SFN promotes renal fibrosis via binding with MYH9 in chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by persistent renal function decline. Renal fibrosis is the main pathological process in CKD, but an effective treatment does not exist. Stratifin (SFN) is a highly-conserved, multi-function soluble acidic protein. Therefore, this study explored the effects of SFN on renal fibrosis. First, we found that SFN was highly expressed in patients with CKD, as well as in renal fibrosis animal and cell models. Next, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) induced injury and fibrosis in human renal tubule epithelial cells, and SFN knockdown reversed these effects. Furthermore, SFN knockdown mitigated unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced renal tubular dilatation and renal interstitial fibrosis in mice. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), and immunofluorescence co-localization assays demonstrated that SFN bound the non-muscle myosin-encoding gene, myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), in the cytoplasm of renal tubular epithelial cells. MYH9 knockdown also reduced Col-1 and α-SMA expression, which are fibrosis markers. Finally, silencing SFN decreased MYH9 expression, alleviating renal fibrosis. These results suggest that SFN promotes renal fibrosis in CKD by interacting with MYH9. This study may provide potential strategies for the treatment of CKD.

Bacterial dispersal enhances the elimination of active fecal coliforms during vermicomposting of fruit and vegetable wastes: The overlooked role of earthworm mucus.

Earthworms play a pivotal role in the elimination of fecal coliforms during vermicomposting of fruit and vegetable waste (FVWs). However, the specific mechanisms underlying the action of earthworm mucus remain unclear. This study investigated the mechanisms of fecal coliform reduction related to earthworm mucus during FVWs vermicomposting by comparing treatments with and without earthworms. The results show that the secretion of earthworm mucus decreased by 13.93 % during the startup phase, but significantly (P < 0.001) increased by 57.80 % during the degradation phase. Compared to the control without earthworms, vermicomposting led to a significant (P < 0.05) 1.22 -fold increase in the population of active bacteria, with a strong positive correlation between mucus characteristics and dominant bacterial phyla. As the dominant fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae significantly (P < 0.05) declined by 86.20 % and 93.38 %, respectively, in the vermi-reactor relative to the control. Bacterial dispersal limitation served as a key factor constraining the elimination of E. coli (r = 0.73, P < 0.01) and K. pneumoniae (r = 0.77, P < 0.001) during vermicomposting. This study suggests that earthworm mucus increases the active bacterial abundance and cooperation by weakening the bacterial dispersal limitation, thus intensifying competition and antagonism between fecal coliforms and other bacteria.

Efficacy and safety of a "radical" surgical strategy in the treatment of parasagittal sinus meningioma.

Background: No standardized criteria for surgical resection of parasagittal sinus meningiomas (PSM) have been established, and different surgical strategies have been proposed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of a "radical" surgical strategy in the treatment of PSM. Methods: The clinical histories, radiological findings, pathologic features, and surgical records of 53 patients with PSM admitted by the same surgical team using the "radical" surgical strategy were retrospectively analyzed between 2018 and 2023. Results: Among the 53 PSM cases, 16 (30.2%) had a patent sinus proper, 28 (52.8%) had partial obstruction of the sinus proper, and 9 (17.0%) had complete obstruction of the sinus proper before the operation. During operation, Simpson grade I resection was performed in 34 (64.2%) cases and Simpson grade II in 19 (35.8%) cases. Postoperative pathologic examination suggested tumors of WHO grade I in 47 (88.7%) cases, WHO grade II in 4 (7.5%) cases, and WHO grade III in 2 (3.8%) cases. Postoperative complications primarily included a small amount of delayed intracerebral hemorrhage in 3 (5.7%) cases, exacerbation of cerebral edema in 3 (5.7%) cases, exacerbation of motor and sensory deficits in 4 (7.5%) cases, and intracranial infection in 2 (3.8%) cases. There were no cases of death or new-onset neurological dysfunction. Dizziness and headache symptoms improved to varying degrees, and a seizure-free status was achieved postoperatively. Excluding one case lost to follow-up, the average follow-up period was 33 months, and there were no cases of recurrence. Conclusion: A "radical" strategy for the surgical management of PSM is effective, safe, and simple to perform, provided that the sagittal sinus is properly managed and its associated veins are protected.

