ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） on renal injury in db/db mice and its impact on endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS） in renal tissues. MethodsThirty 8-week-old male db/db mice and six db/m mice were acclimated for one week， after which urinary microalbumin and blood glucose levels were monitored to establish a diabetic kidney disease （DKD） model. The model mice were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group， and three DSS treatment groups with different doses （16.77， 33.54， and 67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. A normal group was set as control. Each group was intragastrically administered with the corresponding drugs or saline for 8 weeks. After the intervention， general conditions were observed. Serum cystatin C （Cys-C）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 h-UTP）， 24-hour urinary microalbumin （24 h-UMA）， urinary creatinine （Ucr）， and urea nitrogen （UUN） were measured. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） was used to observe glomerular basement membrane （GBM） and ultrastructural changes of the endoplasmic reticulum （ER） in glomerular endothelial cells. Western blot， real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze renal tissue structure and the expression of GRP78， CHOP， and related markers. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the mice in the model group showed curled posture， sluggish response， poor fur condition， increased levels of Cys-C， 24 h-UTP， 24 h-UMA， and UUN （P<0.05）， while Ucr decreased （P<0.05）. The GBM was significantly thickened， with podocyte and foot process fusion. The protein expressions of GRP78， CHOP， and ATF6 were significantly upregulated （P<0.05）， the mRNA levels of GRP78 and CHOP increased （P<0.05）， and immunohistochemistry showed an enhanced GRP78 signal （P<0.05）. After treatment， the mice exhibited improved behavior， normalized GBM and podocyte structure， improved ER morphology and markedly better biochemical indicators. Western blot， Real-time PCR， and immunohistochemistry indicated that the ERS-related markers were downregulated in the DSS treatment groups （P<0.05）， suggesting alleviated ERS and improved renal function. ConclusionDSS can effectively ameliorate renal pathological damage in db/db mice， possibly by regulating ERS in glomerular endothelial cells， although the underlying signaling mechanisms require further investigation.

Objective:To explore the interaction between pediatric sleep-disordered breathing（SDB）, the intestinal microbiota, and pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD）. Methods:A total of 63 non-obese children（47 children with SDB in the experimental group and 16 without SDB in the control group） were enrolled in this study. The liver function and degree of SDB were assessed in both groups. High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing was conducted to detect the composition and functional variations of the intestinal microbiota in the two groups of children. Results:Compared with children in the experimental group, serum ALT and AST levels were higher in the control group. and the relative proteobacteria abundance of intestinal flora increased, and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes decreased significantly. Function including membrane transport, carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism, were enriched in the intestinal microbiota of children with SDB. Conclusion:The composition and functional annotation of the pediatric liver functional status and gut microbiota were significantly different between the two groups of children with and without SDB. Changes in SDB-associated intestinal bacterial abundance may be related to the pathogenesis of pediatric NAFLD.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/microbiology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Child ; Male ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes/microbiology* ; Female ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics* ; Bacteroidetes ; Proteobacteria/isolation & purification* ; Lipid Metabolism

Objective To investigate the prevalence of DUOX2 mutations in Chinese patients with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and to discuss the inheritance pattern of DUOX2 gene.Methods Blood samples were collected from 91 CH children and their genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes.All exons and exon-intron boundaries of DUOX2 were analyzed by target next-generation sequencing and family trios was established to study the inheritance pattern of DUOX2 gene.Results Fifty-four out of 91 children with CH carried DUOX2 mutation, with a prevalence of 59.34%.Of the 54 CH children, 36 carried DUOX2 biallelic mutations.In all 12 family trios with probands carrying biallelic DUOX2 mutations, the parents carried heterozygous DUOX2 mutations while still showing normal thyroid function, suggesting that CH caused by DUOX2 mutations is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.Conclusion DUOX2 gene is one of the most frequently mutated genes in Chinese CH patients and its inheritance pattern is an autosomal recessive one.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between neuropeptides and mast cell in the initiation and development of allergic rhinitis. METHOD: Thirty healthy rats were randomly divided into three groups. The rat model of allergic rhinitis was established by using ovalbumin intraperitoneal immunization and nasal antigen challenge. After treating with capsaicin for two weeks, the counts of mast cells and the density of SP distribution were observed routinely in the nasal mucosa obtained from each models by HE, toluidine blue and immunohistochemical staining. RESULT: The counts of mast cells in AR were greatly more than them in normal controls (P < 0.01). After treating with capsaicin the mast cells were rare and significantly fewer than the normals (P < 0.01); The expression of SP was lower than the AR (P < 0.01), but no difference between the capsaicin group and normal group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Capsaicin can decrease the infiltration of mast cells, down regulate the SP expression, and improve the symptoms of AR greatly.
Animals ; Capsaicin ; therapeutic use ; Mast Cells ; metabolism ; Nasal Mucosa ; pathology ; Neuropeptides ; biosynthesis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology