Urotensin II and urantide exert opposite effects on the cellular components of atherosclerotic plaque in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

Increasing levels of plasma urotensin II (UII) are positively associated with atherosclerosis. In this study we investigated the role of macrophage-secreted UII in atherosclerosis progression, and evaluated the therapeutic value of urantide, a potent competitive UII receptor antagonist, in atherosclerosis treatment. Macrophage-specific human UII-transgenic rabbits and their nontransgenic littermates were fed a high cholesterol diet for 16 weeks to induce atherosclerosis. Immunohistochemical staining of the cellular components (macrophages and smooth muscle cells) of aortic atherosclerotic lesions revealed a significant increase (52%) in the macrophage-positive area in only male transgenic rabbits compared with that in the nontransgenic littermates. However, both male and female transgenic rabbits showed a significant decrease (45% in males and 31% in females) in the smooth muscle cell-positive area compared with that of their control littermates. The effects of macrophage-secreted UII on the plaque cellular components were independent of plasma lipid level. Meanwhile the wild-type rabbits were continuously subcutaneously infused with urantide (5.4 µg· kg-1· h-1) using osmotic mini-pumps. Infusion of urantide exerted effects opposite to those caused by UII, as it significantly decreased the macrophage-positive area in male wild-type rabbits compared with that of control rabbits. In cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells, treatment with UII dose-dependently increased the expression of the adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, and this effect was partially reversed by urantide. The current study provides direct evidence that macrophage-secreted UII plays a key role in atherogenesis. Targeting UII with urantide may promote plaque stability by decreasing macrophage-derived foam cell formation, which is an indicator of unstable plaque.

[Investigation on pinworm infection and relative factors on prevalence among urban and rural preschool children in Xianyang City].

A total of Eight hundred eighty-six children from 3 to 7 years old in 8 kindergartens were sampled in urban and rural area in Xianyang City from March to May 2012. The cellophane tape swab technique was used to examine pinworm eggs. Children's hygiene habits, clinical symptoms and hygienic condition were surveyed by questionnairing. The total infection rate of pinworm was 11.2% (99/886). The rate in males and females was 10.4% (52/500) and 12.2% (47/386), respectively. The infection rate in rural kindergartens (19.1%, 70/367) was higher than that of urban kindergartens (5.6%, 29/519) (chi2 = 39.39, P < 0.01). Among the investigated children aged 3-7 years, the infection rate in 4-5 years group (12.7%) was the highest, but no statistical difference was found among age groups (P> 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the hygiene habits such as washing hands before eating (OR = 0.180), drinking unboiled water and eating non-cooked food (OR = 2.473), cleaning perianal region frequently (OR = 0.836), cutting nails frequently (OR = 0.450), drying the quilt regularly (OR = 0.224) and health education (OR = 0.639) were the influence factors on pinworm infection. The main symptoms of pinworm infection include pruritus and bruxism.

[Optimization for preparation technology of shangke jiefu lotion by orthogonal test].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the preparation technology of Shangke Jiefu lotion. METHODS: The extraction process was optimized by orthogonal test, with water addition, extraction times and time used for extraction as factors of investigation. In refined process test, alcohol precipitation concentration, time, and the relative density of extract were studied. Each factor had three levels. The content of sophorcarpidine and the yield of dry extract were used as the evaluation indexes. The content of sophorcarpidine was determined by HPLC, and dry extract rates were determined by drying method. RESULTS: The best extraction condition was as follows: the amount of water was 10 times of the medicinal materials, the decoction duration was 2 h and for 3 times. The optimum purification process was: alcohol precipitation concentration was 50%, time was 15 hours, relative density of extract was 1.05 g/mL. CONCLUSION: The optimized preparation technology of Shangke Jiefu lotion is stable, feasible and convenient. It provides a theoretical basis for standardized production.

