The Gastroprotective Effects of Anisomeles indica against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer through the Induction of IκB-α and the Inhibition of NF-κB Expression.

Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze is a traditional herb with multiple medicinal properties and with potential for preventing or treating various diseases. Acteoside, one of the active ingredients in A. indica, is prepared into commercially available products of A. indica HP813 powder. In this study, the gastroprotective effects of A. indica HP813 powder were evaluated. Wistar rats were treated with A. indica HP813 powder at doses of 0, 207.5, 415, and 830 mg/kg body weight for 28 days. Then, gastric ulcers were induced by the oral administration of 70% ethanol (10 mL/kg body weight) on day 28. The rats were sacrificed at the end of the trial, and stomach tissues were collected. These stomach tissues were then used for macroscopic, microscopic, and immunohistochemical analyses. The results indicated that the area of gastric ulcer was 48.61%, 35.30%, and 27.16% in the ethanol-induced group, 415 mg/kg A. indica HP813 powder group, and 830 mg/kg A. indica HP813 powder group, respectively. In addition, the lesion scores were 2.9, 2.4, and 2.3 in the ethanol-induced group, 415 mg/kg A. indica HP813 powder group, and 830 mg/kg A. indica HP813 powder group, respectively. The immunochemical staining of the gastric tissue revealed that A. indica HP813 powder reduced the expressions of TNF-α and NF-κB proteins in the gastric tissue, which had been induced by ethanol. Finally, A. indica HP813 powder protected the gastric ulcer from ethanol damage through IκB-α induction. The present results demonstrated that A. indica HP813 powder has protective effects against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer.

Blood RNA-sequencing analysis in acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity and depressive symptoms in rats.

Acrylamide (ACR) is a by-product of the Maillard reaction, which occurs when food reacts at high temperatures. Occupational exposure is a risk factor for chronic ACR toxicity. ACR may cause neurotoxicity and depressive symptoms with high concentration in the blood; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We showed the rats developed neurotoxic symptoms after being fed with ACR for 28 days, such as reduced activity and hind limb muscle weakness. We investigated whether ACR exposure causes gene expression differences by blood RNA sequencing and analyzed the differential expression of depressive symptoms-associated genes. The result indicated that IFN-γ the key regulator of neurotoxicity and depressive symptoms was induced by ACR. ACR induced the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis pathway and JAK/STAT pathways gene expression. ACR upregulated the expression of IFN-γ, inducing neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity. ACR also upregulated the expression of JAK2, STAT1, PI3K, AKT, IκBα, UBE2D4, NF-κB, TNF-α, and iNOS in rat brain tissues and Neuro-2a cells. Thus, IFN-γ induction by ACR may induce depressive symptoms, and the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis pathway and JAK/STAT pathways may involve in ACR neurotoxicity and depressive symptoms.

Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Mutagenic Activity and Safety Evaluation of Antrocin.

Antrocin is a novel compound isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea, and is classified as a sesquiterpene lactone. The therapeutic efficacy of antrocin has been studied, and it has shown an antiproliferative effect on various cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-oxidant activity, potential genotoxicity, and oral toxicity of antrocin. Ames tests with five different strains of Salmonella typhimurium, chromosomal aberration tests in CHO-K1 cells, and micronucleus tests in ICR mice were conducted. The results of anti-oxidant capacity assays showed that antrocin has great anti-oxidant activity and is a moderately strong antimutagenic agent. In the results of the genotoxicity assays, antrocin did not show any mutagenic potential. In the 28-day oral toxicity test, Sprague Dawley rats were gavaged with 7.5 or 37.5 mg/kg of antrocin for 28 consecutive days. In addition, 7.5 mg/kg sorafenib, an anti-cancer drug, was used as a positive control for toxicity comparison. At the end of the study, antrocin did not produce any toxic effects according to hematology, serum chemistry, urine analysis, or histopathological examinations. According to the results of the genotoxicity and 28-day oral toxicity study, antrocin, at a dose of 37.5 mg/kg, did not cause adverse effects and can be a reference dose for therapeutic agents in humans.

