Objective To explore the action mechanism of dehydrocostus lactone(DHL)on renal interstitial fibrosis(RIF)in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO).Methods Forty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:the sham surgery group(Sham group),the pure drug intervention group(Sham+DHL group),the experimental group(UUO+Vehicle group)and the DHL treatment group(UUO+DHL group),with 11 rats in each group.The rats underwent sham surgery,sham surgery+DHL[10 mg/(kg·d)],UUO modeling+the same volume of solvent and UUO modeling+DHL[10 mg/(kg·d)],respectively.After surgery,DHL or the same volume of solvent was administered by gavage for 14 days starting from day 2 post-surgery.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes in renal tissue.Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression levels of collagen I,collagen III and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA).Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of the transforming growth factor(TGF)-β1/Smad2/3 pathway.Results Compared with the UUO+Vehicle group,DHL treatment alleviated renal interstitial pathological damage,reduced collagen fiber deposition,and decreased the expression of collagen I,collagen III and α-SMA.It also inhibited the expression of TGF-β1 and Smad2/3 proteins.Conclusions DHL mitigates RIF in rats by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway,providing a new strategy for the treatment of chronic kidney disease.

Objective To explore the action mechanism of dehydrocostus lactone(DHL)on renal interstitial fibrosis(RIF)in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO).Methods Forty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:the sham surgery group(Sham group),the pure drug intervention group(Sham+DHL group),the experimental group(UUO+Vehicle group)and the DHL treatment group(UUO+DHL group),with 11 rats in each group.The rats underwent sham surgery,sham surgery+DHL[10 mg/(kg·d)],UUO modeling+the same volume of solvent and UUO modeling+DHL[10 mg/(kg·d)],respectively.After surgery,DHL or the same volume of solvent was administered by gavage for 14 days starting from day 2 post-surgery.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes in renal tissue.Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression levels of collagen I,collagen III and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA).Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of the transforming growth factor(TGF)-β1/Smad2/3 pathway.Results Compared with the UUO+Vehicle group,DHL treatment alleviated renal interstitial pathological damage,reduced collagen fiber deposition,and decreased the expression of collagen I,collagen III and α-SMA.It also inhibited the expression of TGF-β1 and Smad2/3 proteins.Conclusions DHL mitigates RIF in rats by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway,providing a new strategy for the treatment of chronic kidney disease.

Objective To explore the role and mechanism of tannic acid in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI)in mice.Methods Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into sham operation group(Sham group),blank control group(Sham+TA group),experimental group(IRI group)and treatment group(IRI+TA group),with 20 mice in each group.The survival of mice after renal IRI was observed 48 h after surgery.Serum and renal tissue samples were collected from mice 24 h after IRI(5 mice per group),and the levels of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were detected.The levels of inflammatory factors and ferroptosis-related indicators in renal tissue were detected.The pathological damage of renal tissue was assessed.The protein expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family 4(ACSL4)in renal tissue were detected.Molecular docking software was used to explore the binding activity of tannic acid with nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)and to verify the expression of Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1).Results Compared with the IRI group,the postoperative survival rate of mice in the IRI+TA group was higher(0 vs.60%),the levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were decreased,the levels of interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1β,and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α in renal tissue were decreased,the renal tissue injury was improved,the levels of malondialdehyde and ferrous ions in renal tissue were reduced,the level of glutathione was increased,the expression of GPX4 was increased,and the expression of ACSL4 was decreased(all P<0.05).Tannic acid may form a suitable spatial complement with Nrf2,with a binding energy of-8.7 kcal/mol,indicating a strong binding ability of tannic acid with Nrf2.The protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the renal tissue of mice in the IRI+TA group were upregulated.Conclusions Tannic acid may bind to Nrf2 protein,activate the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to inhibit ferroptosis,and alleviate renal IRI in mice.

Metabolic disorders, such as glucose and lipid, are likely to occur after renal transplantation, leading to graft dysfunction and reduced long-term survival. Trigonelline is a type of natural alkaloid with various biological activities, which can alleviate the metabolic disorders of glucose, lipid and other types, and relieve inflammatory reaction, oxidative stress and cell apoptosis of the kidney, thereby protecting the renal function. Therefore, trigonelline may be a potential drug to regulate metabolic disorders after renal transplantation. In this article, the role of trigonelline in metabolic disorders of glucose, lipid and other types, and its application prospect in renal transplantation were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for alleviating metabolic disorders after renal transplantation and improving the long-term survival of renal transplant recipients and transplanted kidneys.

