Effects of simvastatin on expression of CTGF and α-SMA in renal tubulointerstitium of rats with diabetic nephropathy / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of low-dose simvastatin on the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the renal tubulointerstitium of rats with diabetic nephropathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: Group C (control group), Group D, in which diabetes was induced by stroptozotocin (STZ) and Group DS, in which STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with low-dose (no cholesterol-lowering effect) simvastatin. The following parameters were measured after 6 weeks and 12 weeks in each groups, respectively: body weight and kidney weight, 24-h urinary albumin excretion (UAE), biochemical indexes including blood glucose (GLU), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG) and serum creatinine (SCr). The expression of CTGF and α-SMA in renal tubulointerstitium was assessed by immunohistochemical method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>After 6 and 12 weeks, there were no significant differences in SCr, LDL, HDL and TG levels among all three groups. The expression levels of CTGF and α-SMA in the tubulointerstitium of Group DS were significantly decreased compared with those of Group D at week 6 (P<0.05); there were no significant differences compared with Group C (P>0.05). After 12 weeks, CTGF and α-SMA expressions in Group DS were also lower than those in Group D (P<0.05); while higher than those in Group C (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Simvastatin with a under cholesterol-lowering dose, can decrease the expression levels of CTGF and α-SMA in renal tubulointerstitium of rats with diabetic nephropathy, by which the progression of the tubulointerstitial fibrosis would be delayed.</p>

Clinical study of plasma thrombomodulin detection / 中国实验血液学杂志

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical value of plasma thrombomodulin (PTM) in different diseases or in different severity or complications of diseases, PTM in 979 patients and 60 healthy controls was determined by ELISA method. The results showed that the PTM level in the control group was 20.40 +/- 7.72 microg/L, there was no difference in sex and ages. In chronic primary glomerular disease, the PTM level in chronic renal failure (CRF) group was higher than that in non-CRF group (P < 0.01). PTM level > 70 microg/L was defined as its positive criterion. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value in PTM were 85.7%, 82.4% and 77.8% respectively. The PTM level in septemia group was higher than that in non-septemia group (P < 0.01), the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 86.6%, 89.5% and 76.5% respectively (> 50 microg/L as its positive criterion). With respect of multiple trauma, the PTM level in multiple organ failare (MOF) group was higher than that in non-MOF group (P < 0.01), while the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 77.8%, 77.3% and 73.7% respectively (> 40 microg/L as its positive criterion). For systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the PTM level in the patients with albuminuria was higher than that in the patients without albuminuria (P < 0.01), and the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 77.8%, 92.3% and 93.3% respectively (> 35.54 microg/L as its positive criterion). For diabetes, the PTM level in complication group was higher than that in group without complications, the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 53.4%, 97.1% and 98.6% respectively (> 35.54 microg/L as its positive criterion). The PTM level in microangiopathy group was higher than that in macroangiopathy group (P < 0.01). The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 71.2%, 97.1% and 97.9% respectively. Acute leukemia (AL) and multiple myeloma (MM) had higher PTM level and PTM level was extremely high when renal failure developed (P < 0.01). As compared the acute stage with the restoration stage in stroke, pre-chemotherapeutics with post-chemotherapeutics in AL and MM, and pre-operation with post-operation in cancer, the PTM level was connected with clinical development. The PTM level in the patients with microangiopathy was higher than that in the patients with macroangiopathy (P < 0.01). The defined PTM level was higher than its normal upper limit as PTM positive criterion in microangiopathy diseases, the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value were 77.7%, 71.2% and 75.6% respectively. It is concluded that PTM level is a good criterion in evaluating the microangiopathy, and PTM is also a valuable indicator in prediction or assessment of the severity of diseases, or evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness.

