Root hairs facilitate rice root penetration into compacted layers.

Compacted soil layers adversely affect rooting depth and access to deeper nutrient and water resources, thereby impacting climate resilience of crop production and global food security. Root hair plays well-known roles in facilitating water and nutrient acquisition. Here, we report that root hair also contributes to root penetration into compacted layers. We demonstrate that longer root hair, induced by elevated auxin response during a root compaction response, improves the ability of rice roots to penetrate harder layers. This compaction-induced auxin response in the root hair zone is dependent on the root apex-expressed auxin synthesis gene OsYUCCA8 (OsYUC8), which is induced by compaction stress. This auxin source for root hair elongation relies on the auxin influx carrier AUXIN RESISTANT 1 (OsAUX1), mobilizing this signal from the root apex to the root hair zone. Mutants disrupting OsYUC8 and OsAUX1 genes exhibit shorter root hairs and weaker penetration ability into harder layers compared with wild type (WT). Root-hair-specific mutants phenocopy these auxin-signaling mutants, as they also exhibit an attenuated root penetration ability. We conclude that compaction stress upregulates OsYUC8-mediated auxin biosynthesis in the root apex, which is subsequently mobilized to the root hair zone by OsAUX1, where auxin promotes root hair elongation, improving anchorage of root tips to their surrounding soil environment and aiding their penetration ability into harder layers.

Investigating the Immunogenic Cell Death-Dependent Subtypes and Prognostic Signature of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Recently, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising and effective method for treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, challenges still persist. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is considered a prospective treatment and potential combinational treatment strategy as it induces an anti-tumor immune response by presenting the antigenic epitopes of dead cells. Nevertheless, the ICD process in TNBC and its impact on disease progression and the response to immunotherapy are not well understood. In this study, we observed dysregulation of the ICD process and verified the altered expression of prognostic ICD genes in TNBC through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. To investigate the potential role of the ICD process in TNBC progression, we determined the ICD-dependent subtypes, and two were identified. Analysis of their distinct tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and cancer hallmark features revealed that Cluster 1 and 2 corresponded to the immune "cold" and "hot" phenotypes, respectively. In addition, we constructed the prognostic signature ICD score of TNBC patients and demonstrated its clinical independence and generalizability. The ICD score could also serve as a potential biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade and may aid in the identification of targeted effective agents for individualized clinical strategies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-023-00133-x.

Temperature-Induced Interface Hybridization of WC Boosts NiCu Activity for Alkaline Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction.

The development of non-precious hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) catalysts is a major challenge for the commercialization of Pt-free fuel cells. Herein, a temperature-induced phase hybridization method is reported that greatly improves the catalytic performance of NiCu alloy for the HOR. The migration of W atoms hybridizes the interface of tungsten oxide (WOx) and tungsten carbide (WC) at the onset reduction temperature of WOx, leading to a greatly weakened H binding energy and an optimized OH binding energy, which endows NiCuW/WOx-WC@WC with favorable stability and CO resistance during HOR. The hybridization catalysts deliver a high mass activity of 29.37 mA mg-1 Ni and reach a peak power of 298 mW.cm-2 in H2-O2 anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs).

Influence of Interface Type on Dynamic Deformation Behavior of 3D-Printed Heterogeneous Titanium Alloy Materials.

Using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar technique, strain-limited dynamic compressive loading experiments were performed on TA1/TA15 heterostructure (HS) materials. The plastic deformation mechanisms, fracture forms, and energy absorption properties of an HS material with a metallurgical bonding interface (MB) and an HS material without a metallurgical bonding interface (NMB) are compared and analyzed. The results show that there is no significant difference between the two deformation mechanisms. The fracture forms are all "V-shaped" fractures within the TA1 part. The NMB was carried for 57 µs before failure and absorbed 441 J/cm3 of energy. The MB was carried for 72 µs before failure and absorbed 495 J/cm3 of energy. Microstructure observations show that there is a coordinated deformation effect near the MB interface compared to the NMB, with both TA1 and TA15 near the interface carrying stresses. This causes an enhancement of the MB load-bearing time and a 12% increase in energy absorption.

Distribution of daily protein intake and appendicular skeletal muscle mass in healthy free-living Chinese older adults.

