Rg1 alleviates the cholestatic liver fibrosis throughregulation of NF-κB/VCAM-1 / 药学学报

A mouse model of cholestatic liver fibrosis was established by bile duct ligation (BDL) method. The effect of ginsenoside Rg1 in the disease progress and the mechanism of cholestatic liver fibrosis are investigated in this mouse model. All animal experiments in this paper have been approved by the Unit Ethics Committee. Analysis of serum biochemical indicators and pathological sections assessed liver function, liver damage and fibrosis in mice. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays were used to detect vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in BDL-induced mice. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and inflammatory factors were detected to investigate related mechanism of Rg1. The results showed that expression of VCAM-1 was up-regulated and peaked at 7 days, followed by decreased expression, but still efficiently expressed compared to the sham-operated group. Compared with the model group, 40 mg·kg-1·d-1 Rg1 treatment reduced serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and total bilirubin (T.Bili) levels (P<0.05 or P<0.01) and liver function damage,alleviated BDL-induced liver fibrosis, significantly down-regulated the expression of VCAM-1 (P<0.05), and inhibited the inflammatory response. In addition, Rg1 significantly reduced NF-κB p65 level in the cellular nucleus (P<0.05). This study demonstrates that VCAM-1 is dynamically altered during BDL-induced liver fibrosis. Rg1 could dampen inflammation and alleviate cholestatic liver fibrosis via regulation of the NF-κB/VCAM-1 pathway. The results provide an experimental basis for Rg1 application for treating liver fibrosis.

Finite element analysis of fixation of U-shaped sacral fractures / 生物医学工程学杂志

Finite element method (FEM) was used to investigate the biomechanical properties of three types of surgical fixations of U-shaped sacral fractures. Based on a previously established and validated complete lumbar-pelvic model, three models of surgical fixations of U-shaped sacral fractures were established: ① S1S2 passed through screw (S1S2), ② L4-L5 pedicle screw + screw for wing of ilium (L4L5 + IS), and ③ L4-L5 pedicle screw + S1 passed through screw + screw for wing of ilium (L4L5 + S1 + IS). A 400 N force acting vertically downward, along with torque of 7.5 N·m in different directions (anterior flexion, posterior extension, axial rotation, and axial lateral bending), was exerted on the upper surface of L4. Comparisons were made on differences in separation of the fracture gap and maximum stress in sitting and standing positions among three fixation methods. This study showed that: for values of separation of the fracture gap produced by different operation groups in different positions, L4L5 + S1 + IS was far less than L4L5 + IS and S1S2. For internal fixators, the maximum stress value produced was: L4L5 + IS > L4L5 + S1 + IS > S1S2. For the intervertebral disc, the maximum stress value produced by S1S2 is much larger than that of L4L5 + S1 + IS and L4L5 + IS. In a comprehensive consideration, L4L5 + S1 + IS could be prioritized for fixation of U-shaped sacral fractures. The objective of this research is to compare the biomechanical differences of three different internal fixation methods for U-shaped sacral fractures, for the reference of clinical operation.

The research progress of immune regulation of Alzheimer's disease / 中国药理学通报

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is the first major degenerative disease of the central nervous system in the elderly, which places a heavy burden on society and the family. Age is the main factor of the pathogenesis, which will evidently deteriorate with the arrival of an aging population worldwide. Unfortunately, no specific therapeutic drugs have been found targeting AD. In the past two years, failure has been witnessed in a number of clinical trials for its pathological characteristics of beta-amyloid protein and tau protein-developed therapeutic drugs, leading to serious immune-related side effects, which indicate a significant deficiency in the understanding of AD and immune-related mechanisms. Recent studies have shown the involvement of immune regulation in the process of brain aging and its close relation to neurodegenerative diseases. Focusing on AD, immune regulation, and inflammatory effects, this article mainly investigates the effects of inflammatory mediators and activated microglia on AD and the possible mechanisms of action, and reviews the research of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of AD, aiming to provide new ideas and methods for the pathogenesis and drug development of Alzheimer's disease.

