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Abstract: The current study evaluated antioxidant activity of Dracocephalum rupestre Hance, characterized by the polyphenolic compounds in the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) from D. rupestre and investigated the protective mechanisms of EAF in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced hepatic injury. EAF showed the largest antioxidant capacity as demonstrated by DPPH, ABTS, OH, and FRAP assays (p ≤ .05). Using LC–MS, two polyphenolics, for example, rosmarinic acid, and eriodictyol were identified in EAF. Total phenol content of D. rupestre was correlated significantly with FRAP value (r = .999, p ≤ .001). The results also showed that EAF decreased serum ALT and AST activities compared with model group, as well as the histological findings. In addition, EAF remarkably decreased MDA and LDH levels in liver. This is the first time to reveal the hepatoprotective effect of EAF from D. rupestre, which may be developed as a new drug for treatment of liver injury in future. Practical applications: Dracocephalum rupestre Hance is known as Chinese herbal medicine with pharmacological functions of antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory and has been mainly used in the treatment of damp‐heat, headache, fever, jaundice, hepatitis, liver toxicity, and other diseases. In order to detect the potential application of this plant, the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of D. rupestre were investigated. It was found that the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) from D. rupestre displayed strong antioxidant activity. We also demonstrate that EAF could lessen CCl4‐induced acute liver injury in mice. Also, rosmarinic acid may play an important role in the antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effect for EAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban landscape has the characteristics of spatial heterogeneity. Because the expansion process of urban constructive or ecological land has different resistance values, the land unit stimulates and promotes the expansion of ecological land with different intensity. To compare the effect of promoting and hindering functions in the same land unit, we firstly compared the minimum cumulative resistance value of promoting and hindering functions, and then looked for the balance of two landscape processes under the same standard. According to the ecology principle of minimum limit factor, taking the minimum cumulative resistance analysis method under two expansion processes as the evaluation method of urban land ecological suitability, this research took Zhuhai City as the study area to estimate urban ecological suitability by relative evaluation method with remote sensing image, field survey, and statistics data. With the support of ArcGIS, five types of indicators on landscape types, ecological value, soil erosion sensitivity, sensitivity of geological disasters, and ecological function were selected as input parameters in the minimum cumulative resistance model to compute urban ecological suitability. The results showed that the ecological suitability of the whole Zhuhai City was divided into five levels: constructive expansion prohibited zone (10.1%), constructive expansion restricted zone (32.9%), key construction zone (36.3%), priority development zone (2.3%), and basic cropland (18.4%). Ecological suitability of the central area of Zhuhai City was divided into four levels: constructive expansion prohibited zone (11.6%), constructive expansion restricted zone (25.6%), key construction zone (52.4%), priority development zone (10.4%). Finally, we put forward the sustainable development framework of Zhuhai City according to the research conclusion. On one hand, the government should strictly control the development of the urban center area. On the other hand, the secondary urban center area such as Junchang and Doumen need improve the public infrastructure to relieve the imbalance between eastern and western development in Zhuhai City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Activation of Na+/H+ exchanger 1 (NHE1) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) via Ca2+/calpain is responsible in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis and to the process of atherosclerosis. Probucol is a lipid-lowering drug which has an anti-atherosclerosis effect. The mechanism remains poorly understood. Here we hypothesized that probucol via inhibition of NHE1 in VSMCs attenuates LPS-accelerated atherosclerosis and promotes plaque stability. Our results revealed that treatment of VSMCs with LPS increased the NHE1 activity in a time-dependent manner, associated with the increased Ca2+ i. Probucol inhibited the LPS-induced increase of NHE1 activity in a dose-dependent manner in VSMCs for 24-hour co-incubation, as well as the change of Ca2+ i. In addition, LPS enhanced the calpain activity. Both probucol and calcium chelation of Ca2+ abolished the LPS-induced increase of calpain activity. Treatment of VSMCs with LPS reduced the expression of Bcl-2 without altering the mRNA level. Probucol inhibited the LPS-reduced expression of Bcl-2 protein in VSMCs. Animal studies indicated administration of probucol suppressed LPS-accelerated apoptosis, atherosclerosis and plaque instability in Apoe−/− mice. In conclusion, probucol via inhibition of NHE1 attenuates atherosclerosis lesion growth and promotes plaque stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To determine functional and structural alterations of peritoneum and fibrotic cytokines expression in peritoneal dialysis (PD) rats. Methods: 28 Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats were randomly divided into four groups and dialyzed with various solutions daily for four weeks: (1) no solution (CON group), (2) 0.9% Saline solution (NS group), (3) 1.5% Dianeal (LG group), (4) 4.25% Dianeal (HG group). Peritoneal equilibration tests, ultrafiltration function and effluent protein quantification were measured. Peritoneum morphology was studied and immunohistochemistry were performed for detection of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and fibronectin (FN) proteins. Reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the expression of TGF-β1, CTGF mRNA. Results: Administration of 4.25% Dianeal caused functional and structural changes of peritoneum, including protein loss through the transport process, decrease of peritoneal solute transport rate and ultrafiltration capacity. The collagen of peritoneum in the HG group was thicker than the other groups. The levels of CTGF, TGF-β1, and FN proteins were significantly the highest in the HG group, followed by the LG group. The liner correlation analysis showed positive correlations between the levels of CTGF, TGF-β1, and FN proteins and the collagen thickness. The expression of TGF-β1 and CTGF mRNA in the HG group were significantly higher than those in the other groups and were indicated positive correlation. Conclusion: Using high glucose peritoneal dialysis solutions in rats may not only lead to processing of peritoneal fibrosis, which is promoted by ectopic expression of TGF-β1, but also increase the expression of CTGF. CTGF is an important fibrotic media of peritoneal fibrosis in PD rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on quantitative feedback theory (QFT) controller with uncertain mathematic model for serve control of 2-DOF stabilized platform, giving a full consideration to the uncertainty of controlled object and inevitable disturbance. Considering both the uncertainty range and the performance indexes of the system, the servo control was analyzed using QFT and a tracking controller with high robustness has been designer Matlab simulation has shown that the QFT controller with PID loop has advantages of sensitive response, non-overshoot, anti-disturbance and minimal stable error. Its dynamic/static performance is superior to those of single controllers. Further, it has indicated that the designed control system could offset the effect from output interference, which brings about good dynamic control and easy engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]