A comparison of chemiluminescent immunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting phospholipase A2 receptor antibody in primary membranous nephropathy.

Objective: The accurate detection of phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) autoantibody is crucial in the diagnosis and monitoring of primary membranous nephropathy (pMN). While enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the commonly used detection method, its complexity and time-consuming nature pose challenges, especially for small sample sizes. Chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) has emerged as a rapid alternative for clinical immunoassays. This study aims to compare the sensitivity, specificity, and precision of CLIA and ELISA in detecting PLA2R autoantibody. Method: A total of 145 patients with biopsy-confirmed primary membranous nephropathy and 85 patients with non-membranous nephropathy were enrolled in this comparative study. CLIA and ELISA were employed to test all samples for the presence of PLA2R autoantibodies. Statistical analysis of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) was performed using SPSS 26.0. The diagnostic value of ELISA and CLIA for pMN was analyzed using the ROC curve, and Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman. Results: Serum levels of anti-PLA2R antibody in pMN group were significantly higher than those in nMN group(P < 0.05). The accuracy of CLIA for detecting anti-PLA2R antibody was 76.96%, while ELISA showed an accuracy of 74.78%. The sensitivity for CLIA was 64.83%, compared to 60% for ELISA. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two methods (P > 0.05). The overall qualitative agreement of anti-PLA2R detection was 93.35% (95% confidence interval[CI] 89.47-96.3). ROC curve analysis showed that AUC of anti-PLA2R antibody detected by ELISA and CLIA were 0.8737 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8270-0.9204), 0.8914 (95% confidence interval [CI]0.8495-0.9332), respectively. The Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between them(P < 0.05). Notably, CLIA demonstrated a significant time-saving advantage, particularly when the sample size was less than 200, and especially when it was less than 20. Conclusion: CLIA and ELISA showed similar accuracy and consistency in detecting anti-PLA2R antibody for primary membranous nephropathy. However, CLIA exhibited a significant advantage in terms of automation and time-saving compared to ELISA, particularly for smaller sample sizes. This finding suggests that CLIA has the potential to become a preferred and widely adopted test in the future.

Characteristics of renal pathology and coagulation function in IgA nephropathy and IgA vasculitis associated nephritis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical and pathological differences between patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and IgA vasculitis associated nephritis (IgAVN). METHODS: A total of 253 patients with IgAN and 71 patients with IgAVN were retrospectively included in the study, and clinical and laboratory data were collected and analysed. RESULTS: Compared with IgAVN group, months from onset to kidney biopsy were significantly prolonged in IgAN patients because of the lack of obvious symptoms such as rash, abdominal symptoms, and joint pain (13.5 ± 26.6 vs. 10.2 ± 31.6 months, P = 0.007), and the levels of serum creatinine (92.3 ± 94.7 vs. 68.9 ± 69.2 µmol/L, P = 0.015) was higher and eGFR (99.1 ± 35.2 vs. 123.4 ± 41.8 mL/min/1.73m2, P < 0.001) was lower in IgAN group. The pathological results revealed that patients with IgAN have a greater degree of chronic kidney injury compared to patients with IgAVN. In addition, the levels of plasma D-Dimers (1415.92 ± 1774.69 vs. 496.78 ± 711.91 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) (3.92 ± 4.73 vs. 1.63 ± 2.46 µg/mL, P = 0.001) were significantly higher in IgAVN patients than in IgAN patients. The deposition of fibrinogen in the renal tissues was more severe and the cumulative partial remission rate was higher in patients with IgAVN as compared to those with IgAN (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In comparison, IgAN patients had poorer renal function, whereas IgAVN patients had more severe coagulation abnormalities. These findings provide a basis for the differentiation of the two diseases at an early stage.

Profilin1 is required for prevention of mitotic catastrophe in murine and human glomerular diseases.

