Impairment of testes development in Yangzhou ganders by augmentation of leptin receptor signaling.

The aim of this study was to determine the cellular and molecular mechanisms of leptin (LEP) and the leptin receptor (LEPR) in testicular development of prepubertal ganders. In an in vivo animal experiment, active immunization against LEPR severely depressed prepubertal testicular development by significantly reducing testicular weights at 200 and 227 days of age. The number of elongated spermatids in the seminiferous tubules was also significantly decreased by immunization with LEPR at ages of 200 and 227 days. Inhibition of testicular development by LEPR immunization was associated with decreases in LHR, StAR, 3ß-HSD, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, and PRLR mRNA expression levels in testicular tissue, which resulted in a significant decrease in testosterone synthesis. In the in vitro experiments, the addition of LEP combined with anti-LEPR antibodies strengthened LEPR signal transduction, and inhibited significantly testosterone production in cultured Leydig cells isolated from prepubertal gander testes. The mRNA expression of LHR, StAR, 3ß-HSD, CYP11A1, CYP17A1 also decreased significantly after treatment with LEP combined with anti-LEPR antibodies in cultured Leydig cells. These results suggest that anti-LEPR antibodies strengthen LEPR signaling transduction in the presence of LEP, and immunization against LEPR inhibited testes development and testosterone secretion in prepubertal ganders.

[Clinical and experimental study on Ligusticum wallichii mixture in preventing and treating bronchial asthma].

UNLABELLED: To investigate the significance of Ligusticum wallichii Mixture (LWM) and its possible therapeutical mechanism in bronchial asthma, clinical and experimental studies were carried out. RESULTS: LWM inhibited bronchospasm induced by histamine and acetylcholine in guinea pigs; the plasma level of TXB2 was decreased remarkably and the incubation period from antigen inhalation to asthma attack could be delayed by LWM; the incidence of asthma and its mortality were reduced in guinea pigs, compared with control, P < 0.01. In addition, the prolonged period of induced asthma attack was negatively correlated to the plasma level of TXB2 in guinea pigs (P < 0.01). It was observed that the plasma level of TXB2 was decreased, the forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1%) was elevated significantly in asthmatic patients after they were treated by LWM. Moreover, the total effective rate was significantly better than that in the control (92% : 62%). It indicated that: (1) The effects of airway allergic inflammation (AAI) might be the important pathological basis for the bronchial asthma, (2) TXA2 might be an important inflammatory mediator in asthma which could be taken as an useful biochemical parameter for evaluating clinical effects, (3) LWM could relax tracheal smooth muscle, improve pulmonary function, inhibit the synthesis and release of TXA2 with no side effects.