[Ti-AI intermetallic compound membrane refining Chinese medicinal materials extract].

Objective: To preliminarily evaluate the refining effect on Chinese medicinal materials extract using the microfiltration membrane of Ti-A1 intermetallic compound.

Methods: Conduct a series of microfiltration experiments on the extract of several commonly used Chinese medicinal materials (Nelumubinis Plumula and Eucommiae Folium)and compound preparation of Baihuasandi. Then, analyze the changes of traits, total solid and index components before and after filtring.

Lgr4 is a key regulator of prostate development and prostate stem cell differentiation.

Mechanisms modulating prostate cell fate determination remain unexplored. The leucine-rich repeat containing G-protein-coupled receptors (Lgr) have been identified as important stem cell markers in various tissues. Here, we investigated the roles of Lgr4/Gpr48 in prostate stem cells (PSCs) and development.

[Cardiac metallothionein overexpression improves cardiac contractile function and attenuates oxidative stress in lipopolysaccharide-treated mice].

Objective: This study was designed to examine the impact of the antioxidant metallothionein (MT) on cardiac contractile, intracellular Ca(2+) function and oxidative stress in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice.

Methods: Weight and age matched adult male FVB and cardiac-specific MT-overexpressing transgenic mice were injected intraperitoneally with 4 mg/kg Escherichia Coli LPS dissolved in sterile saline or an equivalent volume of pathogen-free saline (control groups). Six hours following LPS or saline injection, cardiac geometry and function were evaluated in anesthetized mice using the 2-D guided M-mode echocardiography.

The aqueous extract of Asparagus officinalis L. by-product exerts hypoglycaemic activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Background: The inedible bottom part of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) spears, around one-third to one-half of the total length, is always discarded as by-product. Since it still contains various bioactive substances, this by-product might have potential usage in food supplements for its therapeutic effects.

Hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic effects of total flavonoids from seed residues of Hippophae rhamnoides L. in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Background: The present study was designed to investigate the hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic effects of total flavonoids from seed residues of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (FSH) in a high-fat diet fed mouse model. Consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks caused a significant rise of serum total cholesterol in mice.

Hypolipidemic effect of n-butanol Extract from Asparagus officinalis L. in mice fed a high-fat diet.

During industrial processing of Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.), around half of each spear is discarded. However, these discarded asparagus (by-products) might be used as food supplements for their potential therapeutic effects.

Hypolipidaemic and hepatoprotective effects of ethanolic and aqueous extracts from Asparagus officinalis L. by-products in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Background: Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) by-products, i.e.

Effects of clopidogrel on vascular proliferation and apoptosis in an atherosclerotic rabbit model.

Inflammation, vascular proliferation. and apoptosis contribute to the process of atherosclerosis. Clopidogrel has been used to treat atherosclerosis; however, the mechanism is not entirely known.

Effects of angiotensin-II receptor blockers on experimental autoimmune myocarditis.

Background: The effects of angiotensin-II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) on the treatment of hypertension, heart failure, and other cardiovascular diseases have been confirmed extensively. However, recent studies have emphasized the nonhemodynamic effects of these drugs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ARBs on the development of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM), and to clarify the mechanisms involved.

Hypoglycemic effect of aqueous extract of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seed residues in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

An extract of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seed residues has been shown to possess hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties in normal mice. The present study investigated the effects of an aqueous extract of seabuckthorn seed residues (ASSR) on serum glucose, lipid profiles and antioxidant parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Deficiency in TLR4 signal transduction ameliorates cardiac injury and cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction during ischemia.

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a proximal signalling receptor in innate immune responses to lipopolysaccharide of gram-negative pathogens, is expressed in the heart. Accumulating evidence have consolidated the notion that TLR4 plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms of TLR4 responsible for ischemia-induced cardiac dysfunction remain unclear.

Cardiac-specific overexpression of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) rescues lipopolysaccharide-induced cardiac dysfunction and activation of stress signaling in murine cardiomyocytes.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, plays a key role in cardiac dysfunction in sepsis. Low circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are found in sepsis, although the influence of IGF-1 on septic cardiac defect is unknown. This study was designed to examine the impact of IGF-1 on LPS-induced cardiac contractile and intracellular Ca2+ dysfunction, activation of stress signal and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.

