Cell proliferation and nestin expression in cortex and SEZ of MCAO rats

AIM:To explore the effect of brain ischemia injury on cell proliferation and nestin expression in cortex and subependymal zone (SEZ).METHODS:Using a local brain ischemia model(MCAO), BrdU positive cells of cortex and subependymal zone (SEZ), also nestin positive cells, were observed by immunohistochemistry.RESULTS:BrdU and nestin positive cells in SEZ of MCAO rats were obviously increased. In cortex, only nestin positive cells were observed.CONCLUSION:Neural stem cells in SEZ and cortex were activated after brain ischemia, it may be related with neural recovery after brain ischemia injury.     

Biological characteristics of long passaging rat mesenchymal stem cells

AIM:To investigate multi-potential of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMMSC) and mutation inclination, the rBMMSC were long passaged in vitro. METHODS:Cellular cycles of different passages were assayed by FACSan flow cytometry and karyotypes of passage 6, passage 25 and passage 45 were compared by G-binding analysis. RESULTS:The early passages and long-term passages all showed strong proliferation; passage 6, passage 25 and passage 45 all showed normal karyotype. CONCLUSION:Long-term culture and passage of rBMMSC still remains strong proliferation. With this capability, the mutation inclination is not enhanced.     

Effects of FK506 on anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis in rats

AIM:To investigate the effects of FK506 on anti-glomerular basement membrane(GBM) nephritis in rats. METHODS: Anti-GBM nephritis model was elaborated by rabbit anti-rat GBM antibody injection in SD rats in this study. The rats were divided into three groups: FK506 treated group(0.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1, sc), untreated nephritis control group and normal control group. FK506 was administered daily six hours after injection of anti-GBM IgG. All the rats were observed urinary protein at the 4th day, the 14th day and the 21st day. At the same time, the kidney specimens were collected, and T cell transforming function was also monitored.RESULTS:Rats injected with rabbit anti-GBM Ab developed heavy proteinuria by 4 days, and serum creatinine and serum urea appeared which kept on the rising. Glmerular hypercellularity, crescents, and protein casts were observed in nephritic rats. By electron microscopy, the thickening of GBM and loss of foot processes were seen. T cell transforming function was higher than normal. But, all pathological changes obviously turned for the better in FK506 treated group. CONCLUSION:FK506 could inhibit the progression of rat anti-GBM nephritis.     

A reactive pattern of ischemia-induced nestin protein in the rat brain

AIM:To explore the expressive profile of nestin protein in the focal ischemic brain and to study the recovery mechanism of brain focal infarct.METHODS:Cellular morphology,time-course and distribution pattern of nestin positive response were immunohistochemically examined in different brain regions of 36 adult male SD rats. RESULTS:Nestin positive response of different brain regions in sham operated rats was present in small- and micro-vasculartures and the third ventricle bottom and ependyma. A large number of nestin positive cells were detected in ischemic brain, and were more remarkable in the cortical areas of parietal lobe and preoptic area as well as ischemic caudoputamen. Stellate nestin positive cells were located in the deep layer of ischemic cortex, but fibrillary cells were located in the shallow layer. Nestin positive cells in the ischemic caudoputamen showed the same changes of morphology as those cells in the deep layer of ischemic cortex. Morphological and number alterations of nestin positive cells were the most remarkable at 1 weeks post-ischemia, which showed more hypertrophy and proliferation in morphology, and a marked increase in number was present in the ischemic cerebral cortex and the ischemic caudoputamen. These alterations of nestin positive cells persisted up to 6 weeks post-ischemia, and then, the nestin positive response in the ischemic brain decreased gradually.CONCLUSION:Focal cerebral ischemia induces nestin re-expression on reactive astrocytes, which may be very important to the self-recovery of cerebral infarct.     

Effect of YIGU capsule on IGF-I mRNA and protein expression in rat osteoblasts in vitro

AIM: The effects of YIGU capsule on proliferation and IGF-I mRNA protein expressions in osteoblasts were studied. METHODS: (1) Forty 12-month old Sprague-Dawley female rats were divided randomly into four groups (YIGU capsule high dose group, medium dose group and low dose group; saline group), the drug-containing serum and control serum were prepared. (2) The new-born Sprague-Dawley rat osteoblasts were cultured with different YIGU capsule drug-containing serum at different concentrations and different exposure time. MTT method was used to observe proliferation of osteoblasts. (3) RT-PCR method was used to measure the relative IGF-I mRNA levels and ELISA method was used to measure IGF-I secretion at different exposure time. (4) ELISA method was used to measure IGF-I secretion at different exposure time. RESULTS: (1) Proliferation of osteoblasts was more than the control groups after 48, 72 and 96 h, respectively (P<0.01); (2) The relative IGF-I mRNA levels and IGF-I protein expression were higher than those in control group after 48, 72 and 96 h, respectively (P<0.01 or P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was suggested that YIGU capsule drug-containing serum promoted proliferation, IGF-I mRNA and protein expression. These results may be parts of the mechanisms of YIGU capsule to prevent and treat osteoporosis.     

