Endothelium-specific overexpression of human IC53 downregulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and elevates systolic blood pressure in mice.

Aims: Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Endothelial cells (ECs) exert important functions in the regulation of blood pressure. A novel gene, IC53, as an isoform of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-binding protein gene C53, is mainly expressed in vascular ECs and is upregulated in the failing heart of rats.

[Comparison of distributions of muscle injection and intravenous administration of human mesenchymal stem cells in denervated muscles of the sciatic nerve injured rats].

Objective: To explore the better transplantation way of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in neuromuscular disease and its effect on the recovery of injured sciatic nerves.

Methods: Human MSCs were isolated, cultured and fluorescently labeled in vitro. Fifty-four rats were randomly divided into MSC intramuscular (ims), intravenous (iv) and saline administration groups.

Changes of aortae and pulmonary arteries under simulated microgravity and effects of NOS inhibitor on cardiovascular deconditioning.

The present study was to determine the effects of simulated microgravity (SM) on the pulmonary artery (PA) and aorta(TA), and to disclose the changes in pathophysiology of cardiovascular deconditioning(CVD) induced by SM and to explore the effects of NOS inhibitor (N-nitro-L-arginine methylester, L-NAME) on CVD. The high hemodynamics in pulmonary and systemic circulation of human bodies appeared during the initial period and super-regulatory phenomena under 6°head-down tilt bed.

Gene transfer of heat-shock protein 20 protects against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat hearts.

Aim: To explore whether overexpression of HSP20 in the myocardium could protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.

Methods: Rat hearts were injected with vector, recombinant adenovirus encoding green fluorescent protein (Ad.GFP) or recombinant adenovirus encoding wild-type HSP20 (Ad.

Conjugate of bovine hemoglobin and human serum albumin as a candidate for blood substitute: characteristics and effects on rats.

Conjugate of bovine hemoglobin (bHb) and human serum albumin (HSA) was prepared. The product was simply composed of 89.7% one-to-one Hb-HSA conjugate, 6.

Adrenomedullin(27-52) inhibits vascular calcification in rats.

Adrenomedullin (ADM) has the vasodilatory properties and involves in the pathogenesis of vascular calcification. ADM could be degraded into more than six fragments in the body, including ADM(27-52), and we suppose the degrading fragments from ADM do the same bioactivities as derived peptides from pro-adrenomedullin. The present study carries forward by assessing the effects on vascular calcification of the systemic administration of ADM(27-52).

[Impact of simulated microgravity on the expression and distribution of cardiac gap junction protein CX43].

Objective: To observe the expression and distribution changes of connexin 43 (CX) in rats' myocardium after simulated microgravity and explore the partial mechanism of arrhythmia.

Method: Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to either tail-suspension group (SUS) or control group (CON). Immunohistochemistry and Western Blot were used to detect the expression and the distribution of CX43.

Intermittent hypoxia attenuates ischemia/reperfusion induced apoptosis in cardiac myocytes via regulating Bcl-2/Bax expression.

Intermittent hypoxia has been shown to provide myocardial protection against ishemia/reperfusion-induced injury. Cardiac myocyte loss through apoptosis has been reported in ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our aim was to investigate whether intermittent hypoxia could attenuate ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis in cardiac myocytes and its potential mechanisms.

[The effects of simulated microgravity on pulmonary arteries and aortae].

Aim: Through studying local regulatory mechanisms in pulmonary arteries (PA) and thoracic aortae (TA) under simulated microgravity (SM), to collect some data for the researches of adaptive mechanisms in pulmonary and systemic arteries and for the mechanisms accounting for orthostatic intolerance after SM.

Methods: Cardiopulmonary circulatory function during 7-day 6 degrees head down bed rest (HDT) in male young volunteers was measured with a XXH-2000 pulmonary circulation and cardiac function instrument. - 30 degrees C tail suspended (TS) rats were used as the model to simulate the physiological effects of M.

[Changes of reactivity of rabbit femoral venous rings after 21 d simulated weightlessness].

Objective: To study the effects of simulated weightlessness on reactivity of leg veins.

Method: Vascular bathing technique was used to measure the contractile responses of rabbit femoral venous rings to Ht, PE and KCl, and the dilatory responses to ACh and SNP after horizontal confinement or head-down tilt confinement for 21 d.

Result: After simulated weightlessness for 21 d, the contractile response of rabbit femoral venous rings to higher concentrations of PE and KCl decreased significantly (P<0.