ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (GS) is frequently used as an adjuvant therapy for patients with heart failure (HF). Metoprolol is widely used in patients with HF. However, there is no report on the combined effects of GS and metoprolol in patients with HF. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the combined effects of GS and metoprolol in male C57BL/6J mice with HF and the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We utilized a mouse myocardial HF model to measure the serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase-MB form (CK-MB) using an automated biochemical analyzer. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cardiac troponin (cTnT) levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Autophagy of myocardial cells was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy, and changes in signal pathway proteins related to autophagy were analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: GS combined with metoprolol improved heart function, reduced heart damage, and decreased serum levels of CK, CK-MB, LDH, and cTnT. The combination of GS and metoprolol decreased autophagy in myocardial cells by reducing the levels of autophagy-related proteins (LC3, p62, Beclin1, and Atg5) and increasing the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, and p-mTOR/mTOR. CONCLUSION: GS enhanced the anti-heart failure effect of metoprolol. Its mechanism of action might be related to the inhibition of autophagy mediated by the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
Subject(s)
Autophagy , Heart Failure , Metoprolol , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Panax , Animals , Male , Autophagy/drug effects , Heart Failure/drug therapy , Heart Failure/pathology , Heart Failure/metabolism , Metoprolol/pharmacology , Mice , Panax/chemistry , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Chronic Disease , Rhizome/chemistry , Disease Models, Animal , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/blood , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Creatine Kinase/blood , Drug Synergism , Creatine Kinase, MB Form/bloodABSTRACT
AIM: To analyze the pathogens and drug sensitivity of chronic dacryocystitis in order to provide evidence for clinical drug use. METHODS:Lacrimal secretion of 171 cases with chronic dacryocystitis was sampled for pathogenic bacteria culture identification and drug sensitivity test. Based on the results, the isolation rate of pathogens strains, the pathogens kind of chronic dacryoeystitis, main pathogens of chronic dacryocystitis, and sensitive drug for pathogens were analyzed. RESULTS: The isolation rate of pathogens strains was 76. 61% ( 131 cases ). The pathogens constituting the chronic dacryocystitis were predominantly gram-positive coccus,the percentage was 72. 52% (95 cases), among which staphylococcus hominis occupied 27. 48% ( 36 cases), staphylococcus epidermidis 16. 79% (22 cases), streptococcus viridans 12. 98% (17 cases). The majority of these bacteria were sensitive to cefoperazone-sulbactam, tobramycin, gentamicin and levofloxacin. For gram -positive coccus, cefoperazone - sulbactam, gentamicin and tobramycin were the most sensitive drug. For gram-negative bacilli, cefoperazone - sulbactam, tobramycin and levofloxacin were most sensitive drug. CONCLUSION: Staphylococcus hominis is the main pathogen of chronic dacryocystitis, tobramycin can be used as the first choice for local treatment of chronic dacryocystitis.
ABSTRACT
Novel magnetic-antimicrobial-fluorescent multifunctional hybrid microspheres with well-defined nanostructure were synthesized by the aid of a poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) template. The hybrid microspheres were fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and digital fluorescence microscope. The as-synthesized microspheres PGMA, amino-modified PGMA (NH2-PGMA) and magnetic PGMA (M-PGMA) have a spherical shape with a smooth surface and fine monodispersity. M-PGMA microspheres are super-paramagnetic, and their saturated magnetic field is 4.608 emu·g-1, which made M-PGMA efficiently separable from aqueous solution by an external magnetic field. After poly(haxemethylene guanidine hydrochloride) (PHGH) functionalization, the resultant microspheres exhibit excellent antibacterial performance against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The fluorescence feature originating from the quantum dot CdTe endowed the hybrid microspheres with biological functions, such as targeted localization and biological monitoring functions. Combination of magnetism, antibiosis and fluorescence into one single hybrid microsphere opens up the possibility of the extensive study of multifunctional materials and widens the potential applications.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Fluorescent Dyes , Gram-Negative Bacteria/growth & development , Gram-Positive Bacteria/growth & development , Magnetics , Microspheres , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Fluorescent Dyes/chemistry , Fluorescent Dyes/pharmacology , Particle Size , Polymethacrylic Acids/chemistry , Polymethacrylic Acids/pharmacology , Surface PropertiesABSTRACT
An efficient system of genetic transformation and plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis was established in crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.) by infecting the segments of cotyledons and hypocotyls of 15d-old seedlings with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834. Hairy roots were produced directly from the wounded surface of the explants or via calluses on hormone-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium after infection by A. rhizogenes. Transformed roots grew rapidly either on solid or liquid MS medium, and exhibited typical hairy root phenotypes. The highest transformation frequency (87.4%) was achieved by preculturing cotyledons for 2d and pre-treating the A. rhizogenes with suitable concentration of acetosyringone at logarithmic phase (OD600 = 0.8). The embryogenic calluses with 100% induction frequency were induced from hairy roots on MS medium containing 0.2mg/L 2,4-D, 0.5mg/L NAA and 0.5mg/L KT. Globular-, heart-, torpedo-, and cotyledon shaped somatic embryos were produced orderly and developed into plantlets when transferred the embryogenic calluses on MS medium supplemented with 0.5mg/L KT, 0.2mg/L IBA and 300mg/L proline. The transformed plants did not show differences in morphology except abundant lateral root branches compared to the non-transformed plants. However, the contents of 3-nitropropanic acid in hairy roots and leaves of one of 5 transformed clones were 57.68% and 58.17% in roots and leaves of untransformed plants, respectively. Opine paper electrophoresis revealed the integration and expression of TR-DNA. PCR analysis confirmed that the TL-DNA including 654 bp rol B sequence was inserted into the genome of transformed hairy roots and their regenerated plants.