Predictive value of plasma galectin-3 in patients with chronic heart failure.

AIM: To study the predictive value of plasma galectin-3 in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with CHF (New York Heart Association functional class II-IV) caused by coronary heart disease were recruited. The levels of plasma galectin-3 and NT-proBNP were measured by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay. Echocardiography was performed to determine the diastolic left atrial diameter (LAD), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the prognostic value of galectin-3 or NT-proBNP for CHF. RESULTS: The level of galectin-3 was significantly higher in NYHA functional class III and IV compared with that in control (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). The level of plasma galectin-3 was positively correlated with LAD (r = 0.271, p < 0.05) and LVEDD (r = 0.480, p < 0.01), but negatively correlated with LVEF (r = -0.683, p < 0.01). The level of plasma NT-proBNP was positively correlated with LAD (r = 0.481, p < 0.01) and LVEDD (r = 0.270, p < 0.05), but negatively correlated with LVEF (r = -0.516, p < 0.01). AUC was 0.798 when the level of plasma galectin-3 was more than 7.52 ng/ml. The sensitivity to predict CHF was 62.9%, and the specificity was 90%. AUC was 0.901 when the level of plasma NT-proBNP was more than 1143 pg/ml. The sensitivity to predict CHF was 92.8% and the specificity was 85%. CONCLUSIONS: The level of plasma galectin-3 is related to the changes of left ventricular structure and function, indicating that galectin-3 may have been involved in the process of left ventricular remodeling in CHF. The specificity of galectin-3 to predict CHF is higher than NT-proBNP, but not the sensitivity.

Downregulation of microRNA-126 in endothelial progenitor cells from diabetes patients, impairs their functional properties, via target gene Spred-1.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) adversely affects the number and function of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Consequently, there is also a reduction in the repair mechanism of these cells, which is a critical and initiating factor in the development of diabetic vascular disease. The aim of the present study was to analyze miR expression profiles in EPCs from patients with DM and choose the most significantly regulated miR to study its possible role on EPC dysfunction and elucidate its mechanism of action. EPCs were collected from subjects with Type II DM and non-diabetic control subjects. Total RNA was harvested from EPCs, and a total of 5 candidate miRNAs were identified by microarray screening and were quantified by TaqMan real-time PCR. Lentiviral vectors expressing miR-126 and miR-126 inhibitor (anti-miR-126) were transfected into EPCs, and the EPC colony-forming capacity, proliferation activity, migratory activity, differentiation capacity, and apoptotic susceptibility were determined and Western Blotting and mRNA real-time PCR analyses were performed. To study the mechanisms, lentiviral vectors expressing Spred-1 and a short interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting Spred-1 were prepared. Five miRs were aberrantly downregulated in EPCs from DM patients. These miRs included miR-126, miR-21, miR-27a, miR-27b and miR-130a. Anti-miR-126 inhibited EPC proliferation, migration, and enhanced apoptosis. Restored miR-126 expression in EPCs from DM promoted EPC proliferation, migration, and inhibited EPC apoptosis ability. Despite this, miR-126 had no effect on EPC differentiation. miR-126 overexpression significantly downregulated Spred-1 in EPCs. The knockdown of Spred-1 expression in EPCs from DM promoted proliferation, migration, and inhibited apoptosis of the cells. The signal pathway of miR-126 effecting on EPCs is partially mediated through Ras/ERK/VEGF and PI3K/Akt/eNOS regulation. This study provides the first evidence that miR-126 is downregulated in EPCs from diabetic patients, and impairs EPCs-mediated function via its target, Spred-1, and through Ras/ERK/VEGF and PI3K/Akt/eNOS signal pathway.

