The effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide on collagen accumulation in pulmonary arteries of rats with hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on pulmonary vascular collagen accumulation in hypoxia rats in order to study the effect of CGRP on hypoxic pulmonary vascular structural remodeling and its possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were acclimated for 1 week, and then were randomly divided into three groups: normoxia group, hypoxia group, and hypoxia plus capsaicin group. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was induced by hypoxia in rats. Hypoxia plus capsaicin group, rats were given capsaicin (50 mg/(kg x d), s.c) 4 days before hypoxia to deplete endogenous CGRP. Hypoxia (3% O2) stimulated proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and proliferation was measured by BrdU marking. The expression levels of CGRP, phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/ 2), collagen I and collagen III were detected by real-time PCR or Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP) and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) rats induced by hypoxia were higher than those of normoxia rats. By HE and Masson staining, it was demonstrated that hypoxia also significantly induced hypertrophy of pulmonary arteries and increased level of collagen accumulation. Hypoxia dramatically decreased the CGRP level and increased the expression of p-ERK1/2, collagen I, collagen III in pulmonary arteries. All these effects of hypoxia were further aggravated by pre-treatment of rats with capsaicin. CGRP concentration-dependently inhibited hypoxia-induced proliferation of PASMCs, markedly decreased the expression of p-ERK1/2, collagen I and collagen III. All these effects of CGRP were abolished in the presence of CGRP8-37.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results suggest that CGRP might inhibit hypoxia-induced PAH and pulmonary vascular remodeling, through inhibiting phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and alleviating the collagen accumulation of pulmonary arteries.</p>

Association of CALCA genetic polymorphism with essential hypertension / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is the predominant neurotransmitter in capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves. Participation of CGRP in hypertension is one of the most extensively studied topics in the field. There is growing evidence to the effect that CGRP is associated with essential hypertension (EH). The aims of this study were to pinpoint whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes coding for CALCA were associated with EH susceptibility in a Hunan Han population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 293 subjects with EH and 208 controls were enrolled in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leucocytes by a phenol-chloroform method. The CALCA T-692C was genotyped using a restriction fragment length polymorphism method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A statistically significant difference in CALCA T-692C genotypic distribution was observed between cases and controls (P=0.001). Moreover, the frequencies of the C allele were 14.85% in the EH group and 7.45% in the control group, prevalence of C alleles in EH subjects and controls was significantly incomparable (P<0.001). Furthermore, the results of Logistic regression analysis showed that the carriers of C allele (TC+CC genotypes) were associated with increased EH risk (OR=2.093, 95% CI: 1.317-3.326, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CALCA genetic polymorphism is associated with EH susceptibility. Carriers of at least one C allele at the polymorphic site CALCA T-692C showed increased risk for EH.</p>

Polymorphisms of four microsatellite DNA markers from telomeric HLA I region (D6S1624, D6S258, M6S211 and D6S510) and their linkage disequilibrium with HLA-A in a southern Chinese Han population / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the genetic polymorphisms of four microsatellite DNA markers from telomeric HLA I region (D6S1624, D6S258, M6S211 and D6S510) and their linkage disequilibrium with HLA-A in a southern Chinese Han population residing in Hunan province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fluorescent PCR/Size-sequencing was carried out to analyze the polymorphisms of D6S1624, D6S258, M6S211 and D6S510 loci, and polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific priming (PCR-SSP) technique was used for HLA-A typing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The genotypic distributions at the 5 loci were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P> 0.05). The number of allelic variants for D6S1624, D6S258, M6S211 and D6S510 loci were 10, 10, 12 and 9, respectively. Each locus had several main alleles and the dominant alleles were D6S1624-*199, D6S258-*195, M6S211-*261 and D6S510-*186. All of the 4 microsatellite markers exhibited high heterozygosity values (0.7142-0.8316) and polymorphism information content values (0.6686-0.811). No global linkage disequilibrium (LD) was detected between D6S1624 and HLA-A (P= 0.2646), or between D6S258 and HLA-A (P= 0.3481). In contrast, very significant global LD was found between M6S211 and HLA-A (P< 0.0001), and between D6S510 and HLA-A(P< 0.0001). Subsequent analysis for haplotypes with an observed frequency of > or = 3% revealed that only 2 of the 10 D6S1624-HLA-A haplotypes and 3 of the 9 D6S258-HLA-A haplotypes displayed weak or moderate LD, while 7 out of the 8 M6S211-HLA-A haplotypes, 6 among the 7 D6S510-HLA-A haplotypes were in tight LD.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Authors have characterized four microsatellite DNA markers, D6S1624, D6S258, M6S211 and D6S510 in a southern Chinese Han population. Findings shown here can be helpful for those studies mainly addressing the association between HLA I sub-region and diseases. The data also provide basis for future study in forensics, HLA matching in clinical transplantation and anthropology.</p>

