[Efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan in peritoneal dialysis patients with HFpEF and its effect on residual renal function].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its effect on residual renal function. Methods: PD patients with HFpEF in Ningbo First Hospital from March 2018 to August 2021 were retrospectively enrolled and divided into study group with sacubitril/valsartan and control group with valsartan. The clinical baseline data before treatment and clinical indicators during follow-up (6 and 12 months after treatment) were collected and compared between the two groups, and the adverse reactions were also recorded. Results: A total of 99 patients were included in the study. There were 61 patients in the study group, including 44 males and 17 females, with a mean age of (52±13) years. Meanwhile, there were 38 patients in the control group, including 23 males and 15 females, with a mean age of (57±14) years. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical baseline data between the two groups (e.g., age, sex, body mass index, duration of dialysis) (all P>0.05). The N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVDs) were lower, but the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was higher in the study group than those in the control group at 6 and 12 months after treatment (all P<0.05). The systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of the two groups were lower than baseline values at 6 and 12 months after treatment respectively, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences in the decreases of SBP and DBP between the two groups at 6 and 12 months after treatment (all P>0.05). The decrease extents in residual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) [0.52 (-0.05, 1.19) vs 1.72 (0.97, 2.39) ml·min-1·(1.73 m2)-1, P<0.001]and 24-h residual urine volume [200 (-100, 300) vs 300 (137, 400) ml, P=0.018] at 12 months after treatment were lower in the study group than those in the control group. During the follow-up period, hyperkalemia occurred in 16 cases (26.2%) and 13 cases (34.2%) in the study group and the control group, and hypotension occurred in 3 cases (4.9%) and 1 case (2.6%) in the study group and the control group, respectively. There were no adverse reactions such as cough and angioneurotic edema in the two groups. Conclusions: Sacubitril/valsartan can safely and effectively improve cardiac function and lower blood pressure in PD patients with HFpEF. Compared with valsartan, sacubitril/valsartan may be more beneficial to delay the loss of residual renal function in PD patients with HFpEF.

[The urate-lowering efficacy of febuxostat and its relationship with residual renal function in peritoneal dialysis patients with hyperuricemia].

Objective: To investigate the urate-lowering efficacy of febuxostat in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with hyperuricemia (HUA) and its relationship with residual renal function. Methods: Patients with HUA who underwent PD in Ningbo First Hospital from January 2018 to October 2021 were enrolled and divided into experimental group and control group according to whether to use febuxostat. The clinical baseline data before treatment and clinical indicators during 1-12 months after treatment were collected in two groups, and the adverse reactions during the use of febuxostat were also recorded. The changes of serum uric acid, standard-reaching rate and residual renal function were compared between the two groups during the follow-up. Results: A total of 105 patients were included in the study. There were 55 patients in the experimental group [27 males and 28 females, with a mean age of (54.5±14.8) years] and 50 patients in the control group [32 males and 18 females, with a mean age of (53.8±15.2) years]. No statistically significant difference was detected in clinical baseline data between the two groups (all P>0.05). The serum uric acid of the experimental group [(479±77), (311±69), (286±61), (307±65), (312±57) µmol/L] and control group [(486±59), (454±71), (453±76), (463±70), (459±76) µmol/L] were lower than baseline values at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment and the differences of two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The serum uric acid in experimental group was significantly lower than that of control group (P<0.05). At 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment, the standard-reaching rate of serum uric acid in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (all P<0.05). The decrease of residual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and residual renal urea clearance index (Kt/V) in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group at 12 months after treatment (all P<0.05). During the follow-up, the incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was 9.09% (5/55). Conclusions: Febuxostat can effectively treat PD patients with hyperuricemia and has a high safety profile. Moreover, it may delay the loss of residual renal function.

Biosorption of lead(II) from aqueous solution by lactic acid bacteria.

The biosorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions by lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus brevis, was studied. The effects of initial pH, contact time, initial Pb(II) concentration, bacterial concentration, rotation speed and temperature of biosorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions were investigated. The optimal condition for Pb2+ ions adsorption was observed at pH 6, with the rotational speed of 120 rpm.min-1, bacterial concentration of 3 g.L-1, temperature of 40 °C and contact time of 12 h. The correlation regression coefficients showed that the biosorption process can be well fitted with the Redlich-Peterson, Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models. The equilibrium adsorption capacity reached 53.632 mg.g-1. Binding energy value was 0.264 kJ/mol, which indicated that the adsorption process seemed to involve chemisorption and physisorption. Kinetics of adsorption was found to fit well with the pseudo-second-order and Elovich kinetic equations. Thermodynamic parameters revealed the feasibility, spontaneity and endothermic nature of adsorption.