AQP4 Attenuated TRAF6/NFκB Activation in Acrylamide-Induced Neurotoxicity.

Acrylamide (ACR) is present in high-temperature-processed high-carbohydrate foods, cigarette smoke, and industrial pollution. Chronic exposure to ACR may induce neurotoxicity from reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, the mechanisms underlying ACR-induced neurotoxicity remain unclear. We studied 28-day subacute ACR toxicity by repeatedly feeding ACR (0, 15, or 30 mg/kg) to rats. We conducted RNA sequencing and Western blot analyses to identify differences in mRNA expression in the blood and in protein expression in the brain tissues, respectively, of the rats. AQP4 transient transfection was performed to identify potential associations with protein regulation. The rats treated with 30 mg/kg ACR exhibited hind-limb muscle weakness. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP9) expression was higher in the ACR-treated group than in the control group. ACR induced MMP-9 and AQP4 protein expression in the brain tissues of the rats, which subsequently presented with neurotoxicity. In the in vitro study, Neuro-2a cells were transiently transfected with AQP4, which inhibited MMP-9 and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) expression, and inhibited ACR induced expression of TRAF6, IκBα, and nuclear factor κB (NFκB). Using a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments, this study revealed that depressive symptoms associated with ACR-induced neurotoxicity are associated with downregulation of AQP4 and induction of the TRAF6 pathway.

Effects of Acrylamide-Induced Vasorelaxation and Neuromuscular Blockage: A Rodent Study.

Acrylamide (ACR), which is formed during the Maillard reaction, is used in various industrial processes. ACR accumulation in humans and laboratory animals results in genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which ACR may induce vasorelaxation and neuromuscular toxicity. Vasorelaxation was studied using an isolated rat aortic ring model. The aortic rings were divided into the following groups: with or without endothelium, with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition, with acetylcholine receptor inhibition, and with extracellular calcium inhibition. Changes in tension were used to indicate vasorelaxation. Neuromuscular toxicity was assessed using a phrenic nerve-diaphragm model. Changes in muscle contraction stimulated by the phrenic nerve were used to indicate neuromuscular toxicity. ACR induced the vasorelaxation of phenylephrine-precontracted aortic rings, which could be significantly attenuated by NOS inhibitors. The results of the phrenic nerve-diaphragm experiments revealed that ACR reduced muscle stimulation and contraction through nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). ACR-induced vasotoxicity was regulated by NOS through the aortic endothelium. Nicotinic AChR regulated ACR-induced neuromuscular blockage.

NT5C2 methylation regulatory interplay between DNMT1 and insulin receptor in type 2 diabetes.

Epigenetics alternation of non-genetic variation and genome-wide association study proven allelic variants may associate with insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes (T2D) development. We analyzed promoter DNA methylation array to evaluate the associated with increased susceptibility to T2D (30 cases, 10 controls) and found 1,091 gene hypermethylated in promoter regions. We performed the association study of T2D and found 698 single nucleotide polymorphisms in exon and promoter sites by using 2,270 subjects (560 cases, 1,710 controls). A comparison of DNA hypermethylation and gene silencing of mouse T2D results in our T2D patients' results showed that the 5'-nucleotidase, cytosolic II (NT5C2) and fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8) genes were strongly associated with increased susceptibility to T2D. DNA hypermethylation in promoter regions reduced NT5C2 gene expression, but not FUT8 in T2D patients. NT5C2 protein expression was decreased in pancreatic ß-cells from T2D mice. Transient transfection NT5C2 into RIN-m5F cells down-regulated DNA methyltransferase I (DNMT1) expression and up-regulation of the insulin receptor. Moreover, NT5C2 knockdown induced in DNMT1 overexpression and insulin receptor inhibition. Taken together, these results showed that NT5C2 epigenetically regulated insulin receptor in patients and mice with T2D, and maybe provide for T2D therapy strategy.

