Treatment with baicalein attenuates methionine-choline deficient diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in rats.

Baicalein, a naturally occurring flavone, has been proved as a promising chemopreventive compound for many chronic human diseases. The aim of this work was to investigate whether treatment with baicalein prevented nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) induced by methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet. Rats were divided into four experimental groups and fed for 8 weeks as follows: (1) control rats; (2) control rats treated with baicalein (intraperitoneal injection of 10mg/kg); (3) MCD-diet-fed rats; (4) MCD-diet-fed rats treated with baicalein.

Consumption of hydrogen-rich water alleviates renal injury in spontaneous hypertensive rats.

In hypertensive animals and patients, oxidative stress represents the primary risk factor for progression of renal disease. Recently, it has been demonstrated that hydrogen, as a novel antioxidant, can selectively reduce hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite anion to exert therapeutic antioxidant activity. Herein, we investigated the protective effect of hydrogen-rich water (HW) against renal injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

[Effects end mechanisms of curcumol beta-cyclodextrin compound on the proliferation and apoptosls of esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1].

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Curcumol beta-cyclodextrin Compound (CbetaC) on the proliferation and apoptosis of esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1.

Methods: The CbetaC was prepared by saturated solution and confirmed by infrared absorption spectroscopy. The effects of CbetaC (at 25, 50, 100 mg/L) on the proliferation of human esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1 in vitro was analyzed by MTT assay.

Suppression of NHE1 by small interfering RNA inhibits HIF-1α-induced angiogenesis in vitro via modulation of calpain activity.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) orchestrates angiogenesis under hypoxic conditions mainly due to increased expression of such target genes as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Na+/H+exchanger-1 (NHE1), a potential HIF target gene product, plays a pivotal role in proliferation, survival, migration, adhesion and so on. However, it is unknown whether NHE1 is involved in HIF-1α-induced angiogenesis.

Procollagen III N-terminal peptide predicts short-term prognosis and cardiac remodeling in coronary heart disease patients with metabolic syndrome.

Introduction: Many patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) also have metabolic syndrome (MS); however, little is known about the condition of cardiovascular remodeling in these patients. The objective of this study to explore the role of plasma procollagen III N-terminal peptide (PIIINP) in predicting the prognosis and cardiac remodeling in patients with CHD with MS.

Methods: One hundred eight patients were classified into high and low PIIINP groups according to the median value of plasma PIIINP.