A late eating midpoint is associated with increased risk of diabetic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study based on NHANES 2013-2020.

BACKGROUND: Modifying diet is crucial for diabetes and complication management. Numerous studies have shown that adjusting eating habits to align with the circadian rhythm may positively affect metabolic health. However, eating midpoint, eating duration, and their associations with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) are poorly understood. METHODS: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2020) was examined for information on diabetes and dietary habits. From the beginning and ending times of each meal, we calculated the eating midpoint and eating duration. Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 30 mg/g and/or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were the specific diagnostic criteria for DKD. RESULTS: In total, details of 2194 subjects with diabetes were collected for analysis. The overall population were divided into four subgroups based on the eating midpoint quartiles. The prevalence of DKD varied noticeably (P = 0.037) across the four categories. When comparing subjects in the second and fourth quartiles of eating midpoint to those in the first one, the odds ratios (ORs) of DKD were 1.31 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.67) and 1.33 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.70), respectively. And after controlling for potential confounders, the corresponding ORs of DKD in the second and fourth quartiles were 1.42 (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.90) and 1.39 (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.85), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A strong correlation was found between an earlier eating midpoint and a reduced incidence of DKD. Eating early in the day may potentially improve renal outcomes in patients with diabetes.

Challenges and Suggestions of Ethical Review on Clinical Research Involving Brain-Computer Interfaces.

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is rapidly advancing in medical research and application. As an emerging biomedical engineering technology, it has garnered significant attention in the clinical research of brain disease diagnosis and treatment, neurological rehabilitation, and mental health. However, BCI also raises several challenges and ethical concerns in clinical research. In this article, the authors investigate and discuss three aspects of BCI in medicine and healthcare: the state of international ethical governance, multidimensional ethical challenges pertaining to BCI in clinical research, and suggestive concerns for ethical review. Despite the great potential of frontier BCI research and development in the field of medical care, the ethical challenges induced by itself and the complexities of clinical research and brain function have put forward new special fields for ethics in BCI. To ensure "responsible innovation" in BCI research in healthcare and medicine, the creation of an ethical global governance framework and system, along with special guidelines for cutting-edge BCI research in medicine, is suggested.

Association between the platelet/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: results from NHANES 2017-2020.

The platelet/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (PHR) is a novel inflammatory and hypercoagulability marker that represents the severity of metabolic syndrome. Liver metabolic syndrome is manifested by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is associated with inflammation and hypercoagulability. This cross-sectional investigation aimed to identify the relationship between PHR and NAFLD. Participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020 were evaluated for hepatic steatosis and fibrosis using vibration-controlled transient elastography. The PHR was calculated as the ratio of platelets to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Increased PHR was associated with an increased incidence of NAFLD and hepatic fibrosis. Compared with patients in the first PHR quartile, after adjustment for clinical variables, the corresponding odds ratio (OR) for NAFLD in the fourth quartile was 2.36 (95% CI, 1.76 to 3.18) (p < 0.05); however, the OR for hepatic fibrosis was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Furthermore, restricted cubic spline analyses showed an S-shaped association between PHR and NAFLD and an L-shaped relationship between PHR and hepatic fibrosis. The results support the effectiveness of PHR as a marker for NAFLD and hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, interventions to improve the PHR may be of benefit in reducing the incidence of both hepatic steatosis and fibrosis.

Serum stromal cell-derived factor-1 levels are associated with diabetic kidney disease in type 2 diabetic patients.

The present study was designed to explore whether serum stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) levels were associated with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Serum SDF-1 levels were measured by sandwich ELISA. Patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥30 mg/g for 3 months were identified as having DKD. Among the recruited type 2 diabetic patients, 18.71% (n = 32) were found to have DKD, and the serum SDF-1 levels of these patients were higher than those of patients without DKD (p < 0.05). Serum SDF-1 levels were positively correlated with cystatin C levels, the UACR and DKD incidence (r = 0.330, 0.183 and 0.186, respectively, p < 0.05) and inversely related to eGFR (r = -0.368, p < 0.001). After adjusting for other clinical covariates by multivariate logistic regression analyses, serum SDF-1 levels were found to be an independent contributor to DKD, and the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.438 (1.041-1.986). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the optimal SDF-1 cutoff value for indicating DKD was 5.609 ng/mL (its corresponding sensitivity was 82.00%, and specificity was 46.90%). Our results demonstrated that serum SDF-1 levels were closely associated with DKD and could be considered a potent indicator for DKD in patients with T2D.

