Association of bone resorption marker β-CTX with hypercalcemia in patients with Graves′ disease / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To explore the association of bone resorption marker β carboxyterminal peptide of collagen Ⅰ (β-CTX) with hypercalcemia in patients with Graves′ disease (GD).Methods:287 patients with GD who were hospitalized in the endocrinology department of Fuyang People′s Hospital from January 2021 to December 2021 were divided into control group ( n=251) and hypercalcemia group ( n=36) according to the corrected blood calcium level. The clinical data and serum β-CTX level of the two groups were compared. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of hypercalcemia in GD patients. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between serum β-CTX level and other indexes. Results:Of the 287 GD patients, 36 were diagnosed as hypercalcemia, and the incidence of hypercalcemia was 12.54%. The levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), blood phosphorus (P) and β-CTX in hypercalcemia group were higher than those in control group, and the total parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in hypercalcemia group were lower than those in control group (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that FT3 ( OR=1.283, 95% CI: 1.049-1.570, P<0.05), iPTH ( OR=0.924, 95% CI: 0.863-0.989, P<0.05), β-CTX ( OR=2.488, 95% CI: 1.193-5.189, P<0.05) were the influencing factors for hypercalcemia in GD patients. Pearson correlation analysis showed that β-CTX was positively correlated with FT3, FT4, blood calcium, P, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total procollagen type I amino end terminal peptide (PINP), N-bone-gamma-carboxyglutamic-acid-containing proteins (N-MID) and 25(OH)D, and negatively correlated with iPTH (all P<0.05). Conclusions:β-CTX is highly expressed in the serum of GD patients with hypercalcemia, which is a risk factor for the occurrence of hypercalcemia in GD patients.

Expressions of Col-Ⅰ, Col-Ⅲ and α-SMA in liver of rats with chronic fluorosis / 中华地方病学杂志

Objective:To explore whether chronic fluorosis can cause liver fibrosis in rats by observing expression changes in type Ⅰcollagen (Col-Ⅰ), type Ⅲ collagen (Col-Ⅲ) and alpha smooth actin (α-SMA) in the liver tissue of chronic fluorosis rats.Methods:According to body weight (90 - 100 g), forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into control group (drinking water fluoride ion concentration < 0.5 mg/L), low, medium and high concentration fluoride groups (drinking water fluoride ion concentration of 5.0, 50.0 and 100.0 mg/L), with 12 rats in each group (half male and half female), and fed for 6 months. Fluoride ion selective electrode method was used to detect bone fluoride and urinary fluoride levels; hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE staining) and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological and morphological changes and the collagen deposition of liver tissue; quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining were used to observe Col-Ⅰ, Col-Ⅲ and α-SMA mRNA and protein expressions.Results:There was significant difference in bone fluoride and urine fluoride between the 4 groups [bone fluoride: (92.52 ± 5.64), (112.21 ± 11.86), (142.99 ± 7.87), (235.63 ± 11.55) mg/kg; urinary fluoride: (5.47 ± 0.88), (17.78 ± 1.48), (54.16 ± 5.96), (121.11 ± 6.32) mg/L, P < 0.001]. Under light microscope, with the increase of fluoride concentration, the degree of hepatic cell edema was aggravated, and the deposition of collagen fiber around the central vein and the portal area increased significantly. The mRNA expression level of Col-Ⅰ in low, medium and high concentration fluoride groups (1.20 ± 0.09, 1.80 ± 0.08, 1.58 ± 0.06) was significantly higher than that in control group (1.00 ± 0.00, P < 0.05); Col-Ⅲ and α-SMA mRNA expression levels in medium and high concentration fluoride groups (Col-Ⅲ: 1.15 ± 0.14, 1.64 ± 0.24; α-SMA: 1.69 ± 0.02, 2.34 ± 0.06) were significantly higher than those of low concentration fluoride group (Col-Ⅲ: 0.59 ± 0.17; α-SMA: 0.80 ± 0.13, P < 0.05). With the increase of fluoride concentration, the liver tissue Col-Ⅰ(0.00 ± 0.00, 0.03 ± 0.01, 0.08 ± 0.01, 0.13 ± 0.02), Col-Ⅲ (17 803.05 ± 3 221.16, 47 523.15 ± 3 490.10, 127 786.35 ± 13 008.86, 237 233.03 ± 47 614.63) and α-SMA (516.83 ± 181.18, 2 885.03 ± 864.92, 11 186.94 ± 2 394.08, 37 182.43 ± 12 390.59) protein levels were also increased significantly ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:Long-term excessive intake of fluorine may cause the production of collagen fibers around the central vein and the portal area of the liver in rats to increase, and then lead to the formation of liver fibrosis.