Chinese medicinal herb Radix Astragali suppresses cardiac contractile dysfunction and inflammation in a rat model of autoimmune myocarditis.

Radix Astragali, a Chinese medicinal herb, consists of polysaccharides and flavonoids as its main active ingredients. It has been widely used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and stroke in Asian countries. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of Radix Astragali on myocardial dysfunction, cardiac remodeling and morphological alteration in an experimental model of autoimmune myocarditis, a clinical condition often resulting in dilated cardiomyopathy.

c-Jun inhibits thapsigargin-induced ER stress through up-regulation of DSCR1/Adapt78.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is exquisitely sensitive to changes in its internal environment. Various conditions, collectively termed "ER stress", can perturb ER function, leading to the activation of a complex response known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). Although c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation is nearly always associated with cell death by various stimuli, the functional role of JNK in ER stress-induced cell death remains unclear.

Relation of corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count and ST-segment resolution to myocardial tissue perfusion after acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: To evaluate myocardial tissue perfusion by corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (CTFC) and ST-segment resolution after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Background: Early and sustained potency of infarct-related artery (IRA) has become the main goal of reperfusion therapy in patients with AMI. However, myocardial tissue perfusion may remain impaired even after the achievement of TIMI grade 3 flow of the epicardial artery without residual stenosis.

[Atorvastatin inhibits scavenger receptor A and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expressions in foam cell].

Objective: To investigate the effects of atorvastatin on expressions of scavenger receptor A and secretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in foam cells.

Methods: THP-1 cells were induced to differentiate into macrophages by PMA and treated with 0.1% BSA (control), ox-LDL (100 mg/L) or ox-LDL plus atorvastatin (5, 10, 20 micromol/L) for 24 hours.

Effect of clopidogrel on the inflammatory progression of early atherosclerosis in rabbits model.

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory response of the arterial wall to 'injury', which is prominently driven by inflammatory factors. Clopidogrel reduces early atherosclerosis, however, the role of clopidogrel in modulating inflammatory progression of atherosclerosis is less investigated. We wished to determine the effect of clopidogrel on progression of established atherosclerosis, vascular inflammatory factors and compared with that of aspirin and atorvastatin.

[Association of angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 gene polymorphism with essential hypertension in Chinese].

Objective: To identify the genetic variants of angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene in a Chinese population and to determine whether the ACE2 gene polymorphisms are associated with essential hypertension (EH).

Methods: Seven hundred and forty-five patients with EH and 362 normal blood pressure controls were included in the study to assess the contribution of polymorphism of ACE2 gene. Direct DNA sequencing was performed to detect the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 subjects who were randomly selected from the EH patients.

[Change of peripheral blood monocytes derived macrophage scavenger receptors activity in patients with coronary heart disease, and the intervention effect of ginkgo biloba extract].

Objective: To observe the activity of peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) derived macrophage scavenger receptors (MSR) and changes of serum inflammatory factor in peripheral blood in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), and to evaluate the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on the MSR activity, to explore the relationship between inflammatory factor and scavenger receptors activity as well as the possible mechanism of GBE in stabilizing the atheromatous plaque.

Methods: Ninety-seven CHD patients with normal blood lipids were classified into the stable angina group, the unstable angina group and the acute myocardial infarction group, and 29 healthy persons were taken as control. Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) in all subjects were determined.

[Effect of combined therapy of shenmai and compound danshen injection on myocardial reperfusion injury after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction].

Objective: To explore the effect of combined therapy of shenmai and compound danshen injection (SM-DS) on myocardial reperfusion injury after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: Thirty-eight AMI patients who received PCI were randomly divided into two groups, the 19 patients in the treated group were treated with SM-DS before and after PCI. Serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients' venous blood were measured at different time-points, and the integrated left ventricular ejection isometric index (Tei) was determined by echocardiogram.

[Effect of different angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors on coronary collateral circulation].

Objective: To observe the effects of different angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) on coronary collateral circulation.

Methods: Twenty-four healthy dogs underwent measurement of distolic aortic pressure (DAP) and ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The distolic coronary pressure (DCP) and retrograde blood flow (Qret) were measured.