Objective To study the possible role of bone morphogenetic protein 7(BMP 7) in the TGF ?1 induced tubular epithelial myofibroblast transdifferentiation (TEMT) of cultured renal tubular epithelial cells. Methods The normal rat kidney tubular epithelial cell line (HK 2) was cultured for three days on plastic plates in the presence or absence of recombinant TGF ?1 and BMP 7. The alterations in the phenotype were assessed by phase contrast microscopy. Transdifferentiation of tubular cells into myofibroblasts was assessed by immunofluorescence, with monoantibodies to alpha smooth muscle actin (? SMA), vimentin and cytokeratin respectively. The expression of ? SMA of HK 2 cells was measured by flowcytometry. The expression of ? SMA mRNA of HK 2 cells was assessed with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR). Results Treatment of HK 2 cells with BMP 7(50 and 100 ng/ml) for 24～48 hours increased cellular proliferation. The culture of HK 2 cells in the presence of TGF ?1 induced a clear fibroblast like morphology, a loss of the epithelial marker cytokeratin and de novo expression of ? SMA and vimentin. Immunofluorescence staining showed the addition of various concentrations of BMP 7 to subconfluent cells for 24 and 48 hours, and the expression of ? SMA and vimentin was decreased. There was an increase in the percentage of cells expressing ? SMA with TGF ?1, which was completed inhibited by an addition of BMP 7(P

Objective To explore the molecular mechanisms involved in hypokalemic salt-losing tubulopathies ( SLTs) through genetic screening of WNK gene in patients with SLTs. Methods Forty-four kindreds of SLTs were diagnosed Batter's syndrome or Gitelman's syndrome after CLCNKB and SLC12A3 sequencing and analysis, 8 of whose phenotype can not be simply attributed to CLCNKB or SLC12A3 mutations. Primers for PCR-amplified exons of WNK4 and WNK1 gene in genomic DNA were designed, and direct sequencing was performed to analyse the PCR products. Results Two missense mutations of WNK1, Ile~(1172)→ Met (I1172M) and Ser~(2047) → Asn (S2047N), were identified. Both of these 2 mutations segregated with the disease in SLTs kindred. Conclusion Two heterozygote missense mutations of WNK1 gene (I1172 M and S2047N) were found in 8 SLTs kindreds, indicating that WNK1 might be another gene responsible for hypokalemic salt-losing tubulopathies.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate 18β-sodium glycyrrhetinic acid impact on nasal mucosa epithelial cilia in rat models of allergic rhinitis (AR). METHOD: AR models were established by ovalbumin-induction. Wister rats were randomly divided into groups as normal group, model group, budesonide (0.2 mg/kg) group and sodium glycyrrhetinic acid (20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg) group after the success of AR models. At 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment, the behavioral changes of rats were observed and recorded, and nasal septum mucosae were collected after 2 week and 4 week intervention, and the morphological changes of nasal mucosae were observed by electron microscope. RESULT: Model group developed typical AR symptoms, the total score in all animals was > 5. With budesonide and sodium glycyrrhetinic acid treatment, the AR symptoms were relieved, and the total scores were reduced significantly (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group: after 2 weeks' intervention, thick mucous secretions on the top of columnar epithelium cilia in rat nasal mucosa was significantly reduced, and cilia adhesion, lodging, shedding were relieved in budesonide group and sodium glycyrrhetinic acid group, the relieve in budesonide group was slightly better than that in sodium glycyrrhetinic acid group; after 4 week intervention, Cilia adhesion, lodging, shedding were completely vanished, and the cilia were ranged in regular direction in budesonide group and sodium glycyrrhetinic acid group. Cilia in sodium glycyrrhetinic acid (20 mg/kg) group was more orderly, smooth than that in budesonide group and sodium glycyrrhetinic acid group (40 mg/kg), and the condition of cilia in sodium glycyrrhetinic acid group (20 mg/kg) was similar to the normal group. CONCLUSION 18β-sodium glycyrrhetinic acid is effective to restrain the pathological changes of nasal mucosa cilia in rat models of AR.
Animals ; Budesonide ; pharmacology ; Cilia ; drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Nasal Mucosa ; drug effects ; Ovalbumin ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of low-dose ketamine against intestinal ischemia reperfusion injury following pneumoperitoneum with carbon dioxide in rats.

METHODSThirty healthy male adult SD rats (body weight 280-320 g) were randomized into sham-operated group, model group and ketamine group and subjected to pneumoperitoneum for 120 min with carbon dioxide (not in sham-operated group). The rats in ketamine group received an intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg ketamine 10 min before pneumoperitoneum, and those in the other two groups received saline injection. Fifteen minutes after pneumoperitoneum or sham operation, the small intestines were sampled to detect the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and fore pathological testing. ELISA was used to detect the serum levels of I-FABP, TNF-α IL-6 and IL-8.

RESULTSPneumoperitoneum caused a significant increase in intestinal MDA content (P<0.05), which was lowered by ketamine pretreatment (P<0.05). Serum I-FABP, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 levels all significantly increased following pneumoperitoneum (P<0.05) and were obviously lowered by ketamine pretreatment (P<0.05). Pneumoperitoneum also caused obvious pathologies in intestinal mucosa, which were ameliorated by ketamine pretreatment.

CONCLUSIONLow-dose ketamine preconditioning can reduce the inflammatory reaction and lessen oxidative damage in the intestinal mucosa following pneumoperitoneum in rats.

Animals ; Carbon Dioxide ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; Intestine, Small ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Ketamine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Pneumoperitoneum ; chemically induced ; complications ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; blood ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVE: To observe 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) impact on ultrastructure of tight junctions (TJs) of nasal mucosa epithelial cells in rats models of allergic rhinitis (AR). METHOD: Ninety-six Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, loratadine group, and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid group, and each group had 24 rats. Ovalbumin was used to establish a rat AR model. The behavioral changes and the tight junctions of nasal epithelial were observed and compared in different groups after 2,4,6 and 10 weeks intervention. RESULT: The length of TJs in allergic rhinitis model became shorter, electron-high-density plasma membrane became thicker, number of the integration loci reduced and gap of TJs widened or even ruptured. With the consistent effect of allergens,the changes of TJs in the model group aggravated gradually,and the changes of ultrastructure of TJs in 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid group was relieved apparently compared to model group and even were close to the control model with time. CONCLUSION 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid can recover the ultrastructure of the tight junctions of AR rat nasal epithelial cells.
Animals ; Cell Count ; Epithelial Cells ; ultrastructure ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Nasal Mucosa ; cytology ; Ovalbumin ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; drug therapy ; Tight Junctions ; drug effects