Changes of fibrinogen and collagen metabolism after cardiac surgery and their relationship with postoperative atrial fibrillation: A prospective cohort study / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the changes of fibrinogen and classical markers of collagen metabolism [carboxy-terminal propeptide of type Ⅰ procollagen (PICP) and carboxy-terminal cross-linked peptide of type Ⅰ collagen (ICTP)] in peripheral blood and pericardial drainage after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and/or heart valve replacement (VR), and to evaluate their relationship with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery. Methods    Patients who underwent CABG and/or VR in the Heart Center of Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from March to June 2021 were included. Peripheral blood and pericardial drainage fluid samples were collected before surgery and at 0 h, 6 h, 24 h and 48 h after surgery to detect PICP, ICTP and fibrinogen levels, and preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative confounding factors were also collected. PICP, ICTP and fibrinogen levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results    A total of 26 patients with 125 blood samples and 78 drainage samples were collected. There were 18 males and 8 females with an average age of 64.04±7.27 years. The incidence rate of POAF was 34.6%. Among the factors, the fibrinogen level in pericardial drainage showed two peaks within 48 h after operation (0 h and 24 h after operation) in the POAF group, while it showed a continuous downward trend in the sinus rhythm (SR) group, and the change trend of fibrinogen in pericardial drainage was significantly different over time between the two groups (P=0.022). Fibrinogen in blood, PICP and ICTP in blood and drainage showed an overall decreasing trend, and their trends over time were not significantly different between the two groups of patients (P>0.05). Univariate analysis showed that fibrinogen at 24 h and 48 h after pericardial drainage, fibrinogen in preoperative blood, PICP immediately after surgery and right atrial long axis diameter were significantly higher or longer in the POAF group than those in the SR group. Multiple regression showed that fibrinogen≥11.47 ng/mL in pericardial drainage 24 h after surgery (OR=14.911, 95%CI 1.371-162.122, P=0.026), right atrial long axis diameter≥46 mm (OR=10.801, 95%CI 1.011-115.391, P=0.049) were independent predictors of POAF. Conclusion    This study finds the regularity of changes in fibrinogen and collagen metabolic markers after CABG and/or VR surgery, and to find that fibrinogen in pericardial drainage 24 h after surgery is a potential novel and predictive factor for POAF. The results provide a new idea for exploring the mechanism of POAF, and provide a research basis for the accurate prediction and prevention of clinical POAF.

Analysis of hydroxylation and O-glycosylation on lysine sites in deer-hide gelatin / 中国中药杂志

Nano-LC MS/MS was used to analyze trypsin digested deer-hide gelatin(DHG) samples, hydroxylation and O-glycosylation on lysine sites of DHG were comprehensive identified by using PEAKS Studio software. The sites, sorts and amounts of hydroxylation and O-glycosylation on Type Ⅰ collagen α1 chain(COL1 A1) and α2 chain(COL1 A2) of DHG were revealed. As a result, 5 284 peptides were identified from DHG samples, which were mainly from COL1 A1 and COL1 A2. Among these peptides, there were 449 peptides with hydroxylysine, 442 with galactosyl-hydroxylysine, 449 with glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine. The major modified sites of hydroxylation and O-glycosylation in DHG were shown as follow: α1-9 N and α2-5 N in N-telopeptides, α1-87, α1-174, α1-930, α2-87, α2-174, α2-933 in triple helix domain, and α1-16 C in C-telopeptides. These hydroxylation and O-glycosylation were correlated with the formation and stability of collagen molecules and collagen fibrils. It is feasible for the collagens and peptides dissolving from deer skin collagen fibrils under high temperature and pressure decocting, high temperature and pressure also might destroy inter-molecular covalent cross-linking and help those glycol-peptides formations. The present study provided ideas and strategies for the in-depth investigation on DHG chemical constituents, and showed good theoretical significance and application value.

