Clopidogrel delays and can reverse diabetic nephropathy pathogenesis in type 2 diabetic db/db mice.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the principal cause of end-stage renal disease. Previous studies have shown that clopidogrel can prevent the early progression of renal injury. AIM: To elucidate whether clopidogrel is beneficial against DN by using a db/db mouse model. METHODS: db/db mice with a higher urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) relative to age- and sex-matched wild-type control mice were randomly allocated to clopidogrel and vehicle treatment groups. Clopidogrel was administered at doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg by gavage for 12 wk. Body mass, blood glucose level, and urinary creatinine and albumin concentrations in each group were measured before and after the intervention. Renal fibrosis was evaluated using periodic acid-Schiff and Masson's trichrome staining. The renal protein expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and F4/80 was assessed using immunohistochemistry. Urinary TNF-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and IL-6 levels were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; TNF-α and IL-1ß mRNA expression was measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The protein expression of fibronectin (FN) and collagen I was assessed using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Clopidogrel treatment did not affect the body mass or blood glucose level of the db/db mice; however, it increased bleeding time and reduced urinary ACR in a dose-dependent manner. Immunohistochemical staining revealed an amelioration of renal fibrosis, significantly lower deposition of FN and collagen I, and significantly lower expression of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1ß and lower levels of urinary TNF-α and MCP-1 in the clopidogrel-treated db/db mice (P < 0.05). Furthermore, clopidogrel significantly reduced macrophage infiltration into the glomeruli of the db/db mice. CONCLUSION: Clopidogrel significantly reduced renal collagen deposition and fibrosis and prevented renal dysfunction in db/db mice, most likely through inhibition of renal macrophage infiltration and the associated inflammation.

[Comparison of two surgical approach for cardiac cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the preferable surgical approach for cardiac cancer. METHODS: One hundred and sixty patients with cardiac cancer underwent operation in two surgical approaches (epigastrium and left chest). Analysis was conducted on lymph nodes resected, stump positive rate, radical resectability rate, perioperative mortality, surgical complication rate, postoperative hospital days, survival rate between the two groups. RESULTS: In the epigastrium group and the left chest group the average number of resected lymph nodes was 15.7 and 10.6, respectively, the upper stump positive rate was 5.0% and 1.2%, and there was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The lower stump positive rate, perioperative mortality, radical resectability rate, surgical complication rate, postoperative hospital days, survival rate of the two groups were 1.2%, 0.0%, 81.2%, 10.0%, 10 d, 53.7% and 1.2%, 1.2%, 83.7%, 11.2%, 12 d, 56.2%, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was no difference on the radical respectability rate and 5-year survival rate between the two groups. Thus the surgical approaches for cardiac cancer should based on the location and extent of lesions and the state of patients.

[Periodic fluctuation features of air temperature, precipitation, and aboveground net primary production of alpine meadow ecosystem on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau].

With Mexican Hat function as mother function, a wavelet analysis was conducted on the periodic fluctuation features of air temperature, precipitation, and aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in the Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences from 1980 to 2007. The results showed that there was a main period of 13 years for the annual fluctuations of air temperature, precipitation, and ANPP. A secondary period of 2 years for the annual fluctuations of air temperature and ANPP had lesser influence, whereas that of 4 years for the annual fluctuation of precipitation had greater effect. Lagged correlation analysis indicated that the annual fluctuation of ANNP was mainly controlled by the air temperature in a 20 years scale and had a weak 5-9 years lag effect, but there was a less correlation between ANPP and precipitation.

[Exploration on the mother edition of Wang Bing's annotated Su wen (Plain questions)].

According to Wang Bing's preface, when arranging Su wen (Plain Questions), he applied different editions of the book. But, he didn't indicate which edition was applied as the mother edition. By analyzing materials from Wang's preface, newly produced Plain Questions, etc. though the mother edition he used was based on the edition of the Liang dynasty, it was not the edition of Quan Yuanqi, but a clandestine edition of Master Zhang. Some of the chapters and texts of now extant Plain Questions editions should be the old original of the mother edition. The mother edition, Quan Yuanqi's edition, Zhen jiu jia yi jing (A-B Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) and Tai su (Extremely Plain) are derived from different editions.