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 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.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on post stroke depres- sion (PSD) after lacunar infarction (LI).Methods Seventy-five PSD patients with lacular infarction were recruited and randomly divided into a control group and an EA group.All patients were treated with Fluoxetine,in addition to EA treat- ment in the EA group.Then all patients were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD),the Chinese stroke scale (CSS) and the Barthel Index (BI).The evaluations were carried out at 0,14 and 28 days.Results Depression symptoms (DSs) in the EA group were improved by day 14 of the treatment,and their HAMD scores had decreased.DSs in both groups had improved significantly by day 28,and the HAMD scores in the EA group were then significantly lower than those in the control group.Improvements in neurological impairment and in the activities of daily living were observed earlier in the EA group.Conclusion The combination of EA and Fluoxetine is helpful for PSD with complex patho- genesis and clinical symptoms.Therapeutic effects are enhanced and side effects are reduced.

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

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.

Objective To study P300 of the first episode depression and mismatch negativity(MMN) changes after antidepressant treatment. Methods Sixty-four patients with first episode depression were evaluated by HAMD 17, and P300 and MMN tests were performed at the baseline and week 12. The cognitive potentials were compared with those of control group(N=36). Results Compared with the control group, depressive patients had longer latency of P300 and MMN,lower amplitude of P300 and MMN before treatment (P