The progression of proteinuric kidney diseases is associated with podocyte loss, but the mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Podocytes reenter the cell cycle to repair double-stranded DNA breaks. However, unsuccessful repair can result in podocytes crossing the G1/S checkpoint and undergoing abortive cytokinesis. In this study, we identified Pfn1 as indispensable in maintaining glomerular integrity - its tissue-specific loss in mouse podocytes resulted in severe proteinuria and kidney failure. Our results suggest that this phenotype is due to podocyte mitotic catastrophe (MC), characterized histologically and ultrastructurally by abundant multinucleated cells, irregular nuclei, and mitotic spindles. Podocyte cell cycle reentry was identified using FUCCI2aR mice, and we observed altered expression of cell-cycle associated proteins, such as p21, p53, cyclin B1, and cyclin D1. Podocyte-specific translating ribosome affinity purification and RNA-Seq revealed the downregulation of ribosomal RNA-processing 8 (Rrp8). Overexpression of Rrp8 in Pfn1-KO podocytes partially rescued the phenotype in vitro. Clinical and ultrastructural tomographic analysis of patients with diverse proteinuric kidney diseases further validated the presence of MC podocytes and reduction in podocyte PFN1 expression within kidney tissues. These results suggest that profilin1 is essential in regulating the podocyte cell cycle and its disruption leads to MC and subsequent podocyte loss.

"Wane and wax" strategy: Enhanced evolution kinetics of liquid phase Li2S4 to Li2S via mutually embedded CNT sponge/Ni-porous carbon electrocatalysts.

The lithium-sulfur battery (Li-S) has been considered a promising energy storage system, however, in the practical application of Li-S batteries, considerable challenges remain. One challenge is the low kinetics involved in the conversion of Li2S4 to Li2S. Here, we reveal that highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles play a unique role in the reduction of Li2S4. Ni-porous carbon (Ni-PC) decorated in situ on a free-standing carbon nanotube sponge (CNTS/Ni-PC) enriches the current response of liquid phase Li2S4 and Li2S2 around the cathode more than 8.1 and 5.7 times higher than that of the CNTS blank sample, respectively, greatly boosting the kinetics and decreasing the reaction overpotential of Li2S4 reduction (lower Tafel slope and larger current response). Thus, with the same total overpotential, more space is provided for the concentration difference overpotential, allowing the more soluble polysulfide intermediates farther away from the surface of the conductive materials to be reduced based on the "wane and wax" strategy, and significantly improving the sulfur utilization. Consequently, S@CNTS/Ni-PC delivers excellent rate performance (812.4 mAh·g-1 at 2C) and a remarkable areal capacity of 10.1 mAh·cm-2. This work provides a viable strategy for designing a target catalyst to enhance the conversion kinetics in the Li2S4 reduction process.

A Study on the Role of Wip1 in Renal Fibrosis by Modulating Macrophage Phenotype.

BACKGROUND: Renal fibrosis is the result of chronic kidney diseases, the exploration of the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis and the development of effective treatment methods have become major challenges. AIMS: To investigate the effect of wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1) on macrophage phenotype regulation and the role played in renal fibrosis. METHODS: RAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon-γ (IFN-γ) or interleukin 4 (IL-4) to differentiate into M1 or M2 macrophages. Lentivirus vectors were transduced into RAW264.7 macrophages to construct the cell lines that overexpressed or silenced Wip1, respectively. Furthermore, E-cadherin, Vimentin, and α-SMA levels of primary renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) were measured after co-culture with macrophages overexpressed or silenced by Wip1. RESULTS: Macrophages stimulated by LPS plus IFN-γ differentiated into M1 macrophages with high expression of iNOS and TNF-α, while those stimulated by IL-4 differentiated into M2 macrophages with high expression of Arg-1 and CD206. Increased expression of iNOS and TNF-α was observed in macrophages transduced with Wip1 RNA interference, while an increased expression of Arg-1 and CD206 was observed in macrophages transduced with Wip1 overexpressed vector, indicating that RAW264.7 macrophages could be transformed into M2 macrophages after Wip1 overexpression, and transformed into M1 macrophages by down-regulating Wip1. In addition, the E-cadherin mRNA level decreased and Vimentin and α-SMA increased in RTECs co-cultured with Wip1 overexpressed macrophages compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Wip1 may participate in the pathophysiological process of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis by transforming macrophages into the M2 phenotype.

Effect of pulsed intravenous methylprednisolone with alternative low-dose prednisone on high-risk IgA nephropathy: a 18-month prospective clinical trial.

