Effect of calcium spray at flowering combined with post-harvest 1-MCP treatment on the preservation of grapes.

These tests were carried out to find out how calcium and 1-MCP treatment affected the preservation of grapes, as grapes are highly susceptible to decay during post-harvest storage. The grapes were treated with 5 g/L calcium at the flowering stage, followed by 1 µL/L 1-MCP treatment after harvesting. When grapevines were treated with a combination of calcium and 1-MCP, the marketable fruit rate (At day 56 of storage, the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treatment group was still 93%, an increase of 29.03% compared to the control group.) and quality improved (At day 28 of storage, the VC content of the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treated group was 4.35 mg/100g, an increase of 25.01% compared to the control group.), while the fruit weight loss rate decreased (At day 56 of storage, the weight loss of the control group was 6.97%, an increase of 39.43% compared to the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treated group.). According to the experimental results, there are several reasons for this. First, in the early stages of fruit storage, the concentration of soluble pectin and soluble fiber, as well as the activities of pectinase and cellulase (related gene levels) were decreased. Secondly, the activity of antioxidant enzymes was increased, while MDA content was decreased. Third, during fruit storage, the respiratory intensity and ethylene release rate were reduced, as was the activity of energy metabolism enzymes. As a result, the aging and deterioration of the fruit during storage were delayed. Principal component analysis revealed that the calcium and 1-MCP combination therapy slowed the decline in grape berry quality, followed by the calcium-treated and 1-MCP-treated fruits. In contrast, grape berry quality declined the most rapidly in the control group.

Effects of particle size on the structure, cooking quality and anthocyanin diffusion of purple sweet potato noodles.

The effects of different particle sizes of purple sweet potato flour (PSPF) on the structure and quality of noodles and the diffusion kinetics of anthocyanins during cooking were studied. As the particle size of the PSPF decreased (from 269 to 66 µm), the adverse effects of the addition of PSPF on the quality of noodles were reduced. The smaller particle size of PSPF was beneficial for the secondary structure orderliness and the tighter microstructure of PSP noodles. The diffusion of anthocyanins in noodles to the soup during cooking could be fitted well with Fick's second law, and diffusion coefficients were in the range of 8.3248-14.0893 × 10-9 m2/s. The noodles with 15% 66 µm PSPF showed the best cooking properties, the highest sensory score, the highest anthocyanin retention ability and a compact and orderly microstructure. Thus, they could be considered as noodles rich in anthocyanins for commercial application.

[Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcome of Pseudomonas Peritoneal Dialysis-associated Peritonitis].

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment of Pseudomonas peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis(PsP). Methods The data of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis in four tertiary hospitals in Jilin province from 2015 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the etiological classification,the patients with peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis(PDAP)were classified into PsP group and non-PsP group.The incidence of PsP was calculated,and the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of the two groups were compared.Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve,and Cox regression was performed to analyze the risk factors affecting the technical failure of PsP.The treatment options of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-caused PDAP and the drug sensitivity of PsP were summarized. Results A total of 1530 peritoneal dialysis patients with complete data were included in this study,among which 439 patients had 664 times of PDAP.The incidence of PsP was 0.007 episodes/patient-year.PsP group had higher proportion of refractory peritonitis(41.38% vs.19.69%,P=0.005),lower cure rate(55.17% vs.80.79%, P=0.001),and higher extubation rate(24.14% vs.7.09%,P=0.003)than non-PsP group.The technical survival rate of PsP group was lower than that of non-PsP group(P<0.001).Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was an independent risk factor for technical failure in patients with PsP(HR=9.020,95%CI=1.141-71.279,P=0.037).Pseudomonas was highly sensitive to amikacin,meropenem,and piperacillin-tazobactam while highly resistant to compound sulfamethoxazole,cefazolin,and ampicillin. Conclusion The treatment outcome of PsP is worse than that of non-PsP,and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an independent risk factor for technical failure of PsP.

