Ageing-Related Alterations in Renal Epithelial Glucose Transport.

The kidney plays a crucial role in glucose homeostasis by regulating glucose transport. We aimed to investigate the impact of alterations in glucose transport on glucose metabolism during ageing. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups: 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month control groups, and 6- and 12-month groups receiving the hydrogen sulfide donor molecule GYY4137. The study found that, as age increased, daily urinary uric acid and protein levels increased in the 12-month group. Blood sugar level and HOMA-IR index increased in the 12-month group, and were partially improved by GYY4137. The kidney tissue showed mild glomerulosclerosis in the 12-month group, which was diminished by GYY4137. Gene expression analysis showed decreased sirtuin and increased p21 expression in the aging groups. Increased SGLT1 and SGLT2 expression was observed in the 12-month group, which was reversed by GYY4137. Both GLUT1 and GLUT2 expression was increased in the 6- and 12-month groups, and reversed by GYY4137 in the 12-month group. The study concluded that aging was associated with increased blood sugar levels and the HOMA-IR index, and the abundance of renal glucose transporters increased as aging progressed. GYY4137 effectively reversed aging-related alterations in glucose homeostasis and renal epithelial transporters.

Impact on Mental Well-Being and Resilience of Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions in Different Periods during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak in Taiwan.

Concerns over the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and control measures have affected the routine outpatient visits of individuals with comorbidities and their mental well-being. From October 2019 to August 2020, this cross-sectional study enrolled 135 patients who sought medical attention at a medical center in Taiwan. This period covered the early (October to December 2019), peak (January to April 2020), and late (May to August 2020) periods of the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan. The demographic data, social support data, activities of daily living (ADL), resilience scale scores, and mental well-being scale scores of the participants were compared. There were no statistically significant differences in the participation rate, demographic data, and social support data between the three periods. The correlation analysis confirmed significant negative relationships between the number of COVID-19 cases and outpatient department visits per month (r = -0.764, p < 0.001), emergency department visits per month (r = -0.023, p < 0.001), ADL (r = -0.257, p = 0.03), resilience scale (r = -0.390, p < 0.001), and mental well-being scale (r = -0.475, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan was associated with declines in the ADL, mental well-being, and resilience of patients who sought medical attention.

Arsenic trioxide induces gasdermin E mediated pyroptosis in astroglioma cells.

BACKGROUND: Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been proved useful for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Apoptosis is the result of the cytotoxic effect of ATO, apoptotic mediated cell death confirmed by DNA fragmentation and Annexin V staining. Although signaling associated with ATO-induced apoptosis has been well defined, it is still unknown whether other forms of cell death are involved in ATO-induced cell death. METHODS: Western blotting, cytotoxicity assay, transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate other forms of cell death in U251 cells. RESULTS: We found that pyroptotic mediated cell death was observed in U251 cells after ATO treatment, which was confirmed by observing the increased gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavage, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and transmission electron microscopy imaging. Consistent with previous results, caspase-3 was activated by ATO, which was also important for GSDME cleavage and subsequent pyroptosis. CONCLUSIONS: We reported that GSDME mediated pyroptosis involved in ATO induced cell death in astroglioma cells.

[Herbal textual research of common Mongolian medicine "Du Ge Mo Nong"].

This study is aimed to provide the source for clinical medication by clarifing the common base of Mongolia medicinal materials "Du Ge Mo Nong". In this paper literature research and plant taxonomy method were adopted combined with investigation of the markets and clinical use status to clarify the origin of common traditional Mongolian medicine "Du Ge Mo Nong". The results showed that the Mongolian medicine "Du Ge Mo Nong" and Tibetan medicine "Du Mu Niu" were the same crude drug and originated from the seeds of Holarrhena antidysenteriaca of family Apocynaceae in earliest time. In Mongolian medicine clinic, the seed of Cynanchum thesioides of family Asclepiadaceae and the fruit of Forsythia suspense of family Oleaceae was used respectively about 18 century and recent time, as the substitutes of H. antidysenteriaca. In present standards on Mongolian material medicine, C. thesioides is including only, and H. antidysenterica is not used almost. In Tibetan medicine clinic, H. antidysenterica is being used so far. But there are various substitutes including the seeds, fruits or grass of many species classified to family Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae and Onagraceae from ancient time to the present, and C. forrestii and C. komarovii may be used at present. It's necessary to strengthen the arrangement on Mongolian medicine's varieties by the multidisciplinary methods including literature research, investigation of resources and the use state, and comparison of active substances and biological activities between the different substitutes,and so on.