AIM: To demonstrate the effects of telmisartan on the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells.METHODS: The proliferation ability of the U937 cells was assessed by CCK-8 assay and colony formation test with methylcellulose.The CD11b expression rate of the U937 cells was identified by flow cytometry.The apoptotic rate was analyzed by flow cytometry with Annexin V-PI double staining and Hoechst 33342 staining.The protein levels of cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by Western blot.RESULTS: The results of CCK-8 assay confirmed that the viability of U937 cells was inhibited by telmisartan.The colony formation capacity of U937 cells was also significantly inhibited by telmisartan.The differentiation of U937 cells was induced by telmisartan with the expression of CD11b.The results of flow cytometry analysis with Annexin V-PI double staining and Hoechst 33342 staining identified that the apoptosis of U937 cells was induced by telmisartan in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners with the up-regulation of cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-3 proteins.CONCLUSION: Telmisartan inhibits the proliferation and induces the differentiation of U937 cells.Telmisartan also induces the apoptosis of U937 cells through the caspase pathway.

Objective To investigate the changes of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) induced by tacrolimus (FK506) in rats and evaluate its effect on blood glucose levels. Methods Ten SD rats were divided into the FK506 group and control group (n=5 in each group). In the FK506 group, the rats were received a subcutaneous injection of FK506 (3 mg/kg) +sunflower oil solution containing 10% ethanol daily for consecutive 4 weeks. In the control group, the rats were received a subcutaneous injection of an equivalent amount of sunflower oil solution containing 10% ethanol for consecutive 4 weeks. During the drug injection period, the body mass of rats was measured every week in two groups. After the drug injection period, blood glucose level, SCFA content in the blood and feces samples were measured in two groups. Results Compared with the control group, the relative body mass of rats in the FK506 group was significantly lower at the 2nd, 3rd and 4thweeks (all P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the blood glucose levels of rats in the FK506 group were significantly increased at 0, 30, and 60 min after giving glucose (P<0.01-0.05). Compared with the control group, the contents of acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid and valeric acid in the feces sample were significantly lower in the FK506 group (P<0.01-0.05). Conclusions FK506 can upregulate the blood glucose level in rats, which is probably induced by the decrease of SCFA content in rat feces.

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of conversion from calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) to mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORi) in liver transplant recipients.Methods Such databases as MEDLINE (PUBMED),EMBASE,Cochrane Library and clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov,WHO International Trial Registry Network,Australian & New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry) were searched from the inception of each resource up to April 2015 for collecting the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about liver transplant recipients after conversion from CNIs to mTORi,and the references of those trials were also searched by hand.After study selection,assessment and data extraction conducted by two reviewers independently,meta-analyses were performed by using the RevMan5.3 software.The quality of those trials was assessed by using the Jadad Score.Then,the safety and efficacy of conversion from CNI to mTORi were systematically assessed as a strategy for eliminating CNI exposure in liver transplant recipients.Results Ten RCTs (1917 patients) were included in this meta-analysis.The follow-up duration post-randomization was 6 to 36 months.The mean mTORi conversion time after transplantation was ≤6 months in 4 trials,and ＞6 months in 6.The meta-analysis revealed that the estimated glomerular filtration rate was significantly increased,and the incidence of renal failure and hyperglycemia was significantly reduced in mTORi conversion group as compared with those in CNI treatment group (P＜0.05 for all).The incidence of acute rejection in mRORi conversion group and CNI treatment group was 11.3％ and 6.3％ respectively (P＜0.01),and that confirmed by biopsy was 14.0％ and 8.4％ respectively (P＜0.01).The percentage of recipients discontinuing the medication in mRORi conversion group and CNI treatment group was 41.6％ and 21.5％ respectively (P＜0.01).The main reasons for drug withdrawal were drug-related adverse events (Aes),including acute rejection,bone marrow depression,anemia,leucopenia,thrombocytopenia,mouth sores/stomatitis,hyperlipidemia,hypercholesterolemia,rash,edema,and pyrexia.There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to death,graft loss,loss to follow-up,infection,gastrointestinal symptoms,malignancy,and hypertension.Conclusion Conversion from CNI to mTORi therapy results in a significant improvement in renal function.However,this conversion strategy may lead to the high discontinuation rate due to mTORi-associated Aes,indicating that conversion may only be a treatment option in selected patients.

