BACKGROUND: Renal osteodystrophy (ROD) is a skeletal pathology associated with chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) that is characterized by aberrant bone mineralization and remodeling. ROD increases the risk of fracture and mortality in CKD patients. The underlying mechanisms of ROD remain elusive, partially due to the absence of an appropriate animal model. To address this gap, we established a stable mouse model of ROD using an optimized adenine-enriched diet and conducted exploratory analyses through ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq). METHODS: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly allocated into three groups: control group ( n = 5), adenine and high-phosphate (HP) diet group ( n = 20), and the optimized adenine-containing diet group ( n = 20) for 12 weeks. We assessed the skeletal characteristics of model mice through blood biochemistry, microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), and bone histomorphometry. RNA-seq was utilized to profile gene expression changes of ROD. We elucidated the functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). DEGs were validated via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: By the fifth week, adenine followed by an HP diet induced rapid weight loss and high mortality rates in the mouse group, precluding further model development. Mice with optimized adenine diet-induced ROD displayed significant abnormalities in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels, accompanied by pronounced hyperparathyroidism and hyperphosphatemia. The femur bone mineral density (BMD) of the model mice was lower than that of control mice, with substantial bone loss and cortical porosity. ROD mice exhibited substantial bone turnover with an increase in osteoblast and osteoclast markers. Transcriptomic profiling revealed 1907 genes with upregulated expression and 723 genes with downregulated expression in the femurs of ROD mice relative to those of control mice. Pathway analyses indicated significant enrichment of upregulated genes in the sphingolipid metabolism pathway. The significant upregulation of alkaline ceramidase 1 ( Acer1 ), alkaline ceramidase 2 ( Acer2 ), prosaposin-like 1 ( Psapl1 ), adenosine A1 receptor ( Adora1 ), and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 5 ( S1pr5 ) were successfully validated in mouse femurs by qRT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS Optimized adenine diet mouse model may be a valuable proxy for studying ROD. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the sphingolipid metabolism pathway is likely a key player in ROD pathogenesis, thereby providing new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
Animals ; Mice ; Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder/genetics* ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Sphingolipids/metabolism* ; Transcriptome/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; X-Ray Microtomography ; Adenine

Cellular senescence, stable cell cycle arrest that can be triggered in normal cells in response to various intrinsic and extrinsic stressors, has been highlighted as one of the most important mechanisms involved in kidney diseases. It not only serves as a fundamental biological process promoting normal organogenesis and successful wound repair but also contributes to organ dysfunction, tissue fibrosis, and the generalized aging phenotype. Moreover, senescent cells exhibit reduced regenerative capacity, which impairs renal function recovery from injuries. Importantly, senescent cells are involved in immune regulation via secreting a diverse array of proinflammatory and profibrotic factors known as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) with autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine activities. Thus, eliminating detrimental senescent cells or inhibiting SASP production holds great promise for developing innovative therapeutic strategies for kidney diseases. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the intricate mechanisms and hallmarks of cellular senescence in kidney diseases and emphasize novel therapeutic targets, including epigenetic regulators, G protein-coupled receptors, and lysosome-related proteins. Particularly, we highlight the recently identified senotherapeutics, which provide new therapeutic strategies for treating kidney diseases.
Humans ; Cellular Senescence/genetics* ; Kidney Diseases/pathology* ; Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype/physiology* ; Animals ; Epigenesis, Genetic/physiology*

Objective:To identify the risk factors, and develop and validate a risk prediction model for abnormal bone mass in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.Methods:It was a retrospective cross-sectional study. The clinical and laboratory data of ESRD patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Nephrology, Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University from January 2022 to May 2023 were collected retrospectively. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 7∶3. They were further divided into normal and abnormal bone mass groups according to the T value measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Then, backward stepwise regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were respectively used to develop the risk prediction model for abnormal bone mass in ESRD patients. Akaike information criterion (AIC), bayesian information criterion (BIC), and accuracy were used to evaluate the performance of these two models, after which the preferable model was selected. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and decision curve analyses (DCA) were applied to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the preferable model. Finally, a dynamic nomogram for individual assessment was constructed based on the preferable model.Results:A total of 254 ESRD patients were enrolled, including 160 (63.0%) males, 161 (63.4%) hemodialysis patients, and 202 (79.5%) patients with abnormal bone mass. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of abnormal bone mass between training group ( n=178) and validation group ( n=76) (79.2% vs. 80.3%, χ2=0.036, P=0.849). The final variables and variable parameters included in the LASSO and stepwise regression models were the same, which were five variables: age, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, and osteocalcin. Both models also had the same AIC, BIC, and accuracy in the training group, which were 113.45, 132.54, and 0.837, respectively. Therefore, the LASSO model and the stepwise regression model performed consistently in this study and could be considered as the same model, hereafter referred to as the Model. The Model's area under the ROC curve in the training and validation groups was 0.923 (95% CI 0.884-0.963) and 0.809 (95% CI 0.675-0.943), respectively. The optimal cutoff for the training group was 0.858, with a sensitivity of 0.801, a specificity of 0.973 and an accuracy of 0.837; when this cutoff value was taken, the validation group's sensitivity was 0.689, specificity was 0.800, and accuracy was 0.711. The Model demonstrated excellent performance in the calibration curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow test ( P>0.05), and DCA. Finally, based on the five predictors of the Model, a dynamic nomogram was created for clinicians to enter baseline clinical parameters for early identification of high-risk patients with abnormal bone mass. Conclusions:A dynamic nomogram for abnormal bone mass in ESRD patients is constructed with good predictive performance based on the prediction model, which can be used as a practical approach for the personalized early screening and auxiliary diagnosis of the potential risk factors and assist physicians in making a personalized diagnosis for patients.