AIMS: Evidence regarding impact of protein intake distribution on skeletal muscle mass in older adults is limited and inconsistent. This study aims to investigate the relationship of evenness of dietary protein distribution and number of meals exceeding a threshold with appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) in healthy and free-living Chinese older adults. METHODS: Repeated measured data of 5689 adult participants aged ≥ 60 years from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) 2015 and 2018 waves were analyzed. Mixed-effects linear regression model was performed to examine the relationship between coefficient of variance (CV) of protein intake across meals, number of meals ≥ 0.4 g protein/kg BW and ASM, respectively. Analyses were conducted separately for male and female. RESULTS: The average CV of protein intake in each wave was in the range of 0.34-0.35. More than 40% male and female participants in each wave had no meal reaching 0.4 g protein/kg BW. Female participants in the highest quartile of protein intake CV had significantly lower ASM (ß = -0.18, 95%CI = -0.32, -0.04) compared with those in the lowest quartile, after adjustment for multiple confounders. Significant negative trends were observed across dietary protein CV quartiles with ASM both in male (P trend = 0.043) and female (P trend = 0.007). Significant positive association between number of meals exceeding 0.4 g protein /kg BW and relative ASM were observed in females (2 meals vs. 0 meal: ß = 0.003, 95%CI = 0.0007,0.006;≥3 meals vs. 0 meal: ß = 0.008, 95%CI = 0.003,0.013), after adjusting for multiple covariates. CONCLUSIONS: A more even-distributed protein intake pattern and more meals reaching protein intake threshold were respectively associated with higher appendicular skeletal muscle mass in healthy and free-living older Chinese adults. Prospective studies and intervention trials are needed to confirm these cross-sectional findings.

Ethylene regulates auxin-mediated root gravitropic machinery and controls root angle in cereal crops.

Root angle is a critical factor in optimising the acquisition of essential resources from different soil depths. The regulation of root angle relies on the auxin-mediated root gravitropism machinery. While the influence of ethylene on auxin levels is known, its specific role in governing root gravitropism and angle remains uncertain, particularly when Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) core ethylene signaling mutants show no gravitropic defects. Our research, focusing on rice (Oryza sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays), clearly reveals the involvement of ethylene in root angle regulation in cereal crops through the modulation of auxin biosynthesis and the root gravitropism machinery. We elucidated the molecular components by which ethylene exerts its regulatory effect on auxin biosynthesis to control root gravitropism machinery. The ethylene-insensitive mutants ethylene insensitive2 (osein2) and ethylene insensitive like1 (oseil1), exhibited substantially shallower crown root angle compared to the wild type. Gravitropism assays revealed reduced root gravitropic response in these mutants. Hormone profiling analysis confirmed decreased auxin levels in the root tips of the osein2 mutant, and exogenous auxin (NAA) application rescued root gravitropism in both ethylene-insensitive mutants. Additionally, the auxin-biosynthetic mutant mao hu zi10 (mhz10)/tryptophan aminotransferase2 (ostar2) showed impaired gravitropic response and shallow crown root angle phenotypes. Similarly, maize ethylene-insensitive mutants (zmein2) exhibited defective gravitropism and root angle phenotypes. In conclusion, our study highlights that ethylene controls the auxin-dependent root gravitropism machinery to regulate root angle in rice and maize, revealing a functional divergence in ethylene signaling between Arabidopsis and cereal crops. These findings contribute to a better understanding of root angle regulation and have implications for improving resource acquisition in agricultural systems.

Equivalent Heat Treatments and Mechanical Properties in Cold-Rolled TiNiFe Shape-Memory Alloys.

Heat treatments after cold rolling for TiNiFe shape-memory alloys have been compared. After EBSD analysis and as calculated by the Avrami model and Arrhenius equation, the relationship between the heat-treatment temperature and manufacturing time of TiNiFe alloys is established. Through calculation, it can be found that TiNiFe alloys can obtain similar microstructures under the annealing processes of 823 K for 776 min, 827 K for 37 min, and 923 K for 12.5 min. And the recrystallization fractions are all around 50%. Nevertheless, the tensile properties and recovery stress of the alloys show almost similar values. And based on the feasibility of the annealing process, it is believed that annealing at 873 K for 37 min is the optimal choice to obtain a recrystallization fraction φR = 50%.

