Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is the crucial pathway in chronic kidney disease (CKD) leading to the end-stage renal failure. However, the underlying mechanism of Shen Qi Wan (SQW) on RIF is not fully understood. In the current study, we investigated the role of Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) in SQW on tubular epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). A RIF mouse model induced by adenine and a TGF-β1-stimulated HK-2 cell model were etablished to explore the involvement of AQP 1 in the protective effect of SQW on EMT in vitro and in vivo. Subsequently, the molecular mechanism of SQW on EMT was explored in HK-2 cells with AQP1 knockdown. The results indicated that SQW alleviated kidney injury and renal collagen deposition in the kidneys of mice induced by adenine, increased the protein expression of E-cadherin and AQP1 expression, and decreased the expression of vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Similarly, treatmement with SQW-containing serum significantly halted EMT process in TGF-β1 stimulated HK-2 cells. The expression of snail and slug was significantly upregulated in HK-2 cells after knockdown of AQP1. AQP1 knockdown also increased the mRNA expression of vimentin and α-SMA, and decreased the expression of E-cadherin. The protein expression of vimentin increased, while the expression of E-cadherin and CK-18 significantly decreased after AQP1 knockdown in HK-2 cells. These results revealed that AQP1 knockdown promoted EMT. Furthermore, AQP1 knockdown abolished the protective effect of SQW-containing serum on EMT in HK-2 cells. In sum, SQW attentuates EMT process in RIF through upregulation of the expression of AQP1.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Male ; Cell Line ; Rats ; Kidney/physiology* ; Fibrosis/drug therapy* ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/drug therapy* ; Adenine ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Aquaporin 1/metabolism*

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection is one of the most threatening infectious diseases facing humanity in this century. Currently, four classes of vaccines have been approved for marketing or authorized for emergency use worldwide, including inactivated vaccines, mRNA vaccines, adenovirus-based vector vaccines, and recombinant protein vaccines. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and antibody levels in the fully immunized population gradually decrease, booster immunization is a necessary measure, and sequential immunization strategies appear to be a better vaccination strategy. In this paper, the research on four different technical routes of vaccines in sequential immunization is reviewed.

Objective:To investigate the immune characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 membrane (M) protein, especially the possibility of inducing antibody-dependent enhancement effect (ADE).Methods:Full-length SARS-CoV-2 M protein was prepared by prokaryotic expression system and purified. BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously three times (on day 1, day 14 and day 21) by purified M protein. Serum samples were collected before immunization and after each immunization. The specificity of immune sera against M protein was identified by Western blot, and the antibody titers were detected by ELISA and neutralization test. In the presence of anti-M protein serum, the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 in dendritic cells, nature killer cells, T and B cells was detected in vitro. Results:The immune sera from BALB/c mice immunized with purified full-length M protein of SARS-CoV-2 specifically recognized viral M protein. The titer of anti-whole virus antibody in immune sera was about 1∶400, but the antibody could not neutralize live virus. Moreover, the antibody could not help the virus to infect and proliferate in the various types of immune cells with Fc receptor (FcR).Conclusions:Non-neutralizing antibody induced by M protein could not cause ADE through FcR pathway.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of immune cross-reaction between herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 in terms of serology and clinical protection aiming to provide data for the control and prevention of diseases caused by the two viruses.Methods:An attenuated HSV-1 strain M3 was used to immunize BALB/c mice. Specific immune responses indicated by the production of neutralizing antibodies were detected. Wild-type HSV-1 and HSV-2 strains were respectively used to infect the mice through different ways 28 d after the immunization to observe the protective immunity in the M3-immunized mice against HSV-1/2 infection.Results:M3 strain could not induce specific neutralizing antibodies against HSV-2. Therefore, viral loads in tissues of the immunized mice increased significantly following different modes of HSV-2 exposure. However, no obvious abnormal clinical manifestations were found and the histopathological damage was only slight inflammatory reaction. In contrast, HSV-1-specific neutralizing antibodies were elicited in the M3-immunizaed mice with significant protective effects against HSV-1 infection.Conclusions:The immune response induced by attenuated HSV-1 strain M3 in mice exhibited immune-protective effects characterized by production of neutralizing antibodies and inhibition of virus proliferation in vivo against wild-type HSV-1 infection. For HSV-2, instead of neutralizing virus in form of antibodies, it featured by more of clinical cross-immunoprotective abilities to control virus growth.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), as a pathogen usually leading to herpes labialis, has been found to cause more cases of genital herpes and be associated with the occurrence of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer′s disease (AD). AD is a chronic and progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system, the pathogenesis of which has not been fully elucidated, and currently there is a lack of drugs that can effectively treat the disease. The hypothesis that HSV-1 infection is involved in the pathogenesis of AD has been discussed for a long time, but there is no definite evidence to prove it. This article briefly reviewed the research progress in the pathogenesis of AD caused by HSV-1.