Application of 188 Re-labeled BaGdF5-PEG nanoparticles on the growth inhibition of hepatoma cells and the SPECT imaging in rabbit models / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of 188 Re-labeled BaGdF5-poly ( ethylene glycol) ( PEG) nanoparticles ( NPs) on hepatoma cells, and explore the application of the radiolabeled NPs for SPECT imaging. Methods BaGdF5-PEG NPs were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and were fur-ther radiolabeled with 188Re using diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) as a coupling agent. The human hepatoma cells SMCC 7721 were treated with different concentrations of BaGdF5-PEG NPs, 188 ReO-4 or 188Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 NPs (14.8, 74.0, 370.0×104 Bq/ml) for 24 h, and then the cell proliferation rates were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. 188ReO-4 and 188 Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 NPs were administrated into normal rabbits via the ear vein, respectively. For the former, static SPECT/CT imaging were performed at 30, 60 min post-injection, and for the latter, dynamic SPECT images were captured within 10 min, and static SPECT/CT images at 30, 60, 120 min post-injec-tion. The rabbit VX2 tumor model was established, and a microcatheter was inserted into hepatic artery via the rabbit femoral artery, and then the mixture of 188 Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 NPs and lipiodol was injected into the tumor region. SPECT/CT imaging for VX2 tumor was performed at 30 min later. Data were analyzed by two-sample t test. Results The BaGdF5-PEG NPs were nearly square and the particle size was about 10 nm. The labeling yield of 188 Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 was 94.1％ at the optimum conditions. Moreover, it showed high stability in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, BaGdF5-PEG NPs did not exhibit obvious cytotoxicity even at a high concentration. Both 188 ReO-4 and 188 Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 could inhibit the proliferation of SMCC 7721 cells, but 188 Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 showed a significantly stronger inhibitory effect at the doses of 74.0 and 370.0×104 Bq/ml ( t values:4.21,4.09, both P<0.01) . In vivo, 188 ReO-4 was absorbed by maxillary glands and was quickly elimi-nated from blood via the kidneys. The 188 Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 NPs mainly accumulated in the liver and spleen. In addition, retention and accumulation of 188 Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 NPs in the liver tumor could be achieved by using transarterial intervention technique for drug delivery. Conclusion 188Re-DTPA-BaGdF5 NPs have cer-tain killing effects on hepatoma cells in vitro, and with the help of transarterial intervention technique, the NPs can be aggregated within liver tumor, where they not only can be used for SPECT imaging, but also have potential therapeutic effects.

Correlation of tissue elasticity modulus and pathological grades in a chronic pancreatitis model / 中华胰腺病杂志

Objective To investigate the correlativity between elasticity modulus and pathological severity in chronic pancreatitis (CP).Methods Twenty-one pigs were divided randomly into experimental group (n=18) and control group (n=3) using random number method.The main pancreatic duct (MPD) was incompletely ligated to establish the CP model.In control group, MPD was not ligated.The animals were killed in batches at 4th, 8th and 12th week after surgery.The pancreatic tissue was taken for elasticity modulus test and pathological examination, and the pigs were classified into control, mild, moderate and severe groups based on the severity of fibrosis.Cell density, fat infiltration and extracellular edema were observed and classified into mild and severe.The difference of elasticity modulus among different groups were compared by Variance analysis, the correlation between pancreatic fibrosis and elastic modulus was analyzed with Spearman correlation analysis, and ROC curve was used to evaluate its efficacy of diagnosing CP.Results Sixteen CP models were established successfully expected for 2 deaths (mild, n=7;moderate, n=2 and severe, n=7).All of the control group (n=3) showed normal pancreas.The elasticity modulus of control, mild and moderate to severe group were 0.4268±0.0566, 0.3203±0.0518 and 0.2235±0.0685, respectively.The difference between the groups was statistically significant (F=13.658,P0.05).Conclusions The elasticity modulus can be used to detect the pathological changes of CP, and evaluate the CP pathologic grades.

RhGLP-1 (7–36) protects diabetic rats against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via up-regulating expression of Nrf2/HO-1 and increasing the activities of SOD

