Search

Importance The data may supports the notion that the mechanical and vascular mechanisms of glaucomatous injury are intertwined Background To study the association of intraocular pressure (IOP) related factors, IOP, trans-lamina cribrosa pressure difference (TLCPD), cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) and retinal vessel diameters (RVD), central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE), central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) with neuro-retinal rim area (RA). Design A population-based, cross-sectional study Participants 6830 people aged 30 years and over. Methods All participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination, fundus photograph based measurements of RVD and Heidelberg retinal tomogram (HRT) measurement of optic disc. Main Outcome Measures RA, CRAE, CRVE, IOP, Body mass Index (BMI), CSFP and TLCPD. Results POAG was diagnosed using two separate methods: 67 from expert consensus, and 125 from the international society of geographic and epidemiologic ophthalmology (ISGEO) classification. After excluding of those with high myopia or without gradable HRT images, 4194 non-glaucoma and 40 POAG were analyzed for determinants of RA. On multivariable analysis determinants of reduced RA were POAG (P

We have shown that a combination of ligustrazine and berberine produces more effective inhibition on platelet activation and inflammatory reactions in rat acute myocardial infarction compared with either agent alone. In this study we evaluated the beneficial effects of a combination of ligustrazine and berberine in a rat model of coronary microembolization (CME).SD rats were treated with ligustrazine, berberine, ligustrazine+berberine, or clopidogrel for 2 weeks. When the treatment completed, CME was induced by injection of sodium laurate into the left ventricular, while obstructing the ascending aorta. All rats were intubated for hemodynamic measurements. Blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses, flow cytometry, and ELISAs. Heart tissues were isolated for histopathology and subsequent protein analyses.Pretreatment with the combination of ligustrazine (27 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) and berberine (90 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) significantly improved cardiac function, and decreased myocardial necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, microthrombosis and serum CK-MB levels in CME rats. In addition, this combination significantly decreased plasma ET-1 levels and von Willebrand factor, inhibited ADP-induced platelet activation, and reduced TNFα, IL-1β, ICAM-1 and RANTES levels in serum and heart tissues. The protective effects of this combination were more prominent than those of ligustrazine or berberine alone, but comparable to those of a positive control clopidogrel (6.75 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)).The combination of ligustrazine and berberine significantly improved cardiac function in rat CME model via a mechanism involving antiplatelet and anti-inflammatory effects.

Iron homeostasis is strictly regulated in mammals, and disordered iron metabolism is recognized as a risk factor for various diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The hepcidin‑ferroportin axis is the key signaling mechanism that controls systemic iron homeostasis. Increased serum hepcidin is associated with multiple types of cancer and atherosclerosis (AS), and therapeutics that decrease hepcidin levels have been proposed to treat these diseases. However, the effects of abnormal circulating hepcidin on hyperlipidemia remain unexploited. The natural compound tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) has been reported to have therapeutic effects on cardiovascular diseases, whereas the mechanisms involved remain incompletely understood. Thus, the effects of TMP on the expression of hepcidin in hyperlipidemic mice were investigated and the mechanisms involved were explored. Hyperlipidemia increased serum hepcidin, which was inhibited by TMP intervention. The results also indicated that TMP may decrease hepcidin expression via inhibition of Stat3 signaling. These findings suggest a promising rationale to prevent and hyperlidemia by targeting hepcidin or its upstream regulators, and highlight the potential application of natural compounds in treating hepcidin disorder‑associated diseases.

