Interleukin-6 contributes to myocardial damage in pregnant rats with reduced uterine perfusion pressure

Preeclampsia is one of the most frequent and difficult illnesses in pregnancy, which jeopardizes both mother and fetus. There are several diagnostic criteria for preeclampsia. However, the preeclampsia-associated myocardial damage has not been described. In this study, we employed reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) to generate a rat model of preeclampsia for the evaluation of myocardial damage in late-gestation rats. The expressions of cardiac injury markers were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. The arterial pressure and myocardial tissue velocities were also measured. The role of interleukin (IL)-6 in RUPP-associated myocardial damage was further explored. The results showed that RUPP rats had significant myocardial damage, as demonstrated by the high expressions of myoglobin, creatine kinase isoenzyme, cardiac troponin I, and brain natriuretic peptide. In addition, RUPP increased the mean arterial pressure and the early transmitral flow velocity to mitral annulus early diastolic velocity ratio (E/Ea). Furthermore, IL-6 deteriorated these abnormalities, whereas inhibition of IL-6 significantly relieved them. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that RUPP rats displayed myocardial damage in an IL-6-dependent manner.

Preparation of elastic porous cell scaffold fabricated with combined polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and hydroxyapatite (HA) / 生物医学工程学杂志

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were combined in our laboratory to fabricate an elastic porous cell scaffold with pore-forming agent, and then the scaffold was used as culture media for rat bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs). Different porous materials (square and circular in shape) were prepared by different pore-forming agents (NaCl or paraffin spheres) with adjustable porosity (62%-76%). The HA crystals grew on the wall of hole when the material was exposed to SBF solutions, showing its biocompatibility and ability to support the cells to attach on the materials.

Cytotoxicity of dichloroacetic acid in lymphocyte and expression of chemokine receptor CXCR2 and chemokine receptor CXCR3 mRNA / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of trichloroethylene (TCE) and its by-products (trichloroacetic acid, TCA; dichloroacetic acid, DCA) on the normal human peripheral blood lymphocyte and the role of DCA in dermatitis medicamentosa- like induced by trichloroethylene (DMLT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Lymphocyte was isolated from peripheral venous blood, and cytotoxicity of human lymphocytes treated with different concentrations (0.02 approximately 30.00 mmol/L) of DCA was determined at indicated times (2 h and 4 h) based on the MTS assay. Action of DCA on cell viability, membrane integrity was assessed by neutral red uptake (NRU) assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release test and measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (FQ-RT-PCR) was employed for detection and quantization of the chemokine receptor CXCR2 and chemokine receptor CXCR3 mRNA in peripheral blood lymphocyte treated with different concentrations of DCA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>DCA had a more vital effect on peripheral blood lymphocyte than TCE and TCA. A concentration-dependent release of LDH was observed at 4 h after cells were exposed to different doses of DCA (0.88, 1.75, 3.50 and 7.00 mmol/L) (P < 0.05), and DCA also caused an inhibition of SOD activity in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The results of FQ- RT- PCR indicated that CXCR2 and CXCR3 mRNA were all over- expression. At 48 h after the DCA of 0.5 mmol/L and 10.00 mmol/L was used, CXCR2 and CXCR3 mRNA were 10.34, 5.66-fold and 19.43, 8.75-fold of those in the control group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DCA is of a great cytotoxicity and may be one of crucial evocators on DMLT.</p>