Analysis of coastline changes under the impact of human activities during 1985-2020 in Tianjin, China.

The accurate evaluation of shoreline movement is a crucial aspect for managing highly dynamic coasts. This study employed Landsat TM and OLI data through the Digital Shoreline Analysis System model to quantify changes in the spatiotemporal distribution of Tianjin's coastline from 1985 to 2020. The results showed that the coastline length (CL) increased by 178 km and 151% over the past 36 years, with an average increase of 5.1 km/a. Accretion and erosion processes along the entire coast were observed at rates of 83.9% and 16.1%, respectively. Notably, the Tianjin Port Area and Nangang Industrial Zone showed remarkable changes in the shoreline in 2009. Night lights (NL) were used to display the intensity of human activity in this area, and the spatial heterogeneity of night light intensity was significant. Compared to the total night light (TNL) in 1985, it increased by 116% in 2020. The relationship between TNL and CL was then established and displayed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.91). With the increasing total night light, the growth of the CL presented changes with an initial slow increase, then rapid increase, and finally slow increase. In the second phase of TNL, the CL experienced a considerable increase due to anthropogenic activities such as land reclamation and port construction, fueled primarily by government policies during the period of 2005-2013. Subsequently, there was little change in the coastline. These findings provide valuable insights into spatiotemporal coastline monitoring programs and sustainable coastal management.

How different is the remediation effect of biochar for cadmium contaminated soil in various cropping systems? A global meta-analysis.

Cadmium (Cd) poses great threats to human health as a major contaminant in agricultural soil. Biochar shows great potential in the remediation of agricultural soil. However, it remains unclear whether the remediation effect of biochar on Cd pollution is affected by various cropping systems. Here, this study used 2007 paired observations from 227 peer-reviewed articles and employed hierarchical meta-analysis to investigate the response of three types of cropping systems to the remediation of Cd pollution by using biochar. As a result, biochar application significantly reduced the Cd content in soil, plant roots and edible parts of various cropping systems. The decrease in Cd level ranged from 24.9% to 45.0%. The feedstock, application rate, and pH of biochar as well as soil pH and cation exchange capacity were dominant factors for Cd remediation effect of biochar, and their relative importance all exceeded 37.4%. Lignocellulosic and herbal biochar were found to be suitable for all cropping systems, while the effects of manure, wood and biomass biochar were limited in cereal cropping systems. Furthermore, biochar exhibited a more long-lasting remediation effect on paddy soils than on dryland. This study provides new insights into the sustainable agricultural management of typical cropping systems.

Enhanced compressive strengths and induced cell growth of 1-3-type BaTiO3/PMMA bio-piezoelectric composites.

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) has been used as a bone implant material because of its piezoelectric properties and the ability to promote cell growth when combined with hydroxyapatite. However, the brittleness of BaTiO3 inhibits its use as a bone replacement material at load-bearing sites, and the reduction of BaTiO3 content in the composite reduces its piezoelectric effect on bone growth. In this study, we explored a preparation method, which included directional freeze casting and self-solidification of bone cement, to obtain 1-3-type BaTiO3/PMMA bio-piezoelectric composites with a lamellar structure. The lamellar BaTiO3 layer through the composite from the bottom to the top significantly improved the piezoelectric properties of the composite. In addition, the dendritic ceramic bridges on the BaTiO3 pore walls can improve the compressive strength and elastic modulus of BaTiO3/PMMA bio-piezoelectric composites with a lamellar structure. More importantly, it was found that polarized lamellar BaTiO3 could induce osteoblasts to grow in the direction of the BaTiO3 layers. When the width of the BaTiO3 layer was in the range of 8-21 µm, osteoblasts along the BaTiO3 layer showed well growth, which can be of great value for the production of biomimetic bone units.

