Effect of Electroacupuncture on Expression of Ghrelin and mRNA Expression of Its Receptor in Functional Dyspesia Rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of Ghrelin and mRNA expression of its receptor in functional dyspepsia (FD) rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 80 rats were divided into the normal group, the model group, the drug therapy group, and the EA group according to random digit table, 20 in each group. FD model was duplicated by clipping tail modeling. Drug containing cisapride [2 mL/100 g, 0.09 g/(kg x d)] was administered to rats in the drug therapy group from the 3rd day after successful modeling, once per day. EA at Zusanli (ST36) (0.3-0.5 cun) and Taichong (LR3) (0.1-0.2 cun) was performed in the EA group. The twirling of needle was performed to the subsidence of needle, and then the needle was connected to HANS-200A Acupoint Nerve Stimulating Device using disperse-dense wave at 2 Hz, 2 mA, 30 min each time, once per day. Six days consisted of one therapeutic course, two courses in total with an interval of one day. The intestinal propulsive rate of ink was observed. Ghrelin protein expression in gastric tissue was detected by Western blot. mRNA expression of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) in stomach, hypothalamus, and hippocampus was detected using Real-time PCR respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal group, the intestinal propulsive rate of ink, Ghrelin protein expression in gastric tissue, mRNA expression of GHS-R in stomach, hypothalamus, and hippocampus decreased in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the intestinal propulsive rate of ink, Ghrelin protein expression in gastric tissue, mRNA expression of GHS-R in stomach, hypothalamus, and hippocampus increased in the EA group (P < 0.01); mRNA expression of GHS-R in stomach, hypothalamus, and hippocampus increased in the drug therapy group (P < 0.01). Compared with the drug therapy group, Ghrelin protein expression in gastric tissue, mRNA expression of GHS-R in hypothalamus increased in the EA group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA could regulate Ghrelin content and GHS-R mRNA expression of FD rat hypothalamus, hippocampus, and gastric tissue, and promote the intestinal propulsive rate of ink.</p>

The study on levofloxacin resistance and gyrA gene mutation of Helicobacter pylori in Jinhua Zhejiang province / 中华消化杂志

Objective To analyze levofloxacin resistance in Helicobacter pylori (Hp) and the sequence difference of gyrA gene in levofloxacin resistance and sensitive Hp strains. To explore the function of gyrA gene mutation in the development of levofloxacin resistance Hp strain.Methods From July 2007 to December 2008 in Department of Gastroenterology, Jinhua People hospital of Zhejiang Province, the gastric mucosa from gastroscopy biopsy of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer patients were cultured in Hp selective medium under microaerobic condition at 37 degrees for three to five days. The Hp strains were isolated and identified by oxidase test, catalase test,urease test and UreA gene detecting. The levofloxacin susceptibility was determined by E-test and then resistance and sensitive strains were screened. The genomic DNA of Hp strains was isolated. The gyrA gene was amplified by PCR and the sequences were analyzed. Results 38 clinical isolated Hp strains were passed the levofloxacin susceptibility E-test, among those the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12 strains was over 1.0 μg/ml, the percentage of resistant strain was 31.58%, while the sensitive stains was 68.42%. The gyrA gene sequence result indicated 10 resistant strain with 261, 271 and 272 10 site mutation, 2 strains with C261A mutation, one strain with C261G mutation, two strains with G271A mutation, 2 strains with A272G mutation, 2 strains with C261A,G271T andA272G mutation, 1 strain with C261G and A272G mutation. However, no mutation sites were found in 26 sensitive strains. Conclusion The rate of levofloxacir-resistance in isolated clinical Hp strain was high. The drug-resistance was associated with 261,271 and 272. site mutation of gyrA gene.

Effects of low-dose capsaicin on L-type calcium current in guinea pig ventricular myocytes / 生理学报

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of low-dose capsaicin (CAP) on L-type calcium current (I(Ca-L) ) in guinea pig ventricular myocytes and the underlying mechanism. I(Ca-L) was examined in isolated single guinea pig ventricular myocytes by using whole-cell patch clamp technique. CAP (1-25 nmol/L) increased the voltage-dependently activated peak amplitude of I(Ca-L) and downshifted the current-voltage (I-V) curve. CAP (1, 10, 25 nmol/L) increased the peak amplitude of I(Ca-L) from -9.67+/-0.7 pA/pF to -10.21+/-0.8 pA/pF (P>0.05), to -11.37+/-0.8 pA/pF and to -12.84+/-0.9 pA/pF (P<0.05), respectively. CAP 25 nmol/L shifted the steady-state activation curve of I(Ca-L) to the left and changed half activation potential (V(0.5)) from (-20.76+/-2.0) mV to (-26.71+/-3.0) mV (P<0.05), indicating that low-dose CAP may modify the voltage-dependent activation of calcium channel. Low-dose of CAP did not affect the steady-state inactivation curve of I(Ca-L) or half-recovery time of Ca(2+) channel from inactivation. Ruthenium red (RR, 10 micromol/L), a vanilloid receptor (VR1) blocker, antagonized the effects of low-dose CAP. These results suggest that low-dose CAP increases I(Ca-L) mainly by shifting its steady-state activation curve to the left. Such effects may be mediated by VR1.

Electrophysiological effects of phytoestrogen genistein on spontaneous activity of rabbit atrioventricular node cells / 生理学报

The purpose of this study was to determine the electrophysiological effects of genistein (GST) on spontaneous activity of atrioventricular (AV) node and the underlying mechanism(s). Action potentials in AV node cells were recorded using intracellular microelectrode technique. GST not only reduced the amplitude of action potential (APA), maximal rate of depolarization (V(max)), velocity of diastolic (phase 4) depolarization (VDD), and rate of spontaneous firing (RSF), but also prolonged 90% duration of action potential (APD(90)) in a concentration-dependent manner. The effects of GST (50 micromol/L) could be blocked completely by pretreatment with Bay K8644 (0.25 micromol/L), an agonist of L-type calcium channel. Pretreatment with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 0.5 mmol/L), a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, did not affect the effects of GST on AV node cells. Elevation of Ca(2+) concentration (5 mmol/L) in superfusate antagonized the effects of GST (50 micromol/L). These results suggest that GST exerted a negative electrophysiological effects of spontaneous activity of AV node cells in rabbits. These effects were likely due to reduction in calcium influx, but had no association with NO release.

Electrophysiological effects of capsaicin on guinea pig papillary muscles / 生理学报

The cardiac electrophysiological effects of capsaicin (CAP) were examined in guinea pig papillary muscles using intracellular microelectrode technique. The results obtained are as follows: (1) the duration of action potential (APD) in normal papillary muscles was decreased by CAP (30, 60, 120 micromol/L) in a concentration-dependent manner; (2) in partially depolarized papillary muscles, 60 micromol/L CAP not only reduced APD, but also decreased the amplitude of action potential, overshoot and maximal velocity of phase 0 depolarization; (3) pretreatment with L-type Ca(2+) channel agonist Bay K8644 (0.5 micromol/L) could completely block the effects of CAP (60 micromol/L); (4) pretreatment with ruthenium red (20 micromol/L), a vanilloid receptor (VR) blocker, did not affect the actions of capsaicin on papillary muscles. All these results suggest that the effects of CAP on papillary muscles are likely due to a decrease in calcium influx which is not mediated by VR.