Breviscapine alleviates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetes rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the protective effect of breviscapine on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) in diabetes rats. METHODS: Forty rats were divided into control, diabetes, MIRI of diabetes, and treatment groups. The MIRI of diabetes model was established in the latter two groups. Then, the treatment group was treated with 100 mg/kg breviscapine by intraperitoneal injection for 14 consecutive days. RESULTS: After treatment, compared with MIRI of diabetes group, in treatment group the serum fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels decreased, the serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased, the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased, the heart rate decreased, the mean arterial pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, and fractional shortening increased, the serum cardiac troponin I, and creatine kinase-MB levels decreased, the myocardial tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-6 levels decreased, the myocardial superoxide dismutase level increased, and the myocardial malondialdehyde level decreased (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For treating MIRI of diabetes in rats, the breviscapine can reduce the blood glucose and lipid levels, improve the cardiac function, reduce the myocardial injury, and decrease the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, thus exerting the alleviating effect.

Breviscapine alleviates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetes rats

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of breviscapine on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) in diabetes rats. Methods: Forty rats were divided into control, diabetes, MIRI of diabetes, and treatment groups. The MIRI of diabetes model was established in the latter two groups. Then, the treatment group was treated with 100 mg/kg breviscapine by intraperitoneal injection for 14 consecutive days. Results: After treatment, compared with MIRI of diabetes group, in treatment group the serum fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels decreased, the serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased, the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased, the heart rate decreased, the mean arterial pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, and fractional shortening increased, the serum cardiac troponin I, and creatine kinase-MB levels decreased, the myocardial tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-6 levels decreased, the myocardial superoxide dismutase level increased, and the myocardial malondialdehyde level decreased (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: For treating MIRI of diabetes in rats, the breviscapine can reduce the blood glucose and lipid levels, improve the cardiac function, reduce the myocardial injury, and decrease the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, thus exerting the alleviating effect.

Effects of S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8) and S100 calcium-binding protein A9 (S100A9) on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2 cells.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that S100A8 and S100A9 are highly expressed in a variety of tumors, including NPC, and are associated with tumor invasion and migration. MMPs are associated with the invasion and migration of tumor cells. To further investigate the mechanism by which S100A8 and S100A9 affect the invasion and migration of NPC cells, the present study examined the effects of S100A8 and S100A9 on MMPs in NPC CNE-2 cells. METHODS: Recombinant pEGFP-N1-S100A8 and recombinant pEGFP-N1-S100A9 overexpression vectors and S100A8 and S100A9 RNA interference (RNAi) vectors were constructed and transfected into NPC CNE-2 cells. The transfection efficiency in each group of cells was assessed, and the gene and protein expression of MMP7, MMP9 and MMP12 were determined. RESULTS: The transfection efficiency was approximately 60-70%. Compared with those in the control group, the expression levels of MMP7, MMP9 and MMP12 in the S100A8 and S100A9 overexpression groups was significantly higher (P<0.05), and the expression levels of MMP7, MMP9 and MMP12 in the S100A8-RNAi and S100A9-RNAi groups were significantly lower (P<0.05). The number of cells in S100A8 overexpression group and S100A9 overexpression group at 24, 48 and 72 h was higher than that in RNAi group, RNAi control group, overexpression control group and normal control group, with statistical significance; The cell doubling time in S100A8 and S100A9 overexpression group was significantly shorter than that in RNAi control group, overexpression control group and normal control group, with statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: High S100A8 and S100A9 expression may promote the expression of MMP7, MMP9 and MMP12, which are related to the invasion and metastasis of NPC cells.

Exploring structural variations of hydrogen-bonding patterns in cellulose during mechanical pulp refining of tobacco stems.

Hydrogen bonding and mechanical refining are closely correlated. In this work, structural variations of hydrogen bonding patterns in cellulose during mechanical pulp refining, including the hydrogen bonding energy and distance as well as the content of hydrogen bonds, have been explored by using the second derivative FTIR spectra and deconvolving spectra in the OH stretching vibrational region. Results show that except for the bond distance, both the hydrogen bonding energy and the content of hydrogen bonds exhibit a significant variation at an increasing beating degree. The calculated hydrogen bonding energies for intermolecular O6H⋯O3' decrease by 12.9%, while those of intramolecular O3H⋯O5 and O2H⋯O6 vary little. Evolutions of the content of certain hydrogen bonds differ depending on the different refining stage. It is suggested that along with the role of water, hydration and swelling, internal/external fibrillation and delamination are strongly related to the structural variations of hydrogen bonding patterns in cellulose during mechanical pulp refining.

Exploring crystalline structural variations of cellulose during pulp beating of tobacco stems.

In this work, crystalline structural variations of cellulose during pulp beating of tobacco stems were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FT-IR spectroscopy. The results showed that the correlation between the cellulose crystallinity index and the degree of beating was not a linear but an initially upward and then downward trend followed by a repeating fluctuation as a result of the beating action on amorphous regions first and then on crystalline cellulose. It was proposed that the whole beating process might be presumably divided into two phases in the case of the evolution of the crystallinity index. The crystallite sizes of 101 and 101¯ lattice planes showed an obvious fluctuation during the beating while the crystallite sizes and d-spacings from representative 002 lattice planes exhibited little change. Complementally, FT-IR characterization of cellulose structural properties further proved that the crystallinity index was highly affected by mechanical beating and the intact beating process might be divided into two stages characteristic of a first ascending and then descending tendency.

Recombinant human neuregulin-1ß is protective against radiation-induced myocardial cell injury.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of recombinant human neuregulin-1ß (rhNRG-1ß) in the repair of the radiation-induced damage of myocardial cells and the underlying mechanism. Rats were divided into the radiotherapy alone group, the rhNRG-1ß group (radiotherapy with rhNRG­1ß treatment) and the Herceptin group (radiotherapy with Herceptin treatment), and their myocardial cells were analyzed. The morphology of the myocardial cells was observed under an optical microscope, and the expression of γ­H2AX and p53 was analyzed using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Damage to the myocardial cells was identified in the three groups following radiation treatment, which was identified by cell swelling and altered morphology. The integrated optical density values of γ­H2AX in the radiotherapy alone, rhNRG­1ß and Herceptin groups were 50.96±5.548, 27.63±10.61 and 76.12±2.084, respectively. The OD of the radiotherapy alone group was significantly higher than that of the rhNRG­1ß treated group (P<0.0001), and the value of the Herceptin group was significantly higher than that of the radiotherapy alone group (P<0.0001). The p53 level in the rhNRG­1ß group was less than that of the radiotherapy alone group (P<0.001), and was higher in the Herceptin group compared with the radiotherapy alone group (P<0.0001). Thus, rhNRG­1ß can ameliorate radiotherapy-induced myocardial cell injury, predominantly by enhancing myocardial cell DNA repair, inhibiting cell apoptosis and improving myocardial function. The results of this study in myocardial cells suggest that patients with thoracic cancer may benefit from treatment with rhNRG­1ß for the repair of the radiation-induced damage of myocardial cells.