Effects of vasoconstrictor and endothelium-dependent relaxationagent on thoracic aortic rings of diabetes mice

AIM: To discuss the effects of vasoconstrictor and endothelium-dependent relaxation agent on the thoracic aortic rings in different stages of diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Streptozotocin (STZ, 40 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally to establish diabetic model in C57BL/6J mice. At the 17th, 22nd, 28th week, diabetic and age-matched control mice were sacrificed respectively and the effects of vasoconstrictors: phenylephrine (PE), 60 mmol/L KCl and endothelium-dependent relaxation agent respectively (ACh) were measured in two groups using thoracic aortic rings. RESULTS: The level of fasting plasma glucose concentration 2 weeks after STZ treatment increased higher (≥11.1 mol/L) in STZ-induced diabetic mice than that in age-matched controls, and maintained at this level in entire experiment course. On the contrary, the weight was decreased significantly. The responses of thoracic aortic rings in STZ-induced diabetic mice to PE were increased, unaltered and increased at the 17th, 22nd, 28th weeks, respectively compared to that in age-matched controls. The responses to 60 mmol/L KCl were also increased in all stages. While the responses to ACh were increased, unaltered and decreased at the 17th, 22nd, 28th weeks, respectively compared to that in age-matched controls. CONCLUSION: The responses of thoracic aortic rings to vasoconstrictor enhance in STZ-induced diabetic mice. However, the endothelial functions potentiate initially due to compensation, and then lower exhibiting endothelial damage.     

Study on animal intracorneal implantation model with xenogeneic swine corneal stroma

AIM: To study the immunogenicity and biocompatibility of xenogeneic swine corneal stroma as biological carrier for cornea reconstruction and to reconstruct corneal endothelial tissue with this carrier in vitro. METHODS: (1) The lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of F344 rats were immunologically labeled by anti-rat CD25-FITC and anti-rat CD4/CD8-PE, then determined by flow cytometry (FCM) at 12th， 90th day after intracorneal implantation with fresh and dehydrated swine corneal stroma. (2) The fresh and dehydrated grafts made of swine corneal stroma were implanted intralamellarly in corneas of New Zealand rabbits. Clinical examinations were performed monthly and histological examinations were made at 14th， 30th， 60th， 120th and 240th day. (3) The cat corneal endothelial cells were seeded on the Descemet's membrane of the dehydrated swine corneal stroma, then cultured in the medium with epidermal growth factor and laminin for 7 days. The morphology of reconstructed tissue was tested by microscope. RESULTS: (1) Compared to isograft group and negative control, the expression CD4＋CD25＋， CD8＋CD25＋ and CD4＋/CD8＋ of xenograft rat group implantation with swine corneal stroma did not appear significantly different in statistics (P>0.05). (2) In the total 12 rabbits, all the cornea grafts survived without rejection reaction， corneal haze or corneal neovascularization. The fresh grafts got transparent after 2 months, and the dehydrated grafts got transparent after 6 months. Histological study demonstrated both fresh and dehydrated stroma grafts had fused with rabbits'corneal stroma very well without lymphocytes infiltrating. (3) As shown in histological observations, the reconstructed cat corneal endothelial tissue was similar to the nature tissue. Cultured cat endothelial cells connected tightly to each other and attached to the Descemet's membrane closely. CONCLUSION: Swine corneal stroma has low immunogenicity and satisfying biocompatibility,it is an ideal biological carrier for cornea reconstruction in vitro.     

Association and function study of tumor necrosis factor receptorⅡ position 196 polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus

AIM: To investigate the association of gene polymorphism at position 196 of tumor necrosis factor receptor Ⅱ (TNFRⅡ) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Chinese, and establish recombinant retroviral vector to analyze the function of the TNFRⅡ 196M/R. METHODS: The genotype at position 196 of TNFRⅡ was determined by PCR-RFLP in 106 SLE patients and 119 healthy controls in china. Human TNFRⅡ196M cDNA were amplified by PCR and cloned into PMD18-T vector. Then, PMD18-TNFRⅡ196R was induced by site-directed mutagenesis. The recombinant T vector, PMD18-TNFRⅡ196M and PMD18-TNFRⅡ196R, were subcloned into retroviral vector PLXSN. Both normal and variant were transfected into rat mesangial cell. The effects of TNFα on production of sTNFRⅡ and IL-6 were study by ELISA. RESULTS: (1) The frequency of TNFRⅡ196R allele was significantly higher than those in controls (35.2% vs 14.3%, P<0.05); (2) The recombinant retroviral vector (PLXSN-TNFR 196M and PLXSN-TNFR 196R) was constructed successfully; (3) rhTNFα caused a significant increase in IL-6 production by rat mesangial cells transfected with PLXSN-TNFRⅡ196R than that with TNFRⅡ196M. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that TNFRⅡ196R allele is associated with SLE in the Chinese. TNFRⅡ196R transduces the signals of TNFα more effectively than TNFRⅡ196M, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.     

