Inhibitory effects of telmisartan on culture and proliferation of and Kv1.3 potassium channel expression in peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes from Xinjiang Kazakh patients with hypertension.

INTRODUCTION: Activation of T lymphocytes, for which potassium channels are essential, is involved in the development of hypertension. In this study, we explored the inhibitory effects of telmisartan on the culture and proliferation of and Kv1.3 potassium channel expression in peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes derived from Xinjiang Kazakh patients with hypertension. METHODS: CD4+ T-cell samples from hypertensive Kazakh patients and healthy Kazakh people were divided into healthy control, case control, telmisartan, and 4-aminopytidine groups. Changes in the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17 in the blood of the healthy control and case control subjects were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes were first activated and proliferated in vitro and then incubated for 0, 24, and 48 h under various treatment conditions. Thereafter, changes in CD4+ T-lymphocytic proliferation were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 and microscope photography. Changes in messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of the Kv1.3 potassium channel in CD4+ T lymphocytes were detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blots, respectively. RESULTS: The IL-6 and IL-17 expression levels were significantly higher in the blood of the hypertensive Kazakh patients than in the healthy Kazakh people. Telmisartan inhibited T-lymphocytic proliferation, as well as the mRNA and protein expression of the Kv1.3 potassium channel in CD4+ T lymphocytes, and the inhibitory effects were time-dependent, with the strongest inhibition observed after 48 h and significantly weaker inhibition observed after 24 h of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Telmisartan may potentially regulate hypertensive inflammatory responses by inhibiting T-lymphocytic proliferation and Kv1.3 potassium channel expression in CD4+ T lymphocytes.

[Mechanisms of the role of fibroblast growth factor 21 in attenuating insulin resistance].

This study is to evaluate the therapeutic effect of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) on type 2 diabetic mice model and to provide mechanistic insights into its therapeutic effect. Type 2 diabetic animal model was established with high calorie fat diet and low dose streptozotocin (STZ) injection. Mice were then randomized into 5 groups: model control, FGF21 0.25 and 0.05 µmol x kg(-1) x d(-1) groups, insulin treatment group. Ten age-matched normal KM mouse administered with saline were used as normal controls. Serum glucose, insulin, lipid products and the change of serum and liver tissue inflammation factor levels between five groups of mouse were determined. The results showed that blood glucose, insulin, free fatty acids (FFAs), triglycerides, and inflammatory factor average FGF-21 of type 2 diabetes model group and normal control group were significantly higher (P < 0.01), while compared with insulin group, no difference was significant. Average blood glucose, insulin, blood lipid and inflammatory factor of FGF-21 treatment group compared with type 2 diabetes group was significantly lower (P < 0.01) and insulin group has no difference with the model control group. The results of OGTT and HOMA-IR showed that insulin resistance state was significantly relieved in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, this study demonstrates that FGF-21 significantly remits type 2 diabetic mice model's insulin resistance state and participates in the regulation of inflammatory factor levels and type 2 diabetes metabolic disorders.

[Voltage-dependent potassium channel and calcium-activated potassium channel current changes of peripheral blood T-lymphocytes from hypertensive patients in Xinjiang Kazakh].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the current changes of voltage-dependent potassium channel (Kv1.3 potassium channel) and calcium-activated potassium channel (IKCa1 potassium channel) in peripheral blood T-lymphocyte derived from hypertensive patients of Xinjiang Kazakh. METHODS: Twenty randomly selected untreated Kazakh hypertensive patients and 20 Kazakh healthy subjects from Xinjiang were included in this study. T-lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood with magnetic cell sorting, the whole-cell currents of Kv1.3 and IKCa1 potassium channels were recorded with patch-clamp technique. RESULTS: (1) The current density of Kv1.3 potassium channel was significantly higher in the hypertensive group [(280 ± 74) pA/pF (n = 39)] than that in the control group [(179 ± 51) pA/pF (n = 38), P < 0.01], while the membrane capacitance was similar between the two groups. (2) The current density of IKCa1 potassium channel was also significantly higher in the hypertensive group [(198 ± 44) pA/pF (n = 28)] than that in the control group [(124 ± 43) pA/pF (n = 26), P < 0.01], while the membrane capacitance was also similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The T-lymphocytes Kv1.3 potassium channel and IKCa1 potassium channel current densities are higher in hypertensive patients in Xinjiang Kazakh suggesting a potential role of Kv1.3 and IKCa1 potassium channels activation in the pathophysiology of hypertension.

[Progresses in inheritance of genes for avian eggshell color].

Eggshell has three colors: white, blue and brown. Chicken and duck eggs with blue eggshell have superior market for its better appearance, delicious taste, abundant nutrition and higher eggshell thickness and strength compared to those with white eggshell. However, error was often made when breeding blue-eggshell chicken or duck lines based on phenotypes. Studies on the forming and controlling mechanism of eggshell color had important theoretic and practical value. This review mainly discussed the types of eggshell color, its pigment composition and synthesis. Inheritance and heritability, genetic model, the number of genes, and the dominant-recessive relationship between genes for eggshell color were also reviewed. Information described in this review is useful for understanding the forming mechanism of eggshell color.