[Advances in the study of the role of adenosine 2A receptor in liver injury].

Adenosine, as an endogenous purine nucleoside, is widely distributed in various tissues and organs of the body. It binds to adenosine receptors to regulate a variety of important biological processes. Adenosine 2A receptors have a close relationship with the occurrence and development of various clinical diseases. This article reviews the research progress of adenosine 2A receptors in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, acute immune hepatitis, liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, liver fibrosis, etc., in order to provide new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of these diseases.

Entry of Vibrio cincinnatiensis into viable but nonculturable state and its resuscitation.

AIMS: The aim was to characterize the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state of Vibrio cincinnatiensis and its resuscitation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Vibrio cincinnatiensis VIB287 was cultured in sterilized seawater microcosms at 4 degrees C. Plate counts, direct viable counts and total counts were used. A large population of the V. cincinnatiensis became nonculturable after approx. 50 day at 4 degrees C. Electron microscopy revealed that the VBNC cells changed from rod to coccoid and decreased in size. Resuscitation of VBNC cells was achieved by temperature upshift in nutrition of yeast extract and peptone by addition of catalase or compound vitamin B. The VBNC and resuscitative cells were intraperitoneally injected into zebra fish separately. No death was observed in the group inoculated with the VBNC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Vibrio cincinnatiensis VIB287 could enter VBNC state in adverse environments. Resuscitation of VBNC cells occurred by addition of compound vitamin B or catalase to VBNC cells containing nutrient. The resuscitative cells might retain their pathogenicity. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The study confirmed that V. cincinnatiensis could enter into VBNC state in seawater at low temperature and resuscitated. The resuscitative cells retained their pathogenicity, which may be important in future studies of ecology of V. cincinnatiensis.

[The detection and significance of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide in advanced schistosomiasis patients].

The plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were determined with radioimmunoassay in 23 cases of advanced schistosomiasis, 16 cases of chronic schistosomiasis and 16 normal subjects. The results were: the plasma ANP level in advanced schistosomiasis (286.6 +/- 13.0 ng/L) was significantly higher than that in of chronic schistosomiasis (196.7 +/- 17.3 ng/L) and normal controls (157.2 +/- 16.0 ng/L) (P < 0.01 respectively). Among advanced schistosomiasis, the plasma ANP level in 12 cases with ascites (256.5 +/- 16.8 ng/L) was significantly lower than that in 11 cases with splenomegaly but without ascites (320.5 +/- 20.0 ng/L) (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the levels in chronic schistosomiasis and normal control (P > 0.05), the results suggested that ANP played a role in maintaining homeostasis of sodium and fluid in advanced schistosomiasis.