Patient-derived bladder cancer organoid model to predict sensitivity and feasibility of tailored precision therapy.

Background: Bladder cancer is a common and highly heterogeneous malignant tumor with a relatively poor prognosis. Thus, personalized treatment strategies for bladder cancer are essential for improving patient outcomes. Materials and methods: We developed an efficient 3-dimensional in vitro organoid culture system for bladder cancer organoids (BCOs), which maintains the homology with the original patient tumors and the heterogeneity between different individuals. In addition, we constructed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells targeting B7H3 and evaluated the antitumor function of CAR-T cells by coculturing them with BCOs. Results: The BCOs closely resembled the characteristics of human tumors and were used to test individual sensitivity to platinum-based drugs and olaparib therapy. Coculture with CAR-T cells demonstrated specific antigen recognition and immune activation, indicating their potential in immunotherapy. Conclusions: Our study highlights the potential of BCOs to facilitate the development of personalized medicine for bladder cancer and improve the efficiency of drug discovery for bladder cancer therapy.

Efficacy and safety of olaparib combined with abiraterone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Olaparib has been proven for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This meta-analysis aims to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of olaparib and abiraterone in patients with mCRPC. Methods: The literature in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up until April 27, 2023, was systematically searched. In the studies included in this meta-analysis, olaparib combined with abiraterone was compared with abiraterone combined with placebo. Results: Two randomized controlled trials involving a total of 938 patients were included. Analysis indicated that olaparib combined with abiraterone significantly prolonged radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS: relative risk [RR] 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.79), time to secondary progression or death (PFS2: hazard ratio [HR] 0.72, 95% CI 0.56-0.93), time to first subsequent therapy or death (TFST: HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.63-0.89), time to second subsequent therapy or death (TSST: HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58-0.93), and confirmed prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.24). However, no statistically significant differences were found in the overall survival (OS: HR 0.87 95% CI 0.70-1.09), objective response rate (ORR: RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.70-1.33), and incidence of total adverse events (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.94-1.22). A notable detail that the combination of olaparib and abiraterone was associated with an increased incidence of high-grade anemia (RR 7.47, 95% CI 1.36-40.88). Conclusion: Olaparib combined with abiraterone is effective for patients with mCRPC. However, combination therapy has treatment-related adverse events compared with monotherapy, and this could be improved in future treatment management. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42023432287.

Enhanced microwave metrology using an optical grating in Rydberg atoms.

An enhanced measurement of the microwave (MW) electric (E) field is proposed using an optical grating in Rydberg atoms. Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of Rydberg atoms appears driven by a probe field and a control field. The EIT transmission spectrum is modulated by an optical grating. When a MW field drives the Rydberg transition, the central principal maximum of the grating spectrum splits. It is interesting to find that the magnitude of the sharp grating spectrum changes linearly with the MW E-field strength, which can be used to measure the MW E-field. The simulation result shows that the minimum detectable E-field strength is nearly 1/8 of that without gratings, and its measurement accuracy could be enhanced by about 60 times. Other discussion of MW metrology based on a grating spectrum is also presented.

Microwave Electrometry with Multi-Photon Coherence in Rydberg Atoms.

A scheme for the measurement of a microwave (MW) electric field is proposed via multi-photon coherence in Rydberg atoms. It is based on the three-photon electromagnetically induced absorption (TPEIA) spectrum. In this process, the multi-photon produces a narrow absorption peak, which has a larger magnitude than the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) peak under the same conditions. The TPEIA peak is sensitive to MW fields, and can be used to measure MW electric field strength. We found that the magnitude of TPEIA peaks shows a linear relationship with the MW field strength. The simulation results show that the minimum detectable strength of the MW fields is about 1/10 of that based on an common EIT effect, and the probe sensitivity could be improved by about four times. Furthermore, the MW sensing based on three-photon coherence seems to be robust against the changes in the control field and shows a broad tunability, and the scheme may be useful for designing novel MW sensing devices.