Full-dose prednisone (FP) regimen in the treatment of high-risk immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) patients, is still controversial. The pulsed intravenous methylprednisolone combined with alternative low-dose prednisone (MCALP) might have a more favorable safety profile, which has not been fully investigated. Eighty-seven biopsy-proven IgAN adult patients and proteinuria between 1 and 3.5 g/24 h after ACEI/ARB for at least 90 days were randomly assigned to 6-month therapy: (1) MCALP group: 0.5 g of methylprednisolone intravenously for three consecutive days at the beginning of the course and 3rd month respectively, oral prednisone at a dose of 15 mg every other day for 6 months. (2) FP group: 0.8-1.0 mg/kg/days of prednisone (maximum 70 mg/day) for 2 months, then tapered by 5 mg every 10 days for the next 4 months. All patients were followed up for another 12 months. The primary outcome was complete remission (CR) of proteinuria at 12 months. The percentage of CR at 12th and 18th month were similar in the MCALP and FP groups (51% vs 58%, P = 0.490, at 12th month; 60% vs 56%, P = 0.714, at 18th month). The cumulative dosages of glucocorticoid were less in the MCALP group than FP group (4.31 ± 0.26 g vs 7.34 ± 1.21 g, P < 0.001). The analysis of the correlation between kidney biopsy Oxford MEST-C scores with clinical outcomes indicated the percentages of total remission was similar between two groups with or without M1, E1, S1, T1/T2, and C1/C2. More patients in the FP group presented infections (8% in MCALP vs 21% in FP), weight gain (4% in MCALP vs 19% in FP) and Cushing syndrome (3% in MCALP vs 18% in FP). These data indicated that MCALP maybe one of the choices for IgAN patients with a high risk for progression into ESKD.Trial registration: The study approved by the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration date 13/01/2018, approval number ChiCTR1800014442, https://www.chictr.org.cn/ ).

TRIM32 Inhibition Attenuates Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammatory Injury in Podocytes Induced by High Glucose by Modulating the Akt/GSK-3ß/Nrf2 Pathway.

Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress in podocytes exerts a major role in the pathological process of diabetic nephropathy. Tripartite motif-containing protein 32 (TRIM32) has been reported to be a key protein in the modulation of cellular apoptosis and oxidative stress under various pathological processes. However, whether TRIM32 participates in the regulation of high glucose (HG)-induced injury in podocytes has not been investigated. This work aimed to assess the possible role of TRIM32 in mediating HG-induced apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response in podocytes in vitro. Our results showed a marked increase in TRIM32 expression in HG-exposed podocytes and the glomeruli of diabetic mice. Loss-of-function experiments showed that TRIM32 knockdown improves the viability of HG-stimulated podocytes and suppresses HG-induced apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses in podocytes. Further investigation revealed that TRIM32 inhibition enhances the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling, which is associated with the modulation of the Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß) axis in podocytes following HG exposure. However, Akt suppression abrogated the TRIM32 knockdown-mediated activation of Nrf2 in HG-exposed podocytes. Nrf2 knockdown also markedly abolished the protective effects induced by TRIM32 inhibition o in HG-exposed podocytes. In summary, this work demonstrated that TRIM32 inhibition protects podocytes from HG-induced injury by potentiating Nrf2 signaling through modulation of Akt/GSK-3ß signaling. The findings reveal the potential role of TRIM32 in mediating podocyte injury during the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Experimental Study on the Mechanical Behavior of Coal Samples during Water Saturation.

