A functional lymphatic vasculature is essential for tissue fluid homeostasis, immunity, and lipid clearance. Although atherosclerosis has been linked to adventitial lymphangiogenesis, the functionality of aortic lymphatic vessels draining the diseased aorta has never been assessed and the role of lymphatic drainage in atherogenesis is not well understood. We develop a method to measure aortic lymphatic transport of macromolecules and show that it is impaired during atherosclerosis progression, whereas it is ameliorated during lesion regression induced by ezetimibe. Disruption of aortic lymph flow by lymphatic ligation promotes adventitial inflammation and development of atherosclerotic plaque in hypercholesterolemic mice and inhibits ezetimibe-induced atherosclerosis regression. Thus, progression of atherosclerotic plaques may result not only from increased entry of atherogenic factors into the arterial wall but also from reduced lymphatic clearance of these factors as a result of aortic lymph stasis. Our findings suggest that promoting lymphatic drainage might be effective for treating atherosclerosis.

Background: Chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (NG2) expressing cells, morphologically characterized by multi-branched processes and small cell bodies, are the 4 th commonest cell population of non-neuronal cell type in the central nervous system (CNS). They can interact with nodes of Ranvier, receive synaptic input, generate action potential and respond to some pathological stimuli, but the function of the cells is still unclear. We assumed the NG2 cells may play an active role in neuropathogenesis and aimed to determine if NG2 cells could sense and response to the alterations in the axonal contents caused by disruption of neurofilament light subunit (NFL) expression.

In 0.08 mol/L HCl medium, berberine (BB) cationic ion and HgI42-combine to BB-HgI4association complex molecule. These complex molecules self-aggregate to (BB-HgI4)nassociation particles. It exhibits two fluorescence peaks at 400 nm and 470 nm. A new and sensitive fluorescence method has been proposed for the determination of trace amounts of BB in the range of 10 to 800 ng/mL. The detection limit is 3 ng/mL BB. The method has been applied to the determination of trace berberine in real samples, with satisfactory results. The cause of the fluorescence was also discussed.