Objective This study aimed to assess the effects of active and passive smoking on chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods Seven hundred and five patients with T2DM were recruited in the study and were divided into three groups based on smoking status as active smokers,passive smokers and non-smokers.Twenty-four hour urinary albumin excretion (24hUAE) was measured,and estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated with age and blood creatinine levels.Results (1) The proportion of CKD in T2DM in the present study was 31.63％ (223/705) with 28.6％ (22/77),30.0％ (15/50) and 29.6％ (73/247) for non-smokers,passive smokers and active smokers in men,and 29.9％ (40/134),35.9％ (66/184) and 7/13 for non-smokers,passive smokers and active smokers in women,respectively.In comparison with non-smokers,a higher risk of CKD was found in both passive and active smokers (OR =1.07 and OR =1.05 in men ; OR =1.31 and OR =2.74 in women,respectively).(2) Compared with non-smokers,passive smokers had a significant higher risk for albuminuria in women (OR =2.02,P =0.016).(3) After adjusting for gender,age,duration of T2DM,BMI,systolic blood pressure,glycosylated hemoglobin A1C and lipids,there was a significant decrease in eGFR between active and never smokers (P =0.018)or passive smokers (P =0.000) in women.No differences could be found in eGFR between each smoking statues in men.Conclusions Smoking exposure alone confers a high risk for CKD in patients with T2DM.Our results highlight an importance in implementation of a smoke-free environment for patients with T2DM.

Objective To compare the effects of fluvastatin and valsartan on the inflammatory cytokines in the early stage of type 2 diabetic nephropathy and their protective effects on to diabetic nephropathy. Methods Ninety patients with early stage of type 2 diabetic nephropathy were divided into three groups, 30 patients receiving routine hypoglycemic agents (DN1) as control,30 patients receiving routine hypoglycemic agents plus valsartan (DN2) and the other 30 receiving routine hypoglycemic agents plus fluvastatin (DN3). Blood glucose, blood lipid,serum creatinine and C reactive protein(CRP),24-hour urine protein,urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) and several inflammatory cytokine were measured before and after treatment. Results ( 1 ) No significant difference of the levels of serum CRP,TGF-β1,IL-6,TNF-α, IL-18 at the baseline were observedamong these three groups.In the DN2 group,after treatment,IL.6 was([15.99±2.87]ng/L and[17.64±2. 131 ,P <0. 05) ,TGF-β1 was ( [33.54 ±10. 69] μg/L and [40. 11 ± 12. 08] μg/L,t = -2. 921 ,P <0. 01 ),IL-18 was ( [139.65±66. 37] ng/L and [158.74±74. 20]ng/L,t = -2.053,P <0. 05),CRP was ( [5. 12±3. 54] mg/L and [6. 08 ±3. 39] mg/L, t = - 2. 072, P < 0. 05 ) after and before treatment, respectively. All abovemented indices significantly decreased after treatment. In the DN3 group, IL-6 was ( [15. 39 ±2. 77] ng/L ng/L,t = -3. 651 ,P <0. 01 ) ,TGF-β1 was ( [31.19 ±10. 48] μg/L and [37. 11± 11.76] μg/L,t = -2. 963,P<0.01),IL-18 was ([141.54 ±66.65] ng/L and [158.01±73.23] ng/L,t = -2. 182,P <0.05),CRP respectively. All abovemented indices significantly decreased after treatment No significant difference was observed on inflamaory factors after treatment between the DN2 and DN3 group ( P > 0. 05). (2) In the subgroup that there was no difference in blood pressure between before and after treatment in both the DN2 and DN3 group,in the DN3 group,UAER was ([63. 1 ±31.7] μg/min and[82.9±40.0] μg/min,t = -2. 145,P <0. 05) ,24 h total urokinase protein was ( [0. 14 ±0. 11] g/24 h and [0. 18±O. 15] g/24 h, t = - 2. 438, P <0. 05 ), microalbuminuria/urine creatinine was ( [ALb/Cr] [114. 7±68. 1] mg/g and [162.0±83.8] mg/g,t = - 2. 399, P < 0. 05 ) after and before treatment. All abovemention indices significantly decreased after treatment. In the DN3 group, UAER was ( [65.5 ±32. 6]μg/min and [83.5 ±42. 1]μg/min,t = - 2. 131, P <0. 05 ),24 h total urine protein was ( [0. 14 ±0. 11] g/24 h and [0. 18±0. 15] g/24 h, t = - 2. 438, P < 0. 05 ),0. 05 ) after and before treatment. All abovemention indices significantly decreased after treatment. No significant difference was observed after treatment between the DN2 and ON3 group ( P > 0. 05 ). Conclusion Both valsartan and fluvastatin are able to protect the renal function of patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy by decreasing the levels of urine proteins and correlated serum inflammatory cytokines.

