[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To investigate the effects of sinapic acid ( SA) on the proliferation and apoptosis of rat vas-cular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by high glucose (HG).METHODS:Cultured A7r5 cells were randomly di-vided and treated as indicated.The cell viability was determined by MTT assay.DNA synthesis was measured by BrdU as-say.Cell cycle progression and cell apoptotic rate were determined by flow cytometry analysis.The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by ELISA.The protein levels of cyclin D1, P21, P27, phosphorylated protein kinase C (p-PKC), p-P38 andβ-actin were evaluated by Western blot.RESULTS:Compared with control group, the viability of A7r5 cells was significantly enhanced, the DNA synthesis was increased, the cell cycle progression was promoted, the levels of ROS were elevated, the cell apoptotic rate was reduced, the protein expression of P21 and P27 was decreased, and the pro-tein levels of cyclin D1, p-PKC and p-P38 were increased in HG group (all P<0.05).These effects were reversed by SA (0.1, 1 and 10 μmol/L) treatment in a dose-dependent manner (all P<0.05).Both P38 inhibitor SB203580 and PKC inhibitor chelerythrine significantly inhibit HG-induced PKC/P38 activation and cell viability ( P <0.05).CONCLU-SION:SA inhibits HG-induced VSMCs proliferation and promotes cell apoptosis via reducing PKC/P38 activation.

The epidemic characteristics and genotype of Bacillus anthracis strains in Liaoning Province ,China was analyze in this study .Six Bacillus anthracis strains from 2001 to 2011 were studied with multiple‐locus variable‐number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) .BioNumerics4 .0 software was used to analyze the DNA fingerprint of statistics ,and cluster analysis results were obtained .Clustering analysis found that the 6 strains could be divided into two genotypes .For anthrax outbreaks ,the ge‐netic markers of multiple‐locus variable‐number tandem repeat were highly similar .It's suggested that MLVA is quite useful for investigation of strain relatedness in regions of outbreaks .

OBJECTIVETo search for an effective therapy for allergic rhinitis.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of allergic rhinitis were randomly divided into a treatment group (n=60) treated mainly with penetration needling, Yintang (EX-HN 3)-through-Bigen (root of nose), Sibai (ST 2)-through-Bigen, Yingxiang (LI 20)-through-Bigen, and a control group (n=60) treated with oral Biyankang, 4 tablets each time, 3 times daily. Their therapeutic effects were compared.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 85.0% in the treatment group and 60.0% in the control group, with a very significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe penetration needling as main therapy has a definite therapeutic effect on allergic rhinitis, which is significantly better than that of oral Biyankang.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Nose ; Rhinitis, Allergic

Objective To explore the clinical value of ureteroscopy and minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy ( MPCNL) in the treatment of ureteral calculi patients with acute renal dysfunction .Methods Clini-cal data of 124 ureteral calculi patients with acute renal dysfunction were retrospectively analyzed .86 cases were trea-ted with holmium-laser lithotripsy under ureteroscope .38 cases were treated with MPCNL under the guide of ultra-sound.Results Three months after operation ,the stone clearance rate was 100%,and no severe complications were observed.The renal function decreased to normal levels in 102 cases(82.3%).Conclusion The holmium laser lith-otripsy under ureteroscope and MPCNL can deal with double sites of ureteral calculi ,and offer advantages with less in-vasion,safety and efficiency ,which can be the first choice for the ureteral calculi combined with acute renal dysfunc -tion.

BACKGROUND:The production and release of a large amount of inflammatory factors caused by immune system inflammatory response mainly contributes to secondary spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of umbilical cord Wharton’s jely mesenchymal stem cel transplantation on repair of injured neurological function and expression of inflammatory factors monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and interleukin 10 in rats with acute spinal cord injury. METHODS: Eighty-one healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equaly divided into sham operation, model and cel transplantation groups, with 27 rats per group. Rats in the latter two groups were subjected to hemisection of the spinal cord to establish acute spinal cord injury models. Rat models in the cel transplantation group received umbilical cord Wharton’s jely mesenchymal stem cel injection (1×106)via the tail vein. Rat neurological function was evaluated using the BBB score at different time points after spinal cord injury. The expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and interleukin 10 in injured spinal cord tissue was detected using ELISA assay at different time points after spinal cord injury. Migration and neuronal differentiation of umbilical cord Wharton’s jely mesenchymal stem cels in the injured spinal cord tissue were determined using immunohistochemical staining method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham operation and model groups, rat neurological function was significantly recovered in the cel transplantation group (P < 0.05). Compared to the model group, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 level in the serum and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 mRNA and protein expression in the injured spinal cord tissue were significantly lower (P < 0.05), but interleukin 10 mRNA and protein expression in the injured spinal cord tissue was significantly higher (P < 0.05), in the cel transplantation group. In the cel transplantation group, umbilical cord Wharton’s jely mesenchymal stem cels could migrate to the injured region and express glial fibrilary acidic protein. These findings suggest that umbilical cord Wharton’s jely mesenchymal stem cels promote rat neurological function recovery by regulating the inflammatory response in the injured spinal cord tissue, which is likely to be one of mechanisms by which transplantation of umbilical cord Wharton’s jely mesenchymal stem cels treats spinal cord injury.