Objective:To observe the effect of spectral-domain OCT with different subfoveal choroidal areas on choroid vascular index (CVI) in normal healthy eyes.Methods:Retrospective clinical study. From October 2017 to May 2018, 174 eyes of 87 healthy people who visited in the Ophthalmology Department of Beijing Friendship Hospital and had no eye abnormalities were included in the study. All patients received single line scan of macular fovea by enhanced depth imaging OCT. After binary processing of the collected choroidal images, CVI as the center radius of 750, 1500, 3000 and 4500 μm were calculated. Repeated measurement analysis of variance was performed for comparison of CVI between groups.Results:The mean values of CVI in the 750, 1500, 3000 and 4500 μm groups were 0.681±0.003, 0.678±0.002, 0.677±0.002 and 0.676±0.002, respectively. The difference between the 750 μm group and the 4500 μm group was 0.005±0.002 ( P=0.009). The other pairwise comparison results showed no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The CVI is different in healthy eyes with the different distance from macular fovea.

Background: Mature oocytes at the metaphase II status (MII-stage oocytes) played an important role in assisted reproductive technology in non-human primates. Objectives: In order to improve the proportion of MII-stage oocytes retrieval, three different superovulation protocols were performed on 24 female cynomolgus monkeys. Methods: All the monkeys received once-daily injection of follicle-stimulating hormone (25 international unit [IU]) on day 3 of the menstruation, 3-day intervals, twice daily for 8–12 days until the time of human chorionic gonadotropin (1,500 IU) injection, on the 14–17th day of menstruation collecting oocytes. The difference between protocol I and protocol II was that 0.1 mg the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist was injected on day 1 of the menstruation, while the difference between personalized superovulation protocol and protocol II was that oocytes could be collected on the 14–17th day of menstrual cycle according to the length of each monkey. Results: The total number of oocytes harvested using the personalized superovulation protocol was much higher than that using protocol I (p < 0.05), and the proportion of MII-stage oocytes was significantly greater than that from either superovulation protocol I or II(p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 respectively), while the proportion of immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle was less than that from superovulation protocol I (p < 0.05). Conclusions The personalized superovulation protocol could increase the rate of MII-stage oocytes acquired, and successfully develop into embryos after intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and eventually generated fetus.

Objective: To prepare monoclonal antibodies against pneumonia serotype 33F polysaccharides (Pn33Fps) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface proteins (HBs) by using the conjugate of Pn33Fps and HBs as antigen. Methods: The conjugate of Pn33Fps and HBs was used as antigen to immunize mice with different immune doses, different immune procedures and different immune sites. Mouse spleen cells with higher antibody level after immunization were isolated and fused with SP2/0 myeloma cells. The hybridoma cells were screened specifically with Pn33Fps or HBs to prepare corresponding monoclonal antibodies. Results: Serum antibodies against Pn33Fps and HBs were induced by immunizing mice with the conjugate. Monoclonal cell lines capable of continuously expressing antibodies against Pn33Fps or HBs were obtained. It has been proved that the recovery rates of samples of Pn33Fps and HBs prepared in three batches tested with ascites monoclonal antibodies prepared by these two monoclonal cell lines were between 95% and 105%. Conclusions Monoclonal antibodies against Pn33Fps and HBs could be prepared simultaneously by immunizing mice with the conjugate of Pn33Fps and HBs and used for the quantitative detection of Pn33Fps and HBs.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) commonly causes orolabial ulcers. However, HSV-1 has become an increasing cause of genital infection in recent years and found to have close relationship associated with Alzheimer′s disease. HSV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It has been received renewed attention in recent years, due to improvements in the understanding of the epidemiological synergy between HSV and other severe diseases, including HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and even neurocognitive impairment. In the context of global renewed attention and responses to HSV infection, we summarize the epidemic of HSV infection at home and abroad in this review, to provide an overview of the data available on HSV infections situation, trends and responses.

Objective To investigate the molecular characteristics of immune response signaling molecules induced by transfection of coxsackievirus B2 ( CVB2 ) structural proteins into epithelial cells. Methods Recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmids containing the coding regions of CVB2 structural proteins VP1-VP4 were constructed and then transfected into 16HBE cells. Culture supernatants and cell ly-sates of the transfected 16HBE cells were collected. Expression of signaling molecules involved in innate im-mune responses in transfected 16HBE cells at mRNA level was detected by RT-Q-PCR. The proliferation of T cells co-cultured with culture supernatants and cell lysates of the transfected 16HBE cells was analyzed by ELISPOT. Results Expression of innate immunity-related signaling molecules such as TGF-β-activated ki-nase ( TAK) , NF-κB-inducing kinase ( NIK) , IκB kinase α ( IKKα) and IFN-β at mRNA level was up-regulated in 16HBE cells transfected with CVB2 structural proteins VP1-VP4. Both culture supernatants and cell lysates of the transfected 16HBE cells enhanced the proliferation of T cells. Conclusions CVB2 struc-tural proteins VP1-VP4 could enhance the expression of innate immunity-related signaling molecules to var-ying degrees and promote the activation of adaptive immunity.