Label-free quantitative peptidomics-based analysis on glycopeptides in deerhorn gelatin and deer-hide gelatin / 中国中药杂志

Nano-LC-MS/MS was used to analyze trypsin digested deer-horn gelatin( DCG) and deer-hide gelatin( DHG) samples.The glycopeptides in DCG and DHG were quantified by Label-free quantitative( LFQ) peptidomics,on the basis of which the glycopeptides with significant difference in DCG and DHG were determined. As a result,5 736 peptides were identified from DCG samples,including 213 galactosyl-hydroxylysine containing peptides( Gal-Hyl-peptides) and 102 glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine containing peptides( Glc-Gal-Hyl-peptides),while 6 836 peptides were identified from DHG samples,among which there were 250 Gal-Hyl-peptides and 98 Glc-Gal-Hyl-peptides. With over 3-fold peak area difference and highly significant intergroup difference( P < 0. 01) as the screening criteria,444 differential peptides were determined in DCG and DHG,including 16 Gal-Hyl-peptides and 5 Glc-Gal-Hyl-peptides. Then XIC peak shapes,standard deviation of peak area,and fold change were applied for further screening and 5 glycopeptides with significant differences in DCG and DHG were confirmed,which could serve as potential biomarkers for distinguishing DCG and DHG. The present study provided ideas and strategies for the in-depth investigation on the discrimination of DCG and DHG and is of good theoretical significance and application value for the further research on chemical constituents and quality control of gelatin derived Chinese medicinals.

The value of acidic mammalian chitinase in early diagnosis of occupational pneumoconiosis / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of acidic mammalian chitinase(AMCase) in lung tissue of silicosis model rats, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and serum of patients with occupational pneumoconiosis, and to evaluate the value of AMCase in the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis. METHODS: i) The specific pathogen free adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and model group, with 15 rats in each group. The rats in the silicosis model group was exposed to free silica dust with a concentration of 2 000.0 mg/m~3 by dynamic inhalation for three hours a day, while the rats in control group were not exposed to dust. Five rats in the two groups were sacrificed at 4, 12 and 24 weeks after dust exposure. ii) By random number table method, a total of 191 patients with occupational pneumoconiosis who received large capacity lung lavage were selected as the pneumoconiosis group, 12 dust-exposed workers who received large capacity lung lavage were selected as the dust control group, and 200 healthy coal miners exposed to dust were selected as healthy control group. iii) Western blotting was used to detect the relative protein expression of AMCase, type Ⅰ collagen(COLⅠ), α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) in lung tissues of the rats and the relative protein expression of AMCase in human BALF. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of AMCase protein in human serum. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to evaluate the value of AMCase protein level in human serum for early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis. RESULTS: The relative expression of AMCase, COLⅠand α-SMA protein in lung tissue of rats in the silicosis model group were higher than that of control group(all P<0.01). The relative expression of AMCase protein in BALF of pneumoconiosis group and pneumoconiosis stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ subgroups were higher than that of dust control group(all P<0.05). The level of AMCase protein in serum of pneumoconiosis group and pneumoconiosis stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ subgroups were higher than that of healthy control group(all P<0.05). The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve was 0.78(95% confidence interval: 0.74-0.82).When the cut-off value of serum AMCase protein level was 466.0 ng/L, the sensitivity was 73.8%, and the specificity was 72.6%. CONCLUSION: AMCase protein in human serum has value for early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis and it could be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis.

IL-17A activates mouse lung fibroblasts through promoting chemokine CXCL12 secretion / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the role of IL-17A in promoting the activation of lung fibroblasts and the secretion of chemokine CXCL12, and to explore the possible mechanism.@*METHODS@#Lung tissues of BALB/c mice were collected after intraperitoneal injection of recombinant mouse IL-17A (rmIL-17A). Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I in lung tissues, and immunohistochemical staining and real-time RT-PCR were used to determine the expression of CXCL12. Normal mouse primary lung fibroblasts were isolated and cultured, and identified by immunofluorescence staining with optical microscopy. Cells and supernatant of culture medium were collected after stimulation with rmIL-17A at different concentrations. mRNA levels of α-SMA, collagen I, and CXCL12 in the cells were determined by real-time RT-PCR, and the levels of collagen I and CXCL12 in the supernatant of culture medium were determined by ELISA.@*RESULTS@#The mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA and collagen I in the lung tissue of mice injected with rmIL-17A were significantly increased compared with the control group (all @*CONCLUSIONS@#s: IL-17A can promote the activation of lung fibroblasts and translation into myofibroblast. The secretion of collagen is increased, which promote the deposition of extracullular matrix, and leads to the occurrence and development of lung fibrosis. CXCL12, a chemokine secreted by activated fibroblasts, may be involved in this process.

