Reno-protective effects of atorvastatin independent of blood cholesterol lowering / 第二军医大学学报

Objective: To investigate whether atorvastatin can prevent renal injury in mice independent of the lipid-lowering effects. Methods: CD36-/- SR-A-/- ApoE-/- mice were randomly assigned to a high fat diet (high fat group) and high fat diet plus atorvastatin (atorvastatin) group; male C57BL mice with a chow diet served as controls. Terminal blood samples were taken for plasma cholesterol assay 14 weeks later. Renal sections were used for histological and immunohistochemistry assessments. The lipid accumulation in the kidney was evaluated by Oil Red O (ORO) staining. The mRNA expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), collagen I and IV, fibronectin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were analyzed by real-time PCR. Results: Blood total cholesterol levels (LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol) were not nd high fat group. Meanwhile, ORO staining showed that atorvastatin significantly different between atorvastatin group a decreased lipid accumulation in the kidney; Masson and H-E staining demonstrated that atorvastatin therapy attenuated massive structural changes, including mesangial proliferation, interstitial matrix deposition, accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, tubular-interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, and renal deformations with glomerulosclerosis/tubulointerstitial fibrosis in the high fat group. Moreover, atorvastatin therapy not only decreased TGF-β expression at mRNA and protein levels, but also decreased the expression of factors related to fibrosis. Conclusion: Atorvastatin can protect the kidney independent of the lipid-lowering effects and SR-A, CD36 receptor pathways, and it might be related to decrease of TGF-beta expression.

Inflammation enhances the accumulation of lipid in ApoE/SRA/CD36 KO mice liver / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate if inflammatory stress enhances liver lipid accumulation via SREBPs mediated dysregulation of low density protein receptor (LDLr) expression in apolipoprotein E, scavenger receptors class A and CD36 triple knockout (ApoE/SRA/CD36 KO) mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>16 Male ApoE/SRA/CD36 KO mice were subcutaneously injected with 0.5 ml 10% casein or PBS. The mice were fed a Western diet (Harlan, TD88137) containing 21% fat and 0.15% of cholesterol for 14 weeks. Animals were sacrificed and blood samples were collected. The serum amyloid A (SAA), IL-6, total cholesterol (TC), LDL and high density protein (HDL) were assayed. The lipid accumulation in liver was evaluated by Oil Red O staining. The mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-2, SREBPs cleavage activating protein (SCAP) and LDLr were analyzed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Blood levels of SAA [(26.60+/-3.24) ng/ml vs (14.35+/-1.73) ng/ml, P < 0.01] and IL-6 [(36.37+/-2.20) pg/ml vs (18.02+/-4.87) pg/ml, P < 0.01] were higher, while TC [(7.72+/-1.70) mmol/L vs (13.23+/-3.61)mmol/L, P less than 0.01], LDL-cholesterol [(2.94+/-0.44) mmol/L vs (9.28+/-3.66) mmol/L, P less than 0.01] and HDL cholesterol [(2.24+/-0.63) mmol/L vs (4.13+/-0.42) mmol/L, P less than 0.01] were lower in inflamed mice compared to controls. ORO staining showed that lipid accumulation in the liver was more extensive in inflamed group despite lower blood lipid levels. Meanwhile, Real Time PCR data showed inflammation induced the expression of LDLr (4.56 fold), SCAP (3.14 fold) and SREBP-2 (14.72 fold) in liver. Immunohistochemical staining also indicated increased proteins expression in the liver, which was consistent with mRNA data.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Inflammation causes lipid accumulation in liver via disrupting SREBP-2 and LDLr expression.</p>

Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 gene polymorphism and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 expression in Chongqing Han children with tuberculosis / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aims of this study were to evaluate whether the presence of -2518A/G polymorphism in the distal regulatory region of the monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) was associated with tuberculosis (TB) in Chongqing Han population and to find whether it has a significant impact on the pediatric patient.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>One hundred children [ < or = 15 years old, mean age (7.3+/-4.6) years, 53 male, 47 female] and one hundred adults [51 male, 49 female, age (44.6+/-13.5) years with TB] and 200 healthy controls of comparable age were screened for genotype by PCR-sequence-specific primer (SSP) method. MCP-1 levels in the sera were detected by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>(1) TB patients and controls showed different single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distribution patterns (58%, 36%). MCP-1 alleles -2518G was associated with increased TB susceptibility (P<0.01). (2) The -2518 GG genotypes was associated with increased TB susceptibility (32% in TB patients and 13% in non-TB controls respectively, P<0.01). (3) The odds of developing TB in genotypes GG were higher than those in homozygous AA, and the risk was higher in children than in adult (7.0-fold in children and 5.1-fold in adults, respectively). (4) Cases of homozygous GG had the highest plasma levels of MCP-1, which increased the likelihood of developing TB. Furthermore, higher levels were observed in children than in adults.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These findings suggest that persons bearing the MCP-1 genotype GG produce high concentrations of MCP-1, which increases the risk of active TB infection in Chongqing Han people. These findings are more significant in child patients than in adult patients with TB.</p>

Progress of Diangosis and Treatment in Children with Irritable Bowel Syndrome / 实用儿科临床杂志

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is a quite common disease,and it is a functional enteropathy that characterized by abdomen discomfort or pain,diarrhea,constipation or the mix of both.At present the clinical diagnosis refers to the Roman Ⅱ standard,but it is easy to create leaks examines.In 2006,the new Roman Ⅲ standard let clinician have a more objective basis regarding diagnosis of children with IBS.Its treatment is a complex therapy based on the symptom and serious degree of the symptom.The author will introduce children with IBS with emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment progress.

Clinical Characteristics of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Boys and Girls / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore clinical characteristics in boys and girls with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) and provide refe-rences for clinician′s correct diagnosis and cognition.Methods The clinical characteristics and laboratory examination of 88 children with SLE were comparatively analyzed from Dec.1993 to Sep.2007 by a retrospective cohort study.There was a ratio of 1.04.9 between boys and girls with SLE,and the peak incidence was among adolescent girls(10-15 years old),accounting for 60.2% of all children with SLE.There was no difference in onset age between the 2 groups.Disease activity was evaluated using SLE disease activity index(SLEDAI).Clinical characteristics and laboratory examination were studied by Spearman rank correlation analysis.Results There were significant differences in the constituent ratio of onset symptom and clinical symptom between boys and girls with SLE.Initial manifestation in boys with SLE was mainly skin lesion while in girls with SLE was fever.There were no significant difference for the incidence of each organ lesion between boys and girls with SLE,but higher rate of anemia and hepatic disfunction in girls with SLE was found.There were up trends of splenomegaly,abnormal electroence phalogram,butterfly erythema occurred in girls with SLE,while gastrointestinal symptoms,serositis,eyes damage occured in boys with SLE.Nephrotic syndrome was the main type of renal damage in both groups(boys:40.0%,girls:45.7%).There were significant differences in the constituent ratio of detection rate in laboratory examination,but no significant difference of positive rate was found in any kind of item between boys and girls with SLE.There was some relationship between C3 and muti-organ lesion,double stranded DNA(dsDNA) and renal lesion through correlation analysis for girls with SLE.Conclusions There are some differences of initial manifestation between boys and girls with SLE,the clinical features and laboratory examination show no gender difference.C3 may be a indicator of the disease severity for girls with SLE.