Objective To investigate the effects of microRNA-155 (miR-155) inhibitor on JAK/STAT1 (Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator transcription 1) signaling pathways in the injured lung tissue induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).Methods One hundred and twenty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group (n =40),LPS group (n =40),and inhibitor + LPS group (n =40).LPS group and inhibitor + LPS group were made by injection of LPS 20 mg/kg intra-peritonealy,whereas equivalent volume of normal saline was given instead in the control group.The 80 mg/kg of miR-155 inhibitor was injected into caudal vein 24 h before LPS injection in inhibitor + LPS group.Mice were sacrificed at 6 h,12 h,24 h,and 48h separately after LPS injection,and lung tissue were collected.The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) of lung tissue were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Using histopathological examination,the injury of lung tissue was evaluated.The expressions of miR-155,STAT1 mRNA,SOCS1 mRNA in lung tissue were assayed by fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).Results The miR-155 expression induced by LPS increased at 6 h,12 h,24 h and decreased at 48 h.The miR-155 expressions in LPS group were (8.52 ± 1.12) at 6 h,(11.04 ±0.99) at 12 h,(15.84 ±0.80) at 24 h and (4.03 ± 2.55) at 48 h.In the inhibitor + LPS group,the expressions of miR-155 were lower compared with LPS group,showing significant differences at 12 h (t =6.08,P ＜ 0.01),and at 24 h (t =23.64,P ＜ 0.01).STAT1 mRNA and SOCS1 mRNA both reached peak levels at 6 h after LPS injection.The levels of STAT1 mRNA in LPS group were higher than those in inhibitor + LPS group,showing significant differencesat6h (t=4.41,P＜0.01),12h(t=2.69,P＜0.05),and24h (t=3.62,P＜0.01).The levels of SOCS1 mRNA in inhibitor + LPS group were higher than those in LPS group,showing significant differences at 6 h (t =4.55,P ＜0.01),12 h (t =4.12,P ＜0.01),24 h (t =2.38,P ＜ 0.05).TNF-α reached its peak value at 6 hours and IL-10 reached its peak value at 48 hours.Both TNF-α and IL-10 were higher in LPS group than those in inhibitor + LPS group showing significant differences at 6 h,12 h,24 h (P ＜0.01).The pathologic examination indicated the lung injury in inhibitor + LPS group was milder than that in LPS group.Conclusion The miR-155 increased in lung tissue of endotoxemic mice.miR-155 inhibitor may suppress JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway and protect the lung tissue.

Objective To investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the expressions of sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (Ntcp) and bile salt export pump (Bsep),as well as the liver function markers in the serum including total bilirubin (TBIL),total bile acids (TBA),alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in mice.Methods One hundred and twenty-eight C57BL/6 mice were intra-peritoneally injected with different doses of 5,10,20 or 40 mg/kg LPS (n =24),respectively.No treatment or treated with 0.9％ NaC1 in mice as controls.Serum TBIL,TBA,ALT and AST levels were measured at 24 h,48 h and 72 h after LPS injection in each group.The mRNA expressions of Ntcp and Bsep were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).The liver histological sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E).Results The Ntcp and Bsep mRNA expressions in mice liver were significantly lower in livers of LPS-treated mice within 24-72 h compared with control group,and the lowest level was reached at 24 h in a dose-dependent manner.And the relative expressions of Ntcp mRNA and Bsep mRNA were (0.64 ± 0.02),(0.53 ± 0.14),(0.25±0.09),(0.15±0.07)and (0.74±0.12),(0.58±0.11),(0.41±0.09),(0.27 ± ± 0.11) in livers of mice injected with LPS in the different doses of 5,10,20,40 mg/kg,respectively.In addition,serum levels of TBIL,TBA,ALT,and AST were significantly increased in mice of LPS-treated group compared with control group,particularly within 24 h after LPS treatment.Serum levels of TBIL,TBA,ALT,and AST were significantly decreased in mice of 40 mg/kg LPS-treated 72 h group compared with 24 h group presenting them with (1.29 ± 0.25) μ mol/L vs.(1.71 ± 0.22) μ moL/L,(6.97 ± 0.98) μmol/Lvs.(8.96±1.01) μmol/L,(120.17±21.08) U/L vs.(179.22±16.57) U/L,(360.34 ±35.31) U/L vs.(510.97 ± 34.70) U/L,respectively.Furthermore,histological changes in liver depend on dose and the course of LPS treatment.Cytoplasm rarefaction and inflammatory cells infiltration were detected at 24 h after treatment with 5 or 10 mg/kg LPS.Acidophilic and vacuolar degeneration,neutrophils infiltration in the hepatic sinusoid and portal area,the proliferation of bile ductulus were observed at 48 h,72 h after treatment with 5 or 10 mg/kg LPS.In the 20 or 40 mg/kg LPS treatment groups,focal necrosis,infiltration with inflammatory cells,proliferation of bile ductulus and expansion of duct were observed at 24 h,48 h and 72 h after LPS treatment.Conclusions LPS decreases the mRNA expressions of Ntcp and Bsep in a dose dependent manner in mice,contributing to mechanism of liver injury induced by endotoxin.

