Protective effects of naringenin in cardiorenal syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Cardiorenal syndrome is a complicated and bidirectional interrelationship between the heart and kidneys. Naringenin (NG) is a naturally occurring flavonoid possessing various biological and pharmacological properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We tested whether NG could improve cardiac and renal function in a rat model of cardiorenal syndrome. RESULTS: The results showed that NG-attenuated cardiac remodeling and cardiac dysfunction in rats with cardiorenal syndrome, as evidenced by decrease of left ventricle weight (LVW), increase of body weight (BW), decrease of LVW/BW, decrease of concentrations of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, type-B natriuretic peptide, aldosterone, angiotensin (Ang) II, C-reactive protein, and urine protein, increase of left ventricular systolic pressure and falling rates of left ventricular pressure (dp/dtmax), and decrease of left ventricular diastolic pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and -dp/dtmax. NG significantly inhibited the increase of lipid profiles including low-density lipoprotein, TC, and TG in rats. In addition, NG significantly inhibited the increase of cardiac expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, and interferon γ. Moreover, NG decreased malonaldehyde level, increased superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione content in rats, and increased the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and catalytic subunit of γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (GCLc) in rats and Ang II-treated cardiac fibroblasts. Inhibition of Nrf2 and glutathione synthesis significantly suppressed NG-induced decrease of ROS level. Inhibition of Nrf2 markedly suppressed NG-induced increase of GCLc expression in Ang II-treated cardiac fibroblasts. CONCLUSIONS: The data provide novel options for therapy of patients and new insights into the cardioprotective effects of NG in cardiorenal syndrome.

[Microsatellite markers for paternity testing of Liangshan semi-fine wool sheep].

The usefulness of multiplex polymerase chain reaction was evaluated and fluorescent detection with 20 microsatellites was used for paternity testing of Liangshan semi-fine wool sheep. The results in Cervus 2.0 indicated that the combined exclusion probability was 0.998666 when parents were both unknown. If father was known, combined exclusion probability was 0.999994, with confidence level of 95%. Finally, the biological parents of 215 individuals in offspring were found from 8 candidate fathers and 147 candidate mothers, and a mixed pedigree was constructed. It is useful for linkage analysis of sheep chromosomes and QTL location, also for the study of population structure, history, and diversity.

Expression of metallothionein cDNA in a freshwater crab, Sinopotamon yangtsekiense, exposed to cadmium.

This paper aims at evaluating the induction of metallothionein (MT) synthesis in gills, heart and hepatopancreas of a freshwater crab, Sinopotamon yangtsekiense. Crabs were exposed to different cadmium concentrations (from 0 to 5 mg/L) from 24 to 96 h. The amount of cadmium (Cd) accumulated in gills, heart and hepatopancreas of the crab showed an increase with an increase in the treatment concentration. Furthermore, the amount of Cd accumulated in these tissues showed an increase with an increase in duration. On the other hand, MT and ß-actin genes were amplified using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Metallothionein gene expression induced by Cd was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Its expression levels were correlated to duration time and increased with cadmium concentrations in water, whilst ß-actin was expressed at a relatively constant level. The MT transcript levels in gills and hepatopancreas were higher than that in heart. Furthermore, the MT mRNA expression was not time dependent, and no relationship with Cd accumulation followed the time course of treatment at the same dose Cd treatment. But the clear dose response of MT to cadmium exposure of S. yangtsekiense is a proof of the feasibility of MT as a biomarker for testing cadmium pollution.