Effect of high expression of type Ⅰ collagen α1 chain protein on the prognosis of triple negative breast cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective@#To investigate the expression of type Ⅰ collagen α1 chain protein (COL1A1) in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and its relationship with clinicopathological features and prognosis of TNBC.@*Methods@#A total of 148 TNBC specimens were collected from the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from 2013 to 2015. The mRNA expression of COL1A1 was detected by fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR and the protein expression of COL1A1 was detected by Western blot. The expression of COL1A1 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in TNBC were detected by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between the expression of COL1A1 and clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of TNBC patients was analyzed.@*Results@#The mRNA and protein expression of COL1A1 in MDA-MB-231 cells were 1.696±0.486 and 0.550±0.088, respectively, which were higher than those in MCF-10A cells (1.020±0.231 and 0.350±0.083, P=0.032, P=0.046). The mRNA and protein expression of COL1A1 in TNBC tissues were 1.632 ±0.598 and 0.733 ±0.068, respectively, which were higher than those in paracancerous tissues (1.041±0.316 and 0.612±0.016, P=0.003, P=0.039). The high expression rates of COL1A1 and α-SMA in TNBC tissues were 35.8% and 56.7% respectively, which were higher than those in paracancerous tissues (16.7% and 30.0%, P=0.041, P=0.037). The expression of COL1A1 was correlated with tumor size, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion and α-SMA expression (all P<0.05). The median survival time in COL1A1 high expression group was 64 months, which was lower than that in low expression group (73 months, P<0.05). Multivariate analysis of Cox proportional hazard regression model showed that COL1A1 expression was an independent influencing factor for the survival of TNBC patients (HR=3.952, P=0.004).@*Conclusion@#The high expression of COL1A1 in TNBC is an independent prognostic factor of TNBC patients.

Improvement Effects of Panax Notoginsenosides on Renal Fibrosis in Cisplatin-induced Renal Injury Rats and Its Effects on the Expression of Renal Fibrosis Related Factors / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To study improvement effects of Panax notoginsenoside（PNS） on cisplatin-induced renal injury model rats and its effects on related factors. METHODS： Totally 72 SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， positive drug group and PNS low-dose， medium-dose， high-dose groups， with 12 rats in each group. Except for blank group， other groups were given cisplatin via tail vein （3 mg/kg×4 times） to establish renal injury model. Since the first day after the first injection of cisplatin， positive group was given anfostine solution intraperitoneally （1.0 mg/kg）； PNS groups were given PNS solution intraperitoneally （15.63， 31.35， 62.70 mg/kg）； blank group and model groups were given constant volume of normal saline 0.2 mL， for consecutive 60 d. The 24 h urine of rats was collected； the contents of β-N-acetylaminoglycosidase（NAG） and 24 h urine protein （Upro/24 h） were detected； the serum contents of Scr and BUN were detected. mRNA and protein expression of CTGF， TGF-β1， Col-1， TIMP-1 and PAI-1 in renal tissue were determined by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively. RESULTS： Compared with blank group， the contents of NAG and Upro/24 h in urine， serum contents of Scr and BUN， mRNA and protein expression levels of CTGF， TGF-β1， Col-1， TIMP-1 and PAI-1 in renal tissue were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the contents of above urine and serum biochemical indicators were decreased significantly in PNS groups； mRNA expression of CTGF and TGF-β1 and protein expression of CTGF， TGF-β1， Col-1 and TIMP-1 in renal tissue of rats in PNS groups， mRNA expression of Col-1 in PNS high-dose group， and mRNA expression of TIMP-1 and protein expression of PAI-1 in PNS medium-dose and high-dose groups were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with positive group， the contents of NAG and Upro/24 h in urine were decreased significantly in PNS medium-dose and high-dose groups （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS： PNS can effectively improve the renal function of cisplatin-induced renal injury model rats， and relieve cisplatin-induced renal fibrosis by decreasing the expression of renal fibrosis related factors as CTGF， TGF-β1， Col-1， TIMP-1 and PAI-1 in renal tissue.

Topical or oral treatment of peach flower extract attenuates UV-induced epidermal thickening, matrix metalloproteinase-13 expression and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in hairless mice skin

