Effect of multi-glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii on renal injury in diabetic kidney disease rats through NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway / 中国中药杂志

This study investigated the effect of multi-glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii(GTW) on renal injury in diabetic kidney disease(DKD) rats through Nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)/cysteine-aspartic acid protease-1(caspase-1)/gsdermin D(GSDMD) pyroptosis pathway and the mechanism. To be specific, a total of 40 male SD rats were randomized into the normal group(n=8) and modeling group(n=34). In the modeling group, a high-sugar and high-fat diet and one-time intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(STZ) were used to induce DKD in rats. After successful modeling, they were randomly classified into model group, valsartan(Diovan) group, and GTW group. Normal group and model group were given normal saline, and the valsartan group and GTW group received(ig) valsartan and GTW, respectively, for 6 weeks. Blood urea nitrogen(BUN), serum creatinine(Scr), alanine ami-notransferase(ALT), albumin(ALB), and 24 hours urinary total protein(24 h-UTP) were determined by biochemical tests. The pathological changes of renal tissue were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. Serum levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and interleukin-18(IL-18) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Western blot was used to detect the expression of pyroptosis pathway-related proteins in renal tissue, and RT-PCR to determine the expression of pyroptosis pathway-related genes in renal tissue. Compared with the normal group, the model group showed high levels of BUN, Scr, ALT, and 24 h-UTP and serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18(P<0.01), low level of ALB(P<0.01), severe pathological damage to kidney, and high protein and mRNA levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD in renal tissue(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, valsartan group and GTW group had low levels of BUN, Scr, ALT, and 24 h-UTP and serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18(P<0.01), high level of ALB(P<0.01), alleviation of the pathological damage to the kidney, and low protein and mRNA levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD in renal tissue(P<0.01 or P<0.05). GTW may inhibit pyroptosis by decreasing the expression of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD in renal tissue, thereby relieving the inflammatory response of DKD rats and the pathological injury of kidney.

Clinical features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 caused by Delta variant infection in different age groups / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by Delta variant infection in different ages groups.@*METHODS@#A total of 45 children with COVID-19 caused by Delta variant infection who were hospitalized in the designated hospital in Henan Province, China, from November 17 to December 17, 2021, were included. They were divided into three groups: <6 years group (n=16), 6-13 years group (n=16), and >13 years group (n=13). The three groups were compared in clinical features and laboratory examination data.@*RESULTS@#COVID-19 in all age groups was mainly mild. Main manifestations included cough and expectoration in the three groups, and fever was only observed in the 6-13 years group. The <6 years group had significantly higher serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase isoenzymes than the other two groups (P<0.05). The 6-13 years group had the highest proportion of children with elevated serum creatinine levels (50%). Among the three groups, only 4 children in the >13 years group had an increase in serum C-reactive protein levels. The 6-13 years group had the lowest counts of CD3+CD4+ lymphocytes, CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes, and natural killer cells in the peripheral blood among the three groups. The >13 years group had a significantly higher positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 IgG on admission than the other two groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the imaging findings on chest CT among the three groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The clinical features of COVID-19 caused by Delta variant infection in children of different age groups may be different: children aged <6 years tend to develop myocardial injury, and those aged 6-13 years have fever except cough and expectoration and tend to develop renal and immune dysfunction.

Clinical features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 Delta variant infection after vaccination with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Delta variant infection vaccinated or not vaccinated with inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine.@*METHODS@#A total of 11 children with COVID-19 Delta variant infection who were vaccinated with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and were hospitalized in the designated hospital in Henan Province, China, from November 3 to December 17, 2021 were enrolled as the vaccinated group. Thirty-one children with COVID-19 Delta variant infection who were not vaccinated and were hospitalized during the same period were enrolled as the unvaccinated group. A retrospective analysis was performed on their epidemiological data, clinical features, and laboratory examination results.@*RESULTS@#There was no significant difference in gender composition and disease classification between the two groups (P>0.05), and there was also no significant difference in the incidence rates of the clinical symptoms such as cough, expectoration, and fever between the two groups (P>0.05). No significant difference was found between the two groups in leukocyte count, lymphocyte percentage, alanine aminotransferase, and serum creatinine (P>0.05). Compared with the unvaccinated group, the vaccinated group had significantly lower levels of aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase-MB (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the proportion of children with elevated C-reactive protein or procalcitonin and the levels of peripheral blood cytokines (P>0.05). The vaccinated group had significantly lower counts of B lymphocytes and total T lymphocytes (CD3+) than the unvaccinated group (P<0.05). Compared with the unvaccinated group, the vaccinated group had a significantly higher positive rate of IgG on admission and at week 2 of the course of disease (P<0.05), as well as a significantly higher Ct value of nucleic acid at weeks 1 and 2 of the course of disease (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Vaccination with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine may reduce myocardial injury caused by SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. For children with SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infection after the vaccination, more attention should be paid to their immune function.