Haplotype-based association of two SNPs in miR-423 with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss in a Chinese Han population.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate diverse cellular processes such as cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Mutation in miRNAs results in various pathological conditions such as inflammation, viral infections, neurodegeneration, and autoimmunity. We have evaluated the association of miR-423 rs6505162C>A and rs8067576 A>T among patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and controls from North China. Our study found that one SNP rs6505162C>A in miR-423 coding region was associated with the increase risk of humanunexplained RPL (URPL), but no differences were found in another SNP rs8067576 A>T. However, in two-locus haplotype analysis, miR-423-CC/TT haplotype was associated with an increased risk of URPL. The level of mature miR-423 was obviously down-regulated in cells transfected with miR-423-CC/TT haplotype. miR-423-CC/TT haplotype inhibited HTR-8/SVneo cells proliferation and migration and promoted cells apoptosis. Further experiments identified that mesoderm development candidate 1 (MESDC1) was a functionally relevant target of miR-423, and its expression was reversely regulated by miR-423. More importantly, dual-luciferase assay indicated miR-423-CC/TT haplotype decreasing miR-423 expression, could up-regulate MESDC1 expression. Collectively, our data suggest that miR-423-CC/TT haplotype in pre-miR-423 may aggravate the risk of developing URPL by influencing the level of mature miR-423 and its target gene MESDC1.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of EEG features during sleep in major depressive disorder after treatment with escitalopram: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown escitalopram is related to sleep quality. However, effects of escitalopram on dynamics of electroencephalogram (EEG) features especially during different sleep stages have not been reported. This study may help to reveal pharmacological mechanism underlying escitalopram treatment. METHODS: The spatial and temporal responses of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) to escitalopram treatment were analyzed in this study. Eleven MDD patients and eleven healthy control subjects who completed eight weeks' treatment of escitalopram were included in the final statistics. Six-channel sleep EEG signals were acquired during sleep. Power spectrum and nonlinear dynamics were used to analyze the spatio-temporal dynamics features of the sleep EEG after escitalopram treatment. RESULTS: For temporal dynamics: after treatment, there was a significant increase in the relative energy (RE) of Î´1 band (0.5 - 2 Hz), accompanied by a significant decrease in the RE of ß2 band (20 - 30 Hz). Lempel-Ziv complexity and Co - complexity values were significantly lower. EEG changes at different sleep stages also showed the same regulation as throughout the night sleep. For spatio dynamics: after treatment, the EEG response of the left and right hemisphere showed asymmetry. Regarding band-specific EEG complexity estimations, δ1 and ß2 in stage-1 and δ1 in stage-2 sleep stage in frontal cortex is found to be much more sensitive to escitalopram treatment in comparison to central and occipital cortices. CONCLUSIONS: The sleep quality of MDD patients improved, EEG response occurred asymmetry in left and right hemispheres due to escitalopram treatment, and frontal cortex is found to be much more sensitive to escitalopram treatment. These findings may contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the pharmacological mechanism of escitalopram in the treatment of depression.

Fasting serum total bile acid levels are associated with insulin sensitivity, islet ß-cell function and glucagon levels in response to glucose challenge in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by islet ß-cell dysfunction and impaired suppression of glucagon secretion of α-cells in response to oral hyperglycaemia. Bile acid (BA) metabolism plays a dominant role in maintaining glucose homeostasis. So we evaluated the association of fasting serum total bile acids (S-TBAs) with insulin sensitivity, islet ß-cell function and glucagon levels in T2D. Total 2,952 T2D patients with fasting S-TBAs in the normal range were recruited and received oral glucose tolerance tests for determination of fasting and postchallenge glucose, C-peptide and glucagon. Fasting and systemic insulin sensitivity were assessed by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) and Matsuda index using C-peptide, i.e., ISHOMA-cp and ISIM-cp, respectively. Islet ß-cell function was assessed by the insulin-secretion-sensitivity-index-2 using C-peptide (ISSI2cp). The area under the glucagon curve (AUCgla) was used to assess postchallenge glucagon. The results showed ISHOMA-cp, ISIM-cp and ISSI2cp decreased, while AUCgla notably increased, across ascending quartiles of S-TBAs but not fasting glucagon. Moreover, S-TBAs were inversely correlated with ISHOMA-cp, ISIM-cp and ISSI2cp (r = -0.21, -0.15 and -0.25, respectively, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with AUCgla (r = 0.32, p < 0.001) but not with fasting glucagon (r = 0.033, p = 0.070). Furthermore, after adjusting for other clinical covariates by multiple linear regression analyses, the S-TBAs were independently associated with ISHOMA-cp (ß = -0.04, t = -2.82, p = 0.005), ISIM-cp (ß = -0.11, t = -7.05, p < 0.001), ISSI2cp (ß = -0.15, t = -10.26, p < 0.001) and AUCgla (ß = 0.29, t = 19.08, p < 0.001). Increased fasting S-TBAs are associated with blunted fasting and systemic insulin sensitivity, impaired islet ß-cell function and increased glucagon levels in response to glucose challenge in T2D.