Effects of riboflavin deficiency on the lipid metabolism of duck breeders and duck embryos.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary riboflavin deficiency (RD) on the lipid metabolism of duck breeders and duck embryos. A total of 40 female 40-wk-old white Pekin duck breeders were randomly divided into 2 groups, received either RD diet (1.48 mg riboflavin/kg) or control diet (16.48 mg riboflavin/kg, CON) for 14 wk. Each group consisted of 20 duck breeders (10 replicates per group, 2 birds per replicate), and all experiment birds were single-caged. At the end of the experiment, reproductive performance, hepatic riboflavin, hepatic flavin mononucleotide (FMN), hepatic flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), hepatic morphology, hepatic lipid contents, and hepatic protein expression of duck breeders and duck embryos were measured. The results showed that the RD had no effect on egg production and egg fertility but reduced egg hatchability, duck embryo weight, hepatic riboflavin, FMN, and FAD status compared to results obtained in the CON group (all P < 0.05). Livers from RD ducks presented enlarged lipid droplets, excessive accumulation of total lipids, triglycerides, and free fatty acids (all P < 0.05). In addition to excessive lipids accumulation, medium-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase expression was downregulated (P < 0.05), and short-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase expression was upregulated in maternal and embryonic livers (P < 0.05). RD did not affect maternal hepatic acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family member 9 (ACAD9) expression, but duck embryonic hepatic ACAD9 expression was reduced in the RD group (P < 0.05). Collectively, dietary RD conditioned lower egg hatchability and inhibited the development of duck embryos. Increased accumulation of lipids, both maternal and embryo, was impaired due to the reduced flavin protein expression, which caused inhibition of hepatic lipids utilization. These findings suggest that abnormal duck embryonic growth and low hatchability caused by RD might be associated with disorders of lipid metabolism in maternal as well as embryos.

[Histopathologic and ultrastructural studies of the iris in acute angle-closure glaucoma].

By light and transmission electron microscopy, iris specimens from 40 eyes of 24 patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma were investigated and compared with those of healthy eyes in the same patients. During an acute attack, the anterior border layer of the iris became thickened, and stromal cells and collagen fibrils greatly proliferated. The endothelial cells swelled and muscle fibers showed vacuolization, depigmentation or atrophy. During the stage of remission, the iris was structurally disrupted and the stromal cells degenerated markedly. In the absolute stage, the stromal cells were atrophic and the fibers resolved, while the mast cells increased in large numbers. The significance of these findings were discussed.

Renal neoplasm in acquired cystic kidney disease.

The development of renal cell neoplasms ranging from adenoma to metastatic carcinoma is the most serious complication of acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD). A comprehensive review of the pertinent literature shows that there is up to 50-fold increased risk of renal cell carcinoma in ACKD compared to the general population. The ACKD-associated renal cell carcinoma is seen predominantly in males, occurs approximately 20 years earlier than in the general population, and is frequently bilateral (9%) and multicentric (50%). Acquired cystic kidney disease-associated renal cell carcinoma is frequently asymptomatic (86%), but may be associated with bleeding, abrupt changes in hematocrit, fever, and flank pain or rarely with hypoglycemia, hypercalcemia, or metastases at presentation. Computed tomography seems to provide a better diagnostic yield than sonography or magnetic resonance imaging; nevertheless, large (up to 8 cm) tumors not visualized by any imaging techniques have been reported. It is generally agreed that there is a need for regular screening of symptomatic ACKD patients for early detection of renal cell carcinoma; however, whether screening is needed for asymptomatic patients remains controversial. Nephrectomy is indicated for tumors larger than 3 cm. Management for tumors smaller than 3 cm with persistent symptoms, such as back pain or hematuria, remains controversial, but nephrectomy may be recommended since many of these tumors turn out to be unequivocal renal cell carcinoma. Asymptomatic tumors smaller than 3 cm should be serially screened, and tumor enlargement may be an indication for nephrectomy. Acquired cystic kidney disease-associated renal cell carcinoma accounts for approximately 2% of deaths in renal transplant patients. A median length of survival of approximately 14 months and a 5-year survival rate of 35% are comparable to the same data for renal cell carcinoma in the general population. Successful renal transplant probably decreases the risk of renal cell carcinoma in ACKD patients, but this preliminary observation needs confirmation. The development of ACKD-associated renal carcinoma is a continuous process with evolving phenotypic expression, including damaged renal tubule, simple cyst, cyst with atypical lining, adenoma, and, finally, carcinoma. The pathogenesis of this continuous process is not entirely known, but growth factor-induced compensatory growth of tubular epithelium initiated by the changes of end-stage kidney disease, and probably perpetuated by activation of proto-oncogenes, seems to be the most significant factor.