Effect of adiponectin level and genetic variation of its receptors on diabetic retinopathy: A case-control study.

Adiponectin (APN) and its receptors have been reported to be associated with metabolic phenotypes. To better understand the effects of APN levels and its receptors on diabetic retinopathy (DR), we investigated the association of the plasma APN level and variations in APN-related genes with DR, individually and in combination.Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D; N = 1604), above 20 years of age from the Taiwanese population participated in the study. Demographic information, blood pressure, and serological markers were recorded at enrollment. Genomic DNA was isolated and genotyped. The plasma APN levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.T2D patients with DR (N = 632) had diabetes for a longer duration, and had higher HbA1c, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to those without DR (N = 972) (P < .001, for all the parameters). Overall, 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ADIPOQ and CDH13 susceptibility loci were associated with DR. Gene risk score (GRS) was calculated based on 10 SNPs for each subject and the cumulative effect of genes was observed. Among the subjects with plasma APN level (N = 518), natural logarithm (LN) of APN (LN [APN]; odds ratio [OR] = 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19-2.25) and GRS (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.11-3.26 for middle range of GRS, and OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.48-4.59 for high range of GRS) were independent risk factors for DR after adjustment for other parameters.In conclusion, the plasma APN level and the genetic variations in adiponectin receptors were associated with DR.

Hematopoietically expressed homeobox gene is associated with type 2 diabetes in KK Cg-Ay/J mice and a Taiwanese Han Chinese population.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease. The KK Cg-Ay/J (KK-Ay) mouse is an animal model to study type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) disease. The present study assessed the expression of hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX) protein in liver tissues of different age groups of mice (6, 16 and 42 weeks) by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The results demonstrated a significant decrease in the percentage of HHEX-positive cells in KK-Ay mice as compared with that in KK-α/α control mice. Furthermore, in Taiwan's Han Chinese population, genotypic and allelic frequency distributions of the rs61862780 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the HHEX gene were investigated. The results demonstrated that in the rs61862780 SNP of the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of HHEX, the frequency of the CC genotype was higher in patients (6.0%) than in controls (2.7%), while the TT genotype frequency was about equal. In the same SNP, the frequency of the C allele was higher in patients (21.0%) than in controls (17.3%), while the T allele frequency was about equal. These results may pave the road for exploring the KK-Ay mouse model and the HHEX SNP rs61862780, which was correlated with the susceptibility to T2D in a Chinese population. Based on these findings, an association of HHEX gene expression with pathological features of T2D was indicated.

Autophagy and its link to type II diabetes mellitus.

Autophagy, a double-edged sword for cell survival, is the research object on 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Autophagy is a molecular mechanism for maintaining cellular physiology and promoting survival. Defects in autophagy lead to the etiology of many diseases, including diabetes mellitus (DM), cancer, neurodegeneration, infection disease and aging. DM is a metabolic and chronic disorder and has a higher prevalence in the world as well as in Taiwan. The character of diabetes mellitus is hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by insulin resistance and failure of producing insulin on pancreatic beta cells. In T2DM, autophagy is not only providing nutrients to maintain cellular energy during fasting, but also removes damaged organelles, lipids and miss-folded proteins. In addition, autophagy plays an important role in pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. In this review, we summarize the roles of autophagy in T2DM.

Impact of CCL4 gene polymorphisms and environmental factors on oral cancer development and clinical characteristics.

