Association of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin with parameters of CKD-MBD in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is not only a biomarker of kidney injury but also a bone-derived factor involved in metabolism. We aimed to explore relationships between plasma NGAL and chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) parameters in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, a cross sectional observational study, including 105 MHD patients, was conducted to explore relationships between plasma NGAL levels and CKD-MBD parameters. Second, impact of parathyroidectomy and auto-transplantation (PTX + AT) on plasma NGAL was investigated in 12 MHD patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). RESULTS: According to Spearman correlation analysis, plasma NGAL levels were positively correlated with female (r = 0.243, P = 0.012), vintage (r = 0.290, P = 0.003), Klotho (r = 0.234, P = 0.016), calcium(Ca) (r = 0.332, P = 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (r = 0.401, P < 0.001) and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (r = 0.256, P = 0.008); while inversely correlated with albumin(Alb) (r = - 0.201, P = 0.039). After adjusting for age, sex, vintage, Alb and all parameters of CKD-MBD(Ca, P, lg(ALP), lg(iPTH), Klotho and fibroblast growth factor 23(FGF23)), lg(NGAL) were positively correlated with Ca (r = 0.481, P < 0.001), P (r = 0.336, P = 0.037), lg(ALP) (r = 0.646, P < 0.001) in Partial correlation analysis; further multiple linear regression analysis showed same positive associations between lg(NGAL) and Ca (ß = 0.330, P = 0.002), P (ß = 0.218, P = 0.037), lg(ALP) (ß = 0.671, P < 0.001). During the 4-7 days after PTX + AT, plasma NGAL decreased from 715.84 (578.73, 988.14) to 688.42 (660.00, 760.26) ng/mL (P = 0.071), Klotho increased from 496.45 (341.73, 848.30) to 1138.25 (593.87, 2009.27) pg/mL (P = 0.099). CONCLUSION: Plasma NGAL levels were positively associated with ALP in MHD patients; and downtrends were shown after PTX + AT in patients with severe SHPT. These findings suggest that NGAL is a participant in CKD-MBD under MHD condition.

Elevation of Cerebrospinal Fluid Light and Heavy Neurofilament Levels in Symptomatic Neurosyphilis.

BACKGROUND: Although clinical manifestations of symptomatic and asymptomatic neurosyphilis are different, few laboratory tests could reflect the difference. METHODS: A total of 92 non-HIV-infected patients with syphilis were enrolled in this study, including 23 with symptomatic neurosyphilis, 51 with asymptomatic neurosyphilis, and 18 with latent syphilis, which were excluded neurosyphilis because they were found to have no symptom and normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests and served as the control group. The concentrations of neurofilament light subunit (NF-L) and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit (pNF-H) in the CSF were measured and compared among these groups, as well as before and after treatment in the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. RESULTS: The median concentrations of NF-L in the symptomatic neurosyphilis, asymptomatic neurosyphilis, and control groups were 5806, 218, and 266 pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.001), and the median concentrations of pNF-H were 986, 43, and 49 pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.001). A subgroup of 15 symptomatic neurosyphilis and 10 asymptomatic neurosyphilis patients were followed up and underwent CSF examination 6 months after the antineurosyphilis treatment. The median concentration of NF-L in the symptomatic neurosyphilis group decreased from baseline 6420 to 2914 pg/mL after the treatment (P = 0.03), and the median concentration of pNF-H in the symptomatic neurosyphilis group decreased from baseline 1399 to 246 pg/mL after the treatment (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Neurofilament light subunit and pNF-H were significantly elevated in the symptomatic neurosyphilis patients, not in asymptomatic neurosyphilis, which was an implication of the different pathogeneses in neurosyphilis.

[Mechanism of Danzhi Jiangtang Capsules on improving liver injury in hyperlipidemia rats based on MAPK pathway].

