Effect of Astragalus polysaccharides on the phenotype and functions of human dendritic cells in vitro / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the effect of astragalus polysaccharides (APS) in inducing phenotypic and functional changes of human dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human dendritic cells were induced from the peripheral blood monocytes in vitro by the application of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and GM-CSF, and cultured in the presence of APS at different concentrations (50, 100, and 200 mg/L). The morphological changes of the DCs were identified by optical microscope or scanning electron microscope. The phenotypic alterations of the cells were analyzed by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The DCs cultured for 24 h in the presence of LPS and APS at 50 and 100 mg/L showed suspended growth in the culture medium and underwent morphological changes from spherical cells to irregular cells, with rough cell surface and cell processes of different morphologies. APS-treated DCs had the most typical dendritic structures and highly expressed the phenotypic markers of DCs (CD86 and HLA-DR), but with down-regulated CD14 expression as shown by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both APS and the cytokines can induce the maturation of DCs derived from peripheral blood monocytes.</p>

Efficacy and safety of implantation of multiple drug-eluting stents / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the efficacy and safety of implantation of multiple drug-eluting stents.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study of 151 cases was conducted, including 34 with implantation of at least 3 drug-eluting stents in the coronary artery (MS group), 53 with implantation of two stents (TS group), and 64 with a single stent (OS group). The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) and restenosis was evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant difference was found between the 3 groups in the incidence of MACE or in the stent thrombosis rate 30 days after the implantation. Follow-up of the patients for 6 months still showed comparable restenosis rate and MACE incidence between the 3 groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Implantation of multiple drug-eluting stents does not increase the risk of restenosis or MACE, and has comparable safety and efficacy with implantation of single and two stents.</p>

Association of dendritic cell distribution with intima hyperplasia in rats with diabetes mellitus / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association of dendritic cell distribution in the peripheral blood, spleen and arterial wall with intimal hyperplasia in rats with diabetes mellitus.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Diabetes mellitus was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and high-fat feeding for 8 weeks. Peripheral blood, arterial wall and the spleen were collected from the rats to prepare cell suspensions, in which the proportions of dendritic cells and T cells were determined by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The tunica intimal hyperplasia was more obvious in diabetic rats with or without high-fat feeding as compared with that of the control rats (P<0.05), and their dendritic cells decreased significantly in the peripheral blood (P<0.05) but increased in the arterial wall. The percentage of T cells was also increased in the peripheral blood and arterial wall of the diabetic rats.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Changes in the distribution of dendritic cells and T cells are closely associated with intimal hyperplasia in diabetic rats, suggesting the involvement of dendritic cells and T cells in the formation of atherosclerosis.</p>

Changes of CD4+CD28- T cell and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell subsets in patients with coronary heart disease / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes of CD4(+)CD28(-) T cell and CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cell (Treg) subsets in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-eight patients with angiographically established CAD were recruited in this study, including 16 with unstable angina (UA group) and 12 with stable angina (SA group). Eleven patients with chest pain syndrome served as the control group. The proportions of peripheral CD4(+)CD28(-) T cells and CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg subsets were determined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proportions of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg were significantly lower in UA group (6.55-/+2.45%) than in SA (14.01-/+4.92%) and control groups (13.55-/+3.87%). The proportions of CD4(+)CD28(-) T cells were significantly higher in UA group (10.55-/+4.76%) than in SA (2.64-/+1.33%) and control (2.75-/+1.55%) groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Alterations of circulating T-lymphocyte subsets occur in patients with UA. The changes of Treg and CD4(+)CD28(-) T cells may lead to breakdown of peripheral autoimmune tolerance and play an important role in the development and progression of CHD.</p>

Effect of enalapril on diabetic rat myocardial ultrastructure / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the changes in the myocardial ultrastructure of diabetic rats and the effect of enalapril treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups, namely the control group, diabetic group and enalapril intervention group. Diabetes was induced with peritoneal injection of streptozotocin in the latter 2 groups, and in enalapril group, the rats were treated with enalapril at the daily oral dose of 2 mg/kg for 1, 3 and 5 months after streptozotocin injection. Histological analysis of the left ventricular tissue was performed with transmission electron microscope 1, 3, and 5 months after establishment of diabetes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Onset of myocardial damages was observed 1 month after the development of diabetes in the rats with gradual time-dependent exacerbation. Enalapril treatment could partially reverse the myocardial destruction in the diabetic rats.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Enalapril intervention may improve the ultrastructural pathology of the myocardium in diabetic rats, which is suggestive of the action mechanisms of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in myocardium preservation.</p>

Effects of proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide on angiotensin II-induced NO production in rat cardiac fibroblasts / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) on nitric oxide (NO) production in rat cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) induced by angiotensin II (AngII) stimulation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Neonatal SD rat CFs isolated by trypsin digestion were cultured and stimulated with PAMP, AngII or their combination, and NO production in the CFs in response to the treatments was measured by nitric acid reductase method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>NO levels in the cell culture treated with 1x10(-9), 1x10(-8), 1x10(-7), and 1x10(-6) micromol/L AngII were 73.88-/+2.23, 64.34-/+3.02, 54.12-/+2.82, and 40.21-/+1.45 micromol/L, respectively, showing significant differences between the groups (P<0.01), whereas treatment of the cells with 1x10(-9), 1x10(-8), 1x10(-7), and 1x10(-6) micromol/L PAMP did not result in significant variation in NO production (74.40-/+3.42, 74.91-/+2.66, 75.77-/+3.31, and 74.23-/+2.43 micromol/L, respectively) in comparison with that of the blank control group (74.57-/+2.49 micromol/L, P>0.05). Combined treatments with 1x10(-7) micromol/L AngII and PAMP at 1x10(-9), 1x10(-8), 1x10(-7), and 1x10(-6) micromol/L PAMP caused significant increment of NO production (66.15-/+2.95, 80.58-/+3.77, 88.67-/+1.46, and 96.22-/+2.96 micromol/L, respectively, P<0.01) in a PAMP dose-dependent manner, suggesting the abolishment of AngII-induced enhancement of NO production in the CFs by PAMP.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PAMP increases NO production in the CFs in the presence of AngII but it does not induce significant changes in NO production when used alone.</p>

Effect of urotensin II on secretion of adrenomedullin from human vascular endothelial cells / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of human urotensin II (HU II) on secretion of adrenomedullin (ADM) from human vascular endothelial cells (HVEC) and its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In cultured HVEC, different concentrations of HUII were used to stimulate the ADM secretion from HVEC, and the inhibitors of different signal transduction pathway were used to investigate their effects on ADM secretion. The contents of ADM in medium were determined by radio immunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HUII stimulated secretion of ADM from HVEC in a time-dependent and concentration-dependent manner. The contents of ADM in the experiment groups were changed compared with that in control group (P < 0.05). The increase of ADM could be inhibited by inhibitor of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (PD(98059)), inhibitor of P38 kinase (SB(202190)), inhibitor of calmodulin (W(7)) and inhibitor of Ca(2+) (nicardipine) (P < 0.05). The inhibition ratio in those groups was 68%, 78%, 24% and 25% respectively. But the inhibitor of Calcineurin (CaN) and inhibitor of protein kinase C (H(7)) had no influence on the secretion of ADM from HVEC (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The stimulated effect of HUII on the ADM secretion from HVEC may be mediated by Ca(2+), ERKs, CaM-PK and P38 signal transduction pathways.</p>