Background: As Actinobacillus pleuropneumonniae (APP) infection causes considerable losses in the pig industry, there is a growing need to develop effective therapeutic interventions that leverage host immune defense mechanisms to combat these pathogens. Objectives: To demonstrate the role of microRNA (miR)-127 in controlling bacterial infection against APP. Moreover, to investigate a signaling pathway in macrophages that controls the production of anti-microbial peptides. Methods: Firstly, we evaluated the effect of miR-127 on APP-infected pigs by cell count/ enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then the impact of miR-127 on immune cells was detected. The cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were evaluated by ELISA. The expression of cytokines (anti-microbial peptides [AMPs]) was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression level of IL-6, TNF-α and p-P65 were analyzed by western blot. The expression of p65 in the immune cells was investigated by immunofluorescence. Results: miR-127 showed a protective effect on APP-infected macrophage. Moreover, the protective effect might depend on its regulation of macrophage bactericidal activity and the generation of IL-22, IL-17 and AMPs by targeting sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor3 (SIPR3), the element involved in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) cascades. Conclusions Together, we identify that miR-127 is a regulator of S1PR3 and then regulates TLRuclear factor-κB signaling in macrophages with anti-bacterial acticity, and it might be a potential target for treating inflammatory diseases caused by APP.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a Chinese version of the Stress Adaption Scale (SAS) and to assess its reliability and validity among Chinese patients with multimorbidity. METHODS: The Brislin model was used to translate, synthesize, back-translate, and cross culturally adapt the SAS. A total of 323 multimorbidity patients selected by convenience sampling method from four hospitals in Zhejiang province. The critical ratio method, total question correlation method, and graded response model (item characteristic curve and item discrimination) were used for item analysis. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and split-half reliability were used for the reliability analysis. Content validity analysis, structural validity analysis, and criterion association validity analysis were performed by expert scoring method, confirmatory factor analysis, and Pearson correlation coefficient method, respectively. RESULTS: The Chinese version of the SAS contained 2 dimensions of resilience and thriving, with a total of 10 items. In the item analysis, the critical ratio method showed that the critical ratio of all items was greater than 3.0 (P<0.001); the correlation coefficient method showed that the Pearson correlation coefficients for all items exceeded 0.4 (P<0.01). The graded response model showed that items of the revised scale exhibited distinct item characteristic curves and all items had discrimination parameters exceeding 1.0. In the reliability analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the revised Chinese version of the SAS scale was 0.849, and the split-half reliability was 0.873. In the validity analysis, the item-level content validity index and scale-level content validity index both exceeded 0.80. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the revised two-factor model showed satisfactory fit indices (χ²/df=3.115, RMSEA=0.081, RMR=0.046, GFI=0.937, AGFI=0.898, CFI=0.936, TLI=0.915). In the criterion-related validity analysis, the Chinese version of the SAS score was negatively correlated with the Perceived Stress Scale and the Treatment Burden Questionnaire, with correlation coefficients of －0.592 and －0.482, respectively (both P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS The Chinese version of the SAS has good reliability and validity, which can be used to evaluate the stress adaption capacity among multimorbidity patients in China, and provides a reference for developing individualized health management measures.
Humans ; Adaptation, Psychological ; Asian People ; China ; Multimorbidity ; Reproducibility of Results ; Stress, Psychological/psychology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Translating ; Cross-Cultural Comparison