A combination of selenium and polysaccharides: Promising therapeutic potential.

Currently, selenium and polysaccharide combinations can be identified as three forms: natural selenium polysaccharides, synthetic selenium polysaccharides and selenium nanoparticles decorated with polysaccharides. Previous studies have indicated that these three combinations generally show better bioactivities, including immunomodulation, anti-tumour, antioxidation and glucose regulation, than those of either selenium or polysaccharides alone. Although they have not yet been developed as new drugs for clinical trials, results from previous studies have already shown their therapeutic potential for the future. In this article, we summarize our current state of understanding of the sources, preparation methods, physicochemical characteristics and bioactivities of these combinations for the discovery of novel therapeutic drugs and adjuvants.

Effects of maternal cadmium exposure during late pregnant period on testicular steroidogenesis in male offspring.

Cadmium (Cd) is a testicular toxicant and endocrine disruptor. In the present study, we investigated the effects of maternal Cd exposure during the late pregnant period on testicular development and steroidogenesis in male offspring. Pregnant mice were injected intraperitoneally with CdCl(2) (0.5mg/kg) daily from gestational day (gd) 13 to gd 17. As expected, fetal weight and crown length were significantly decreased in pups whose mothers were exposed to Cd. Importantly, absolute and relative weights of testes were significantly decreased in male fetuses. In addition, maternal Cd exposure during pregnancy markedly reduced serum T level and downregulated the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein, P450scc, P45017α and 17ß-HSD in testes of male fetuses. Interestingly, the level of serum and testicular T at adulthood remained decreased in male offspring of Cd-exposed mice. Correspondingly, the expression of testicular P450scc was downregulated in male adult offspring whose mothers were exposed to Cd during pregnancy. Fertility analysis found that the number of live fetuses per litter in F2 generation was significantly decreased in Cd-treated group. Additional experiment showed that placental Cd level was increased about 750 folds in dams injected with Cd. However, only traces of blood Cd was measured in fetuses whose mothers were exposed to Cd during the late pregnant period. Taken together, these results suggest that placenta could deter most of Cd from passing from dams to fetuses. The impairments on testicular steroidogenesis in male offspring could not be attributed to a direct action of Cd on fetal testes.

The protective effects of ursodeoxycholic acid on isoniazid plus rifampicin induced liver injury in mice.

Antitubercular drugs have been known to be potentially hepatotoxic and may lead to drug-induced liver injury. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on liver injury caused by co-administration with isoniazid and rifampicin, two famous antitubercular drugs. Liver injury was induced by co-treatment with isoniazid (75mg/kg) and rifampicin (150mg/kg) for one week. Mice were orally administered with UDCA (15, 50 and 150mg/kg) 30min before isoniazid and rifampicin. We show that serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly increased in mice treated with isoniazid plus rifampicin. An obvious fatty accumulation, accompanied by mild necrosis and inflammation, was observed in liver of mice treated with rifampicin plus isoniazid. In addition, isoniazid plus rifampicin resulted in hepatic apoptosis, as determined by terminal dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining and caspase-3 activation. Additional experiment showed that isoniazid plus rifampicin significantly increased the level of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and caused glutathione (GSH) depletion and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) residues in liver. UDCA pretreatment significantly attenuated isoniazid plus rifampicin induced oxidative stress in liver. Importantly, UDCA pretreatment significantly alleviated isoniazid plus rifampicin induced hepatic apoptosis. Moreover, UDCA-mediated anti-apoptotic effect seemed to be associated with its regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax gene expression in liver. These findings suggest that UDCA might protect against isoniazid and rifampicin induced liver injury through its anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic effects.

Altered integrity and decreased expression of hepatocyte tight junctions in rifampicin-induced cholestasis in mice.

