Effects of hydrogen sulfide on myocardial fibrosis and MAPK1/3 and MMP-8 expression in diabetic rats / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) on myocardial fibrosis and expressions of MAPK1/3 and MMP-8 in diabetic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty adult male SD rats were randomized into 4 groups, namely the control group, diabetes mellitus group (STZ group), diabetes mellitus with H(2)S treatment group (STZ+H(2)S group), and normal rats with H(2)S treatment group (H(2)S group). Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injections of 40 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). The rats in the control group received daily intraperitoneal injections of saline, and those in STZ+H(2)S group and H(2)S group were given NaHS (100 µmol/kg) injections. After 8 weeks, the pathologies of cardiac fibrosis were examined with HE staining, and the expressions of collagen I, MAPK1/3 and MMP-8 were analyzed with Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the diabetic rats showed increased collagen content and obvious interstitial fibrosis in the myocardial tissue with significantly increased expression levels of collagen I, MAPK1/3 and MMP-8 (P<0.05); all these changes were obviously reversed by treatment with H(2)S (P<0.05). Collagen I, MAPK1/3 and MMP-8 expression levels and the degree of myocardial fibrosis were comparable between H(2)S group and control group (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Hydrogen sulfide can attenuate cardiac fibrosis in diabetic rats, and the mechanism may involve the inhibition of MAPK1/3/MMP-8 signal pathway.</p>

Uterine involution after cesarean section promoted with acupuncture: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect and feasibility of acupuncture in uterine involution after cesarean section.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy cases of cesarean section in primipara were randomized into an observation group (33 cases) and a control group (37 cases). In the control group, the conventional treatment was adopted after cesarean section. In the observation group, on the basic treatment as the control group, acupuncture was applied at Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Hegu (LI 4), Qihai (CV 6) and Guanyuan (CV 4). In 2 h after operation, acupuncture started, once a day, continuously for five times. The daily height of uterine fundus, daily uterine fundus decreasing degree, postpartum blood loss, lochia duration and ultrasonic B test in 42 days of postpartum were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The therapeutic methods of the two groups all promoted uterine contraction. The postpartum height of uterine fundus in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (all P<0.05) and the uterine fundus decreasing degree was higher than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The blood loss in 2 h, 6 to 12 h and 24 to 48 h of postpartum was less than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The lochia duration in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture promotes uterine contraction, reduces postpartum blood loss and lochia duration and benefits uterine involution after cesarean section.</p>