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and preliminary mechanism of Danzhi Jiangtang Capsules( DJC) on liver of hyperlipidemic rats. The hyperlipidemia models were successfully made by high-fat diet for 12 weeks in male SD rats,and then divided into model control group and DJC treatment groups( 500 and 1 000 mg·kg~(-1)·d-1) via gavage administration for additional 8 weeks.The levels of serum lipid and liver metabolism indices were detected; HE and oil red O staining were used to observe the pathological changes of liver. Expression levels of extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2( ERK1/2),c-Jun N-terminal kinase( JNK),and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase( p38 MAPK) were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction( RT-PCR). Expression of MCP-1,phosphorylated ERK( p-ERK),phosphorylated JNK( p-JNK),and phosphorylated p38 MAPK( p-p38) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The results showed that DJC decreased body weight and serum levels of total cholesterol( TC),triglyceride( TG),alanine aminotransferase( ALT),aspartate aminotransferase( AST),increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol( HDL-C) level,ameliorate injury and lipid deposition in the liver induced by the high-fat diet,decreased mRNA expression of ERK1/2,JNK and p-38 MAPK as well as protein expression of p-ERK,p-JNK,p-p38,and MCP-1,somewhat showing a dose-dependent effect. Therefore,DJC has an obvious protective effect on liver of hyperlipidemic rats with certain dose-dependent effect,and the mechanism may be related with inhibiting MAPK pathways and inflammation.

[Effect of Active Ingredients of Qingxin Kaiqiao Recipe on Spatial Learning and Memory Capacities, and Expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, and PAPP in Hippocampus of AD Model Rats].

Objective To observe the effects of active ingredients of Qingxin Kaiqiao Recipe (QKR) , such as saponins, volatile oils, effective compositions of polysaccharides, on expressions of Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) , B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) , cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3 (Caspase-3) , and ß-amyloid precursor protein (pAPP) in hippocampus of Ap1_40-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) model rats. Methods Totally 112 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 7 groups, i.e., the normal control group, the sham-operation group, the model group, the Aricept group, the saponin group, the volatile oil group, the polysaccharide group, 16 in each group. The AD rat model was established by injecting Aß1₋40 from bilateral hippocampus. Equal volume of double distilled water was administered to rats by gastrogavage in the normal control group, the sham-operation group, the model group from the 2nd day after modeling, once per day for 2 successive weeks (at 10:00 am). Aricept (Donepezil Hydrochloride Tablet, 1. 67 mg/kg per day) , saponin (9 mL/kg per day) , benzene (3. 33 mL/kg per day) , and polysaccharides (8. 33 mL/kg per day) was administered to rats by gastro- gavage to the Aricept group, the saponin group, the volatile oil group, the polysaccharides group, re- spectively, once per day for 2 successive weeks (at 10:00 am). By the end of gastrogavage spatial learning and memory capacities were detected using Morris water maze (MWZ). Apoptosis in hippocam- pal CAI region was detected using TUNEL staining. Expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, and PAPP were measured via Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Results There was no statistical difference in pre-modeling escape latency and times of crossing platforms among groups at the same time point (P >0. 05). Besides, escape latency was gradu- ally shortened as time went by. Compared with the model group, escape latency was shortened, and times of crossing platforms was significantly increased in the Aricept group and the saponin group (P < 0. 05, P <0. 01). Compared with the model group, the amount of apoptotic cells in hippocampal CA1 re- gion was obviously reduced (P <0. 05, P <0. 01) , expressions levels of Bax, Caspase-3, and pAPP were down-regulated, Bcl-2/Bax ratio was obviously elevated in the saponin group, the volatile oil group, the polysaccharide group (P <0. 05, P <0. 01). Conclusion Three active ingredients (spaonins, benzene, and polysaccharides) of QKR could improve spatial memory and learning capacities to different degrees, which might be possibly achieved by decreasing expressions of Bax, Caspase-3, PAPP in hippocampal CA1 region, elevating Bcl-2 expression, and inhibiting apoptosis in hippocampus.

Raman and Visible-Near Infrared Spectra of Cu(InGa)Se2 Films.

