Allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with myelofibrosis / 中国实用内科杂志

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT) is the only therapy to cure myelofibrosis(MF) at present. This article gives a review on the following problems: who needs allo-SCT, how to choose allo-SCT in the era of ruxolitinib, the role of Ruxolitinib in the transplantation, whether allo-SCT can cure MF, and how to improve the effect of allo-SCT to guide the allo-SCT, in order for MF patients in clinical work.

Garlicin ameliorated pressure overload induced myocardial fibrosis in rats through partial inhibiting TGF-beta1 mediated Smads signal / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe whether garlicin could ameliorate pressure overload induced myocardial fibrosis in rats through partial inhibiting transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) mediated Smads signal.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, i. e., the sham-operation group, the model group, the garlicin group, and the Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) group, 10 in each group. The pressure overload induced myocardial fibrosis rat model was prepared using coarctation of aorta. Three days after modeling 5.0 mg/kg garlicin injection was administered to rats in the garlicin group, 20 mg/kg TMP injection to rats in the TMP group by peritoneal injection, while normal saline was peritoneally injected to rats in the sham-operation group and the model group. Four weeks after medication, the changes of myocardial collagen were observed by picrosirius red staining. The myocardial collagen volume fraction (CVF) and perivascular collagen areas (PVCA) were calculated. The serum transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) expression was detected using ELISA. The TGF-beta1 protein expression in the myocardial tissue was observed using immunohistochemical assay. The changes of myocardial Smad2 and Smad7 mRNA expressions were detected using Real-time RT-PCR. The effects of garlicin on TGF-beta1 mediated Smad Signaling through luciferase assay were further verified using Mv1 Lu-(CAGA) 12-Luc cell line response to TGF-beta1.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the sham-operation group, the myocardial levels of CVF and PVCA, the serum TGF-beta1 level, and the TGF-beta1 protein expression in the myocardial tissue obviously increased in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the PVCA level, the serum TGF-beta1 level, and the TGF-beta1 protein expression in the myocardial tissue of the garlicin group and the TMP group obviously decreased (P < 0.05, P 0O 01). The Smad2 mRNA expression was up-regulated while Smad7 mRNA expression down-regulated in the model group. The Smad2 mRNA expression was obviously down-regulated in the garlicin group and the TMP group (P < 0.05). The Smad7 mRNA expression was obviously up-regulated in the TMP group (P > 0.05). One to 2 microg/mL garlicin could obviously inhibit the luciferase activities of corresponding TGF-beta1, under the stimulation of 2 ng/mL TGF-beta1 (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Garlicin ameliorated pressure overload induced myocardial fibrosis in rats through partial inhibiting TGF-beta-Smads signal pathway.</p>

Effect of Pingtang recipe containing drug-serum on INS-1 pancreatic beta cells lipoapoptosis / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect and mechanism of Pingtang Recipe containing drug-serum (DS-PTR) in improving INS-1 beta pancreatic cells lipoapoptosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Experimental INS-1 beta cells were divided into 5 groups (6 pools for each group), namely, the blank control group treated with rat's serum (C), the other 4 model groups induced into lipoapoptosis by palmitic acid and treated respectively by rat's serum (M), high, middle and low dose DS-PTR (DSh, DSm and DSI). Cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining; Caspase-3 activity of cells was measured by chemiluminescence method; intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by DCHF-DA incorporation, and expressions of uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2) was determined by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>INS-1 beta cell apoptosis in Group M was significantly higher than that in Group C (P < 0.01), while that showed a decreased trend in the three DS-PTR treated groups. Caspase-3 activity was enhanced in Group M, it decreased significantly in Group DSm (P < 0.05). The over-produced ROS in cells after modeling was inhibited in Groups DSm and DSI (P < 0.05), meantime, expression of UCP-2 excited by PA (2.244 +/- 0.421) was reduced significantly in Group DSI and Group DSm to 1.286 +/- 0.373 (P < 0.01) and 1.627 +/- 0.348 (P < 0.05) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DS-PTR shows a protective effect on INS-1 beta pancrentic cells against lipoapoptosis, which is possibly play its mechanism through regulating ROS and UCP-2.</p>

Effects of garlicin on NIH3T3 cell proliferation and collagen synthesis / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of garlicin on fibroblasts proliferation and type I collagen synthesis and explore its anti-fibrosis mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Garlicin was added into the culture fluid of NIH3T3 cell, taking Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae as the control medicine. The spiking of H3-thymidine DNA was detected, also the hydroxyproline (HOP) concentration in the culture fluid by alkali digestion method and the protein expression of type I collagen in NIH3T3 cells by immunofluorescent staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The NIH3T3 cell growth and proliferation rate were obviously reduced after garlicin treatment concentration-dependently in range of 0.2 - 5 microg/mL; HOP level and protein expression of type I collagen also lowered.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Garlicin could inhibit NIH3T3 cell proliferation, reduce the synthesis and protein expression of type I collagen so as to exert the anti-fibrosis effect.</p>

Progress in integrative Chinese and Western medicine study on prevention and treatment of myocardial fibrosis / 中国中西医结合杂志

Myocardial fibrosis is an inevitable process of many heart diseases, such as coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, etc. in development from earlier period to terminal stage. To prevent or reverse the process of fibrosis is one of the most important approaches to retard the occurrence of heart failure and reduce the accidence of arrhythmia. In traditional Chinese medicine myocardial fibrosis belongs to the category of "Xinbi". Studies on the occurrence and regulation of myocardial fibrosis, and its treatment by using integrative Chinese and Western medicine or by Chinese drugs singly and their components were reviewed in this paper.