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is a major cause of skin photoaging. Previous studies reported that ethanol extract (PET) of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch flowers (PPF, peach flowers) and its subfractions, particularly the ethylacetate (PEA) and n-butanol extracts (PBT), have potent antioxidant activity and attenuate the UV-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression in human skin cells. In this study, we investigated the protective activity of PPF extract against UV-induced photoaging in a mouse model. MATERIALS/METHODS: Hairless mice were treated with PET or a mixture of PEA and PBT either topically or orally along with UV irradiation. Histological changes and biochemical alterations of mouse skin were examined. Major phenolic compounds in PPF extract were analyzed using an ACQUITY UPLC system. RESULTS: The overall effects of topical and oral treatments with PPF extract on the UV-induced skin responses exhibited similar patterns. In both experiments, the mixture of PEA and PBT significantly inhibited the UV-induced skin and epidermal thickening, while PET inhibited only the UV-induced epidermal thickening. Treatment of PET or the mixture of PEA and PBT significantly inhibited the UV-induced MMP-13 expression, but not typeⅠ collagen expression. Topical treatment of the mixture of PEA and PBT with UV irradiation significantly elevated catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-peroxidase (GPx) activities in the skin compared to those in the UV irradiated control group, while oral treatment of the mixture of PEA and PBT or PET elevated only catalase and SOD activities, but not GPx. Thirteen phytochemical compounds including 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, cimicifugic acid E and B, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside and kaempferol glycoside derivatives were identified in the PPF extract. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that treatment with PET or the mixture of PEA and PBT, both topically or orally, attenuates UV-induced photoaging via the cooperative interactions of phenolic components having anti-oxidative and collagen-protective activities.

Clinical study of medicinal-cake-separated moxibustion for senile osteoporosis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical efficacy and partial mechanism of medicinal-cake-separated moxibustion for senile osteoporosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty cases of senile osteoporosis were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group according to the random digits table, 30 cases in each one. The two groups were both treated with basic treatment of western medicine. The acupoints included four groups:① Dazhui (GV 14), Dazhu (BL 11) and Ganshu (BL 18); ② Zhongwan (CV 12), Danzhong (CV 17) and Zusanli (ST 36); ③ Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23) and Mingmen (GV 4); ④ Shenque (CV 8) and Guanyuan (CV 4). Each group of acupoints was selected for one treatment. The observation group was treated with medicinal-cake-separated moxibustion, and the medicinal cake was consisted of fructus psoraleae (30 g), prepared rehmannia root (30 g), atractylodes (30 g), codonopsis pilosula (30 g), epimedium herb (20 g), rhizoma curculiginis (20 g), syzygium aromaticum (5 g) and cinnamon (5 g). The control group was treated with wheat-flour-cake moxibustion. Each acupoint was treated with 5 moxa cones in the two groups. The treatment was given once every other day for six months. The symptom score, lumbar and hip bone mineral density (BMD), serum type Ⅰ procollagen amino-terminal propeptide (PINP) and serum β-type Ⅰ collagen carboxy-terminal peptide (β-CTX) were observed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the symptom score and serum β-CTX were significantly lowered (all<0.05), while the lumbar and hip BMD and serum PINP were significantly increased (all<0.05) of the two groups. After treatment, the symptom score and serum β-CTX in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (both<0.05), while the lumbar and hip BMD and serum PINP in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The medicinal-cake-separated moxibustion has significant efficacy for senile osteoporosis, which is superior to wheat-cake-se-parated moxibustion.</p>

Effect of temporomandibular joint disc perforation on expression of type Ⅰ collagen in temporomandibular joint disc cells / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the effect of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc perforation on expression of type Ⅰ collagen in TMJ disc cells.@*Methods@#The fibroblastic-like cells from the surgical removed TMJ disc tissue (disc perforation or TMJ condyle hyperplasia) were cultured. The cultured cells were identified as fibroblastic-like cells by toluidine blue and immunofluorescence staining. The expression of type Ⅰ collagen was detected with Western blotting and the content of type Ⅰ collagen was examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).@*Results@#Fibroblastic-like cells were cultured from TMJ disc cells and the controls. The collagen-Ⅰ and collagen-Ⅱ were positive in both toluidine blue and immunofluorescence staining. In Western blotting, the expression of typeⅠcollagen in cells from joints with disc perforation was lower than that from normal joints. The content of collagen-Ⅰ was (1.62±0.52) μg/L from controls, and (0.85±0.33) μg/L from disc perforation respectively (P=0.0134).@*Conclusions@#The disc cells from TMJ with disc perforation expressed lower type Ⅰ collagen than that from controls, which may be related to the lower content of collagen-Ⅰ in TMJ disc and the formation of TMJ disc perforation.