The present study aimed to explore the neuroprotective effect and possible mechanisms of rhGLP-1 (7–36) against transient ischemia/reperfusion injuries induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in type 2 diabetic rats. First, diabetic rats were established by a combination of a high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). Second, they were subjected to MCAO for 2 h, then treated with rhGLP-1 (7–36) (10, 20, 40 µg/kg i.p.) at the same time of reperfusion. In the following 3 days, they were injected with rhGLP-1 (7–36) at the same dose and route for three times each day. After 72 h, hypoglycemic effects were assessed by blood glucose changes, and neuroprotective effects were evaluated by neurological deficits, infarct volume and histomorphology. Mechanisms were investigated by detecting the distribution and expression of the nuclear factor erythroid-derived factor 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) in ischemic brain tissue, the levels of phospho-PI3 kinase (PI3K)/PI3K ratio and heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-l), as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA). Our results showed that rhGLP-1 (7–36) significantly reduced blood glucose and infarction volume, alleviated neurological deficits, enhanced the density of surviving neurons and vascular proliferation. The nuclear positive cells ratio and expression of Nrf2, the levels of P-PI3K/PI3K ratio and HO-l increased, the activities of SOD increased and the contents of MDA decreased. The current results indicated the protective effect of rhGLP-1 (7–36) in diabetic rats following MCAO/R that may be concerned with reducing blood glucose, up-regulating expression of Nrf2/HO-1 and increasing the activities of SOD.

Secretin-stimulated MR cholangio-pancreatography and pathological correlative study in a swine obstructive chronic pancreatitis model / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the correlativity between secretin-stimulated magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (sMRCP) findings and pathological severity in a swine chronic pancreatitis (CP) model. Methods Thirty-nine swine were divided randomly into control group (n=12) and experimental group (n= 27). In experimental group, the main pancreatic duct (MPD) was incompletely ligated to establish the model of obstructive CP. In control group, laparotomy was performed but without ligating the MPD. At the 4th, 8th and 12th week after modeling, one third swine of each group were undergone a series of dynamic sMRCP scans before (0 min) and at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 min after administration of secretin (0.6 μg/kg). And the MPD diameter and duodenum filling (DF) degree were measured. All survivals were sacrificed to pathological examination including HE and Van Gieson staining for histopathological grading. According to pathological severity, swine were divided into normal group, mild CP group and moderate to severe CP group. MRI features and indexes, including baselined diameter (BD), end diameter (ED), maximum diameter (MD), the largest expansion rate (LER), time to peak (Tpeak) and end change rate of pancreatic duct and duodenal filling (DF) scores were measured. The relationships between pathological grading and sMPCP indexes were analysed. The comparison of sMRCP data among the 3 groups were used ariance analysis, χ2 test and U test. Correlations between sMPCP indexes and pathological severity were tested using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. The diagnostic efficiency of sMRCP indexes were evaluated by ROC method. Results (1) In experimental group, 22 CP models were established and 19 CP swine (mild CP, n= 8; moderate and severe CP, n=11) were performed sMRCP successfully. Eleven swine in normal group were obtained satisfactory MRCP images. (2) sMRCP results:BD of 3 groups were (1.56 ± 0.46),(2.95 ± 1.17),(7.41 ± 1.91) mm, respectively. ED were (1.49 ± 0.31),(2.96 ± 1.17) and (7.37±1.90) mm, respectively. MD were (2.39±0.43),(3.91±1.27) and (7.86±1.87)mm, respectively. The median of LER were 42.10%, 34.85% and 6.58%, respectively. The median of DF scores were 3, 3, 2, respectively. The differences of above indexes have statistically significance (P values were all0.05),and no correlation with pathological severity(P values were all>0.05).For differential diagnosis between normal and mild CP, the area under ROC of BD, ED, MD, LER and DFscores were 0.915, 0.977, 0.926, 0.778 and 0.472, respectively and differential diagnosis between mild CP and moderate to severe CP group, the area under ROC were 0.966,0.966,0.960,1.000 and 0.915, respectively. Conclusions sMRCP findings of CP have characteristics and could be used for in vivo evaluation on the CP pathologic grades.

Progress on treatment and research of quadrilateral plate fractures of acetabular / 中国骨伤

Acetabular is an important human joint for weight bearing. Quadrilateral plate is a crucial structure of medial acetabulum with special morphology and important function. Quadrilateral plate fractures are common fracture in acetabulum. Quadrilateral plate fracture is hard to expose and reduction because it is in the medial of acetabulum. At the same time,the bone in the quadrilateral plate is not easy to fixed for thinning bones and adjacent to the articular cavity. The operator should know well about the anatomy and choose the suitable internal fixation. After quadrilateral plate fractures, the femur head maybe displace medially even break into pelvis. That make reduction and treatment always be a challenge. With different kinds of fractures,the efficacy of treatment is not the same. This paper intend to review the relation of anatomic features,approaches, internal fixations, key point of treatment and efficacy.