Cu(InxGa1-x)Se2(CIGS) precursor films were prepared on ITO glass with potentiostatic electrodeposition. High quality CIGS films were obtained by selenization of the precursor films at high temperature in tubular furnace full of argon gas. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure, morphology, composition and Vis-NIR absorption of CIGS films, respectively. XRD results show the selenized CIGS films have a preferential orientation (112) with average crystallite of 24.7 nm. Raman spectroscopy reveals that the CIGS films are pure quaternaryphases with chalcopyrite structure, and without binary or ternary phases in the films. Vis-NIR measurements determine that the bandgap of CIGS increases with the increase of Ga concentration in the film. When the Ga concentration is 5.41%, its bandgap is about 1.11 eV, and the calculated ratio of Ga to (Ga+In) is 16.3%, which is less than the ratio of Ga to (Ga+In), 21.4%, measured by SEM. This indicates that crystallinity of CIGS filmsneeds to be further improved. All the measurements demonstratethat optimum ITO/CIGS has a promising application in bifacial solar cells. In this paper, we provide a newmethodtoelectrodeposit low cost CIGS precursor films and a new method forselenization ofthe precursor films at high temperature. As a result, theuniform and compact CIGS films with good adhesion on ITO are successfully fabricated by these methods. The above characterization show that we have obtained CIGS films with high crystallinity, near stoichiometry, few impurity phases and superior light absorption. Electrodeposition, like magnetron sputtering, is very suitable for large-scale industrial production. The research work in this paper is therefore important and considerable to massive production of electrodeposition of CIGS films.

Raman and Visible-Near Infrared Spectra of Cu(InGa)Se2 Films.

Cu(InxGa1-x)Se2(CIGS) precursor films were prepared on ITO glass with potentiostatic electrodeposition. High quality CIGS films were obtained by selenization of the precursor films at high temperature in tubular furnace full of argon gas. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure, morphology, composition and Vis-NIR absorption of CIGS films, respectively. XRD results show the selenized CIGS films have a preferential orientation (112) with average crystallite of 24.7 nm. Raman spectroscopy reveals that the CIGS films are pure quaternaryphases with chalcopyrite structure, and without binary or ternary phases in the films. Vis-NIR measurements determine that the bandgap of CIGS increases with the increase of Ga concentration in the film. When the Ga concentration is 5.41%, its bandgap is about 1.11 eV, and the calculated ratio of Ga to (Ga+In) is 16.3%, which is less than the ratio of Ga to (Ga+In), 21.4%, measured by SEM. This indicates that crystallinity of CIGS filmsneeds to be further improved. All the measurements demonstratethat optimum ITO/CIGS has a promising application in bifacial solar cells. In this paper, we provide a newmethodtoelectrodeposit low cost CIGS precursor films and a new method forselenization ofthe precursor films at high temperature. As a result, theuniform and compact CIGS films with good adhesion on ITO are successfully fabricated by these methods. The above characterization show that we have obtained CIGS films with high crystallinity, near stoichiometry, few impurity phases and superior light absorption. Electrodeposition, like magnetron sputtering, is very suitable for large-scale industrial production. The research work in this paper is therefore important and considerable to massive production of electrodeposition of CIGS films.

Development and Characterization of Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers for Sedum sarmentosum (Crassulaceae) and Their Cross-Species Transferability.

Sedum sarmentosum is an important Chinese medicinal herb that exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-nociceptive properties. However, little is known about its genetic background. The first set of 14 microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized for S. sarmentosum using an SSR-enriched library. Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite markers were acquired with satisfactory amplifications and a polymorphic pattern in 48 S. sarmentosum individuals. The number of alleles ranged from 3 to 15. The observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.0833 to 0.8750 and 0.2168 to 0.9063, respectively. Two loci showed significant departure from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Cross-species amplification was carried out in other Sedum species. High rates of cross-species amplification were observed. The transferability value ranged from 85.7% in S. lineare to 64.3% in S. ellacombianum. These markers will be valuable for studying the genetic variation, population structure and germplasm characterization of S. sarmentosum and related Sedum species.

