Chronic renal failure (CRF) is one of the major diseases affecting people's health. The patients' renal function shows chronic progressive irreversible damage, which ultimately leads to complete loss of renal function, and seriously impacts the quality of life of patients and even life-threatening. At early or middle stages, the treatment of CRF focuses on delaying or reversing the progress of the disease, with the aim to prevent the occurrence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). ESRD has to be treated by renal replacement therapy. Currently, with the continuously developing dialysis and kidney transplantation technology has extended the life of ESRD patients and improved the quality of life. However, there are still many problems, such as more complications, high mortality, high costs and limited transplant conditions. The non-dialysis treatment of traditional Chinese medicine plays an extremely important role in intervening the progress of CRF, and the curative effect of treating this disease is constantly improving, and it has received extensive attention and concerns from kidney scientists at home and abroad. Therefore, it is of great significance to play the role of traditional Chinese medicine and seek effective prescriptions for the treatment of CRF in the early and middle stages. Hei Dihuangwan is an effective prescription for CRF in clinic. It has a certain clinical basis, important values in alleviating renal anemia, bone disease, malnutrition, endocrine and lipid metabolism disorders, microinflammation and residual renal function protection in patients with CRF. There are also extensive experimental studies on the treatment of CRF with Hei Dihuangwan. Through the experimental study on 5/6 nephrectomy in rats with chronic renal failure, it has been found that Hei Dihuangwan can resist inflammation, fibrosis and oxidation, repair immune inflammatory injury, regulate hormone metabolism disorder, impact the regulation mechanisms, such as hemodynamics and hemorheology, delay the process of renal fibrosis in rats with renal failure, and effectively protect rat kidney function. This article reviews the recent advances in the clinical and experimental studies of CRF.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of specificity protein 1 (Sp1) in regulating radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cell lines.

METHODSWe analyzed Sp1 expression in 6 different cervical cancer cell lines (SiHa, HeLa, Caski, Me180, Ms751, and C33a) using Western blotting and real-time PCR. Clonogenic survival assay and curve fitting were used to assess the changes in radiosensitivity of Me180 cells transfected with lentivirus-mediated shRNA vector targeting sp1 and HeLa cells transfected with sp1 over-expression vector.

RESULTSIn the 6 cell lines tested, the cellular expression levels of Sp1 decreased gradually in the order of Me180, Caski, C33a, SiHa, Ms751, and HeLa. SP1 knockdown with lentivirus-mediated shRNA significantly lowered the survival rate of Me180 cells following radiation exposure (P<0.05), and obviously lowered the values of SF2, D0 and Dq but significantly increased α/β of the cells. Compared with the cells transfected with the mock vector, HeLa cells with sp1 over-expression showed a significantly increased survival following radiation exposure (P<0.05) with obviously increased values of SF2, D0 and Dq but significantly lowered α/β.

CONCLUSIONSilencing Sp1 can increase the radiosensitivity while Sp1 overexpression enhances the radioresistance of cervical cancer cell lines, suggesting an important role of Sp1 in radiotherapy for cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the expression of MAP2K4 and vimentin in human endometrial carcinoma (EC) and their association with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of the patients.

METHODSMAP2K4 and vimentin expressions were detected immunohistochemically in paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 128 patients with EC, and the correlation of MAP2K4 and vimentin expressions with the clinicopathological factors of the patients was analyzed.

RESULTSMAP2K4 and vimentin proteins were positively expressed in 49 (38.3%) and 83 (64.8%) of the patients, respectively. A positive expression of MAP2K4 was negatively correlated with FIGO stage of the tumor (P=0.010) and lymph node status (P=0.016); a positive expression of vimentin was positively correlated with FIGO stage of the tumor (P=0.025), histological grades (P=0.017), depth of myometrial invasion (P=0.044) and lymph node status (P=0.032). MAP2K4 was inversely associated with vimentin expression in EC(r=-0.598, P<0.001). Patients positive for MAP2K4 tended to have a higher overall survival rate (P=0.002), and those positive for vimentin tended to have a lower overall survival rate (P=0.007); patients positive for MAP2K4 but negative for vimentin had the longest survival time, while those negative for MAP2K4 and positive for vimentin had lowest survival rate (P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONDetection of MAP2K4 and vimentin might help in early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of patients with EC.