Changes and significance of serum IL-6 in cancer patients with T2DM before and after chemotherapy / 军事医学

Objective To explore the effect of chemotherapy on serum IL-6 expression in cancer patients with T2DM. Methods Eighty patients were divided into the malignant tumor group with T 2DM (n=40) and the malignant tumor group without T2DM (n=40).All the patients were given two cycles of chemotherapy .2 ml of fasting venous blood in the morn-ing before and after the day of chemotherapy was collected .Then the serum was separated .Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)was used to measure the level changes of serum IL-6.20 cases of healthy people were selected for compari-son.Results The expression of serum IL-6 in groups with or without T2DM was significantly higher than in the normal control group before the first cycle of chemotherapy (P0.05).Conclusion The expression level of serum IL-6 declines after the first cycle chemotherapy in the malignant tumor groups with T2DM or without T2DM but rises in the malignant tumor group with T2DM after the second cycle chemotherapy .

Effect of Shuxuening combined with creatine phosphate sodium in detecting ischemia modified albumin on acute severe carbon monoxide poisoning / 实用医学杂志

Objective Study of Shuxuening combined with sodium phosphocreatine on acute severe carbon monoxide poisoning with ischemia modified albumin level and its curative effect in patients. Methods 66 cases of ASCOP patients were randomly divided into routine group and treatment group, all patients were detected for myocardial enzymes, cTnI, IMA before treatment, after treatment 6 h and 3 d. Results IMA was significantly decreased before treatment, while no significant changes occurred in myocardial enzymes and cTnIn levels. After treatment for 6 h, IMA in treatment group was higher than conventional group (P 0.05). After treatment for 3d, cTnI level of normal group increased obviously compare with the treatment group (P>0.05). Myocardial enzymes, IMA restored to the normal level (P>0.05). The level of cTnI after treatment for 3 d improved compare with 6 h. Conclusion Treatment of early ASCOP patients by Shuxuening combined with sodium phosphocreatine significantly improve the recovery of myocardial injury poisoning. The level of IMA can be used as evaluation index of myocardial ischemia and drug treatment.

Application of copeptin and APACHE in assessment of acute paraquat poisoning / 实用医学杂志

Objective To study the value of copeptin and APACHE Ⅱ used for assessing acute paraquat poisoning (APP). Methods One hundred and twenty six APP patients were divided into survival group (n = 58) and death group (n = 68), with clinical death as the endpoint of observation. 3 mL blood was obtained from each subject at 2 h , 24 h and 7 d after admission for detecting the levels of copeptin , and APACHE Ⅱ scores were recorded at the same time. Results There was significant difference in dosages of paraquat taken in the death group and the survival group , but the differences were significant in the rescue time , the first time for hemoperfusion and the times for hemoperfusion. 2 h after admission , the death group and survival group had significant difference in elevated copeptin but no significant difference in scores by APACHE Ⅱ. 24 h after admission copeptin decreased to normal level in the survival group but maintained at a higher level in the death group, while the scores by APACHE Ⅱ had insignificant difference between two groups. 7 d after admission, copeptin kept at a higher level and the scores by APACHE Ⅱwere significantly increased in the death group , with significant differences compared to the survival group. The oral doses of pesticides the patients took were positively correlated with copeptin level and scores by APACHE Ⅱ. Conclusion Repeated detection of copeptin and APACHE Ⅱ score are of clinical importance for the assessment of prognosis of APP patients and reasonable distribution of medical resources.

Detection of secondary infections of acute necrotizing pancreatitis: a comparison study of 99mTc-ciprofloxacin scintigraphy and CT / 中华胰腺病杂志

