[Effect and mechanism of Zuogui Pills on neural function recovery in ischemic stroke mice based on OPN/IGF-1/mTOR].

To explore the effect and mechanism of Zuogui Pills in promoting neural tissue recovery and functional recovery in mice with ischemic stroke. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, and low-, medium, and high-dose Zuogui Pills groups(3.5, 7, and 14 g·kg~(-1)), with 15 mice in each group. The ischemic stroke model was established using photochemical embolization. Stiker remove and irregular ladder walking behavioral tests were conducted before modeling and on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 after medication. Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was performed on day 3 after modeling, and T2-weighted imaging(T2WI) and diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI) were performed on day 28 after medication to evaluate the extent of brain injury. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was performed to observe the histology of the cerebral cortex. Axonal marker proteins myelin basic protein(MBP), growth-associated protein 43(GAP43), mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR), and its downstream phosphorylated s6 ribosomal protein(p-S6), as well as mechanism-related proteins osteopontin(OPN) and insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1), were detected using immunofluorescence and Western blot. Zuogui Pills had a certain restorative effect on the neural function impairment caused by ischemic stroke in mice. TTC staining showed white infarct foci in the sensory-motor cortex area, and T2WI imaging revealed cystic necrosis in the sensory-motor cortex area. The Zuogui Pills groups showed less brain tissue damage, fewer scars, and more capillaries. The number of neuronal axons in those groups was higher than that in the model group, and neuronal activity was stronger. The expression of GAP43, OPN, IGF-1, and mTOR proteins in the Zuogui Pills groups was higher than that in the model group. In summary, Zuogui Pills can promote the recovery of neural function and axonal growth in mice with ischemic stroke, and its mechanism may be related to the activation of the OPN/IGF-1/mTOR signaling pathway.

Preparation of nanocellulose and lignin-carbohydrate complex composite biological carriers and culture of heart coronary artery endothelial cells.

Lignin-carbohydrate complexes, i.e. LCC-48 and LCC-72 were isolated with vibrational ball milling for 48 h and 72 h, respectively. Composite tubular carriers were prepared by casting film formation and crimping with the LCCs and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as raw materials. The structures and chemical properties of different milling time LCCs were analyzed. The carriers were used to culture human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC), and the activities of these cells were examined in vitro. The FT-IR and chemical composition results showed that the biocarriers were composed of lignin moieties and polysaccharides. The SEM and inverted microscope studies revealed that a large number of cells adhered to the porous carriers. HCAEC grown on the LCC-72/CNF carriers outperformed the LCC-48/CNF and control groups in every observed category, including cell proliferation rate and metabolic activity. In summary, tubular carriers prepared from LCC/CNF composite had high biocompatibility and have potential applications in heart tissue engineering.

Preparation, characterization and in vitro anticoagulant activity of corn stover xylan sulfates.

A new anticoagulant agent was prepared by introducing sulfate groups into corn stover xylan through homogeneous reactions. Three organic solvents, N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and formamide (FA), were adopted as reaction media, with the assistance of LiCl. Structural characterization by FT-IR and 13CNMR showed that xylan sulfate (XS) could be successfully synthesized with SO3∙Pyridine (SO3∙Py) complexes sulfation reagent in the three media. The effect of sulfation temperature, sulfation time, media type and molar ratio of -SO3/-OH on the degree of substitution (DS) and degree of the polymerization (DP) were studied. DMF/LiCl were more effective than DMSO/LiCl and FA/LiCl in preparation of xylan sulfate with high DS. The optimal conditions for sulfation were obtained when SO3∙Py complex was added to DMF/LiCl with -SO3/-OH ratio of 1.5:1 and maintained at 50 °C for 3 h. Degree of polymerization of xylan was decreased during the sulfation process and DMF/LiCl offered the least xylan degradation as compared with DMSO/LiCl or FA/LiCl. Anticoagulant activities of the resultant xylan sulfates with different DS were evaluated by using activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and prothrombin time (PT). Results indicated that the introducing of sulfate groups into xylan did endow the polysaccharides with anticoagulant activity. The APTT and TT of XS with DS of 1.20 reached 141 and 45.3 s at a dosage of 20 µg/mL, while the APTT and TT values for the blank sample were only 35.5 and 15.6 s. Furthermore, coagulation time was prolonged with the increase of DS and the concentration of XS. Our findings provide new insights into the value-added utilization of agricultural biomass.

[Detection of proinflammatory cytokine levels in sera from patients with Kaschin-Beck disease].

AIM: To explore the role of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-1beta and IL-6) in the pathogenesis of Kaschin-Beck disease (KBD). METHODS: The levels of serum TNF, IL-1beta and IL-6 from 62 KBD patients and 60 healthy persons were detected by double antibody sandwich ELISA. RESULTS: The levels of serum IL-1beta and IL-6 in KBD patients were (238.4+/-698.5) ng/L and (164.4+/-661.4) ng/L, respectively, but they were higher than those in healthy persons, being (74.5+/-130.0) ng/L and (52.2+/-154.6) ng/L, respectively. There were no significant differences between them (P>0.05). However, the level of serum TNF in KBD patients [(109.2+/-145.3) ng/L] was significantly higher than that in healthy persons [(40.9+/-89.7) ng/L] (P<0.01). Moreover, there was no correlation between serum TNF and IL-1beta levels (r=0.0387, P>0.05) and TNF and IL-6 in KBD patients (r=0.2135, P>0.05), but there was positive correlation between serum IL-1beta and IL-6 levels (r=0.346, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The elevated proinflammatory cytokine levels in sera may relate to the pathogenesis of Kaschin-Beck disease.