In recent years, the research on gold nanoparticles has made great progress. Gold nanoparticles with different morphologies have good application prospects in drug delivery and tumor treatment. Some gold nanoparticles have entered the stage of clinical trials. Gold nanorods have become important research objects due to their special optical properties and photothermal treatment potential. In this paper, the optical properties and main applications of gold nanorods were reviewed. Gold nanorods have good surface modifiable properties and can be modified through surface ligand exchange to improve their biocompatibility. The photothermal properties of gold nanorods can be improved by adjusting the aspect ratio to adjust the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak to achieve near-infrared light excitation. These characteristics make gold nanorods show good application prospects in the detection of biological macromolecules, real-time imaging in vivo, and early diagnosis and treatment of tumors. Using gold nanorods as a carrier and modified with different targeting molecules can improve the targeting of its drug delivery system and reduce damage to normal cells, so as to realize the combined application of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy, and finally achieve a better therapeutic effect. Combining gold nanorods with stem cells or certain specific biomolecules can form a hybrid gold nanorod system which provides new ideas for further improving the efficiency of tumor treatment.

To determine the direct effect of leptin on adipose tissue apoptosis in vitro using rat adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), we isolated the ADSCs of rat epididymis adipose tissue by collagenase digestion, filtration, and subsequent centrifugation. Cell cultures with or without leptin (10(-9) mol/L, 10(-8) mol/L, 10(-7) mol/L and 10(-6) mol/L) were incubated for different time. We examined the cell surface phenotype by immunofluorescence and detected the apoptosis morphological changes of ADSCs by laser scanning confocal microscope (LCSM). The number of apoptotic cells was determined by flow cytometry assay after annexin V binding and PI staining. Caspase-3 activity was measured by spectrofluorometry. The present study demonstrates that leptin treatment causes a marked increase in adipose-derived stem cell apoptosis. With the LCSM, after being treated with leptin, ADSCs showed the typical characteristic of apoptosis. Leptin in used concentrations (0 mol/L, 10(-8) mol/L, 10(-7) mol/L, 10(-6) mol/L) caused a marked increase in cell apoptosis after 48 h incubation time (for 2.50% +/- 0.72%, 6.78% +/- 1.99%, 11.99% +/- 1.58% and 17.93% +/- 4.82%, respectively, P < 0.05). Caspase-3 activity increased and reached a maximal level after 48 h in a linear fashion. The effect of leptin was dose-dependent and time-dependent. Leptin has been demonstrated to induce preadipocyte and adipocyte apoptosis, and today we demonstrate that leptin can induce ADSCs apoptosis, which can contribute to the decrease of adiposity. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the direct peripheral effect of leptin on ADSCs.
Adipose Tissue ; cytology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Epididymis ; cytology ; Leptin ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

The interleukin (IL) -23/IL-17 axis is the main pathway in the pathogenesis of plaque-type psoriasis vulgaris, and IL-17A plays a key role in the relevant immune pathways. IL-17A mediates overlapping inflammatory pathways in atherosclerosis and psoriasis, promotes inflammation, coagulation and thrombosis, and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with psoriasis. Inhibiting the inflammatory effect of IL-17A can reduce the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with severe psoriasis. This review summarizes recent research progress in IL-17A-mediated systemic inflammation and cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with psoriasis, and provides a reference for prevention and reduction of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with psoriasis in clinical practice.