Objective To evaluate the safety of super-minimal incision kidney transplantation (SMIKT).Methods We included the clinical data and outcomes of 40 cases of SMIKT and 56 cases of conventional Gibson incision kidney transplantation (CIKT),and compared the operation time,post operative pain,analgesic requirements,1 month renal function and 1 month Vancouver scar scale between the two groups.Results As compared with CIKT,operation time was significantly shortened (100 ± 10 versus 127.5 ± 34.3 min,P =0.044),incision length was significantly shortened (5.2 ± 0.2 versus 13.0 ± 2.0 cm,P＜0.001),and post-operative pain at day 1 was significantly reduced in SMIKT (1.31 ± 1.15 versus 4.02 ± 1.83,P =0.004).However,there was no significant difference in post-operative pain at day 2 and day 3 between CIKT and SMIKT.SMIKT required less analgesic medications than CIKT (3.13 ± 1.74 versus 11.69 ± 2.89,P =0.002).No significant difference in 1 month renal function was observed between two groups.SMIKT had fewer Vancouver scar scale score than CIKT (6.50 ± 0.58 versus 8.67 ± 0.58,P =0.004).Conclusion SMIKT is a safe novel surgery,which can significantly reduce operation time,post-operative pain,had fewer analgesic requirements and better 1-month cosmetic effect.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag standard therapy in the treatment of patients with connective tissue disease (CTD) associated with thrombocytopenia who were non-responder to recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) or relapsed after discontinuation of rhTPO.Methods:Retrospectively analysis of clinical data of 4 cases presented with CTD associated with thrombocytopenia who were non-responder to rhTPO or relapsed after discontinuation of rhTPO, and then treated with eltrombopag from November 2017 to June 2022. The literature were reviewed on eltrombopag in the treatment of CTD associated with thrombocytopenia.Results:The platelet count of 4 patients increased to more than 30×10 9/L after 2 weeks administration of eltrombopag. The median time was 32 (14, 41) days for platelet counts returning to normal level. The dosage of eltrombopag was gradually reduced to maintain normal platelet count, which was helpful for tapering of glucocorticoid and other immunosuppressant. No adverse event was observed during the treatment. Conclusion:Eltrombopag is safe and effective for CTD associated with thrombocytopenia, for patients who are non-responders to rhTPO or relapsed after discontinuation of rhTPO treatment in particular.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of different doses of L-Borneolum，Borneolum，and Borneolum Syntheticum in the electrophysiology，anti-inflammation，and regulation of hypoxia inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） cardiovascular protection of the experimental acute myocardial infarction （AMI） rats. MethodSD male adult rats were randomly divided into thirteen groups according to their body weight，namely the sham operation group，the model group，the solvent model group，the nitroglycerin group，the Borneolum high，medium，and low-dose （0.6，0.3， 0.15 g·kg^-1） groups，the L-Borneolum high，medium，and low-dose （0.2，0.1， 0.05 g·kg^-1） groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high，medium，and low-dose （0.2，0.1， 0.05 g·kg^-1） groups，with 10 rats in each group. Rats were given 10 mL·kg^-1 by gavage for 3 d of pre-administration. Thirty minutes after the last administration，the left anterior descending coronary artery （LAD） was ligated to induce the model，and the successful rat model was continuously treated for 3 d. BL-420N biosystem was used to analyze the electrocardiogram （ECG） and heart rate variability （HRV） before and after modeling and after 3 d of treatment. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expressions of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the myocardial tissue Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the protein expression levels of VEGF receptor 1 （VEGFR1），HIF-1α，and CD34. ResultCompared with the sham operation group，the model group significantly increased the heart rate，ECG ST wave，T wave，QRS duration，QTC interval，and Q wave on the day of modeling and after 3 d of treatment，and significantly changed HRV and T wave （P<0.05，P<0.01）. As compared with the solvent model group，on the day of modeling，the heart rate of the L-Borneolum medium and low-dose groups and the Borneolum groups，the ST wave of the L-Borneolum groups，the Borneolum high and medium-dose groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high-dose group，HRV parameters of the L-Borneolum groups，the Borneolum medium and low-dose groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high-dose group，LF/HF of the L-Borneolum high and medium-dose group，the Borneolum low-dose group，and the Borneolum Syntheticum groups，T wave of the L-Borneolum high-dose group，the Borneolum Syntheticum high-dose group，and Borneolum medium-dose group，QTC interval of the L-Borneolum medium and low-dose groups and the Borneolum high and medium-dose groups，and QRS duration of the L-Borneolum high and low-dose groups，the Borneolum high and low-dose groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum groups were significantly reduced or shortened （P<0.05，P<0.01）. After 3 d of treatment，the heart rate of the L-Borneolum groups，the Borneolum high and medium-dose groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum medium-dose group，ST wave of the L-Borneolum group，the Borneolum high and medium-dose groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high-dose group，OTC interval，ORS duration，and Q wave of the L-Borneolum high-dose group，the Borneolum high-dose group，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high and medium-dose groups，QRS duration of the L-Borneolum medium-dose group，QTC interval of the Borneolum medium-dose group，and Q wave of the Borneolum Syntheticum low-dose group were all significantly reduced or shortened（P<0.01）. The mRNA expressions of IL-1β and IL-6 in the L-Borneolum medium and low-dose groups，the Borneolum medium and low-dose groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high and medium-dose groups were significantly down-regulated（P<0.01），and LF/HF in the L-Borneolum high and medium-dose groups，the Borneolum high and medium-dose groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high and low-dose groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05，P<0.01）. HRV in the L-Borneolum high-dose group，the Borneolum groups，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high and low-dose groups，and T wave in the Borneolum high and medium-dose groups and the Borneolum Syntheticum high-dose group were increased significantly. The protein expressions of HIF-1α，VEGFR1，and CD34 in the L-Borneolum medium and low-dose groups，the Borneolum low-dose group，and the Borneolum Syntheticum high-dose group were significantly up-regulated，as well as those of VEGFR1 and CD34 in the Borneolum medium-dose group （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionThe 3 kinds of Borneolum improves the heart rate，heart rate variability，and electrocardiogram of AMI model rats to different degrees，and may play a myocardial protective effect by anti-inflammation and promotion of angiogenesis. The combined effect suggests that L-Borneolum has the superior effect next to Borneolum，and Borneolum Syntheticum has the inferior effect.

Esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies in the world and occurs at particularly higher frequency in China. While several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of germline variants and whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing studies of somatic mutations in ESCC have been published, there is no comprehensive database publically available for this cancer. Here, we developed the Chinese Cancer Genomic Database-Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (CCGD-ESCC) database, which contains the associations of 69,593 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with ESCC risk in 2022 cases and 2039 controls, survival time of 1006 ESCC patients (survival GWAS) and gene expression (expression quantitative trait loci, eQTL) in 94 ESCC patients. Moreover, this database also provides the associations between 8833 somatic mutations and survival time in 675 ESCC patients. Our user-friendly database is a resource useful for biologists and oncologists not only in identifying the associations of genetic variants or somatic mutations with the development and progression of ESCC but also in studying the underlying mechanisms for tumorigenesis of the cancer. CCGD-ESCC is freely accessible at http://db.cbi.pku.edu.cn/ccgd/ESCCdb.
Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; epidemiology ; Databases, Genetic ; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetic Variation ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Internet ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; User-Computer Interface