Antihypertensive Effect of Tianmu Jiangya Powder on SHR Rats and Its Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To investigate the antihypertensive effect of Tianmu Jiangya powder and its related antihypertensive mechanism by using SHR rats as a model, and protein expressions provide an experimental basis for the clinical application of Tianmu Jiangya powder in the treatment of hypertension. Method::Sixty male SHR rats were randomly divided into six groups according to body weight after one week of adaptive feeding: model group, valsartan group (12 mg·kg-1), captopril group (9 mg·kg-1), hydrochlorothiazide group (6 mg·kg-1), Tianmu Jiangya powder low and high-dose group (0.36, 1.44 g·kg-1), WKY rats were used as the normal group, and the intragastric administration lasted for 16 weeks. Softron BP-2010A intelligent non-invasive blood pressure meter was used to measure the systolic blood pressure (SBP)and heart rate (HR) of rat tail arteries. Adobe Photoshop CS5 software was used to analyze the left auricle and claw fixed selected areas to evaluate the effect on blood stasis syndrome. Vevo 2100 small animal ultrasound imaging system detects left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular shortening (FS), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systole dimension (LVIDs), left ventricular end-diastole dimension (LVIDd), interventricular septum end-systolic depth (IVSs), and interventricular septum end-diastolic depth (IVSd). Then the rats were sacrificed and the materials were taken (blood, heart, aorta, liver, kidney, tibia), and the weight of heart, liver, kidney and tibia length were measured and recorded. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the heart and thoracic aorta. Separation of serum and plasma, and determination of nitric oxide (NO) in serum by nitrate reductase method. Radioimmunoassay was used to detect plasma adrenaline/3 methoxyadrenaline (MN), urea (UREA), and uric acid (UA) contents. The expression of nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) protein in thoracic aorta of each group was detected and analyzed by immunohistochemical method. Result::Compared with normal group, the SBP and HR of the rats in model group were significantly increased (P<0.05). The r value of the claw was significantly reduced and the g value was significantly increased at 8 and 16 weeks (P<0.05). LVEF and FS significantly decreased, LVESV, LVIDs, IVSd increased significantly (P<0.05). Heart weight, heart weight /tibia length, liver weight and liver weight /tibia length, plasma of MN, UREA, and UA contents significantly increased, and promoted the expression of iNOS and VEGF proteins in the aortic (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the Tianmu Jiangya powder administration group could continuously reduce SBP in SHR rats, maintain HR stability (P<0.05), significantly increase the claw of r value, lower the claw of g value(P<0.05). LVEF, FS significantly increased, LVEDV, LVESV, LVIDd and LVIDs significantly decreased (P<0.05), significantly increased serum NO content, decreased liver weight, liver weight/tibia length, plasma MN, UREA, UA content (P<0.05), and down-regulated the expression of iNOS and VEGF protein in the aorta(P<0.05). Conclusion::Tianmu Jiangya powder has a certain antihypertensive effect, and its mechanism may be mainly related to protecting heart function, improving vascular endothelial function, reducing catecholamines and sedative analgesia.

Salvianolic Acid A Protects Neonatal Cardiomyocytes Against Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Injury by Preserving Mitochondrial Function and Activating Akt/GSK-3β Signals / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of salvianolic acid A (SAA) on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in response to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury and to determine whether the Akt signaling pathway might play a role.@*METHODS@#An in vitro model of H/R injury was used to study outcomes on primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. The cardiomyocytes were treated with 12.5, 25, 50 μg/mL SAA at the beginning of hypoxia and reoxygenation, respectively. Adenosine triphospate (ATP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were assayed. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry and the expression of cleaved-caspase 3, Bax and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blotting. The effects of SAA on mitochondrial dysfunction were examined by determining the mitochondrial membrane potential (△Ψm) and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), followed by the phosphorylation of Akt (p-Akt) and GSK-3β (p-GSK-3β), which were measured by Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#SAA significantly preserved ATP levels and reduced ROS production. Importantly, SAA markedly reduced the number of apoptotic cells and decreased cleaved-caspase 3 expression levels, while also reducing the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. Furthermore, SAA prevented the loss of △Ψm and inhibited the activation of mPTP. Western blotting experiments further revealed that SAA significantly increased the expression of p-Akt and p-GSK-3β, and the increase in p-GSK-3β expression was attenuated after inhibition of the Akt signaling pathway with LY294002.@*CONCLUSION@#SAA has a protective effect on cardiomyocyte H/R injury; the underlying mechanism may be related to the preservation of mitochondrial function and the activation of the Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

