AIM:The direct renin inhibitor aliskiren displays antihypertensive and antialbuminuric effects in humans and in animal models . Emerging evidence has shown that aliskiren localizes and persists in medullary collecting ducts even after treatment was discontinued . The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether aliskiren regulates renal aquaporin expression and improves urinary concen -trating defect induced by lithium .METHODS:The mice were either fed with normal chow or LiCl diet (40 mmol/kg dry food per day for first 4 days and 20 mmol/kg dry food per day for last 3 days ) for seven days .Some mice were intraperitoneally injected aliskiren ( 50 mg/kg BW per day in saline ) .RESULTS:Mice injected aliskiren developed decreased urine output and increased urine osmolal -ity when compared with controls .Aliskiren significantly increased protein abundance of AQP 2 and phosphorylated-S256 AQP2 in the kidney inner medulla .Immunohistochemistry and immunofluoresence showed increased apical and intracellular labeling of AQP 2 and pS256-AQP2 in collecting duct principal cells of kidneys in mice treated with aliskiren .Aliskiren treatment prevented urinary concen-trating defect in lithium-treated mice , and improved the downregulation of AQP 2 and pS256-AQP2 protein abundance in inner medulla of the kidney .In primary cultured rat inner medulla collecting duct cells , aliskiren dramatically increased AQP 2 protein abundance which was significantly inhibited either by PKA inhibitor H 89 or by adenylyl cyclase inhibitor MDL 12330, indicating an involvement of the cAMP signalling pathway in mediating aliskiren-induced increased AQP 2 expression .CONCLUSION: The direct renin inhibitor aliskiren upregulates AQP 2 protein expression in inner medullary collecting duct principal cells and prevents lithium -induced nephro-genic diabetes insipidus ( NDI) likely via PKA-cAMP pathways .

Objective To study the expression of PTEN and Caspase-3 proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) and to analyze the relationships between the expressions of the proteins and clinicopathologic factors as well as prognosis.Methods 64 cases of ESCCs,16 cases of pericarcinoma tissues and 16 cases of dysplasia epithelium were immunohistochemically stained.All 64 patients who underwent surgical treatment up to January 2005 were regularly followed up through letters and check-ups.Results The positive expression rate in pericarcinoma tissues,dysplasia and ESCC were significantly down-regulated((P

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in ureteral lesions.Methods The ultrasonogram of conventional ultrasound and CEUS were retrospectively analyzed in 19 confirmed ureteral lesions cases by operation and pathology.The size,inner echoes,boundary and color blood signal of ureteral lesions were observed by conventional ultrasound.The modality and phases of enhancement,including arrival time,peak time,washout time and appearance of internal structure,were observed by CEUS.Results The 19 ureteral tumors were of maximum widths between 2.1 to 7.7 cm.Conventional ultrasound showed 7 hypoechoic masses,10 isoechoic masses,1 hyperechoic mass and 1 unclear mass.Color Doppler flow imaging showed fairly rich blood signal in 8 tumors,a small amount of blood signal around tumor in 6 tumors and no blood signal in the rest.In early phase,CEUS showed enhancement in all 19 ureteral lesions,including synchronously enhancement in 8 tumors and delayed enhancement in 11 tumors.In peak time,hypoechogenicity compared to the normal renal cortex was shown in 3 tumors,hyperechogenicity in 11 tumors and isoechogenicity in 5 tumors.In late phase,fast wash-out was displayed in 16 tumors,isochronously wash-out in 1 tumor,delayed wash-out in 1 tumor and unclear in 1 tumor.The detection rates of blood supply and clear boundary in ureteral lesions and the diagnostic sensitivity for ureteral cancer were 74% (14/19),16% (3/19),50% (8/16) by conventional ultrasound respectively.The detection rates of blood supply and clear boundary in ureteral lesions and the diagnostic sensitivity for ureteral cancer were 100% (19/19) ,58% (11/19) ,94% (15/16) by CEUS respectively.The change of these performances was statistically significant between conventional ultrasound and CEUS.Conclusions CEUS can improve blood supply,boundary and the diagnostic sensitivity of ureteral lesions.