Objective:To analyze clinical characteristics of neurosyphilis patients with abnormal mental behaviors as the initial symptom, and to provide a reference for clinical classification of, as well as outcome prediction and efficacy monitoring in neurosyphilis.Methods:Clinical data were collected from 67 HIV-negative neurosyphilis patients with abnormal mental behaviors as the initial symptom in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from November 2012 to November 2019, and retrospectively analyzed. Statistical analysis was carried out by using t test. Results:Among the 67 patients, 52 (77.6%) were males, and 15 (22.4%) were females; there were 63 (94.0%) middle-aged and elderly patients and 4 (6.0%) adolescent patients; 38 (56.7%) patients were diagnosed with progressive general paresis, 21 (31.3%) with meningovascular neurosyphilis, 1 (1.5%) with meningeal neurosyphilis, 3 (4.5%) with tabes dorsalis, and 4 (6.0%) with mixed-type neurosyphilis. As laboratory examination showed, 67 patients all presented with positive serum rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test, serum Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) test, and cerebrospinal fluid TPPA test, 55 (82.1%) had positive cerebrospinal fluid RPR test, 47 (70.1%) had elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein levels of > 0.45 g/L, 50 (74.6%) had increased white blood cell counts of > 8 ×10 6/L in cerebrospinal fluids, and 28 (41.8%) had elevated IgG levels in cerebrospinal fluids. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed multiple ischemic foci in 21 (31.3%) cases, multiple leukodystrophy in 17 (25.4%) , cerebral atrophy in 15 (22.4%) , infarction in 8 (11.9%) , and encephalitis-like changes in 2 (3.0%) . Of the 67 patients, 48 were treated with penicillin in aqueous solutions, 15 with ceftriaxone, and 4 with doxycycline. Six months later, the follow-up showed that 46 (68.7%) patients responded to the treatment, and the early course of disease was significantly shorter in the highly responsive group than in the poorly responsive group ( P < 0.05) . Conclusion:The middle-aged and elderly males were predominant in the neurosyphilis patients with abnormal mental behaviors as the initial symptom, magnetic resonance imaging is helpful for clinical classification and prognosis prediction of neurosyphilis, and early and standardized antisyphilitic treatment can markedly improve the prognosis of patients.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills combined with Western medicine in treating cerebral infarction.Methods:All RCTs about Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills combined with Western medicine in treating cerebral infarction were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP database, PubMed and CBM. The search period was from the database establishment to December 31, 2021. Two researchers independently extracted the basic literature data and evaluated the methodological quality, then used RevMan5.4 software for meta-analysis.Results:Totally 9 articles were included, involving a total of 988 patients, including 505 cases in the observation group and 483 cases in the control group. Meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate of Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills combined with Western medicine in treating cerebral infarction was higher than that of conventional Western medicine [ RR=1.20, 95% CI (1.13, 1.27), P<0.05]. At the same time, the effect of NIHSS score, Barthel score and FIB were better than those of conventional Western medicine [respectively: MD=-3.21, 95% CI (-4.45, -1.97), P<0.05; MD=11.83, 95% CI (10.66, 13.00), P<0.05; MD=-0.95, 95% CI (-1.36, -0.54), P<0.05]. After treatment with Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills combined with Western medicine, the adverse reactions mainly included dizziness, nausea, indigestion, rash, facial blushing, etc. There was no statistically significant difference in safety between the two groups [ RR=1.50, 95% CI (0.75, 3.01), P>0.05]. Conclusions:Under the treatment of conventional Western medicine, the addition of Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills can improve the clinical efficacy of cerebral infarction treatment, effectively improve the symptoms of neurological impairment, improve the ability of daily life, and promote the prognosis and recovery, and without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions. However, large sample and high quality studies are still needed to support the conclusion.

【Objective】 To detect the piperacillin and amoxicillin antibodies in suspicious blood samples from pre-transfusion compatibility tests in Wuxi and analyze the general characteristics of them, so as to eliminate the interference of drug-induced antibodies with compatibility tests and provide reference for safe and effective blood transfusion, 【Methods】 Drug-sensitized RBCs and low-ion anti-globulin microcolumn gels were used to detect piperacillin and amoxicillin antibodies in 128 plasma samples which were initially undetermined in pre-transfusion compatibility tests. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test or fisher′s exact test. P<0.05 was statistically significant. 【Results】 Among these 128 undetermined samples, including 31 cases of type A, 48 type B, 14 type AB and 35 type O, the overall positive rate of piperacillin and amoxicillin antibodies was 28.9%(37/128), in which the positive rates of piperacillin and amoxicillin antibodies were 20.3%(26/128) and 8.6%(11/128), respectively. The difference between these two drug-induced antibodies was significant(P<0.05). Further analysis showed that the piperacillin antibodies in patients over 50 years old was 25.3%(24/95), while under 50 years old was 6.1%(2/33)(P<0.05). In contrast, the amoxicillin antibodies in patients over 50 years old was 5.3%(5/95), while under 50 years old was 18.2%(6/33), with statistically significant differences between each other(P<0.05). 【Conclusions】 In patients with suspicious antibodies in pre-transfusion detection, except for the allotype antibodies, drug-induced antibodies should be more considered in combination with medication history to better ensure the safety and effectiveness of blood transfusion.