Aim To investigate the role of TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway in the improvement of myo-cardial fibrosis in diabetes mellitus by curcumin. Methods A model of type 2 diabetes mellitus was in-duced by intraperitoneal injection of small dose of streptozotocin (STZ) 35 mg·kg-1with a high glucose and high fat diet, and then intervened by drinking of 300 mg·kg·d-1curcumin. The expression of myo-cardial collagen in rats was detected by Sirius red stai-ning. The expressions of Collange I and Collagen III in myocardium of rats were detected by immunofluores-cence. Cardiac fibroblasts(CFs) in neonatal rats were stimulated by different concentrations of glucose(5.5, 20,25, 30, 35, 50 mmol·L-1) for 24 h to deter-mine the optimum concentration of high glucose model, and rat CFs were stimulated for 24 h by 30 mmol·L-1 high glucose plus different concentrations of curcumin (10,25,50,100,200 μmol·L-1) to determine the optimal concentration of curcumin. The expressions of type Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagen,TGF-β1,p-Smad2,Smad2, p-Smad3,Smad3 and TβR-Ⅲin CFs were detected by Western blot. Results Compared with the control rats,the collagen deposition in the myocardium of the diabetic rats was more obvious and the expression of Collagen Ⅰ and Collagen Ⅲ significantly increased. After treatment of curcumin,the collagen deposition in the myocardium and the expression of Collagen I and CollagenⅢof diabetic rats remarkably decreased. The CFs under the condition of 30 mmol·L-1high glucose and 24 h had the highest survival rate (P <0.05);10μmol·L-1curcumin could obviously inhibit the proliferation of myocardial fibroblasts induced by high glucose (P<0.05). After induced by 30 mmol·L-1 high glucose for 24 h, the expression of Collagen Ⅰand Collagen Ⅲ, TGF-β1, p-Smad2, Smad2, p-Smad3,Smad3 and TβR-Ⅲ proteins in CFs markedly increased(P <0.05), and the expression levels of these proteins were obviously reduced when treated with 25 μmol·L-1curcumin. Conclusion Curcumin could ameliorate myocardial fibrosis in diabetic rats through TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway, exerting the protective effect on myocardium in diabetic rats.

Objective To develop a rapid,sensitive and specific real time reverse transcription PCR for detecting and identifying human metapneumovirus. Methods The Hmpv-L gene of human metapneumovirus was chosen as target gene,the primers and TaqMan probe were designed,and the PCR reaction was optimized systematically. The total RNA was extracted from respiratory specimens,and reverse transcription was performed through random primer. The cDNA was detected by using real time PCR. The specificity,sensitivity and reproducibility of real time PCR were estimated. The real time PCR was applied to detect 180 clinical respiratory specimens. Results The human metapneumovirus can be detected using real time reverse transcription PCR accurately and quickly,and the sensitivity was 1 copy/μl.The coefficient of variation of intra-assay and inter-assay wasless than 5%. Among those 180 specimens,28(15.56%) were positive for human metapneumovirus,the clinical diagnoses for these 28 patients were pneumonia ( 15.60%,17/109) and bronehiolitis ( 15.49%,11/71 ) .21 positive specimens were from patients under 2 years of age,and 6 positive specimens were from patients between 2 and 5 years of age,only 1 positive specimens was from patients over 5 years. Conclusion It is demonstrated that real time reverse transcription PCR is a reliable,accurate and feasible assay for human metapneumovirus,whieh has become one of the most important pathogens induced acute respiratory infections in pediatric patients.

Objective:To analyze the coronary angiographic (CAG) characteristics of coronary artery lesion (CAL) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD), and to clarify the necessity of CAG in the diagnosis and treatment of KD combined with CAL in children.Methods:It was a retrospective study to analyze the clinical data, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, time and findings of CAG in children with KD and CAL who underwent CAG in Shanghai Children′s Medical Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2013 to August 2022.The distribution, type, severity, and prognosis of CAL were analyzed.Results:A total of 117 children with KD and CAL were included in the analysis.The onset age of KD was from 2 months to 12.8 years old, and the age of performing CAG was from 8 months to 18.1 years old.A total of 234 coronary artery lesions were detected in 117 cases.Among them, CAL in the right coronary artery (RCA), left anterior descending branch (LAD), left main coronary artery and left circumflex artery were detected in 96 branches(41.1%), 78 branches(33.3%), 44 branches(18.8%), and 16 branches(6.8%), respectively.Unilateral coronary artery involvement was detected in 43 cases (36.8%), of which LAD was the dominant; while bilateral involvement was detected in 74 cases (63.2%), among which, LAD and RCA were the most involved arteries.Stratified by the degree of coronary involvement, large coronary aneurysms and severe coronary stenosis were most frequently occurred in the RCA and LAD.In contrast, 10 cases (13.6%), 20 cases (24.3%), 55 cases (45.8%) and 37 cases (67.3%) of intraluminal lesions were found in small, medium and large coronary aneurysms, and stenosis or occlusion, respectively.The incidence of intraluminal lesions tended to be higher in the site of severe lesions.CAG showed stenosis or occlusion in a total of 55 cases, and collateral circulation at varying degrees was found in cases of severe stenosis or occlusion.Conclusions:CAL in children with KD are complex and varied.Although clinical symptoms, routine electrocardiogram and cardiac ultrasound may indicate severe CAL.Their applications are limited by the diagnosis of the type (especially stenosis), degree, and extent of CAL, as well as the detection of extracoronary lesions.CAG is of great significance to identify vascular lesions and guide clinical management of KD combined with CAL in children.

Objective: To characterize the serum bile acid profiles of healthy children in Zhejiang Province. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 245 healthy children who underwent imaging and laboratory biochemical tests during routine physical examinations at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2020 to July 2022. Overnight fasting venous blood samples were collected, and the concentrations of 18 individual bile acids in the serum were accurately quantitated using tandem mass spectrometry. The concentration difference of bile acid were compared between different genders and to explore the correlation between age and bile acid levels. Used the Mann-Whitney U test for intergroup comparison and Spearman test to correlation analysis. Results: A total of 245 health children with a age of 10 (8, 12) years including 125 boys and 120 girls. There were no significant differences in levels of total bile acids, primary and secondary bile acids, free and conjugated bile acids between the two gender groups (all P>0.05). The serum concentrations of ursodeoxycholic acid and glycoursodeoxycholic acid in girls were significantly higher than those in boys (199.0 (66.9, 276.5) vs. 154.7 (49.3, 205.0) nmol/L, 274.0 (64.8, 308.0) vs. 181.0 (43.8, 209.3) nmol/L, Z=2.06, 2.71, both P<0.05). The serum taurolithocholic acid in both boys and girls were positively correlated with age (r=0.31, 0.32, both P<0.05). The serum chenodeoxycholic acid and glycochenodeoxycholic acid in the boys group were positively correlated with age (r=0.20, 0.23, both P<0.05), whereas the serum tauroursodeoxycholic acid in the girls group was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.27, P<0.05), and the serum cholic acid was positively correlated with age (r=0.34, P<0.05). Conclusions: The total bile acid levels are relatively stable in healthy children in Zhejiang province. However, individual bile acids showed gender differences and were correlated with age.
Humans ; Child ; Female ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Bile Acids and Salts ; Hospitals, Pediatric ; Laboratories