Haplotype-based association of two SNPs in miR-323b with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion in a Chinese Han population.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNAs are associated with the risk to development of certain human diseases and affect the regulatory capacity of miRNAs. However, the relationship between miRNAs polymorphisms and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is still largely unknown. Our study found that one SNP rs56103835 T>C in miR-323b coding region was associated with the increase risk of human unexplained RPL (URPL), but no differences were found in another SNP rs75330474 C>T. However, in two-locus haplotype analysis, T-C haplotype was associated with an increased risk of URPL. The level of mature miR-323b was obviously up-regulated in cells transfected with T-C haplotype. T-C haplotype inhibited HTR-8/SVneo cells proliferation and migration and promoted cells apoptosis. Further experiments identified that paired-box 8 (Pax8) was a functionally relevant target of miR-323b, and its expression was reversely regulated by miR-323b. Besides, the expressions of Pax8 in villous chorionic tissues from URPL patients were lower than controls, contrary to the high expression of miR-323. More importantly, dual-luciferase assay indicated T-C haplotype, increasing miR-323b expression, could down-regulated Pax8 expression. Collectively, our data suggest that T-C haplotype in pre-miR-323b may aggravate the risk of developing URPL and influence the level of mature miR-323b and its target gene Pax8.

HbA1c variability and diabetic peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic complications may be associated with impaired time-dependent glycemic control. Therefore, long-term glycemic variability, assessed by variations in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), may be a potential risk factor for microvascular complications, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). We investigated the association of HbA1c variability with DPN in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 563 type 2 diabetic patients who had been screened for DPN and undergone quarterly HbA1c measurements during the year preceding enrolment were recruited. DPN was confirmed in patients displaying both clinical manifestations of neuropathy and abnormalities in a nerve conduction evaluation. HbA1c variability was assessed by the coefficient of variation of HbA1c (CV-HbA1c), and the mean of HbA1c (M-HbA1c) was calculated. In addition, medical history and clinical data were collected. RESULTS: Among the recruited patients, 18.1% (n = 102) were found to have DPN, and these patients also presented with a higher CV-HbA1c than the patients without DPN (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients with DPN increased significantly from 6.9% in the first to 19.1% in the second and 28.5% in the third tertile of CV-HbA1c (p for trend < 0.001). After adjusting for initial HbA1c, M-HbA1c and other clinical factors via multiple logistic regression analysis, the odds ratios (ORs) for DPN in the second and third versus those in the first CV-HbA1c tertile were 3.61 (95% CI 1.62-8.04) and 6.48 (2.86-14.72), respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of CV-HbA1c was larger than that of M-HbA1c, at 0.711 (95% CI 0.659-0.763) and 0.662 (0.604-0.721), respectively. ROC analysis also revealed that the optimal cutoff value of CV-HbA1c to indicate DPN was 15.15%, and its corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 66.67% and 65.73%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Increased HbA1c variability is closely associated with DPN in type 2 diabetic patients and could be considered as a potent indicator for DPN in these patients.

New 3,4-seco-cycloartane triterpenes from Gardenia sootepensis.

Two new 3,4-seco-cycloartane triterpenes, named sootepins H (1) and I (2), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the leaves and twigs of Gardenia sootepensis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D- and 2D-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, as well as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS), infrared (IR), and ultra violet (UV).

Differential roles of hippocampal glutamatergic receptors in neuropathic anxiety-like behavior after partial sciatic nerve ligation in rats.