Rescue therapy with an albuvirtide-based antiretroviral regimen in an HIV-infected child with multidrug resistance and multiple opportunistic infections: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Managing multidrug-resistant (MDR) HIV infections in children is particularly challenging due to the lack of experience with new drugs in the pediatric setting. Second-line albuvirtide (ABT) with an optimized antiretroviral background therapy was approved for adults and adolescents after first-line treatment failure. This paper describes the treatment outcomes and adverse effects of an ABT-based dual-active antiretroviral treatment regimen in a child with MDR HIV strains. CASE PRESENTATION: A 13 year-old Chinese female patient infected with MDR HIV strains showed a decrease in viral load (from 4.48 log10 to 1.73 log10) and an increase in CD4 + T cells (from 15 to 308 cells/µl) after 12 months of treatment with an ABT-based antiretroviral regimen. The child showed no relevant drug-related adverse reactions. CONCLUSIONS: The case reported here could suggest that an ABT-based antiretroviral therapy might be beneficial and without relevant toxicity in children with MDR HIV. Infectiologists specializing in managing HIV should be prepared to manage an increasing number of children with MDR HIV. ABT might be a new treatment option for MDR HIV infection in children.

Emodin attenuates high lipid-induced liver metastasis through the AKT and ERK pathways in vitro in breast cancer cells and in a mouse xenograft model.

Emodin, a natural anthraquinone derivative, can inhibit lipid synthesis and breast cancer cell proliferation. We previously found that emodin decreased breast cancer liver metastasis via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) inhibition. However, the mechanism through which emodin affects breast cancer liver metastasis in high-fat diet-induced obese and hyperlipidemic mice has not been elucidated. Bioinformatics analysis was used to reveal the potential targets and pathways of emodin. The mouse model of liver metastasis was established by injecting breast cancer cells into the left ventricle in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. The effect of emodin on inhibiting liver metastasis of breast cancer was evaluated by animal experiments. The mechanisms through which emodin inhibits liver metastasis of breast cancer were studied by cell and molecular biological methods. Emodin reduced lipid synthesis by inhibiting the expression of triglyceride (TG) synthesis-related genes, such as fatty acid synthase (Fasn), glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 1 (Gpat1), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (Scd1), and ultimately reduced liver metastasis in breast cancer. In addition, emodin inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion through the serine/threonine kinase (AKT) signaling and extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathways by interacting with CSNK2A1, ESR1, ESR2, PIM1 and PTP4A3. Our results indicate that emodin may have therapeutic potential in the prevention or treatment of breast cancer liver metastasis.

[Trajectories of body mass index and risk of hypertension and blood pressure among Chinese adults].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between trajectories of body mass index(BMI) and the risk of hypertension and blood pressure among Chinese adults. METHODS: The current study was based on data from 10 waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 1991 to 2018. A multistage stratified random sample was used in this study.11885 adults whose BMI had been measured at least three times were included in the study. Group-based trajectory modeling(GBTM) was used to identify the BMI trajectories in different genders, Cox regression model was used to analyze the association between BMI trajectories and the risk of incident hypertension. Generalized linear model was used to analyze the association between BMI trajectories and the blood pressure level. RESULTS: Three distinct BMI trajectories were determined for both genders: normal-stable group, normal-overweight group, obesity-stable group. The numbers of each group among males were 3595(63.23%), 1412(24.83%) and 679(11.94%), and the numbers of each group among females were 4566(73.66%), 1214(19.58%) and 419(6.76%). Taking the normal-stable group as a reference, after adjusting for confounding factors, the normal-overweight group, obesity-stable group had 1.14(1.03-1.25), P=0.01 and 1.42(1.24-1.63), P<0.01 increased risk(HR(95% CI)) of developing hypertension in male. The normal-overweight group, obesity-stable group had 1.29(1.13-1.46), P<0.01 and 1.58(1.23-2.03), P<0.01 increased risk of developing hypertension in female. Taking the normal-stable group as a reference, after adjusting for confounding factors, the systolic blood pressure[ß(95% CI)] in the male normal-overweight group and obesity-stable group increased by 3.01(1.88-4.14)mmHg, P<0.01 and 5.44(3.85-7.03)mmHg, P<0.01 respectively. The diastolic blood-pressure level was increased by 2.20(1.48-2.91)mmHg, P<0.01 and 4.04(3.04-5.04)mmHg, P<0.01 respectively. The systolic blood pressure in the female normal-overweight group and obesity-stable group were increased by 3.65(2.44-4.85)mmHg, P<0.01 and 2.96(0.97-4.94)mmHg, P<0.01 respectively. The diastolic blood pressure level was increased by 3.11(2.38-3.86)mmHg, P<0.01 and 1.25(0.03-2.47)mmHg, P=0.05 respectively. CONCLUSION: Both the trajectory of BMI increasing with age and the trajectory of maintaining a high BMI level increased the risk of hypertension, and blood pressure also increased significantly compared with those who maintained normal BMI.