In Taiwan, oral cancer has causally been associated with environmental carcinogens. CCL4 (C-C chemokine ligand 4), a macrophage inflammatory protein with a key role in inflammation and immune-regulation, was implicated in carcinogenesis by facilitating instability in the tumor environment. The purpose of this study was to identify gene polymorphisms of CCL4 specific to patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) susceptibility and clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 2,053 participants, including 1192 healthy people and 861 patients with oral cancer, were recruited for this study. Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CCL4 gene were analyzed by a real-time PCR. We found that the T/T homozygotes of CCL4 rs1634507 G/T polymorphism and the GG haplotype of 2 CCL4 SNPs (rs1634507 and rs10491121) combined were associated with oral-cancer susceptibility. In addition, TA haplotype significantly decreased the risks for oral cancer by 0.118 fold. Among 1420 smokers, CCL4 polymorphisms carriers with the betel-nut chewing habit had a 15.476-20.247-fold greater risk of having oral cancer compared to CCL4 wild-type (WT) carriers without the betel-nut chewing habit. Finally, patients with oral cancer who had A/G heterozygotes of CCL4 rs10491121 A/G polymorphism showed a lower risk for an advanced tumor size (> T2) (p=0.046), compared to those patients with AA homozygotes. Our results suggest that the CCL4 rs1634507 SNP have potential predictive significance in oral carcinogenesis. Gene-environment interactions of CCL4 polymorphisms might influence oral-cancer susceptibility. CCL4 rs10491121 may be a factor to predict the tumor size in OSCC patients.

Inhibition of DNA methyltransferase 1 increases nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 expression and decreases blood glucose in type 2 diabetes.

Our previous genome-wide association studies showed that DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is associated with increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Han Chinese individuals. Here, we aimed to further evaluate the role of DNMT1 in T2D. We performed a genome-wide DNA methylation array and found that the nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1) promoter was hypermethylated in patients with T2D and in a mouse model of T2D. Moreover, DNA hypermethylation of the NR4A1 promoter reduced NR4A1 mRNA expression. Transient transfection of human NR4A1 into RIN-m5F and 293T cells caused DNMT1 inhibition and induced insulin receptor activation. NR4A1knockdown by shRNA resulted in overexpression of DNMT1 and inhibition of insulin receptor, suggesting that the NR4A1 gene is involved in the epigenetics pathway. Furthermore, T2D model mice treated with the DNMT1 inhibitor aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) showed reduced activation of DNMT1 in pancreatic ß cells; this effect reversed the changes in NR4A1 expression and decreased blood glucose in T2D model mice. Thus, our results showed for the first time that DNMT1 caused NR4A1 DNA hypermethylation and blocked insulin signaling in patients with T2D. Importantly, ATA therapy may be useful for decreasing blood glucose levels by reversing NR4A1-dependent insulin signaling. These findings improve our understanding of the crucial roles of these regulatory elements in human T2D.

Current concepts regarding developmental mechanisms in diabetic retinopathy in Taiwan.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most feared complications of diabetes and is a leading cause of acquired blindness in working adults. The prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes in Taiwan is about 4%, and the annual incidence of T2D (Type 2 Diabetes) in Taiwan is 1.8% following the 1985 WHO criteria. Multiple mechanisms have been shown in T2DR with some signaling pathways, including the polyol pathway, PKC pathway, AGEs pathway, and MAPK pathway. However, the cause of vision loss in diabetic retinopathy is complex and remains incompletely understood. Herein, we try to fully understand the new concepts regarding hyperglycemia-induced biochemical pathways contributing to DR pathophysiology. Our work may be able to provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of diabetic vascular complications.

PTPRD silencing by DNA hypermethylation decreases insulin receptor signaling and leads to type 2 diabetes.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data showed that the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type delta (PTPRD) is associated with increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Han Chinese. A replication study indicated that PTPRD is involved in the insulin signaling pathway; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We evaluated PTPRD expression in patients with T2D and controls. PTPRD expression levels were lower in patients and were correlated with the duration of the disease. Overexpression of the human insulin receptor PPARγ2 in HepG2 cells induced overexpression of PTPRD and the insulin receptor. PTPRD knockdown, using a shRNA, resulted in down-regulation of the insulin receptor. These results indicate that PTPRD activates PPARγ2 in the insulin signaling pathway. Similar results for PTPRD expression were found using a T2D mouse model. Silencing of PTPRD was caused by DNA methylation in T2D mice and patients, and correlated with DNMT1 expression. Furthermore, we showed that a DNMT1 SNP (rs78789647) was correlated with susceptibility to T2D. This study shows for the first time that DNMT1 caused PTPRD DNA hypermethylation and induced insulin signaling silencing in T2D patients. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the crucial roles of these regulatory elements in human T2D.

