Cerebrosides of baifuzi, a novel potential blocker of calcium-activated chloride channels in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) are crucial regulators of vascular tone by promoting a depolarizing influence on the resting membrane potential of vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the lack of a special blocker of CaCCs has limited the investigation of its functions for long time. Here, we report that CB is a novel potential blocker of I(Cl(Ca)) in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC).

[Effective evaluation of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma and to explore the suitable indication for liver transplantation for advanced primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Method: Clinical data were collected and studied with 43 patients with cirrhosis who had unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and who underwent liver transplantation from August, 2000 to December, 2003. All the survived patients were followed up.

[Experimental study on the effect of ginkgo bioba extract on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 in bronchial asthma].

Aim: To explore the effect of the ginkgo bioba extract on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in bronchial asthma.

Methods: 30 guinea pigs were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10): (1) Normal control group; (2) Asthmatic group; (3) Therapeutic group. Blood carbon monoxide Hb (COHb) percent value, Airway resistance and eosinophilic inflammation of airway wall were observed, the expression of HO-1 in lung tissue were observed by immunohistochemical staining.

The cryptic enhancer elements of the tCUP promoter.

Examination of the tCUP cryptic promoter from tobacco demonstrates that cryptic gene regulatory elements in the plant genome are functionally equivalent to elements responsible for the expression of plant genes. They are also organized in a similar fashion. Analysis of the expression pattern of the GUS reporter gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants revealed that all of the information needed for strong constitutive expression was located in the truncated, -394tCUP promoter fragment.