Klotho gene is an anti-aging gene that is highly expressed in the kidney. Its encoding product Klotho protein can inhibit inflammation, oxidative stress injury, and apoptosis in renal tissue. It is regarded as a renal protective protein and expected to be a new target for the treatment of renal diseases. This article reviewed the biological characteristics of Klotho and the protective effect of Klotho on renal graft function.

Objective: To explore a predictive nomogram for the result of prostate biopsy based on Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2(PI-RADS v2)combined with prostate specific antigen (PSA) and its related parameters, and to assess its ability to diagnose prostate cancer by internal validation. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 509 patients who underwent transrectal prostate biopsy guided by ultrasound during the period from January 2014 to December 2018 in the Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University. In 509 cases, the mean age was (68.1±7.2) years. The mean prostate volume(PV) was (55.8±30.7) ml. The mean tPSA value was (19.86±18.94) ng/ml. The mean value of fPSA was (2.63±3.60) ng/ml and the mean f/tPSA was 0.14±0.08. The mean PSAD was (0.46±0.52) ng/ml2. Based on the PI-RADS v2, score 1 point have 37 cases, score 2 point have 131 cases, score 3 point have 152 cases, score 4 point have 102 cases, score 5 point have 87 cases. Of these patients, we randomly selected 80% (407 cases) as development group, and the other 20% (102 cases) as validation group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of the development group was performed to identify the independent influence factors that can predict prostate cancer (PCa), thereby establishing a predictive model for the result of prostate biopsy. In the development group, validation group and tPSA was between 4.1-20.0 ng/ml, the model was evaluated by analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and decision curve, and compared to PSA, fPSA, f/tPSA, PSAD, PI-RADS v2. Results: Among the 509 patients enrolled in the study, the detection rate of PCa was 43.0% (219/509). In the development group, the logistic regression analysis demonstrated that patient age (OR=1.113), f/tPSA (OR=0.004), PV (OR=0.986), PSAD (OR=11.023), digital rectal examination (DRE) texture (OR=2.295), transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) with or without hypoechoic (OR=2.089), and PI-RADS v2 (OR=1.920) were independent factors for PCa (P<0.05). The nomogram based on all variables was established. In the development group, the area under the curve (AUC) of the model (0.883) was greater than those of tPSA (0.686), fPSA (0.593), f/tPSA (0.626), PSAD (0.777), PI-RADS v2 (0.761). In the validation group, the area under the curve of the model (0.839) was greater than those of tPSA (0.758), fPSA (0.666), f/tPSA (0.648), PSAD (0.832), PI-RADS v2 (0.803). In patients whose tPSA was between 4.1-20.0 ng/ml, the area under the curve of the model (0.801) was greater than those of tPSA (0.570), fPSA (0.426), f/tPSA (0.657), PSAD (0.707), PI-RADS v2 (0.701). The calibration curve of the nomogram indicated that the prediction curve was basically fitted to the standard curve, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow showed thatχ²=5.434, P=0.710, both suggested that the prediction model had better calibration ability. The decision curve showed that the model based on PI-RADS v2 had high clinical application value. Conclusions The nomogram based on PI-RADS v2 had a high predictive value for prostate cancer and could significantly improve the diagnostic performance. It had better diagnostic value than PSA and its related parameters. It also provided important guidance for the prostate cancer on clinical treatment of patients to some extent.

Lower extremities motor dysfunction after stroke severely affects the patients' transfer ability and quality of life. This article reviewed the mirror therapy in rehabilitation of lower extremities motor function in stroke patients.

To determine the effect of pre-operative chemotherapy on apoptosis in breast cancer and to evaluate its signif icance as a prcgnostic marker. MethodsPatients with breast cancer were divided into preoperative chemotherapy group (40 cases)and control group (42 cases). Two groups were analyzed for the appearance of apoptosis by using TUNEL method and electron mi croscope in tissue sections. ResultsApoptosis occurred in 92.5 % of preoperative chemotherapy group and in 78.5 % of control group. The apoptotic indexes were 19.37 + 6.49 and 9.26 + 5.04 ( P ＜ 0.01 ) respectively. Low apoptotic index was related to disease-free survival of patients with breast cancer (P ＜ 0.01 ). ConclusionThe preoperative chemotherapy can induce apoptcsis of breast cancer and improve disease-free survival.