Objective　To investigate the relationship between tinnitus and glucose metabolism in auditory cortex and whether positron emission tomography (PET) can be an objective tool in measuring tinnitus. Methods　Eleven right-handed patients with severe tinnitus and ten right-handed control subjects participated in the 18　 F-FDG/PET study. Analysis with regions of interests was used to calculate asymmetry indices according to the formula: ［(L-R)×100/［(L+R)÷2］］. Results　Glucose metabolism in the auditory cortex of tinnitus patients was asymmetric between the left and right auditory cortices, with that of the left being much higher than that of the right. The asymmetry indices of tinnitus patients was significantly higher than that of the control group (unpaired t test, P<0.001). This revealed that the increased metabolic activity was present in the predominant left hemisphere with a significant focus on the superior and transverse temporal gyri (Brodmann areas 41 and 42, respectively corresponding to primary and secondary auditory cortex), and the results were independent of the subjective localization of the tinnitus sensation. Conclusion　It is suggested that the increased metabolism in the left auditory cortex is related to the tinnitus sensation. PET is capable of providing objective evidence for tinnitus and may be used as a potential tool in measuring tinnitus.

Background/Aims: The occurrence and development of hepatitis B virus-associated acute-onchronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is closely related to the immune pathway. We explored the heterogeneity of peripheral blood T cell subsets and the characteristics of exhausted T lymphocytes, in an attempt to identify potential therapeutic target molecules for immune dysfunction in ACLF patients. Methods: A total of 83,577 T cells from HBV-ACLF patients and healthy controls were screened for heterogeneity by single-cell RNA sequencing. In addition, exhausted T-lymphocyte subsets were screened to analyze their gene expression profiles, and their developmental trajectories were investigated. Subsequently, the expression of exhausted T cells and their capacity in secreting cytokines (interleukin 2, interferon γ, and tumor necrosis factor α) were validated by flow cytometry. Results: A total of eight stable clusters were identified, among which CD4 + TIGIT + subset and CD8 + LAG-3 + subset, with high expression of exhaust genes, were significantly higher in the HBV-ACLF patients than in normal controls. As shown by pseudotime analysis, T cells experienced a transition from naïve T cells to effector T cells and then exhausted T cells. Flow cytometry confirmed that the CD4 + TIGIT + subset and CD8 + LAG-3 + subset in the peripheral blood of the ACLF patients were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls. Moreover, in vitro cultured CD8 + LAG-3 + T cells were significantly fewer capable of secreting cytokines than CD8 + LAG-3- subset. Conclusions Peripheral blood T cells are heterogeneous in HBV-ACLF. The exhausted T cells markedly increase during the pathogenesis of ACLF, suggesting that T-cell exhaustion is involved in the immune dysfunction of HBV-ACLF patients.

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of paraquat-induced renal injury in rats.

METHODSAdult healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (female and male in half) were randomly divided into two groups, the control group and the paraquat poisoned group. The rats in the paraquat poisoned group were treated with PQ (25 mg/kg) intraperitoneally while the rats in the control group were treated with the same dose of normal saline. Its histopathological change was observed and the expression of HO-1 and the mRNA expression of HO-1 were detected by RT-PCR at 3rd h, 6th h, 12th h, on 1st d, 2nd d, 3rd d and 5th d.