Evidence for 5-HT1A receptor-mediated antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects of apigenin in mice suffering from mononeuropathy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neuropathic pain places a devastating health burden, with very few effective therapies. We investigated the potential antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects of apigenin, a natural flavonoid with momoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory activity, against neuropathic pain and investigated the mechanism(s). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The neuropathic pain model was produced by chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerves in male C57BL/6J mice, with pain-related behaviours being assayed by von Frey test and Hargreaves test. In this model the role of 5-HT and 5-HT1A receptor-related mechanisms were investigated in vivo/in vitro. KEY RESULTS: Apigenin repeated treatment (p.o., once per day for 2 weeks), in a dose-related manner (3, 10 and 30 mg·kg-1 ), ameliorated the allodynia and hyperalgesia in chronic nerve constriction injury in mice. These effects seem dependent on neuronal 5-hydroxytryptamine, because (i) the antihyperalgesia and antiallodynia were attenuated by depletion of 5-HT with p-chlorophenylalanine and potentiated by 5-hydroxytryptophan and (ii), apigenin-treated chronic constriction injury mice caused an increased level of spinal 5-HT, associated with diminished MAO activity. In vivo administration, spinally or systematically, of the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635 inhibited the apigenin-induced antiallodynia and antihyperalgesia. In vitro, apigenin acted as a positive allosteric modulator to increase the efficacy (stimulation of [35 S]GTPγS binding) of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT. Apigenin attenuated neuronal changes caused by chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve in mice, without causing a hypertensive crisis. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Apigenin antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic actions against neuropathic pain crucially involve spinal 5-HT1A receptors and indicate it could be used to treat neuropathic pain.

Reciprocal Substitution Between Methamphetamine and Heroin in Terms of Reinforcement Effects in Rats.

Heroin and methamphetamine are both popular illicit drugs in China. Previous clinical data showed that habitual users of either heroin or methamphetamine abuse the other drug for substitution in case of unavailability of their preferred drug. The present study aimed to observe whether heroin can substitute the methamphetamine reinforcement effect in rats, and vice versa. Rats were trained to self-administer heroin or methamphetamine (both 50 µg/kg/infusion) under an FR1 reinforcing schedule for 10 days. After having extracted the dose-effect curve of the two drugs, we administered methamphetamine at different doses (12.5-200 µg/kg/infusion) to replace heroin during the period of self-administration, and vice versa. The heroin dose-effect curve showed an inverted U-shaped trend, and the total intake dose of heroin significantly increased when the training dose increased from 50 to 100 or 200 µg/kg/infusion. Following replacement with methamphetamine, the total dose-effect curve shifted leftwards and upwards. By contrast, although the dose-effect curve of methamphetamine also showed an inverted U-shaped trend, the total dose of methamphetamine significantly decreased when the training dose decreased from 50 to 25 µg/kg/infusion; conversely, when the methamphetamine training dose increased, the total dose did not change significantly. The total dose-effect curve shifted rightwards after heroin was substituted with methamphetamine. Although heroin and methamphetamine had their own independent reward effects, low doses of methamphetamine can replace the heroin reward effect, while high doses of heroin can replace the methamphetamine reward effect. These results demonstrated that heroin and methamphetamine can substitute each other in terms of reinforcement effects in rats.

Revegetation approach and plant identity unequally affect structure, ecological network and function of soil microbial community in a highly acidified mine tailings pond.

