ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of piogiltazone on the expression of hemooxygenase-1 in aortic atherosclerosis plaque area in rabbits .Methods We randomly divided 36 Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits into 3 groups:control group ,high-cholesterol diet group ,and high-cholesterol diet with pioglitazone [8 mg/(kg · d)] group ,with 12 in each .All the animals were fed for 12 weeks and then sacrificed .Rabbit aortic atherosclerosis pathological features were observed by Masson staining ;the expression of hemooxygenase-1 in aortic atherosclerosis plaque area in rabbits was detected by immunohistochemistry , real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot techniques .Results Hemooxygenase-1 expression was obvious in the smooth muscle in aortic vessels and atherosclerosis plaques in the three groups of rabbits . The expression of hemooxygenase-1 was lower in high-cholesterol diet with pioglitazone group than in high-cholesterol diet group and significantly higher than in control group (P<0 .05) .Conclusion Pioglitazone can slow down the progression of atherosclerosis by up-regulating the expression of hemooxygenase-1 .
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of HO-1 on acute rejection after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in rats. Methods Taking dark agouti (DA) rats as donors and Lewis rats as recipients, OLT was performed. Before OLT, the DA rats and Lewis rats were matched in pairs, and divided into control group, ZnPP group and CoPP group, the paired rats of which intraperitoneally received normal saline, 20 mg/kg ZnPP and 5 mg/kg CoPP respectively 24 h before OLT. Ten pairs of rats were in each group. On day 3 or 7 after OLT, recipient rats were killed, then blood sample and liver specimen were collected. Plasm levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin (ALB) were measured; HE staining and MPO staining were performed; The expression of HO-1 was detected by the fluorence real time RT-PCR. Results On day 3 and 7 after OLT, AST, ALT and TBIL showed significant statistical significance among the three groups; ALB was highest in CoPP group, then in control group, lowest in ZnPP group. On day 3 after OLT, control group had acute rejection of degree one to degree two, ZnPP group had acute rejection of degree two; CoPP group mainly had acute rejection of degree one; On day 7 after OLT, control group mainly had acute rejection of degree two; ZnPP group had acute rejection of degree two to degree three; CoPP group had acute rejection of degree one to two. The expression of HO-1 was highest in CoPP group, then control group, and lowest in ZnPP group. Conclusion The expression of HO-1 in OLT with acute rejection in rats can palliate the acute rejection.