Aims: Estrogen plays a protective role in atherosclerosis. Our preliminary work demonstrated that the active conformation of Tanshinone IIA(TanIIA) is similar to the 17ß-estradiol and it can bind to the estrogen receptor. Here, we hypothesized that Tanshinone IIA might have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects in atherosclerosis, mediated through estrogen receptor activation. Methods: Subjects for this study were 120 apoE-/- female mice and 20 C57/BL female mice. The apoE-/- mice were ovariectomized (OVX) and the C57/BL mice were sham ovariectomized. The sham OVX mice were maintained on a normal diet (NOR) group. The OVX apoE-/- mice were fed a high fat diet and randomly divided into 6 groups: Model (MOD) group which was fed a high fat diet only, E2 group were given estrogen (E2) 0.13mg/kg/d; E2+ICI group were given E2:0.13mg/kg/d and ICI182780:65mg/kg/m; TLD group (TanIIA low dose) were given TanIIA: 30mg/kg/d; THD group (TanIIA high dose) were given TanIIA:60mg/kg/d; and TLD+ICI group were given TanIIA 30mg/kg/d and ICI182780 65mg/kg/m. After three months of treatment, the aorta and the blood of the mice from each group was collected. The aorta were used for testing the lipid deposition by using hematoxylin and eosin(HE) and oil red O staining and for testing the expression of p-ERK1/2 by Western blot. The blood was used for testing the serum cholesterol, superoxide dismutase (SOD), methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), nuclear factor kappa (NF-κB), soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), activating protein-1 (AP-1), E-selectin and 17ß-estradiol in serum. Results: Tanshinone IIA significantly reduced the lipid deposition in aorta, decreased the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), MDA, NF-κB, sICAM-1, AP-1, and E-selectin in serum but increased the levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) and SOD in serum. Tanshinone IIA also suppressed the expression of p-ERK1/2. Tanshinone IIA had no effect of level of serum 17ß-estradiol levels. All of the effects of Tanshinone IIA were similar to estrogen and were inhibited by the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI182780. Conclusion: Tanshinone IIA may play an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress role in OVX atherosclerotic apoE-/- mice by activating the estrogen receptor through the ERK signaling pathway. Therefore, Tanshinone IIA, as a phytoestrogen, could be used for estrogen replacement therapy for cardiovascular disease of postmenopausal women.

Background/Aims: Systemic iron homeostasis is strictly governed in mammals; however, disordered iron metabolism (such as excess iron burden) is recognized as a risk factor for various types of diseases including AS (Atherosclerosis). The hepcidin-ferroportin axis plays the key role in regulation of iron homeostasis and modulation of this signaling could be a potential therapeutic strategy in the treatment of these diseases. TMP (Tetramethylpyrazine) has been reported to have therapeutical effect on AS. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of iron overload under hyperlipidemia condition on the endothelial injury, inflammation and oxidative stress by employing FPN1 Tek-cre mouse model with or without TMP intervention. Methods: Subjects for this study were 80 FPN1 Tek-cre mice and 40 C57BL/6 mice and we randomly divided them into six groups: Group N: C57BL/6 mice with normal diet, Group M: C57BL/6 mice with high-fat diet, Group FN: FPN1 Tek-cre mice with normal diet, Group FNT: FPN1 Tek-cre mice with normal diet and TMP injection, Group FM: FPN1 Tek-cre mice with high-fat diet, Group FMT: FPN1 Tek-cre mice with high-fat diet and TMP injection. After seven days of treatment, blood samples were obtained to detect the levels of blood lipids, Hepcidin, NO, ET-1, ROS, MDA, SOD, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α respectively. The liver and aorta were used for testing the lipid deposition by using hematoxylin and eosin(HE). Results: Hyperlipidemia could cause iron overload in the aorta and increased serum hepcidin level, particularly in FPN1 Tek-cre mice, and can be reversed by TMP intervention. Knockout of Fpn1 induced increase of serum hepcidin, exacerbated endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammatory response, particularly under hyperlipidemia condition. TMP intervention attenuated these processes. Conclusions: Our study signifies the potential application of certain natural compounds to ameliorating iron disorders induced by hyperlipidemia and protecting on endothelial function through modulation of hepcidin-ferroportin signaling.

Aim: To observe the expression changes of Akt and GSK-3β during vascular inflammatory response and oxidative stress induced by high-fat diet in rats. Methods: 20 male Sprague-Dawley rats were separately fed for 18 weeks with two types of diets; a normal diet (control group, CON) or high-fat diet hyperlipidmia group, HLP). Then the body weight, lipid parameter, plasma hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) , malondialdehyde (MDA), Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), Lectin-like oxidized cellulose low density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), as well as aortic endothelial p-GSK-3β, GSK-3β, p-Akt, Akt expressions were determined. Results: In comparison with the control group, the model group showed a significant increase in the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C) and significant decrease in the level of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after high-fat diet for 18 weeks (p α, and sICAM-1 levels were observed relative to the control group (p β in rat aorta. Conclusion: Short-term high-fat diet could induce vascular endothelium injury by increasing inflammation and oxidative stress. And PI3K/Akt pathway could play an important role in hyperlipidemia-induced vascular endothelium injury.