Owing to its sustainability and low cost, direct revegetation (DR) has been considered a promising alternative to capped revegetation (CR) for dealing with the serious environmental problem derived from various types of mine wastelands that are widespread in the world. However, a direct comparison of the performance of these two revegetation approaches for reclamation of extremely acidic mine wastelands and the underlying mechanisms is still lacking. To bridge this critical knowledge gap, we established 5000 m2 of vegetation on a highly acidified (pH < 3) Pb/Zn mine tailings pond employing both CR and DR schemes (2500 m2 for each scheme). We then profiled the structure, ecological network and function of soil microbial communities associated with two dominant plant species of the vegetations via high-throughput sequencing. Our results showed that CR and DR achieved a vegetation coverage of 59.7% and 90.5% within two years, respectively. This pattern was accompanied by higher concentrations of plant nutrients and lower acidification potentials in topsoils of the rhizospheres of the vegetation established by DR compared to those of CR. Revegetation approach, rather than plant identity, mostly affected the structure, ecological network and function of soil microbial community in the mine tailings pond. Rhizosphere soils of the vegetation established by DR generally had higher microbial diversity, higher relative abundances of dominant microbial phyla (e.g. Nitrospirae) that can aid plant uptake of nutrients, more complicated microbial interactive networks and more microbial genes responsible for nutrient cycling than those by CR. As the first report on a direct comparison of CR and DR schemes for reclamation of an extremely acidic mine wasteland, our study has important implications for not only the understanding of microbial ecology in revegetated mine wastelands but also the further development of sustainable revegetation schemes.

Dorsolateral striatal miR-134 modulates excessive methamphetamine intake in self-administering rats.

Increasing evidence indicates that excessive drug consumption is sufficient for the transition from recreational and controlled drug use to uncontrolled use and addiction. However, the underlying mechanisms are debated. Some neurobehavioral and neuroimaging evidence indicates that dorsolateral striatum (dlStr)-dependent habit learning plays a key role in excessive drug intake and the transition to addiction, but little is known about the molecular events. The present study investigated whether dlStr miR-134, an important regulator of synaptic transmission and plasticity, is involved in excessive methamphetamine intake. We established excessive and uncontrolled methamphetamine self-administration model in rats by permitting animals extended access to drug (6 h/session/d, LgA group), whereas animals that were limited to access to drug (2 h/session/d, ShA group) exhibited low and controlled self-administration. miR-134 expression in dlStr was significantly increased and its target LIMK1 expression was decreased in the LgA group, but not in the ShA group, compared with the saline control group. However, passive methamphetamine exposure did not alter miR-134 and LIMK1 levels in dlStr. We also found that down-regulation of miR-134 in dlStr through local microinjection of a lentivirus carrying miR-134 sponge (LV-miR-134-Sil) significantly reduced methamphetamine infusions and excessive consumption in LgA group, rather than ShA group. These results indicated that dlStr miR-134, perhaps via its target LIMK1, contributed to excessive and uncontrolled methamphetamine intake, supporting the hypothesis that stimulus-response habit formation is an important mechanism underlying the transition from controlled drug use to uncontrolled drug use and addiction.

Serotonergically dependent antidepressant-like activity on behavior and stress axis responsivity of acacetin.

Acacetin, a natural flavonoid, possesses broad spectrum of pharmacological and biochemical activities, such as neuroprotection, antinociception and inhibition of monoamine oxidase. The current work aimed to investigate the antidepressant-like activity of acacetin in mice and explore the underlying mechanism(s). Chronic, but not acute, acacetin treatment (5, 15 or 45 mg/kg, p.o., once per day for three weeks) exerted in mice dose-dependently antidepressant-like activity, assessed by forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Although acacetin-treated mice showed normal circadian hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, their endocrine responsivity to both acute restraint stress and intracerebroventricular injection of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was buffered. The acacetin-triggered antidepressant-like activities are serotonergically dependent, since its impacts on behavior and stress responsivity were totally abolished by chemical depletion of brain serotonin by PCPA. Consistently, acacetin-treated mice showed escalated levels of brain monoamines especially serotonin and depressed activity of monoamine oxidase. Moreover, the acacetin-evoked anti-depression was preferentially counteracted by co-administration of 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, but potentiated by 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT and sub-effective dose of serotonergic antidepressant fluoxetine, suggesting a pivotal engagement of 5-HT1A related serotonergic system. In vitro, acacetin (1-100 nM) increased the Emax of 8-OH-DPAT. Collectively, these findings confirm that chronic acatetin administration to mice engenders antidepressant-like efficacy on both behavior and stress axis responsivity, with serotonergic system that preferentially couples with 5-HT1A receptors being critically involved.

Venous thromboembolism in the emergency department: A survey of current best practice awareness in physicians and nurses in China.