天水旱作区自然降水生产潜力的适度开发对策

通过10年的定点资料统计,分析了天水旱作地区自然降水生产潜力开发程度、适宜开发程度及可开发程度;并就资源和环境条件对水分生产潜力开发的制约问题进行了讨论,分阶段分层次提出了生产潜力适度开发对策措施。     

Prospective study for prognostic value of serum cystatin C in acute renal failure

AIM: To study the level of serum cystatin C (Cys C) and its prognostic value in acute renal failure (ARF). METHODS: 215 critically ill patients were studied prospectively, and each blood sample was determined daily. Serum creatinine (Scr) was measured by enzymic method. Cys C was detected by particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (PETIA) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated by Cockroft-Gault equation. ARF was diagnosed according to ADQI (RIFLE) criteria. RESULTS: 41 patients developed ARF to some degree, among which 7, 13 and 21 patients fulfilled R-, I-, and FLE-criteria, respectively. 21 were death and 20 survival in total 41 ARF patients. 174 patients without ARF served as controls. In patients with ARF, Cys C was significantly increased than that in patients who did not develop ARF (P<0.01). In different RIFLE criteria of ARF, serum Cys C was linearly correlated with serum creatinine (P<0.01), also ［Cys C］-1 with estimated GFR (P<0.01). When ARF was diagnosed according to serum creatinine increased ≥150%, serum Cys C was demonstrated a highly diagnostic value to detect ARF as indicated by area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC curve of 0.983 (95% confidence interval, 0.960-1.006) (P<0.01). Logistic regression showed serum Cys C and Scr were not independently risk factors for the mortality of ARF (P>0.05). Also ROC analysis demonstrated serum Cys C and Scr had no predicting value of the fatality and survival in ARF (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum Cys C is significantly increased in ARF and correlated well with the severity of ARF. Serum Cys C can be one of the detectable markers of ARF, but it is independent of the mortality and does not predict the prognosis of these patients.     

东莞绿韵生态园害虫天敌调查初报

本文报道了广东东莞绿韵生态园有害昆虫、天敌昆虫10目46科81种。     

Histamine receptor antagonist prevent and ameliorate airway remodeling and acid-base imbalance in asthma of guinea pig

AIM:To investigate the effect of histamine receptor antagonist on airway remodeling and acid-base imbalance in asthma of guinea pig. METHODS:Guinea pigs were divided into 5 groups: the normal control group, the asthma model group, the continued asthma model group, histamine group and histamine receptor antagonist group. For each group, the content of histamine, Na+, Cl-, PaO2, PaCO2, pH, AB, SB in serum, and thickness of airway mucosa and smooth muscle cell layer were measured and compared with each other. RESULTS:(1) According to the content of histamine in serum and thickness of airway mucosa and smooth muscle, the order was: the histamine group>continued asthma model group>the asthma model group>the normal control group (P<0.01), and the histamine receptor antagonist groupthe continued asthma model group (P<0.01), but for PaCO2, the order was conversed. Airway remodeling, increase in histamine in serum, respiratory acidosis and metabolic acidosis in asthmatic guinea pig were observed. Exogenous histamine accentuated the change, however, histamine receptor antagonist attenuated it. CONCLUSION:Histamine may take part in the airway remodeling of asthma. Histamine receptor antagonist can prevent and ameliorate airway remodeling and acid-base imbalance in asthma of guinea pig.     

Caspase 3 inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO attenuates 10-hydroxycamptothecin-induced activation of NF-κB in Bcap37 cells

AIM:To investigate the role of caspase 3 inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO in caspase 3 signaling pathway and NF-κB activation induced by 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) in human breast carcinoma cells. METHODS:The cell growth inhibition was measured by MTT assay. Agarose gel electrophoresis was performed for detecting cell apoptosis. Western blotting was used for determining protein expression. DIG-EMSA was conducted to measure the DNA-binding activation of NF-κB. RESULTS:Caspase 3 inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO attenuated HCPT-induced apoptosis in human breast carcinoma. Ac-DEVD-CHO also suppressed the degradation of caspase 3 and IκBα,and arrested the activation of NF-κB. CONCLUSION:Caspase 3 inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO regulates the activation of caspase 3 and NF-κB,and attenuates apoptosis in Bcap37 cell line induced by HCPT.     

大棚丝瓜长季节栽培密度试验

为充分挖掘丝瓜长季节栽培技术的增产潜力,以品种、密度2个因素进行大棚设施丝瓜长季节栽培高产优质技术与经济效益比较研究。试验结果表明,在种植密度为1 000~3 500株/667 m^2范围内,产量以3 000株/667 m^2最高,经济效益以2 000株/667 m^2(绿王子)、1 500株/667 m^2(三比2号)最好。     

Effect of hypercapnia on lysyl oxidase-dependent collagen cross-linking and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in rat

AIM: To investigate the effect of hypercapnia on hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and the changes of lysyl oxidase (LOX) and extracellular matrix collagen cross-links in the rat. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:normoxia group, hypoxia group, hypercapnia group and hypoxia+hypercapnia group. LOX activity was detected by fluorescence spectrophotometry. LOX protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The mRNA expression of LOX in the pulmonary artery was detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The levels of mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), RV/(LV+S) and WA/TA in hypoxia group were significantly higher than those in normoxia group (P<0.01). Moreover, the levels of mPAP and RV/(LV+S) in hypoxia+hypercapnia group were significantly lower than those in hypoxia group (P<0.01). However, no significant difference of mPAP and RV/(LV+S) between hypercapnia group and normoxia group was observed. In hypoxia group, the collagen cross-links in the lung tissue was significantly higher than that in normoxia group and hypercapnia group (P<0.01). Importantly, collagen cross-links in the lung tissue of hypoxia+hypercapnia group was significantly lower than that in hypoxia group (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in collagen cross-links between hypercapnia group and normoxia group. The expression of LOX at mRNA and protein levels and its activity in the pulmonary arteries of hypoxia group were significantly increased as compared with normoxia group (P<0.01). Furthermore, the expression of LOX at mRNA and protein levels and its activity in the pulmonary arteries in hypoxia+hypercapnia group were lower than those in hypoxia group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Hypoxia not only up-regulates LOX but also promotes collagen cross-linking in the rat lung, which contributes to the development of pulmonary hypertension. Hypercapnia inhibits hypoxia-induced LOX expression and collagen cross-linking, therefore impairing the progress in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.