Abstract: TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway has a wide range of biological activities and plays an important roles in regulating cell growth, adhesion, differentiation, cell dynamic balance, and immune responses. The higher activity of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway may promote scar formation, organ fibrosis, immunosuppression, and late-stage cancer progression, while low activity may lead to inflammation, dysplasia, poor healing and oncogenesis. The function of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway is extremely complex and can exhibit inhibitory or enhancing effects on immunity and inflammation under different circumstances, but immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects are dominant. During HIV infection, the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway interacts with HIV in a complex manner as HIV proteins tat and gp120 can induce TGF-β expression. Meanwhile, this signaling pathway may also play a role in HIV infection and replication, latent virus reservoir, host immune deficiency and HIV-related inflammation. It is worth noting that even though TGF-β, which mainly exhibits anti-inflammatory effects, is induced by HIV, high levels of TGF-β do not seem to inhibit HIV-related inflammation. So far, the relationship between TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and HIV infection has not been elucidated, and its role and mechanism in HIV infection and related illnesses need further exploration and validation. This review summarizes the relevant research progress on the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and HIV infection, and provides a reference for further understanding of HIV pathogenesis and exploring strategies of AIDS treatment.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Foodborne Diseases ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Meat ; poisoning ; Middle Aged ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Swine ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the incidence of extra intestinal organ damage in infants with acute rotavirus (RV) infection,the relative risk factors in patients with extra intestinal organ damage,the significance of procalcitonin(PCT)in those infants with multiple organ injury.Methods One hundred and three infants with acute diarrhea whose rotavirus antigens were positive and 65 negative ones were divided into two groups.The differences between these two groups in incidences of extra intestinal organ damage were analyzed.Meanwhile,variables from the clinical data that may lead to extra intestinal organ damage were analyzed.Then,the relationship of multiple organ damage and serum concentration of PCT was also analyzed.Results There were significant differences between positive group and negative group in the rates of respiratory system injury,myocardial damage and hepatic involvement (P ＜ 0.05).High fever was the only high risk factor in myocardial damage through multi factor Logistic regression analysis.There were also significant differences among the group with multiple organ damage and only one extra intestinal organ damage and no extra intestinal organ damage in serum concentration of PCT(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion It is common to be attacked by extra intestinal organ damage in infants with acute rotavirus infection.High fever is the risk factor for RV enteritis complicated with myocardial damage.The elevation of PCT concentration suggest that multiple organ injury out of the intestinal tract may take place in infants with acute RV infection.

OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of natrin from Naja naja atra(Chinese cobra)on intracellular free calcium overload,and to discuss the protective effect and the possible mechanism of natrin on myocardium calcium(Ca2+)and potassium(K+)ion channels in the primary cardiomyocytes of SD neonatal rats. METHODS The primary cardiomyocytes of SD neonatal rats were used,which were respectively pretreated with natrin 5,25 and 125 mg · L-1 for 24 h before injury was induced by H2O2 0.3 mmol · L- 1. The dynamic variation of intracellular calcium was monitored by laser confocal microscopy using Fluo-3 as Ca2+fluorescence probe. Additionally,the cardio myocytes of neonatal rats were pretreated for 24 h using different concentrations of natrin 5,25,125 mg · L-1 and verapamil 5 nmol · L-1,followed by exposure to H2O2 0.3 mmol · L-1 for 15 min. Then,the mRNA expressions of calcium channels subunits Cav1.2,Calm,RyR2 and potassium channel Kir6.2 were analyzed by FQ-PCR method. RESULTS Laser confocal microscopy revealed that H2O2 obviously caused calcium overload in cardiomyocytes, giving rise to 49.37% fluorescence increase in intracellular calcium compared with the control group(P<0.01). However,natrin 5,25 and 125 mg·L-1 resulted in 27.52%, 12.71% and 5.15% fluorescence increase in intracellular calcium,respectively,compared with the control group(P<0.01). Moreover, the PCR results showed that the mRNA expressions of Cav1.2, Calm and RyR2 in the myocardial cells treated with H2O2 were increased 2.78,2.26,and 5.34 times as compared with the control group,while Kir6.2 displayed a 1.79-fold expression level(P<0.01). By contrast, the combination of natrin and verapamil significantly decreased the mRNA expression of Cav1.2,Calm and RyR2,compared to the H2O2-treated group(P<0.01). Meanwhile,the expression of Kir6.2 was considerably higher than that of the H2O2-treated group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Natrin can reduce the intracellular calcium overload of cardiomyocytes induced by H2O2 and shows a protective effect against oxidative damage for cardiomyocytes. The possible mechanism is that natrin can decrease the mRNA expression of Cav1.2,Calm,RyR2 and increase the expression of Kir6.2 of the H2O2-induced cardiomyocytes.