BACKGROUND: Neuropathic pain evoked by nerve injury is frequently accompanied by deterioration of emotional behaviors, but the underlying signaling mechanisms remain elusive. Glutamate (Glu) is the major mediator of excitatory synaptic transmission throughout the brain, and abnormal activity of the glutamatergic system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of pain and associated emotional comorbidities. In this study we used the partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) model of neuropathic pain in rats to characterize the development of anxiety-like behavior, the expression of glutamatergic receptors, and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the hippocampus, the region that encodes memories related to emotions. RESULTS: We found that the mechanical withdrawal threshold was significantly reduced and an anxiety-like behavior was increased as determined via open field tests and elevated plus-maze tests at 28 days after injury. No significant differences were found in the ratio of sucrose preference and immobility time detected by sucrose preference tests and forced swimming tests respectively, possibly due to the timing factor. The expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtypes NR1 and NR2B, but not NR2A, GluR1, or GluR2 (the main subtype of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid [AMPA] receptor) in the hippocampus of injured rats was significantly reduced. Moreover, PSNL resulted in decreased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in the hippocampus. Intriguingly, treatment with D-serine (a co-agonist of NMDA receptor, 1 g/kg intraperitoneally) reduced the anxiety-like behavior but not the mechanical hypersensitivity induced by PSNL. CONCLUSIONS: PSNL can induce significant anxiety-like but not depression-like behavior, and trigger down-regulation of NMDA but not AMPA receptors in the hippocampus at 28 days after injury.

The polymorphism of rs6505162 in the MIR423 coding region and recurrent pregnancy loss.

Although the relationship between polymorphisms in microRNAs (miRNAs) and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) has been studied, there is very little data available in the literature. In the present study, we scanned 55 potentially functional polymorphisms in the miRNA coding region in Chinese women with unexplained RPL (URPL; no. 2011-10). The rs6505162 C>A in the MIR423 coding region was found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of human URPL. The rare A allele contributed to an increase in the expression of mature MIR423. C to A substitution in the polymorphism rs6505162 in pre-MIR423 repressed cell proliferation and migratory capacity. Further investigations showed that MIR423 could inversely regulate the expression of proliferation-associated 2 group 4 (PA2G4) by binding the 3'-UTR of PA2G4. Dual-luciferase assay indicated that the A allele in the polymorphism rs6505162 could more effectively suppress the expression of PA2G4 than the C allele could. Collectively, the present data suggest that rs6505162 C>A in pre-MIR423 may contribute to the genetic predisposition to RPL by disrupting the production of mature MIR423 and its target gene, which consequently interferes with MIR423 functioning.

Clinical Significance of First-Trimester Screening of the Retronasal Triangle for Identification of Primary Cleft Palate.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of the retronasal triangle (RNT) for identification of orofacial cleft (OC) in the first trimester and the clinical application of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound techniques for confirming the diagnosis of OC. METHODS: A total of 5,054 women with singleton pregnancies underwent first-trimester screening for Down syndrome at 11-13(+6) weeks. The RNT was scanned in each fetus, and 3D volumetric images of cases with abnormal or indeterminate RNT were obtained. RESULTS: Satisfactory images were obtained from all cases. Seven cases (1.4‰) of abnormal RNT were diagnosed as OC in the first trimester, which were confirmed at a 16 weeks scan or at a postmortem examination. One case that was considered a normal RNT was diagnosed with OC at 22(+2) weeks and after term delivery. Six cases of indeterminate RNT were diagnosed as normal by 3D ultrasound. Identification of OC by visualization of the RNT in the first trimester had a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 99.9%. CONCLUSION: The RNT is an important sonographic landmark that has a high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of OC in the first trimester. 3D ultrasound is an important tool that aids in confirming diagnosis of OC in the first and second trimesters.

Microglial activation in the medial prefrontal cortex after remote fear recall participates in the regulation of auditory fear extinction.

