Advancements in medical and surgical treatments of Takayasu arteritis-induced renal arteritis: a systematic review / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Takayasu arteritis-induced renal arteritis (TARA), commonly seen in Takayasu arteritis (TA), has become one of the main causes of poor prognosis and early mortality in patients with TA. TARA progressing into Takayasu arteritis-induced renal artery stenosis (TARAS), could lead to severe complications including malignant hypertension, cardiac-cerebral vascular disease, and ischemic nephropathy. Since there existed no guidelines on treatments, this study aimed to review the comprehensive treatments for TARA.@*METHODS@#We searched systematically in databases including PubMed, Ovid-Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and SinoMed, from inception to May 2018. Literature selection, data extraction, and statistical analysis were performed.@*RESULTS@#Eighty-two literatures were recruited focusing on medical treatments (n = 34) and surgical treatments (n = 48). We found that combined medical treatments of glucocorticoids and conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs could reach high rates of remission in patients with TARA, and biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs were preferred for refractory patients. After remission induction, surgical treatment could help reconstruct renal artery and recover renal function partly. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was the first choice for patients with TARAS, while open surgery showed a good long-term survival.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Patients with TARA should benefit both from medical treatments and from surgical treatments comprehensively and sequentially. Multidisciplinary team coordination is recommended especially in patients with severe complications.

Progress on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway regulating self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells / 生理学报

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and its downstream target protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) can be activated by a variety of extracellular and intracellular signals. They are important signaling molecules and key survival factors involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and other cellular processes. Recently, many reports demonstrate that type I PI3K/Akt signaling pathway plays an important role in maintenance of self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells. Further studies with regard to the self-renewal and pluripotency of ES cells and underlying molecular mechanisms are crucial to its application in cell replacement therapy, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The present review focuses on the recent progress on the mediation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway on the maintenance of self-renewal and pluripotency of ES cells.

Prokaryotic soluble expression of protein D of Haemophilus influenzae type b / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To express the recombinant D protein in prokaryotic expression system solubly and make preparation for producing D-carrier conjugate vaccine next step.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The hpd gene fragment removed of signal peptide from genomic DNA of Hib CMCC was inserted into pET43. 1a. The recombinant plasmid was transformed to competent E. coli BL21 (DE3) for expression under induction of IPTG. The expressed recombination protein was precipitated with ammonium sulfate, purified by DEAE anion exchange column chromatography and identified for reactogenicity by Western Blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressed recombination protein, in a soluble form, constained about 50% of total somatic protein and showed specific reaction with the HIB antisera after preliminary purification.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The D protein recombined expression plasmid was constructed successfully and expressed D protein in prokaryotic cells in a solube form.</p>