Changes of systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics and plasma levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and endothelin-1 in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the changes of systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics and the plasma levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) and investigate their association in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-six patients with HPS undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) were enrolled in this study with 20 patients without hypoxemia as the control group. Blood samples were taken one day before OLT to measure the plasma levels of iNOS and ET-1 using fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) and radioimmunoassay, respectively, with 10 healthy volunteers serving as the healthy control group. Before the operation for OLT, the parameters of systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics were monitored after anesthesia induction.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients without hypoxemia was characterized by high cardiac output and low resistance, and by comparison, the patients with HPS showed even higher cardiac output and lower mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary artery wedge pressure, systemic vascular resistance and pulmonary vascular resistance. The two patient groups had comparable plasma iNOS and ET-1 levels, which were both higher than those in the healthy control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The hemodynamics in patients with end-stage liver disease exhibit a pattern of high cardiac output and low resistance, which is more obvious in HPS patients possibly in association with elevated plasma levels of iNOS and ET-1.</p>

Role of sodium cromoglycate in brain protection and its effects on tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta after global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in gerbils / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of sodium cromoglycate in brain protection and its effects on brain tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) expressions after global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in gerbils.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-four healthy male gerbils were randomized into 3 equal groups, namely the sham-operated group with isolation of the bilateral carotid arteries but without occlusion, IR injury model group with bilateral carotid artery occlusion, and sodium cromoglycate treatment group with bilateral carotid artery occlusion and sodium cromoglycate administration at 25 mg/kg via the lingual vein as soon as the reperfusion start with another dose 1 h later. The animals were then sacrificed and the thalamus were removed, fixed in 10% formaldehyde and sliced for observation under light microscope with HE staining. The rest brain tissues were prepared into homogenate to determine the content of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. The right hemispheres of the gerbils were measured for wet weight and dry weight to calculate the water content in the brain.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The water content in the brain of the gerbils in the model group was the highest among the groups, and that in sodium cromoglycate treatment group was significantly less than that of the model group (P<0.05). Microscopic examination showed the most severe brain tissue damage in the model group with also the highest TNF-alpha and IL-1beta levels in the brain. The brain TNF-alpha and IL-1beta levels in sodium cromoglycate group were significantly decreased as compared with those in the model group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sodium cromoglycate can alleviate brain IR injury possibly by lowering the TNF-alpha and IL-1beta levels in the brain tissues.</p>

Effect of Astragalus membranacaus injection on activity of intestinal mucosal mast cells and inflammatory response after hemorrahagic shock-reperfusion in rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of astragalus membranacaus injection on the activity of the intestinal mucosal mast cells (IMMC) and inflammatory response after hemorrahagic shock-reperfusion in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal group, model group, low dosage group, (treated with astragalus membranacaus 10 g kg(-1)) and high dosage group (treated with astragalus membranacaus 20 g kg(-1)). Models of hemorrhage shock for 60 minutes and reperfusion for 90 minutes were created. The animals were administrated 3 mL therapeutic solution before reperfusion. At the end of study, intestinal pathology, ultrastructure of IMMC, and expression of tryptase were observed. The levels of MDA, TNF-a, histamine, and SOD activity of intestinal were detected, and the number of IMMC was counted.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The degranulation of IMMC was seen in model group and was attenuated by astragalus membranacaus treatment. Chiu's score of model group was higher than that of the other groups. Astragalus membranacaus could attenuate the up-regulation of the Chiu' s score, the levels of MDA and TNF-alpha, expression of tryptase, and the down-regulation of SOD activity and histamine concentration. The Chiu's score and MDA content were negatively, while SOD activity was positively correlated to the histamine concentration respectively in the four groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Astragalus membranacaus can reduce small intestine mucosal damage by inhibiting the activity of IMMC after hemorrhage shock reperfusion.</p>