[Study on the Mechanism of Three Kinds Extracts of Qingxin Kaiqiao Recipe in Improving Learning and Memory Capabilities of AD Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of three kinds extracts (saponins, volatile components, polysaccharide components) of Qingxin Kaiqiao Recipe (QKR) in improving learning and memory capabilities of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats. METHODS: A controlled comparison method was used. Totally 56 male SD rats were randomly divided into seven groups, i.e., the normal control group, the sham-operation group, the model group, the Aricept group, the saponin group, the benzene group, and the polysaccharide group, 8 in each group. AD rat model was established by bilateral hippocampus injection of Aß1-40 (2 µL, 2.5 µg/µL). The next day after modeling rats in the saponin group, the benzene group, and the polysaccharide group, the saponin group, the Aricept group were intragastrically administered with saponin (at the daily dose of 9 mL/kg, 2.1 g/mL) , benzene (at the daily dose of 3.33 mL/kg, 5.7 g/mL) , polysaccharide (at the daily dose of 8.33 mL/kg, 2.28 g/mL), Aricept (at the daily dose of 1.67 mg/kg), respectively, once a day for 2 consecutive weeks from 10 am every day. Equal volume of normal saline was intragastrically administered to rats in the normal control group and the model group. Learning and memory capabilities were detected using water maze 2 weeks later. Expression levels of synaptotagmin-1 (Syt-1), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), glia fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ß-amyloid precursor protein (ßAPP) in the cortex and hippocampus of AD rats were detected using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Learning and memory capabilities could be improved by three kinds extracts of QKR. There was no statistical difference in the escape latency between the polysaccharide group and the model group (P >0. 05). The escape lacency was shortened in the rest treatment groups (P < 0.05). The escape latency was obviously prolonged in three kinds extracts of QKR groups, when compared with the Aricept group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, times for crossing platforms were significantly increased in the saponin group and the Aricept group (P < 0.05). Compared with the Aricept group, average times for crossing platforms were significantly lessened in three kinds extracts of QKR groups (P < 0.01). Compared with the sham-operation group, expression levels of Syt-1, IL-1ß, GFAP, and ßAPP in the cortex and hippocampus were increased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression of cortical Syt-1 increased in the saponin group and the benzene group; the expression of cortical IL-1ß increased in the benzene group and the polysaccharide group; the expression of hippocampal GFAP increased in the three kinds extracts of QKR groups; expression levels of Syt-1, IL-1ß, GFAP, and ß-APP in the cortex and hippocampus decreased in the rest treatment groups (all P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the Aricept group, expression levels of Syt-1, IL-1ß, GFAP, and ßAPP in the cortex and hippocampus were significantly increased in three kinds extracts of QKR groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Three kinds extracts of QKR might play roles in anti-AD possibly by decreasing expression levels of Syt-1, IL-1ß, GFAP, and ßAPP in the cortex and hippocampus.

Modified Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for type 2 diabetes mellitus in China.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of modified Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODOLOGY: Forty-five type 2 diabetes mellitus patients underwent modified Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at WeiFang People's Hospital. Data on patient demographics, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), body mass index (BMI), medication use, remission and hemoglobin A1c (HbAlc) were prospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: At 6 months after surgery, all of these 45 patients obtained remission or a marked improvement. FPG was in the normal range in 39 (86.7%) patients stopping medicine treatment for their diabetes. Six patients (13.3%) had an obvious reduced abnormal FPG and they only required lower drug dosage. No statistically significant differences were found between the obese or non-obese groups (p=0.311). The mean BMI dropped from 28.9±3.0 kg/m2 to 27.4±2.8 kg/m2 (p=0.000) at the third month and 26.3±2.5 kg/m2 (p=0.000) at the sixth month. HbAlc decreased from their preoperative values of 7.4%±2.2% to 6.3%±1.5% (p=0.000) at the third month and 5.1%±0.9% (p=0.000) at the sixth month. CONCLUSIONS: Modified Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was effective in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus, independent of body mass index.

Clinical Manifestations, Fluid Changes and Neuroimaging Alterations in Patients with General Paresis of the Insane.

PURPOSE: We aim to study the clinical manifestations, fluid changes and neuroimaging alterations in patients with general paresis of the insane (GPI). METHODS: A total of 119 patients suffering from GPI recruited in Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University from 2010 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: In 119 GPI patients, 103 cases (86.6%) were male. Misdiagnosed rate was up to 83.2%, schizophrenia and mood disorders were the most common misdiagnosed diseases. Duration from symptom onset to the final confirmed diagnosis was 10.4±12.9 months. The main clinical manifestations included cognitive impairment (114 cases, 95.8%) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (107 cases, 90.0%). The cognitive domains including the delayed recall, visuospatial/executive function and language ability indicated by MoCA score were damaged severely. Rapid plasma regain (RPR) of all GPI patients was 100% positive in serum and 89.9% positive in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The white blood cell (WBC) number in CSF was between 6 and 50/µL in 73 GPI patients (61.3%). The protein level was between 45.1 and 70mg/dL in 47 cases (39.5%). In the 110 cases, 96 cases (87.3%) were abnormal indicated by cerebral atrophy mostly located in the anterior brain and abnormal signals distributed in various regions of the brain mostly in the frontal lobe and temporal lobe. CONCLUSION: The symptoms of GPI were complex and easy to misdiagnose. The clinicians were still short of vigilance for neurosyphilis. We should expand serologic testing for syphilis especially in patients with cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms. We suggest syphilis curricula in the training program of the clinicians especially for neurologist and psychiatrist.

