Objective To explore the effect of aldosterone on renal epithelialmesenchymal transition in streptozocin(STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy rats. Methods Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with STZ(60 mg/kg)for the preparation of diabetic model.After 4 weeks,the rats with urinary protein＞30 mg/d were regarded as successful diabetic nephropathy(n=16),and were randomly divided into diabetic nephropathy(DN group,n=8)and spironolactone group(SP group,n=8).Then eight healthy rats were selected randomly as control group(N group,n=8).SP group rats were treated with spironolactone 40 mg·kg-1·d-1,and N group and DN group rats were given equal water.After 8 weeks,rats were sacrificed to collect urine,blood plasma,kidney tissue for detection of 24 h urinary protein,creatinine and renal pathological changes.Aldosterone concentration in plasma and kidney tissue was detected by mdioimmunoassay;E-cadherin,α-SMA protein expression by immunohistochemistry,Western blotting; E-cadherin,α-SMA mRNA expression by RT-PCR. Results Compared with N group,serum creatinine, urinary protein excretion in the DN rats were significantly higher (P＜0.01,respectively), E-cadhefin protein and mRNA were significantly reduced (P＜0.01, respectively),α-SMA protein and mRNA expression was up-regulated (P＜0.01, respectively). Aldosterone level of kidney tissue in DN rats was increased obviously [(24.71±5.30) ng/g vs (16.38±2.85) ng/g, P＜0.01], which was positively correlated with urinary protein excretion, serum creatinine and α-SMA protein (r=0.737, 0.574, 0.688, P＜0.01, respectively), and negatively correlated with E-cadherin protein (r=-0.659, P＜0.O1). While no significant difference was found in serum aldosterone among three groups. Compared with DN rats, urinary protein excretion, serum creatinine were reduced (P＜0.01, respectively), E-cadherin protein and mRNA were increased (P＜0.01, respectively), α-SMA protein and mRNA expression were decreased (P ＜0.01, respectively) in SP group rats.Conclusions Local aldosterone involves in renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition in diabetic nephropathy rat. Spironolactone can block the effect of aldosterone and play a role in renal protection.

Objective To access the incidence,clinical characteristics and the factors affecting therapy of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in the infants at term and near term delivered by elective cesarean section.Methods A retrospective cohort study among consecutively admitted infants with RDS at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Department of Neonatology,Xiangya Hospital,Central South University from Jan.2004 to Dec.2011 were conducted.The inborn infants at 36-42 weeks gestation with RDS,whom were delivered by Elective Cesarean Section from January 1 st,2004 to December 31st,2011 were enrolled.These cases with the timing of elective caesarean section,gestational age,intrauterine infection,asphyxia at birth,which affecting the occurrence of RDS were compared.Results Fifty one infants were entered into the study,which were all met standard of Elective Cesarean Section.Among these infants,33 cases (64.7％,33/51 cases) were delivered by cesarean section without any reason.In these 51 cases,the constituent ratio of elective caesarean section in gestational age ＞ 39 weeks was lower than in gestational age ＞ 36-＜39 weeks,and the difference was significant (31.4％ vs 68.6％,x2 =0.560,P ＜0.01).Asphyxia at birth was the main risk factors of term and near term with RDS (OR =7.306,95％CI:0.018-51.101,P =0.041).Compared to the infants whom born without asphyxia,the infants born with asphyxia usually came out to RDS right after born (x2 =0.080,P ＜ 0.01),required longer time of mechanical ventilation and had significant lower effective ratio (x2 =0.071,8.843,all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Asphyxia is the first manifestations of term and near term infants with RDS.These infants often can be onset after birth.

ObjectiveTo assess the factors inlfuencing the therapeutic effects of INSURE technology in premature in-fants with respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).MethodsThe clinical data from 309 infants with NRDS treated by INSURE technology were retrospectively analyzed from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2012.ResultsIn 309 infants with NRDS, 302 infants were cured and the cure rate was 97.7%. Twenty-one infants (6.8%) needed the reintubation for mechanical ventilation within 72 h. The difference in reintubation rate was statistically signiifcant among infants with different gestational age (P<0.01). The infants with the gestation age≤28 weeks had a signiifcantly higher reintubation rate. According to whether the reintubation was performed, the infants were divided into success group and failure group. Compared to the success group, there were higher percentage of infants who had gestation age≤28 weeks, birth weight <1000 g and severe NRDS, needed high dose and repeated use of pulmo-nary surfactant and oxygen therapy, and had higher mortality in the failure group had (allP<0.05).ConclusionsThe INSURE technology can be effective in treatment of NRDS. Small gestational age, low birth weight, and severe NRDS are the risk factors for the failure of the INSURE technology.

Objective To evaluate the detection of membrane neutrophilic alkaline phosphatase ( mNAP) by flow cytometry in diagnosis of bloodstream infection .Methods A total of 298 patients with suspected bloodstream infections admitted in the First People ’ s Hospital of Lianyungang during June 2013 and October 2014 were enrolled;80 healthy subjects in physical examination center were also enrolled as the control group.Bloodstream infection was diagnosed by blood culture and mNAP was detected by flow cytometry.Serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were detected by electro-chemiluminescence (ECL) and immune scatter turbidimetry , respectively.The value of mNAP, PCT and CRP in diagnosing bloodstream infection was determined by receiver operating characteristic ( ROC) curve. Results Among 298 patients, 109 were confirmed with bloodstream infections , including 43 patients with Gram-positive bacterial infections and 66 with Gram-negative bacterial infections .The median levels of CRP , PCT and mNAP in bloodstream infection group were 138.71 mg/L, 7.04 ng/mL and 13 929 AB/c, which were significantly higher than those in healthy control group (1.50 mg/L, 0.12 ng/mL, 1 831 AB/c;U=5.00, 48.50 and 65.01, P<0.01).The expression of mNAP in Gram-positive bacterial infection group was 9 598 ( 6 064-11 643 ) AB/c, which was significantly lower than that in Gram-negative bacterial infection group [16 512 (11 654-22 001) AB/c] (U=250.00, P<0.01).ROC curve analysis showed that, the areas under the curve (AUCs) of mNAP, PCT and CRP in diagnosing bloodstream infection were 0.987, 0.962 and 0.901.When 4 578AB/c, 0.90 ng/mL and 13.50mg/L were taken as optimal cut-off values, the sensitivities of mNAP, PCT and CRP in diagnosis of bloodstream infection were 95.8%, 93.0%and 90.3%; the specificities were 97.8%, 95.6% and 85.5%, respectively.Conclusion Among mNAP, PCT and CRP, mNAP is of the highest value in diagnosing bloodstream infection , and may be used as a biomarker for clinical diagnosis of bloodstream infection .