Comparison of various surrogate markers for venous congestion in predicting acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Venous congestion has been demonstrated to increase the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery. Although many surrogate markers for venous congestion are currently used in clinical settings, there is no consensus on which marker is most effective in predicting AKI. METHODS: We evaluated various markers of venous congestion, including central venous pressure (CVP), inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter, portal pulsatility fraction (PPF), hepatic vein flow pattern (HVF), intra-renal venous flow pattern (IRVF), and venous excess ultrasound grading score (VExUS) in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery to compare their ability in predicting AKI. RESULTS: Among the 230 patients enrolled in our study, 53 (23.0%) developed AKI, and 11 (4.8%) required continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Our multivariate logistic analysis revealed that IRVF, PPF, HVF, and CVP were significantly associated with AKI, with IRVF being the strongest predictor (odds ratio [OR] 2.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-3.73). However, we did not observe any association between these markers and CRRT. CONCLUSION: Venous congestion is associated with AKI after cardiac surgery, but not necessarily with CRRT. Among the markers tested, IRVF exhibits the strongest correlation with AKI.

Association between hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection and risk of pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Background and aim: With conflicting data from previous observational studies on the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and pancreatic cancer (PC), we decided to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to evaluate any potential association. Design: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We conducted a search of three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) from the time of their creation up to June 2023. The summary results, including hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), were pooled using a generic inverse variance method and a random-effects model. Furthermore, subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results: In this meta-analysis, 22 cohort studies with a total of 10,572,865 participants were analyzed. Meta-analysis from 15 cohort studies revealed that HBV infection was correlated with an increased risk of PC (HR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.40-1.68, p < 0.00001) with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0%, p = 0.49). Meta-analysis from 14 cohort studies showed that HCV infection was associated with an increased risk of PC (HR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.51-2.21, p < 0.00001). Most of our subgroup analyses yielded similar results. Meta-analysis from four cohort studies indicated that co-infection with HBV and HCV was linked to an increased risk of PC (HR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.40-3.85, p = 0.001) with no heterogeneity observed (I2 = 0%, p = 0.60). The results of sensitivity analyses were robust. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis showed that HBV/HCV infection or co-infection with HBV and HCV was associated with an increased risk of PC. Future prospective cohort studies need to take into account various ethnicities and any confounding factors, as well as investigate the potential mechanisms of PC development in those with HBV/HCV. Trial registration: Open Science Framework registries (No: osf.io/n64ua).

[Determination of content of nine components in Xinnaojian preparations from different manufacturers by QAMS].

This study established the ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) fingerprint of Xinnaojian preparations. With epicatechin gallate as the internal reference substance, a quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS) method for determining the content of nine components(gallic acid, epigallocatechin, catechin, caffeine, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and catechin gallate) in Xinnaojian preparations was established. The content determined by the external standard method(ESM) and QAMS method was compared to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of QAMS method. The results showed that the standard curves of nine components had good linear relationship within the test concentration ranges. The average recoveries were 87.57%-107.4%, and the RSD was 1.5%-2.9%. Except epigallocatechin, the other components showed good repeatability under different experimental conditions. Epigallocatechin could meet the requirements in the same instrument and at the same wavelength. The results generally showed no significant difference between QAMS and ESM. The content of 9 components varied between the samples from different manufacturers, while it showed no significant difference between the samples from the same manufacturer. In summary, the UPLC fingerprint combined with QAMS method is feasible and accurate for determining the content of the nine components, which can be used for rapid quality evaluation of Xinnaojian preparations.

[Optimization of extraction process of Children's Qingfei Zhisou Syrup based on pharmacodynamics].