Endometrial Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Kinase 4 ; metabolism ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Vimentin ; metabolism

AIM:To observe the effect of thyroxine on the expression of T-type calcium channels Cav3. 1, Cav3. 2 and Cav3. 3 in rat myocardium, and to explore the possible biological mechanism between the changes of the ex-pression of T-type calcium channels and the arrhythmia in hyperthyroid heart disease. METHODS:Healthy SD rats (n=20) were randomly divided into normal control group (n=10) and hyperthyroid heart disease group (n=10). The animal model was established by intraperitoneal injection of levothyroxine for 35 d. The contents of T3 and T4 in serum, the heart-to-body weight ratio, the diameter of cardiac myocytes and electrocardiograph were measured to evaluate hyperthyroid heart disease. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression levels of T-type calcium channels in the myocardium were measured by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS:After intraperitoneal injection of levothyroxine for 35 d, compared with the normal control group, the serum contents of T3 and T4, the heart-to-body weight ratio and the diameter of cardiac myocytes were significantly increased in hyperthyroid heart disease group (P<0.05), and arrhythmia occurred in hyperthyroid heart disease group. By immunohistochemistry and Western blot, the protein expression of Cav3. 1 in-creased significantly (P<0.05), while the protein expression of Cav3.2 decreased significantly (P<0.01). However, no change of the Cav3. 3 protein was observed. The results of RT-PCR were the same as immunohistochemistry and Western blot. CONCLUSION:Thyroxine promotes the expression of Cav3. 1 in the myocardium but inhibits the expression of Cav3. 2 at mRNA and protein levels, which might be involved in arrhythmia in hyperthyroid heart disease.

OBJECTIVETo explore the mucosal protective effect on the quality of gastric ulcer healing.

METHODSGastric ulcers were induced in male rats by serosal application of acetic acid. Rats were gavaged for 14 days with saline, omeprazole (OME), teprenone (TEP) and TEP plus OME starting 3 days after ulcer induction. Then the tissues and blood samples were obtained and measured.

RESULTThe lower ulcer index (UI) and increased ulcer inhibition rate were observed in OME and OME+TEP groups. In TEP and OME+TEP groups, restored mucosa thickness increased, cystically dilated glands decreased, microvessels in connective tissue increased, the secretion of mucus, hexosamine, PGE(2), bFGF were enhanced, the expression of EGFR was increased.

CONCLUSIONTEP can improve the quality of gastric ulcer healing, when combined with OME,the effect is more marked.

Acetic Acid ; Animals ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; therapeutic use ; Diterpenes ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Gastric Mucosa ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Omeprazole ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; biosynthesis ; Secondary Prevention ; Stomach Ulcer ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Wound Healing ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine Sanqi Oral Liquid, composed of Astragalus membranaceus and Panpax notoginseng, in alleviating renal injury by observing its effect on the expressions of CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD68(+) cells in 5/6 nephrectomized rats with chronic renal failure.

METHODSA total of 102 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: three treatment groups were administrated with high, medium and low dosage of Sanqi Oral Liquid respectively by gavage; a normal group, a 5/6 nephrectomized model group, and a group treated with coated aldehyde oxygenstarch were used as controls. Following oral administration of Sanqi Oral Liquid for 12 weeks, the general condition and renal pathological changes were observed, and the renal function, platelet count (PLT) and the expressions of CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD68(+) cells were determined for each group.

RESULTSThere were proliferation of mesangial matrix, renaltubularnecrosis and obvious tubulointerstitial fibrosis in the model group, and they were much milder in the treatment groups. Compared with the model group, the amounts of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and PLT in the treatment groups decreased (P<0.05 for all); and in the group administrated of medium dosage of Sanqi Oral Liquid, the expression of CD4(+) cells was up-regulated and those of CD8(+) and CD68(+) cells were down-regulated (P<0.05 for all), leading to an increased ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+)(P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSanqi Oral Liquid has a significant effect on regulating lymphocyte subsets, reducing the infiltration of macrophages in renal tissues and alleviating tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and this may be one of mechanisms of Sanqi Oral Liquid in delaying the progression of chronic kidney diseases.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; pathology ; physiology ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; pathology ; physiology ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Solutions

Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/drug therapy* ; Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Cardiology ; Hypertension/drug therapy*