Inhibitory effect of SB431542 on paraquat-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in A549 cells / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of transforming growth factor β1( TGF-β1) type Ⅰ receptor kinase inhibitor SB431542 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition( EMT) induced by paraquat in type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial cells A549. METHODS: A549 cells were randomly divided into control group,paraquat group and TGF-β1 blockade group,with3 samples in each group. The cells in the control group were cultured without any treatment,cells in paraquat group were stimulated by paraquat of a final concentration of 20 μmol/L,cells in TGF-β1 blockade group were treated with paraquat with a final concentration of 20 μmol/L and SB431542 with a final concentration of 20 μg/L. After 5 days,cultured cells were harvested and observed for morphologic and phenotypic characteristics using inverted phase contrast microscope and scanning electron microscope. Cell migration was assayed by Transwell chamber. The expression of target protein was detected by Western blot. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the TGF-β1 levels. RESULTS: Under inverted phase contrast microscope and scanning electron microscope,A549 cells in control group grew normally,cells in paraquat group changed from epithelial morphology to mesenchymal morphology,cells in TGF-β1 blockade group reversed to epithelial cell morphology. The results of cell migration showed that the number of cells in the paraquat group passed through the membrane was higher than that in the control group and TGF-β1 blockade group( P < 0. 05). The relative expression of E-cadherin and zonula occluden-1 in paraquat group was decreased( P < 0. 05),while the relative expression of vimentin,α-smooth muscle actin,type I collagen,the phosphorylation Smad and Mad related protein( p-Smad) 2 and p-Smad3 was elevated( P < 0. 05),compared to control group and TGF-β1 blockade group. The levels of total TGF-β1 and active TGF-β1 increased in paraquat group than that in control group( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Paraquat induced EMT in A549 cells by activating TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. Early treatment with SB431542 can inhibit paraquatinduced EMT by blocking TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.

TPL's suppression on activation of myofibroblasts in radiation induced lung fibrosis related to its inhibition on TGF-β1/ERK/Smad3 pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To observe the correlation between the TPL's suppression on myofibrolbasts(MFBs)activation and TGF-β1/ERK/Smad3 pathway by performing in vivo and in vitro experiments.Methods In vitro model of MFBs activation was set up by stimulating fibroblasts with TGF-β1,and in vivo model of MFBs activation in radiated lung tissue was built by thoracic radiation on C57BL/6 mice.MFBs activation was analyzed by detecting the expression of α-SMA(using RT-PCR and Western blot)and Col Ⅰ(using RT-PCR and ELISA methods).The levels of p-ERK,p-Smad3(Ser208)and p-Smad3(Ser423)were measured by Western blot.ERK siRNA and Smad3 siRNA were used to observe the status of ERK and Smad3 in MFBs activation.Results TGF-β1 activated p-ERK/p-Smad3(Ser208)and p-Smad3(Ser423),increased the expression of α-SMA and synthesis of Col Ⅰ,which indicated MFBs activation.siRNA knockdown assay showed that both ERK and Smad3 were involved in regulating the levels of α-SMA and Col Ⅰ,and ERK influenced MFBs transformation possibly through its phosphorylation of Smad3(Ser208).TPL treatment inhibited the phosphorylation activation of ERK,Smad3(Ser208),Smad3(Ser423)in vitro and in vivo,therefore significantly reduced the level of α-SMA and Col Ⅰ,and the number of activated MFBs was decreased.Conclusion TPL mitigates radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of MFBs,which is partly through suppressing TGF-β1/ERK/Smad3 pathway.

Clinical value of serum N-MID,total TP1NP,β-CTx detection combination with whole-body bone scintigraphy in early diagnosis of bone metastasis in patients with malignant tumor / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical value of bone metabolism biochemical marker N-MID,TP1NP and beta-CTx combined with whole body bone scintigraphy in early diagnosis of bone metastasis of tumor.Methods The concentration of the 3 markers were measured by the electrochemical luminescence analysis method in 30 cases of healthy control group and 210 cases of patients with malignant tumor,which were divided into non bone metastasis group(45 cases) and bone metastasis group(165 cases).The bone metastasis group were divided into 4 grades(0-grade Ⅲ) by Soloway classification according to whole body bone imaging.Results The levels of serum N-MID,TP1NP and beta-CTx in 165 malignant tumor patients with bone metastasis were significantly higher than in 45 malignant tumor patients with bone metastasis and in 30 healthy control group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).With the increase of the number of metastatic lesions in the bone metastasis group,the serum levels of N-MID,TP1NP,and beta-CTx were increased gradually,and they were positively correlated with the progression of the disease.According to the analysis of ROC curve,the cut-off value,sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of tumor bone metastasis were 17.59 ng/mL,70.3％,88.9％ for serum N-MID,43.04 ng/mL,78.2％,95.6％ for TP1NP,and 0.48 ng/mL,73.9％,93.3％ for beta-CTx.Under the ROC curve(AUC) was 0.831 for serum N-MID,0.890 for TP1NP,and 0.869 for beta-CTx.The sensitivity and specificity of three bone metabolic markers in the diagnosis of bone metastasis of malignant tumor were significantly higher.Conclusion Bone metabolism biochemical markers:Serum N-MID,TP1NP and beta-CTx for diagnosis of bone metastasis of malignant tumor are sensitive,accurate and simple,which can significantly improve the efficiency of diagnosis of bone metastasis,and can be combined with whole-body bone scintigraphy in early diagnosis of bone metastasis with malignant tumor.