This study determined the extraction rates of indirubin in Indigo Naturalis by ethanol reflux extraction method and water extraction method. The pharmacodynamic study against cough induced by ammonia water in the mouse model and the cough induced by citric acid in the guinea pig model were performed to optimize the extraction process of the sovereign medicinal Indigo Naturalis and the whole prescription of Children's Qingfei Zhisou Syrup. The extraction rate of indirubin by the ethanol reflux method was 51.89%, and indirubin was not detected in the product of water extraction. Two samples of Children's Qingfei Zhisou Syrup prepared with different methods can prolong the incubation period of cough and suppress the frequency of coughs in pharmacodynamic experiments. In terms of prolonging the incubation period of cough, the two samples prepared with different methods had no significant difference. In terms of reducing the frequency of coughs, the high-dose Five kinds of ethanol extracts such as indigo naturalis and three kinds of water extracts such as gypsum had better effect against the citric acid-induced cough of guinea pigs than other samples(P<0.05). The extraction rate of indirubin in Children's Qingfei Zhisou Syrup sample prepared with ethanol was higher than that with water. The two samples of Children's Qingfei Zhisou Syrup prepared with the two methods showed good antitussive effects. The sample prepared with 5 ingredients(including Indigo Naturalis) extracted with ethanol and 3 ingredients(including Gypsum Fibrosum) extracted with water had better alleviation effect on the citric acid-induced cough of guinea pig than the whole water extract sample. In conclusion, the optimum extraction scheme is ethanol extraction for 5 ingredients including Indigo Naturalis in combination with water extraction for 3 ingredients including Gypsum Fibrosum, and the Children's Qingfei Zhisou Syrup produced in this manner has better antitussive efficacy.

[Hongjing-1 Recipe maintains the expression level of Connexin43 in the penile tissue of SD rats with bilateral cavernous nerve injury].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of Hongjing-1 Recipe (HJ-1) on erectile function and the expression of the gap junction protein Connexin43 (Cx43) in the penile tissue in male rats with bilateral cavernous nerve injury (BCNI). METHODS: Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups of an equal number: sham operation, BCNI model control, and low-, medium- and high-dose HJ-1. The BCNI model was made in the latter four groups by clamping the bilateral cavernous nerves with hemostatic forceps. Three days after modeling, the rats in the sham operation and BCNI model control groups were treated intragastrically with pure water and those in the low-, medium- and high-dose HJ-1 groups with HJ-1 at 2.835, 5.67 and 11.34 g/kg/d, respectively, all for 28 successive days. Then, the animals were subjected to intracavernous pressure (ICP) measurement for evaluation of their erectile function and immunofluorescence staining and Western blot for determination of the Cx43 level in the penile tissue. RESULTS: The BCNI model controls, compared with the rats in the sham operation group, showed a dramatically decreased ratio of maximum ICP to mean arterial pressure (mICP/MAP) (0.40 ± 0.04 vs 0.83 ± 0.10, P < 0.01) and that of total ICP to MAP (tICP/MAP) (21.89 ± 2.16 vs 50.27 ± 4.45, P < 0.01), as well as a down-regulated expression of Cx43 in the penile tissue (P < 0.01). In comparison with the rats in the BCNI model control group, those in the medium- and high-dose HJ-1 groups exhibited significantly increased ratios of mICP/MAP (0.54 ± 0.05, P < 0.05; 0.61 ± 0.06, P < 0.01) and tICP/MAP (31.20 ± 3.85, P < 0.01; 37.82 ± 4.17, P < 0.01) and up-regulated expression of Cx43 (P<0.05 and P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hongjing-1 Recipe can effectively improve ED in rats with bilateral cavernous nerve injury, which may be attributed to its effect of maintaining the expression level of the gap junction protein Cx43 in the penile tissue.

