[Effect of astragaloside Ⅳ on angiotensin Ⅱ-induced inflammatory response of vascular endothelial cells and mechanism].

This study was designed to determine the inhibitory effect of astragaloside Ⅳ(AS-Ⅳ), a principal bioactive component extracted from the Chinese medicinal Astragali Radix, on the inflammatory response of vascular endothelial cells induced by angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ), the most major pathogenic factor for cardiovascular diseases, and to clarify the role of calcium(Ca~(2+))/phosphatidylinosi-tol-3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt)/endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS)/nitric oxide(NO) pathway in the process. To be specific, human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) were cultured in the presence of AS-Ⅳ with or without the specific inhibitor of NO synthase(NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, L-NMMA), inhibitor of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway(LY294002), or Ca~(2+)-chelating agent(ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid, EGTA) prior to Ang Ⅱ stimulation. The inhibitory effect of AS-Ⅳ on Ang Ⅱ-induced inflammatory response and the involved mechanism was determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), cell-based ELISA assay, Western blot, and monocyte adhesion assay which determined the fluorescently labeled human monocytic cell line(THP-1) adhered to Ang Ⅱ-stimulated endothelial cells.

RKIP reduction enhances radioresistance by activating the Shh signaling pathway in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is exceptionally deadly because the tumors lack sensitive early-stage diagnostic biomarkers and are resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) in NSCLC radioresistance. The clinical data showed that the RKIP expression level was generally lower in radioresistant NSCLC tissues than in radiosensitive tissues.

Protective effects of Jiashen Prescription () on myocardial infarction in rats.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of Jiashen Prescription (, JSP) on myocardial infarction (MI) size and cardiac function at the early stage of MI in rats.

Methods: One hundred male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to sham-operation or MI induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The rats with MI were treated with vehicle, JSP 3 and 6 g/(kg·d), or losartan 10 mg/(kg·d) for 1 week.