Clinical Efficacy of Huangkui Capsule plus Methylprednisolone in the Treatment of Nephropathy and the Effect on Urinary Protein and Serum Inflammatory Factors in Patients.

Objective: The study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of Huangkui capsule plus methylprednisolone in the treatment of nephropathy and the effect on urinary protein and serum inflammatory factors in patients. Methods: Between June 2017 and July 2020, 90 patients with nephropathy admitted to our hospital were recruited after assessment of eligibility and assigned via the random number table method (1 : 1) to receive either methylprednisolone tablets (observation group) or methylprednisolone tablets plus Huangkui capsules (experimental group). All eligible patients were also given dipyridamole and valsartan. Outcome measures included clinical efficacy, urine protein, hematuria, serum inflammatory factor levels, and adverse reactions. Results: A higher clinical efficacy was observed in the experimental group versus the observation group (P < 0.05). Huangkui capsules resulted in significantly lower levels of urine protein and hematuria in the experimental group versus the observation group after treatment (P < 0.05). The serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the observation group after treatment (P < 0.05). Huangkui capsules plus methylprednisolone were associated with a lower incidence of adverse events versus methylprednisolone (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The clinical efficacy of Huangkui capsule plus methylprednisolone in the treatment of patients with nephropathy is remarkable. It can effectively mitigate the inflammatory responses and enhance renal function, with reliable clinical safety, so it is worthy of clinical application.

Neonatal hemolytic disease due to anti-Diegoa antibody: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The Diegoa antigen commonly occurs in certain Asian and South American Indian populations. In general, hemolysis caused by anti-Diegoa antigen is not severe, and exchange transfusion is rarely needed. Here, we report a neonate with moderate hemolytic disease caused by anti-Diegoa antigen in the Baoji area of China. CASE PRESENTATION: A 39-week gestation male newborn of Han nationality was delivered by second cesarean section because of scarred uterus. The newborn's birth weight was 3700 g with an Apgar score of 9. Four hours after delivery, transcutaneous bilirubin test revealed a level of 17 mg/dl. After 23 hours, the neonate developed anemia and hyperbilirubinemia. Bacterium, virus and other pathogens, as well as tests for arcuate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, were all negative. Direct antiglobulin test of the neonate was positive. Diegoa antigens of the baby and his father were positive, while his mother was negative. The newborn was successfully cured with phototherapy and one-dose intravenous injection of human albumin. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to consider and test for the anti-Diegoa antibody in cases of hemolytic disease of the newborn of the Han ethnicities of China.

Hydrogen sulfide prolongs postharvest shelf life of strawberry and plays an antioxidative role in fruits.

Accumulating evidence shows that hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) plays various physiological roles in plants, such as seed germination, root organogenesis, abiotic stress tolerance, and senescence of cut flowers. However, whether H(2)S participates in the regulation of ripening and senescence in postharvest fruits remains unknown. In the present study, the effect of H(2)S on postharvest shelf life and antioxidant metabolism in strawberry fruits was investigated. Fumigation with H(2)S gas released from the H(2)S donor NaHS prolonged postharvest shelf life of strawberry fruits in a dose-dependent manner. Strawberry fruits fumigated with various concentrations of H(2)S sustained significantly lower rot index, higher fruit firmness, and kept lower respiration intensity and polygalacturonase activities than controls. Further investigation showed that H(2)S treatment maintained higher activities of catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase and lower activities of lipoxygenase relative to untreated controls. H(2)S also reduced malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide anion to levels below control fruits during storage. Moreover, H(2)S treatment maintained higher contents of reducing sugars, soluble proteins, free amino acid, and endogenous H(2)S in fruits. We interpret these data as indicating that H(2)S plays an antioxidative role in prolonging postharvest shelf life of strawberry fruits.