Effect of atrial natriuretic peptide on acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide

AIM: To investigate effect of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rat. METHODS: Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was recorded with model 6280 physiology intelligentialize grapher, nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin (ET) concentrations in plasma were measured after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or following LPS ,ANP was injected into vein in rats. After experiment,lung water as well as pulmonary histopathological changes was measured and observed, respectively. RESULTS: Administration of LPS elicited a persistence decrease in MAP (8.1 kPa±2.6 kPa,at 4 h,P<0.01 vs control); NO and ET concentration in plasma was evident higher than that in control group, respectively (P<0.01); Wet-dry ratio of lung was higher than that in control group (5.15±0.43,at 4 h) (P<0.05); Alveolus detelectasis was observed and pulmonary mesenchyme was thicker than that in control group. No erythrocyte and leukocytes in alveolus,which show an interstitial pulmonary edema, was observed in LPS+ANP group, ANP maintained MAP at higher levels (13.35 kPa±2.93 kPa, at 4 h, P<0.05 vs LPS) after an transient decline when LPS was injected; NO and ET concentration of plasma had all significantly decrease, respectively (P<0.05 vs LPS, at 4 h); Wet-dry ratio of lung was lower than LPS group (4.57±0.35, P<0.05). Compared with control group the ratio was not evident difference (P>0.05); The histopathological of lung displayed markedly improved. CONCLUSION: ANP attenuates ALI induced by LPS in the rat. The effect of ANP may be via decreasing secretion of ET,NO and regulation arterial blood pressure.     

Mitochondrial DNA deletion of the brain tissue of aged rats with learning and memory deficit

AIM and METHODS: The ratio of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion was measured to find the relationship between mtDNA deletion and aged learning and memory deficit. The aged rats were divided into two groups, aged learning and memory deficit group and aged learning and memory normal group. The ratio of mtDNA deletion was measured by dilution polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: There are deleted mtDNA (about 4834 bp) in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of both young and aged rats. The ratios of deleted mtDNA were similar in the cerebral cortex,hippocampus and cerebellum of young rats (about 0.00018%). The ratio mtDNA of aged learning and memory normal rats had increased by five-fold in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, or one-fold in the cerebellum over young rats. The ratio of aged learning and memory dificit rats had increased by one-fold in the cerebral cortex or 0.8-fold in the hippocampus or two-fold in the cerebellum over aged learning and memory normal rats.CONCLUSIONS: There was really the increase of mtDNA in aging rat brain. And this increase was double in amount in aged learning and memory deficit rats compared to the normal learning and memory aged rats. It is suggested that the mtDNA deletions in the brain regions associated with learning and memory may be contributed to the cellular and molecular mechanism of learning and memory deicit with aged rats.     

Change of synapsins in hippocampal formation during spacial learning and memory in rats

AIM and METHODS: The immunohistochemical method was used to study the on synapsin express in hippocampal formation during spatial learning and memory in rats.RESULTS: (1) In control group there are diffuse brown granules without any obvious granular product in hippocampal formation and in model group there are synapsin products in the hippocampal formation ,especially in the subregion CA3 , CA4 and the dentate gyrus after water maze trained for one week. After two weeks water maze trained the hippocampal formation appear the same distribution of the product granules with darker staining. (2) The light dendity of synapsin products between the model and the control groups showed significant differences, that in the model group was highter than that in the control group (P＜0.05). The light dendity of synapsin products increased with the training time from the first week to the second week in the model group. And there is no increase with the training time from the second week to the third week . The light dendity is higher in the CA3, CA4 subregion and the dentate gyrus than the CA1 and CA2 subregion (P＜0.05).CONCLUSIONS: (1) As mentioned above, it is believed that the new synapes are formed in the hippocampal formation of the rat by spacial learning and memory training. (2) The CA3, CA4 subregion and the dentate gyrus are correlated with the spacial learning and memory.     

Inducible nitric oxide synthase and arterial pressure regulation

AIM and METHODS:To clarify the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the regulation of blood pressure,in the present study, we examined the effect of aminoguanidine (AG), a selective inhibitor of iNOS on the hemodinamical response of Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and Dahl salt-resistant (DR) rats to low (0.3%) or high (8%) sodium chloride (NaCl) infusion by chronical in vivo hemodynamic experiment, and the effect of NaCl or NaCl plus AG infusion on urinary nitrate (NO₃)/nitrite (NO₂), the end product of nitric oxide (NO), excretion by Greiss Reaction. Furthermore, NOS activity assay was also carried out to probe the effect of NaCl and AG on calcium-dependent or independent NOS activity in renal tissue. RESULTS:1. High or low NaCl-infused DR rats and low NaCl-infused DS rats have no hemodinamical response to AG, however, the hypertensive effect of high NaCl (8%) infusion on DS rats were greatly amplified by co-infusion of AG. 2. Administration of high NaCl significantly elevated the iNOS activity of renal tissue, and greatly increased urinary NO₃/NO₂ excretion. CONCLUSION:Inducible NOS is an important modulator of arterial pressure, especially in case of higher blood pressure.