BACKGROUND: For emergency department (ED) patients, risk assessment, prophylaxis, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) are essential for preventing morbidity and mortality. This study aimes to investigate knowledge amongst emergency medical staff in the management of VTE. METHODS: We designed a questionnaire based on multiple scales. The questionnaire was distributed to the medical and nursing clinical staff in the large urban ED of a medical center in Northern China. Data was described with percentages and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare ranked data between different groups. The statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS: In this survey, 180 questionnaires were distributed and 174 valid responses (response rate of 96.67%) were collected and analyzed. In scores of VTE knowledge, no significant differences were found with respect to job (doctor vs. nurse), the number of years working in clinical medicine, education level, and current position, previous hospital experience and nurses' current work location within the ED. However, in pair wise comparison, we found participants who worked in ED for more than 5 years (n=83) scored significantly higher on the questionnaire than those under 5 years (n=91) (95.75 vs. 79.97, P=0.039). There was a significant difference in some questions based on gender, age, job, and nurse work location, number of working years, education level, and different ED working lifetime. CONCLUSION: Our survey has shown deficiencies among ED medical staff in knowledge and awareness of the management of VTE. We recommend several changes be considered, such as the introduction of an interdisciplinary workshop for medical staff; the introduction of a standardized VTE protocol; a mandatory study module on VTE for new physicians and nurses; the introduction of a mandatory reporting system for adverse events (including VTE).

Effects of Niaoduqing Particles () on Delaying Progression of Renal Dysfunction: A Post-trial, Open-Label, Follow-up Study.

OBJECTIVE: To follow up the participants of the randomized clinical trial "Efficacy and Safety of Niaoduqing Particles () for Delaying Moderate-to-Severe Renal Dysfunction", and assess the long-term effects of Niaoduqing Particles on delaying the progression of renal dysfunction. METHODS: Participants, who had previously been randomly assigned to receive Niaoduqing Particles or placebo for 24 weeks (146 cases in each group), were invited to follow-up and all were administered Niaoduqing Particles 5 g thrice daily and 10 g before bedtime for 24 weeks. The primary endpoints were changes in baseline serum creatinine (Scr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) after completion of the open-label treatment period. RESULTS: After the double-blind period, the median (interquartile range) changes in Scr were 1.1 (-13.0-24.1) and 11.7 (-2.6-42.9) µmol/L for the Niaoduqing Particle and placebo groups, respectively (P=0.008), and the median changes in eGFRs were-0.2 (-4.3-2.7) and-2.21 (-5.7-0.8) mL•min-1•1.73 m-2, respectively (P=0.016). There were significant differences in the double-blind period changes in renal function between groups. After the open-label period, the median changes in Scr were 9.0 (-10.0-41.9) and 17.5 (-6.0-50.0) µmol/L for the Niaoduqing Particle and placebo groups according to baseline grouping, respectively (P=0.214), and the median changes in eGFRs were-2.3 (-6.4-1.9) and-3.7 (-7.5-1.1) mL•min-1•1.73 m-2, respectively (P=0.134). There were no statistical differences in the open-label period changes in renal function between groups. The eGFR reduction of participants who accepted Niaoduqing Particle treatment for 48 weeks was projected to 2.5 mL•min-1•1.73 m-2 per year. CONCLUSION: Niaoduqing Particles appear to have long-term efficacy for patients with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction. Although there was no statistical difference, the early use of Niaoduqing Paticles seems to ameliorate the worsening of renal function. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR-TRC-12002448).

A simple slash-and-char system to mitigate climate change and environmental pollution.