Oxidative stress and damage induced by abnormal free radical reactions and IgA nephropathy / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To estimate the oxidative stress and oxidative damage induced by abnormal free radical reactions in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients' bodies.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-two IgA N patients (IgANP) and 72 healthy adult volunteers (HAV) were enrolled in a random control study design, in which the levels of nitric oxide (NO) in plasma, lipoperoxide (LPO) in plasma and in erythrocytes, and vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE) and beta-carotene (beta-CAR) in plasma as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in erythrocytes were determined with spectrophotometric methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the HAV group, the averages of NO in plasma, and LPO in plasma and in erythrocytes in the IgANP group were significantly increased (P<0.0001), while those of VC, VE and beta-CAR in plasma as well as those of SOD, CAT and GPX in erythrocytes in the IgANP group were significantly decreased (P<0.0001). Linear correlation analysis showed that with the increase of the values of NO, and LPO in plasma and in erythrocytes, and with the decrease of those of VC, VE, beta-CAR, SOD, CAT and GPX in the IgAN patients, the degree of histological damage of tubulointerstitial regions was increased gradually (P<0.0001); and that with the prolongation of the duration of disease the values of NO, and LPO in plasma and erythrocytes were increased gradually, while those of VC, VE, beta-CAR, SOD, CAT and GPX were decreased gradually (P<0.005). The discriminatory correct rates of the above biochemical parameters reflecting oxidative damage of the IgAN patients were 73.8%-92.5%, and the correct rates for the HAV were 70.0%-91.3% when independent discriminant analysis was used; and the correct rate for the IgAN patients was increased to 98.8%, the correct rate for the HAV was increased to 100% when stepwise discriminant analysis was used. The above biochemical parameters' reliability coefficient (alpha) were used to estimate the oxidative damage of the IgAN patients as 0.8145, the standardized item alpha=0.9730, F=53273.5681, P<0.0001.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A series of free radical chain reactions caused serious pathological aggravation in the IgANP' bodies, thus resulting in oxidative damage in their bodies. In treating IgANP, therefore, it is necessary that suitable dose antioxidants should be supplemented to them so as to alleviate the oxidative damage in their bodies.</p>

Abnormal reactions of free radicals and oxidative damages in the bodies of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the abnormal reactions of a series of free radicals and the oxidative damages induced by free radical abnormal reactions in the bodies of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty chronic glomerulonephritis patients (CGNP) and eighty healthy adult volunteers (HAV) were enrolled in a random control study, in which concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) in plasma, lipoperoxides (LPO) in plasma and in erythrocytes, and vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE) and beta-carotene (beta-CAR) in plasma as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in erythrocytes were determined with spectrophotometric assays.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the average values of the above biochemical parameters in the HAV group, the average values of NO in plasma, and LPO in plasma and erythrocytes in the CGNP group were significantly increased (P = 0.0001), while those of VC, VE and beta-CAR in plasma as well as those of SOD, CAT and GPX in erythrocytes in the CGNP group were significantly decreased (P = 0.0001). Pearson product-moment correlation analysis showed that with increase of the concentration of blood creatinine as well as prolongation of the course of disease in the CGNP, the concentrations of NO in plasma, and LPO in plasma and erythrocytes in the CGNP increased gradually, while the concentrations of VC, VE and beta-CAR in plasma as well as the activities of SOD, CAT and GPX in erythrocytes in the CGNP decreased gradually (P = 0.002454-0.000001). The relative risk ratio (RR) of the above biochemical parameters reflecting oxidative damages in the bodies of CGNP ranged from 6.061 to 72.429. The reliability coefficient (alpha) that the above biochemical parameters were used to reflect the oxidative damages of the CGNP was 0.8137, standardized item alpha = 0.9728, Hotelling's T-Squared = 1135680.191, F = 53274.6478, P = 0.000001.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The findings in this study show that in the bodies of CGNP a series of free radical chain reactions result in severe pathological aggravation and induce oxidative damages in their bodies. Therefore, suitable dose of antioxidants should be supplemented to them so as to alleviate oxidative damages in their bodies.</p>