[Clinical significance of toll-like receptor 4 expression on the surface of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in uremic patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical significance of toll-like receptor 4 expression on the surface of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in uremic patients and observe the effect of ultrapure dialysate on the PBMC expression of TLR4 in these patients. METHODS: Eighty patients on maintenance dialysis were randomly divided into two groups: conventional dialysate group (CD, n=40), ultrapure dialysate group (UPD, n=40) and 40 uremic patients without dialysis in NHD group. The blood cells from all patients and 40 healthy controls were stained with FITC labeling anti-TLR4 monoclonal antibodies. Samples were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The expression of TLR4 was significantly lower in CD group (18.1±3.7) than in NHD group (24.5±4.6, P<0.05) and healthy control group (31.6±5.8, P<0.01). And marked difference existed between CD group (18.1±3.7) and UPD group (23.1±3.2, P<0.05) at Month 6 post-dialysis. In CD group the expression of TLR4 became significantly smaller as the duration of dialysis increased (P<0.05) while in UPD group although the expression of TLR4 became smaller as the duration of dialysis became longer. But the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The PBMC expression of TLR4 becomes down-regulated in uremic patients with or without dialysis and its expression is smaller in conventional dialysate group than in ultrapure dialysate group. The conventional dialysate may suppress the expression of TLR4 while the phenomenon is absent in ultrapure dialysate group.

Immunization with nontreponemal antigen alters the course of experimental syphilis in the rabbit model.

The role of nontreponemal antibodies in the Treponema pallidum infection course is unclear. We investigated the effect of immunization with nontreponemal antigen on T. pallidum-challenged rabbits. Nontreponemal antigen was injected intravenously into rabbits in the nontreponemal group (n = 12) to elicit antibodies (≥1:64), and normal saline-injected rabbits were used as controls (n = 12). Then, rabbits were challenged with 106T. pallidum per site along their back. Lesion development was observed, and the injection sites were biopsied for mRNA analysis every week. Six rabbits from both groups were euthanized at 14 d and 28 d. The popliteal lymph nodes were extracted to assess infectivity using a rabbit infectivity test. The maximum lesion diameters were not different between the two groups (12.4 ± 0.9 mm in the nontreponemal group vs. 12.5 ± 1.0 mm in the control group, P = 0.386), but the time to maximum diameter appearance was delayed by approximately 4 d in the nontreponemal group (14.4 ± 1.6 d vs. 10.8 ± 1.9 d, P = 0.000). There were no significant differences in the proportions of lesions (58/60 (96.7%) vs. 59/60 (98.3%), P = 0.500) or ulcers (55/60 (91.7%) vs. 57/60 (95.0%), P = 0.359) between the two groups. An ulcer development delay of 5 d was observed in the nontreponemal group (19.3 ± 2.0 d vs. 14.0 ± 1.8 d, P = 0.000). IL-2 and IFN-γ mRNA expression in the nontreponemal group was significantly higher than that in the control group at 7 d and 14 d post-challenge. flaA mRNA expression and the rabbit infectivity test positive rate were not different between the two groups. Immunization with nontreponemal antigen altered the syphilis course in rabbits, resulting in delayed maximal lesion diameter and ulcer development, but it could not inhibit the spread of T. pallidum from primary lesion sites to viscera.

