Correlation between Combined Urinary Metal Exposure and Grip Strength under Three Statistical Models: A Cross-sectional Study in Rural Guangxi / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength.@*METHODS@#We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.@*RESULTS@#In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β = -2.119), As (β = -1.318), Sr (β = -2.480), Ba (β = 0.781), Fe (β = 1.130) and Mn (β = -0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength ( P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95% confidence interval: -1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn ( P interactions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).@*CONCLUSION@#In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Research progress on anti-tumor effects of lupeol / 中国药理学通报

Lupeol is a kind of triterpenoid widely found in a variety of Chinese herbal medicines and food-derived plants. It has multiple pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and promoting skin healing. Recent studies have found that lupeol has anti-tumor effects on liver cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer and other tumor cells. The mechanisms of action are mainly by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, inducing tumor cell apoptosis, and suppressing tumor cell invasion and metastasis. In this review, the anti-tumor research progress, pharmacological activities and molecular mechanisms of lupeol both in vitro and in vivo are reviewed and summarized to provide a theoretical basis for lupeol as a potential anti-tumor drug, and provide references for its anti-tumor mechanism.

Effect of curcumin against capillarization of hepatic sinusoids and its mechanism / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Capillarization of hepatic sinusoids is an inevitable part in liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and is a characteristic lesion inducing portal hypertension. However, curcumin effects on the capillarization of hepatic sinusoids and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of curcumin (a natural polyphenolic compound derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa)on the microstructure and secretion of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells(HSECs),and to further explore its intervention on sinusoidal capillarization and pharmacological action mechanism of anti-liver fibrosis and target sites. METHODS: The rat HSECs were cultured and divided into seven groups: blank control group received no intervention and cells in the other groups were activated by leptin, followed by treatment with nothing (model group), high-, medium- and low-dose of curcumin, colchicine and salvia miltiorrhiza phenolic acid B, respectively, for 48 hours. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Under scanning and transmission electron microscopes, with the increasing activation of leptin, the number of fenestrae in HSECs was increased and the aperture was decreased. Curcumin could increase and enlarge narrowed or disappeared fenestrae caused by leptin, attenuated the thickness and scope of extracellular basement membrane, and reduced the degree of capillarization of hepatic sinusoids in a dose-dependent manner. Real-time PCR and ELISA results showed that after activation of leptin, mRNA and protein expression levels of endothelin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor in HSECs were significantly increased compared with the blank control group (P < 0.05), while the expressions showed a significant decrease after treatment with curcumin in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). There was also a gradient reduction in the protein expression of endothelin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor in HSECs treated with curcumin. Moreover, all above mRNA and protein expression levels in the high-dose curcumin group were significantly lower than those in the colchicine and salvia miltiorrhiza phenolic acid B groups. In summary, curcumin can significantly alleviate the sinusoidal capillarization, and thus delay the development of liver fibrosis, probably by down-regulating the expression levels of endothelin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor.

Experimental study on effect and mechanism of soybean protease inhibitor on endotoxin-induced acute lung injury / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effect of soybean protease inhibitor on LPS-induced lung injury in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided in five groups, 10 rats in each group as sham-operation group, model control group, positive medicine group, and high, moderate SBTI groups. Except the sham-group, other groups were induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS with a dose of 6 mg x kg(-1). All rats were given drug throughout intraperitoneal injection except the model controlled group, the positive medicine group was given PMSF with a dose of 50 mg x kg(-1), the high dose group of SBTI was given SBTI with a dose of 100 mg x kg(-1), a dose of the moderate group is 50 mg x kg(-1). We examined all rats in seven days. Index exam: cell quantity, activity of neutrophilic granulocyte released elastic protease proteins in BALF, histopathological examination and so on.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Soybean protease inhibitor can level down the level of total protein, cell quantity, PMN percent, activity of neutrophilic granulocyte in BALF. SBTI level down the content of NF-kappa B in nucleoprotein, while increase the content of I kappa B alpha in plasmoprotein.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SBTI is useful in protecting experimental pulmonary injury induced by LPS in rats.</p>

The protective effects of Fufang Biejiafang on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the possible effects and mechanism of Fufang Biejiafang on a single intratracheal instillation (IT) of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis model.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>SD rats were treated with a single IT dose of bleomycin or control saline. Chinese medicine group were poured into the stomach after the first day of operation with high dosage, middle dosage and low dosage. On days 7, 14 and 28 following IT bleomycin or saline, 4 mL blood were taken from the abdominal aorta for arterial blood gas analysis. The left lung was fixed for routine light microscopic examination. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from the right lung was tested the activity of pulmonary surfactant (PS) by the Whihelmy Film Balance, then the right lung was frozen immediately in liquid nitrogen for determination of hydroxyproline concentration.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Model rats had obviously changes of body weight and hypoxemia and dysfunction of PS on days 7 and improved on days 14. Compared with three dose groups, the middle dose group some degreely improved and PS function. It ameliorate fibrosis because of inhibition of inflammation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>(1) PS dysfunction resulted in hypoxemia after bleomycin injured alveolar type II (AT II). Fufang biejiafang-middle dose-group ameliorate hypoxemia by remission AT-II injury. (2) Fufang biejiafang may inhibit exudation inflammation and ameliorate fibrosis.</p>