Superfine powders of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) have been prepared by means of an emulsion polymerization method. These have been used as templates in the synthesis of tetragonal phase mesoporous zirconia by the sol–gel method, using zirconium oxychloride and oxalic acid as raw materials. The products have been characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, N2adsorption-desorption isotherms, and pore size distribution. The results indicate that the average pore size was found to be 3.7 nm.
In this study, a novel infrared-assisted extraction (IRAE) method, in which infrared radiation was employed to extract the active compounds from plant, was developed and coupled with HPLC for simultaneous determination of four phenolic acids and four diterpenoids in Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae (Chinese name Danshen). The extraction conditions of IRAE were optimized and the optimal conditions were as follows: extraction time of 15 min; extraction solvent of 70% v/v methanol in water solution, and solid/liquid ratio of 0.1:15 (g/mL). Chromatography was performed on a 200 mm×4.6 mm id, 5-μm particle size, C18 column. Good linearity (r>0.9994) was observed over the concentration ranges investigated, and intra-day and inter-day precision were high. Recoveries of the eight compounds were from 96.90 to 104.30% and RSD was below 2.5%. By using this novel IRAE method, with a shorter extraction time, the determined amounts of the eight active components in Danshen were comparable with or even higher than those extracted with conventional heat-reflux extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods and microwave-assisted extraction. The developed IRAE method is simple, low-cost and efficient, offering a great promise for quick determination of active compounds in natural plants.
AIM:To investigate the location and expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the liver of normal and experimental hepatic fibrosis in rats.
METHODS:The rat models of experimental immunity hepatic fibrosis (n=20) were prepared by the means of immunologic attacking with human serum albumin (HSA), and normal rats (n=10) served as control group. Both immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization methods were respectively used to detect the TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 mRNA and related antigens in liver. The liver tissue was detected to find out the gene expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 with RT-PCR.
RESULTS:The TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 related antigens in livers of experimental group were expressed in myofibroblasts and fibroblasts (TIMP-1: 482±65 vs 60±20; TIMP-2: 336±48 vs 50±19, P<0.001). This was the most obvious in portal area and fibrous septum. The positive signals were located in cytoplasm, not in nucleus. Such distribution and location were confirmed by situ hybridization (TIMP-1/β-actin: 1.86±0.47 vs 0.36±0.08; TIMP-2/β-actin: 1.06±0.22 vs 0.36±0.08, P<0.001). The expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 was seen in the liver of normal rats, but the expression level was very low. However, the expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the liver of experimental group was obviously high.
CONCLUSION:In the process of hepatic fibrosis, fibroblasts and myofibroblasts are the major cells that express TIMPs. The more serious the hepatic fibrosis is in the injured liver, the higher the level of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 gene expression.Nie QH, Duan GR, Luo XD, Xie YM, Luo H, Zhou YX, Pan BR. Expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in rats with hepatic fibrosis.
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