Objective To evaluate 99mTc-ciprofloxacin (Infecton) scintigraphy as a method for detecting secondary infections associated with ANP in swine,in comparison with CT.MethodsTwenty-eight healthy swine were randomly assigned to control group (n =6),non-infected ANP (n =6) and infected ANP group( n =16).ANP model was induced by retrograde injection of sodium taurocholate and pancreatic protease mixture into the biliary and pancreatic duct.Two days after ANP induction,swine in infected ANP group were injected with 3 x 108 E.coli into pancreatic tissue,while swine in non-infected ANP group were injected with inactivated E.coli.At 7 d after inoculation,at 0.5,1,2,3,4,and 6 h after intravenous administration of 370 MBq of Infecton,SPECT scan was performed.Then 64-slice spiral CT scan was performed.Then swine were sacrificed,and histopathology examination and bacterial culture of pancreatic tissue were performed.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the two methods to detect secondary infections were determined.ResultsThere were no abnormality in the normal pancreas and the bacterial culture was negative.There were pancreatic necrosis in the non-infected ANP group,but the bacterial culture was negative.There were pancreatic necrosis and infection in the infected ANP group and the bacterial culture was positive.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the Infecton method were 93.8％ ( 15/16 ),91.7％ ( 11/12 ),92.9％ ( 26/28 ),93.8 ％(15/16) and 91.7％ ( 11/12),whereas these values for CT were 12.5％ (2/16),100.0％ ( 12/12),50.0％(14/28),100.0％ (2/2) and 46.2％ (12/26),respectively.The sensitivity,accuracy,and negative predictive value of the Infecton method were significantly higher than those in CT group (P ＜0.01 ).ConclusionsInfecton scintigraphy may be a better procedure for detecting ANP secondary infections than CT.

Effects of staurosporine on the proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cancer PC-3 cells / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of staurosporine (ST) on the proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cancer PC-3 cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Prostate cancer PC-3 cells were treated in vitro with ST at 10(-8) mol/L. The expressions of cyclin A and cyclin D1 proteins in the cells were detected by Western blot, the effect of ST on the proliferation of the cells determined by MTT assay and plate colony formation, the apoptosis of the cells examined by flow cytometry, and their morphological changes observed under the light microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ST treatment markedly decreased the expressions of cyclin A and cyclin D1 in the PC-3 cells, and significantly inhibited the growth of the PC-3 cells (19.35%) at 48 h. (F = 31.06, P < 0.01). The colony formation rate of the PC-3 cells was (37.10 +/- 3.43) % in the ST group, significantly lower than (64.80 +/- 4.34) % in the control (chi2 = 14.59, P < 0.05) and (62.80 +/- 4.36) % in the DMSO group (chi2 = 12.50, P < 0.05), while the apoptosis rate of the cells was remarkably higher in the ST group ([19.6 +/- 2.20] %) than in the control ([5.33 +/- 1.40] %) and the DMSO group ([5.50 +/- 0.96] %) (F = 104.36, P < 0.01). Under the light microscope, the ST-treated cells were round with indistinct margins as compared with those of the other two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ST could significantly inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of PC-3 cells.</p>

99Tcm-ciprofloxacin imaging in detecting the secondary infection of severe acute pancreatitis / 中华核医学杂志

Objective To evaluate the characteristics of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin and explore its feasibility in early detection of secondary infectious foci of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).Methods Ciprofloxacin was labeled with 99Tcm.The labeling efficiency and radiochemical purity of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin were calculated and its biodistribution in normal pigs was measured.The recruited baby pigs were divided into three groups:normal control group (6), non-infected group (6) and infected group (16).370-400 MBq of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin was injected into each pig intravenously.SPECT scanning was performed at 0.5, 1,2, 3, 4 and 6 h after administration.The differences of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin uptake among groups were calculated and the tracer activity ratio of lesion-to-background was recorded at each time point.The diagnostic value of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin SPECT imaging for the dectection of secondary infection of SAP was assessed using histopathological results as the gold standard.Variance analysis and least significant difference test were used to analyze the data.Results Both the labehing efficiency and radiochemical purity of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin were over 90% within 6 h.Organs with rich blood supply, such as kidney, liver and spleen were the target organs for the accumulation of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin; while no significant uptake was found in gastrointestinal tract or normal pancreas tissue of SAP.Rapid plasma clearance and renal excretion were observed.In the infected group, the lesion was visualized at 1 h after administration.The highest radioactivity ratio of lesion-to-background (3.36 ± 0.33) was at 3 h after administration, which was significantly higher than that of the other time point ( F =99.570, P ＜0.001 ).The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, Youden's index (YI) and Kappa value of 99Tc%ciprofloxacin imaging were 88.2% (15/17), 83.3% (5/6), 93.8% ( 15/16), 71.4% (5/7), 0.715 and 0.667 respectively.Conclusions The biodistribution of99Tcm-ciprofloxacin is suitable for imaging infectious focus of SAP.The optimal imaging time for the detection of secondary infection of SAP is 3 h after administration, with high sensitivity and specificity.

Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning ameliorates high positive acceleration exposure-induced impairment of learning and memory in rats / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) preconditioning on learning and memory damage induced by high positive acceleration( + Gz) exposure in rats.Methods Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with 8 in each group: control group( Con), + Gz group,HBO group and HBO-+ Gz group.Rats of Con group were given 5d( 1 ATA ,21% O2, 1h/d); Rats of + Gz group was exposed to + 10Gz for 5 min; HBO group were only given 5d (2.5 ATA, 100% O2,1 h/d); HBO-+ Gz group were given HBO 5 consecutive days,and then suffered +Gz exposure.Morris water maze was used to observe the navigation and probe capabilities of rats.Results In the spatial acquisition test,there exist significant difference among these groups(F(3.28) = 5.325, P＜ 0.01 ).Compared with the control group, the escape latency increased significantly in the + Gz group and HBO-+ Gz group (P＜0.05) while had no difference in HBO group.HBO-+ Gz group had significantly shorter escape latency than + Gz group (P＜0.05).In the probe test,compared with the control group, + Gz group and HBO-+ Gz group had a longer percentage in the target quadrant( (43.71 ± 3.29 ) %vs (28.65 ±1.00)%, P＜0.05;(43.71 ±3.29)% vs (37.17 ±0.98)%, P＜0.05)),and HBO-+Gz group was better than + Gz group.Conclusion HBO preconditioning may have a protective effect on the impairment of learning and memory caused by + Gz exposure in rats.

Shenfu injection attenuates neurotoxicity of bupivacaine in cultured mouse spinal cord neurons / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Our previous in vivo study in the rat demonstrates that Shenfu injection, a clinically used extract preparation from Chinese herbs, attenuates neural and cardiac toxicity induced by intravenous infusion of bupivacaine, a local anesthetic. This study was designed to investigate whether bupivacaine could induce a toxic effect in primary cultured mouse spinal cord neuron and if so, whether the Shenfu injection had a similar neuroprotective effect in the cell model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The spinal cords from 11- to 14-day-old fetal mice were minced and incubated. Cytarabine was added into the medium to inhibit the proliferation of non-neuronal cells. The immunocytochemical staining of beta-tubulin was used to determine the identity of cultured cells. The cultured neurons were randomly assigned into three sets treated with various doses of bupivacaine, Shenfu and bupivacaine + Shenfu, for 48 hours respectively. Cell viability in each group was analyzed by methyl thiazoleterazolium (MTT) assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The viability of the cultured neurons treated with bupivacaine at concentrations of 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.04% and 0.08% was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Although the Shenfu injection at concentrations ranging from 1/50 to 1/12.5 (V/V) had no significant influence on the viability of cultured neurons (P < 0.05 vs control), the injection significantly increased the cellular viability of cultured neurons pretreated with 0.03% bupivacaine (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Although Shenfu injection itself has no effect on spinal neurons, it was able to reduce the bupivacaine-induced neurotoxicity in vitro.</p>

Twin study on serum leptin and soluble leptin receptor in pubertal girls / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the changes of serum leptin, soluble leptin receptor (SOB-R) concentrations and free leptin index (FLI) throughout the puberty in females, and estimate the effects of genetic and environmental factors on these indices.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The population studied consists of 180 pairs of twins in 6 to 18 years old: 132 pairs of monozygotic twins and 48 pairs of dizygotic twins, who were all from Qingdao city, Shandong Province. Anthropometric and sexual characteristics were examined, fasting serum leptin and SOB-R contents were assayed by immunoradiometric assay and ELISA respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum leptin concentrations increased and SOB-R decreased throughout puberty (P < 0.05), brought out a sustained increase of FLI, especially in 7-9 and 12-14 years old (from 10.1 to 32.3 and 41.8 to 82.1 respectively); Leptin and FLI were positively, and SOB-R negatively correlated with morphological indices (correlation coefficients from 0.54 to 0.76, -0.23 to -0.42, respectively). Heritability of girl's serum leptin, SOB-R and FLI were 0.37, 0.84, 0.46 respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Serum free leptin index surge at 7-9 and 12-14 years old might be a predictor or trigger of the puberty onset and menarche, respectively; FLI might be determined by both genetic and environmental factors. Leptin should be substantially influenced by environment and reflect the fat mass of body compositions. SOB-R should be predominantly controlled by genetic factors yet. Genetic influence might be important in pubertal development and metabolic disorders.</p>