Radix Sanguisorbae Improves Intestinal Barrier in Septic Rats via HIF-1 α/HO-1/Fe Axis.

Objective: To investigate whether Radix Sanguisorbae (RS, Diyu) could restore intestinal barrier function following sepsis using a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced septic rat model and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged IEC-6 cell model, respectively.

Methods: Totally 224 rats were divided into 4 groups including a control, sham, CLP and RS group according to a random number table. The rats in the control group were administrated with Ringer's lactate solution (30 mL/kg) with additional dopamine [10 µ g/(kg·min)] and given intramuscular injections of cefuroxime sodium (10 mg/kg) 12 h following CLP.

Research advances in pericyte function and their roles in diseases.

Pericyte, a kind of pluripotent cell, may regulate the irrigation flow and permeability of microcirculation. Pericytes are similar to the smooth muscle cells, which express several kinds of contractile proteins and have contractility. The dysfunction of pericytes is related to many microvascular diseases, including hypoxia, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, fibrosis, inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and tumor formation.

Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in vascular hyporeactivity following endotoxic shock and its mechanism.

Background: Vascular hyporeactivity plays an important role in organ dysfunction induced by endotoxic shock. Given that cytokine, such as TNF-α, plays an important role in endotoxic shock, the aim of the present study is to investigate the role of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α in vascular hyporeactivity following endotoxic shock and the mechanisms.

Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1 mg/kg) injection was used for replicating the endotoxic shock model in the rabbit.

Role of resveratrol in protecting vasodilatation function in septic shock rats and its mechanism.

Background: Vascular dysfunction is a major cause of sepsis-induced multiple-organ dysfunction. Resveratrol is a polyphenol compound with extensive pharmacological effects including anti-inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine the role and mechanism of resveratrol in protecting vascular function following sepsis.

Organ-specific changes in vascular reactivity and roles of inducible nitric oxide synthase and endothelin-1 in a rabbit endotoxic shock model.

Background: Hemorrhagic shock-induced changes in vascular reactivity appear organ-specific. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that vascular reactivity induced by septic shock similarly displays organ-specific differences and is regulated by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelin-1 (ET-1).

Methods: Endotoxic shock was induced in rabbits by administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1 mg/kg), and organ specificity of vascular reactivity of superior mesenteric artery (SMA), celiac artery (CA), and left renal artery (LRA) as well as the potential involvement of iNOS and ET-1 examined.

Relationship between expression of EGFR in gastric cancer tissue and clinicopathological features.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in gastric cancer and the clinicopathological features and prognosis.

Methods: A total of 78 paraffin specimens of gastric cancer operation were collected. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of EGFR in 78 cases of gastric cancer and 20 cases of adjacent normal tissue.

The human plasma proteome: analysis of Chinese serum using shotgun strategy.

We have investigated the serum proteome of Han-nationality Chinese by using shotgun strategy. A complete proteomics analysis was performed on two reference specimens from a total of 20 healthy donors, in which each sample was made from ten-pooled male or female serum, respectively. The methodology used encompassed (1) removal of six high-abundant proteins; (2) tryptic digestion of low- and high-abundant proteins of serum; (3) separation of peptide mixture by RP-HPLC followed by ESI-MS/MS identification.