cIAP2 via NF-κB signalling affects cell proliferation and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS: To investigate the role of cIAP2 in the malignant biological behaviours of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and determine its mechanism of action. MAIN METHODS: cIAP2 protein expression was detected via immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 102 HCC specimens and 43 paracancerous liver tissues, and its relationship with clinicopathological features and patient prognosis was analysed. Then, short interfering RNA (siRNA) technology was used to knock down cIAP2 expression in BEL7402 and HepG2 cells. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and Transwell assays were used to determine cell proliferation and invasion after knockdown of cIAP2 expression. The relationship between cIAP2 and the NF-κB pathway was explored via western blotting (WB) and a dual luciferase reporter system. Finally, nude mouse models of liver cancer were established to detect the effect of cIAP2 on tumourigenicity and the proliferation activity of orthotopic HCC cells. KEY FINDINGS: cIAP2 expression was significantly increased in HCC tissues and was correlated with intravascular thrombosis in HCC. High cIAP2 expression was correlated with poor patient prognosis. cIAP2 knockdown significantly reduced the proliferation and invasion of BEL7402 and HepG2 cells and the activity of the NF-κB pathway. Animal experiments showed that cIAP2 knockdown reduced the tumourigenicity of HepG2 cells in the liver of nude mice and the proliferation activity of the orthotopic HCC cells. SIGNIFICANCE: cIAP2 plays an important role in HCC proliferation and invasion and may exert its effects via the NF-κB signalling pathway.

Neuroprotective effect of Hongjing I granules on erectile dysfunction in a rat model of bilateral cavernous nerve injury.

Neurogenic erectile dysfunction (NED) is an inevitable postoperative disease of cavernous nerve injury which will lead to various pathophysiological changes in the corpus cavernosum and dorsal penile nerve caused by radical prostatectomy (RP). Although serval years of clinical application of HJIG I granules (HJIG), an innovative formulation, has demonstrated its reliable clinical efficacy against NED, the mechanism of HJIG remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the neuroprotective effect of HJIG, to repair damaged nerves in a rat model of bilateral cavernous nerve injury (BCNI) in vivo and their effects on neurites of major pelvic ganglia (MPG) regeneration and Schwann cells (SCs) proliferation in vitro. Rats were divided into five groups randomly: normal control (NC), BCNI-induced ED model (M), M + low-dose HJIG (HL), M + medium-dose HJIG (HM), and M + high-dose HJIG (HH). All groups were treated with normal saline or the relevant drug for 28 consecutive days after a standard NED animal model. Our data revealed that administration of HJIG improved NED that was detected by intracavernous pressure (ICP) in a dose-dependent manner. The haematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Immunofluorescence (IF) staining demonstrated that HJIG ameliorate the shape of penis and induced the protein synthesis of GAP43, NF200, S100, and nNOS. NF200 and S100 level were also detected by western blotting. Moreover, HJIG (0.78 mg/mL) markedly increased SCs viability and promoted neurites regeneration of MPG. These findings provide new insights into the NED therapy by HJIG.

Effect of HongJing I in Treating Erectile Function and Regulating RhoA Pathway in a Rat Model of Bilateral Cavernous Nerve Injury.

HongJing I (HJI), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has been confirmed to be effective for the clinical treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). However, the mechanism of action of HJI remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect and underlying mechanisms of HJI against ED in a rat model of bilateral cavernous nerve injury (BCNI). Rats were divided into five groups: normal control (NC), BCNI-induced ED model (M), M + low-dose HJI (HL), M + medium-dose HJI (HM), and M + high-dose HJI (HH). All groups were treated with normal saline or the relevant drug for 28 consecutive days after inducing BCNI-ED. At the end of the treatment period, the intracavernous pressure (ICP) was recorded, and histological examination was conducted using Masson's trichrome staining. Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting were applied to detect the changes in fibrosis protein and Ras homolog A (RhoA), Rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1), and ROCK2 expression. We found that HJI effectively improved the ICP in the treatment groups. In addition, RhoA, ROCK1, and ROCK2 expression levels were increased upon BCNI-ED induction, and HJI successfully inhibited cavernosum fibrosis and the activation of RhoA/ROCK2 signaling. Overall, these results suggest that the effects of HJI in attenuating ED may be caused, at least in part, by the suppression of RhoA/ROCK2 signaling and alleviation of fibrosis. However, the precise mechanism surrounding this requires further investigation in future studies.