[Spectomycin B1 induces VEGFR2 de-SUMO modification to inhibit angiogenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective:To explore the new mechanism of spectomycin B1 in inhibiting angiogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to provide a theoretical basis for targeted gene therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Method:Human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE1 cells were divided into two groups, the control group and spectomycin B1 group. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of small ubiquitin-related modified protein（SUMO） 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2（VEGFR2）. The angiogenesis assay was used to detect the angiogenic ability of CNE1 cells, and the apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The model of nasopharyngeal carcinoma-bearing mice was established, spectomycin B1 was administered, tumor volume and weight were measured, and protein expression of CD31 was detected by immunohistochemistry and microvessel density was compared. Result:Spectomycin B1 could reduce deSUMOylation of VEGFR2 protein by 4.05 times, significantly reduce the angiogenic ability of CNE1 cells, and increase the apoptosis rate by 20.68%. In the tumor-bearing mouse model, spectomycin B1 treatment could inhibit subcutaneous tumor growth rate and weight, and the blood vessel density decreased by 40.04%. Conclusion:Spectomycin B1 can inhibit neovascularization of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by inducing deSUMOylation of VEGFR2 protein.

[Hypoxia inducible factor-1α deSUMOylation reduces the stemness maintenance ability of endometrial cancer stem cell and increases its chemosensitivity].

Objective: To reduce the stemness maintenance ability of endometrial cancer stem cell and increase its sensitivity to chemotherapy by inducing hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) protein deSUMOylation. Methods: Lentiviral plasmid mediated ubiquitin carrier protein 9 (Ubc9) gene silencing was transgened into KLE endometrial carcinoma cells. The expression of Ubc9, small ubiquitin-related modifier 1(SUMO1) and HIF-1α protein was detected by Western blotting. Then tumor stem cells clones were cultured in 96 well plates, and these clone balls diameter were calculated. Cell cycles were determined by flow cytometry. MTT cytotoxicity assay and flow cytometry method were used to test sensitivity of cisplatin to endometrial cancer stem cell. Results: The results of Western blotting showed that Ubc9 gene was silenced well, and the covalent binding state of SUMO-1 and HIF-1α protein levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Ubc9 gene silencing in endometrial cancer cells reduced clone formation rate by (31.61±5.29)% down to (11.42±3.07)%, while the cell cycle shift from G1 to G2. IC50 of cisplatin decreased from 44.37 mg/L to 7.39 mg/L, and the rate of cell apoptosis by (41.59±5.37)% down to (26.22±4.03)%. Conclusion: The stemness maintenance ability of endometrial cancer stem cell can be reduced through deSUMOylation of HIF-1α protein by silencing Ubc9 gene expression, and their sensitivity to chemotherapy be enhanced, which provides a new reference for future gene therapy of endometrial carcinoma.

Late gestational liver dysfunction and its impact on pregnancy outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of late gestational liver dysfunction and its impact on pregnancy outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients hospitalized for liver dysfunction in their late pregnancy between 2010-2012 were set as the observation group, and the pregnant women with normal liver function at the same period were randomly selected and set as the control group. The impacts towards the pregnancy outcomes were compared between these two groups and the impacts of different-degree transaminase increasing towards the pregnancy outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence rates of cesarean section, post-partum hemorrhage, fetal distress, premature birth, premature rupture of membranes (PROM) of the observation group and the transaminase-severely-increased group (the severe group) were higher, and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.01 or < 0.05); while only the cesarean rate of the mild and moderate group was significantly different from the control group (p < 0.01 or < 0.05). The ratios of intrahepatic cholestasis in pregnancy (ICP), gestational hypertension + HELLP syndrome, acute fatty liver in pregnancy (AFLP) of the severe group were higher than the mild and moderate group, and the differences were statistically significant; the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) group and the unknown cause group mainly showed a mildly increased transaminase; the distributions of viral hepatitis in pregnancy (VHP), post-viral-hepatitis-B cirrhosis, biliary tract disease, and infected toxic liver dysfunction in different-degree increased transaminase groups had no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Liver dysfunction in later pregnancy, especially with severe transaminase increase, might significantly increase the risk of adverse maternal events. The major causes of severe liver dysfunction in late pregnancy were ICP, gestational hypertensive disorders, and AFLP.

High-resolution mapping of the S and Z loci of Phalaris coerulescens.

Self incompatibility (SI) in Phalaris coerulescens is gametophytically determined by two unlinked multi allelic loci (S and Z). Neither the S nor Z genes have yet been cloned. As part of a map-based cloning strategy, high-resolution maps of the S and Z regions were generated from distorted segregating populations using RFLP probes from wheat, barley, oat, and Phalaris. The S locus was delimited to 0.26 cM with two boundary markers (Xwg811 and Xpsr168) and cosegregated with Xbm2 and Xbcd762. Xbcd266 was the closest marker linked to Z (0.9 cM). A high level of colinearity in the S and Z regions was found in both self-incompatible and -compatible species. The S locus was localized to the subcentromere region of chromosome 1 and the Z locus to the long arm end of chromosome 2. Several rice BAC clones orthologous to the S and Z locus regions were identified. This opens the possibility of using the rice genome sequence data to generate more closely linked markers and identify SI candidate genes. These results add further support to the conservation of gene order in the S and Z regions of the grass genomes.

[Effect of Equisetum hyemale on experimental hyperlipemia in rats and its toxic test].

The results of an experimental study in rats fed with Equisetum hyemale and hyperlipid food have proved that inhibiting effects on the elevation of triglyceride and cholesterol can be obviously observed in both high and low doses of Equisetum. The study also shows that Equisetum hyemale can antagonize the hyperlipemia in rats. The acute toxic test has proved its low toxicity.