[Study on the flax seed enzymatic degumming process by central composite design and response surface method].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize extraction condition of degumming from flax seed by the response surface method. METHODS: The central composite design-response surface method selected the best technology and forecasting analysis with the ratio of material to liquid, sodium chloride dosage, soaks time as the independent variable and flax seed dry rubber weight for the dependent variable, through to the level of the independent variable multiple linear regression and binomial fitting. RESULTS: The optimum process condition was as follows: ratio of liquid to materials was 37:1, sodium chloride dosage was 2 g, soaks time was 120 min. CONCLUSION: The method is simple, reasonable, stable and predictability.

[Preliminary study on etiology of Budd-Chiari syndrome through clinic and experiment].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the etiology of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) preliminarily. METHODS: The clinical findings of radical surgery of 109 cases with BCS from March 2001 to May 2009 were analyzed. The pathological components of membranous tissue (MT) from inferior vena cava (IVC) or hepatic vein (HV) of BCS patients were compared with that of thrombus from deep venous thrombosis (DVT), as well as the expression of transforming growth factor beta receptor (TGF-beta R), platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), endothelin (ET-1), factor VIII related antigen (FVIII-rAg), ferritin and alpha1-antitrypsin in MTs and thrombus through immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: One hundred and four cases of BCS were due to IVC and/or HV membrane or thrombosis except that 4 cases due to IVC tumor or 1 case due to compression of fiber. The new-formed IVC membrane was found in 2 recurred cases whose IVC thrombus was excised before 1 year and 7 years. The development from organized thrombus to MT was found in 3 cases of segmental obstruction of IVC. The IVC membrane located below HV outlet was in 8 cases. Both MTs and thrombus had the pathological components such as fibroblast, neutrophil, granulation tissue, newly-formed blood vessels and so on under the light microscope. The expressions of TGF-beta R, PDGFR, ET-1, FVIII-rAg, and ferritin in MTs and thrombus were as follows: MT 72.3%, thrombus 50.0% (P > 0.05); MT 45.5%, thrombus 100% (P < 0.05); MT 100%, thrombus 0 (P < 0.05); MT 90.9%, thrombus 12.5% (P < 0.05); MT 72.3%, thrombus 100% (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The membranous tissues and thrombus have the similar homogeneity and cytokines expression. The membrane and thrombus may be different pathological phases.

[The pilot study of the effect of paclitaxel by local slow delivery on intimal hyperplasia of vascular anastomosis after vascular graft bypass].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a new way to prevent restenosis in the anastomotic site due to intimal hyperplasia after vascular graft bypass (VGB) in peripheral arteries. METHODS: Five mongrel dogs received bilateral iliac-femoral VGB and their arteries between the graft were ligated and cut off under general anaesthesia. The mixture of the paclitaxel and fibrin gel (FG) were randomly sprayed onto one side of grafts including distal and proximal anastomotic site, and the fibrin gel served as control were sprayed onto the other one. The bilateral grafts including distal and proximal anastomotic site were harvested four weeks postoperationally and the anastomotic sites were observed grossly, pathologically and by electron microscopy. The intimal thickness and area of each anastomotic site were measured, then the data were analysed statistically. RESULTS: The bilateral grafts of all dogs were patent and the neointima of all anastomotic sites have been seen grossly. The neointimal thickness and area of the experimental side were significantly reduced compared with the control side (P < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy showed that the anastomotic intima of the experimental side was covered with one layer of intact and regular endothelium cells with deposition of little blood components, but the anastomotic intima of the control side was covered with irregular endothelium cells and deposited with a lot of blood cells and fibrins. Transmission electron microscopy showed the anastomotic intima of the control side that rich in vascular smooth muscle cells and the matrix of the intima was composed of regular collagenous fibers, and that of the experimental side consisted of several types of cells with a lot of foreign particles in the matrix. CONCLUSION: It is safe and effective to locally use low dose of paclitaxel carried by FG in the prevention of vascular anastomotic site intimal hyperplasia. Paclitaxel molecules can penetrate the graft wall and stay in the anastomotic intima more than four weeks postoperationally.