Effects of insulin like growth factor-1 on cell viability and tissue factor in vascular endothelial cells / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on cell viability and tissue factor (TF) in angiotensin II (Ang II) induced vascular endothelial cells and to investigate its mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>10(-6) mol/L Ang II was added to human vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) culture media alone or 30 min after pretreatment with IGF-1 (0.1 microg/ml , 0.5 microg/ml, 2.5 microg/ml). Cell viability and AngII type 1 receptor (AT1-R) mRNA were evaluated after 24 h incubation with AngII. At the optimum concentration of IGF-1 affecting cell viability, the time dependent manner for 12 - 48 h incubation with Ang II was evaluated. TF, NOS and NO were investigated after 24 h incubation with Ang II. In addition, NO synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-1-arginine methylester(L-NAME) was added 30 min before addition of IGF-1 and Ang II, and cell viability, TF, AT1-R mRNA, NOS and NO were evaluated after 24 h incubation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Ang II induced a decrease in cell vitality, an upregulation of AT1-R mRNA, an increase in TF, and a decrease in the activity of NOS and content of NO. (2) Pretreatment with IGF-1 significantly inhibited the decreased cell viability and upregulation of AT1-R mRNA. IGF-1 at 0.5 microg/ml showed the most obvious effects. This effect of cell viability recovery was in a time dependent manner during 12 -48 h. (3) IGF-1 also inhibited the increased content of TF, the decreased activity of NOS and the decreased content of NO. (4) The beneficial effects of IGF-1 on cultured endothelial cells were completely abolished by L-NAME.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IGF-1 pretreatment could enhance the ang II injured cell viability and anti-thrombosis capacity, and the protective effects may be related to activation of NOS-NO signaling pathway which inhibited AT1-R.</p>

Effects of Tongxinluo on cell viability and tissue factor in AngII induced vascular endothelial cells / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the effects of Tongxinluo on cell viability and tissue factor (TF) in AngII induced vascular endothelial cells and to investigate its mechanism.@*METHODS@#AngII(10(-6)mol/L) was added to human vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) culture media alone or with various concentration of Tongxinluo drug containing plasma (5%,10%, and 20%) added 30 minutes before AngII. Cell viability was evaluated after 24-hour incubation with AngII in a dose manner. TF, AngII type 1 receptor (AT(1)) mRNA, NO synthase (NOS) and NO were observed after 24-hour incubation with AngII. In addition, NOS inhibitor nomega-nitro-larginine (L-NAME) was added 30 minutes before Tongxinluo and AngII. Cell viability, TF, AT(1)mRNA, the level of NOS and NO were evaluated after 24-hour incubation with Tongxinluo and AngII.@*RESULTS@#Tongxinluo significantly improved AngII induced endothelial cell viability and the effect was the most obvious at 10%. Tongxinluo (10%) decreased the TF and AT(1) mRNA while increased the NOS and NO levels. L-NAME obviously inhibited the effects of Tongxinluo on cell viability, TF, AT(1) mRNA, and NOS and NO levels.@*CONCLUSION@#Up-regulating NOS-NO signaling may be the mechanism of Tongxinluo on cell viability and TF in AngII induced vacular endothelial cells.

Oxidative stress in nitroglycerin tolerance and treatment with 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the relationship between the nitroglycerin tolerance and the stimulation of radical oxygen species (ROS) production, and the therapeutical effect of 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone.@*METHODS@#Vasodilator responses to nitroglycerin were examined in the isolated thoracic aorta. The contents of ROS,and cGMP were determined in the cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells.@*RESULTS@#3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone could significantly reduce the inhibition of relaxation by nitroglycerin. 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone could significantly inhibit the ROS increase and increase the cGMP level.@*CONCLUSION@#Nitroglycerin tolerance is associated with the stimulation of ROS production,and the reversal of nitroglycerin tolerance with 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone is related to the reduction of ROS.

Inhibitory effect of reinioside C on LOX-1 expression induced by ox-LDL / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of reinioside C (RC) on the expression of lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor (LOX)-1 mRNA and LOX-1 protein induced by oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).@*METHODS@#HUVECs were cultured with ox-LDL (50 mg/L) for 24 h in the absence or presence of RC (1, 3, and 10 micromol/L). The expressions of LOX-1 mRNA and LOX-1 protein were examined by RT-PCR and Western-blot.@*RESULTS@#Incubation with ox-LDL (50 mg/L) significantly raised the expression of LOX-1 mRNA and LOX-1 protein,which was concentration-dependent.@*CONCLUSION@#RC can inhibit the increased expression of LOX-1 mRNA and LOX-1 protein induced by ox-LDL in HUVECs.

Daviditin B from Swertia davidi Franch / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To study the active constituents of Swertia davidi Franch.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Chemical components were isolated by column chromatography and their structures were established mainly by spectroscopic means (UV, IR, NMR, 2D-NMR, MS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three substances were identified as 2,5-dimethoxyl-1, 4-dicarboxyl benzene (VIII), 1,5,8-trihydroxyl-3,4-dimethoxyl xanthone (IX) and 1,8-dihydroxyl-3-(3'-hydroxyl-butoxy) xanthone (X).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds VIII and IX were isolated from Swertia davidi Franch, for the first time, whereas compound X is a new xanthone, named daviditin B with antioxygenated activity in vitro.</p>

Studies of the chemical constituents of Swertia davida Franch / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To study the active constituents of Swertia davidi Franch..</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Chromatography was used to isolate and purify the chemical components, their structures were identified by spectral analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three compounds were identified as 1,7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyxanthone (gentiacaulein) (V), 1,8-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethoxyxanthone (methylswertianin) (VI) and 1,8-dihydroxy-3,4,7-trimethoxyxanthone (VII).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compound VII is a novel xanthone, named daviditin A, the others were isolated from Swertia davidi Franch. for the first time.</p>