Association between SRC-1 gene polymorphisms and coronary artery aneurysms formation in Taiwanese children with Kawasaki disease.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD) patients who experience a cardiovascular complication known as a coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) are at high risk of developing ischemic heart disease, which may lead to sudden death. The etiology of CAA in KD patients is unclear, and this study aims to clarify the relationship between steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) gene polymorphisms and CAA pathogenesis. METHODS: We investigated four SRC-1 gene polymorphisms (rs11894248, rs17791703, rs7572475, and rs9309308) and their correlation with KD with CAA susceptibility in 327 Taiwanese people (279 KD patients without CAA and 48 KD patients with CAA). RESULTS: The results indicated a statistically significant difference in genotype and allele frequency distributions at the SRC-1 four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between KD patients with and without CAA (P < 0.01). Additionally, Smad3 gene polymorphism (rs12901071) is well known to be associated with KD patients. In our results, Smad3 SNP did not provide a statistically significant difference between KD patients with and without CAA. CONCLUSION: Our data show that SRC-1 polymorphisms may be the underlying cause of CAA; therefore, the polymorphisms examined in this study warrant further investigation.

Dysregulation of the TGFBI gene is involved in the oncogenic activity of the nonsense mutation of hepatitis B virus surface gene sW182*.

The nonsense mutations of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (S) gene have been reported to have oncogenic potential. We have previously identified several transforming nonsense mutations of the HBV S gene from hepatocarcinoma (HCC) patients. Among them, the sW182* mutant (the stop codon for tryptophan 182) showed the most potent oncogenicity in a mouse xenograft model using stably transfected mouse fibroblast cells. This study is aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to the oncogenic activity of the sW182* mutant. A gene expression microarray in combination with gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed differentially expressed gene sets in the sW182* cells, including those related to cell-cycle regulation, deoxyribonucleic acid repair, and genome instability. Of the differentially expressed genes, the transforming growth factor-ß-induced (TGFBI) gene was further validated to be dysregulated in the sW182* cells. This dysregulation was accompanied by hypermethylation of the TGFBI promoter. The level of cyclin D1, a negatively regulated TGFBI target, was highly elevated in the sW182* mutant cells, which is consistent with the potent oncogenicity. Furthermore, frequent abnormal mitosis and multinucleation were observed in the mutant cells. Exogenous expression of TGFBI alleviated the oncogenic activity of the sW182* cells. In human HBV-related HCC cancerous tissue, expression of TGFBI was downregulated in 25 of the 55 (45%) patients examined, suggesting that TGFBI dysregulation could occur in HBV-related HCC development in some cases. These results suggest that dysregulation of TGFBI is involved in the oncogenic activity of the sW182* mutant of the hepatitis B virus S gene.

Kidney stone distribution caused by melamine and cyanuric acid in rats.

BACKGROUND: Melamine (M), which is composed of multi-amine, has been used as a food additive to falsely increase protein contents. Furthermore, cyanuric acid (CA) is a derivative of melamine. It is known that these mixtures can cause renal toxicity. METHODS: The objective of this study was to investigate the possible target cells during acute renal toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid (MCA) mixture crystals in vivo. Rats were provided with a lethal dose of MCA (1:1; 400mg/kg) and observed after 0.5, 1, 3, 12, 24, and 48-h intervals. RESULTS: MCA caused degeneration/necrosis in the proximal tubules starting at 12h and increased at 24 and 48 h. A small number of yellow-green crystals were observed in the dilated distal renal tubules at 48 h post-treatment. Ultrastructurally, pyknosis, mitochondrial vesicles, and cellular swelling were found in the proximal tubular cells at 0.5h. Small needle-like crystals in the cytoplasm and large crystals in the lumen of tubules indicated physical damage to the renal cells. CONCLUSION: These results clearly reveal that in the MCA-induced renal toxicity model, crystals are distributed to both the proximal and distal tubules in rats. The proximal tubular cells may be initially injured and subsequently block the distal tubules with MCA crystals during early acute intoxication.