When mining-induced fractures reach overlying aquifers, water enters the mining area and the coal is under different natural water saturation conditions, which significantly affect the mechanical behavior of the coal. In this study, uniaxial compression tests were conducted on dry, partially saturated, quasi-saturated, and fully saturated coal samples. The mechanical parameters, acoustic emission (AE) activities, and failure patterns of differently saturated coal samples were analyzed. The effect of water content on the behavior of coal and suggestions to ensure safe underground coal mining were discussed. The results indicate that the water content in coal increases nonlinearly with intrusion time and can be regarded as a logarithmic function. With increasing water saturation, the mechanical strength of the coal decreases on the whole and the AE activities, crack development, and burst severity are weakened significantly. The failure pattern of the coal samples changes from a dynamic type to a quasi-static one and from a compressive-shear type to a tensile one. Water content has four main effects on the mechanical behavior of the coal samples. These are a liquid bridge force, a water softening effect, a wedge effect, and a lubrication effect. With increasing water saturation, the effect of water gradually increases and predominates the coal failure, leading to a continuous decline in the strength of the coal samples. When the coal around the mining space is subjected to water, the high degree of water saturation in the coal decreases the risks of coal bursts significantly; however, it causes a large deformation and instability of the roadways. To ensure safe mining, more measures should be taken to decrease the amount of inrushing water, reduce the stress, and reinforce the anchor bolting support.

Profibrotic mechanisms of DPP8 and DPP9 highly expressed in the proximal renal tubule epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: DPP8 and DPP9 have been demonstrated to play important roles in multiple diseases. Evidence for increased gene expression of DPP8 and DPP9 in tubulointerstitium was found to be associated with the decline of kidney function in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, which was observed in the Nephroseq human database. To examine the role of DPP8 and DPP9 in the tubulointerstitial injury, we determined the efficacy of DPP8 and DPP9 on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) as well as the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: We conducted the immunofluorescence of DPP8 and DPP9 in kidney biopsy specimens of CKD patients, established unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) animal model, treated with TC-E5007 (a specific inhibitor of both DPP8 and DPP9) or Saxagliptin (positive control) or saline, and HK-2 cells model. RESULTS: We observed the significantly increased expression of DPP8 and DPP9 in the renal proximal tubule epithelial cells of CKD patients compared to the healthy control subjects. DPP8/DPP9 inhibitor TC-E5007 could significantly attenuate the EMT and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis in UUO mice, all these effects were mediated via interfering with the TGF-ß1/Smad signaling. TC-E5007 treatment also presented reduced renal inflammation and improved renal function in the UUO mice compared to the placebo-treated UUO group. Furthermore, the siRNA for DPP8 and DPP9, and TC-E5007 treatment decreased EMT- and ECM-related proteins in TGF-ß1-treated HK-2 cells respectively, which could be reversed significantly by transduction with lentivirus-DPP8 and lentivirus-DPP9. CONCLUSION: These data obtained provide evidence that the DPP8 and DPP9 could be potential therapeutic targets against TIF.

Establishment of a novel nomogram for the clinically diagnostic prediction of minimal change disease, -a common cause of nephrotic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Minimal change disease (MCD) is one of the major causes of nephrotic syndrome (NS). A confirmed MCD diagnosis mainly depends on renal biopsy at present, which is an invasive procedure with many potential risks. The overall incidence of complications caused by renal biopsy procedures has been reported as approximately 11 and 6.6% outside and within China, respectively. Unfortunately, there is currently no noninvasive procedure or practical classification method for distinguishing MCD from other primary glomerular diseases available. METHOD: A total of 1009 adult patients who underwent renal biopsy between January 2017 and November 2019 were enrolled in this study. Twenty-five parameters extracted from patient demographics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory test results were statistically analysed. LASSO regression analysis was further performed on these parameters. The parameters with the highest area under the curve (AUC) were selected and used to establish a logistic diagnostic prediction model. RESULTS: Of the 25 parameters, 14 parameters were significantly different (P < 0.05). MCD patients were mostly younger (36 (22, 55) vs. 41 (28.75, 53)) and male (59% vs. 52%) and had lower levels of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (79 (71, 85.5) vs. 80 (74, 89)) and IgG (5.42 (3.17, 6.36) vs. 9.38 (6.79, 12.02)) and higher levels of IgM (1.44 (0.96, 1.88) vs. 1.03 (0.71, 1.45)) and IgE (160 (46.7, 982) vs. 47.3 (19, 126)) than those in the non-MCD group. Using the LASSO model, we established a classifier for adults based on four parameters: DBP and the serum levels of IgG, IgM, IgE. We were able to clinically classify adult patients with NS into MCD and non-MCD using this model. The validation accuracy of the logistic regression model was 0.88. A nomogram based on these four classifiers was developed for clinical use that could predict the probability of MCD in adult patients with NS. CONCLUSIONS: A LASSO model can be used to distinguish MCD from other primary glomerular diseases in adult patients with NS. Combining the model and the nomogram potentially provides a novel and valuable approach for nephrologists to diagnose MCD, avoiding the complications caused by renal biopsy.