Agriculture-based climate change mitigation may occur through enhancing the carbon sink or through reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions from agricultural residue treatment, as open burning of agricultural residues produces millions of tons of GHGs and air pollutants annually worldwide. Charring slashed biomass, termed as slash-and-char, has been considered as a promising alternative to open burning in dealing with agricultural residues such as rice straw. Previous studies, however, focused on relatively sophisticated slash-and-char systems, which could not be practiced easily by smallholder farmers in developing countries. Here we introduce a simple slash-and-char system to mitigate the environmental problems associated with open burning of rice straw. This system could convert 30.7% of the initial carbon in rice straw into biochar, much higher than that retained in the ash generated by open burning (3.95%). It could also cut GHGs, particulate matters and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions by 26.9%, 99.0% and 99.4%, respectively. If open burning of rice straw was replaced by the slash-and-char, the annual emissions of GHGs, particulate matters and PAHs in China would decrease by at least 15.4 Tg, 1.51 Tg and 1.27 Gg, correspondingly. This decrease is nearly twice the size of China's estimated forest C sink (8.81 Tg).

Chronic itch impairs mood and HPA axis function in mice: modulation by CRFR1 antagonist.

Chronic itch is clinically correlated with the development of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Nonetheless, whether this relevance exists in rodents is unknown, and evidence demonstrating chronic itch can affect mood is lacking. The aim of this study is to characterize the affective consequences of chronic itch, and explore potential mechanisms and interventional strategy. We subjected mice to chronic itch by repetitive cutaneous treatment with acetone and diethylether followed by water (AEW) that models "dry skin." After 3 to 4 weeks AEW treatment, the mice developed behavioral phenotypes of anxiety and depression assessed by a battery of behavioral paradigms, such as light-dark box and forced swim test. These behavioral symptoms of mood disturbance were independent of cutaneous barrier disruption, but correlated well with the degree of the irritating itch sensation. Although AEW mice showed normal circadian hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, their neuroendocrine functionality was dampened, including impaired endocrine stress responsivity, altered neuroendocrine-immune interaction, and blunted corticosterone response to both dexamethasone and CRF. Parameters of HPA functionality at the level of mRNA transcripts are altered in stress-related brain regions of AEW mice, implying an overdrive of central CRF system. Remarkably, chronic treatment of AEW mice with antalarmin, a CRFR1 antagonist, ameliorated both their mood impairment and stress axis dysfunction. This is the first evidence revealing mood impairment, HPA axis dysfunction, and potential therapeutic efficacy by CRFR1 antagonist in mice with chronic itch, thus providing a preclinical model to investigate the affective consequence of chronic itch and the underlying mechanisms.

Microarray Analysis of Long Noncoding RNAs in Female Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Because of its controversial pathogenesis, DPN is still not diagnosed or managed properly in most patients. METHODS: In this study, human lncRNA microarrays were used to identify the differentially expressed lncRNAs in DM and DPN patients, and some of the discovered lncRNAs were further validated in additional 78 samples by quantitative realtime PCR (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: The microarray analysis identified 446 and 1327 differentially expressed lncRNAs in DM and DPN, respectively. The KEGG pathway analysis further revealed that the differentially expressed lncRNA-coexpressed mRNAs between DPN and DM groups were significantly enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway. The lncRNA/mRNA coexpression network indicated that BDNF and TRAF2 correlated with 6 lncRNAs. The qRT-PCR confirmed the initial microarray results. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated that the interplay between lncRNAs and mRNA may be involved in the pathogenesis of DPN, especially the neurotrophin-MAPK signaling pathway, thus providing relevant information for future studies.

Contribution of the α5 GABAA receptor to the discriminative stimulus effects of propofol in rat.

Propofol as an agonist of GABAA receptor has a rewarding and discriminative stimulus effect. However, which subtype of the GABAA receptor is involved in the discriminative stimulus effects of propofol is still not clear. We observed the effects of an agonist or an antagonist of the subtype-selective GABAA receptor on discriminative stimulus effects of propofol. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg (intraperitoneal) propofol from intralipid under a fixed-ratio 10 schedule of food reinforcement. We found that propofol produced dose-dependent substitution for propofol at 10 mg/kg, with response rate reduction only at a dose above those producing the complete substitution. CL218,872 (1-3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), an α1 subunit-selective GABAA receptor agonist, and SL651,498 (0.3-3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), an α2/3 GABAA receptor selective agonist, could partially substitute for the discriminative stimulus effects of propofol (40-80% propofol-appropriate responding). Meanwhile, L838,417 (0.2-0.6 mg/kg, intravenous), a α2/3/5 GABAA receptor selective agonist, could produce near 100% propofol-appropriate responding and completely substitute for propofol effects. Moreover, the administration of L655,708, the α5 GABAA receptor inverse agonist, could dose dependently attenuate the discriminative stimulus of propofol. In contrast, the α1 GABAA receptor antagonist ß-CCt (1-3 mg/kg) combined with propofol (10 mg/kg) failed to block the propofol effect. The data showed that propofol produces discriminative stimulus effects in a dose-dependent manner and acts mainly on the α5 GABAA to produce the discriminative stimulus effect.

