To establish a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for antiarrhythmic peptide (AAP) and study serum AAP levels in normal Sprague-Dawley rats (NR) and spontaneous hypertension rats (SHR), AAP-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate was prepared by ammonium bicarbonate method. The New Zealand rabbits were immunized by administering intradermally the conjugate. Then the rabbit anti-AAP serum was produced and iodinated AAP was made by Bolton-Hunter method. The RIA for serum AAP was set up and serum AAP levels in NR and SHR were determined. The minimal detectable range of the AAP RIA was (0.45±0.06) μg/L. The affinity constant for antiserum was 1.05×10⁹ L/mol, and the rate of cross-reactivity with atrial peptide (AP) and human growth hormone (hGH) were 0.12% and 0.20%, respectively. The mean recovery rate of high, medium and low doses was 97.6%, and the mean coefficients of variation for intra-and interbath-assay were (6.43±0.85)% and (9.62±1.04)%, respectively. The mean levels of AAP in NR with different age (3 months, 8–10 months and 18–20 months) were (1.75±0.13) μg/L, (1.74±0.11) μg/L and (1.79±0.15) μg/L, respectively, while those in SHR with different age (3 months, 8–10 months and 18–20 months) were (2.38±0.35) μg/L, (2.54±0.25) μg/L and (2.83±0.21) μg/L, respectively. The levels of serum AAP showed a positive correlation with blood pressure (r=0.8667,P<0.05). It was indicated that this AAP RIA had high specificity, high accuracy and good reproducibility. The levels of serum AAP had a close relation with blood pressure.

The protective effect of puerarin on the Parkinson disease (PD) mice with decreased estrogen level was investigated in order to develop a new potential medicine as a substitute for estrogen for preventing and treating PD. By using immunohistochemical method of avidinbiotin peroxidase complex (ABC), the distribution of the cells positive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and fibres in the substantia nigra of the mouse were observed. These mice were divided into three groups randomly: group A, normal-female-mouse models; group B containing three subgroups, B1 (normal saline), B2 (estrogen), B3 (puerarin); group C containing three sub groups, C1 (normal saline), C2 (estrogen), C3 (puerarin). By using TUNEL the numbers of apoptosis cells in every visual field was counted and the difference between the experimental group and control group was compared. The results showed the numbers of the cells positive for TH were more and the numbers of apoptosis cells were less in the normal-female-mouse models group than in the group of model made, after ovariosteresis and the group of model made before ovariosteresis (P<0.05), respectively. However, there was no significant difference, between the group given estrogen/puerarin and the controls, and between the group given estrogen and given puerarin. (P>0.05). It was suggested that puerarin may have protective effect on the nigral neurons to PD. Moreover, the protective effect might serve as a surrogate of estrogen and be associated with the apoptosis.

In order to study the relationship between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, leukocyte count and carotid plaque in patients with ischemic stroke, carotid duplex examination was performed by high-definition imaging (HDI) 5000 triplex system. Serum CRP was measured by nephelometry within 72 h after index ischemic stroke. A lesion was considered a plaque in the presence of a maximum intimal-medial wall thickness (IMT) 1.2 mm. Results of carotid ultrasonography were divided into two groups: M1, normal (IMT<1.2 mm) and M2, abnormal (IMT≥1.2 mm). The results showed that the mean age of M2 was significantly older than that of M1 (69.7±10.4 versus 62.5±9.6,P=0.001). The patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus (78%, 35% respectively) in M2 were significantly more than those (52%, 18% respectively) in M1 (P<0.01,P<0.05). There were 32 (65%) patients with elevated CRP levels in M2, but 33 (46%) patients with elevated CRP levels in M1, with the difference being significant between the two groups (P<0.05). The levels of serum glucose and leukocyte count (8.1±5.5, 10.3±4.0, respectively) in abnormal CRP group were significantly higher than that of normal CRP group (6.4±2.8, 8.7±3.4) (P<0.05,P<0.05); elevated CRP levels was found in 42 (62%), patients with territory infarction and 23 (43%) patients with lacunar infarction respectively, with the difference being significant between these two groups (P<0.05). It was concluded that the elevation of CRP levels was an significant clinical index for carotid plaque in patients with acute cerebral infarction.

To investigate the changes in the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF32) in glomus cell grafts of carotid body in the rat model of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced Parkinson disease, immunohistochemical staining of bFGF and TGFβ2 in the sections of striate body was done on the 2nd, 4th and 12th week after transplantation. The results showed that on the 2nd week after transplantation, bFGF annd TGFβ2 were not detectable in the glumous cell grafts. On the 4th week after graft, bFGF and TGFβ2 immunoreactivity was increased within the grafts and at the graft-host interface but was restricted only to astrocytes. In the striatum surrounding the graft, bFGF was expressed persistently, while TGFβ2 showed transient expression. It was suggested that the transient expression of TGFβ2 was likely due more to the trauma imposed by the graft procedure than to an intrinsic. The deficiency in astrocytic bFGF early after graft may be responsible for the poor survival of grafted glomus cells of carotid body.