Farrerol alleviates high glucose-induced renal mesangial cell injury through the ROS/Nox4/ERK1/2 pathway.

Hyperproliferation and oxidative stress induced by hyperglycemia in mesangial cells plays crucial roles in the pathological process of diabetic nephropathy. Farrerol, isolated from rhododendron leaves, possesses broad anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties towards several diseases, but its role in diabetic neuropathy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of farrerol in high glucose induced mesangial cell injury, and to explore underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that high glucose in vitro conditions significantly stimulated cell proliferation, inflammatory cytokine secretion, extracellular matrix deposition, excessive oxidative stress, and NADPH oxidase activity in mesangial cells. Levels of NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) expression, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and TGF-ß1/Smad2 activation were significantly induced by high glucose conditions in mesangial cells. Inversely, farrerol treatments at 40, 60, and 80 µM concentrations, dose-dependently alleviated this molecular damage by high glucose in mesangial cells. We also found that restoration of Nox4 expression abolished the protective effects of farrerol on high glucose-induced proliferation and reactive oxygen species generation. Furthermore, pretreatment with the Nox4 inhibitor diphenyliodonium or the ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor PD98059, displayed similar ameliorated effects of farrerol on high glucose-induced mesangial cell damage. Taken together, these data suggest that farrerol displays protective effects on high glucose induced mesangial cell injury, partly through the Nox4-mediated ROS/ERK1/2 signaling pathway. These observations may provide novel insights into the application of farrerol as a diabetic neuropathy treatment.

Synthesis and Study of Zinc Orotate and Its Synergistic Effect with Commercial Stabilizers for Stabilizing Poly(Vinyl Chloride).

Zinc orotate (ZnOr2), which is a new kind of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) stabilizer, is prepared in this work through the precipitation method, and its impact on the thermal stability of PVC is measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), Congo red test, and discoloration test. The results exhibit that the thermal stability of PVC is positively enhanced after the addition of ZnOr2. In contrast with a commercial thermal stabilizer, zinc stearate (ZnSt2), a noteworthy improvement was observed that ZnOr2 could postpone the "zinc burning" of PVC. This is principally ascribed to the Or anion in the structure of ZnOr2 being able to absorb the HCl released by PVC, and to supersede unstable chlorine atoms in the structure of PVC. In addition, blending ZnOr2 with calcium stearate (CaSt2) in diverse mass ratios can significantly accelerate the thermal stability of PVC. Optimum performance was achieved with a CaSt2:ZnOr2 ratio of 1.8:1.2. Moreover, an outstanding synergistic effect can be observed when CaSt2/ZnOr2 is coupled with other commercial auxiliary stabilizers. The initial color and long-term stability of PVC including CaSt2/ZnOr2 is significantly increased when pentaerythritol (PER) is added, while dibenzoylmethane (DBM) can only improve its long-term thermal stability.

Development and Investigation of Lanthanum Sulfadiazine with Calcium Stearate and Epoxidised Soyabean Oil as Complex Thermal Stabilizers for Stabilizing Poly(vinyl chloride).

Lanthanum sulfadiazine (LaSD) was synthesized from sulfadiazine and lanthanum nitrate using water as solvent under alkaline conditions, and was used as a novel rare earth thermal stabilizer to stabilize poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The structure of LaSD was characterized by elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermo- gravimetric analysis (TGA). The influence of lanthanum sulfadiazine with calcium stearate (CaSt2) and epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) on stabilizing PVC was studied by using the Congo red test, oven discoloration test, UV-vis spectroscopy and thermal decomposition kinetics. The results showed that the addition of LaSD as a thermal stabilizer can significantly improve the initial whiteness and long-term stability of PVC. In addition, the synergies between LaSD, ESBO, and CaSt2 can provide outstanding improvement in the long-term thermal stability of PVC. When the ratio of LaSD/ESBO/CaSt2 is 1.8/0.6/0.6, its thermal stability time is 2193 s which is the best state for stabilizing PVC. Furthermore, comparing the reaction energy (Ea) and the variations in the conjugate double bond concentration in PVC samples, the order of thermal stability of PVC was PVC/LaSD/ESBO/CaSt2 > PVC/LaSD/ESBO > PVC/LaSD. The thermal stability mechanism of LaSD on PVC was studied by the AgCl precipitation method and FTIR spectrum. The results showed that the action of LaSD on PVC was achieved through replacing unstable chlorine atoms and absorbing hydrogen chloride.