Bidirectional mediation of evening energy proportion and chronotype on their associations with blood lipid levels in a Chinese population.

The bidirectional relationship between chronotype and meal energy distribution, and the effect of their relationship on blood lipid level has not been investigated. This study aims to test and compare the bidirectional mediating effects of chronotype and meal energy distribution on blood lipid levels. Data of 9376 adult participants from 2018 wave of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were analysed. Two mediation models were tested and compared: one with Evening energy proportion (Evening EI%) as mediator of the association between adjusted mid-sleep time on free days (MSFa) and blood lipid levels and the other with MSFa as mediator of the association of Evening EI% with blood lipid levels. The mediating effect of Evening EI% on the association between MSFa and TC, LDL-C and non-HDL-C were significant (p < .001, p = .001, and p = .002, respectively). The mediating effect of MSFa on the association between Evening EI% and TC, LDL-C and non-HDL-C were significant (p = .006, p = .035, and p < .001 respectively). Evening EI% had a larger standardized mediation effect compared to MSFa. The bidirectional mediation effect suggests a reinforcement mechanism, in which later chronotype and higher Evening EI% reciprocally influence their negative impact on elevated blood lipid levels, leading to higher risk of cardiovascular diseases in the general population.

Multiple Trajectories of Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference and Their Associations with Hypertension and Blood Pressure in Chinese Adults from 1991 to 2018: A Prospective Study.

Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) have been suggested to be involved in the etiology of hypertension. The present study aimed to determine multiple trajectories of BMI and WC, then examined their associations with the risks of hypertension and high blood pressure in Chinese adults. The study used China Health and Nutrition Survey data from 1991 to 2018. The sample included 9651 adults aged 18 years or older. We used group-based multi-trajectory modeling to identify trajectories. We estimated the relationships between the trajectories and the risks of hypertension with a Cox proportional hazards regression model and the trajectories' relationships with blood pressure levels with a generalized linear model. We identified four trajectories for each gender: low stable BMI, low increasing WC (group 1); medium increasing BMI, medium increasing WC (group 2); increasing BMI to overweight, increasing WC to central obesity (group 3), increasing BMI to obesity, increasing central obesity WC (group 4). Group 1 was the reference group. Among males in groups 2, 3, and 4, the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of hypertension were 1.30 (1.15-1.48), 1.86 (1.58-2.18), and 2.60 (2.02-3.34), respectively. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of males in group 4 increased by 11.90 mm of mercury (mmHg) and 7.75 mmHg, respectively. Among females in groups 2, 3, and 4, the HR and 95% CI of hypertension were 1.35 (1.18-1.54), 1.92 (1.62-2.26), and 2.37 (1.85-3.03), respectively. The SBP and DBP of females in group 4 increased by 8.84 mmHg and 5.79 mmHg, respectively. These data indicated that increases in BMI and WC were associated with unfavorable hypertension risks. Attention to both BMI and WC trajectories has the potential to prevent hypertension.

Longitudinal Association between Physical Activity, Blood Lipids, and Risk of Dyslipidemia among Chinese Adults: Findings from the China Health and Nutrition Surveys in 2009 and 2015.

Physical activity is needed in today's highly sedentary society. Research into Chinese trends with respect to the longitudinal association between changes in physical activity (PA) and dyslipidemia (DL) is limited. The present study assessed PA and PA-related changes associated with the level of serum lipids, and the risk of dyslipidemia stratified by gender, via a population-based longitudinal observational study among adults (>18 years old) residing in nine provinces in China. Data of 3380 adult participants, gleaned from two surveys in 2009 and 2015 used by the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), were analyzed. Three-level random intercept growth models were used to calculate the associations between total physical activity (TPA), the four activity subtypes, and changes in the level of blood lipids. Three-level logistic regression models were utilized to assess the association between TPA and the risk of DL. The highest level of TPA was observed to correlate with the lowest prevalence of DL. Compared with the lowest level of TPA, the highest level of TPA increases the concentration of HDL-C (ß = 0.050, 95% CI = 0.005, 0.096) in males, and also reduces the risk in males of having low HDL-C by 31% (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.52, 0.91). Occupational PA was positively associated with higher HDL-C levels in both genders (males: ß = 0.004, 95% CI = 0.002, 0.007; females: ß = 0.002, 95% CI = 0.000, 0.004), and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was negatively associated with TG levels in males. Increasing TPA benefited HDL-C levels in males, irrespective of the level of basic TPA of individuals. Physical activity (especially occupational PA) was superior in positively influencing HDL-C in males, but not in females. Leisure-time physical activity needs to be increased substantially in order to increase TPA to levels that would be beneficial to blood lipid levels and DL, irrespective of baseline TPA levels.

Roles of auxin response factors in rice development and stress responses.

Auxin signalling plays a key role in various developmental processes ranging from embryogenesis to senescence in plants. Auxin response factor (ARF), a key component of auxin signalling, functions by binding to auxin response element within promoter of auxin response genes, activating or repressing the target genes. Increasing evidences show that ARFs are crucial for plant response to stresses. This review summarises the recent advance on the functions and their regulatory pathways of rice ARFs in development and responding to stresses. The importance of OsARFs is demonstrated by their roles in triggering various physiological, biochemical and molecular reactions to resist adverse environmental conditions. We also describe the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of OsARFs, and discuss the major challenges in this area.

Neferine mitigates cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury in mice by regulating autophagy and apoptosis.

PURPOSE: The nephrotoxicity caused by cisplatin severely limits the application and affects related platinum-based therapeutics. Neferine is a dibenzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted from a Chinese medicinal herb (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn), which can decrease cisplatin-induced apoptosis of NRK-52E cells by activating autophagy in vitro in our previous study. In this article, we aimed to further investigate the protective effect of neferine, against to the cispltain-induced kidney damage in mice. METHODS: Six groups were designed in our study. Renal index, mice serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were detected after the mice were killed. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of each group. The apoptosis of mouse kidney tissue was detected by TUNEL. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the expression of cleaved-caspase3 and LC3. The transmission electron microscope was used to reveal the changes of apoptosis and autophagy of renal tubular epithelial cells in different groups. RESULTS: In our findings, the pathological changes of acute kidney injury were easily observed in cisplatin-treated mice while those in the neferine-pretreated groups were significantly alleviated. The apoptosis induced by cisplatin in mice increased evidently compared with the control group, which was decreased in the mice with neferine pretreatment. What' more, we found that autophagy increased obviously in mice pretreated by neferine contrast to the cisplatin-treated mice. CONCLUSION: In our study, neferine can effectively alleviate cisplatin-induced renal injury in mice, as well act as an autophagy-regulator in kidney protection.

Waist Circumference Trajectories in Relation to Blood Pressure and the Risk of Hypertension in Chinese Adults.

Central obesity is associated with a higher risk of hypertension. This study aimed to analyze waist circumference (WC) trajectories and discover their association with blood pressure and the risk of hypertension. The data were obtained from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), with a sample of 11,885 adults aged 18 or older. Trajectory groups of WC were identified by group-based trajectory modeling. Three trajectory groups were identified in males: "normal-stable group" (group 1), "normal-increase to central obesity group" (group 2), and "central obesity-slight decrease group" (group 3). There were also three identified in females: "normal-increase to central obesity group" (group 1), "normal-stable group" (group 2), and "central obesity-increase group" (group 3). For males, compared with group 1, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) increased by 2.47 mmHg and 2.13 mmHg, respectively, in group 2, and by 3.07 mmHg and 2.54 mmHg, respectively, in group 3. The adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of hypertension in groups 2 and 3 were 1.16 (1.06-1.28) and 1.29 (1.10-1.50), respectively. For females, compared with group 2, SBP and DBP increased by 1.69 mmHg and 1.68 mmHg, respectively, in group 1, and by 4.96 mmHg and 2.77 mmHg, respectively, in group 3. The HR and 95% CI of hypertension in groups 2 and 3 were 1.21 (1.07-1.36) and 1.52(1.17-1.99), respectively. We found that the WC trajectory was a risk factor for hypertension and elevated blood pressure independent of basal WC. Increased risk of hypertension was nonlinearly associated with annual WC increase.