[Effect of pregnancy on the immune response against Trichinella spiralis infection in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of pregnancy on the immune response against Trichinella spiralis infection in mice. METHODS: Six pregnant mice were orally infected each with 300 muscle larvae of T. spiralis, and the serum anti-Trichinella antibodies at different time after infection were detected by ELISA. The mice were sacrificed 6 weeks after infection and the carcass was digested to observe the muscle larval burden (larvae per gram, lpg). The ability of sera from infected pregnant mice to mediate the death of pre-encapsulated larvae (PEL) were assayed in an antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). On 6th, 8th and 12th day after infection, the infected pregnant mice were sacrificed to examine the intestinal worm burden and the fecundity index of female worms in vitro. Six virgin mice injected with progesterone were infected with T. spiralis, the serum antibodies and muscle larval burden were detected 6 weeks after infection. RESULTS: The absorbance value of sera from pregnant mice (0.113) were significantly higher than that from virgin mice (0.078) at 2 weeks after infection (F=21.390, P<0.05). The muscle larval burden in pregnant mice (1251 +/- 450 lpg) was significantly lower than that of virgin mice (2310 +/- 1123 lpg) 6 weeks after infection (t=2.419, P<0.05). The ability of sera to mediate the death of pre-encapsulate larvae in ADCC was significantly higher in pregnant mice (42.6%) than in virgin mice (26.9%) at 2 weeks after infection (F=1.195, P<0.05). The difference of intestinal worm burdens on 6th, 8th and 12th day after infection have no statistical significance between pregnant and virgin mice (Z6=-1.185, Z8=-0.149, Z12=-0.298, P>0.05), so did the difference of fecundity index of female worms in vitro on 6th and 8th day after infection between the two groups (Z6=-0.149, Z8=-1.043, P>0.05) . Serum absorbance value of progesterone injected virgin mice (0.299) was significantly higher than that of no-injected virgin mice (0.191) (t=2.955, P<0.05), but the difference of muscle larval burden between the injected (1457 +/- 551) and no-injected virgin mice (1235 +/- 439) showed no statistical significance (t=0.726, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Pregnancy has a synergetic effect on immune response of mice against T. spiralis infection, which may be related with the increased level of serum anti-Trichinella antibody and enhanced ability of sera in mediating the death of pre-encapsulated larvae in ADCC.

Clinical significance of autoantibodies in the assessment and treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

The present study aimed to explore the correlation between the dynamic serum levels of phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R), aldose reductase (AR) and superoxide dismutase 2(SOD2) antibodies with disease activity and treatment response in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). The present study included 56 patients with IMN who were diagnosed through a renal biopsy and presenting with nephrotic syndrome. The patients were divided into two treatment groups: One treated with cyclophosphamide (CTX) and one with tacrolimus (FK506). Serum was collected prior to treatment, and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the start of the 12-month-long therapy. Samples were tested by ELISA to measure anti-PLA2R, anti-AR and anti-SOD2 antibody titers. In addition, urinary protein excretion, serum albumin (Alb) and other blood biochemical indexes were measured. Theanti-PLA2R antibody positivity rate was 71.43% in the patients prior to treatment. After 12 months of treatment, proteinuria and PLA2R antibody levels were decreased, whereas serum Alb was increased. There was no significant difference of remission rates between the CTX and FK506 groups. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that the anti-PLA2R antibody level is correlated with the severity of IMN, whereas anti-AR and anti-SOD2 antibody levels are not. In addition, there was no significant difference between the CTX and FK506 groups in regards to the remission rates of patients with IMN.

[Effects of rotational grazing methods on soil aggregates and organic carbon characteristics in desert steppe.] / è½®ç‰§æ–¹å¼å¯¹è’æ¼ è‰åŽŸåœŸå£¤å›¢èšä½“åŠæœ‰æœºç¢³ç‰¹å¾çš„å½±å“.

Reasonable rotation is of great significance to grassland management. We examined the distribution characteristics, stability, organic carbon content and contribution rate of 0-30 cm soil aggregates in the forbidding grazing, continuous grazing, and rotation in the two-paddock, four-paddock and six-paddock rotational districts in a desert steppe in Ningxia. The results showed that except for the forbidding grazing grassland that was dominated by mechanically stable large aggrega-tes, other water-stable aggregates were mainly composed of microaggregates. Increasing the rotational grazing zoning was conducive to maintain the content of water-stable aggregates in the surface soil and increase the content of large aggregates. The mechanical stability aggregate fractal dimension was the largest in continuous grazing, increased the fractal dimension of the rotation and shepherd partition to reduce the trend, but the fractal dimension of water-stable aggregates did not change. The average weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD) of the aggregates were the largest in the pastoral grassland and increased with the increases of the rotational grassland partition. MWD and GMD were negatively correlated with the microaggregate content. The organic carbon content in water-stable large aggregate was higher in the six-paddock rotational district and forbidding grazing, and the two-paddock rotational grazing and continuous grazing were lower. The contribution rate of micro-aggregates organic carbon to soil organic carbon content was higher in this region. In the 0-20 cm soil layer, the contribution rate of organic carbon in large aggregates increased with the increases of rotation. Considering the characteristics of soil aggregates and their organic carbon, the rotation of six-paddock was the most suitable method for rotational grazing in the desert steppe of the study area.