Night Sleep Duration and Risk of Cognitive Impairment in a Chinese Population: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: Although sleep is one of the most important health-related behavioral factors, the association between night sleep duration and cognitive impairment has not been fully understood. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a random sample of 2,514 participants (⋝ 40 years of age; 46.6% women) in China to examine the association between night sleep duration and cognitive impairment. METHODS: Night sleep duration was categorized as ⋜ 5, 6, 7, 8, or ⋝ 9 h per night. Cognitive function was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination. A multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the association of night sleep duration with cognitive impairment. A total of 122 participants were diagnosed with cognitive impairment. RESULTS: A U-shaped association between night sleep duration and cognitive impairment was found. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of cognitive impairment (with 7 h of daily sleep being considered as the reference) for individuals reporting ⋜ 5, 6, 8, and ⋝ 9 h were 2.14 (1.20-3.83), 1.13 (0.67-1.89), 1.51 (0.82-2.79), and 5.37 (1.62-17.80), respectively (P ⋜ 0.01). CONCLUSION: Short or long night sleep duration was an important sleep-related factor independently associated with cognitive impairment and may be a useful marker for increased risk of cognitive impairment..

Efficacy and Safety of Niaoduqing Particles for Delaying Moderate-to-severe Renal Dysfunction: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction usually exhibits an irreversible course, and available treatments for delaying the progression to end-stage renal disease are limited. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine, Niaoduqing particles, for delaying renal dysfunction in patients with stage 3b-4 CKD. METHODS: The present study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial. From May 2013 to December 2013, 300 CKD patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 20 and 45 ml·min-1·1.73 m-2, aged 18-70 years were recruited from 22 hospitals in 11 Chinese provinces. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either a test group, which was administered Niaoduqing particles 5 g thrice daily and 10 g before bedtime for 24 weeks, or a control group, which was administered a placebo using the same methods. The primary endpoints were changes in baseline serum creatinine (Scr) and eGFR after completion of treatment. The primary endpoints were analyzed using Student's t-test or Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. The present study reported results based on an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. RESULTS: A total of 292 participants underwent the ITT analysis. At 24 weeks, the median (interquartile range) change in Scr was 1.1 (-13.0-24.1) and 11.7 (-2.6-42.9) µmol/L for the test and control groups, respectively (Z = 2.642, P = 0.008), and the median change in eGFR was -0.2 (-4.3-2.7) and -2.2 (-5.7-0.8) ml·min-1·1.73 m-2, respectively (Z = -2.408, P = 0.016). There were no significant differences in adverse events between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Niaoduqing particles safely and effectively delayed CKD progression in patients with stage 3b-4 CKD. This traditional Chinese medicine may be a promising alternative medication for patients with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Register, ChiCTR-TRC-12002448; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=7102.

Gene Expression Profiling Identifies Downregulation of the Neurotrophin-MAPK Signaling Pathway in Female Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). It is not diagnosed or managed properly in the majority of patients because its pathogenesis remains controversial. In this study, human whole genome microarrays identified 2898 and 4493 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in DM and DPN patients, respectively. A further KEGG pathway analysis indicated that DPN and DM share four pathways, including apoptosis, B cell receptor signaling pathway, endocytosis, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. The DEGs identified through comparison of DPN and DM were significantly enriched in MAPK signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and neurotrophin signaling pathway, while the "neurotrophin-MAPK signaling pathway" was notably downregulated. Seven DEGs from the neurotrophin-MAPK signaling pathway were validated in additional 78 samples, and the results confirmed the initial microarray findings. These findings demonstrated that downregulation of the neurotrophin-MAPK signaling pathway may be the major mechanism of DPN pathogenesis, thus providing a potential approach for DPN treatment.