Background Ischemic postconditioning (IPOC) has been suggested to reduce ischemic reperfusion injury. It remains unclear whether the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt is a causal mechanism in the cardioprotection afforded by IPOC, which was examined in the model of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) minipigs. Methods and results Minipigs underwent 45-min occlusion of the left anterior descending artery and 24-h reperfusion by PTCA. Postconditioning was elicited by three cycles of 30-s reperfusion followed by 30-s ischemia at the onset of reperfusion. Infarct size was determined by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining after 24-h reperfusion, and mRNA and protein expression levels of PI3K were ascertained by reverse transcriptase-PCR and western-blot analysis in biopsies. Infarct size was significantly reduced and myocardial PI3K (Akt and GSK-3β) phosphorylation was significantly increased with IPOC treatment compared with ischemic reperfusion. The administration of the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin (30 µg/kg) attenuated the protection of IPOC in the infarct size and decreased the expression of Akt and GSK-3β phosphorylation compared with IPOC. IPOC had no impact on mRNA expression of AKT and GSK-3β. Conclusion Our findings show that IPOC is capable of protecting the myocardium against IR injury in the PTCA minipig model. The PI3K/Akt-signaling pathway is involved in the cardioprotective effect of IPOC.

To observe the regulatory effect of Chinese drugs for activating blood circulation (ABC) and for activating blood circulation and detoxifying (ABCD) on indices of thrombosis, inflammatory reaction, and tissue damage in a rabbit model of toxin-heat and blood stasis syndrome.Fifty-four rabbits were randomized into the normal control group, model group, simvastatin group (simvastatin, 0.93 mg/kg per day), ABC group [Xiongshao Capsule, 0.07 g/kg per day], and ABCD group [Xiongshao Capsule, 0.07 g/kg per day, and Huanglian Capsule, 0.14 g/kg per day]. All except the normal control group received a single injection of bovine serum albumin and were fed with high-fat diets for 6 weeks. At the end of week 4 of giving high-fat diets, a dose of endoxitin was given by ear vein injection, and a randomized 2-week treatment was initiated. At the end of treatment, blood lipids, circulating endothelial cells, and the pathological changes of the aortic arch were assessed. The serum levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9), tissue inhibitors to metalloproteinase (TIMP-1), granule membrane protein-140 (GMP-140), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were determined.Compared with the model group, ABCD group showed decreased serum triglyceride (TG) level, improvement in the pathological change in the aortic arch, and reduction in the number of circulating endothelial cells (4.00 ± 1.41 per 0.9 μL for ABCD group vs 7.83 ± 1.72 per 0.9 μL for the model group). In addition, the levels of serum GMP-140, PAI-1, and IL-6 in ABCD group were also significantly reduced [0.79 ± 0.20 ng/mL, 5.23 ± 1.39 ng/mL, 40.64 ± 10.11 pg/mL for ABCD group vs 1.08 ± 0.31 ng/mL, 7.28 ± 2.01 ng/mL, 54.44 ± 13.56 pg/mL for the model group, respectively, P0.05]. A trend showing improvement in the indices of thrombosis, inflammatory reaction, and tissue damage was observed in the ABC group when compared to the model group, but the changes were not statistically significant (P0.05).Chinese drugs for activating blood circulation and detoxifying have beneficial effects on regulating indices of thrombosis (GMP-140 and PAI-1) and inflammatory reaction (IL-6) in rabbit model with toxic-heat and blood stasis. The effect of the activating blood circulation and detoxifying drugs in regulating the levels of serum GMP-140, PAI-1, and IL-6 was superior to that of the activating blood circulation drugs.

