The protective effects of a novel AT2 receptor agonist, ß-Pro7Ang III in ischemia-reperfusion kidney injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study investigated the reno-protective effects of a highly selective AT2R agonist peptide, ß-Pro7Ang III in a mouse model of acute kidney injury (AKI). METHODS: C57BL/6 J mice underwent either sham surgery or unilateral kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) for 40 min. IRI mice were treated with either ß-Pro7Ang III or perindopril and at 7 days post-surgery the kidneys analysed for histopathology and the development of fibrosis and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 activity. The association of the therapeutic effects of ß-Pro7Ang III with macrophage number and phenotype was determined in vivo and in vitro. KEY RESULTS: Decreased kidney tubular injury, interstitial matrix expansion and reduced interstitial immune cell infiltration in IRI mice receiving ß-Pro7Ang III treatment was observed at day 7, compared to IRI mice without treatment. This correlated to reduced collagen accumulation and MMP-2 activity in IRI mice following ß-Pro7Ang III treatment. FACS analysis showed a reduced number and proportion of CD45+CD11b+F4/80+ macrophages in IRI kidneys in response to ß-Pro7Ang III, correlating with a significant increase in M2 macrophage markers and decreased M1 markers at day 3 and 7 post-IR injury, respectively. In vitro analysis of cultured THP-1 cells showed that ß-Pro7Ang III attenuated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)- 6 production but increased IL-10 secretion, compared to LPS alone. CONCLUSION: Administration of ß-Pro7Ang III via mini-pump improved kidney structure and reduced interstitial collagen accumulation, in parallel with an alteration of macrophage phenotype and anti-inflammatory cytokine release, therefore mitigating the downstream progression of ischemic AKI.

Association study of miR-149, miR-196a2, and miR-499a polymorphisms with coronary artery aneurysm of Kawasaki disease in southern Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests that several microRNA (miRNA) polymorphisms are closely associated with disease susceptibility or progression, such as in Kawasaki disease (KD). Our previous studies revealed the association of miR-149 rs2292832 T>C and miR-196a2 rs11614913 C>T polymorphisms with KD susceptibility. The present study further focused on the relationship between three miRNA polymorphisms (miR-149 rs2292832 T>C, miR-196a2 rs11614913 C>T and miR-499a rs3746444 A>G) and the risk of coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) in southern Chinese KD patients. METHODS: We evaluated 318 KD patients with CAAs and 784 patients without CAAs. TaqMan assays were used to estimate genotyping and analyze the relationship between miRNA polymorphisms (miR-149 rs2292832 T>C, miR-196a2 rs11614913 C>T and miR-499a rs3746444 A>G) and risk associations of CAA by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: We found that the miR-149 rs2292832 TC/CC genotype increased the CAA risk (adjusted OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.15-2.03, p = 0.003 for TC, adjusted OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.08-2.47, p = 0.021 for CC), whereas the miR-499a rs3746444 AG genotype decreased the CAA risk in KD patients (adjusted OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.25-0.45 p ≤ 0.001). Moreover, patients carrying two or three of these single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes (rs2292832 TC/CC and rs11614913 TT and rs3746444 AA) had a higher risk for CAA than those who harbored only zero or one of these SNP genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that the miR-149 rs2292832 T>C polymorphism increased the risk of CAA in KD patients and that the miR-499a rs3746444 A>G polymorphism decreased the risk of CAA in KD patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes and different centers are needed to confirm the findings of the present study.

Dermoscopic Features Summarization and Comparison of Four Types of Cutaneous Vascular Anomalies.

Objective: Dermoscopic features of cutaneous vascular anomalies have been reported, but the described features currently known are limited and not well-understood. The aim of this study is to comprehensively summarize and compare the dermoscopic features of the four different types of cutaneous vascular anomalies [infantile hemangiomas (IH), cherry angioma (CA), angiokeratomas (AK), and pyogenic granuloma (PG)] in the Chinese Han population. Materials and Methods: Dermoscopic features of 31 IH, 172 CA, 31 AK, and 45 PG were collected based on the contact non-polarized mode of dermoscopy at 20-fold magnification. Dermoscopic features including background, lacunae, vessel morphology and distribution were collected and summarized. Additionally, we compared these features by age stage, gender, and anatomical locations in CA. Results: The dermoscopic features of IH included the red lacunae, red/red-blue/red-white backgrounds, and vessel morphology such as linear curved vessels, serpiginous vessels, coiled vessels. For CA, the lacunae appeared reddish brown to reddish blue or only red. In terms of vascular morphology, serpentine vessels, coiled vessels, looped vessels, and curved vessels could be seen in the lesions. A few lesions were black or presented with a superficial white veil. There were statistical differences in red background (P = 0.021), unspecific vessel distribution (P = 0.030), black area (P = 0.029), and white surface (P = 0.042) among different age groups. Red-brown lacunae (P = 0.039), red-blue (P = 0.013), red-white background (P = 0.015), black area (P = 0.016), and white surface (P = 0.046) were of statistical difference in terms of the locations of lesions. Lacunae were also observed in AK, which presented with red, dark purple, dark blue, black. Global dermoscopic patterns that were characterized by a homogeneous area were obvious in all PG lesions, among which 30 (66.7%) were red-white and 15 (33.3%) were red. As for local features, "white rail" lines were detected in 19 (42.2%) lesions and white collarette was seen in 34 (75.6%) lesions. Conclusions: Dermoscopy is an applicable diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of cutaneous vascular anomalies. It is necessary to take into account the age stage and lesion location when we diagnose CA using dermoscopy.