Objective To evaluate contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging of carotid atherosclerosis with different stenostic degree as a clinical tool to study intraplaque neovascularization.Methods Fifty-eight patients suspected of carotid stenosis with 73 plaques were studied by standard and contrast-enhanced ultrasound.Plaque echogenicity at standard ultrasound were evaluated.Contrast enhancement within the plaques was categorized as 0 - 4 degree and compared to the stenosis degree and the plaque echogenicity.The degree of stenosis was determined by intravenous digital subtraction angiography.Results In the group with stenosis less than 90% ,stenosis degree was not associated with the grade of contrast enhancement (P =0.358),while the grade of enhancement was significantly higher in the group with sever stenosis(＞90%).The grades of enhancement were significantly different between plaques with different echogenicity (P =0.000).Conclusions Contrast-enhanced real-time ultrasound imaging can demonstrate the enhancement of carotid plaques non-invasively,which is helpful for assessing intraplaque neovascularization and provide valuable information for plaque risk stratification

Objective To evaluate the value of quantitative analysis of real-time elastosonography in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Methods The elastograms of eight-six patients with 98 thyroid nodules were observed. The strain ratio of each lesion and the averages of those of benignancy and malignancy were calculated. With the ROC curve, the critical point of the strain ratio of different lesions was gotten. All the lesions were confirmed with surgery and pathologic examination. Results The average of strain ratio of benign nodules was 2. 18,while that of malignancy was 8. 48. The strain ratio of benign and malignant lesions were of significant difference statistically (P <0.05). According to ROC curve, the critical point of strain ratio between benign and malignant lesions was 3. 3. Conclusions The quantitative analysis of real-time elastosonography is a newly valuable technique of ultrasonography which is helpful in the differential diagnosis of thyroid lesions.

Objective To evaluate the dinical value of MCA and UtA Doppler parameters for the predication of fetus hypoxia. Methods407 singleton pregnancies at the third trimester were underwent Color Doppler,of which 67 cases were in high risk group and 340 cases were in control group.UtA-PI、UtA-RI、UtA-S/D、MCA-PI、MCA-RI and MCA-S/D were all measured.The ratio of UtA to MCA was calculated.All parameters were analyzed. ResultsIn high risk group,UtA-PI,UmA-RI and UtA-S/D were all higher than that in control group(all P＜0.01),MCA-PI is lower than that in control group(P＜0.05),and the ratio of UtA to MCA was higher than that in control group(all P＜0.01).By the standards of(UtA/MCA)-PI ≥ 0.72,(UtA/MCA)-RI ≥ 0.81,and(UtA/MCA)-S/D ≥ 0.74,the predication sensitivity of fetus hypoxia was 63.3%,and the specificity was 90.2%. ConclusionThe ratio of UtA to MCA could predict fetus hypoxia.

Objective:To report a rare case of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) complicated with chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy, combined with literature review, and discuss the clinical, imaging and pathological characteristics of the disease and the diagnosis and treatment ideas.Methods:The patient's clinical data, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and kidney pathological examination results, treatment measures and effects were collected and reported. Through systematic review of relevant literature, the clinical manifestations and pathogenesis of chronic tubular interstitial nephropathy complicated by PNH were summarized and discussed.Results:In this case, PNH was diagnosed for more than 30 years, the peripheral blood PNH clone was positive, urine specific gravity was 1.012, urine pH 6.0-7.0, urine protein (+), urine sugar (3+), serum creatinine 259 μmol/L, serum lactic acid dehydrogenase 800 U/L. MRI showed bilateral renal cortical signal was low intensity on both T1- and T2- weighted images. Kidney biopsy revealed remarkable chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy with massive hemosiderin deposition in proximal tubular cells demonstrated by Prussian blue staining and electron microscopy. By using low-dose prednisone to control hemolytic attack and other supportive treatments, the patient's renal function has been stabilized for a long time.Conclusions:PNH complicated with chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis is easy to be misdiagnosed due to insidious onset. MRI and kidney histopathological examination are helpful to clarify the diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment are helpful to improve the prognosis of such patients.