To investigate the effects of drug-containing serum of Chinese herbal compound, Xiongshao Capsule (, XS, for activating-blood) and Huanglian Capsule (, HL, for dispellingtoxin) on the oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced inflammatory factors in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups: the blank control group treated with distilled water, the positive control group treated with simvastatin (1.8 mg/kg), the test group I treated with Chinese herbal compound of XS (0.135 g/kg), and the test group II treated with Chinese herbal compound of XS (0.135 g/kg) and HL (0.135 g/kg). All the treatments were administered for 7 successive days by gastrogavage. Rats' blood serum was harvested 1 h after the last administration to prepare respective drugcontaining serum. HUVECs were exposed to ox-LDL (100 μg/mL) to induce cell injury model and incubated with corresponding drug-containing serum for 24 h. Untreated HUVECs were set for blank control. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in supernatant of cultured HUVECs were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). HUVEC surface expressions of ICAM-1 and E-selectin were determined by flow cytometry.Levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and sICAM-1 in the supernatant of HUVECs as well as the cell surface expressions of ICAM-1 and E-selectin significantly increased after 24-h ox-LDL stimulation (P0.01), while the abnormal elevations, except sICAM-1 in the test group I, were all reduced in the treated groups (the positive control and the two test groups) significantly (P0.01 or P0.05). Besides, the effect in the test group II seemed somewhat higher than that in the test group I but with no statistical significance (P0.05).Drug-containing serum of XS plus HL has a certain inhibitory effect on the vascular endothelial inflammation response induced by ox-LDL.

To determine the differential genes in ischemic myocardium of Wistar rats with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we constructed two differential gene expression profiles. AMI model was generated by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in Wistar rats. Total RNA was extracted from the normal and the ischemic heart tissues under the ligation point at the 8th day after the operation. Differential gene expression profiles of the two samples were constructed by using long serial analysis of gene expression (LongSAGE). Real time fluorescence quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) was used to confirm the expression changes of partial target genes. The main results were as follows: a total of 15966 tags were screened from the normal and the ischemic LongSAGE maps, and 9646 tags in the normal tissue and 9563 tags in the ischemic tissue were obtained. Among them, 7665 novel tags were identified by NCBI BLAST search. In the ischemic tissue, 142 genes significantly changed compared to those in the normal tissue (P

In this paper, isotropic pitch and anisotropic pitch with similar physical properties were chose to be precursors for activated carbons. Chemical activations with same conditions were carried out and the characteristic difference of activated carbons from different pitch precursors was discussed. As a result, isotropic pitch with more noncrystallite carbon atoms or edge carbon atoms on the microstructural defects had more reactive ability and more pores, 1.36 cm 3 /g, were manufactured through sufficient chemical activation. However, the crystallites of anisotropic pitch had larger size and good tropism so that the activations mostly reacted on the interspaces of carbonaceous layers. Therefore, isotropic pitch based activated carbon with sufficient chemical activation had higher specific surface area (2913) m 2 /g and better iodine adsorption value (2630 mg/g).

Panax quinquefolius saponin of stem and leaf (PQS), the effective parts of American ginseng, is widely used in China as a folk medicine for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases treatment. In our previous studies, we have demonstrated that PQS could improve the endothelial function of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats with high glucose fluctuation. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of PQS against intermittent high glucose-induced oxidative damage on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase kinase (PI3K)/Akt/GSK-3βpathway involved. Our results suggested that exposure of HUVECs to a high glucose concentration for 8 days showed a great decrease in cell viability accompanied by marked MDA content increase and SOD activity decrease. Moreover, high glucose significantly reduced the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β. More importantly, these effects were even more evident in intermittent high glucose condition. PQS treatment significantly attenuated intermittent high glucose-induced oxidative damage on HUVECs and meanwhile increased cell viability and phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3βof HUVECs. Interestingly, all these reverse effects of PQS on intermittent high glucose-cultured HUVECs were inhibited by PI3K inhibitor LY294002. These findings suggest that PQS attenuates intermittent-high-glucose-induced oxidative stress injury in HUVECs by PI3K/Akt/GSK-3βpathway.

The biological role of platelet gelsolin in platelet activation of acute myocardial infarction is not defined. In order to provide a potential new antiplatelet target for Chinese medicine and to elucidate the contribution of Xiongshao capsule, the effective components of Chuanxiong rhizome and red peony root, in this study, we randomly allocated Sprague Dawley rats to left anterior descending coronary artery ligation or sham surgery and different drug prophylaxis as control. We found that gelsolin is highly expressed in platelet rich plasma and lowly expressed in platelet poor plasma, accompanied by the high platelet activation level in model rats; plasma actin filaments and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of platelet calcium ion increased and plasma vitamin D binding protein decreased in model rats. Xiongshao capsule could inhibit the gelsolin expression in platelet rich plasma and ischemic heart tissue simultaneously and reduce the level of plasma F-actin and MFI of platelet calcium ion. Our study concludes that platelet gelsolin is an important contributor to platelet activation, and platelet gelsolin inhibition may form a novel target for antiplatelet therapy. Xiongshao capsule may be a promising Chinese medicine drug for antiplatelet and aspirin-like cardioprotection effect.