Therapeutic Effects of FK506 on IgA Nephropathy Rat.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: FK506 is an immunosuppressive drug and a calcineurin inhibitor that has been widely used in kidney disease in recent years. FK506 shows a wide range of biological and pharmaceutical effects; however, the mechanism of its anti- proliferative effect has not been well elucidated. An IgA nephropathy (IgAN) model was used to generate a mesangial cell proliferation model. This study aims to examine the effect of FK506 on IgAN rats and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Hematuria, proteinuria and renal function were measured. To observe the pathological conditions, we performed HE (hematoxylin - eosin) and PAS (periodic acid - schiff) staining. Transcription and protein expression levels were detected by qRT - PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) and Wb (western blotting). The location and semi-quantitative expression levels of TRPCs, CaN (Calcineurin) and α-SMA were examined by IHC (Immunohistochemical staining). RESULTS: We found that FK506 could improve hematuria, proteinuria and renal function, especially in the HF (high-dose FK506) groups. Renal pathological changes were ameliorated in the treatment groups. FK506 could significantly decrease TRPCs, CaN, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and α-SMA expression. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that the therapeutic effect of FK506 on IgAN might be partially associated with the down-regulated expression of TRPC channels, CaN and phosphorylation of ERK1/2.

Effect of Content of Sulfate Groups in Seaweed Polysaccharides on Antioxidant Activity and Repair Effect of Subcellular Organelles in Injured HK-2 Cells.

This study aims to investigate the repair effect of subcellular structure injuries of the HK-2 cells of four degraded seaweed polysaccharides (DSPs), namely, the degraded Porphyra yezoensis, Gracilaria lemaneiformis, Sargassum fusiform, and Undaria pinnatifida polysaccharides. The four DSPs have similar molecular weight, but with different content of sulfate groups (i.e., 17.9%, 13.3%, 8.2%, and 5.5%, resp.). The damaged model was established using 2.8 mmol/L oxalate to injure HK-2 cells, and 60 µg/mL of various DSPs was used to repair the damaged cells. With the increase of sulfate group content in DSPs, the scavenging activity of radicals and their reducing power were all improved. Four kinds of DSPs have repair effect on the subcellular organelles of damaged HK-2 cells. After being repaired by DSPs, the release amount of lactate dehydrogenase was decreased, the integrity of cell membrane and lysosome increased, the Δψm increased, the cell of G1 phase arrest was inhibited, the proportion of S phase increased, and cell apoptotic and necrosis rates were significantly reduced. The greater the content of sulfate group is, the stronger is the repair ability of the polysaccharide. These DSPs, particularly the polysaccharide with higher sulfate group content, may be a potential drug for the prevention and cure of kidney stones.

Medical nutrition therapy for pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus-A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remain at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in the future. The effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) acting on GDM is increasingly becoming noteworthy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study involving 488 GDM cases was conducted. The prepregnancy weight, weight changes during pregnancy, glucose levels, GDM management, follow-up, and birth outcomes were recorded from 2008 to 2012. RESULTS: Overall, 62.91% of the women received MNT, with an increasing trend from 2008 to 2012 (p < 0.01). The fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour blood glucose, and weight gain at 28 weeks, 32 weeks, and 36 weeks as well as intrapartum were lower in the MNT group than in the non-MNT group. Total weight gain during pregnancy and the rates of adverse events during pregnancy were lower in the MNT group compared to the non-MNT group (all p < 0.05). Moreover, 92.2% of the participants in the MNT group had a normal oral glucose tolerance test result, and the rate of exclusive breastfeeding within 4 months after delivery was 54.4% in the MNT group; both were higher than those of the non-MNT group (66.3%, p < 0.001; 29.3%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: MNT can reduce the incidence of pregnancy complications, increase the exclusive breastfeeding rate, and improve pregnancy outcomes.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Wholegrain Oat Intake on Weight Management and Glucolipid Metabolism in Overweight Type-2 Diabetics: A Randomized Control Trial.