Excessive or inappropriate fear responses can lead to anxiety-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies have shown that microglial activation occurs after fear conditioning and that microglial inhibition impacts fear memory. However, the role of microglia in fear memory recall remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the activated profiles of microglia after the recall of remote-cued fear memory and the role of activated microglia in the extinction of remote-cued fear in adult male C57BL/6 mice. The results revealed that the expression of the microglia marker Iba1 increased in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) at 10 min and 1 h following remote-cued fear recall, which was accompanied by amoeboid morphology. Inhibiting microglial activation through PLX3397 treatment before remote fear recall did not affect recall, reconsolidation, or regular extinction but facilitated recall-extinction and mitigated spontaneous recovery. Moreover, our results demonstrated reduced co-expression of Iba1 and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in the mPFC, along with decreases in the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio, p-Akt/Akt ratio, and KLF4 expression after PLX3397 treatment. Our results suggest that microglial activation after remote fear recall impedes fear extinction through the pruning of synapses in the mPFC, accompanied by alterations in the expression of the PI3K/AKT/KLF4 pathway. This finding can help elucidate the mechanism involved in remote fear extinction, contributing to the theoretical foundation for the intervention and treatment of PTSD.

The bidirectional associations between sarcopenia-related traits and cognitive performance.

While many studies have sought to explore the degree to which sarcopenia-related traits are associated with cognitive performance, these studies have yielded contradictory results without any clear indication of the causality of such relationships. In efforts to better understand associations between sarcopenia-related traits and cognitive ability, a series of multivariate linear regression assessments were carried out upon datasets derived through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Of these, cognitive performance was assessed by the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DDST), the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Immediate Recall Test (CERAD-IR), Delayed Recall Test (CERAD-DR) and Animal Fluency Test (AFT). Causal relationships between the two were further inferred via a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis approach. Sarcopenia-related traits considered in these assessments included walking speed, appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), and hand grip strength (HGS). Walking speed, ASM, and HGS were all significantly independently related to cognitive scores following adjustment for covariates. MR assessments also identified that each 1-SD higher walking speed and appendicular lean mass were causally and respectively associated with a 0.34 [standard error (SE) = 0.09; p < 0.001)] standardized score higher and a 0.07 (SE = 0.01; p < 0.001) standardized score higher cognitive score, whereas a higher hand grip strength was positively associated with a better cognitive performance. Reverse MR assessments also yielded similar findings. These data suggest that lower walking speed, muscle strength, and muscle mass were all closely related to lower cognitive performance irrespective of gender, and that there may be a mutually reinforcing relationship among these variables.

Efficacy of Huangma Ding or autologous platelet-rich gel for the diabetic lower extremity arterial disease patients with foot ulcers.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes foot is one of the most serious complications of diabetes and an important cause of death and disability, traditional treatment has poor efficacy and there is an urgent need to develop a practical treatment method. AIM: To investigate whether Huangma Ding or autologous platelet-rich gel (APG) treatment would benefit diabetic lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) patients with foot ulcers. METHODS: A total of 155 diabetic LEAD patients with foot ulcers were enrolled and divided into three groups: Group A (62 patients; basal treatment), Group B (38 patients; basal treatment and APG), and Group C (55 patients; basal treatment and Huangma Ding). All patients underwent routine follow-up visits for six months. After follow-up, we calculated the changes in all variables from baseline and determined the differences between groups and the relationships between parameters. RESULTS: The infection status of the three groups before treatment was the same. Procalcitonin (PCT) improved after APG and Huangma Ding treatment more than after traditional treatment and was significantly greater in Group C than in Group B. Logistic regression analysis revealed that PCT was positively correlated with total amputation, primary amputation, and minor amputation rates. The ankle-brachial pressure and the transcutaneous oxygen pressure in Groups B and C were greater than those in Group A. The major amputation rate, minor amputation rate, and total amputation times in Groups B and C were lower than those in Group A. CONCLUSION: Our research indicated that diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) lead to major amputation, minor amputation, and total amputation through local infection and poor microcirculation and macrocirculation. Huangma Ding and APG were effective attreating DFUs. The clinical efficacy of Huangma Ding was better than that of autologous platelet gel, which may be related to the better control of local infection by Huangma Ding. This finding suggested that in patients with DFUs combined with coinfection, controlling infection is as important as improving circulation.

