Effect of adrenomedullin on renal arteriole remodeling in spontaneous hypertensive rats / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of adrenomedullin (ADM) on renal arteriole remodeling and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male SHR (4 weeks old) were randomized into hypertensive group (SHR) and ADM-treated group (ADM) to receive subcutaneous saline and ADM injections (daily dose of 1.0 nmol/kg, 5 days a week), respectively, with age-matched Wistar-Kyota (WKY) rats as the blank control. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at the end of each week, and histological changes of the renal arterioles were observed using HE and Weigert staining; the expression of P-ERK1/2 in the arterioles was detected with immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 16 and 24 weeks of age, the rats in both SHR and ADM groups showed significantly higher SBP levels than WKY rats (P<0.05), and at 24 weeks, SBP was significantly lower in ADM group than in SHR group (P<0.05). The intima thickness/lumen diameter (IT/LD) ratio of the renal arterioles increased in both SHR and ADM groups at 16 and 24 weeks as compared with that of WKY rats (P<0.05), and for arterioles with an outer diameter <40 µm, the IT/LD ratio was significantly lower at 24 weeks in ADM group than in SHR group (P<0.05). The renal expression of p-ERK1/2, which increased significantly in SHR and ADM groups at 16 and 24 weeks (P<0.05), was significantly lower in ADM group than in SHR group at 24 weeks (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Long-term ADM treatment can control SPB elevation in SHR rats and reduce renal arteriole remodeling by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2.</p>

A Relevant Research on Facial Skin Conditions of Chinese Urban Females and TCM Constitutional Types / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To study the relationship between facial skin conditions and TCM constitutional types; To provide new means and methods for guidance of skin conservation and skin health improvement from the aspect of constitutional types. Methods Totally 2241 female volunteers in nine provincial capital cities and municipalities participated in this research, and were investigated by web questionnaire. Constitutional types were determined according to the“Classification and Judgment of TCM Constitutional Types”standard issued by China Association of Chinese Medicine. Skin color, glossiness, delicate degree, moistness, firmness, resilience, uniformity and other indicators were scored. Skin conditions were classified into three groups:1-3 score group, 4-6 score group, and 7-9 score group, and the constitutional differences among each group were compared. Results Yang-deficiency and mild constitutional types accounted for the largest proportion. Yellowish skin color accounted for the largest proportion, and the next were white, dark and reddish. Yang-deficiency constitutional type accounted for the largest proportion in 1-3 score group, and the second was Qi-stagnation; Yang-deficiency and mild constitutional types accounted for the largest proportion in 4-6 score group; mild constitutional type accounted for the largest proportion in 7-9 score group. Conclusion People with mild constitutional type got highest score in every skin index, while biased constitutional types influenced the score in varied degrees. The constitutional types which influenced Chinese urban females’ facial skin index more were Yang-deficiency and Qi-stagnation constitutional types.