ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the association between serum vaspin levels and the severity of the lower extremity vascular lesions in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.Methods According to the lower extremity artery plaque,stenosis and intima-media membrane thickening severity score,92 cases of T2DM patients were divided into three groups:simple diabetes group (DM1 group) (32 cases),mild diabetic lower limb vascular lesion group (DM2 group) (33 cases),and moderately severe diabetic lower limb vascular lesion group (DM3 group) (27 cases).Twenty-six age-and gender-matched apparently healthy controls (control group) were recruited as well.Systolic blood pressure (SBP),ankle-brachial index (ABI),insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR),and other indicators were determined,serum vaspin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results After adjustment for age and gender,the DM1 group had a significantly higher serum vaspin level than control group (P ＜0.01),while for the DM2 and DM3 groups,serum vaspin levels were significantly lower than the DM1 group (P ＜ 0.01).Partial correlation analysis showed that serum vaspin was inversely associated with HOMA-IR (r =-0.461,P =0.001)and positively correlated with ABI (r =0.462,P =0.001).Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that SBP,ABI and fasting serum vaspin levels were significantly associated with the presence of the lower extremity vascular lesions in type 2 diabetes.Conclusions Serum vaspin levels were significantly elevated in simple type 2 diabetic patients while the reduction of its level might be associated with the formation of lower extremity vascular lesions in type 2 diabetic patients.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Aconitum carmichaeli Debx (ACD) is the tuberous root of Aconium carmicgaekum, used as cardiotonic to restore yang for the treatment of colapse and shock, to warm the kidney and reinforceyang, and to expel cold and promote the flow ofyang-qi. Studies have found that ACD has obviously cardiotonic, antihypertensive, vasodilatory, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and toxic effects. OBJESTIVE: To observe the vasodilatory effects of a water decoction of ACD on rabbit’s aorta rings and its mechanism. METHODS:Rabbits aorta arteries were isolated, pre-contracted with noradrenaline (10-6 mol/L) and their responses to different concentrations of ACD (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 g/L) were investigated. The effects of removal of vascular endothelium and different signaling pathway inhibitors (Nω-nitro-L-arginine: 1×10-4 mol/L, methylene blue: 1×10-5 mol/L, indomethacin: 1×10-5 mol/L, propranolol: 1×10-5 mol/L) on ACD-induced vasodilation were also assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:ACD could not change the resting tension of rabbit aortic rings, but ACD treatment resulted in an obvious relaxation in narodrenaline-precontracted aortic rings and the relaxant effect was dose-dependent. The vasodilatory effect of ACD was significantly reduced by removal of endothelium, 1×10-4 mol/L Nω-nitro-L-arginine and 1×10-5 mol/L methylene blue but not reduced by indomethacin and propranolol. In addition, 4 g/L water decoction of ACD did not decrease the dose-response curves of artery rings to narodrenaline or KCl in the absence of endothelial cels. ACD can relax isolated rabbit’s aorta, which may be related to endothelium-released nitric oxide, but has no significant relevance with receptor-operated and voltage-dependent calcium channels.
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to investigate the effects of some Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) agents on bone resorption and morphometric features of osteoclasts as well as their relationships. TCM ShengGuZaiZaoSan and XianLingGuBao, were used to treat the experimental fracture. Thirty 6-month-old Chinchilla rabbits were used for the establishment of animal models each with a 3 mm bone defect in the middle of left radius as well as of right radius. These models were divided randomly into 3 groups : ShengGuZaiZaoSan Group (Group A), XianLingGuBao groups (Group B) and control-group (Group C). Every group was further divided into 2 subgroups: a former sacrificed group (14 days after operation) and a latter sacrificed group (31 days after operation). After the rabbits being killed, the samples of their undecalcified calli were subjected to the morphometry study of bone resorption and osteoclasts. Group A had more bone resorption, compared with Group B and C. Both Groups A and B exhibited some changed morphometric features of osteoclasts as compared with Group C (P < 0.05). Simple correlation analysis indicated that bone resorption is mainly correlated with osteoclast numbers, and that in individual group, bone resorption is correlated with osteoclast form factor, area and mean photodensity (P < 0.05). These allow us to conclude that ShengGuZaiZaoSan can increase bone resorption and accelerate bone remodeling by increasing osteoclast numbers at the former stage and can enhance osteoclast function at the latter stage. These changes are beneficial to fracture healing.