Contribution of Borneolum syntheticum to the Intervention Effect of Liuwei Dihuang Pill () on Experimental Retinal Degeneration / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the contribution of Borneolum syntheticum to the intervention effect of Liuwei Dihuang Pill (, LDP) on experimental retinal degeneration, and initially investigate the mechanism of Borneolum syntheticum as meridian-lead-in drug.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 180 sodium iodateinduced retinital degeneration rats were randomly divided into three groups, including distilled water group, LDP group, and LDP+Borneolum syntheticum (LDP+BS) group. Twenty normal rats were fed regularly without any treatment as normal control. On day 7 and 14 after treatment, histopathological study and transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) test were performed to evaluate the retinopathy. Claudin-5 expression at blood-retina barrier (BRB) was detected by Western blot at different time points from 0.5 to 8 h after gavage.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On day 7 and 14 after treatment, the retinal lesion grades were significantly different among the three groups (P<0.05). The grade in the LDP+BS group was significantly less than the LDP and distilled water groups (both P<0.05), no significant difference was observed between the LDP and distilled water groups (P>0.05). The apoptosis rates in the LDP+BS group was significantly less than the distilled water and LDP groups (both P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between LDP and distilled water groups (P>0.05). Expression of claudin-5 in LDP+BS group was significantly less than the other two groups at 0.5, 1 and 2 h after gavage (P<0.05). There was no apparent difference among the three groups at 4 and 8 h after gavage (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Borneolum syntheticum could strengthen the effect of LDP on experimental retinal degeneration, indicated that Borneolum syntheticum might play the role of meridian-lead-in drug in the formula. The mechanism may be due to Borneolum syntheticum could promote the physiologically openness of bloodretina barrier through transiently affecting the expression of claudin-5.</p>

Segmentation of the prostate on magnetic resonance images using an ellipsoidal shape prior constraint algorithm / 南方医科大学学报

We propose a novel strategy for multi-atlas-based image segmentation of the prostate on magnetic resonance (MR) images using an ellipsoidal shape prior constraint algorithm. An ellipsoidal shape prior constraint was incorporated into the process of multi-atlas based segmentation to restrict the regions of interest on the prostate images and avoid the interference by the surrounding tissues and organs in atlas selection. In the subsequent process of atlas fusion, the ellipsoidal shape prior constraint calibrated and compensated for the shape prior obtained by the registration technique to avoid incorrect segmentation caused by registration errors. Evaluation of this proposed method on prostate images from 50 subjects showed that this algorithm was effective and yielded a mean Dice similarity coefficients of 0.8812, suggesting its high accuracy and robustness to segment the prostate on MR images.

Protective effect of rosmarinic acid on hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in cardiomyocytes / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effect of rosmarinic acid (Ros A) on the primary cardiomyocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Primary cardiomyocytes of rats were cultured in vitro to establish the H/R injury of cardiomyocytes and observe the changes in the cell viability and LDH leakage. The changes in ATP content and ROS in cardiomyocytes were measured by using chemiluminescence and fluorescent probe technique. The effects of rosmarinic acid on the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, cleaved-caspase 3, Akt and p-Akt protein expression were further detected by flow cytometry and western blot analysis.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>According to the experimental results, Ros A at doses of 25, 50, 100 mg x L(-1) could inhibit the decrease in H/R-induced cell viability, LDH leakage and excessive ROS generation, and maintain the ATP level in cells. Ros A at doses of 50, 100 mg x L(-1) could remarkably inhibit the H/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and down-regulate the expression of cleaved caspase-3. Moreover, Ros A at doses of 100 mg x L(-1) could significantly up-regulate the expression of p-Akt.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ros A has the significant effect in resisting the cardiomyocyte H/R injury, improve cardiomyocyte energy metabolism and reduce cell apoptosis, which is related to the activation of Akt pathway.</p>