Glycemic control and weight reduction are primary goals for the management of overweight and obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Effective management cannot be achieved without an appropriate diet. Our study aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of oat intake and develop a reasonable dietary plan for overweight T2DM patients. A randomized control trial, registered under ClinicalTrials.gov (Identification code: NCT01495052), was carried out among adult T2DM patients. A subgroup of 298 overweight subjects was selected and received a 30-day centralized intervention and 1-year free-living follow-up. Participants were randomly allocated to one of the following four groups. The usual care group (n = 60) received no intervention; the healthy diet group (n = 79) received a low-fat and high-fiber diet ("healthy diet"); the 50 g-oats group (n = 80) and 100 g-oats group (n = 79) received the "healthy diet" with the same amount of cereals replaced by 50 g and 100 g oats respectively. Anthropometric, blood glycemic and lipid variables were measured. For the 30-day intervention, significant differences in the changes of FPG (fasting plasma glucose), PPG (postprandial plasma glucose), HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin), HOMA-IR (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance), TC (total cholesterol), TG (total triglycerides), and LDL-c (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were observed among the four groups. Compared to the healthy diet group, the 50 g-oats group had a bigger reduction in PPG (mean difference (MD): -1.04 mmol/L; 95% CI: -2.03, -0.05) and TC (MD: -0.24 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.47, -0.01); the 100 g-oats group had a bigger reduction in PPG (MD: -1.48 mmol/L; 95% CI: -2.57, -0.39), HOMA-IR (MD: -1.77 mU·mol/L²; 95% CI: -3.49, -0.05), TC (MD: -0.33 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.56, -0.10) and LDL-c (MD: -0.22 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.41, -0.03). In the 1-year follow-up, greater effects in reducing weight (MD: -0.89 kg; 95% CI: -1.56, -0.22), HbA1c (MD: -0.64%; 95% CI: -1.19, -0.09) and TG (MD: -0.70 mmol/L; 95% CI: -1.11, -0.29) were observed in the 100 g-oats group. In conclusion, short- and long-term oat intake had significant effects on controlling hyperglycemia, lowering blood lipid and reducing weight. Our study provided some supportive evidence for recommending oat as a good whole grain selection for overweight diabetics.

The Effects of Intensive Nutrition Education on Late Middle-Aged Adults with Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Many patients with type 2 diabetes find it difficult to maintain good glycemic control. Undesirable glycemic control occurs greatly due to deficiencies of nutritional knowledge and difficulty in obtaining dietary prescriptions. The late middle-aged and elder individuals are the main populations that are affected by type 2 diabetes. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether intensive nutrition education would make benefits for late middle-aged patients with type 2 diabetes. METHOD: 196 patients between 50 to 65 years old meeting type 2 diabetes criteria and eligible for the program were included in a single-blinded, 30-day centralized management of an education program in China. Participants in the program were randomly divided into a usual nutrition education group or an intensive nutrition education group. The usual nutrition education group was used as a control group and received only basic health advice and principles of diabetic diets at the beginning and the end of the study. Participants in the intensive nutrition education group were arranged to receive intensive nutritional lectures about diabetes for 30 days. The primary outcomes were the changes in weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h postprandial plasma glucose (PG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total glycerin (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c). RESULTS: After 30 days of intervention, FPG, PG, and HbA1c in the treatment group decreased significantly than the control group (p < 0.05). HbA1c reduced significantly by 0.6% in the intervention group. No significant differences in the change of blood lipids were observed between groups. However, TG, TC, and HDL-c made improvements compared with the baseline in the experimental group. Both groups had a reduction in weight and BMI within groups, especially in intensive nutrition education group. However, there was no statistical significance between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive nutrition education has significant effects on blood glucose control in late middle-aged adults with type 2 diabetes. Intensive education can cultivate good diet habits and increase physical activity, which are important for diabetes patients in the short and long terms. These findings may contribute to improving education methodology and nutrition therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

