BACKGROUND: Salt restriction, an important approach for primary and secondary prevention of hypertension, is undermined by unsatisfactory adherence. A salt-restriction study tested the efficacy and safety of a compound ion salt (CISalt) with low sodium content in an animal model and in a community-based population. METHODS: In part 1, 8-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were fed 1% CISalt in the study group and 8% or 1% normal salt (NSalt) in controls (n = 10 each) for 12 weeks. Blood pressure (BP) and urinary electrolytes were measured every 3 weeks. After 12 weeks, collagen deposition in the heart and kidney and the levels of angiotensin II (Ang II) and nitric oxide (NO) in plasma and renal cortex were measured. In part 2, a single-blind, randomized, 6-month controlled trial with CISalt was conducted in 248 persons (age >or=65 years) in 10 rural communities. Plasma renin activity and Ang II were included in blood and urinary measures at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS: Reduced BP urinary protein excretion and reduced collagen in the heart and kidneys were significantly different in animals fed CISalt compared to controls. In human studies, at 6 months, mean systolic BP (SBP) was decreased by 9.6 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (CI): 13.1 to 6.1, P < 0.001) and diastolic BP (DBP) by 5.3 mm Hg (95% CI: 7.9 to 2.6, P < 0.001), respectively, compared to controls; urinary sodium excretion also decreased by 67.4 mmol/24 h (95% CI: 84.8 to 50.0, P < 0.001), and plasma renin activity was slightly increased by 0.19 ng/ml/h (95% CI: 0.04-0.33, P = 0.013). No adverse cardiovascular events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: In these studies, CISalt lowered BP and showed end-organ protection in hypertensive animals and BP reduction in humans. CISalt appears to be a safe and acceptable strategy to reduce BP.

[Effects of Ginsenoside RB1 on neural cell apoptosis and expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in rats following subjected to cerebral ischemia-reperfusion].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) on neuronal cell apoptosis and the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in rats after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion so as to investigate the neuroprotective mechanism of GRb1. METHDOS: The model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion was established by occluding rat middle cerebral artery for 2 h. The rats were randomly divided into two groups: ischemia-reperfusion group (I/R group) and GRb1 treat group (GRb1 group). GRb1 (40 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered immediately to rats after the onset of reperfusion. Two groups were further subdivided 7 subgroups according to various reperfusion time (3 h, 12 h, 1 d, 2 d, 3 d, 5 d and 10 d, n=4 per time point). HE staining was used to observe histological features. TUNEL and immunohistochemical method were used to analyze the cell apoptosis and expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with I/R group, GRb1 reduced pathological changes, and decreased the number of apoptotic neural cells (P<0.05 on 12 h, 1 d, 2 d and 3 d) and up-regulated the number of Bcl-2 positive cells (P<0.05 on 12 h, 1 d, 3 d, 5 d and 10 d), and meanwhile down-regulated the number of Bax positive cells (P<0.05 on 3 h, 12 h, 1 d, 2 d, 3 d, 5 d and 10 d) in the ipsilateral hemisphere. CONCLUSION: The neuroprotective effect of GRb1 on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury is related to inhibit neuronal apoptosis and to up-regulate the expression of Bcl-2 with down-regulating the expression of Bax.