In this study, the dynamic expression of granule membrane protein-140 (GMP-140), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 was observed in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Out of 276 Wistar rats, 6 were randomly selected as the control group, and the rest were randomly divided into 18 groups, with 15 rats in each group. The left coronary artery was ligated in 9 groups to establish the myocardial infarction model, and the remaining 9 groups served as the sham-operated groups without ligature. Of the surviving rats, 6 were randomly selected from each myocardial infarction group and sham-operated group, respectively, at 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 h, and at 2, 3, 5 and 7 days after successful modeling. Serum levels of GMP-140, t-PA, hs-CRP, IL-6, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were then detected using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. The results revealed that, after successful modeling, the serum levels of GMP-140 and MMP-9 continually increased, reaching the first peak at 18 h and the maximum peak on day 2. Levels then decreased slightly, but remained higher than those of the control group (p

To observe the influence of high blood glucose fluctuation on the endothelial function of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats and the effects of Panax Quinquefolius Saponin (PQS) of stem and leaf. The T2DM model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of a small dose of streptozotocin (STZ, 35 mg/kg) plus high fat and high caloric laboratory chow. Then, diabetic rats were divided into steady high blood glucose (SHG) group and fluctuant high blood glucose (FHG) group according to fasting blood glucose coefficient of variation (FBG-CV), and then, the FHG group rats were divided into 4 groups according to the level of FBG-CV and fasting blood glucose: PQS 30 mg/(kg·d) group, PQS 60 mg/(kg·d) group, metformin hydrochloride control (MHC) group, and FHG control group, 10 in each group. Meanwhile, 10 rats without any treatment were used as normal control (NOR) group. Eight weeks later, the aortic arteries histology, plasma hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and serum nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) were measured. In comparison with the NOR group, the level of plasma HGF and serum NO, ET-1 and TNF-α, and sICAM-1 in SHG and FHG control groups were all significantly increased (P

To observe the pharmaceutical effect of Chinese drugs for activating blood circulation (Xiongshao Capsule, XSC, 芎芍胶囊) and for activating blood circulation and detoxification (Xiongshao Capsule and Huanglian Capsule, XSHLC, 黄连胶囊) in terms of the indices of thrombosis, inflammatory reaction and tissue damage related factors in experimental carotid artery thrombosis rats. Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, the model group, the Simvastatin group (SG), the activating blood circulation (ABC) group, and the activating blood circulation and detoxifying (ABCD) group, with 10 rats in each group. Simvastatin (1.8 mg/kg), XSC (0.135 g/kg) and XSHLC (0.135 g/kg) were administered to Simvastatin, ABC and ABCD group by gastrogavage, and an equal volume of normal saline was given to the sham operation group and the model group. After 2 weeks of successive medication, the rats in the model and all drug therapy groups were made into experimental carotid artery thrombosis model. The serum levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9), tissue inhibitors to metalloproteinase (TIMP-1), granule membrane protein-140 (GMP-140), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were detected with enzyme-linked immunoassay 24 h later. Compared with the model group, the levels of serum GMP-140, hs-CRP, IL-6 and MMP-9 were significantly decreased, and the level of t-PA was significantly increased in the ABC and ABCD group ( P

To investigate the effects and mechanism of the active components of Red Paeonia and Rhizoma chuanxiong (Xiongshao Capsule, 芎芍胶囊, XSC) on angiogenesis in atherosclerosis plaque in rabbits. Fifty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into the normal group, the model group, and the three medicated groups treated respectively with Simvastatin (2.5 mg/kg per day), low-dose (0.24 g/kg per day) and high-dose (0.48 g/kg per day) XSC, 10 in each group. Rabbits in the normal group were fed with regular diet. To those in the other four groups, high fat diet was given, and a balloon angioplasty was performed two weeks later to establish abdominal aortic atherosclerosis model. Then, the model rabbits were fed continuously with high fat diet, and to those in the medicated groups, the testing drugs were added in the forage correspondingly for 6 successive weeks. Levels of blood lipids were measured at the end of the experiment. Meantime, serum levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were detected with enzyme-linked immunoassay; the plaque area (PA), cross-sectional vascular area (CVA) and correcting plaque area (PA/CVA) were determined quantitatively using imaging software; and the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and factor VIII related antigen (FVIIIRAg) in plaque was detected using immunohistochemical method. As compared with the model group, the content of total cholesterol (TC) in the three medicated groups, and contents of triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the Simvastatin group were lower to various extents (P