Distinct effects of naringenin and hesperetin on nitric oxide production from endothelial cells.

Diets rich in citrus and citrus-based products have been negatively correlated with the risk of cardiovascular disease, but so far no studies have been conducted to determine whether naringenin and hesperetin, two major flavanones in citrus plants, influence endothelium nitric oxide (NO) production. The aim of this study is to clarify estrogenic activities of naringenin and hesperetin and to examine whether they affect endothelial NO production via estrogen receptor (ER) activation. Both naringenin and hesperetin were observed to promote growth of MCF-7 cells under greatly reduced estrogen conditions and to suppress estrogen-induced response. Naringenin activated both ERalpha and ERbeta, whereas hesperetin exhibited stronger potential to activate ERalpha rather than ERbeta. Hesperetin, but not naringenin, increased NO releases from human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Hesperetin-induce responses were suppressed by ICI 182 780 and actinomycin D. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western-blotting analysis revealed that hesperetin up-regulated endothelium nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression. These results suggested that hesperetin exerts an antiatherogenic effect, in part, via ER-mediated eNOS expression and subsequent increase of endothelial NO production. Distinct effects of naringenin and hesperetin on NO production also imply that ERalpha might play the major role in estrogen-induced eNOS expression. However, the inefficacy of naringenin on NO production remains to be elaborately studied. Our findings add more proof to the molecular explanations for the health benefits of citrus used to prevent cardiovascular disease, especially for postmenopausal women.

[Effect of maternal anti-Trichinella antibodies on intestinal worm burden in sucking mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the transfer route of maternal anti-Trichinella antibodies and its effect on intestinal worm expulsion after the sucking mice was infected with T. spiralis. METHODS: Ninety-eight sucking mice (Kunming strain) were divided into 4 groups: mice born and nursed by infected mothers (group A), mice born of normal mothers and fostered by infected mothers (group B), mice born of infected mothers and fostered by normal mothers (group C), mice born of and nursed by normal mothers (group D). Blood was taken from tail veins of 4 groups of sucking mice when they were 14, 21 and 42 days old, respectively. Serum anti-Trichinella antibody level was detected by ELISA using T. spiralis muscle larvae excretory-secretory (ES) antigens. Each sucking mouse were then orally challenged with 200 T. spiralis muscle larvae, and intestinal worm burden was observed 18 h after challenge infection. RESULTS: At 18 h after challenge infection, the mean intestinal worm burden of groups A, B, C and D of sucking mice aged 14 days was 5, 5, 19 and 18 larvae respectively. The worm burden of 4 groups of little mice aged 21 days was 18, 19, 75 and 73 larvae, respectively. Groups A and B of 14 and 21 day old mice fostered by infected mothers were shown to harbor obviously fewer worms than groups C and D of mice fostered by normal mothers (F14 = 10.056, F21 = 35.062, P < 0.01). Serum absorbance (A492) of groups A (0.177, 0.235) and B (0.183, 0.250) of 14 and 21 day old mice was significantly higher than groups C (0.108, 0.105) and D (0.067, 0.065) (F14 = 75.326, F21 = 60.867, P < 0.01). The intestinal worm burden in 4 groups of sucking mice aged 14 and 21 days showed significant negative correlation with their serum absorbance (r14 = -0.621, r21 = -0.756, P < 0.01). The intestinal worm burden in 4 groups of sucking mice aged 42 days was 55, 51, 46, and 60 larvae respectively, with no significant difference (F42 = 0.916, P > 0.05), their serum anti-Trichinella antibodies were negative. The intestinal worm burden in 4 groups of offspring mice aged 42 days showed no correlation with their serum absorbance (r42 = -0.291, P > 0.05). Anti-Trichinella antibodies in sera of sucking mice were detected 6 hours after anti-serum Ig to T. spiralis was intravenously injected into the lactating mothers. CONCLUSION: The maternal anti-Trichinella antibodies have been transferred from mother to filial mice mostly through milk, the antibodies can enhance the worm expulsion from intestine when the sucking mice aged 14-21 days was infected with T. spiralis larvae. no correlation with their serum absorbance (r42 = -0.291, P > 0.05). Anti-Trichinella antibodies in sera of sucking mice were detected 6 hours after anti-serum Ig to T. spiralis was intravenously injected into the lactating mothers. CONCLUSION: The maternal anti-Trichinella antibodies have been transferred from mother to filial mice mostly through milk, the antibodies can enhance the worm expulsion from intestine when the sucking mice aged 14-21 days was infected with T. spiralis larvae.