Objective: To evaluate the bidirectional association between periodontitis and Sjögren's syndrome using the Mendelian randomization (MR) method. Methods: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of periodontitis (N = 45 563) and Sjögren's syndrome (N = 214 435) were selected to meet the requirements of the same ethnicity and different regions. Inverse variance-weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median (WM) tests were used to evaluate the causal effect. Cochran's Q statistics, MR-Egger intercept, MR-PRESSO and leave-one-out analysis were used as sensitivity analyses to assess the stability and reliability of the results. Results: After screening, the GWAS data of Sjögren's syndrome were based on the Finnish region, and the periodontitis GWAS data were based on the UK region, both of which originated from European ancestry. Using IVW (OR = 1.017, 95% CI = 0.956-1.082), MR-Egger (OR = 0.985, 95% CI= 0.956-1.082), and WM (OR =1.021, 95% CI = 0.948-1.099), no causal effect of Sjögren's syndrome on periodontitis was found using any of the three methods. Conversely, no causal effect of periodontitis on Sjögren's syndrome was found (IVW, OR = 1.024, 95% CI = 0.852-1.230; MR-Egger, OR = 0.978, 95% CI = 0.789-1.212; WM, OR = 1.024, 95% CI = 0.846-1.260). The sensitivity analyses indicated that the results were stable and reliable. Cochran's Q test and MR-PRESSO revealed that there was no significant heterogeneity among the instrumental variables, which included single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The intercept of MR-Egger regression indicated no pleiotropy in the included SNPs. No individual SNP was found that significantly affected the results using the leave-one-out method. Conclusion This study does not support a bidirectional causal effect between periodontitis and Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the current basic situation of the staff of ultrasound departments in Shanghai′s medical institutions, for providing references in making management policy of these professionals. Methods: Questionnaire surveys on human resource and service ability were made to all the ultrasound departments of medical institutions in Shanghai in December 2013 and November 2018 respectively. Data of the two surveys were compared and analyzed, and were descriptively analyzed by mean and percentage. Results: The number of ultrasound professionals per 10 000 people in Shanghai was 1.04 in 2018. Tertiary hospitals had advantages in the number of the professionals, and the proportion of professional qualification, age, education background and professional title of the professionals. Compared to those data in 2013, the number of ultrasound professionals had increased 31.8% in 2018. The proportion of medical practitioners with medical imaging specialty was 95.6%(2 063/2 158), and had increased by 4.7 percent. The medical services workload of ultrasound was 19.82 million person-time, and had increased 45.8%. Conclusions Development of ultrasound departments was rapid, but the development of professionals was unbalanced with the development of medical services. It is suggested to strengthen training of ultrasound professionals and improve the system of hierarchical medical system.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sanguinarine on biomechanical properties of rat airway smooth muscle cells (rASMCs) including stiffness, traction force and cytoskeletal stress fiber organization. To do so, rASMCs cultured were treated with sanguinarine solution at different concentrations (0.005~5 μmol/L) for 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, and 48 h, respectively. Subsequently, the cells were tested for their viability, stiffness, traction force, migration and microfilament distribution by using methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay, optical magnetic twisting cytometry, Fourier transform traction microscopy, scratch wound healing method, and immunofluorescence microscopy, respectively. The results showed that at concentration below 0.5 μmol/L sanguinarine had no effect on cell viability, but caused dose and time dependent effect on cell biomechanics. Specifically, rASMCs treated with sanguinarine at 0.05 μmol/L and 0.5 μmol/L for 12 and 24 h exhibited significant reduction in stiffness, traction force and migration speed, together with disorganization of the cytoskeletal stress fibers. Considering the essential role of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) biomechanics in the airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) of asthma, these findings suggest that sanguinarine may ameliorate AHR via alteration of ASMCs biomechanical properties, thus providing a novel approach for asthma drug development.