Plantanone D, a new rare methyl-flavonoid from the flowers of Hosta plantaginea with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

Flowers of Hosta plantaginea have been used for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases in traditional Chinese medicine with limited scientific validation. In the present work, we reported one new rare methyl-flavonoid, plantanone D (1) and one known compound 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2) from the flowers of H. plantaginea. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectral evidence, as well as by comparison with literature data. To the best of our knowledge, the methyl-flavonoid skeleton have not been reported from any species in Liliaceae family, compound 2 was isolated from the genus Hosta for the first time. The anti-inflammatory activities against cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) and antioxidant activities in vitro results revealed that 1 exhibited significant COX-1 inhibition and moderate COX-2 inhibition compared to the reference celecoxib. Additionally, 1 displayed significant antioxidant activity compared to the positive control L-ascorbic acid.

Copper(II)-Catalyzed Direct Amination of 1-Naphthylamines at the C8 Site.

A new and simple protocol for C8-H amination of 1-naphthylamine derivatives was developed using copper salt and di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) as the catalyst and oxidant, respectively. This reaction proceeded smoothly under the additive and solvent-free conditions. In addition, this amination showed excellent regioselectivity and could tolerate various functional groups.

Purification and Characterization of an Antioxidant Protein from Fertilized Eggs.

Free radicals may attack cells or tissue, leading to chronic diseases, and antioxidant consumption is potentially useful for removing free radicals. Egg proteins may be used as potential sources of antioxidant considering their ability of scavenging free radicals to apply for food or cosmetics industry. In this study, we obtained a natural antioxidant protein from fertilized eggs, which was a dietary supplement in some Asian countries. Meanwhile, antioxidant activities of these proteins were evaluated using different oxidation systems. With increasing incubation time, the antioxidant activity of these proteins increased during 15 d of incubation. The samples on day 15 were performed for isolation of antioxidant protein. The protein, named P4-1 (MW, 45 kDa), was isolated and purified by consecutive chromatographic methods. P4-1 contained 17 amino acids, which was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and Amino Acid Analyzer. Moreover, the amino acid sequence was highly similar to that of ovalbumin. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the denaturation temperature of P4-1 was 57.16℃. Furthermore, P4-1 suggested high oxygen radical-absorbance activity in ·OH assays, and its antioxidant activity was stable at 30-50℃ in acidic and neutral pH. Thus, these results revealed that P4-1 may be a potential resource as a natural antioxidant.

Comparative analyses of leaf anatomy of dicotyledonous species in Tibetan and Inner Mongolian grasslands.

Knowledge of the leaf anatomy of grassland plants is crucial for understanding how these plants adapt to the environment. Tibetan alpine grasslands and Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands are two major grassland types in northern China. Tibetan alpine grasslands occur in high-altitude regions where the low temperatures limit plant growth. Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands are found in arid regions where moisture is the limiting factor. Few comparative studies concerning the leaf anatomy of grassland plants of the Tibetan Plateau and Inner Mongolian Plateau have been conducted. We examined leaf characteristics at 71 sites and among 65 species, across the alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau and the temperate grasslands of the Inner Mongolian Plateau. We compared the leaf structures of plants with different life forms and taxonomies, and their adaptation to arid or cold environments. We explored relationships among leaf features and the effects of climatic factors (i.e., growing season temperature and precipitation) on leaf characteristics. Our results showed that (i) there were significant differences in leaf anatomy between Tibetan alpine and Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands. Except for mesophyll cell density, the values obtained for thickness of leaf tissue, surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were larger on the Tibetan Plateau than on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. (ii) Within the same family or genus, leaf anatomy showed significant differences between two regions, and trends were consistent with those of whole species. (iii) Leaf anatomy of woody and herbaceous plants also showed significant differences between the regions. Except for mesophyll cell density, the values obtained for the thickness of leaf tissue, and the surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were larger in herbaceous than in woody plants. (iv) Leaf anatomical traits changed accordingly. Total leaf thickness, thicknesses of lower and upper epidermal cells, and surface area and volume of mesophyll cells were positively correlated, while mesophyll cell density was negatively associated with those traits. (v) Growing season temperature had stronger effects on leaf anatomy than growing season precipitation. Although the communities in Tibetan and Inner Mongolian grasslands were similar in appearance, leaf anatomy differed; this was probably due to the combined effects of evolutionary adaptation of plants to environment and environmental stress induced by climatic factors.

An understanding for the abnormal spikes of the EEG simulation in a 2-d neural network.

The work here presents an abnormal EEG simulation and an analysis for the abnormal spikes in the simulation by using the wavelet method. The simulation is derived from the electrophysiological model of an excitable neuron being in a disorder process. The spike wave and the multi-spike wave of the EEG morphology are reconstructed by step changes in the concentration of the intracellular calcium ions ([Ca]i). In the further work, when the concentration of [Ca] i is sufficiently large, the multi-spike wave can also be reconstructed and the spikes of the potentials are analyzed by the multi-layer wavelet method. The work will be helpful to understand how the EEG morphology is formed from the microcosmic viewpoint.