Cromolyn sodium ameliorates rat left cardiac function during intestinal ischemia-reperfusion / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate cardiac function impairment and myocardial injury in rats with intestinal ischemia-reperfusion and the protective effect of cromolyn sodium.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two SD rats were randomized into 4 groups (n=8), namely the sham operation group, model group, 50 mg/kg cromolyn sodium group, and 25 mg/kg cromolyn sodium group. Intestinal damage was induced by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 60 min. Cromolyn Sodium was administrated intaperitoneally 15 min before reperfusion. The heart rate (HR), left ventricle pressure (LVSP), and the maximal/minimum rate of LVSP (+dp/dt(max), -dp/dt(max)) were sacrificed immediately before ischemia (baseline, T(0)), at 15 min (T(1)), 30 min (T(2)), 45 min (T(3)) of ischemia, and at 3 min (T(4)), 5 min (T(5)), 10 min (T(6)), 15 min (T(7)), 45 min (T(8)), 60 min (T(9)) of reperfusion. At the end of the experiment, the rats were executed and the hearts were immediately removed for observation of the pathological changes and determination of MDA contents and SOD activity.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the baseline T(0), the HR, +dp/dt(max), -dp/dt(max) and the LVSP were decreased significantly at T(8) and T(9) in the model group and the two cromolyn sodium groups (P<0.05). Compared with the sham operation group, these indices were also significantly decreased at T(8) and T(9) in the model group and the two cromolyn sodium groups, but the model group had significantly lower levels for these indices at T(8) and T(9) than the two cromolyn sodium groups (P<0.05). The score of myocardial injury in the model group and the two cromolyn sodium groups were significantly higher than that of group A, and 50 mg/kg cromolyn sodium group had lower score than the model group (P<0.05). The rats in the model group had significantly higher MDA levels than those in the sham operation group and the 50 mg/kg cromolyn sodium group. SOD activities in the model group and 25 mg/kg cromolyn sodium group was lower than that in the sham operation group (P<0.05), but 50 mg/kg cromolyn sodium group had significantly higher SOD activities than the model group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cromolyn sodium can protect the myocardium against intestal ischemia-reperfusion injury and improve the cardiac function.</p>

Effect of Astragalus membranaceus injection on the activity of the intestinal mucosal mast cells after hemorrhagic shock-reperfusion in rats / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The mechanism of mucosal damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) after hemorrhagic shock is complex; mast cells (MC) degranulation is associated with the mucosal damage. Astragalus membranaceus can protect intestinal mucosa against intestinal oxidative damage after hemorrhagic shock, and some antioxidant agents could prevent MC against degranulation. This study aimed to observe the effects of astragalus membranaceus injection on the activity of intestinal mucosal mast cells (IMMC) after hemorrhage shock-reperfusion in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, low dosage group, (treated with Astragalus membranacaus injection, 10 g crude medication/kg) and high dosage group (treated with Astragalus membranacaus injection, 20 g crude medication/kg). The rat model of hemorrhagic shock-reperfusion was induced by hemorrhage for 60 minutes followed by 90 minutes of reperfusion. The animals were administrated with 3 ml of the test drug solution before reperfusion. At the end of study, intestinal pathology, ultrastructure of IMMC, and expression of tryptase were assayed. The levels of malondisldehyde (MDA), TNF-alpha, histamine, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in intestine were detected, and the number of IMMC was counted.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The Chiu's score of the rats in the model group was higher than in other groups (P < 0.01). The Chiu's score in the high dosage group was higher than that in the low dosage group (P < 0.05). Hemorrhage-reperfusion induced IMMC degranulation: Astragalus membranaceus injection attenuated this degranulation. Expression of tryptase and the number of IMMC in the model group increased compared with the other groups (P < 0.01) and was significantly reduced by the treatments of Astragalus membranaceus injection at both doses. There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups (P > 0.05). MDA content and concentration of TNF-alpha in the model group were higher than that in the other three groups (P < 0.05), and the concentration of TNF-alpha in the low dosage group was higher than that in the high dosage group (P < 0.05). SOD activity and the concentration of histamine in the model group were lower than the other three groups (P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the Chiu's score and the concentration of histamine and a positive correlation between the Chiu's score and the concentration of TNF-alpha and between the SOD activity and the concentration of histamine in the four groups (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Astragalus membranaceus injection may reduce the damage to small intestine mucosa by inhibiting the activated IMMC after hemorrhagic shock.</p>