Effect of the stable thromboxane derivative, carbocyclic thromboxane A2, on membrane potential of rat myenteric neurones in culture

The effects of carbocyclic thromboxane A(2) (cTXA(2); 10(-6) mol L(-1)) on membrane potential and cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration were measured with the whole-cell patch-clamp or the fura-2 method, respectively, at rat myenteric ganglia. cTXA(2) caused a hyperpolarization of myenteric neurones from -19.3 +/- 2.5 to -29.3 +/- 2.3 mV. In addition, the eicosanoid potentiated the carbachol-induced depolarization from 4.2 +/- 1.0 mV under control conditions to 11.1 +/- 1.1 mV in the presence of the cTXA(2) (n = 9). The hyperpolarization was abolished by internal application of CsCl (140 mmol L(-1)), a non-selective blocker of K(+) channels, or EGTA (11 mmol L(-1)in the pipette solution), a chelator of intracellular Ca(2+). A similar inhibition was observed in the presence of charybdotoxin (10(-7) mol L(-1)). Fura-2 imaging experiments revealed a cTXA(2)-evoked increase in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration as indicated by a rise in the fura-2 ratio signal. This response was mediated by a release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores as sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase blockade with cyclopiazonic acid (5 x 10(-5) mol L(-1)) completely abolished the response to cTXA(2). A similar inhibition was observed after blockade of phospholipase C with U-73122 (10(-5) mol L(-1)). These results suggest an activation of Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels by cTXA(2) after stimulation of phospholipase C.     

肩肱皮瓣修复颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形疗效分析

目的:探讨颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形的有效外科治疗手段。方法:采用瘢痕广泛松解、双侧或单侧肩肱皮瓣转移,同时用全厚皮片移植修复供瓣区创面。结果:本组21例中,17例手术一次性完成,4例分两次完成。不但改善了患者的上肢功能,还可进一步改善患者颈部的活动度。结论:瘢痕广泛松解、双侧或单侧肩肱皮瓣转移,同时用全厚皮片移植修复供瓣区创面是颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形的有效外科治疗手段。     

陈旧性踝关节骨折脱位的手术治疗

自1999年4月-2003年1月共收治陈旧性踝关节骨折脱位患者14例,疗效满意,现报告如下。1临床资料14例中男9例,女5例;年龄16~68岁,平均39·5岁。损伤至手术时间21d~9个月,平均52d。根据Lange-Hansen分类:旋前外展型Ⅲ度3例,Ⅳ度2例;旋前外旋型Ⅱ度2例,Ⅲ度3例,Ⅳ度1例;旋后外旋型Ⅲ     

Three-dimensional bone kinematics in an anterior laxity test of the ankle joint

Questions addressed in this in-vitro study are (1) what are the actual three-dimensional kinematics of talus and calcaneus during an anterior drawer test as performed with the quasi-static anterior ankle tester (QAAT) (2) does laxity measurement with the QAAT represent the true anterior translation of talus relative to the tibia?. Simultaneous measurements were made with the QAAT and a three-dimensional kinematics analysis system in five specimens. The three-dimensional translations and rotations on three axes were analysed at 25, 50 and 100 N of applied anterior load, with increased ligament damage. For four out of five remaining specimens, anterior translation values of talus and calcaneus and values as measured with the QAAT show a significant increase with growing ligament damage and with higher loads. Skeletal motions of talus and calcaneus show great similarity in three different motion axes, with increased ligament damage and at any given load. Skeletal translations and rotations of talus and calcaneus show great similarity during an anterior drawer movement of the ankle joint. Anterior skeletal translation of the talus and calcaneus show fair correlation with the anterior displacements measurements of the QAAT. These QAAT measurements show an overestimation of the laxity value by more than 200% irrespective of the load applied.     