Effects of IL-17A on fibrosis of skin and lung in a mouse model of systemic sclerosis / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To analyze the expression of interleukin ( IL)-17A in a mouse model of bleomycin ( BLM)-induced systemic sclerosis ( SSc) and to evaluate its effects on inflammation and fibrosis in skin and lung tissues. Methods Twenty-four female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups:normal control group ( mice were subcutaneously injected with phosphate buffer ) , model group (subcutaneously injected with BLM), antibody group (injected with BLM + IL-17A monoclonal antibody), homotypic control group ( injected with BLM + isotype control) . Pathological changes in skin and lung tis-sues of those mice were observed;inflammatory and fibrotic scores were assessed. Immunohistochemistry and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR ( RT-PCR) were used to detect the expression of IL-17A, TGF-β1 and typeⅠ collagen in skin and lung tissues of those mice at mRNA level. Mouse lung fibroblasts ( FB) de-rived from the mice of model group were cultured in vitro and then were cultured with IL-17A cytokines with or without the interference of monoclonal antibodies. Expression of typeⅠ collagen and TGF-β1 at mRNA level and levels of IL-6 and TGF-β1 in the culture supernatants were detected by RT-PCR and enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay ( ELISA) , respectively. Results Compared with the mice of model and homotypic control groups, those of the antibody group showed mild skin thickening, skin inflammation and lung inflam-mation as well as lower fibrosis scores (P<0. 05). The expression of IL-17A at both protein and mRNA lev-els and the expression of TGF-β1 and collagen typeⅠat mRNA level in skin and lung tissues of mice of the antibody group were significantly lower than those of the model and homotypic control group (P<0. 05). Re-sults of the in vitro cell culture of SSc mice-derived lung FB with IL-17A showed that the expression of TGF-β1 and typeⅠ collagen at mRNA level and the levels of IL-6 and TGF-β1 in the culture supernatants were decreased with the interference of anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody (P<0. 05), but were still higher than those of the control group (P<0. 05). Conclusion IL-17A promotes the development of inflammation and fibrosis in skin and lung tissues in the mouse model of SSc. Blocking IL-17A might inhibit fibrosis in SSc by inhibiting the production of TGF-β1, IL-6 and typeⅠ collagen.

Effect mechanism study of butylphthalide on renal interstitial fibrosis / 重庆医学

Objective To explore the rule of the Nrf2-ARE in renal interstitial fibrosis and the mechanism of butylphthalide on renal protective effect.Methods Seventy-two male CD-1 mice were divided into 4 groups,Sham group,UUO group,NBP group,ACEI group.The Sham group and UUO group were gavaged with physiological saline.The NBP group was gavaged with butylphthalide.The ACEI group was gavaged with benazepril.After 3,7,14 days,6 mice were executed and collection of kidney tissue.The expression of Nrf2,γ-GCS and type Ⅰ collagen were detected by immunohistochemisty,RT-PCR and Western blot.The correlation of Nrf2 and γ-GCS was assessmented by linear regression.Results The expression of type Ⅰ collagen in UUO group was increased compared with the Sham group,However,the expression of Type Ⅰ collagen in NBP group or ACEI group were reduced compared with the UUO group.Compared with Sham group,the expression of Nrf2mRNA,γ-GCSmRNA and type Ⅰ collagen mRNA in uuogroup were increased in 3,7,14 days after surgery.Compared with UUO group at 7th,14u day,the lelve of Nrf2 mRNA were apparently increased in NBP group (P＜0.05).It was a positive correlation between the Nrf2 and γ-GCS and negative correlation between the γ-GCS and Type Ⅰ collagen.Conclusion The renal protective effect of butylphthalide in the renal interstitial fibrosis was more predominant than benazepril.The roles maybe occurred through increased the expression of Nrf2 and γ-GCS and alleviated the expression of Type Ⅰ collagen in nephridial tissue.