ObjectiveCasitas B-lineage lymphoma proto-oncogene (CBL) expression in different types of breast cancer and its role in the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of breast cancer patients have been rarely reported. Here, we aimed to analyze the expression levels of CBL in breast cancer tissues and its difference in different molecular types, pathological types, TNM grades and clinical stages. Additionally, the role of CBL in the diagnosis and clinical prognosis evaluation in breast cancer patients was researched.MethodsData were downloaded from the USCS Xena database, and the expression of CBL genes in breast cancer tissues (1104 cases) and adjacent tissues (113 cases) were analyzed. CBL gene expression of different molecular types (triple negative, HER2+, Luminal A, Luminal B) and different pathological types (invasive ductal cancer, invasive lobular cancer, mixed tissue breast cancer, mucinous cancer, others) in breast cancer tissue samples were analyzed. It is divided into T1, T2, T3, T4, and Tx according to the tumor volume and the affected area of adjacent tissues. It is divided into N0, N1, N2, N3, and Nx according to the regional lymph node involvement. It is divided into cM0 (i+), M0, M1, Mx according to whether there is a distant transfer. According to different clinical stages, it is divided into stage I, stage II, stage III, stage IV, and others. Expression of CBL gene in different TNM grades and clinical stages of breast cancer was compared.Correlation between CBL gene expression and different TNM grades, clinical stages of breast cancer was examined. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the value of CBL in the diagnosis of breast cancer. According to the median value of gene expression 2.152, it was divided into high expression group (≥2.152) and low expression group (<2.152). Survival analysis was performed to verify whether CBL gene is associated with survival prognosis gene. The expression level of CBL protein in breast cancer tissues was further detected by immunohistochemistry.ResultsIn breast cancer tissues with different molecular types, the expression of CBL gene was highest in triple-negative breast cancer tissues (P<0.05). The expression of CBL gene in Luminal B breast cancer tissues was lower than that of Luminal A (P<0.05). The expression level of CBL gene in invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma tissues was lower than that in mixed tissue breast cancer (P<0.05). The expression level of CBL gene in invasive ductal carcinoma was higher than that of invasive lobular carcinoma (P<0.05). The expression of CBL gene from T1 to T3 gradually decreased (P<0.05). The expression of CBL gene in N0 was higher than that in N1 (P<0.05). The expression of CBL gene gradually decreased from stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ (P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of CBL mRNA in breast cancer tissues for diagnosis was 0.768. The survival rate of the CBL gene high expression group was higher than low expression group (P<0.05). The CBL gene is a prognosis-related gene, and high expression of CBL is positively correlated with the good prognosis of breast cancer patients (P<0.05).ConclusionCBL is a good prognosis-related gene in breast cancer patients, and it is expected to become a new clinical diagnostic and prognostic marker for breast cancer patients.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and identify the risk factors of Giardia lamblia infections among patients with colorectal cancer in Henan Province. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed for questionnaire surveys among colorectal cancer patients in Henan Cancer Hospital during the period from March to July, 2021. Patients’ stool samples were collected, and the triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) gene of G. lamblia was amplified in stool samples using nested PCR assay to characterize the parasite genotype. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the risk factors of G. lamblia infections among colorectal cancer patients. Results A total of 307 colorectal cancer patients were investigated, including 176 males (57.3%) and 131 females (42.7%). PCR assay detected 8.1% [95% confidential interval (CI): (0.056, 0.117)] prevalence of G. lamblia infections among the study subjects, and there was no significant difference in the prevalence between men [9.1%, 95% CI: (0.057, 0.143)] and women [6.9%, 95% CI: (0.037, 0.125)] (χ² = 0.495, P = 0.482). In addition, there was no age-specific prevalence of G. lamblia infections among the participants (χ² = 1.534, P = 0.675). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified use of septic tanks [odds ratio (OR) = 3.336, 95% CI: (1.201, 9.267)], daily use of well water [OR = 3.042, 95% CI: (1.093, 8.465)] and raising livestock [OR = 3.740, 95% CI: (1.154, 12.121)] as risk factors of G. lamblia infections among colorectal cancer patients, and the prevalence of abdominal pain was significantly greater in colorectal cancer patients with G. lamblia infections than in those without infections (P = 0.017). Among the 25 patients with G. lamblia infections, assemblage A was characterized in 24 (96.0%) cases and assemblage B in one case (4.0%). Conclusions The prevalence of G. lamblia is high among colorectal cancer patients in Henan Province, and assemblage A is the dominant genotype of G. lamblia. Use of septic tanks, daily use of well water and raising livestock are risk factors of G. lamblia infections among patients with colorectal cancer.