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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of vascular endothelial function in children with active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis(JIA)and the effects of oxidative stress and lipid metabolism on endothelial function.METHODS: Totally 42 children with active polyarticular JIA were divided into rheumatoid factor(RF)positive group and RF negative group,and 23 healthy children were randomly selected as normal control group. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation(FMD),carotid intima-media thickness(cIMT),lipid profile and oxidative stress were measured and compared among these groups. RESULTS: Brachial artery FMD in the RF positive and the RF negative groups were significantly lower than those in the control group,especially in RF positive patients(P<0.05,respectively). There were no significant differences in c IMT.Serum TG level was significantly higher(P<0.05),while HDL-C level was significantly lower(P<0.05)in the RF-positive group compared with the control group. Serum 8-iso-PGF2α level was significantly higher(P<0.001)in the RF-positive group compared with the control group. However,significant increase in 8-iso-PGF2α level was observed in the RF negative group(P<0.01). Similarly,8-iso-PGF2α level increased more significantly in RF positive group compared with RF negative group(P<0.05). Brachial artery FMD in polyarticular JIA was negatively associated with serum 8-iso-PGF2α(r=-0.54,P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Vascular endothelial dysfunction exists in the active polyarticular JIA,especially in RF-positive patients. Increasing oxidative stress may impair the endothelial function;however,the impact of dyslipidemia on endothelial function is not clear in polyarticular JIA.
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Because many therapeutic agents are contaminated by epimeric impurities or form epimers as a result of metabolism, analytical tools capable of determining epimers are increasingly in demand. This article is a proof-of-principle report of a novel DMS-MS/MS method to separate and simultaneously quantify epimers, taking PGF2 and its 8-epimer, 8--PGF2, as an example. Good accuracy and precision were achieved in the range of 10-500 ng/mL with a run time of only 1.5 min. Isopropanol as organic modifier facilitated a good combination of sensitivity and separation. The method is the first example of the quantitation of epimers without chromatographic separation.
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OBJECTIVE: To explore the underlying mechanism of acupoint catgut embedding in improving primary dysme-norrhea (PD) in rats based on functional activities of the neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) network. METHODS: Forty female rats were equally randomized into blank control, PD model, medication, and acupoint catgut embedding groups. The PD model was established by subcutaneous injection of estradiol benzoate (0.5 mg/rat on the 1st and 10th d, and 0.2 mg/rat from 2nd to 9th d) and oxytocin (2 U/rat, i．p.). Rats of the medication group were treated by intragastric perfusion of fenbid (0.8 mL/rat, 125 mg/100 mL), once daily for 10 days. The catgut embedding was applied to bilateral "Ciliao" (BL 32), "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4) before modeling. The body writhing times in 30 minutes were recorded, plasma β-endorphin(β-EP) content, and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F 2 α (PGF2α) contents in the uterus tissue were assayed using ELISA, and the activity of natural killer cell (NK cell) in the spleen tissue was detected using 3-(4，5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2，5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method after isolation and co-culture with K 562 cells. RESULTS: The body writhing times were no-tably more in the model group than in the control group (P0.05). CONCLUSION: The acupoint catgut embedding has a significant efficacy in relieving PD in rats, which may be related to its effect in up-regulating plasma β-EP, uterus PGE2 contents and splenic NK cell activity and in down-regulating uterus PGF2α level.
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Aim To investigate the effects of Sanjie Zhentong capsule on cultured mouse myometrial cell contraction induced by prostaglandin F2α( PGF2α) , and to elucidate the mechanism of Sanjie Zhentong capsule in treating dysmenorrheal. Methods Primary mouse myometrial cells were cultured and identified. Intracel-lular calcium ( [ Ca2+] i ) was monitored under a Flex-Station 3 Benchtop Multi-Modo Microplate Reader u-sing Calcium 6-QF. Myometrial cells were labeled to observe the changes of contraction. The expressions of calmodulin ( CaM ) , myosin light chain kinase ( ML-CK) , myosin light chain phosphorylation( p-MLC20 ) in mouse uterine smooth muscle cells ( USMCs ) were determined by immunofluorescence. Results Sanjie Zhentong capsule suppressed the intracellular[Ca2 + ]i inflow and reduced the areas of myometrial cells induced by PGF2α. Then it significantly decreased CaM and p-MLC20 levels. Conclusion Our results indicate that Sanjie Zhentong capsule has inhibitory effect on dysmenorrheal induced by PGF2α. Furthermore,its major mechanism may be related with the regulation of intracellular[ Ca2 + ]i inflow and the levels of CaM and p- MLC20.
