Research Progress on Forensic Entomotoxicology / 法医学杂志

Forensic entomotoxicology is a branch of forensic medicine, which applies entomology, toxicology and other related studies to solve the poisoning cases. It has an obvious advantage in the investigation on poisoning death. Based on the expounding definition and research of entomotoxicology, this paper reviews research progress and application value in some aspects of forensic medicine, such as the effects of drugs/toxins on the growth and development of sarcosaphagous insects and the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the drugs/toxins in the poisoned body tissue.

Effects of di'ao xinxuekang soft capsule on lipid peroxidation and the endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of Di' ao Xinxuekang Soft Capsule (DK) on the plasma levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and endothelin (ET) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), and to study its underlying mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 100 patients with CHD confirmed by coronary angiography were randomly assigned to two groups, the control group (60 cases) and the DK treatment group (40 cases). Patients in the control group received conventional therapy, while those in the DK treatment group received DK additionally. The therapeutic course for all was 3 months. The plasma levels of SOD, MDA, ET, and NO were determined pre-treatment, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with before treatment, the serum levels of SOD and NO increased and the levels of MDA and ET decreased at each time point. Besides, better effects were obtained in the DK treatment group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DK possibly played a role in inhibiting lipid peroxidation and improving the endothelial dysfunction.</p>

Effect of gene modified mesenchymal stem cells overexpression human receptor activity modified protein 1 on inflammation and cardiac repair in a rabbit model of myocardial infarction / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) overexpressing human receptor activity modified protein 1 (hRAMP1) by adenovirus vector on infarction related inflammation and cardiac repair in a rabbit model of myocardial infarction (MI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty rabbits underwent coronary artery ligation for 60 minutes followed by 24 hours reperfusion and divided into MSC(hRAMP1) group (intravenously injection of MSCs transfected with adenovirus vector encoding hRAMP1 gene enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP, n = 10), MSC(null) group (MSCs transfected with adenovirus vector encoding only EGFP without hRAMP1 gene, n = 10) and control group (equally volume of phosphate buffered saline, PBS, n = 10). The plasma level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were quantified by ELISA assay at before and 1, 3, 7, 28 days after induction of MI. The expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and hRAMP1 in infracted myocardium were measured by Western blot at 1, 3, 7, 28 day following MI. The area of MI and collagen deposition and fibrosis were evaluated by TTC staining and Masson staining, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Area of MI and collagen content were significantly reduced in MSC(hRAMP1) group compared those in MSC(null) and control group [(10.1 ± 2.9)% vs. (30.6 ± 2.7)% and (22.5 ± 3.2)%, P < 0.05]. Myocardial expression of NF-κB and plasma TNF-α[7 days after transplantation: (97.2 ± 6.7) pg/ml vs. (207.6 ± 12.7) pg/ml and (153.2 ± 9.9) pg/ml, P < 0.05] were also lower while plasma level of IL-10 [7 days after transplantation: (238.5 ± 17.5) pg/ml vs. (177.3 ± 19.8) pg/ml and (244.6 ± 27.3) pg/ml, P < 0.05] was significantly higher in MSC(hRAMP1) group than in MSC(null) and control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MSCs overexpression hRAMP1 could further reduce area of MI possibly through inhibiting the myocardial expression of NF-κB and reducing the plasma TNF-α level and raising plasma IL-10 level.</p>