OBJECTIVES: To develop a Chinese version of the Long-Term Conditions Questionnaire (LTCQ) and to test its reliability and validity in Chinese patients with chronic diseases. METHODS: With the consent of the original authors, a Chinese version of LTCQ was developed according to the cultural adjustment guidelines. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 319 patients with chronic diseases in Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Wuyi County First People's Hospital and Hangzhou Gongchen Bridge Street Health Service Center. The questionnaire was evaluated by item analysis (including frequency analysis, total question correlation method and critical ratio method), reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha coefficient) and validity analysis [including content validity (expert scoring method) and structural validity (exploratory factor analysis)]. RESULTS The Chinese version of the LTCQ included 20 entries, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.926, a retest reliability of 0.829, a split-half reliability of 0.878, an entry content validity index of 1, and a content validity index at the questionnaire level of 1. Four common factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis, namely physical state and daily life, psychological state, support and coping, and safe environment, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 67.244%. Discussion: The Chinese version of the LTCQ developed in this study has good reliability and validity and it may be used to assess the long-term conditions of patients with chronic diseases in China.
Humans ; Asian People ; China ; Chronic Disease ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection in the ovarian neoplasms.Methods:A search of the literature describing ovarian SLN was performed using China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG DATA, VIP, PubMed, Embase, web of science, Cochrane library from 2000.01.01 to 2020.07.29. The quality evaluation and data extraction of the included literature were conducted, and the development rate, sensitivity and negative predictive value of SLN were calculated.Results:Eight prospective single-arm studies were included, with heterogeneity I2=57.41%>50%, and the P<0.1. A total of 96 patients with ovarian cancer [Stage International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)Ⅰ-Ⅱ] were included, of whom 93 completed systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy after SLN detection. The most common tracers were technetium-99m radioactive colloid ( 99Tc m), blue dye or indocyanine green (ICG), and the most common injection sites were the infundibulopelvic ligaments and the proper ovarian ligaments. The SLN detection rate was 88.5%(85/96) and the average number was 2-3. SLN was found in the ipsilateral or contralateral regions of the tumor, 40.8%(31/76) was found only in the para-aortic, 14.5%(11/76) was found only in the pelvic, and 44.7%(34/76) was found only in the para-aortic and pelvic region. The sensitivity was 90.9%(10/11) and the negative predictive value was 98.8%(82/83) of lymph node metastasis. Conclusions:SLN detection for ovarian neoplasms is feasible, and whether it can effectively predict lymph node status of ovarian cancer still needs large sample, multi-center, prospective clinical studies to further verify.

Objective:To study preoperative MRI imaging and its enhanced mode on tumor features in predicting microvascular invasion (MVI) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:The clinical data of patients with a solitary HCC who underwent MRI examination followed by surgical resection at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2017 to June 2019 were studied. The patients were divided into the MVI (+ ) and MVI (-) groups according to the findings on postoperative pathological diagnosis. The relationship between the rates of MVI and MRI tumor features including diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) signal, enhancement mode, enhancement type and other imaging characteristics were analysed.Results:Of 84 patients with HCC enrolled into this study, there were 65 males and 19 females. Their age (Mean±SD) was (54.94±11.51) years. MVI (+ ) was found in 46 patients and MVI (-) in 38 patients. The maximum tumor diameters (Mean±SD) of the two groups were (7.08±3.45) cm and (4.28±2.47) cm ( P<0.01). Single-factor analysis and comparison of imaging characteristics of the two groups of patients showed tumor DWI signal, tumor encapsulation, enhancement mode, tumor edge smoothness, abnormal enhancement around tumors, and intratumoral arteries were significantly different ( P<0.05); There were no significant differences in T 1WI signals, T 2WI signals, tumor periphery, and enhancement types between groups. After inputting MVI(+ ) as a risk factor into the logistic regression model, tumor maximum diameters >6.33 cm, type 3/4 enhancement mode, and unsmoothness of tumor edge were independent risk factors (all P<0.05). Through combined diagnosis using ROC curve analysis with a cut-off value of 0.53, the area under the curve was 0.881, the sensitivity 0.870, specificity 0.789, and the Youden index 0.659. Conclusion:The multivariate logistic regression model and combined diagnosis using ROC curve analysis improved the diagnostic efficacy of MVI in its prediction of HCC on imaging studies. The risk predictors were easy to use and to promote in clinical practice.

Gap junction (GJ) has been indicated to have an intimate correlation with adhesion junction. However, the direct interaction between them partially remains elusive. In the current study, we aimed to elucidate the role of N-cadherin, one of the core components in adhesion junction, in mediating connexin 43, one of the functional constituents in gap junction, via transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) induction in osteoblasts. We first elucidated the expressions of N-cadherin induced by TGF-β1 and also confirmed the upregulation of Cx43, and the enhancement of functional gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) triggered by TGF-β1 in both primary osteoblasts and MC3T3 cell line. Colocalization analysis and Co-IP experimentation showed that N-cadherin interacts with Cx43 at the site of cell-cell contact. Knockdown of N-cadherin by siRNA interference decreased the Cx43 expression and abolished the promoting effect of TGF-β1 on Cx43. Functional GJICs in living primary osteoblasts and MC3T3 cell line were also reduced. TGF-β1-induced increase in N-cadherin and Cx43 was via Smad3 activation, whereas knockdown of Smad3 signaling by using siRNA decreased the expressions of both N-cadherin and Cx43. Overall, these data indicate the direct interactions between N-cadherin and Cx43, and reveal the intervention of adhesion junction in functional gap junction in living osteoblasts.
Cadherins ; Cell Communication ; Connexin 43 ; Osteoblasts ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1