To establish single- and double-transfected transgenic cells stably expressing hMATE1, hMATE1 cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR from human cryopreserved kidney tissue, and subcloned into pcDNA3.1(+) plasmid by virtue of both HindIII and Kpn I restriction enzyme sites. Subsequently, the recombined pcDNA3.1(+)- hMATE1 plasmid was transfected into MDCK, MDCK-hOCT1 or MDCK-hOCT2 cells using Lipofectamine 2000 Reagent. After a 14-day-cultivation with hygromycin B at the concentration of 400 µg · mL(-1), all clones were screened with DAPI and MPP+ as substrates to identify the best candidate. The mRNA content of hMATE1, the cellular accumulation of metformin with or without cimetidine as inhibitor, or transportation of cimetidine was further valuated. The results showed that all of the three cell models over expressed hMATE1 mRNA. The cellular accumulation of metformin in MDCK-hMATE1 was 17.6 folds of the control cell, which was significantly inhibited by 100 µmol · L(-1) cimetidine. The transcellular transport parameter net efflux ratios of cimetidine across MDCK-hOCT1/hMATE1 and MDCK-hOCT2/hMATE1 monolayer were 17.5 and 3.65, respectively. In conclusion, cell models with good hMATE1 function have been established successfully, which can be applied to study the drug transport or drug-drug interaction involving hMATE1 alone or together with hOCT1/2 in vitro.

Objective To probe the value of ultrasound in detection of malignant foci among multiple thyroid nodules. Methods Ultrasonograms of 83 patients with pathologically confirmed thyroid cancer combined with benign nodules were analyzed.Results Among 83 patients of thyroid carcinoma, 89 malignant and 87 benign nodules were detected with ultrasound. Significant differences of two-dimensional ultrasounic signs including low echoes, border fuzzy, micro-calcification and rear echo attenuation were found bteween malignant and benign nodules (P<0.01). There were significant differences in the grade Ⅱ, Ⅲ blood flow between malignant and benign ones (P<0.01). Of 89 malignant nodules, small thyroid carcinoma with diameter ≤1 cm accounted for 52.81% (47/89), and ultrasound diagnostic rate of all cancer nodules was 67.42% (60/89).Conclusion Ultrasounic characteristics including low echoes, border fuzzy, micro-calcification, rear echo attenuation and internal rich blood flow contribute to differentiate the thyroid microcarcinoma from multinodules.In particular, the microcarcinoma should not be ignored.

Acetaminophen ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Drug Interactions ; Flavonoids ; metabolism ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; Humans

To investigate the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in posthepatitis B cirrhosis.

ObjectiveTo explore gamma resonance signals in acute medication-free schizophrenics,and the effects of antipsychotics on gamma activity.MethodsSchizophrenia patients( n=56) and normal controls ( n =18 ) underwent auditory steady-state event-related potential testing and were evaluated of their psychopathic syndromes with the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) before and after 8 weeks of medication with oral chlorpromazine or clozapine.Click trains varying in rate of stimulation 40 Hz were presented; EEG-evoked power and intertrial phase synchronization were obtained in response to stimulation frequency.ResultsSchizophrenic patients showed reduced evoked power( Fz:( 5.08 ± 1.48) μV2 vs (6.91 ± 1.64) μV2 ; Cz:(4.70 ± 2.03 ) μV2 vs ( 6.93 ± 1.43 ) μV2 ; P ＜ 0.01 ) and a tendency of reduction in phase synchronization ( Fz:0.14 ± 0.04 vs 0.13 ± 0.04,P =0.051 ; Cz:0.18 ± 0.06 vs 0.17 ± 0.06,P =0.056) in response to 40 Hz stimulation.However significant correlations were not observed between oscillatory responses and clinical parameters in schizophrenic patients.There were no significant differences of gamma power and ITC in patients before and after chlorpromazine or clozapine administered.ConclusionSchizophrenia patients have deficits in the power and coherent of gamma oscillations,and can not be normalized by medication with antipsychotics.