持续吸入不同浓度氧气对新生大鼠肺血管内皮生长因子及其受体tuRNA表达的影响

目的 探讨持续吸入不同浓度氧气对新生大鼠肺血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)及其受体1(VEGFRl)和受体2(VEGFR2)mRNA表达的影响.方法 新生足月SD大鼠32只,随机分为对照组和实验组.实验组生后12 h开始持续吸入氧气,按不同的吸入氧浓度,将实验组又分为30%O2组、50%O2组和75%O2组.对照组吸入空气.每组8只.于实验开始后21 d处死实验大鼠,取出右肺下叶,RT-PCR技术检测VEGF、VEGFR1和VEGFR2 mRNA表达,根据2-△△CT的计算方法,实验组基因表达差异用实验组相对于对照组基因表达量的倍数表示.结果 与对照组相比,30%O2对新生大鼠肺VEGF及其受体mRNA表达无影响.75%O2组VEGF mRNA表达是对照组的0.48倍;50%O2组、75%O2组VEGFR1 mRNA分别为对照组的0.18倍和0.06倍;VEGFR2 mRNA分别为对照组的0.22倍和0.10倍,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05).结论 长时间吸入低浓度氧对新生大鼠肺VEGF及其受体mRNA影响不明届,而持续吸入中等浓度及较高浓度氧可降低VEGF及其受体mRNA的表达.     

脱钙冻干骨修复种植周骨缺损的扫描电镜观察

目的比较脱钙冻干骨(DFDB)、脱钙冻干骨复合人重组骨形成蛋白-2(rhBMP-2)、脱钙冻干骨联合钛膜的骨修复能力。方法 3条犬股骨种植体周形成4 mm×3 mm×3 mm的骨缺损,分别植入上述3种不同材料。术后4、8、12周分期处死动物,取含种植体的骨段进行扫描电镜观察,观察新骨形成情况及其与种植体之间的缝隙。结果 DFDB可单独用于修复种植体周骨缺损,但成骨作用较慢;DFDB+rhBMP-2和DFDB+钛膜能较早诱导新骨形成,加速骨整合过程。结论DFDB是一种较理想的骨修复材料,复合rhBMP-2或与钛膜联用时效果更佳。     

Analysis of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and a receptor subtype (KDR/flk-1) in the liver of rats exposed to riddelliine: a potential role in the development of hemangiosarcoma

Riddelliine alters hepatocellular and endothelial cell kinetics and function including stimulating an increase in hepatocytic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the absence of increased serological levels of VEGF (Nyska etal. 2002). The objective of this study was to further assess hepatic VEGF and KDR/flk-1 synthesis and expression by hepatic cells under riddelliine treatment conditions. Forty-two male F344/N rats were dosed by gavage with riddelliine (0, 1.0, and 2.5 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks. Seven animals/group were sacrificed after 8 consecutive daily doses; remaining rats were terminated after 30 daily doses, excluding weekends. Hepatic tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. The results showed that VEGF mRNA expression was observed in control and treated animals; however, qualitative differences were noted. Treated animals exhibited VEGF mRNA in clustered, focal hepatocytes and bile duct epithelium, whereas VEGF mRNA in hepatocytes from vehicle control rats was distributed evenly across all hepatocytes. Results evaluating the distribution of the VEGF cognate receptor, KDR/flk-1 showed that randomly distributed, rare sinusoidal endothelium, including those demonstrating karyomegaly and cytomegaly expressed KDR/flk-1. Phosphorylation of KDR/flk-1 at pTyr996 and pTyr1054/1059, but not pTyr951, was also detected, evidence that endothelial cell KDR/flk-1 was activated. These results suggest that both hepatocytes and endothelial cells are targets of riddelliine-induced injury. We speculate that damage to both populations of cells may lead to dysregulated VEGF synthesis by hepatocytes and activation of KDR/flk-1 by endothelium leading to the induction of sustained endothelial cell proliferation, culminating in the development of hepatic hemangiosarcoma.     