Effect of intracellular expression of antimicrobial peptide LL-37 on growth of escherichia coli strain TOP10 under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can cause lysis of target bacteria by directly inserting themselves into the lipid bilayer. This killing mechanism confounds the identification of the intracellular targets of AMPs. To circumvent this, we used a shuttle vector containing the inducible expression of a human cathelicidin-related AMP, LL-37, to examine its effect on Escherichia coli TOP10 under aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions. Induction of LL-37 caused growth inhibition and alteration in cell morphology to a filamentous phenotype. Further examination of the E. coli cell division protein FtsZ revealed that LL-37 did not interact with FtsZ. Moreover, intracellular expression of LL-37 results in the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing lethal membrane depolarization under aerobic conditions. Additionally, the membrane permeability was increased after intracellular expression of LL37 under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that intracellular LL-37 mainly affected the expression of genes related to energy production and carbohydrate metabolism. More specifically, genes related to oxidative phosphorylation under both aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions were affected. Collectively, our current study demonstrates that intracellular expression of LL-37 in E. coli can inhibit growth under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. While we confirmed that the generation of ROS is a bactericidal mechanism for LL-37 under aerobic growth conditions, we also found that the intracellular accumulation of cationic LL-37 influences the redox and ion status of the cells under both growth conditions. These data suggest that there is a new AMP-mediated bacterial killing mechanism that targets energy metabolism.

Possible role of mast cells and neuropeptides in the recovery process of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the role of mast cells and neuropeptides substance P (SP), somatostatin (SS), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in rats. METHODS: Experimental colitis was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats (180-200 g, n=20) by oral ingestion of 4% (w/v) DSS in drinking water for 7 days. Control rats (n=5) drank water and were sacrificed on day 0. Mast cell number, histamine levels in whole blood and tissue, tissue levels of SP, SS and, VIP in the distal colon of the rats were measured on day 8, day 13, and day 18 of experimentation. RESULTS: Oral administration of 4% DSS solution for 7 days resulted in surface epithelial loss and crypt loss in the distal colon. Mast cell count increased on day 8 (1.75±1.09/mm vs. 0.38±0.24/mm, P<0.05) and day 13 (1.55±1.01/mm vs. 0.38±0.24/mm, P<0.05) after DSS treatment. Whole blood histamine levels were increased on day 8 (266.93±35.62 ng/mL vs. 76.87±32.28 ng/mL, P<0.01) and gradually decreased by day 13 and day 18 after DSS treatment. Histamine levels in the distal colon were decreased on day 8 (1.77±0.65 ng/mg vs. 3.06±0.87 ng/mg, P<0.05) and recovered to control levels by day 13 after DSS treatment. SP level in the distal colon gradually increased and were raised significantly by day 13 (8777.14±3056.14 pg/mL vs. 4739.66±3299.81 pg/mL, P<0.05) after DSS treatment. SS and VIP levels in the distal colon were not changed. CONCLUSIONS: Mast cell degranulation followed by histamine release may play an important role in the pathogenesis of colitis induced by DSS. SP may be a significant substance in the progression of inflammation and the recovery process of DSS-induced colitis.

[Family-based association study of a variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism of DAT1 gene with Tourette syndrome in a Chinese Han population].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of a 40 bp variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism within 3 untranslated region of dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) with Tourette syndrome (TS) in a Chinese Han population. METHODS: A total of 160 TS patients and their parents were recruited. The VNTR polymorphism was detected with polymerase chain reaction-VNTR analysis, and its association with TS and its subtypes were assessed through a family-based association study comprising transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and haplotype relative risk (HRR) analysis. RESULTS: The repeat numbers at the DAT1 40 bp locus were 11, 10, 9, 7.5 and 7 among the patients and their parents, with the most common type being a 10-repeat allele. No significant association was detected between the polymorphism and TS (TDT: X ² = 0.472, df = 1, P = 0.583; HRR: X ² = 0.313, P = 0.576, OR = 0.855, 95%CI: 0.493-1.481). CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that the VNTR polymorphism of DAT1 gene is not associated with susceptibility to TS in Chinese Han population. However, our results are to be validated in larger sets of patients collected from other populations.

[Macroscopic and microscopic identification of Chloranthus henryi].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of Chloranthus henryi and provide a basis for establishing its quality standard. METHODS: The plants were identified by original plant, macroscopic and microscopic identification. RESULTS: The radical vascular bundle of Chloranthus henryi was primary xylem tetrarch. The secretory canals dispersed in cortex. The vascular bundle in rhizome was amphivasal bundle, stone cell scattered in cortex, and there were solitary crystals in the core parenchyma cell. Several vascular bundles in caudex were connected like a circel by interfascicular fibers. Meanwhile, two vascular bundles lay in main vein, like a converse Chinese letter eight. CONCLUSION: This paper reports the microscopic characteristics of Chloranthus henryi. It provides a basis for the quality standard of Chloranthus henryi.