Rifampicin is a well-known hepatotoxicant, but little is known about the mechanism of rifampicin-induced hepatotoxicity. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression and localization of hepatocyte tight junctions in rifampicin-induced cholestasis in mice. Cholestasis was induced by administration of rifampicin (200 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days or treatment with a single dose of rifampicin (200 mg/kg) by gastric intubation. The expression of mRNA for hepatic zonula occludens (ZO)-1, ZO-2, ZO-3, occludin and claudin-1 was determined using RT-PCR. Localization of ZO-1 and occludin was detected using immunofluorescence. Results showed that there was an 82-fold increase in the conjugated bilirubin in serum in rifampicin-treated mice. In addition, an 8-fold increase in total bile acid in serum was observed after a seven-day administration of rifampicin. The integrity of hepatocyte ZO-1 and occludin was altered by a seven-day administration of rifampicin. Importantly, the integrity and intensity of hepatocyte tight junctions were altered as early as 30 min after a single dose of rifampicin. The expression of hepatic ZO-1 and ZO-2 mRNA was significantly decreased, beginning as early as 30 min and remaining a lower level 12 h after a single dose of rifampicin. Taken together, these results suggest that the altered integrity and internalization of hepatocyte tight junctions are associated with rifampicin-induced cholestasis.

Reactive oxygen species contribute to lipopolysaccharide-induced teratogenesis in mice.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been associated with adverse developmental outcome, including embryonic resorption, fetal death and growth retardation, and preterm delivery. In the present study, we showed that an ip injection with LPS daily from gestational day (gd) 8 to gd 12 resulted in the incidence of external malformations. The highest incidence of malformed fetuses was observed in fetuses from dams exposed to 20 microg/kg LPS, in which 34.9% of fetuses per litter were externally malformed. In addition, 17.4% of fetuses per litter in 30 microg/kg group and 12.5% of fetuses per litter in 10 microg/kg group were externally malformed. Importantly, external malformations were also observed in fetuses from dams exposed to only two doses of LPS (20 microg/kg, ip) on gd 8, in which 76.5% (13/17) of litters and 39.1% of fetuses per litter were affected. LPS-induced teratogenicity seemed to be associated with oxidative stress in fetal environment, measured by lipid peroxidation, nitrotyrosine residues, and glutathione (GSH) depletion in maternal liver, embryo, and placenta. alpha-Phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone (PBN, 100 mg/kg, ip), a free radical spin-trapping agent, abolished LPS-induced lipid peroxidation, nitrotyrosine residues, and GSH depletion. Consistent with its antioxidant effects, PBN decreased the incidence of external malformations. Taken together, these results suggest that reactive oxygen species might be, at least partially, involved in LPS-induced teratogenesis.

Differential effects of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate on TNF-alpha-mediated liver injury in two different models of fulminant hepatitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) is an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) activation. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of PDTC on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in two different models of fulminant hepatitis. METHODS: Mice infected with Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) were challenged with LPS (0.2 mg/kg) to induce the model of inflammatory liver injury. Mice were injected with D-galactosamine (GalN, 600 mg/kg) and LPS (20 microg/kg) to induce the model of apoptotic liver injury. In the treatment groups, mice were pre-treated with PDTC (100 mg/kg), initiated 24 h prior to LPS. RESULTS: PDTC pretreatment reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells, inhibited NF-kappaB activation and the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), attenuated nitric oxide production, and alleviated hepatic glutathione depletion. Correspondingly, PDTC reduced serum alanine aminotransferase, improved hepatic necrosis, and prolonged the survival in the BCG/LPS model. Conversely, PDTC accelerated death and aggravated liver apoptosis in the GalN/LPS model, although it reduced nitric oxide production, attenuated glutathione depletion, and inhibited the expression of TNF-alpha in liver. CONCLUSIONS: PDTC protects mice against BCG/LPS-induced inflammatory liver injury through the repression of NF-kappaB-mediated TNF-alpha release, while it seems to be detrimental in GalN/LPS-induced apoptotic liver damage.