Effects of controllable dynamic inhaled exposure of moxa smoke on LDL-r, ICAM-1 and morphology of heart tissue in rats / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the change of lipid metabolism and vascular endothelium as well as morphology of heart tissue in rats who were long-time exposed to moxa smoke with different concentrations in order to provide reference for safety assessment of moxa smoke on cardiovascular system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and sixty-eighty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group, a low-concentration group, a median-concentration group and a high-concentration group, 42 rats in each one. The rats were exposed to moxa smoke with concentration of 0%, 10%, 40% and 70%, respectively, for 20 min per day. After continuous intervention for six months, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to measure the level of low density lipoprotein-receptor (LDL-r) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in blood serum in each group; the slices of heart tissue were stained with hematoxylin-eosin staining method to observe morphology change of heart tissue.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) After the intervention of moxa smoke, the levels of LDL-r and ICAM-1 in the low-concentration group were not statistically different from those in the control group (both P > 0.05); the level of LDL-r in the median-concentration group was significantly increased, which was statistically different from that in the control group [(3.87 +/- 0.27) mg/mL vs (2.12 +/- 0.13) mg/mL, P < 0.01], however, the content of ICAM-1 was not obviously changed; although the level of LDL-r in the high-concentration group was presented with an escalating trend, it was not statistically different from that in the control group (P > 0.05) while the level of ICAM-1 was obviously increased (P < 0.01). (2) Under the light microscope, the abnormalities of cardiac muscle fibers and myocardial cell in each group were not been observed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The long-time intervention of low-concentration moxa smoke has no significant effects on lipid metabolism and vascular endothelium of rats, indicating that clinical application of low-concentration moxa smoke is relatively safe. The long-time intervention of moderate-concentration moxa smoke could significantly increase the clearance rate of cholesterol, implying the beneficial regulation of moxa smoke on lipid metabolism. The high-concentration moxa smoke could induce certain damage to vascular endothelium but its mechanism is in need of further research. The pathologic change of heart tissue could not be induced by moxa smoke with any concentration.</p>

Effects of long-term intervention of moxa smoke on T lymphocyte subsets and CD4+ CD25+ Treg in peripheral blood of Wistar rats / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the cellular immune regulation of the long-term intervention of moxa smoke.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a low concentration group, a medium concentration group and a high concentration group, 8 cases in each group. In addition to the blank group, rats in the other groups were exposed to the corresponding concentration moxa smoke for 20 min every day, the T lymphocyte subsets and proportion of the CD4+ CD25+ Treg in CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood were tested by flow cytometry after 6 months.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank group, the proportions of CD3+ CD4+, CD3+ CD8+ T cells and CD3+ CD4/CD3+ CD8+ in the other 3 moxa smoke groups were not significantly different (P > 0.05), while the proportions of the CD4+ CD25+ Treg in CD4+ T cells were significantly lower (P < 0.05), but no statistically significant differences among those 3 moxa smoke intervention groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Long-term moxa smoke intervention has no significant effect on the proportions of CD3+ CD4+, CD3+ CD8+ T cells and CD3+ CD4+/CD3+ CD8+, but it can decrease the proportions of the CD4+ CD25+ Treg in CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood of rats. The way produced by pretreatment with moxa smoke may play immunomodulatory effect.</p>

Thrombin promotes human lung fibroblasts to proliferate via NADPH oxidase/reactive oxygen species/extracellular regulated kinase signaling pathway / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Thrombin is a multifunctional serine protease that plays a crucial role in hemostasis following tissue injury. In addition to its procoagulation effect, thrombin is also a potent mesenchymal cell mitogen, therefore it plays important roles in the local proliferation of mesenchymal cells in the tissue repair process. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can induce some human cells to proliferate at lower rates while at higher concentrations they promote cells to undergo apoptosis or necrosis. Accumulative evidence suggests that thrombin can induce some cells to produce ROS. Based on these observations, we provide a hypothesis that thrombin can stimulate human lung fibroblasts to produce ROS, which play an important role in human lung fibroblast proliferation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>ROS were detected in fibroblasts at 30 minutes and 60 minutes following thrombin (20 U/ml) exposure using flow cytometry. The ratio of reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) was assayed in lung fibroblasts using a commercial kit following treatment with thrombin at different concentrations. NADPH oxidase and the extracellular regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway were detected by Western blotting after thrombin stimulation to lung fibroblasts.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thrombin, at 20 U/ml, stimulated human lung fibroblasts (HLF) to generate ROS in a time dependent manner. The ratio of GSH/GSSG in fibroblasts treated with thrombin showed a significant decrease. NADPH oxidase was activated and the ERK1/2 signal pathway was involved in the proliferation process of fibroblasts treated with thrombin.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The activation of NADPH oxidase by thrombin leads to the production of ROS, which promotes fibroblasts proliferation via activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.</p>

Development of a high-throughput suspension microarray technology for detection of three kinds of veterinary drug residues: chloramphenicol, clenbuterol and 17-beta-estradiol / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a novel suspension microarray technology for the detection of three kinds of veterinary drug residues: chloramphenicol, clenbuterol and 17-beta-estradiol (CAP, CL and E2).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The three conjugates that veterinary drug coupled with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were synthesized and identified by ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry and mass spectrum. The veterinary drug conjugates were immobilized on the polystyrene fluorescent microspheres/beads. There were competitive reactions between the veterinary drugs in the aqueous phase and that on the beads for combination with their specific biotinylated monoclonal antibodies. The optimum amount of the veterinary drug conjugates and the antibodies were optimized and selected. The detective standard curves were plotted. The specificity and the unknown samples were also determined by grouping according to different concentrations of the interferes and the samples. Meantime, the different microstructures of the surfaces of the beads were also observed by scanning electron microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Couplings were completed between small molecular veterinary drugs and BSA. The amounts of the three conjugates and the antibodies were optimized. The detective standard curves of the suspension array and their corresponding coefficients of determination (R2) were good (R2 > 0.99). The detection ranges of the three veterinary drugs were (40.00 - 6.25) x 10(5) ng/L, (50.00-7.81) x 10(5) ng/L and 1.00 x 10(3) - 7.29 x 10(5) ng/L respectively. Simultaneously, the specific detection of the suspension microarray was excellent and did not indicate significant cross-reactions. Errors between the found and the real are in the range of 8.09% - 17.03%. It can be considered that the relative standard deviations were relatively small. Successful couplings were also directly confirmed by the observation for microstructures of the surfaces of the beads by scanning of electron microscope and laid good foundation for the following responses.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The high-throughput suspension microarray should provide a novel method for multi-analysis of the veterinary drugs and have a wide applicative prospects with simple operation, sensitive, rapid and low cost.</p>