补肾活血法对子宫内膜异位症模型大鼠细胞凋亡的影响

目的 探讨补肾活血法治疗子宫内膜异位症的细胞凋亡机制. 方法 将雌性8～12周龄SD大鼠分为模型组、西药组、中药组及中西药合并组,每组15只.造模成功后,分别给药4周,采用光镜、电镜、TUNEL法及免疫组化法检测药物干预前后模型大鼠异位子宫内膜的病理形态学、凋亡细胞的阳性率及凋亡调控蛋白bcl-2、bax的阳性表达. 结果 中西药合并组的异位内膜组织发生凋亡的改变最为明显,凋亡指数最高,并可明显下调bcl-2蛋白的阳性表达和提升bax蛋白阳性的表达,从而使bcl-2/bax比值下降,其次为中药组、西药组和模型组. 结论 子宫内膜异位症的发生与细胞凋亡能力的下降有关.补肾活血中药能促进异位内膜细胞发生凋亡,使异位病灶萎缩、消退细胞.     

Cytotoxicity of Chinese motherwort (YiMuCao) aqueous ethanol extract is non-apoptotic and estrogen receptor independent on human breast cancer cells

Background

Motherwort has been used as medicinal herb for many years in both China and Europe. In particular, Chinese motherwort has been commonly used to treat disorders of mammary gland in Chinese traditional medicine (TCM). Chinese motherwort aqueous extract (MAE) was previously reported to have anti-cancer activity in breast cancer cells with low potency (IC50s in a range of 8–40 mg/mL). However, treatment of motherwort ethanol extract in vivo markedly suppressed the development of uterine adenomyosis and mammary cancers in mice. Therefore, anti-cancer activity of Chinese motherwort, especially in a form of ethanol extract, needs to be confirmed further at cellular level.

Materials and methods

Aerial part of Chinese motherwort (Leonurus japonicus Houtt) dry powder is extracted with 70% ethanol and the chemical components were characterized with HPLC finger print as well as mass spectrometry. Cytotoxicity of the motherwort aqueous ethanol extract (MAEE) was analyzed with MTT assay on ER negative MDA-MB-231 and ER positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines. Hoechst 33342 staining and flow cytometry were used to verify whether the cell death induced by MAEE is apoptosis in nature. Cell cycle status of MAEE treated cells were analyzed with flow cytometry.

Results

Our results showed that MAEE caused cell death in a dose-dependent and time-dependent fashion in both ER positive and negative breast cancer cells. Morphology, Hoechst 33342 staining and flow cytometry evidence all indicated the cell death is not in an apoptotic nature. Furthermore, low concentrations of MAEE caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase.

Conclusions

These data suggest that Chinese motherwort aqueous ethanol extract may effectively inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells through mechanisms of both cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest. The cellular effects of MAEE are non-apoptotic and ER independent on breast cancer cells.     

Attenuation of colitis injury in rats using Garcinia cambogia extract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic enteropathies that probably result from a dysregulated mucosal immune response. These pathologies are characterized by oxidative and nitrosative stress, leukocyte infiltration and up-regulation of pro-inflammatory substances. Current IBD treatment presents limitations in both efficacy and safety that stimulated the search for new active compounds. Garcinia cambogia extract has attracted interest due to its pharmacological properties, including gastroprotective effects. In this study, the antiinflammatory activity of a garcinia extract was assessed in TNBS-induced colitis rats. The results obtained revealed that garcinia administration to colitic rats significantly improved the macroscopic damage and caused substantial reductions in increases in MPO activity, COX-2 and iNOS expression. In addition, garcinia extract treatment was able to reduce PGE(2) and IL-1beta colonic levels. These antiinflammatory actions could be related to a reduction in DNA damage in isolated colonocytes, observed with the comet assay. Finally, garcinia extract caused neither mortality nor toxicity signals after oral administration. As such, the antiinflammatory effects provided by the Garcinia cambogia extract result in an improvement of several parameters analysed in experimental colitis and could provide a source for the search for new antiinflammatory compounds useful in IBD treatment.