Background Soft tissue injury imposes major public health burdens worldwide. The positive effect of China's Tibetan medicine and the Lamiophlomis rotata-based herbal Pain Relieving Plaster (PRP) on healing closed soft tissue injury (CSTI) has been reported. The herbs contained in Plaster are also referred as 'blood-activating and stasis-dispelling' in herbal medicine. The formula of the plaster contains four China's Tibetan medical herbs, including Lamiophlomis rotata, Oxytropis falcate Bunge, Curcuma longa Linn, and Myricaria bracteata. Two of these herbs (Lamiophlomis rotate; Curcuma longa Linn) are commonly used in different formulae of Chinese medicine. The objective of this study is to use an interdisciplinary approach to test the hypothesis that the formula and its components influence the process of CSTI. Methods In vivo models have been established in 30 rabbit ear pinnae and studied for: (1) blood flow velocity (BFV) which was affected by pressure of 21.2 kg/cm2 for 30 second over the local rabbit ear tissue; (2) edema formation of the closed soft tissue injury; (3) in vivo local temperature change. Results The results of in vivo studies indicated that CSTI significantly increased the velocity of blood flow and increased edema formation within the control group. The PRP extracts for 5 hours significantly slowed down the BFV of CSTI in rabbit ears, markedly decreased the elevated edema level from the 3rd to the 5th day. Conclusion The ingredients contained in the formula have positive effects in healing CSTI and further study is worth exploring.

Objectives To investigate the possible role of PI3k/Akt/GSK-3 signalling pathway in the pathogenesis of endothelial cells injury and oxidative stress induced by high glucose fluctuation in type 2 diabetes mellitus rats. Methods 80 Sprague-Dawley rats, weighting 180-220 g, were obtained and housed according to the guidelines for laboratory animals approved by Beijing Experimental Animal Management Center. After 2 weeks of adaptive feeding, 10 rats were randomly selected as control group. The other 70 rats were switched from normal rodent diet to a high fat and high caloric laboratory chow. After 6-week of high fat and high caloric diet, rats were received only one intraperitoneal injection of a small dose of streptozotocin (STZ, 35 mg/kg) after feeding with normal rodent diet for 2 weeks. During the 10th week, fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels of rats were measured every morning by collecting blood samples from their caudal veins, meanwhile fasting blood glucose coefficient of variation (FBG-CV = inter-day blood glucose means/standard deviation) were calculated. The blood glucose levels of rats higher than 16.7mmol/L were thought to be successful T2DM diabetes. The normal control rats performed the same process at the same time, and FBG-CV was calculated as well. Rats with higher FBG-CV value of diabetes were divided into fluctuant high blood glucose groups, the others were steady high blood glucose group (SHG). There were 35 rats in fluctuant high blood glucose group, 15 rats in SHG group at last. Then the FHG rats were divided into 3 groups according to blood glucose levels and FBG-CV valued: Metformin Hydrochloride control group (MH), α-LA group (α-LA) and fluctuant high blood glucose control group (FHG), rats in which were received MH 300 mg/kg, α-LA 100 mg/kg and PBS per gavage for 8 wks respectively. All rats were fed with high caloric laboratory chow except normal control rats. Results SOD level was decreased obviously, while MDA level increased in FHG rats, along with phosphorylation levels of Akt (Ser473) and GSK-3β (Ser9) were decreased significantly, compared with (P Conclusions These data established that high glucose fluctuation facilitate endothelial oxidative stress and hyperglycemia-impaired PI3k/Akt/GSK-3β signaling may promote endothelial injury in diabetes. PI3k/Akt/GSK-3β signalling activation plays a protective role in endothelial injury induced by high blood glucose fluctuation. Up-regulation of PI3k/Akt/GSK-3β signalling may provide us a potential target for prophylaxis and treatment of diabetes and its vascular complications.