CDH17 alters MMP-2 expression via canonical NF-κB signalling in human gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC), one of the most common cancers of the digestive system, results in high morbidity and mortality, but the molecular mechanisms underlying GC remain largely unknown. Cadherin-17 (CDH17) is a nonclassical member of the cadherin (CDH) superfamily of calcium-dependent proteins. Despite recent advances in the understanding of CDH17 biology, the mechanism of CDH17 in GC proliferation, migration, and invasion has not been extensively studied. In the present study, we observed that CDH17 expression was increased in GC tissues compared with para-carcinoma tissues and was correlated with lymph node metastasis and the AJCC stage. Additionally, a significant correlation was found between CDH17 protein expression and the number of blood and lymph vessels in GC tissues. Furthermore, in vitro suppression of CDH17 expression using short-interfering RNA (siRNA) decreased AGS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Conversely, overexpression of CDH17 through plasmid transfection enhanced the malignant activity of AGS cells. Moreover, CDH17 increased the matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2) levels via the canonical nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway. Our findings offer new insights into the mechanism of the CDH17/NF-κB/MMP-2 axis, and the associated signalling pathways might represent novel targets for the treatment of GC.

[Inhibitory effect of salidroside on H2O2-induced down-regulation of Cx43 expression in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the regulatory effect of salidroside on H2O2-induced decrease in the expression of the connexin43 (Cx43) protein in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMC). METHODS: Rat CCSMCs were isolated, primarily cultured in vitro and identified by immunocytochemical assay. The optimum concentration of H2O2 for intervention was determined by detecting its effect on the viability of the CCSMCs and used in the treatment of the CCSMCs for different lengths of time, and meanwhile salidroside was applied at 16 µg/ml (low dose) or 64 µg/ml (high dose) for intervention. Finally, the expressions of the Cx43 protein in the CCSMCs of different groups of rats were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: The CCSMCs grew normally, with a positive rate of over 90%. At 1, 2 and 4 hours of treatment with H2O2 at the optimum concentration of 200 µmol/L, the expression of Cx43 in the CCSMCs was significantly decreased as compared with that in the blank control group (P < 0.01), even more significantly at 4 hours than at 1 and 2 (P < 0.01). Intervention with high-dose salidroside, however, markedly inhibited the down-regulation of the Cx43 expression (P < 0.05), which showed no statistically significant difference from that in the normal control group (P = 0.322 2). CONCLUSIONS: Salidroside can suppress H2O2-induced decrease in the expression of the Cx43 protein in rat CCSMCs.

Impact of fenofibrate on choroidal neovascularization formation and VEGF-C plus VEGFR-3 in Brown Norway rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the possible role of fenofibrate in inhibiting choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in Brown Norway (BN) rats. METHODS: BN rats underwent binocular retinal laser photocoagulation to induce CNV. On day one, fenofibrate was injected into the vitreous cavity of rats in the control and experimental groups. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), isolectin B4-FITC staining, immunofluorescence staining, qRT-PCR and western blot were performed at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks to observe the morphological changes of CNV and the expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3). RESULTS: CNV with the spontaneous gradual regression and scarring phenomenon appeared in BN rats. In neovascularization, VEGF-C was mainly distributed in the ganglion cell layer, while VEGFR-3 was mainly expressed in the choroid. In the control group, choroidal VEGF-C initially increased, and subsequently decreased, while VEGFR-3 level maintained a constant level after the decrease. Both had a decreasing expression in the retina. The early formation of CNV was significantly weakened in the experimental group, but there was no difference in the later period. VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expression in the choroid and retina were lower than in the control group. Furthermore, VEGFR-3 protein was not expressed in the retina. However, this gradually increased in the early period and declined in the terminal stage in the choroid. CONCLUSION: VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 participated in the laser-induced CNV formation in BN rats. Fenofibrate could inhibit CNV formation.

[henotypic modulation of corporal cavernosum smooth muscle cells and erectile dysfunction: Advances in studies].

