Effects of recombinant activated coagulation factor VII on apoptosis and expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of recombinant activated coagulation factor VII (rFVIIa) on apoptosis and the expressions of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 90 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with similar weight were selected and randomly divided into normal group (n=30), ICH control group (n=30), and rFVIIa treatment group (n=30). Five days later, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was applied to observe pathological changes in rat brain in three groups. Cell apoptosis in rat brain was detected at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 120 h, respectively. The relative expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax in brain tissues were measured via fluorescence quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with those in ICH control group, rats in rFVIIa treatment group had fewer degenerated and necrotic nerve cells and milder pathological changes in the marginal zone. The number of apoptotic cells in ICH control group and rFVIIa group was gradually increased in a time-dependent manner, and achieved the peak at 72 h. The number of apoptotic cells in treatment group was significantly lower than that in ICH control group after 24 h (p<0.05). Both fluorescence qPCR and Western blotting results proved that in comparison with ICH control group, rFVIIa group had a higher relative expression level of Bcl-2 (p<0.05) and a lower expression level of Bax (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Apoptosis mechanism may be involved in secondary brain injury after ICH. RFVIIa may have an important protective effect on neuronal injury after ICH by promoting the expression of Bcl-2 and inhibiting the expression of Bax protein.

Efficacy of oxymatrine for treatment and relapse suppression of severe plaque psoriasis: results from a single-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Drugs that are currently used in the treatment of psoriasis are associated with drawbacks such as rapid recrudescence, high costs and unwanted side-effects. Oxymatrine has a long history of clinical use in the treatment of hepatitis and cancer in China. OBJECTIVES: To explore the efficacy and safety of intravenous oxymatrine in patients with severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS: A total of 67 patients were randomly allocated to receive oxymatrine injections (0.6 g per day for 8 weeks) or acitretin capsules (0.75 mg kg-1 per day from week 0 to week 2 and 20-30 mg per day from week 3 to week 8) and followed up for another 24 weeks. The primary end point was the percentage of patients with ≥ 50% reduction of Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 50) at week 32. The secondary end points included the skin classification grade and the Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI) score. Side-effects were recorded throughout the whole study to assess the safety profile. RESULTS: Treatment with oxymatrine or acitretin for 8 weeks significantly decreased PASI score, skin classification grade and DLQI score (P < 0.001), with no significant differences between the oxymatrine and acitretin groups in terms of PASI 50. However, at week 32, the relapse rate in the oxymatrine group was significantly lower than that of the acitretin group (P < 0.001). Moreover, while there was an increase in the number of patients with metabolic abnormalities in the acitretin group, a significant reduction was observed in the oxymatrine group. Furthermore, rates of adverse reactions were significantly decreased in the oxymatrine group compared with that of the acitretin group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with oxymatrine effectively ameliorated severe plaque psoriasis, and was accompanied by only minor adverse effects.

DNA release and uptake associated with the development of pleomorphic cells in mammalian skin autotransplants / Liberación y absorción de ADN asociada con el desarrollo de células pleomórficas en autotrasplantes de piel en mamíferos

OBJECTIVE: Although several in vitro studies have demonstrated active release of DNA by living cells, there is still doubt. There are no such in vivo studies (1). The following experiment is an in vivo study to determine whether DNA release and uptake by cells and tissues occur and can be related to normal growth and differentiation, abnormal growth and cancer. METHODS: Epidermal and full-thickness ear-skin grafts were separately autotransplanted into two groups of mice. In a second group, host mice were labelled with tritiated thymidine and autografted separately, with unlabelled epidermal and full-thickness ear-skin grafts. Animals were sacrificed regularly in both cases. RESULTS: Full thickness grafts revealed cysts in 15 out of 16 grafts, with well-differentiated squamous epidermis, DNA labelling ofdermal fibroblasts and no DNA labelling ofepidermal cells. Epidermal grafts revealed cysts in six out of 20 grafts, with epidermal cells variable in shape and arrangement; some appeared normal but others were two to four times larger, forming solid nests ofcells. In some grafts, there were spindle-shaped pleomorphic cells loosely interconnected. DNA labelling was ob served in occasional epidermal cell. Two lung adenocarcinomas were found. CONCLUSION: These results suggest active release of DNA by host cells and DNA uptake by grafted cells. This phenomenon and the differential uptake of DNA labelling ofepidermal and dermal cells in the epidermal and full-thickness grafts suggest an association with abnormal, even pleomorphic epidermal cell behaviour due to the interference of dermal/epidermal interacting factors.

OBJETIVO: Aunque varios estudios in vitro han demostrado la liberación activa de DNA por las células vivas, todavía persisten las dudas. No existen tales estudios in vitro (1). El siguiente experimento constituye un estudio in vitro para determinar si hay liberación y absorción de ADN por parte de las células y los tejidos, y si estos procesos guardan relación con el crecimiento normal y la diferenciación, así como con el crecimiento anormal y el cáncer. MÉTODOS: Injertos de piel de la oreja, tanto de espesor total como epidérmicos fueron auto trasplantados por separado a dos grupos de ratones. En el segundo grupo, ratones huéspedes fueron etiquetados con timidina tritiada, y autoinjertados, por separado, con injertos de piel de la oreja no etiquetados, tanto de espesor total como epidérmicos. En ambos casos, fue necesario sacrificar animales de manera regular. RESULTADOS: Los injertos de espesor total revelaron quistes en 15 de cada 16 injertos, con epidermis escamosa bien diferenciada, etiquetado ADN de fibroblastos dérmicos, y no etiquetado ADN de células epidérmicas. Los injertos epidérmicos revelaron quistes en seis de 20 injertos, siendo las células epidérmicas variables en forma y ordenamiento. Algunas parecían normales, pero otras eran de dos a cuatro veces mayores, y formaban anidamientos celulares sólidos. En algunos de los injertos, se presentaron células pleomórficas en forma de huso, interconectadas con laxitud. Se observó etiquetado de DNA en células epidérmicas ocasionalmente. Se hallaron dos adenocarcinomas pulmonares. CONCLUSIÓN: Estos resultados sugieren la liberación activa de ADN por las células huéspedes y la absorción de ADN por las células injertadas. Este fenómeno y la absorción diferencial de etiquetado de ADN de células dérmicas y epidérmicas en los injertos epidérmicos y de espesor total, sugieren una asociación con el comportamiento celular anormal, e incluso pleomórfico epidérmico, debido a la interferencia de los factores dérmicos/epidérmicos interactuantes.