Effect of simulated microgravity and its associated mechanism on pulmonary circulation in rats / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Simulated Microgravity and its Associated Mechanism on Pulmonary Circulation in Rats).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rat tail-suspension model was used to simulate the physiological effects of microgravity and changes in pulmonary blood vessel morphology, pulmonary arterial and venous blood pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary vasomotoricity, as well as the regulation of pulmonary circulation by cytokines produced and released by the lung of rats were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The walls of pulmonary blood vessels of rats were thickened, and the pulmonary artery was reconstructed with increased pulmonary vascular resistance. The pulmonary blood vessels of rats became more prone to dilation as contractions increased. Rat epithelial Adrenomedulin gene transcription and protein expression were upregulated. The level of basic fibroblast growth Factor of rat was also elevated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Findings from the present study on rats revealed that the microgravity can affect pulmonary blood vessel structure, pulmonary arterial pressure, and pulmonary blood vessel self-regulation and cytokine production.</p>

Protective effects of hepatocyte growth factor on hypoxic human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on hypoxic human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HPMECs were cultured in vitro, and the hypoxic model was established by the physical method. Cells were divided into 4 groups: the control group, the hypoxic group, HGF group, and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) group. The 7(th) generation of HPMECs was evaluated by the method of immunocytochemistry. The persistence rate of HPMECs was measured by MTT assay and the adhesive cells were counted by the microscopy. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) protein was determined by immunofluorescence staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The adherence percentage of cells significantly decreased after hypoxia, whereas the expression of the ICAM-1 protein was significantly higher in the hypoxia group than in control group (P<0.01). Compared with the hypoxia group, the persistence and adherence percentage of cells in the HGF group significantly increased (P<0.01), whereas the expression of the ICAM-1 protein significantly dropped (P<0.01). In the PHA group, the persistence and adhesion rate were significantly different from those in the hypoxia group and HGF group (P<0.01), and the expression of the ICAM-1 protein increased significantly (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HGF could inhibit the hypoxic damage of HPMECs by decreasing the persistence and the adhesive capacity of these cells and inducing the expression of ICAM-1.</p>

Current situation of awareness and use of banned pesticides among vegetable greenhouse farmers in a town of Ledu County, China / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the awareness and use of banned pesticides among vegetable greenhouse farmers in a town of Ledu County, Qinghai Province, China and to provide a basis for the management and control of banned pesticides.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Local residents who lived in a town of Ledu County for more than 5 years were selected as subjects in August 2012. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 267 vegetable greenhouse farmers who were selected from five villages of the town by cluster random sampling.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 267 subjects, 249 (93.26%) completed and returned the questionnaires. Eighty-seven (34.9%) of the 249 subjects were aware of banned pesticides, and the banned pesticide awareness rate varied significantly among the subjects with different education levels (χ(2) = 11.061, P = 0.011). Only education level entered the regression equation in non-conditional logistic regression analysis. Only five (2.0%) of the 249 subjects knew the banned pesticides as well as the details. All the 249 subjects used banned pesticides to varying degrees in the past 5 years. Only 9.0% (17/189) of the vegetable greenhouse farmers knew the time pesticides were initially banned in China.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The banned pesticide awareness rate is relatively low in the town of Ledu County, and this rate is influenced by education level. It is needed to spread the knowledge and hazards of banned pesticides.</p>

Research advance in effects of weightlessness or simulated weightlessness on tumor cells / 中国医学科学院学报

Weightless environment is a rare phenomenon on the ground where the interactions among cells and internal cellular structures disappear or become weakened. Studies on the biological features and molecular expression of tumors cells in weightlessness condition may provide new clues to the tumor initiation, process, diagnosis, and therapy.

Salidroside inhibits clinorotation-induced apoptosis in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the inhibitory effect of salidroside (Sal) on pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (HPMEC) apoptosis induced by simulated microgravity and its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells cultured in vitro were divided into control group, clinorotation group and clinorotation+Sal pretreatment groups. Microgravity was simulated by clinorotation. The apoptotic rate of HPMECs was detected by flow cytometry using Annexin V-FITC staining, and the expressions of bcl-2, bax, and caspase-3 at the mRNA and protein levels were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A 72-h clinorotation significantly induced apoptosis in HPMECs. Real-time PCR results demonstrated a significantly lowered bcl-2 but increased bax and caspase-3 mRNA expressions in clinorotation group as compared with those in the control group. Western blotting showed that clinorotation inhibited the protein expressions of PI3K and p-AKT and increased caspase-3 protein expression. Salidroside significantly inhibited the cell apoptosis, reversed the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax, and attenuated the decrease in the protein expression of PI3K and phosphorylation level of AKT. Salidroside also antagonized the activation of caspase-3.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PI3K/AKT pathway and caspase 3 are involved in the apoptosis of HPMVECs induced by clinorotation, and the effect of clinorotation can be reversed by salidroside, suggesting the potential value of salidroside for application in spaceflight.</p>

Analysis on inpatient pulmonary hypertension surveillance in Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital from 1996 to 2005 / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the inpatient pulmonary hypertension (PH) surveillance in a single center of cardiovascular hospital during last ten years.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this retrospective analysis, data from patients with discharge diagnosis as PH from Jan. 1996 to Dec. 2005 were collected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 7085 out of 106 640 patients (6.63%) were documented as PH during the survey period and 3.77% PH was idiopathic, 65.93% PH originated from congenital heart diseases, 22.61% from left heart diseases, 5.66% from thrombotic diseases, 0.89% from respiratory diseases, 0.61% from connective tissue diseases, 0.51% from pulmonary vasculitis and 0.03% from portal hypertensive diseases. Both total inpatient number and patients with PH increased year by year during the last 10 years in our hospital. The number of in-hospital patients with PH was significantly higher in 2004 - 2005 than that in 1996 - 2003 (P < 0.0001) and more PH was originated from cardiomyopathy and valvular heart diseases. Idiopathic pulmonary hypertension also tended to increase and PH due to congenital heart diseases was significantly reduced during 2004 - 2005.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The data from a single center of cardiovascular hospital shows a tendency for increased in-hospital prevalence of pulmonary hypertension during the last ten years.</p>