Effect of shuangshen ningxin formula on energy metabolism of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Shuangshen Ningxin (SSNX) formula on energy metabolism of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The myocardial ischemia/reperfusion model of Wistar rats was established through the ligation of left anterior descending branch of coronary artery of for 40 min and the reperfusion for 2 h. The Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: the sham operation group, the model group, the Trimetazidine group (10 mg x kg(-1)) and SSNX groups (22.5, 45, 90 mg x kg(-1)). Preventive administration was conducted for 5 d. The operation was performed at 1 h on the day of the last administration. CK-MB assay kit was adopted to detect the activity of serum CK-MB. HPLC was used to determine ATP, ADP and AMP contents in myocardial tissues and calculate TAN and EC.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The preventive administration with SSNX could reduce the activity of serum CK-MB and increase ATP content and EC level in myocardial tissues (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05 vs. the model group).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SSNX formula can maintain energy charge in cardiomyocytes and relieve ischemia/reperfusion injury by preserving ischemic myocardium ATP.</p>

Construction and functional characterization of a monocistronic replicon based on the HCV genotype 2a promotor / 中华肝脏病杂志

To construct a hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2a monocistronic replicon and investigate its replication capabilities in the human hepatocarcinoma cell lines, Huh7.5 and Huh7.1, in order to determine its potential as a molecular tool for future in vitro studies of HCV replication and selection studies for putative anti-HCV drugs. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to delete the Core-E1-E2-p7-NS2 fragment (about 3090 bp) from plasmid pJ6JFH1BlaRL. The resultant trianglepJ6JFH1BlaRL plasmid was digested with AgeI and AvrII to release the cDNA fragment (hereafter, referred to as fragment L) containing partial 5'-untranslated region (UTR), the first 12 amino acid (aa) of HCV Core coding sequence, full-length coding sequences for the blasticidin-resistance gene, Renilla luciferase, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) 2a antiprotease and ubiquitin, and partial coding sequence for HCV NS3. To generate the monocistronic replicon, pSGRmJFH1BlaRL, fragment L was ligated into the pSGR-JFH1 vector that had been digested with AgeI and AvrII to remove the partial 5'-UTR, the first 19 aa of HCV Core coding sequence, the full-length coding sequence for the neomycin phosphotransferase II gene, the internal ribosomal entry site from encephalomyocarditis virus, and partial HCV NS3 coding sequence. A replication-defective mutant replicon, pSGRmJFH1BlaRL/GND, was constructed by a similar procedure using the pSGR-JFH1/GND vector. Fragment L was confirmed in both constructs by sequencing. Replicon RNAs were prepared from XbaI-linearized plasmid DNA templates with Invitrogen's T7 MEGAscript kit, and were purified by DNase I treatment and LiCl precipitation. RNAs were quanti?ed by optical density, and the quality and concentration were con?rmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Replicon RNAs were transfected into Huh7.5 and Huh7.1 cells using Invitrogen's DMRIE-C transfection reagent at a ratio of 5 mug of lipid to 1mug of RNA. Time course assay of Renilla luciferase activity indicated the replicon's replication function. The pSGRmJFH1BlaRL monocistronic replicon and pSGRmJFH1BlaRL/GND replication-defective mutant replicon were successfully constructed. The pSGRmJFH1BlaRL replicon was replication-proficient in Huh7.5 and Huh7.1 cells, with replication peaking at 72 hours post-transfection and decreasing after 96 hours. No replication was detected at any time point post-transfection for the defective mutant replicon. A monocistronic replicon of HCV genotype 2a was constructed and shown to be replication-proficient in human hepatocarcinoma cell lines.