[Relationship between Life Habits and Constitution Types of Chinese Medicine in the Senile Living at Home in Beijing Downtown].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of constitution types of Chinese medicine (CM) in the elderly living at home in Beijing downtown, and to explore its relationship with life habits. METHODS: A total of 3894 senile more than 60 years old were enrolled in this study. Their constitution types of CM were typed using CM constitution questionnaire. Meanwhile, their demographic features, disease condition, diet habits, exercise habits, sleep habits, and so on were investigated. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between life habits and constitution types of CM. RESULTS: The number of mild type constitution senile was 1111 (28.53%) and the number of biased constitutions 2783 (71.47%). Biased constitutions of the top three were qi deficiency constitution (662, 17.00%), yang deficiency constitution (445, 11.43%), and blood stasis constitution (363, 9.32%). Univariate analysis showed that different habits of diet, exercise, and sleep exist among the senile of different constitutions (P < 0.05). By taking mild type constitution, multivariate Logistic regression analysis (except demographic indices and chronic history) showed that significantly positive correlation existed between qi deficiency constitution and favor for hot food (OR = 1.349, P = 0.015), yang deficiency constitution and favor for hot food (OR = 2.448, P < 0.01), phlegm-wetness constitution and favor for barbecue food (OR = 2.144, P = 0.003), wet-heat constitution and favor for sweet food (OR = 1.355, P = 0.032), wet-heat constitution and favor for tea (OR = 1.359, P = 0.047), blood stasis constitution and favor for hot food (OR = 1.422, P = 0.017), and qi depression constitution and favor for hot food (OR = 1.446, P = 0.031). Regular exercise had negative correlation with qi deficiency constitution (OR = 0.397, P < 0.01), yang deficiency constitution (OR = 0.522, P < 0.01) , phlegm-wetness constitution (OR = 0.475, P < 0.01), wet-heat constitution (OR = 0.647, P = 0.015), blood stasis constitution (OR = 0.608, P = 0.001), qi depression constitution (OR = 0.541, P = 0.001), and special diathesis constitution (OR = 0.466, P < 0.01). Early sleep and rise habit had negative with phlegm-wetness constitution (OR = 0.414, P < 0.01), wet-heat constitution (OR = 0.536, P = 0.015), blood stasis constitution (OR = 0.515, P = 0.004), and special diathesis constitution (OR = 0.526, P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Different constitution types of CM might be highly related to specific life habits. Cultivating better life habits can improve biased constitutions of CM.

GC-TOF-MS-based serum metabolomic investigations of naked oat bran supplementation in high-fat-diet-induced dyslipidemic rats.

The present study aimed to explore the metabolic response of oat bran consumption in dyslipidemic rats by a high-throughput metabolomics approach. Four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were used: N group (normal chow diet), M group (dyslipidemia induced by 4-week high-fat feeding, then normal chow diet), OL group and OH group (dyslipidemia induced, then normal chow diet supplemented with 10.8% or 43.4% naked oat bran). Intervention lasted for 12weeks. Gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to identify serum metabolite profiles. Results confirmed the effects of oat bran on improving lipidemic variables and showed distinct metabolomic profiles associated with diet intervention. A number of endogenous molecules were changed by high-fat diet and normalized following supplementation of naked oat bran. Elevated levels of serum unsaturated fatty acids including arachidonic acid (Log2Fold of change=0.70, P=.02 OH vs. M group), palmitoleic acid (Log2Fold of change=1.24, P=.02 OH vs. M group) and oleic acid (Log2Fold of change=0.66, P=.04 OH vs. M group) were detected after oat bran consumption. Furthermore, consumption of oat bran was also characterized by higher levels of methionine and S-adenosylmethionine. Pathway exploration found that most of the discriminant metabolites were involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, biosynthesis and metabolism of amino acids, microbial metabolism in diverse environments and biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. These results point to potential biomarkers and underlying benefit of naked oat bran in the context of diet-induced dyslipidemia and offer some insights into the mechanism exploration.