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is closely related with the phenotypic modulation of corporal cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMC), a transitional tendency of CCSMCs switching from the contractile phenotype to the synthetic or proliferative phenotype. The molecular markers of contractile CCSMCs include α-SMA, SMMHC, Calponin, Smoothelin, and Desmin, while those of synthetic or proliferative CCSMCs involve Vimentin, Osteopontin, and Collagen I. Current studies show that phenotypic transformation of CCSMCs is related to the pathophysiological processes of different types of ED, such as bilateral cavernous nerve injury-induced ED, diabetes mellitus-associated ED, arterial ED, hypertension-associated ED, and so on. In addition, such external factors as hypoxia, platelet-derived growth factor, and tobacco combustion gas may directly affect rats or CCSMCs and consequently lead to phenotypic conversion of CCSMCs. This article presents a systematic review of the studies on the correlation of phenotypic transition of CCSMCs with ED.

PDGF-mediated PI3K/AKT/ß-catenin signaling regulates gap junctions in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the most common sexual disorder that men report to healthcare providers. Gap junctions (GJs) are thought to be responsible for synchronous shrinkage of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs), and play thus an important role in the maintenance of an erection. Hypoxia has been suggested as a pathological mechanism underlying ED. Here we demonstrate that hypoxia increased the expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and the main GJ component connexin (Cx)43 in CCSMCs. Inhibiting PDGF receptor (PDGFR) activity decreased Cx43 expression. Treatment with different concentrations of PDGF increased the levels of phosphorylated protein kinase B (AKT), ß-catenin, and Cx43, whereas inhibition of PDGFR or activation of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling altered ß-catenin and Cx43 expression. Meanwhile, silencing ß-catenin resulted in the downregulation of Cx43. These results demonstrate that PDGF secretion by CCSMCs and vascular endothelial cells is enhanced under hypoxic conditions, leading to increased Cx43 expression through PI3K/AKT/ß-catenin signaling and ultimately affecting GJ function in ED. Thus, targeting this pathway is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ED.

The Protective Effect of Salidroside on Hypoxia-Induced Corpus Cavernosum Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Transformation.

Salidroside, a major active ingredient isolated from Rhodiola rosea, has a long application in Chinese medical history. It has widely demonstrated effects on fatigue, psychological stress, and depression and exhibits potential antihypoxia activity. Emerging evidence shows that hypoxia is an important independent risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of salidroside on hypoxia-induced phenotypic transformation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs). Our results showed that salidroside decreased the hypoxia-induced expression of collagen and content of vimentin, a corpus cavernosum smooth muscle synthetic protein, in vitro. Simultaneously, salidroside increased expression of the CCSMC contractile proteins, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and desmin. In vivo, similarly, the expressions of collagen and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α were increased in bilateral cavernous neurectomy (BCN) rats while they were decreased in the salidroside group. Among the phenotypic proteins, α-SMA and desmin increased and vimentin decreased after treating BCN rats with salidroside compared with the BCN alone group. Overall, our results demonstrate that salidroside has the ability to oppose hypoxia and can inhibit the CCSMC phenotypic transformation induced by hypoxia. Salidroside may provide a new treatment method for ED.

The platelet-derived growth factor receptor/STAT3 signaling pathway regulates the phenotypic transition of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle in rats.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common clinical disease that is difficult to treat. We previously found that hypoxia modulates the phenotype of primary corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) in rats, but the underlying molecular mechanism is still unknown. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-related signaling pathways are correlated with cell phenotypic transition, but research has been focused more on vascular smooth muscle and tracheal smooth muscle and less on CCSMCs. Here, we investigated the role of PDGFR-related signaling pathways in penile CCSMCs, which were successfully isolated from rats and cultured in vitro. PDGF-BB at 5, 10, or 20 ng/ml altered CCSMC morphology from the original elongated, spindle shape to a broader shape and promoted the synthetic phenotype and expression of the related proteins vimentin and collagen-I, while inhibiting the contractile phenotype and expression of the related proteins smooth muscle (SM) α-actin (α-SMA) and desmin. Inhibition of PDGFR activity via siRNA or the PDGFR inhibitor crenolanib inhibited vimentin and collagen-I expression, increased α-SMA and desmin expression, and considerably inhibited serine-threonine protein kinase (AKT) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation. STAT3 knockdown promoted the contractile phenotype, inhibited vimentin and collagen-I expression, and increased α-SMA and desmin expression, whereas AKT knockdown did not affect phenotype-associated proteins. STAT3 overexpression in CCSMC cells weakened the suppressive effect of PDGFR inhibition on the morphology and phenotypic transformation induced by PDGF-BB. Through activation of the PDGFR/STAT3 signaling pathway, PDGF promoted the synthetic phenotype transition; thus, regulation of this pathway might contribute to ED therapy.

