Progress in roles of sex hormones in acute mountain sickness / 军事医学

Acute mountain sickness ( AMS) is defined as the syndromes which are induced by hypobaric hypoxia within a few hours or days of acute exposure to >2500 m or ascent to a higher altitude than residence .AMS poses a threat to the health and work capability of workers and tourists , as more people enter Tibet and other plateau areas in China .It is known that the incidence of AMS is higher among males and youths than among females , elders and children .The development of AMS is considered to be influenced by the level of sex hormones .Thus, there is the need to find more about the pathogene-sis, pathophysiology of AMS in order to treat and prevention of AMS by studying the relationship between sex hormones and AMS.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene transfection enhances anti-proliferative effect of EPCs on injured artery / 中国介入心脏病学杂志

Objective To study the effects of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene transfection on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) transplantation in the process of injured vascular endothelium repair. Methods EPCs were cultured and expanded in vitro. EPCs were transduced with pseudotyped retroviral vectors expressing eNOS gene (pMCV-eNOS-EPCs) or green fluorescent protein gene (pMCV-GFP-EPCs). EPCs with expressing eNOS, GFP or saline were injected respectively into rat injured artery model by tail vein injection after balloon injury and again 24 hours. 14 days after transplantation. eNOS expression in injured artery was detected by RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemical methods. The morphology of arterial intima and media was studied by optical microscopy and image analysis system. Results Compared with GFP-EPCs group and control group, the mRNA and protein of eNOS were obviously high expressed in eNOS-EPCs group. EPCs transplantation reduce lumen stenosis and inhibit neointimalhyperplasia (eNOS-EPCs group vs.control group, 0.58±0.05 vs. 1.56±0.21, P < 0.01;GFP-EPCs group vs. control group, 0.84±0.09 vs.1.56±0.21, P < 0.05). eNOS gene transfection could further enhance this anti-proliferative effects (eNOS-EPCs group vs. GFP-EPCsgroup,0.58±0.05 vs. 0.84±0.09, P < 0.05). Furthermore, eNOS modified EPCs could improve the endothelial function of injured vascular endothelium. Conclusions eNOS gene transfection could increase the anti-proliferative effect of EPCs transplantation on injured artery and obviously ameliorate endothelial function.