Diagnostic value of bone metabolic markers for bone metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer analyzed by Logistic regression combined with ROC curve / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of bone metabolic markers (BGP, β-CTX and PINP) for bone metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) analyzed by Logistic regression combined with ROC curve.Methods A total of 65 patients with stage Ⅳ NSCLC were enrolled in this study.The patients were divided into two groups based on radiological imaging, includirg bone metastasis group (30 cases) and non-bone metastasis group (35 cases).The serum concentrations of BGP, β-CTX and PINP were measured by electrochemical method.Logistic regression and ROC curve were applied to analyze the data and evaluate the diagnostic values.Results The concentrations of β-CTX [(0.54±0.39) ng/ml] and PINP [(103.64±81.86) ng/ml] were significantly higher in bone metastasis group than those [(0.31±0.16) ng/ml and (48.37±27.76) ng/ml, respectively] in non-bone metastasis group (P ＜ 0.01), while the level of BGP did not differ between two groups (P ＞ 0.05).The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for β-CTX and PINP was 0.662 and 0.678, respectively.The AUC for the new predictive variables created by Logistic regression was 0.761.Conclusion Combined detection of β-CTX and PINP in the serum and application of Logistic regression combined with ROC curve analysis can increase diagnostic accuracy on bone metastasis of NSCLC.

Study on the Mechanism of Butylphthalide Delaying Renal Fibrosis of Mice Model with Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction / 实用医学杂志

Objective To study on the possible mechanism of butylphthalide delaying renal fibrosis of mice with obstructive nephropathy. Methods Totally 72 male CD-1 mice of clean grade were selected and randomly assigned into 4 groups: sham operation group (Sham), model group (UUO), control group (ACEI) and treatment group (NBP). The mice in the control group (ACEI) and the treatment group (NBP) were given benazepril and butylphthalide by gavage, and the mice in sham operation group (Sham) and model group (UUO) were given normal saline by gavage. Six mice were sacrificed at the third, 7th, 14th day, respectively. The obstructive renal tissue was selected for immunohistochemical staining and western blot. Results (1)With the longer time of ureteral obstruction, the expression of Nrf-2 was gradually strengthened in time-dependent manner;(2)Compared with the model group, the levels of Nrf-2 and γ-GCS in butylphthalide group were significantly increased, and the expression of type Ⅰ collagen was decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The expression of Nrf-2 and γ-GCS in each time points was stronger than that in the benazepril group (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that: there was a positive correlation between Nrf-2 and γ-GCS (r = 0.930) and a negative correlation between Nrf-2 and the expression level of type Ⅰ collagen(r = -0.859). Conclusion Butylphthalide can relieve renal interstitial injury caused by oxidative stress and delay the progress of renal interstitial fibrosis by activation of Nrf-2 pathway and up-regulated expression ofγ-GCS.

Interleukin-17 Promotes Activation of Human Hepatic Stellate Cells and Collagen Expression / 胃肠病学

Background:Activation of hepatic stellate cells( HSCs)plays a pivotal role in development of liver fibrosis. Interleukin-17(IL-17)is the most important effector of T helper 17(Th17)cells that causes inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue damage. Preliminary studies showed that the number of IL-17-positive cells in liver tissue was positively correlated with the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and autoimmune hepatitis. However,the mechanism of IL-17 in liver fibrosis is not yet clarified. Aims:To investigate the effect of IL-17 on activation of human HSC cell line LX2 and collagen expression. Methods:Human HSC cell line LX2 was treated with different concentrations of IL-17. Viability of LX2 cells was measured by CCK-8 assay. mRNA expressions of α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), type Ⅰ collagen(Col-Ⅰ)and Col-Ⅲ were determined by real-time PCR. Protein expressions of α-SMA、Col-Ⅰ and Col-Ⅲ were detected by immunofluorescence. Results: Viability of LX2 cells increased with the increase of IL-17 concentration,but no significant differences were seen between any two groups(P > 0. 05). mRNA expressions of α-SMA, Col-Ⅰ and Col-Ⅲ in IL-17 treatment group(100 ng/ mL)were significantly higher than those in blank control group(P <0. 05). With the increase of IL-17 concentration,protein expressions of α-SMA,Col-Ⅰ and Col-Ⅲ gradually increased. Conclusions:IL-17 can promote the activation of HSCs and expressions of Col-Ⅰ and Col-Ⅲ,thereby contributing to the development of liver fibrosis.