RESULTS(1) In the control group, the tissue structure was clear without edema, vacuolar degeneration, cloudy swelling and necrosis. In the paraquat poisoned group, there were obvious lesions in the renal tubule of cortical part, including cellular swelling, the narrow cannula, the mesenchymal congestion and edema. These pathologic changes gradually became more severe, reached the peak on the 1st day, and did not relieve until the end of this study; there was the karyopyknosis and the cyto-architecture disappeared in some severe cases; Some glomerulus and medulla were also involved. (2) In the control group, there was no or weak expression of HO-1 and HO-1 mRNA. At the 3rd hour, the expressions of HO-1 in the paraquat poisoned group were observed in the membrane and cytoplasm of renal tubular epithelial cell of cortical part. Immunohistochemistry score (IHS) in the paraquat poisoned group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), except the HIS of the 5th day. At the 3rd hour, the expression of HO-1 mRNA increased, reached the peak on the 1st day, and then decreased. The expression of HO-1 mRNA was (0.53 +/- 0.21), (0.55 +/- 0.31), (0.56 +/- 0.22), (0.64 +/- 0.14) and (0.43 +/- 0.25) at the time point other than on the 3rd and 5th day. It showed statistical difference between the paraquat poisoned group and the control group from the 3rd hour to the 2nd day (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe mechanism of paraquat induced-renal injury is multiple. The higher expression of HO-1 and HO-1 mRNA were involved in the procedures of paraquat-induced renal injury.

Animals ; Female ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; genetics ; metabolism ; Kidney ; enzymology ; pathology ; Male ; Paraquat ; poisoning ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and membrane-type 1 metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in lung of rats exposed to paraquat (PQ) and the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza monomer IH764-3 on above expression.

METHODSNinety adult healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the control group (group A, 6 rats), the exposure group (group B, 42 rats) and the group treated by Salvia miltiorrhiza monomer IH764-3 (group C, 42 rats). The group B and C were treated intragastrically with 1ml of PQ (50 mg/kg), and the group A was treated intragastrically with normal saline. The group C was treated intraperitoneally with 1 ml Salvia miltiorrhiza monomer IH764-3 at the dose of 40 mg/kg a day. The group A and B were treated intraperitoneally with 1 ml normal saline day. The expression of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP was detected on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th days after exposure for all groups.

RESULTSAs compared with the expression level (0.305 ± 0.045) of MMP-2 mRNA in group A, the expression levels of MMP-2 mRNA in Group B significantly increased, which were 0.654 ± 0.077, 0.623 ± 0.051, 0.637 ± 0.024, 0.533 ± 0.043 and 0.552 ± 0.050 on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st days after exposure, respectively (P < 0.01). As compared with group A, the the expression levels of MMP-2 mRNA on the 1st, 3rd, 7th days in Group C slightly increased, but the expression levels of MMP-2 mRNA on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st days in Group C were 0.523 ± 0.074, 0.567 ± 0.097, 0.514 ± 0.058, 0.359 ± 0.018 and 0.374 ± 0.020, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in group B (P < 0.01). As compared with the expression level (0.391 ± 0.058) of MT1-MMP mRNA in group A, the expression levels of MT1-MMP mRNA in Group B significantly increased, which were 0.796 ± 0.021, 0.762 ± 0.043, 0.590 ± 0.010, 0.803 ± 0.076 and 0.680 ± 0.034 on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st days after exposure, respectively (P < 0.01). As compared with group A, the expression levels of MT1-MMP mRNA in Group C significantly increased, which were 0.594 ± 0.010, 0.653 ± 0.044 and 0.564 ± 0.009 on the 1st, 3rd and 21st days after exposure, respectively (P < 0.01). The expression levels of MT1-MMP mRNA in Group C were significantly lower than those in group B (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe expression changes of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP genes of lungs in rats intragastrically exposed to PQ could result in the unbalance the synthesis and degradation of ECM, which may be a cause of lung fibrosis. The Salvia miltiorrhiza monomer IH764-3 could affect the expression of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP genes to a certain extent, resulting in the reduction of lung fibrosis.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Paraquat ; toxicity ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Salvia miltiorrhiza

OBJECTIVETo investigate the associations between periodontal diseases, presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), serum levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and preterm low birth weight (PLBW).

METHODS60 women (30 PLBW and 30 healthy women), were recruited after postpartum within 3 days in this case-control study. Periodontal measurements including plaque index (PI), bleeding index (BI), probing pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were assessed. The subgingival plaque was collected before periodontal examination and analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of the 16S rRNA gene specific to P. gingivalis, while the venous and umbilical cord blood specimens collected were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSThe PLBW cases had a poorer oral conditions and the presence of P. gingivalis was found in a higher proportion in the PLBW than the healthy pregnant (56.7% vs. 30.0%, P < 0.05). Both of the presence of periodontitis and P. gingivalis have been found to be associated weakly with a shorter gestational age and a lower birth weight (P < 0.05). The levels of IL-1beta, IL-6 and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) in both of the blood samples showed higer levels between the PLBW and normal groups (P < 0.01). The IL-1beta and PGE2 levels in maternal serum were higher with a severe periodontal disease in the PLBW group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThere may be a possible link between periodontal diseases and PLBW.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Dental Plaque ; Dental Plaque Index ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Interleukin-6 ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontitis ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S