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Objective To investigate the relationship between the level of 8-iso-prostaglandin (8-iso-PG)F2αand the neural functional deficit in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI). Methods Sixty-seven ACI patients were se-lected in Neurological Department of Ganyu People’s Hospital. According to the age, these subjects were divided into two groups:the old group (≥60 years, n=37) and middle-young group (<60 years, n=30). Thirty healthy subjects were selected as controls (≥60 years). The age, gender and anamnesis were matched in two groups of elderly people. The ELISA was used to detect the plasma levels of 8-iso-PGF2αin two groups of patients. And NIHSS score was used to evaluate the severity of clinical neurological deficit. Results The plasma levels of 8-iso-PGF2α were significantly higher in old ACI group (506.38±138.63) ng/L than those of middle-young ACI group (420.18±132.72) ng/L and old control group (369.98±99.81) ng/L. There was no significant difference in plasma level of 8-iso-PGF2αbetween middle-young ACI group and old control group (F=9.272,P<0.05). The NIHSS score was significantly higher in old group (19.78±3.66) than that of middle-young group (17.73 ± 2.70, t=2.539,P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between plasma 8-iso-PGF2α level and NIHSS score in old group (r=0.504,P=0.001). Conclusion The oxidative stress plays an important role in the occurrence and de-velopment process of ACI in elderly patients. The earlier and reasonable antioxidant therapy plays a positive role to alleviate the clinical symptoms and promote the recovery of illness.
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Objective To investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and / or normobaric hyperoxia on brain development of neonatal rat and the possible mechanisms.Methods One hundred and twenty postnatal day 2 (P2) SD rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups:air group,LPS group,hyperoxia group,LPS + hyperoxia group.General condition and body weight of the rats in each group were observed and recorded every day.The expression of active Caspase-3 and nuclear factor-κappaB P65 (NF-κB P65) in the brain were detected by immunohistochemistry staining on P7,and the level of IL-6 and 8-iso-PGF2α in the brain homogenate were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the brain was detected by immunohistochemistry staining on P12.Results The expressions of Caspase-3 and NF-κB P65 had the same trends:the number of positive cells from high to low was in LPS + hyperoxia group,LPS group/hyperoxia group,air group.There were significant differences between the first three groups and air group(all P ＜ 0.05).There were also significant differences between LPS + hyperoxia group and LPS group or hyperoxia group(all P ＜0.01).MBP in the brain had the completely reverse expression:from high to low order was in air group,hyperoxia group,LPS group,LPS + hyperoxia group.There were significant differences between the last three groups and air group (all P ＜ 0.05).There were also significant differences between LPS + hyperoxia group and LPS group or hyperoxia group(all P ＜0.01).The level of IL-6 in the brain from high to low order respectively was in LPS + hyperoxia group,LPS group,hyperoxia group,air group;and 8-iso-PGF2α was also in LPS + hyperoxia group,hyperoxia group,LPS group,air group,Significant differences were found among the four groups (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Both postnatal infection and normobaric hyperoxia may induce premature rat brain injury,and increase the number of apoptosis cell and reduce the expression of MBP.The combination of infection and normobaric hyperoxia may aggravate the degree of brain damage of neonatal rat.NF-κB pathway mediated by Toll-like receptor may be involved in inflammation and oxidative stress,and may mediate Caspase-3 related apoptosis of nerve cell and white matter injury.
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Objective To investigate the plasma 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α(8-iso-PGF2α and the serum C-re-active protein(CRP) levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS) with and without hypertension(OSAHS + HT),and to explore the changes of pathophysiology in patients with OSAHS and the patho-genesis of OSAHS + HT. Methods All observed subjects were divided into 3 groups: control group (n=20),OS-AHS group(n=19),OSAHS + HT group (n=21). Plasma 8-iso-PGF2αand serum CRP concentrations levels were measured by ELISA and were compared. Results The plasma 8-iso-PGF2αand serum CRP levels,were higher in OSAHS patients than those in control subjects [(11.08±3.26)μg/L vs (7.49±2.10)μg/L,P<0.01;(1.75±0.82) mg/L vs (0.52±0.26 ) mg/L,P<0.01],and were higher in OSAHS + HT group than those in control group [14.84±3.43)μG/L vs(11.08±3.26)μg/L,P<0.01 ;(3.13±1.06)mg/L vs(1.75±0.82)mg/L,P<0.01]. Conclusions Oxidative stress and inflammation in OSAHS patients are increased,which are involved in the devel-opment of OSAHS associated hypertension.