Effects of human limb gestures on galvanic coupling intra-body communication for advanced healthcare system.

BACKGROUND: Intra-Body Communication (IBC), which utilizes the human body as the transmission medium to transmit signal, is a potential communication technique for the physiological data transfer among the sensors of remote healthcare monitoring system, in which the doctors are permitted to remotely access the healthcare data without interrupt to the patients' daily activities. METHODS: This work investigates the effects of human limb gestures including various joint angles, hand gripping force and loading on galvanic coupling IBC channel. The experiment results show that channel gain is significantly influenced by the joint angle (i.e. gain variation 1.09-11.70 dB, p < 0.014). The extension, as well as the appearance of joint in IBC channel increases the channel attenuation. While the other gestures and muscle fatigue have negligible effect (gain variation <0.77 dB, p > 0.793) on IBC channel. Moreover, the change of joint angle on human limb IBC channel causes significant variation in bit error rate (BER) performance. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal the dynamic behavior of galvanic coupling IBC channel, and provide suggestions for practical IBC system design.

[Effect of salidroside on the expression of connexin43 in the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells of hypoxic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of salidroside on the expression of the connexin43 (Cx43) protein in the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) of hypoxic SD rats. METHODS: CCSMCs were cultured in vitro and identified by immunofluorescence staining. The cells were divided into six groups: normal control (21% O2), hypoxia (1% O2), hypoxia+salidroside (HS) 8 µg/ml,HS 16 µg/ml, HS 32 µg/ml, and HS 64 µg/ml, and cultured for 48 hours. Then the relative expression of Cx43 in different groups was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The in vitro cultured CCSMCs grew well and 90% of the cells showed positivity for α-SMA and desmin on immunohistochemistry. Salidroside ≤64 µg/ml produced no obvious toxicity on the CCSMCs. The expressions of Cx43 and phosphorylated proteins were dramatically increased in the hypoxia group as compared with the normal control (P<0.01 and P<0.05). The HS groups all showed significantly higher expression of Cx43 than the hypoxia group (P<0.01), but the phosphorylation rate of the Cx43 proteins was remarkably decreased (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxia increases the expression of Cx43 in the CCSMCs of SD rats. Salidroside ≤64 µg/ml cannot reverse the hypoxia-induced change but can reduce the dephosphorylation of Cx43 in CCSMCs. It is deduced that salidroside can protect CCSMCs by decreasing the phosphorylation of Cx43 and suppressing hypoxia-induced formation of the gap junction channel.

[Chemical constituents from safflower injection and their bioactivity].

The chemical constituents of Safflower injection were isolated and purified by polyamide, silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS column chromatographies and preparative HPLC. As a result, sixteen compounds have been isolated. Based on the spectral data analysis, their structures were elucidated as scutellarin (1), kaempferol-3-O-ß-rutinoside(2), hydroxysafflor yellow A(3), rutin (4), coumalic acid(5), adenosine(6), syringoside(7), (3E)-4-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-3-buten-2-one(8), (8Z)-decaene-4, 6-diyne-1-Oß-D-glucopyranoside(9), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (10), (2E, 8E) -tetradecadiene-4, 6-diyne-1, 12, 14-triol-1-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (11), kaem-pferol-3-O-ß-sophorose (12), uridine (13), roseoside (14), cinnamic acid (15), and kaempferol (16). Compounds 1,2,7,9,11 and 12 were isolated from the Safflower injection for the first time. The anti-platelet aggregation activities of the isolated compounds were assayed. The results indicated all tested compounds exhibited potent activity except for 5, while 2, 3, 9 and 12 showed strong activity against platelet aggregation.