Genistein, a dietary soy isoflavone, exerts antidepressant-like effects in mice: Involvement of serotonergic system.

Genistein, a principal isoflavone property of soybeans, possesses multiple pharmacological activities such as neuroprotection. Recently, it was reported that genistein exerted antidepressant-like effects in animal models, but the mechanism of action remains ambiguous. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antidepressant-like effect of genistein in mice and explore the underlying mechanism(s), using two mouse models of depression, i.e. forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Chronic, but not acute (single dose), genistein treatment (5, 15 or 45 mg/kg, p.o., once per day for three weeks) exerted dose-dependently antidepressant-like effect in mice, concomitant with escalated levels of brain monoamines and suppressed monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity. Chemical depletion of brain serotonin by PCPA abrogated the antidepressant-like action of genistein, but it was not the case for ablation of NA by DSP-4. Moreover, the anti-depression by genistein was preferentially counteracted by co-administration of 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, suggesting a pivotal role for 5-HT system coupled with 5-HT1A receptors in mediating such genistein anti-depression. This point was further validated by the fact that genistein action was potentiated by co-treatment with 8-OH-DPAT, a selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist. Collectively, these findings confirm that chronic genistein administration to mice engenders antidepressant-like efficacy evidenced by lessened behavioral despair. Serotonergic system that preferentially couples with 5-HT1A receptors may be critically responsible for the present genistein anti-depression.

Effects of histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate on heroin seeking behavior in the nucleus accumbens in rats.

Histone acetylation and other modifications of the chromatin are important regulators of gene expression and may contribute to drug-induced behaviors and neuroplasticity. Inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDAC) activity results in the change of some drug-induced behaviors，however, relatively little is known about the effects of HDAC inhibitors on heroin-seeking behavior. In the present study, male rats were trained to self-administer heroin under a FR1 schedule for consecutive 14 days, followed by 14 daily 2h extinction session in the operant chamber. After training, the heroin priming (250µg/kg) was introduced for the reinstatement of heroin-seeking behavior. Pretreatment with sodium butyrate (NaB) (200 or 400mg/kg, i.p.), an inhibitor of HDAC, failed to affect heroin self-administration. Additionally，systemic administration of NaB (400mg/kg, i.p.)increased significantly the reinstatement of heroin-seeking induced by heroin priming when NaB administered 12h, but not 6h before the reinstatement test. The same effect was observed after the intracerebroventricular injection of NaB (5µL, 100µg/µL). Moreover, the levels of histone H3 acetylation at lysine 18（H3K18）and H4 acetylation at lysine 5 or lysine 8（H4K5 or H4K8）in the accumbens nucleus core and shell were remarkably increased during the reinstatement and were further strengthened after intracerebroventricular injection of NaB. These results demonstrated that activation of histone acetylation may be involved in the heroin-seeking behavior, and identifying these epigenetic changes will be critical in proposing a novel pharmacological strategy for treating heroin addiction.

[Study of Paints and Drawing Techniques of Fine Brushwork Yunlong Ripples Painting in Qing Dynasty].

In order to study the paints and techniques of decorative patterns of dragon among clouds and water waves, the materials based on a Qing Dynasty meticulous painting were measured by three-dimensional video microscopy, Raman microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that the green clothes was firstly colored by Paris green, the decorative patterns of dragon among clouds and water waves were then painted by hematite, the edge was delineated by brass powder at last. The dark yellow area within the decorative patterns was presented due to the interaction of green and red paints. In addition, ultramarine blue was checked in the painting. According to the first synthesized time of ultramarine blue and Paris green, we can make sure the time limit of the painting finished.