Association between XRCC3 Thr241Met SNP and systemic lupus erythematosus in Han Chinese patients in Taiwan, and a meta-analysis of healthy populations.

BACKGROUND: X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3) plays a crucial role in mammalian DNA repair processes. The polymorphism of XRCC3, rs861539 (Thr > Met at codon 241), is common in populations worldwide. This study analyzed the relationship between this functional single nucleotide polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the Han Chinese population in Taiwan (HC-TW). METHODS: Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism on 163 SLE patients and 191 healthy participants in the control group. RESULTS: The data showed that the genotype frequency at codon 241 did not differ significantly between the SLE patients and the healthy participants in the control group; however, the allele frequency analysis indicated a significant difference between these groups. In addition, we used the genotype and allele frequencies of 191 healthy HC-TW participants for comparison with HapMap populations. The results indicated a significant difference of XRCC3 Thr241Met allele and genotype frequencies between the HC-TW population and HapMap populations, except for the other Han Chinese populations. A prior study showed that Thr241 > Met substitution in XRCC3 protein was positive as damaging and functional consequences as well. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to demonstrate the difference of XRCC3 Thr241 > Met variant between the HC-TW population and HapMap population.

Toll-like receptor 9 SNPs are susceptible to the development and progression of membranous glomerulonephritis: 27 years follow-up in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether toll-like receptors 9 (TLR9) gene polymorphisms (rs352139 and rs352140) were markers of susceptibility to the development and progression of membranous nephropathy (MGN) in Taiwanese patients. The polymorphisms were investigated by polymerase chain reaction in 397 Taiwanese individuals (134 MGN patients and 263 controls). Patients with malignancy, chronic infectious diseases, lupus nephritis, or drug-induced secondary MGN were excluded from the study. Data showed AA genotype at rs352139 SNP or GG genotype at rs352140 SNP may indicate higher risk for MGN (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-2.35, at rs352139 SNP; OR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.03-2.39, at rs352140 SNP). However, MGN patients with A-G haplotype were susceptible for decreased creatinine clearance rate and for seriously tubule-interstitial fibrosis. The result suggests for the first time that TLR9 (rs352139 and rs352140) polymorphisms may contribute to the development and progression of MGN.

Effects of sodium citrate on melamine-cyanuric acid mixture-induced urolithiasis in rats.

BACKGROUND: When melamine is used as an additive in infant formula, it may cause acute nephrotoxicity in humans as well as in other animals. This study was designed to examine the effects of a melamine-cyanuric acid mixture on cytotoxicity in vitro and rat-acute nephrotoxicity. METHODS: In the in vitro study, crystal formations created by the melamine-cyanuric acid mixture were evaluated in media with differing pH conditions over a 24-h period and co-treatment with sodium citrate to observe the crystal formation. In the animal study, rats were exposed to a melamine-cyanuric acid mixture (400 mg/kg, 1:1) via oral gavage 14 days and co-treated with sodium citrate to observe the crystal formation in rats. RESULTS: Melamine-cyanuric acid mixture-induced crystal was pH dependent in a conditioned medium, and sodium citrate could decrease the crystal formation. Melamine-cyanuric acid-treated rats showed marked kidney swelling, vacuolization and necrosis in the proximal tubules, and numerous polarizable crystals were located in the distal segments, causing increases in kidney weight, serum BUN and creatinine. After co-treatment with sodium citrate, these increases can all be reversed. Moreover, the degrees of nephrotoxicity, proliferating of cell nuclear antigen protein and urolithiasis-related osteopontin were also decreased in the kidneys. CONCLUSION: Sodium citrate could decrease melamine-cyanuric acid mixture-induced crystal formation that leads to urolithiasis and nephrotoxicity in rats. These results may provide a strategy for melamine-cyanuric acid-intoxication therapy in animal.