Clustering of major cardiovascular risk factors is associated with arterial stiffness in adults.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that clustering of major CVD risk factors is common. We aimed to explore the association of clustering of CVD risk factors with arterial stiffness in adults. METHODS: A total of 9984 adults were enrolled. We investigated clustering of four major CVD risk factors (defined as two or more of the following: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and high body mass index) and their association with arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). RESULTS: In the study group (52.2% men, the mean age was 55.4 ± 10.5 years; only 11.9% of participants were free of any pre-defined CVD risk factors and 61.8% of participants had clustering of CVD risk factors. The cfPWV was significantly higher in the clustered risk factors group than in the no risk factor or the single risk factor groups (16.1 ± 3.1, 13.4 ± 2.2, and 14.3 ± 2.6 m/s, respectively; P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age, gender, clustering of CVD risk factors, serum uric acid, and decreased renal function positively correlated with cfPWV. For a categorical outcome, the highest cfPWV quartile (cfPWV ≥ 16.9 m/s) was compared with the lower three quartiles. After adjusting for potential confounders, clustering of CVD risk factors significantly correlated with increased cfPWV compared with that in the no risk factor group, with an odds ratio of 5.76 (95% confidence interval: 4.46-7.44). CONCLUSIONS: Clustering of CVD risk factors significantly correlated with arterial stiffness; this confirms the importance of lifestyle modification to reduce the burden of CVD.

Prevalence, risk factors and clinical characteristics of osteoporosis in Chinese inpatients with schizophrenia.

Patients with schizophrenia have a high prevalence of developing osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures. We examined the prevalence of osteoporosis and its clinical correlates in Chinese patients with schizophrenia, which is not well-studied. A total of 199 inpatients (males/females=132/67; average age: 54.5±11.1years) and 107 healthy controls (males/females=22/85; average age: 41.7±11.9years) were recruited. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by ultrasonography of the calcaneus. The prevalence of osteoporosis and low BMD (osteoporosis and osteopenia) was 23.1% and 65.3% for the patient group, versus 7.5% and 39.3% for the control group (both p<0.001). Further, the average BMD T-score in patients was significantly lower than in controls (p<0.05). There was gender difference in the prevalence of low BMD conditions for the patients (males: 56.1% versus females: 76.1%; p<0.01) as well as the BMD T-score (p<0.001). Several risk factors correlated with the osteoporosis classification in the patient group: older age (58.9±11.2years vs. 53.3±11.0years), lower weight (63.7±12.2kg vs. 70.4±15.2kg) and body mass index (BMI) (22.8±4.1kg/m2 vs. 24.2±4.7kg/m2; all p<0.01) than those without osteoporosis. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that age, weight and BMI remained significantly associated with osteoporosis. In addition, correlation analysis showed significant correlations between BMD T-score and the following parameters: gender, age and drug type (clozapine versus non-clozapine) (Bonferroni corrected p's<0.05). Our results suggest a higher prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in Chinese schizophrenic inpatients, with both the expected risk factors of gender and age, as well as drug type.

Size-dependent properties of M-PEIs nanogels for gene delivery in cancer cells.

Polyethyleneimine nanogels (named as M-PEIs) with different sizes were prepared by photo-Fenton reaction in aqueous solution from which samples of 38, 75, 87, 121, 132 and 167nm were selected for in vitro transfection. The homogeneous structure and the same component made it possible to study the size effect of M-PEIs nanogels on gene transfection efficiency when loading the same quantity of plasmid DNA (pLEGFP-C1) into A549, Bel7402, BGC-823 and Hela cells. M-PEIs and its DNA complexes were characterized by photo correlation spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The protein expression was observed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. All of the DNA complexes had no obvious cytotoxicity and the surface charges were positive charged at the optimum weight ratio. Therefore, the expressed protein was affected by the size of M-PEIs when the same quantity of DNA was used to transfect cells. In addition, the samples of 75 and 87nm yielded the highest transfection efficiency about 30% in all of the four cell lines which were also cell line independent.